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wikipedia | Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the monopoly private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, Luton, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of the United Kingdom. Thames Water is the UK's largest water and wastewater services company, and supplies 2.6 billion litres (570 million imperial gallons) of drinking water per day, and treats 4.4 billion litres (970 million imperial gallons) of wastewater per day. Thames Water's 15 million customers comprise 27% of the UK population.
Thames Water is responsible for a range of water management infrastructure projects including: the Thames Water Ring Main around London; the Lee Tunnel; Europe's largest wastewater treatment works and the UK's first large-scale desalination plant, both at Beckton. Thames Water awarded Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd the contract to build the £4.2 billion London Tideway Tunnel Infrastructure proposals by Thames Water include the proposed reservoir at Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which would be the largest enclosed or bunded reservoir in the UK.
Thames Water is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991 and is owned by Kemble Water Holdings Ltd, a consortium formed in late 2006 and formerly owned by Australian-based Macquarie Group's European Infrastructure Funds specifically for the purpose of purchasing Thames Water. Currently the largest shareholders are Canadian pensions group OMERS (23%), BT Pension Scheme (13%), the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (9.9%), the China Investment Corporation (8.7%) and the Kuwait Investment Authority (8.5%). The name of the company reflects its role providing water to the drainage basin of the River Thames and not the source of its water, which is taken from a range of rivers and boreholes.
In March 2017 a judge imposed a record fine of £20.3m on Thames Water after large leaks of untreated sewage, totalling 1.4bn litres, occurred over a number of years.
Thames Water can trace its history back the building of the New River, from 1609 to 1612, which channelled fresh water from Hertfordshire to the New River Head in Islington. The business of the New River was taken over by the New River Company, officially founded by royal charter in 1619, under the leadership of Edmund Colthurst and Hugh Myddelton. Although earlier water companies existed providing fresh water to London, the New River Company is the earliest direct ancestor of Thames Water today.
During the 1850s, Dr John Snow and William Farr's identification of the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak provided a stimulus to the better treatment of sewage. The Thames Conservancy was established in 1857 with unified control over water supply, drainage and navigation. The Great Stink occurred in 1858, and focussed government and public opinion on cleaning up the Thames. Joseph Bazalgette's remediation of The Great Stink provided the company with much of London's present Victorian sewerage infrastructure and several listed buildings within its portfolio of sites.
In 1904 The New River Company and eight other water companies serving London were taken into public ownership under control of the newly-founded Metropolitan Water Board.
In 1989, the responsibility for navigation, regulatory, river and channels management inherited from the Thames Conservancy, was transferred to the National Rivers Authority which later became part of the Environment Agency. The remainder of Thames Water Authority was privatised as Thames Water Utilities Limited. The company became listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Following international expansion, Thames Water became the world's third largest water company in 1995.
Thames Water plc was acquired by the German utility company RWE in 2001. As well as its British operations, it continued as an international water treatment consultancy and acquired further overseas operations.
On 17 October 2006, following several years of criticism about failed leakage targets in the UK, RWE announced it would sell Thames Water for £8 billion to Kemble Water Holdings Ltd, a consortium led by the Australian Macquarie Group. In December 2006, the sale of Thames Water's British operation went ahead, with RWE keeping the overseas operations.
Under the new ownership, the company re-focused its efforts on improving its operational performance and in 2007 announced the largest-ever capital investment programme (£1 billion p.a.) of any UK water company.
In 2012 some of the company's stock was acquired by the BT Pension Scheme (13%), the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (9.9%) and the China Investment Corporation (8.7%).| Thames Water was a Tier Three sponsor of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
In 2017, under the Government's Open Water programme, and in common with all Water and Sewerage companies, Thames Water must provide entirely separate Retail and Wholesale operations for its commercial customers, working through a central Market Operator.
On 14 March 2017, Macquarie Group sold its remaining stake in Thames Water's holding company to OMERS and the Kuwait Investment Authority.
As of 2014[update], Thames Water provides the second cheapest residential water and sewerage charges of all the combined Water and Sewerage companies.
Since 2007, it has made capital investments at least £1 billion a year in its infrastructure – the largest such annual investment within the UK water industry. In 2015–2016, this figure was £1.2 billion. This level of investment has allowed the company to defer, but not avoid, substantial portions of its corporation tax liability in line with UK tax law.
Every day, Thames Water abstracts / extracts, treats and supplies 2.6 billion litres (570 million imperial gallons) of potable tap water from 100 water treatment works via 288 clean water pumping stations through 31,100 km (19,300 mi) of managed water mains to 9 million customers (3.6 million properties) across London and the Thames Valley. It maintains 30 raw water reservoirs and 235 underground service reservoirs. As well as direct customers, Thames Water supplies bulk clean water to some inset companies. Other inset companies maintain their own independent means of supply.
Likewise, it daily removes, treats and disposes 4.4 billion litres (970 million imperial gallons) of wastewater from 15 million customers (5.1 million properties) using 2530 sewage pumping stations through 109,400 km (68,000 mi) of managed sewerage mains to 348 sewage treatment works across an area of 13,000 km2 (5,000 sq mi) of South England. On 1 October 2011, it adopted 40,000 km (25,000 mi) - an additional 60% - of private sewers and lateral drains to add to its then stock of 68,000 km (42,000 mi) giving a new network of 108,000 km (67,000 mi). By 2015, this figure had grown to 109,400 km (68,000 mi) managed sewerage mains. Before 1 October 2016, it is obliged to adopt 5,000+ private sewage pumping stations to add to its current stock of 2530 managed sewage pumping stations Again, Thames Water treats and disposes bulk sewage on behalf of some inset companies.
Thames Water produces biosolid fertiliser as a by-product from the waste treatment, and supplies this to local farms.
It also recovers phosphates – an increasingly important source of a dwindling naturally occurring mineral.
As of 2013[update], it recovered approximately 18 MW (156 GWh per year), or 12.5% of its total energy requirements from renewable electricity generated from biogas collected from the sewage. Further biogas capacity, the burning of 'fatbergs' removed from London's sewers and substantial solar farms have enabled the company to announce a 2015–16 target of generating 36 MW (318 GWh per annum) or 20% of its total energy requirements from renewable sources, a 2020 target of self-generating 33% of electricity needs, and a commitment to 100% renewable energy eventually.
In December 2014 Thames Water pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 after the death at work of one of its workers. They were fined £300,000 with £61,000 prosecution costs. The incident occurred at their Coppermill Water Treatment Works in Walthamstow, London E17 in April 2010 when an excavator reversed over and killed the worker in a slow sand filter. The prosecution followed an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.
Thames Water was repeatedly criticised for the amount of water that leaked from its pipes by the industry regulator Ofwat and was fined for this.
In May 2006 the leakage was nearly 900 million litres (200 million imperial gallons) per day and in June that year Thames Water missed its target for leakage reduction for the third year in a row. The Consumer Council for Water, a customers' group, accused Thames Water for continuing to miss their targets for the past five years. In July 2006, instead of a fine which would have gone "to the exchequer", the company was required to spend an extra £150 million on repairs.
Thames Water has hit its Ofwat-agreed annual leakage-reduction target for the past ten years running (2006 to 2016).
In 2006–07, the company stated that it had reduced its daily loss through leaks by 120 million litres (26 million imperial gallons) to an average of 695 million litres (153 million imperial gallons) per day. For 2009–10 the Ofwat-reported daily leakage was 668.9 million litres (147.1 million imperial gallons). In its price control determination for the period 2010 to 2015, Ofwat did not allow the funds needed to finance a significant further reduction in leakage and used the assumption that daily leakage would be 674 million litres (148 million imperial gallons) in 2010–11 and 673 million litres (148 million imperial gallons) from 2011 to 2012. In 2011–12, actual daily leakage was 637×10^6 l (140×10^6 imp gal); in 2012–13, 646×10^6 l (142×10^6 imp gal); in 2013–14, 644×10^6 l (142×10^6 imp gal); in 2014–2015, 654×10^6 l (144×10^6 imp gal); in 2015–2016, 642×10^6 l (141×10^6 imp gal).
The recent successes in meeting leakage targets have mitigated the earlier failures to meet targets. As a result, and in spite of a larger distribution network, Thames Water now leaks slightly less water than at privatisation in 1989, having reduced leakage from its 31,100 km (19,300 mi) network of water pipes by more than a third since its 2004 peak to its current lowest-ever level. As of 2013[update] and with an older network profile, Thames Water leaked 25.8% of supply, slightly less than Severn Trent at 27%. As of 2015[update] Thames Water leaked 25.1% of supply.
In June 2018 regulators made Thames Water pay £65 milion to customers among other problems because they failed to fix leaks.
In the period 2005–13 Thames Water was the most heavily fined water company in the UK for pollution incidents, paying £842,500 for 87 events. In 2016, it paid the largest fine for a single pollution incident of £1 million. In March 2017, Thames Water was fined a record £20.3 million after it pumped nearly 1.5 billion litres of untreated sewage into the River Thames. The company also admitted other water pollution and offences in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. In awarding the fine, Judge Francis Sheridan noted the company's "continual failure to report incidents" and "history of non-compliance", saying: "This is a shocking and disgraceful state of affairs. It should not be cheaper to offend than to take appropriate precautions. I have to make the fine sufficiently large that [Thames Water] get the message", adding that, "One has to get the message across to the shareholders that the environment is to be treasured and protected, and not poisoned."
Conversely, in 2014, Thames Water admitted that it had accidentally over-reported the number of properties at high risk of sewage flooding between 2005 and 2010. It agreed to a compensation package for customers of £86 million.
In September 2007, 5 km (3.1 mi) of the River Wandle, Greater London was polluted. In January 2009, Thames Water pleaded guilty at Sutton Magistrates Court, and was subsequently fined £125,000 at Croydon Crown Court and ordered to pay £21,335 in clean-up and investigation costs. In February 2010, on appeal, the fine was found to be "manifestly excessive" and was reduced to £50,000.
On 5–8 June 2011, more than 230,000 cubic metres (8.1 million cubic feet), or 230,000 tonnes, of sewage were released from Mogden Sewage Treatment works, killing 26,000 fish.
On 29 October 2011, Thames Water released thousands of tonnes of raw sewage into the River Crane, Greater London killing thousands of fish, when a six-tonne valve jammed during routine maintenance. Despite tankering and alternative routing, the volume of sewage from Heathrow overwhelmed the operations. Thames Anglers Conservancy's Robin Vernon said: “It will take a decade to repair all the damage done by the sewage spill. Everything in there is just dead now.” In 2013, fungus and slime in the River Crane was attributed to runoff of de-icer from Heathrow getting into the river In 2014, Thames Water blamed recent pollution on fat poured down drains by local customers.
On 9 December 2011, Thames Water was fined £60,000 after releasing sewage sludge into the Foudry Brook killing up to 20,000 fish in a three-mile stretch from Silchester, Hampshire.
In September 2012, clogged-up pumps caused sewage to be released into the Chase Brook, near Newbury. A £250,000 fine imposed in August 2014 was adjudged "lenient" on appeal in 2015. The pumps were replaced by improved pumps.
In January 2016, Thames Water was fined a record £1m for polluting the Grand Union Canal between July 2012 and April 2013 in Hertfordshire. In addition, it was required to pay costs of £18,000 and a victim surcharge of £120. In its defence, Thames Water said it had spent £30,000 replacing equipment at Tring.
On Christmas Day 2016, the Thames Water Hampton pump failed and as a consequence, thousands of Londoners in the TW and W postcode areas were left without water and with a huge strain on their Christmas festivities.
In 2011, the company found itself involved in a controversial redevelopment plan for the Bath Road Reservoir in its home town of Reading. An appeal against Reading Borough Council's rejection of the plan was dismissed by the planning inspector in January 2011. Full planning permission was subsequently granted on 10 December 2012.
The exceptional rain and weather conditions of 2013–14 caused swollen rivers and several low-lying Thames Water treatment works to be submerged under flood water.
In February 2014, the River Ash caused flooding in homes in Staines-upon-Thames. This flooding was exacerbated by a two-day delay by Surrey County Council's 'Gold Control' flood control group in ordering Thames Water to close a sluice gate on a Thames Water aqueduct. Thames Water considered it had been following an existing protocol agreed with Surrey County Council and the Environment Agency.
Thames Water maintains commercial flocks of sheep on the borders of several of its reservoirs, which are used as the cheapest way to stop large plants growing and damaging the banks.
Over centuries of London's growth from medieval times to the Victorian age, the natural tributary system of the Thames Tideway was converted first into public open sewers and then closed over into covered sewers which emptied directly into the River Thames. Joseph Bazalgette's remediation of the ensuing 1850s Great Stink renewed much of London's sewerage mains infrastructure during the period 1859 to 1865. However, the new design was not intended to cope with the doubling of London's population over the following 150 years. The concreting of huge amounts of London's green spaces causes substantial rainwater run-off into the drainage and sewerage systems which had been expected to soak into the ground. As a result, even small amounts of rainfall in certain circumstances can cause London's outdated Victorian sewerage system to fail over, and release untreated sewage mixed with rainwater directly into the Thames Tideway.
To mitigate and resolve the above problems, the Thames Tideway Scheme proposed a three-stage series of improvements. The first two stages of the improvements were upgrades to 5 sewage treatment works and construction of the 6.9 km (4.3 mi) Lee Tunnel, formally opened on 28 January 2016. Together, these are expected to result in an annual discharge reduction of 40%. This is equivalent to a reduction of 16 million cubic metres (570 million cubic feet) or 16 million tonnes per year, down to about 23 million cubic metres (810 million cubic feet) or 23 million tonnes of effluent per year. The third stage is the 25 km (16 mi) Thames Tideway Tunnel, which was proposed by the Thames Tideway Strategic Study, including Thames Water, as an effective solution to deal with most of the remaining problem. On 12 September 2014, planning consent was formally approved by the UK Government. On 24 August 2015, the building contracts were awarded for the western section (Ealing to Hammersmith: £416 million, to BAM Nuttall, Morgan Sindall and Balfour Beatty), the central section (Hammersmith to Tower Bridge: £746 million, to Ferrovial Agroman and Laing O'Rourke) and the eastern section (Tower Bridge to Stratford and Greenwich: £605 million, to Costain, Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche). On 3 November 2015, Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd received its operating licence from OFWAT, ensuring the start of the project.
The necessity for action has added urgency because of imminent water quality fines of up to £1bn by the European Commission on the UK Government.
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wordpress | Since City Year gives us $200 for the metro every month, I figured I might as well blow through as much money as possible before August. What better way to do that besides meeting up with friends in a conveniently flat and walkable city?
Learned that one of the girls quit TAPIF halfway through because she was the only Anglophone and the only Asian in her tiny town. Oh, the joys of racism.
A and I happily caught each other up with our lives since leaving France, and we walked around DC speaking French because we missed using it so much. We probably confused so many people, but I regret nothing.
Still half-asleep, I boarded the 7:12 train to Giverny, arriving 41 minutes later at the small town of Vernon. Then, with nothing but the occasional cow, horse, car, and bike for company, I began my 1 hour 9 minute, 3.3 mile trek across the Seine, through the peaceful countryside, to Monet’s gardens. I admit I screamed a little–albeit very quietly–at the sight of the sun gleaming over looming, rolling hills lining the horizon beyond the river.
The reason I forced myself out of bed at 6:10am was in the hopes of avoiding the tourists–and while I can say I was one of the first people in line for tickets, I was sadly not one of the first people to enter the gardens.
Squeezing past an unnecessary amount of tourist groups, I made the fortunate choice of entering Monet’s house first. Inside, every room was a vivid combination of functional and brightly photogenic, and security guards notwithstanding, part of me was tempted to become a squatter there.
Outside, as a horde of tourist groups queued to enter the house, I drank in a rainbow of flowers set up against a backdrop of green. At some point, while strolling past a series of pastel tulips, I may or may not have cried over the gardens/the reality of taking my final trip in France. Move along now, nothing to see here except an emotional French major crying over flowers for her wives Iszi and Madeline.
Trying to take the paths less traveled by tourists, I finally reached the famed water lily pond with the green bridges, and the sight took my breath away. The entire garden–house, lake, and flowers–is actually a lot larger than you’d expect it to be, and I spent a good three hours marveling over the beautiful riot of colors, various hues that should have clashed but somehow managed to blend seamlessly together.
Mercifully, the rain stayed away until I finished lunch and boarded the Navette bus back to Vernon, which I suppose I could have explored, but instead I returned to Rouen, where I’m going to sleep for 10 million years. Why do I choose 7am trains to save money, again?
One delayed train, one cancelled bus, one re-delayed train, one 4-hour bus ride, one short nap, and one train later, I finally arrived in Rouen, the capital of Normandy. Although my legs nearly gave out during the steep climb to my Airbnb, the descent was much easier, and getting to see the typical Rouen-style architecture–the maisons à colombage (timbering)–was well worth it.
Before I fangirled over the ridiculously picturesque houses, I popped into the Abbatiale Saint-Ouen, fawned over the Église Saint-Maclou (but couldn’t go in because of a wedding), and gazed at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen.
On Rue du Gros Horloge, I climbed the bell tower for a history lesson on clocks and a panoramic view of the city, nearly having a heart attack when the bells rung in the room above my head.
Back on one of Rouen’s most famous pedestrian streets, a colorful display of macarons lured me into a pâtisserie, and I ended up purchasing two tiny ones, lemon and lychee-raspberry. The second one, though. Oh my god. I’ve been ruined.
I savored my macarons outside the Église Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc, at what I thought was a peaceful little park, but as it turns out, some dad explained to his kid that it was where they burned Joan of Arc. Whoops?
After I wandered along the banks of the Seine and consumed the most delicious Pad Thai for dinner, Pepito, the cat who rules over my Airbnb, started complaining because he was hungry, but I couldn’t for the life of me find his food. I felt so awful, I texted M, who came back and then immediately left to buy him croquettes…and he started screaming the instant the door closed behind her. Poor guy. Hopefully M comes back soon with his food.
Going full nerd, I walked down the street to visit the James Joyce Centre–how was I supposed to pass it up when it was practically right next to our hostel? As I relived my ENGL 381 final, I also flashbacked to the good old weeks when we read and discussed A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man spring semester of senior year.
Following a professor’s recommendation, I then hopped aboard the DART to Howth, a little coastal village where I may or may not have taken way too many pictures. (Un?)Wisely, I followed the longest hiking path, Bog of the Frogs, along the peninsula. But those 12 km/7.5 miles along the coast and through the mountains were absolutely worth it: the scenery was strikingly beautiful, and practically every five minutes, it changed and became even more stunning.
Though my photos will never do the blues or greens of the water justice, at times it felt like I was walking through a fairy tale–I kid you not, at one point, I even crossed a babbling brook and walked past a wall embedded with purple seashells.
It began to rain as I cut through the mountainside, and I grumbled at the humidity until, at long last, I came full circle and reached the train station. Once tired, sweaty, and starving, and now clean and fed and ready to curl up in bed for our 6am flight, I write this apologetic note to France: sorry, I promise I still love you, but Howth has officially stolen my heart.
I then trekked over to the Irish Museum of Modern Art, (ab)using my R-MC student ID to see an exhibition for free before meeting up with A in the café.
We braved the Irish bus system over to Bray, a little coastal town, where J, one of the teachers that A works with, and her son picked us up from the bus stop. At her mother-in-law’s house, we talked a bit with J and her husband, who’s Irish and has an entire collection of beer pint glasses he’s stolen from bars, before climbing into J’s car. She took us on an incredibly scenic drive, all rolling hills and pops of yellow flowers, to Glendalough.
The main attraction there, a Monastic City built in the 6th century, is a now set of ruins, thanks to the Normans. (Really? Did they have to ruin everything?) Nestled among the mountains and a nearby lake, the entire site radiates a lovely calm, disturbed only by a little dog named Rosie who wanted a duck so badly, she waded straight into the water.
Back in the car, we drove along a winding road so narrow, two cars could barely fit side-by-side. Pausing briefly at a stunning, rocky waterfall, we proceeded to drive deep into the countryside, so far from civilization that at points there was no cell service.
J explained that landscape resembled Scotland’s, and that during the summer, it turns pink and purple because it becomes awash with heather. Though the moors were currently gold and brown, they remained nonetheless stunning. There in the middle of Irish nowheresville, nature stretching as far as the eye could see, I got to experience the kind of beauty that makes you want to shake your fist at humanity for accelerating global warming.
Eventually, we made it out of Glendalough and back into Bray, where J drove us to the seafront. She handed A and me half a bagel to feed some disturbingly fearless swans and ducks, and then brought us to the beach, full of pebbles reminiscent of Nice’s beaches, even if the water wasn’t quite as blue.
I may or may not have pocketed a few pebbles before J dropped us off at the station to take the DART, a sort of aboveground metro, back to Dublin.
The rest of the national (free) museums are closed on Mondays, but luckily we had a backup plan: the Cruinniú na Cásca, or the Creative Ireland initiative. A free festival to celebrate contemporary Irish culture and creativity, in Dublin, the event was split into four parts and scattered throughout the city center.
In St. Stephen’s Green, the tents were mostly geared towards children, as we should have guessed by the massive playground, but we did get to see a tinsmith at work. Strolling through the park, pink flower petals strewn across the grass like spring snow, we also stumbled across a giant community drum where children were having the time of their lives.
On our way to Smithfield Square, we happened upon the Georges Street Arcade, a gorgeous indoor street market.
A weirdly fancy Spar grocery store allowed me to do some people-watching as we consumed lunch, and then our journey to our next destination helped us realize that Dublin is pleasantly walkable because all the main points are so close to each other. At Smithfield, we listened to the music for a bit before poking around the tents, which featured hands-on science, slap poetry, and graffiti.
Confusion greeted us at Dublin Castle, where we wondered why three separate lines were gathered outside one tent. It turns out that you could printmake one of three designs onto a free tote bag, so A and I promptly joined a line for a free Irish souvenir, waiting about half an hour to discover the struggle of making art. Printmaking session complete, we joined the new fashion trend of the draping the tote bags around our necks to dry like sad aprons.
Finally, we watched some incredibly enthusiastic people dancing to Irish music at Custom House Quay, including a girl casually Irish dancing her way down the street. Inside the dance tent, others attempted the tango, though the highlight occurred outside the tent, where a security guard happily danced away with an imaginary partner. Guess they have to do something to relieve the boredom?
Since Easter had emptied half the streets and closed half the shops, the native Dubliners off doing whatever they do to celebrate the holiday, A and I happily slept in and had a late start to our day.
It was about time to cross off #1 on our things to do list, so we returned to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the library. Except we took one look at the line of dedicated tourists, went NOPE, and shelled out an extra 2.5€ to purchase our tickets online and skip the queue.
Ah, the Long Room of the Old Library. I’ve found my new home. Welcome to a book lover’s paradise, where you inhale the scent of old books with every breath and gaze at more books than you could ever read.
Reluctantly, I kicked myself out of the library, and then we took advantage of the National Gallery’s free admission. Most of the place was being renovated, but we did get to see student imaginings of future Ireland that ranged from adorable to impressive, and numerous European paintings influenced by French artists.
Grumbling at the winds that stopped us in our tracks, we popped into a restaurant to grab dinner, where I had an introvert moment that ultimately turned out to be successful: I wanted chips but didn’t want to stand there reading the flavors, so I grabbed a bag at random. “Mature Irish cheese and red onion flavor” sounds odd, but it actually ended up being surprisingly tasty.
PS. Madeline agrees that we should move to the library. I’m a terrible influence.
Dodging a multitude of people attempting to hand hapless tourists bus tour flyers, we began our day with a proper power breakfast: donuts.
We then joined a free 3-hour walking tour, which covered the highlights of northern Dublin: the Spire, O’Connell Bridge, Trinity College, College Green, the Bank of Ireland, Temple Bar, Dublin Castle, Dubb Linn Gardens, Christ Church Cathedral, and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
Trinity College’s first dean said that women would only study there over his dead body, and a year after he died, the first woman enrolled. Rumor has it that women then proceeded to fulfill the dean’s wishes by marching right over his grave whenever they entered or exited the college. You go, ladies!
Previously, my knowledge of Ireland came from spring-semester English lit class, where we sadly only got to cover the Easter Uprising, Joyce, and Bowen. But, I ended up loving Irish literature so much that I turned in a 12-page final when the max page limit was 10…no, I don’t have a problem.
Our noses helped us retrace our steps to the Temple Bar food market, where we were tempted to consume everything in sight. I ended up getting chicken dumplings to revive the Asian in me, remembering my manners enough to tell the guy “thank you” in Chinese.
Since the sun was gracing us with its presence, we strolled along the River Liffey for a bit and poked around the Ha’penny Market and a bookstore, and I fed myself bubble tea.
I then spent a solid two hours exploring the city, getting to know “dear dirty Dublin,” as Joyce called it. The city’s architecture is honestly fascinating, a seemingly bizarre mixture of brightly brick and brightly colored facades that somehow manage to merge seamlessly together.
Finally, thanks to a recommendation from one of my professors, A and I met up again and enjoyed dinner at Cornucopia, a vegan restaurant with salads that I seriously need to learn how to make.
The three of us sat down in a pub and ordered hefty lunches, and then Sy, who’d already been in Dublin a few days ago, led us to Merrion Square. There, my inner English nerd delighted in seeing the outside of Oscar Wilde’s house, along with his most famous statue and several little structures bearing his quotes, including, “There is no sin except stupidity.” Hard to argue that one, given the current political climate.
Since we had no other plans, we strolled through the park for a while, noticing a fancy Cadbury Easter event for children and briefly wondering whether we were small enough to pass ourselves off as kids. The things we consider doing for chocolate.
Soon, the weather decided to give us a proper Irish welcome; seeking shelter from the rain, A and I followed Sy to the building that houses the Irish Emigration museum. We parted ways there, since she had to catch a bus to her Airbnb and A had to deal with French bureaucracy, but we shared several delightful literary conversations (and a moment where I nearly wept with jealousy because Sy gets to see David Tennant perform in theater).
After the salty pub food, A and I gave in to our sweet teeth and, like true adults, decided to have crêpes for dinner. Shh, don’t tell our mothers. Besides, mine had strawberries. That’s healthy, right?
At the entrance of a little pedestrian street, I had a brief fangirl moment over a James Joyce statue before we turned in for the night.
We ended the day by braving the basement bathrooms, which were actually less frightening than they sounded. While we emerged unharmed from that adventure, we may not survive the night. For some unfathomable reason, the window in our room is purposely designed to stay open, with a gap large enough for a small creature to fit through. If I don’t update this blog again, then blame whatever bird or squirrel that invades our room in the dead of the night. | 2019-04-20T18:28:02Z | https://featheredhopes.wordpress.com/tag/wandering/ | Porn | Arts | 0.260986 |
yahoo | Whats up with some people being so in favor of illegal immigration?
My grandparents were from Portugal and they came to the USA LEGALLY. They did it the LEGAL way, they got their papers and everything way back then, which Im assuming must have not been a simple process for them. So I dont understand why some people are so in favor of being okay with illegal immigration, almost... show more My grandparents were from Portugal and they came to the USA LEGALLY. They did it the LEGAL way, they got their papers and everything way back then, which Im assuming must have not been a simple process for them. So I dont understand why some people are so in favor of being okay with illegal immigration, almost turning into a racist thing? Like "Oh you dont want illegals here? You're racist." Um no, its illegal immigration. Theres a right way to do it, and a wrong way to do it.
Its not like my grandparents had jobs lined up before they came here. It was hard. But they still did it the right way. Also, I personally cannot imagine wanting to go to a country illegally. Just think about how terrifying that would be to put yourself in such a predicament. That's just not smart at all!
The Democrats are using the illegal aliens to stay in power by having them counted the same as citizens for the purpose of allocating seats in the US House of Representatives. Realize there are between 22 and 30 MILLION illegals in the USA and they are concentrated in Blue states. It means seats either get reallocated to the Blue states with each Census, or the Blue states at least don't lose seats if they are experiencing an outflow of US citizen residents (which is happening in California).
Your point is exactly why legal immigrants & their descendants are so strenuously opposed to illegal aliens, visa/immigration law violators. Every last one of these lawbreakers is a deep & abiding insult to every law-abiding immigrant & citizen. Support candidates for public offices who likewise strenuously oppose illegal immigration - which eliminates most Democrats, and some Republicans.
There is no legal way for year-round farm workers to do it. All ways of coming are illegal for year-round farm workers. Coming illegally is the ONLY way that they can come. They don't want to come to the U.S. illegal, but they have to, because there is no other way.
And the U.S. needs them to come. It cannot produce enough food without them.
If it weren't illegal immigration it would be abortion or military spending or any of the other stated positions our two major political parties like to fight over. The subject matter doesn't really factor in, just that the two sides must take the polar opposite positions so they have something to stump about during campaigns. This issue is just another on a long list of things elected officials use to "energize the base". That it involves real people on both sides of the argument doesn't matter to those whose sole motivation is power.
Nothing to say really, guess you answered your own question.
If you were in charge of a lifeboat that could hold 40 people ,with room for 10 more --- and there were hundreds of people still in the water -- would you simply let them all try and climb aboard.?
Thanks to uncontrolled world population growth and global warming -- that's the position we are in.
It's mostly just a "Resist Trump" thing. Also there are some DemocRATs that know those people move to cities and States with immigrant friendly policies. That will give those liberal States more population. More population gives them more representatives in the House, and more electoral votes.
My parents were born in southern Europe.
My father lived in the US for most of his life, he's even buried here. He never complained about politics and paid all his taxes but he never became a US citizen either.
He forgot to renew his papers once and immigration showed up at our door ... He had blond hair so you'll never convince me this is about racism.
You need laws to maintain order, it's that simple.
People do desperate things in desperate situations. Just put yourself in their shoes. Living in war torn countries and poverty, you family, neighbours, friends are dying all around you. You want a better life for yourself, your kids etc. what would you do, would you just stand back and wait to die and for all the ones you love to be killed, tortured etc. Sometimes it’s not easy to get her legally so they have to take the more dangerous option. If these people weren’t desperate, do you really think they would go to extremes. I understand some aren’t genuine refugees but the majority are. These are human lives.
My grandparents were from Portugal and they came to the USA LEGALLY. They did it the LEGAL way, they got their papers and everything way back then, which Im assuming must have not been a simple process for them. So I dont understand why some people are so in favor of being okay with illegal immigration, almost turning into a racist thing? Like "Oh you dont want illegals here? You're racist." Um no, its illegal immigration. Theres a right way to do it, and a wrong way to do it. | 2019-04-18T12:50:02Z | https://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20190323101626AA7bqSp | Porn | Business | 0.140409 |
indiana | Dragons are my favorite supernatural creatures. Maybe it’s not surprising, then, that I found a way to research them as part of my new job working for the University Archives. As part of IU’s 2018 Themester, which focused on the relationship between human and non-human animals, I started researching animal folklore in the IU Folklore Institute student papers, and quickly ran into Henry Gaidoz’s massive collection (GR55.G35 H46) in the related IU Libraries’ Folklore Collection. This French folklorist and mythologist collected texts about everything from Zoroastrianism to cannibalism, including an entire box of writings on dragons. At the bottom of that box, I found Marinus Willem de Visser’s 1913 missive The Dragon in China and Japan (Box 24, Item 568). This book contains hundreds of pages of descriptions of Chinese and Japanese dragon beliefs and traditions, including instructions on how to summon a dragon to make it rain.
M.W. de Visser, like Gaidoz, had a range of interests. He was a Dutch scholar who studied Chinese and Japanese folklore, but his works have become particularly well known in the field of cryptozoology, the study of supernatural creatures. In The Dragon in China and Japan, he chronicles the ways that dragon beliefs and rituals moved between India, China, and Japan, drawing along the way from Taoism, Shintoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. His book begins by describing beliefs that came from India, then moves into the way those ideas were absorbed into existing traditions in China and Japan. As I read, I realized what a vital role dragons play in eastern Asian traditions, particularly as water gods capable of starting and stopping rain.
Much of the western literature I had previously encountered depicted dragons as embodied metaphors for the human qualities of greed, violence, and wisdom. In China, however, dragons have been worshiped as deities, used as symbols of national identity and political authority, and are still seen today as figures with the potential to bless a community with rain or stop a flood. I was interested in these practices because of my love for all things dragon-related, but also because my home state of Utah was at the time suffering from drought and a series of terrible fires. I decided to combine some of the things I learned from Visser’s text with my own traditions and ask a dragon to bring rain to my home town.
Chinese and Japanese beliefs in dragons are complicated and emergent, and they are not my area of study. However, based on Visser’s work as well as other texts, I identified what seemed to be some key aspects of these traditions. Ancient Chinese beliefs about dragons describe them as “enormous light-giving mountain gods” who helped create life and have power over the weather as well as other aspects of the environment (62). These long-standing beliefs combined with Buddhist and Hindu influences to form contemporary dragon worship practices, including the widespread belief in Dragon Kings. Dragon or Serpent Kings are local gods that live in specific lakes or rivers and can be petitioned to create or stop rain. Many are depicted as having bodies that are part serpent and part human.
“The Dragon King of the Four Seas” 1801-1850, located in the British Museum.
It is difficult to delineate how and where specific parts of dragon worship in China originated, but Visser outlines several examples of asking dragons for rain that come from Taoist and Buddhist traditions. In general, there are two types of strategies for communicating with dragons, both of which rely on knowing what the dragon either likes or dislikes. The first is performing a ritual to ask the dragon for help, which involves praying, providing offerings, and reciting sutras or sacred texts. These rituals often include images of specific dragons and items that are the color blue (the color of one of the most important dragons), and are done while facing the direction of the particular dragon you are trying to summon (often east) (30-32). The second strategy is to agitate the dragon to cause it to move, which can involve pulling small statues of the dragon in and out of the water, making loud noises near the shoreline, or throwing items the dragon dislikes (often iron and the Wang plant) into the river or lake (69).
My version of summoning the dragon was based on the two types of rituals described in Visser. First, I read about the Great Cloud Circle (or Wheel) rite. This Buddhist petition must be performed in an open space, under a blue canopy and a blue banner and on a blue seat facing east. There are additional instructions for who can perform the ritual and what they must be wearing, as well as the offerings that should accompany the performance. In this ritual a religious official or influential lay person recites the sutra or dharani of the Great Cloud Circle for one to two days while others play music and sing for the dragon. Then they burn offerings, including a paper figure with a message in his hand asking for rain. The act of burning this figure is supposed to allow him to take his message to heaven (32).
The second strategy I drew from is a practice associated with the dragon boat festival (such as this one in Washington D.C.), an annual celebration in which people race dragon boats and place dumplings wrapped in leaves and tied with five-colored thread in the water. There are many different versions of the story behind this festival –one of the most common is that it commemorates the poet K’uh Yen, a loyal man accused of treason who committed suicide, and the race of the villagers to save his body from being eaten by placing other food in the water. However, Visser and other scholars suggest that this celebration comes in part from an earlier festival which may have been intended to worship dragons. Visser suggests the act of racing symbolic representations of dragons and placing food wrapped in leaves of a plant that dragons would not like in the water were intended to make the dragons race or fight each other, causing a rainstorm (68).
After reading about these and other ways to communicate I wanted to respect these traditions but also perform my own ritual in a way that was personally meaningful, so I combined these ideas with what I had on hand. Part of the problem was that I was not asking for rain where I currently was–Indiana had plenty of water–so I spoke to Tam Iverson, a graduate student at the University of Tartu, Estonia, who is familiar with beliefs about rain summoning in many cultures. He suggested that I use a fulcrum, or something that emotionally connected me to the place where I was asking for it to rain. I knew my Dad was coming into town that weekend, so I waited for him to arrive and planned that we would figure out the materials and fulcrum together. Coincidentally, the day we planned was also the day of the fall equinox, which according to Visser begins the period in which dragons begin a period of hibernation (66).
That weekend, we picked a stream near my house and I found a blue scarf given to me by my grandmother to act as a “blue banner.” My Dad and I wrote messages on pieces of paper and brought matches to burn them. I didn’t have dumplings or the specific leaves mentioned by Visser, so I wrapped a cookie in the leaves I found near the stream and tied it together with five colors of thread. We brought a blue umbrella as the blue canopy, and as the fulcrum and a text to read, I brought a childhood story book with a blue cover. I read the book out loud, we placed the cookie wrapped in leaves and thread in the water, and then burned our messages. It was raining while we did this in Indiana, but the forecast for Utah was no rain for the next week.
I have no idea if we summoned a dragon, and if that was possible whether that dragon would listen to anything we had to say. But I learned about beliefs I would never have otherwise, and I felt strongly the importance of having personal rituals that allow you to communicate with the world around you. Also, I don’t know that it didn’t work. So thanks, dragon.
We are happy to announce that the papers of Esther Thelen (1941-2004), former professor of psychology at Indiana University Bloomington and a prominent figure in the field of developmental psychology, are now available for access at the University Archives.
After receiving her undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin in 1963, Thelen took a break from academia to begin her family before beginning graduate studies in zoology at the University of Missouri. It was there that she took a graduate course in animal behavior, which set off a chain of connections that would eventually lead to her impressive tenure as a professor and scholar in the field of developmental psychology.
While Thelen was conducting a study on the grooming behavior of wasps, the repetitive movements of the wasps reminded her of psychologist J. Piaget’s observation of circular reactions in the movement of human infants. Inspired by this connection, Thelen conducted a descriptive study of 49 different types of repetitive movements in infants, for which she earned her PhD in biological sciences in 1977.
After spending a few years as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, Thelen came to Indiana University Bloomington as a full professor of psychology in 1985. While at IU, she founded and directed the Infant Motor Development Laboratory, where she and her colleagues studied infant movement, perception, and cognition. With a research output that included three books and over 120 scientific articles and chapters, Thelen made many revelations about infant motor development that influenced scholarship in fields as diverse as pediatric physical therapy, neuroscience, computer science, robotics, and kinesiology.
Thelen gave talks at universities, conferences, and workshops all over the world, and her influential work was often featured in national media sources. In this 1993 clip from the PBS program Scientific American Frontiers, the cameras follow along as Thelen and her colleagues take a ride in their “Mobile Research Laboratory,” a bus containing portable equipment essential to their studies of infant movement. This Mobile Laboratory enabled Thelen and her colleagues to travel to the homes of their infant research subjects in order to perform their studies remotely. The clip also shows Thelen working with her subjects in the Infant Motor Development Laboratory on campus.
During her tenure at Indiana University Bloomington, Thelen set a new standard for studying motor control and coordination in infants. Her collection at the University Archives includes materials such as personal files and correspondence; documents related to public speaking appearances, publications, and leadership roles in professional organizations and committees; educational materials from psychology courses taught by Thelen; and materials related to Thelen’s research, including handwritten notes, drafts of studies, and original U-Matic videotapes of research subjects.
To learn more about the Esther Thelen papers 1977-2005 or to view the collection yourself, please feel free to contact the University Archives to set up an appointment. | 2019-04-25T22:24:08Z | https://blogs.libraries.indiana.edu/iubarchives/category/uncategorized/ | Porn | Home | 0.720994 |
wordpress | Spotted this excellent Easter meditation yesterday, with the starting point of considering a Creme Egg (which I know that a good number of people will be doing over the next few weeks). Delivered by Dave Crofts of Christ Church Central in Sheffield. Think this might get a showing in one of our services before Easter.
I met with my prayer support group this weekend. We’re now in our 22nd year of meeting, and on Saturday (in between eating and talking and praying and taking a short walk together) we listened to recordings of two talks by Kathleen Nielson. Kathleen heads up Women’s Initiatives for the Gospel Coalition in the US and brought some wonderful insights into Old Testament narrative. We listened to her talks on Rahab and the Tower of Babel. Her teaching is engaging and stimulating – highly recommended.
The great encouragement of meeting for prayer and bible study helped with the fact that I was away from home when a sad accident befell the Vicarage Rodent. Those of you who follow on Twitter will know that our degu had a sweet habit of escaping at bedtime. Alas, this weekend his escaping habit ended very unhappily, and Squeak is no more. There was a solemn funeral in the back garden, where he joined his erstwhile companion, Snuffle, who predeceased him. What with Squeak’s demise and some stressful adventures with trains (I nearly ended up in Glasgow instead of London, for starters) I am very thankful that I’ve got no further trips away planned for a while. | 2019-04-23T08:10:41Z | https://thevicarswife.wordpress.com/2014/03/ | Porn | Home | 0.511019 |
goo | Warren M. Sherk (1998). The Films of Mack Sennett. Scarecrow Press.
Brent E. Walker (2010). Mack Sennett's Fun Factory. McFarland & Company. | 2019-04-23T06:43:03Z | https://wpedia.goo.ne.jp/wiki/%E3%83%9E%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%83%BB%E3%82%BB%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88 | Porn | Arts | 0.726548 |
wordpress | To say that “Red Eye of Love” had a long voyage to its present incarnation is a proverbial understatement. The current musical began life in 1961 at the iconic Living Theater, as a wild romp of a play by experimentalist Arnold Weinstein. It was originally directed by John Wulp, who won a directing Obie back in the day, and became the work’s unflagging champion. It is because of Wulp’s devotion and stellar reputation in the theater world that nearly five decades after a first bow “Red Eye of Love” is back, and with a modern vigor.
This is a romantic musical with a stunning cast, a beautifully realized presentation and a message for our times. But it is wacky, non-linear, confusing, poetic and sometimes flabbergasting. The premise that rings as true now, (sadly) as it did in the ’60s, is that artists and the 99 percent are constantly making choices between having a safe, happy life and “selling out,” as folks used to say.
The ingénue Selma Chargess, played with adorable aplomb by Alli Mauzey (who can warble and hoof with equal measure and win the hearts of all around her), is engaged to Meat Magnate O. O. Martinas. He is an older man who has made his fortune building a mega store for meat. Weinstein was prescient in ascribing the ability to amass millions in a niche market. One could not have conceived in the era of the Vietnam War that cold pressed juice, boutique water or thousand dollar jeans would become huge franchises.
But O.O. as he is called makes the big bucks selling venison, chops, brisket and beyond — in fact, Brisket and Beyond might have been the stores’ name if it had been written today. Kevin Pariseau of “Legally Blonde” fame gives life to O.O. as a smarmy, mustachioed villain, with a deeply hidden heart of gold. The entire work harkens back to musicals and films of the ’40s where damsels are in distress and need rescuing.
Selma is a sad wife to O.O., avoiding his bed and working in the meat mart, but longing for something more when she encounters hardship Wilmer Flange. Wilmer, played by Josh Grisetti, has a hangdog exterior and a tenor voice to beat the band. He has little ambition other than to find “the key” whatever that may be.
The key to the success of this show is the terrific cast. The ensemble is diverse and remarkable and features Katie Chung, Daniel Lynn Evans, Katie Hagen and Sam Tanabe. Of special mention are Tracie Franklin who gets a star turn as a singer in a ’40s boite with a smoky song and a silky voice, and Daniel May embodying a very funny Japanese-German hybrid soldier who can dance and prance with the best of them.
The music has recently received a complete overhaul, the original score by Jan Warner having been dubbed “too complicated and more like an opera score.” So a young composer, Sam Davis, was brought in to create an upbeat ’40s-type score played masterfully on two ever-present dueling pianos front and center.
Ted Sperling, who most recently won a Tony for orchestrating “The Light in the Piazza,” directs the Amas Musical Theater’s evening. The show moves at a great clip as we evolve past the love affair and into the Depression, World War II and economic recovery, but credit is also due to choreographers Lainie Sakakura and Alex Sanchez for high kicks and more.
The design features a backdrop by acclaimed painter Robert Indiana, enhanced admirably with projections by David Wilson. Even the lights and costumes by Matthew Richards and Martha Bromelmeier respectively need to get applause as they really create a fully realized historic sense.
The second act is where this work really begins to dig deep and cross over to addressing some of the thorny economic issue that have not ceased to plague us. Among them is how our economy uses the economically unempowered to fight wars, while not recognizing their contributions upon return. The creatives who long to discover, in this case, a special toy, to make our contribution to society, only to see that those who are valued most make mega markets of meat or cashmere or juice.
In the end all three star-crossed lovers are united in a troika that may or may not move forward to the land of happily ever after. But it does reinforce the concept that if every member of the one percent “adopted” two from the ninety-nine percent we might all have our lives enhanced.
This entry was posted in reviews, theater. Bookmark the permalink. | 2019-04-25T10:08:07Z | https://wixboyle.wordpress.com/2014/09/11/red-eye-of-love-a-review/ | Porn | Arts | 0.111985 |
wordpress | Sleep is nearing I hope, but all I feel sometimes is that sleep is an escape from the abyss of being jobless. And when I awake, it all floods back in a creepy way, by haunting me another day. Lord I ask for hope. | 2019-04-19T14:22:09Z | https://theunemployedman.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/sunday-night-blues/ | Porn | Reference | 0.295526 |
wordpress | + This week started with more snow. The most unsurprising news of all time. The news here in Chicago told me that we’ve gotten snow every other day since the beginning of December. I think we have like 70″ or so in the books. It’s outrageous. And as much as I love my Patagonia snow boots, I’d like to be able to wear my TOMS and flip flops again. Because, DAMN. Give me a beach day!
+ It was Scentsy Spring Sprint week! WOOT! That means hanging out with Scentsy people, getting great learning, and seeing spring/summer catalog goodness!!! And I got to have dinner with Joal! Yes. Joal Curtis, Scentsy president extraordinairre! SO GOOD! I love this company and cannot handle how amazing it is to be apart of it all. Watching my team learn and grow and being a part of something bigger than myself. Sometimes you miss things like that as an adult in a great big world. Scentsy gave it back to me.
lying down under blanket. It was a cozy catalog walk!
+ I applied to one of those “dream job” opportunities this week. Still waiting, but hopeful. I’ll post more if it becomes relevant, but for now, just keep fingers crossed for me! This would be the perfect opportunity for so many reasons!!!
+ The Chicago Auto Show started this weekend. So I went with a group of friends. For a girl, I find cars very interesting. But I think mostly in a “ooooh, that’s pretty! look at that color! those wheels are awesome!” kind of way.
OMG! They had the EXACT ‘Ru I want!!!
Michelle & I – probs the cutest pic you’ve ever seen. At least today.
+ My VERY talented friend, Alison, owns a little biz called Charlotte’s Nest. She has made me giraffe pillow cases for my couch throw pillows. She threw in the cutest little swag that’s up on my wall that has giraffe print, too. And now she has made me these pieces of hoop art.
HOOP ART! In my living room colors/prints. And I’m OBSESSED!
This entry was posted in Series Sunday and tagged 2014, auto show, banana bread, business, cars, charlotte's nest, chicago, chicago auto show, direct sales, friends, giraffe, hoop art, i love my job, joal, joal curtis, nerd, patagonia, project 365, scentsy, series sunday, Snow, spring sprint, spring/summer catalog, subaru, toms, video, wordpress, youtube. Bookmark the permalink. | 2019-04-21T01:41:13Z | https://dawnmarieonme.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/series-sunday-the-weekly-random/ | Porn | Business | 0.465022 |
wordpress | I set the box down, turn my back to it, walk to the door and hear CRASH! CLANG!, the harsh, concussive orchestra, the echoing collision within glass walls/aluminum chambers, anticipate a soft plastic pop but find it’s drowned out/overwhelmed/consumed by that abrasive cacophony born of late drunken beers, breakfast cans of Coca-Cola Zero, jagged-edge pull-lids still covered in chowdah, all of which feel this crushing urge to prove their worth.
She keeps one hand on a cart/a tank—a prop from some post-apocalyptic time, with ruined treads and bulging sacks of scavenged somethings strapped to its flank—while she squats and sifts through the box. She plays the drum major, conducting a loose percussion section as her hand shuffles through the box/blue box/green box with its tri-angle’d arrow design and the sound slays a single cilia in my eardrum. She looks up at me with sunken, slanted eyes that bleed to jaundice at the edges and offers a glimmer of graciousness, an uncertain/empty smile from behind her dry, sagging lips. Not empty in that vapid way that other people offer—empty in her mouth, where nearly all her teeth have rotted out.
“Sankiyu, sankiyu!,” she slurs excitedly.
I respond with a slight nervous smile. You’re welcome? I never did much worth a welcome. I didn’t realize beer still made folks giddy three days late, especially when there’s nothing left to drink.
No, wait, there’s a little bit left, dripping on her fingers, flowing with the age’d, weather’d patterns/grooves cut into her sandpaper skin/making a medley of sugary juices, mold and soup in the base of the box/puddling on the curb/coating her frail old hands. They looked like latex gloves, her hands, six sizes too small—more like a finger condom used for five and a palm—stretched out, weathered nearly to the breaking point, worn down to a weak, translucent film of thin plastic, filled with pebbles and stapled to her sleeves.
I stand still and silent on the front steps, watching while she finishes her task, tossing empties into her cart with ardor and zeal; the steady clamor of the clinking cans hypnotizes/keeps my attention like raindrops. When she’s finished/when the box is barren, save for the sickening puddle of purée inside, she turns back to me and waves/mumbles “Sankiyu,” again as she pushes her cart up the hill and away; it must weigh 300 pounds, or more, but her fragile, 80-pound frame is determined. She conquers gravity and somehow makes it to the top of the hill. How did I not hear her approach in the first place? I tighten my velvet bathrobe belt. The sharp, discordant jingle/jangle of bottles and cans reverberates down the corridor of rowhouses on the street and I’m amazed it doesn’t wake the neighbors. With one hand, I grab the newspaper; with the other hand, the box/head back inside/wonder if the seven dollars and thirty-five cents she’ll make from the bottle deposit is really worth it. | 2019-04-22T12:31:33Z | https://fivebyfivehundred.wordpress.com/tag/shopping-cart/ | Porn | Shopping | 0.521844 |
wordpress | Reading and reflecting on educational improvement literature to constantly seek better pedagogy.
If you want to improve student learning, start here.
When I read Visible Learning for the first time, I was surprised at what topped the list as having the single greatest impact on student learning. Having twice the impact of teacher clarity, feedback or student-teacher relationships, two and a half times the impact of concept mapping, study skills or problem-solving teaching and almost three times the impact of home environment, classroom management, socioeconomic status and small-group learning (the list could go on) was….
Student self-report grades and self expectations.
If you had asked me before reading, I would have placed it as an important contributor, but it surprised me that it topped just about everything else on the list of effect sizes (although, Hattie’s latest book puts two new impacters just above it – you can find that here).
So what exactly is self-efficacy? Tokuhama-Espinosa says that self-efficacy is connected to the idea self-confidence, or a person’s belief in their ability to succeed (p. 48). Essentially, it is ‘the way self-perception influences what a person believes is within [their] power to achieve and has a direct impact on [their] motivation’ (p.48). For me, this is where Dweck’s Growth Mindset becomes pivotal. Student self-perception not only impacts student choice in what activities they undertake, their level of effort, their persistence through difficulty in learning, but it directly influences their actual ability to perform.
Self-efficacy is therefore crucial. If you aren’t familiar with Dweck’s work,the essence is this – students who believe they are incapable of learning typically prevent themselves from progressing, whereas students who adopt a belief that their abilities are fluid and can grow and change with persistent effort, will find a way to progress in learning. This is not to say that simply because students believe they can learn they automatically will achieve, but more the inverse; students who believe they are ‘stupid’, ‘not a math person’, ‘just not smart’ etc. they will give up on learning before it has a chance to occur.
Explicitly teach students about possessing a growth mindset. Show them what a fixed mindset looks like and explain the damage it causes to the learning process. There are some great TED talks on the topic, and this one is quite accessible to students. A little phrase that I got from Dweck is the power of adding ‘yet’ onto ‘I can’t’ statements which is a helpful reminder to students. At the end of the day, why should teachers be specialists in teaching and learning to the exclusion of the students understanding the process?
Hold a growth mindset yourself! Many schools are built on the rhetoric of class streaming, grading students, league tables, assessment results etc. Language is powerful, and language we use in schools not only demonstrates what we believe, but it can actually set the agenda. The worst bit is that this rhetoric gets into teachers’ heads. Sadly, I hear colleagues say things such as ‘… is just a B student’, or ‘… really shouldn’t be doing [insert subject here], they don’t have what it takes’, or ‘… will never get a Band 6’ (Band 6 is the highest level of achievement in NSW, Australia school leaving certificate). Language betrays belief, and at the heart of statements like these is a fixed belief about student ability. If you want to know where your mindset falls, take this test on Dweck’s website. Hattie identifies ‘not-labeling students’ as a significant positive contributor to learning in and of itself, so it’s a helpful challenge to watch for this thinking and language in yourself.
Set high expectations. If you really believe that all students are capable of learning, then demand it from them (within reason). I wonder if, when a student fails in an assessment (or several in a row!), you ever tacitly accept this? Believed that this is just their ability level? If you knew they were heading that way, could you have intervened in their learning to change this? There are quite clear studies in this area; if we expect less from students, they will pick up on this pretty quickly and it will impact not only how we approach them but also how they approach their learning. If we expect more (within reason), they will rise to the challenge.
Promote a culture of thinking. I’ve had a real focus this year on developing activities that are centred around promoting thinking and inquiry rather than memorisation of content for a test. In doing so, I’ve seen a significant increase in participation from students who might typically disengage from learning because of a lack of self-efficacy. The more you can engage these students, the more opportunity you have to show them that they can succeed in learning.
Develop meaningful student-teacher relationships. This one sounds obvious (and ranks highly in Hattie’s effect sizes by itself), but investing in meaningful relationships with disenfranchised learners and demonstrating that you believe in their ability to succeed in learning can have profound effects. Students will not take risks in learning (which is a necessity to learn) if they do not feel safe and supported in the learning environment (Ritchhart, 2015, p. 201), and this safety won’t occur without a positive student-teacher relationship.
Show them success. This has two dimensions. Firstly, using learning intentions and success criteria are helpful in showing students what it is they are aiming for, which can be really helpful (it actually helps focus their attention systems). Sometimes students have unattainable standards in their head of what ‘that kid over there that always comes first’ is able to produce. Showing what success looks like makes it all the more attainable. Secondly, creating opportunities for them to succeed and then acknowledging when students have succeeding has a profound impact on those who typically might not get acknowledged very frequently. Be careful here – this should be genuine praise, as artificial and unfounded praise can actually be damaging to students learning.
Each of these is relatively simply to do, but the more I journey into my reading about pedagogy, I can’t escape this feeling that too often schools ‘do learning to’ the students, rather than invite them meaningfully to participate in, believe in, and own their own learning. They simply won’t do this if they have an ingrained belief that they are incapable of learning.
Previous Previous post: Connecting teaching strategies with Mind Brain Education Science.
Next Next post: Why teach?
Do students really need to remember stuff these days?
InformED Reform Blog at WordPress.com. | 2019-04-23T20:39:49Z | https://coleeducation.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/if-you-want-to-improve-student-learning-start-here/ | Porn | Kids | 0.4859 |
wordpress | She has to leave Saturday evening.
He told Ted and I. → He told Ted and me.
Everyone should complete their assignments.
→ Everyone should complete his or her assignment.
Either they or I are going to pull the rope.
→ Either they or I am going to pull the rope.
Mary, Jack, or I are the one to go.
→ Mary, Jack, or I am the one to go.
Mary, Jack, or I is the one to go.
→ Mary, Jack or I am the one to go.
A handshake and a smile is a good way to greet customers.
→ A handshake and a smile are a good way to greet customers.
I felt badly about the whole situation.
→ I felt bad about the whole situation.
She felt really well about the big raise in her salary.
→ She felt really good about the big raise in her salary.
After she gave birth to twins, she felt good enough to travel.
→ After she gave birth to twins, she felt well enough to travel.
I was sorry that he felt so badly about their divorce.
→ I was sorry that he felt so bad about their divorce.
Who do you want to send?
→ Whom do you want to send?
→ Whom do you trust?
She wondered whom the culprit might be.
→ She wondered who the culprit might be.
She wondered who the culprit might kill.
→ She wondered whom the culprit might kill.
Henry did not know whom was awarded the trophy.
→ Henry did not know who was awarded the trophy. | 2019-04-22T20:42:52Z | https://fcbknm.wordpress.com/category/%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87%E6%B3%95/%E4%BD%93%E9%A8%93%E8%AB%87-%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87%E6%B3%95/ | Porn | Sports | 0.283975 |
yahoo | In 2013 Andrew Mackenzie was appointed CEO of BHP Group (ASX:BHP). This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other large companies. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid.
How Does Andrew Mackenzie's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?
At the time of writing our data says that BHP Group has a market cap of AU$191b, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of US$8.1m. (This is based on the year to June 2018). While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at US$1.7m. When we examined a group of companies with market caps over US$8.0b, we found that their median CEO total compensation was US$4.0m. Once you start looking at very large companies, you need to take a broader range, because there simply aren't that many of them.
As you can see, Andrew Mackenzie is paid more than the median CEO pay at large companies, in the same market. However, this does not necessarily mean BHP Group is paying too much. We can better assess whether the pay is overly generous by looking into the underlying business performance.
You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at BHP Group, below.
Over the last three years BHP Group has grown its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 92% per year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is up 17%.
Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. This sort of respectable year-on-year revenue growth is often seen at a healthy, growing business. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts.
Has BHP Group Been A Good Investment?
Most shareholders would probably be pleased with BHP Group for providing a total return of 149% over three years. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size.
We examined the amount BHP Group pays its CEO, and compared it to the amount paid by other large companies. As discussed above, we discovered that the company pays more than the median of that group.
Importantly, though, the company has impressed with its earnings per share growth, over three years. Even better, returns to shareholders have been plentiful, over the same time period. As a result of this good performance, the CEO remuneration may well be quite reasonable. If you think CEO compensation levels are interesting you will probably really like this free visualization of insider trading at BHP Group.
Important note: BHP Group may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. | 2019-04-19T07:00:09Z | https://news.yahoo.com/worry-bhp-groups-asx-bhp-044256006.html | Porn | Business | 0.539546 |
sfgate | Q: I've received many e-mails purportedly from civil servants in Nigeria (and other African countries) seeking my help in transferring huge sums of money held by banks. The letters ask me to stand in as a proxy for the rightful owner, who's either dead, in prison or otherwise unable to access the money. I'm invited to go to Nigeria to complete the transaction, or I can arrange to have the money transferred to my bank account. All I have to do is pay some up-front fees associated with paperwork. The e-mail says I can keep a large percentage of the money that's transferred (as high as 40 percent).
It's obviously a scam, but it must work or the e-mails wouldn't keep coming. Is anybody doing anything to stop it?
A: The U.S. Secret Service has set up a unit to deal with these schemes, which are known as Advance Fee Fraud, or 419, after the section of the Nigerian civil law that was enacted to fight them. But the Secret Service has its hands full trying to help people who have actually lost money. The Nigerian government appears powerless (or disinclined) to root out the spammers.
As goofy as the e-mails seem, they can be extremely dangerous. To take part in one of these transactions, you may be asked to provide personal financial information that can give others access to your bank accounts. People reportedly have had their accounts drained before they knew what happened. And if that sounds ugly, consider this: People who went to Nigeria to collect money have been robbed and murdered.
You can use spam blockers to filter out some of the 419 e-mail messages, but your best bet is simply to ignore or delete them.
Q: Lately, my wrist has been hurting, and I suspect it's because I spend so much time online. Is there a way to move the pointer around the screen by using the keyboard instead of the mouse?
A: Windows has a feature called MouseKeys that lets you use numeric keys to control the movement of the pointer. You'll find it under the Accessibility Options in the Control Panel. However, it's mainly for people who physically can't use a mouse. It's much too slow to satisfy the average Web surfer -- it could take you several seconds just to move the pointer from one part of the page to another.
If you have a repetitive stress injury due to too much mousing, you might be able to reduce the strain to your wrist by using a program that clicks the mouse for you. A number of inexpensive ones are available, including ActiveClick ($18.95 from www.activeclick.com) and RSIGuard ($40 from www.rsiguard.com). With these programs, the mouse clicks automatically when you place the point on a clickable object such as a Web link or menu item.
Q: I often need to print part of a page of a Word document. Is there a way to print only what I want without having to print the entire document?
A: Sure. Use your mouse to select the passage you want to print, then go to the File menu and choose Print. In the Print dialog box that appears, go to the section labeled "Page range" and click Selection. Then click OK. By the way, the same procedure should let you print portions of text on Web pages. How cool is that?
Metric update: The last column included some downloadable software and online sites that let you convert measurements. Here's another option: Go to Google (www.google.com) and enter what you want in the search space. For example, if you type in "100 miles in kilometers" and hit Enter, the answer will come back "100 miles = 160.9344 kilometers." This behind-the-scenes calculator can give you all sorts of conversions, as well as mathematical calculations.
While we're on the subject of Google, here's a neat trick you can use with Google or any other search engine: To quickly find the meaning of a word, search for "dictionary" followed by the word. For example, to find the meaning of strenuous, search for dictionary strenuous. The search engine will return page after page of links to definitions in online dictionaries. To find synonyms, type thesaurus instead of dictionary. | 2019-04-21T10:30:14Z | https://www.sfgate.com/technology/computing/article/Secret-Service-tracks-Nigerian-scams-2555251.php | Porn | Computers | 0.522423 |
wordpress | Don’t confuse my personality with my ATTITUDE.
I was in your sights, you got me alone.
You found me, you found me, you found me.
I guess you didn’t care, and I guess I liked that.
Without me, without me, without me.
And I realize the blame is on me.
So shame on me now.
‘Til you put me down, oh.
Flew me to places I’d never been.
Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble.
No apologies. He’ll never see you cry.
Pretends he doesn’t know that he’s the reason why.
You’re drowning, you’re drowning, you’re drowning.
Now I heard you moved on from whispers on the street.
A new notch in your belt is all I’ll ever be.
And now I see, now I see, now I see.
That you never loved me or him, or anyone, or anything.
Yesterday, once and for all, I finally decided to hang up my modelling career in Second Life. I have been semi-retired for a long time now, always still have one foot inside the door occasionally doing shows, magazine prints and vendor ads for friends. I just cant see myself doing shows anymore and even doing magazine prints and vendor pictures seems like a chore. The fun and excitement is no longer there and for better or worse, the Second Life Fashion Industry is much different now.
As I left my agencies and designer groups one by one, I was filled with bittersweet emotions. I can honestly say that I’ve had the time of my life. Though it was full of UPS and DOWNS, I’ve had very little regrets and I have always been true to myself. I’ve met a lot of wonderful friends from around the world; some I would call family which taught me love, kindness and acceptance. I’ve met enemies as well which taught me to be brave, strong and to stand up for myself and those I love. I have always been shy and quiet in RL but being a model in Second Life taught me confidence, self-respect and perseverance. It also taught me an important lesson: All the awards and supertags, all the VIP titles and Elite memberships, all the exclusive invites to events, etc… absolutely DOES NOT MATTER in the end. I have been a member of many top agencies and designer groups, been honored with many awards and magazine cover features and there was a time when I was winning every contest I entered (or at least top3) but you know what? In 10-20 years time, no one will remember or care. I believe what matters are the lasting friendships we’ve made that transcends into real life. How you treat people matters because they will always remember kindness even in a virtual world. What matters the most are the people I’ve met all over the world.
I want to thank everyone who had supported my SL modelling career and gave me chances and opportunities. Thank you for believing in me and helping me accomplished all my dreams and goals. Thank you to every single one of my modelling and magazine agencies and designer groups that I’ve had the honor and pleasure to be part of. There are so many people to mention but you know who all of you are. With all my heart and sincerity, I can’t thank you enough and I wish you all love and success in both lives.
Please give whatever you can to the people of the Philippines who have been devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.
Open your heart and your hand. Every little help counts.
Visit the Typhoon Haiyan Fundraising Event and grab one of these shirts in Second Life inworld for a good cause.
It is only 100 lindens and the total sale will go directly to International Redcross in the Philippines.
THANK YOU to Fuzz Lennie and Zenshi for organizing this event. | 2019-04-25T19:42:36Z | https://csltm.wordpress.com/category/my-closet/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.725928 |
wordpress | Diplomatic Scandal: Ill-mannered Obama ignores Putin during a toast – Well did you expect him to have manners?
Russian President Vladimir Putin: Who created ISIS?
In a piece for the influential Project Syndicate publication, Hill, a former US ambassador to Iraq and Korea, writes that Russia’s annexation of Crimea and “intimidation” campaign against Kiev has brought an end to a 25-year historical period, accusing Moscow of engaging in “regression, recidivism, and revanchism”.
acquiescence and commitment to the “new world order,” however problematic, was one of the great accomplishments of the post-Cold War era,” writes Hill.
WW3 Putin to Western elites time is over.
The New Cold War Is In Full Swing World War 3 Next?
The Russian president’s comments came in response to a question whether he felt that the Ukrainian armed conflict was pushing Russia and the US towards a Cold War-like confrontation.
Putin warned the US against trying to use the language of ultimatums in its relations with Russia.
He accused Washington of meddling in Russia’s internal affairs and sticking to an arrangement that pits Russia either with America or against it.
Ukraine is another example of how the US is causing trouble by maintaining its arrogant approach to international politics, Putin said.
The Russian president has repealed the ban prohibiting the delivery of S-300 missile air defense systems to Iran, according to the Kremlin’s press service. The ban was introduced by former President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010.
“[The presidential] decree lifts the ban on transit through Russian territory, including airlift, and the export from the Russian Federation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also the transfer to the Islamic Republic of Iran outside the territory of the Russian Federation, both by sea and by air, of air defense missile systems S-300,” says the information note accompanying the document, RIA Novosti reported. | 2019-04-26T07:38:07Z | https://consciousshift2012.wordpress.com/tag/putin/ | Porn | News | 0.792804 |
wordpress | I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. That can make a big difference in one’s productivity! I also look on Instagram and Pinterest, which is inspiring, but can also be daunting. SO many good ideas that other people have already thought of!
I mull, let ideas float around, putter, walk, go to yoga, talk to my three cats … and when ready, sit down and write!
I find cats to be very helpful!
It just occurred to me, although you likely won’t have time to do it, but drawings of people in costume, or with props, but not in character, would be an interesting study.
Hi Carol–I understand having so many ideas that paralysis sets in. When I need clarity focus, I get outdoors; a good hike or a walk by the ocean, even just sitting on my deck an watching the birds and squirrels helps…or dancing around the house! Movement is good. 🙂 Good luck!
Thanks! All good advice. Movement helps me, too. I went outside today and it was fabulous.
Sometimes taking a break helps. If you’re going to be busy with the costumes and classes over the next couple of months, your personal priorities may sort themselves out while you’re not thinking about them.
It is an intuitive process for me. When I place my awareness on each project, how does it feel? Does it feel light? Happy? Ready? Is it right timing for the project AND for me? For one of the many items on my want-to-do list, it will feel light and good. If none of them feel that way, it isn’t right timing, so I do something that simply lightens my spirit.
Excellent! Yes. I love to go to art museums. And, I think you’ve hit the exact core of my struggle. Do I continue to diversify or should I focus? I love it all! | 2019-04-25T01:44:44Z | https://artisnotforsissies.wordpress.com/2017/01/14/recommence/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.518279 |
wordpress | Because I re-watched several episodes of Seven Day Queen yesterday and I realized how much I missed this drama. One gracefully done drama. Beautiful both in story and visual. You will always be missed, Seven Day Queen. | 2019-04-18T11:19:13Z | https://redwatchestv.wordpress.com/tag/seven-day-queen/ | Porn | Arts | 0.958035 |
wordpress | There’s been many attempts to spin, misrepresent and silence the large number of Americans who are speaking out against the proposed government takeover of the healthcare system. From calling it a “fake grassroots” movement, a “conspiracy of mobs”, and maybe the most absurd is from an AP report that “Harry Reid of Nevada accused the protesters of trying to “sabotage” the democratic process”. What could be more democratic than a large, lively debate?
And many others that can be viewed here and here.
Its not too hard to identify which movement is organic.
Think Congress will read this bill? They passed the banker bailout without reading it, they passed the cap and trade without reading it, is it really asking too much of our representatives/senators to at least read the bills before passing them?
How can you be amazed by the American People? Let’s face it, where but in America could people fight for the rights of healthcare insurance companies to the detriment of themselves and their families? Where but in America could a Rush Limbaugh refer to our President as Adolf Hitler and have thousands of listeners applaud him? And where but in America could people refer to President Obama as the King of Spades? Yes, such knowledgeable and friendly people. Wouldn’t you want your son to grow up as stupid and lovable as these folks? Of course your son will have no healthcare by then but you’ll be on Medicare so why should you be concerned? Thank you for once again showing me how uneducated and vile Americans can be.
Limbaugh is a loser and propagandist himself, its very sad that so many have fallen for his mind games–he only wants to make this a left/right issue and deepen the collectivism so people won’t think about what is really happening.
Did I defend the insurance companies here? No, and you should realize that the whole system is set up to protect insurance companies, big pharma, etc. Even now much of the so-called government “regulation” at it’s core is designed to benefit these groups who return the favor with lobbying dollars. You think handing all the power to government will end this? The names and faces may change but it will ultimately be the same big corporations behind it all. Pharmaceutical companies will merge with the government, insurance companies will likely repurpose themselves into the system. These same corporations that you loathe so much now will become the government. Its called fascism.
If the government takes over healthcare it will only be the merger of corrupt and bloated corporations with corrupt and bloated government. Anyone who thinks this will somehow benefit us “little people” is delusional. | 2019-04-24T02:28:10Z | https://nyletterpress.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/government-healthcare-opponents-speaking-out-grassroots-movement-growing/ | Porn | Health | 0.26606 |
wordpress | Fact: I can rarely resist a survey/Q&A. I love them. So when I saw this one, hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner, of course I was going to take part.
Books are linked to their Goodreads page!
According to Goodreads, I’m currently sitting at 60 books. I’m not sure of the actual total, because I don’t always log my rereads, so it’s probably a fair bit higher than that. I reckon I can get a couple more books in by the end of the year though!
A lot. Like I said, I don’t tend to be that great at keeping track of my rereads, but there’s definitely several. I love a good reread.
At a guess, contemporary. Definitely reading a lot more of it than I did a couple of years ago.
Ugh, that is not an easy question. No books have been able to work their way into my Absolute Favourites, but nonetheless I’ve read a lot of really awesome books this year. I think I have to go with Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak, which I read for the first time back in January.
The first one that springs to mind is The Book of Days by K.A. Barker. It started out really well, with this unique and quirky vibe about it, but after about the midway point it stopped appealing to me.
ago but didn’t get past the first couple of chapters. I stuck with it when I picked it up again this year, and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t my favourite book of the year, but a great whodunit that kept me guessing the whole time.
I’ve read a couple of first books in a series but haven’t continued beyond them, so I’m going to answer this one as ‘best series starter you read in 2015’. I think it’s a tie between Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff and Terrier by Tamora Pierce. Both were really awesome starts, and I’m keen to get my hands on their respective sequels.
Best sequel has to go to a book I only finished the other day: Stray by Rachael Craw. I loved Spark, and Stray carried on the story so well, adding developments and I can’t wait for Shield to come out.
I think the only series I finished this year was Seraphina, and I was a little disappointed by Shadow Scale. Guess I have to go with it, though.
In terms of debut authors, I’m very interested to see what Fleur Ferris writes next, because Risk was very impressive. I loved The Reluctant Hallelujah, so I’d also have to say Gabrielle Williams. I’m keeping an eye out for her other books, for sure.
I read a little bit of sci-fi, but not all that much, so I guess Illuminae qualifies for this one. I loved the formatting and how it was used to tell a story. One of my standouts from 2015 that easily lived up to the hype.
Most unputdownable book would have to be All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield. There were a few books I read in one sitting/in a short space of time, but this one had me completely drawn in.
Judging by the fact I’ve already reread it, I think I’ll get a couple of rereads out of Fighting Ruben Wolfe. I’m also looking forward to reading Green Valentine again.
You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About, hands down. Easily one of my all-time favourite covers, I’m obsessed with the design, and it got my attention right away.
This is not an easy question to answer. So many contenders! Seeing as it’s memorable, not favourite I think I have to pick Mabel, one if the characters in W. Somerset Maugham’s short story anthology Far Eastern Tales. She stuck with me for a while.
Once again, I have to mention Fighting Ruben Wolfe. It’s not pretty writing, but there’s this rough, aching beauty in how Cam and Rube’s story is written.
13. Most Thought-Provoking book of 2015?
John Corey Whaley’s Noggin was surprisingly meaningful, even with its bizarreness. It definitely made me ponder a fair bit. It’s a book that is really quite deep and raises a lot of questions, but is also hilarious.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Fighting Ruben Wolfe. I was really late getting onto the Markus Zusak bandwagon (I didn’t read The Book Thief until the movie came out), and I feel like I was missing out big time.
Shortest book is Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen (plays count right?) at 128 pages, and the longest was Me Being Me Is Exactly As Insane As You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy, which was 656 pages.
Risk by Fleur Ferris was a shocking read, particularly in how possible it was. Numb shocking though, I have to say.
They aren’t from a book, but I’m going with George Squared from Call Me Katie, a really cool web series that’s (loosely) based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
I tend to get really excited about well-written non-romantic relationships, and swoon over well-written friendships, so picking a favourite is a bit tricky. One I really enjoyed this year was the friendship between Dodie and Taxi in The Reluctant Hallelujah. Mandy and Alice’s friendship in You’re the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About was also very good. And Cam and Rube’s relationship in The Underdog/Fighting Ruben Wolfe (I know…) is just gorgeous.
Aside from the given, which I will not repeat for the zillionth time, my favourite book from an author I’d read previously is All I Ever Wanted. I read Friday Brown in 2013 and was blown away by it (and also made very distraught), and All I Ever Wanted was similarly phenomenal. Aside from the fact that I couldn’t put it down, it had this wonderful gutsiness and rawness to it that was absolutely stunning.
I think a friend of mine is trying to make me a Graham Greene fan, because he convinced me to read Travels With My Aunt and then gave me Our Man in Havana for my birthday. I think I’m getting the hint now. But I enjoyed Our Man in Havana a lot, and wouldn’t have read it otherwise.
Not sure if I have one, actually. A few were maintained, but no new ones formed.
I enjoyed Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. It’s been several months since I first read it, so I wouldn’t mind revisiting it some time in 2016.
Technically I started this series in 2014, but I read The Whispering Skull this year, so it totally counts. The world in the Lockwood & Co books is one that I find really interesting.
I found reading Green Valentine to be a lot of fun. Part of this was a right-book-at-the-right-time kind of thing, but there was a nice sense of humour and liveliness that was oh-so enjoyable.
It doesn’t that much for a book to make me cry, so there’s quite a list over the last few years. In 2015 it was Risk and Noggin (which had me laughing five minutes later, I might add, so three cheers for emotional roller-coasters). Rereading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Emma by Jane Austen also led to a few tears.
I haven’t seen/heard very much about Resonance by Celine Kiernan, but it was a great read. Mysterious, eerie and one I keep meaning to reread.
Noggin was pretty unique. I mean, considering all the books that are out there about head transplant recipients, y’know.
Demon Road by Derek Landy. Not the book itself, but there were a couple of moments where I was seething in rage at the way Amber was treated.
1. New favourite book blog you discovered in 2015?
I’m still in the process of finding more blogs to follow, and I couldn’t pick a favourite.
2. Favourite review that you wrote in 2015?
I’ve only written three so far (for the blog, anyway), but my review of The Reluctant Hallelujah was my first, so it’s a little bit special.
I’m really happy with Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year. It was a lot of fun to write, and I’m happy with how it turned out.
Nothing to do with the blog, but The Inkys is always a lot of fun, and a great chance to meet fellow readers and chat to a couple of authors. This year I got the chance to have a bit of a chat with Justine Larbelestier, which was very cool. I also attended Writing Matters at the State Library of Victoria and bought a whole lot of books picked up some really useful writing advice.
It would have to be after the first time I participated in Top Ten Tuesday, and as cheesy as it sounds, realising how lovely people in this book blogging community are.
For blogging, it’s been making sure I post somewhat consistently. Which I didn’t do so well at, but it’s going to be my priority to not let that happen again. Similar deal when it comes to reading, I’ve had too many book slumps this year.
My first Top Ten Tuesday (Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Am Yet To Watch) was my most popular post.
My blog’s new enough that I don’t really expect all that much traffic yet.
I was introduced to the Popsugar reading challenge at the beginning of the year, and although I didn’t quite complete it, it was a lot of fun to do.I also rediscovered Out of Print, when I bought my gorgeous Pride and Prejudice pencil case for school. So far that’s the only thing I own from there, but if it weren’t for shipping prices I’d probably own a whole lot more.
I completed the Goodreads Reading Challenge, despite having a fairly mediocre year in terms of reading this year. I spent a considerable amount of time wallowing in reading slumps, so getting my sixty books is pretty awesome. I also was about five books away from finishing Popsugar’s reading challenge.
Zeroes is currently sitting on my desk, so I think it’s the book I’m going to read first next year. I bought it last month but haven’t gotten to it yet. Similar situation with This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
The Raven King, without a doubt. I’m terrified for it, but I can’t wait either.
The Girl From Everywhere looks really interesting! I’m not too great at staying up-to-date with what’s coming out when, but as soon as I saw the title and the gorgeous cover I was very interested.
With this blog, I just want to maintain it, I guess. A few posts a week, no abandoning it for a month. And as for reading, I think I would like to read more classics next year, and just generally expand my horizons. Lots of Aussie YA too.
…and that’s it! Filling this out took a lot longer than expected. Please go ahead and link me to your surveys in the comments if you’ve done them because surveys like this make me happy. Best wishes to everyone for the festive season, and happy reading!
It looks like you’ve had a good reading year, despite some reading slumps! I’m really intrigued by Risk, I may have to check it out!
Yes, another rereading lover! I love rereading books, I just don’t always find the time. I absolutely adore Seraphina, but like you I was disappointed in the sequel. I can’t remember where I saw Resonance before, I’m going to have to check it out! Great answers!
My list of books that I have to get around to rereading is massive. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who was disappointed by Shadow Scale. I think I put a lot of it down to the lack of Orma and Glisselda, it just didn’t have the same sense of heart to it. Definitely recommend Resonance!
Yes, and also it took so long for Shadow Scale to come out, I kind of formed my own conclusions regarding the story.
I recently read Illuminae and I loved it so much! 🙂 I’m glad to see it on your list. I hope you have a great reading year in 2016!
Illuminae was fantastic! Thank you, and hope you have a great reading year too!
Reading slumps are horrible – I don’t think I’ve ever had a year of reading so few books.
I really fancy reading Zeroes as I read Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld and really enjoyed it.
Ugh, this has been my worst year of reading slumps. I’m still yet to get to Zeroes, but I loved Afterworlds too. And the Leviathan trilogy is one of my all-time favourite series. | 2019-04-21T04:06:52Z | https://thisispinkboots.wordpress.com/2015/12/26/2015-end-of-year-book-survey/ | Porn | Arts | 0.126739 |
wordpress | Reader Abby was so kind to report back on the American Girl Wilmot Warehouse Sale (Wilmot, Wisconsin). This year the sale occurred a full month earlier than in the past, and, alas, we still have school and work keeping us at home. This is the first year that they have also sold dolls, though the dolls seemed to mostly be JLY dolls with bangs — the same ones who have been at the Outlet Store the past year or so.
“I went today! It was so much fun and wasn’t too crowded! I did not see any Bitty Twin items!
DOLLS:, all dolls were in true spirit outfit and were tied in box, just no hairnets.
TONS OF CLOTHES FOR GIRLS, including Isabelle, Grace, Saige, holiday wear and TM.
Overall- the sale was very well organized and the staff were super nice and friendly. I LOVE this sale because it’s very small and the prices are pretty good!!
There was no line, and I got there at about 4:15 ish (DAY 2). After I left at like 5:30, more people started coming in.
For a total of $43!
Originally would have cost : $151!!
This warehouse sale is so amazing!!
Thanks again Abby. I enjoyed the thrill of the sale through you!
This entry was posted in Wilmot Sale and tagged American Girl, Wilmot Warehouse Sale on May 13, 2016 by Jen. | 2019-04-20T22:20:41Z | https://dollsbetweenus.wordpress.com/2016/05/ | Porn | Shopping | 0.581638 |
wordpress | In my CEP 812 class this week we were assigned readings and videos that focused on how technology can bring people together (or at least their ideas) to create something greater than any individual within the group and greater than the sum of it’s parts. The material also looked at an opposing side of technology. A side that makes us feel cozy and happy in our digital media information intake, but may be hiding contradictions, opposing views, and important facts unbeknownst to us. The later is what I’ll focus on in this post.
Eli Pariser in his TED Talk, Beware Online “Filter Bubbles,” discusses how the information that is presented to us when we search the web goes through a screening process, specially tailored to each individual. This creates a bubble around our digital selves that only lets in information that the screeners think we will like. In a lot of ways this seems nice, but it also creates an environment that is supportive to us regardless if we are correct or not, in a sense making us dumber.
His talk resonated with me first starting with my personal interactions with people and then again with the digital information I receive. I have had an information bubble problem with my life. Growing up in a left leaning, but seemingly open-minded, suburb and family I felt as though I had a pretty good grasp on basic politics and what constituted sound decisions in policy. My liberal base was then shook to the core when I dated a very smart, very republican girl from Alabama. Everything from politics to some basic interactions with people was cast in a different perspective and I realized how sheltered I’d been for so long. Knowing that the Internet is tailoring information specifically for me gives me that terrible uneasy feeling again where I realize I need to take a look at things from a different angle.
Although that relationship didn’t work out, I did start looking at FOX News much more. Unfortunately, I haven’t looked much further for differing perspectives and click on the FOX link much less than the CNN and Huffington Post links. The majority of information coming in on news websites that I check is left leaning and pro-educators (I realize few are anti-educators, but I’m focusing on sites that are uplifting towards teachers rather than pointing a finger at them for the reason U.S. schools aren’t doing well). This week I have added FOX News, The Wall Street Journal, and Hannity.com to my RSS Feed. I’ve also been making the effort to click on them first before left leaning sites. In this short time frame I haven’t noticed a difference in Google searches, but it has been interesting to look at alternative angles for reporting. I’m finding the most difficult issue is keeping a completely open mind rather immediately looking for wholes in the right leaning stories and not looking as critically in the left leaning stories. In both cases it has been enlightening to see how judgmental I can be and a struggle to overcome, especially in discourse with strong republicans that I work with in my everyday life.
I can completely relate to your story. I grew up in what I perceived to be a fairly conservative family in Madison, WI – a place affectionately known as 30 square miles surrounded by reality. When I moved to outstate Wisconsin for college, it was a rather rude awakening that my idea of conservative and real conservative beliefs were two completely different things. If I understand correctly, you are trying to actively change your filter bubble, not just make yourself aware of other viewpoints? It will be interesting to see if it works. I was also wondering if you were able to find any “middle of the road” sites to follow? I have been looking for those kinds of more moderate sites, but thus far have only been about to find sites that cater to the extreme on either end of the spectrum. I’ll be interested to see if you can change your bubble.
One website I’ve found to be moderate is factcheck.org. The site focuses on double checking the statistics and statements that various politicians lay down in their speeches and statements. | 2019-04-21T12:34:30Z | https://bushteachertech.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/dealing-with-filter-bubbles/ | Porn | News | 0.155495 |
wordpress | A day’s weather is made up of building blocks, including clouds, precipitation and wind. The type and intensity of weather is controlled by changes in air pressure.
Air pressure is caused by the weight of the air molecules above. Even tiny air molecules have some weight, and the huge numbers of air molecules that make up the layers of our atmosphere collectively have a great deal of weight, which presses down on whatever is below. This pressure causes air molecules at the Earth’s surface to be more tightly packed together than those that are high in the atmosphere.
High pressure causes air to flow down slowly and fan out, moving with clockwise rotation at the ground in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. High pressure days generally have clear skies because sinking air prevents clouds from forming.
Low pressure causes air to flow up slowly. As air rises, it cools and water vapor within the air is unable to remain a gas. It forms tiny water droplets, making clouds in the sky. Remember to bring an umbrella with you on low pressure days because those clouds might cause precipitation. | 2019-04-24T10:44:43Z | https://medurisss.wordpress.com/category/knowing-atmosphere/ | Porn | Science | 0.989755 |
bravenet | From a personal perspective I started this with some trepidation, having had that wonderful pre-marathon feeling of a sore throat and headaches, culminating in some less than stellar runs mid-week (those of you who follow me on Strava won't have noticed, as it kindly edits out the stopping 3 times in a 5 miles run because you have no energy). Luckily the timing gods were with me, and was feeling significantly better by Saturday.
Sunday in Manchester was perfect marathon weather - no rain, no wind to speak of, if anything quite chilly at the start. The sun did come out to play during the race, but I didn't feel the need to take off my gloves ! My less than secret target was to go sub 2:45, which I planned to achieve with a steady 6:15 mile pace (luckily its very flat, so no major pace adjustments mile to mile to account for the terrain). As per usual it felt very easy at the start and actually achieved (without trying) 6:13s for a lot of the first 20 miles. The last 6, naturally, became harder and harder, but I didn't slow down too much achieving the 2:45 with over 30s to spare (though I must say it took a looooong time to get to the finish after first seeing it in the distance. New MV50 club record as well.
Thanks to Chris for spotting me as I was on my return leg from Altringham - his shout from the oncoming runners woke me up nicely.
Well done both - and particular congratulations to Nick for achieving such an amazing target. I am in awe!
Well done Nick, sub 2:45 is superb & congratulations on improving your own club record.
2 brilliant times, well done guys!
Nick - you are the man! You appear to be getting stronger with this marathon lark. Very impressive, well done!
Congratulations Nick, experience and preparation getting great results!
2 absolutely great times. well done gentlemen.
Absolutely brilliant, Nick. Nice pacing from Chris as well.
Nick, Well done on that record .
Nick that is an absolutely awesome time! You must be delighted! Well done.
Nick - I'm speechless! Truly fantastic and really well deserved! I hardly feel I warrant posting my own effort in the same week!
Chris - well done on slipping under 4 which is the goal for most mere mortals! I hope you enjoyed it! | 2019-04-23T10:51:05Z | http://pub48.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=4103351043&frmid=21&msgid=1150648&cmd=show | Porn | Sports | 0.928201 |
wordpress | Portfolio Two is listed below. We were hit in Statoil due to the crude collapse and the falling Norwegian currency. TransAlta, the Canadian energy company, was also hit by these forces.
The portfolio also has Amazon, which is falling a bit relative to other tech companies. They are a well run, long term player, but the street was looking for (marginally) higher profits.
Wynn casinos are also on watch because of a crack down on corruption in China, which limits gambling revenues.
Many other companies are doing well, particularly Facebook and Nidec (Japan) which have half the portfolio’s current unrealized gains.
Portfolio Two is our second longest lived portfolio, at nine years. The beneficiary contributed $5500 and the trustee $11,000 for a total of $16,500. The current value is $23,245, for a gain of $6745 or 41%, which works out to annual performance of 5.6% / year over the life of the portfolio. There are 18 stocks in the portfolio, of which 9 are US and 9 are overseas. As we noted with Portfolio One, a rough guide is that when you have beyond ten or so “different” stocks you have a diversified portfolio. Most of the stocks are around $1100 / each, with a few around $2000. You can see the detailed portfolio here or at the list on the right.
The portfolio recently has had a couple of big winners with Facebook and Splunk. These two combined for about 1/3 of the total gain in the portfolio. Many of the stocks are near all time or 5 year highs, including Oracle, China Petroleum, Siemens, Diageo, Exxon-Mobil, Toyota and NIDEC. These stocks had been hit hard just a couple of years’ ago and we will watch them closely to make sure they don’t fall back too far.
Oracle, WYNN and Urban Outfitters currently have stop loss orders in that we will need to review in early December. We are going to keep them on Urban Outfitters and WYNN because we don’t want to fall below original purchase prices and Oracle we will review along with many of the other stocks that have soared over the last couple of years.
Portfolio Two is our second longest lived portfolio. We started this portfolio almost ten years ago. The beneficiary contributed $5000 and the trustee contributed $10,000 for a total of $15,000. The portfolio is worth $18,991 for a gain of $3991 which is 26%, or about 4% over the life of the fund (adjusted for the timing of cash flows). You can see the detail here or on the links on the right side of this page.
Currently the portfolio is doing well. We have only one stock underwater in terms of “total return” (price appreciation plus dividends) and that is WYNN, and it has come up substantially from earlier lows. Two technology stocks, SPLUNK and FACEBOOK, also have performed well recently (we bought FB near the nadir post IPO and it is getting near its IPO price of $38).
Siemens (SI) is a German engineering company that has missed earnings many times recently and they are looking to replace the CEO. That effort usually provides a good short-term catalyst for the stock and we will watch to see how it performs going forward. NIDEC (NJ) is a Japanese manufacturer that has gone down over recent years and cut its dividend; Japan has tried to rejuvenate their economy by reducing the value of their currency; in our US dollar terms gains in the stock price are often wiped out by depreciation after it is translated back into US dollars (done automatically by the ADR). Both of these stocks are now on watch.
While looking at stocks we’ve sold over the years, two have come back from substantial lows. Home Depot (HD) was sold back during the dark days falling out of 2009-10 but the stock has roughly doubled since then. USANA (the sales company) has also doubled since we sold them. A typical investment advisor wouldn’t bring up past sales that have gone against us but this is a portfolio not for profit just for our benefits and learning so we need to watch what happened. However, we have net done pretty well from the stocks we’ve sold, all things considered.
The Japanese stock market has been rallying, although recent losses have been in the headlines. Lets use this rally to provide us a stark example of the impact of currency rates on your portfolio.
As part of a policy from the Japanese government to spur growth, their currency has been allowed to depreciate 25% over the last 6 months. If you go to any typical financial site on the web you can see the ratio of the US Dollar to the Japanese Yen or follow the ticker “JPY” which is the ratio of the Yen / Dollar. The Japanese Yen was .013 per USD in October, 2012 and is now at a ratio of .0098 per USD as of May, 2013.
Now let’s look at the gain in stock prices. The Japanese Nikkei 225 index, which peaked at 38,916 in January of 1990, was around 10,000 in January 2011. The index reached 14,000 recently, for a gain of approximately 40% in local currency terms.
Anyone would want to participate in a 40% stock market rally, right?
Due to a number of factors the math doesn’t work that simply so let’s show some real world examples.
EWF is the “unhedged” ETF for the Japanese market, and DXJ is the “hedged” ETF for the Japanese market (meaning that they buy enough USD derivative offsets to adjust performance against currency moves in the US dollar).
Over the last year the DXJ returned around 50% while EWJ returned 20%. This article describes the battle for market share between the two funds, which DXJ (the hedged one) seems to be winning in the near term.
For many years the Japanese Yen APPRECIATED against the US dollar, so this is a reversal of long term trends. If you’d have used the hedged ETF all those years ago you would have had the opposite results. Hedging is great when the US dollar is appreciating, but goes the opposite when the dollar is falling. Note too that in the long term hedging an ETF is more costly than leaving it in an unhedged state, although this premium is not that large.
Portfolio Two is our second longest portfolio, at 8 1/2 years. The beneficiary contributed $5000, the trustee contributed $10,000 and the current value is $17,607 for an increase of $2607 or 17.4%, which is about 3% / year over the life of the portfolio adjusted for the timing of contributions. The detail can be found to the links on the right or here.
This year we sold one stock, Metro PCS, on a potential take over. This did not materialize and the stock dropped back down (after we sold it). We have two stocks on negative watch now, Wynn (which paid a good special dividend and has been coming back) and Nidec, which has been a great holding but has been getting killed with the overall Japanese market. If Nidec doesn’t turn around soon we will sell.
Urban Outfitters is above where we purchased it and Facebook has been a great purchase, since we bought it after the debacle IPO and it has risen strongly off the $18.75 / share price we paid.
For taxes we had dividends of $358, which is a nice stream of income, and a short term gain of $220 on the Metro PCS purchase and sale.
Portfolio Two is our second longest lived portfolio, at 9 years. $5000 has been contributed by the beneficiary and $10,000 by the trustee for a total of $15,000. The fund is now worth $16,481, for a gain of $1481, or 10% on the total invested, at a rate of about 1.7% / year over the life of the fund. Go to the right to see a spreadsheet with details or here.
Portfolio Two recently invested in Metro PCS which received a buy out offer and we sold immediately for a gain of $220. WYNN has started to come back from a 30% losing position and is now down about 22%. Urban outfitters also came back from a big loss and is up 7% on the original investment.
On the other hand, the Japanese company Nidec (NJ) has suffered a serious decline, along with the rest of the Japanese market. Portfolio One recently sold Canon (CAJ) and I am thinking strongly of selling NJ, too. The Japanese market is suffering from slow to no growth and a very strong Yen (currency) is hurting exports.
This portfolio also shows the importance of dividends. The portfolio has received $1148 in dividends over its lifetime, which is equal to its gain above investment.
While I watched with dismay as some of the stocks in my portfolio were part of this decline, notably Canon (CAJ) and Toyota (TM), and Nidec (NJ). The popular wisdom is that the hedge funds bailed out of the Tokyo market, accelerating the decline, much of which has subsequently been recovered. I can’t verify if that is true or not.
In our portfolios, we tend to sit tight and hold unless there is a compelling reason to sell. I think that these three companies are still good companies and if anything, at their current values, they are more of a “buy” than ever. I am not averse to selling when I think that a company is poorly managed or stuck in a dead end industry, but this is not the case with these stocks.
Some of the losses (in local currency terms) were pared by the fact that the currency appreciated vs. the dollar, which shielded some of the blow. This is part of a long term trend of the USD weakening vs. the Yen, as you can see below.
While I make my own choices I do like to go to multiple sources for research. I appreciated the directness of Barron’s approach in their most recent issue, which makes no bones about their recommendation.
The earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear events also raise the value of diversification. While you can’t prepare for these sorts of events in your portfolio directly, by spreading your bets across countries, industries, currencies and asset classes you can diminish the blow (and also limit your upside).
For now I am happy with my decision to sit tight on the Japanese stocks, which has been partially vindicated by the recent rally as well as the increase in currency values (which has other long term negative impacts as well). | 2019-04-21T18:04:40Z | https://trustfundsforkids.wordpress.com/tag/nidec/ | Porn | Business | 0.637428 |
wordpress | Amon Amarth debuted the video for its latest single this week.
The band debuted the video for its new single ‘Crack The Sky‘ on Wednesday. The video picks up where the video for the album’s lead single, ‘Raven’s Flight,’ left off. The crowd has officially entered the club where the band is performing, and the show is just as raucous as any Amon Amarth concert.
Of course the show has gotten a little more out of hand than expected as some otherworldly figures have invaded the concert and are causing some serious havoc. Luckily, an expected hero is called in to help eliminate the unholy creatures.
Beserker was recorded in Los Angeles, with Jay Ruston (Anthrax/Stone Sour) helming the project. Front man Johann Hegg offered positive remarks about Beserker in a recent interview.
Beserker‘s full track listing is noted below.
Amon Amarth will join Slayer, Lamb of God and Cannibal Corpse on the road in May for an almost month-long tour to help say farewell to Slayer while also promoting Beserker. The band’s run is scheduled to start May 2 and run through May 25, and to feature performances in cities, such as Huntington, WV; Tampa, Fla and Phoenix, AZ. the tour’s current schedule is noted below.
Amon Amarth returns this May, and the veteran viking metal band is building anticipation for the record’s release with the video for the album’s first single.
The band announced on Wednesday that it will release its new album Beserker on May 3 through Metal Blade Records. The band debuted the video for the album’s lead single ‘Raven’s Flight’ Wednesday at its official website and YouTube.
Directed by Roboshobo, the video crosses footage of the band performing its new single on stage at a club-like setting with a pair of ancient vikings facing a horde of their enemies. It is the first in a trio of videos that will come from Beserker, and features guest appearances by former UFC star Josh Barnett and WWE Superstar Eric Rowan.
As the final few days of 2018 wind down, there is still some work to be done by critics putting in their year-ender lists. That includes this critic.
This critic’s most recent year-ender focused on the year’s top new live CDs. In a gradual transition to movies and television, there is still one more music list to present — the year’s top new live DVDs/BDs. As has been noted previously, there are some live recordings that translate in relatively acceptable fashion, but there are also others that can and should only be experienced with the full audio-visual experience.
Keeping this in mind, it is only fair to examine the year’s best new live DVDs and Blu-rays. Topping this year’s list is Amon Amarth’s The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm. There is nothing negative to say about this presentation. The extensive documentary outlines the band’s career from the band’s own mouths, showing the group as a hard-working, blue-collar outfit that has earned its place in the metal and music communities. The equally expansive two-night, 30-song set pulls from almost every one of the band’s albums. The performance is great, as are the production values.
Second Place in this year’s list of the year’s best new live DVDs/BDs goes to Devin Townsend Project’s Ocean Machine Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv. This performance features Townsend performing Ocean Machine live in its entirety along with an equally extensive by-request set. That combination makes for a great set list. As with Amon Amarth’s live recording, the group’s performance ensures audiences’ maintained engagement and entertainment, even at home. The same can be said of the production values. The whole makes the recording yet another that is best experienced with the full audio-visual presentation versus just the audio alone.
Third Place in this year’s list of the top new live DVDs and Blu-rays goes to The Rolling Stones’ San Jose, California ’99 show from Eagle Rock Entertainment. The recording is everything that audiences have come to expect from one of the elite of the elite acts in the music industry today. The extensive 20-song set list doesn’t play it safe, instead giving audiences material that is less common in the band’s previous live recordings from Eagle Rock Entertainment. The group’s performance (including that of the touring musicians) couples with the production values to make the performance yet another must have for any true fan of The Rolling Stones.
Also featured in this year’s list are the new live recordings from Anthrax, The Robert Glasper Experiment and Opeth, just to name a few more acts. As always, the first 10 titles in the last are the best, while the next five are honorable mention titles. Without any further ado, here is Phil’s Picks’ 2018 Top 10 New Live DVDs & Blu-rays.
Tommy Shaw & The Contemporary Youth Orchestra — Sing For The Day!
Going to live shows is neither easy nor inexpensive nowadays. Between the collective cost of tickets — which is itself oftentimes bank-breaking — transportation, food, potential lodging and souvenirs, and of course planning around work and family schedules, getting out to live shows is not easy for anyone.
Those barriers make the availability of live recordings something critical for audiences everywhere, regardless of genre. To that end, live CDs deserve their own consideration just as much as studio recordings, each year. Keeping that in mind, Phil’s Picks has developed once again a list of the year’s Top 10 new live CDs.
This year has been an interesting one for live CDs. Some notable live CDs were featured as part of bigger bundles (E.G. The Rolling Stones’ San Jose ’99 and Voodoo Lounge ’94 shows) while others, such as Alice Cooper’s A Paranormal Night @ The Olympia Paris and Marty Friedman’s One Bad M.F. Live were standalone offerings.
Some were standout offerings for all of the best reasons. Others had some problems to note. Keeping all of this in mind, this year’s crop of live CDs deserves just as much attention as the vast sea of studio recordings released throughout the year.
Topping this year’s list is yet another live CD from the people at Eagle Rock Entertainment in the form of Charles Mingus’ classic 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival show. This recording presents Mingus at one of his finest moments, and why his live performances were — and still are today — such powerful presentations.
Coming in second in this year’s list is the new Jimi Hendrix live CD, Live at the Hollywood Bowl. This CD was released as part of the bigger Electric Ladyland box set, and stands out so strongly because of its set list, Hendrix and company’s performance and the production values.
Third place in this year’s list of the year’s best new live CDs goes to veteran viking metal outfit Amon Amarth. The 30-song set list spans two nights and quite an expansive portion of the band’s catalog. That set list is directly mirrored on its DVD and BD presentation, and sounds just as good. Though because of the intensity of the show, it is still better appreciated being seen and heard and not just heard. That’s not to say the CD presentation is bad, but audiences will agree that hearing it makes for far more appreciation for the concerts’ DVD and BD presentations.
Also featured in this year’s list of top new live CDs are those noted new offerings from Marty Friedman, Alice Cooper and The Rolling Stones alongside new offerings from Opeth, Devin Townsend and John 5 to name just a few more titles. As always, this critic’s list features 10 of the year’s top new offerings plus five honorable mentions, which follow, for a total count of 15. Without any further ado, here is Phil’s Picks’ 2018 Top 10 new Live CDs.
Slayer’s worldwide farewell tour will officially run into summer 2019.
The band announced the dates for Leg Five of its final world tour on Monday. Leg Five will bring the band back to North America for a series of dates through May, starting May 2 and running through May 25. Lamb of God, Amon Amarth and Cannibal Corpse will serve as support for the tour.
The band’s new dates are noted below. The announcement follows the recent announcement of the sixth leg of the tour, which will take Slayer across Europe during June and July. Those dates — and those of Leg Four — are included with the dates for Leg Five.
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Amon Amarth has released a new live clip from its forthcoming documentary/live recording package.
The band debuted the video of its performance of ‘Raise Your Horns’ Nov. 2 via its official YouTube channel. The song is taken from the live portion of the band’s upcoming doc/live package, The Pursuit if Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm. The performance was recorded at the band’s performance at Germany’s Summer Breeze 2017 Festival.
The live portion of the package was directed by Phil Wallis, and produced Alexander Milas.
The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm is currently scheduled to be released Nov. 16 via Metal Blade Records. The collection will feature a double-live recording and a full-length documentary.
The documentary takes audiences through the band’s rich history both in studio and on the road, and includes a wealth of interviews with the band through that time. The double-live recording features two sets from the band, performed at the 2017 Summer Breeze Festival in Dinkelsbuhl, Germany.
Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen said the band was glad to have both performances together in one setting.
Pre-orders are open now along with a trailer for the collection here. The collection will be available on CD/2DVD digipack, Blu-ray, special edition hardcover book with six discs (3DVD/2CD/1 Blu-ray) and vinyl.
The vinyl pressings will be in transparent orange, clear black with splatter and transparent yellow with orange marble vinyl. The transparent orange pressing will be limited to 500 copies; the clear black with splatter 250 copies and yellow with orange marble 250 copies.
The collection’s full track listing is noted below.
Over the course of the past 25 years, veteran metal band Amon Amarth has become one of the most respected and unique bands in the metal community. That is because of its music and its live performances. From its debut 1996 EP Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds to its most recent full-length studio recording, 2016’s Jomsviking, the band has stuck to what it knows, writing songs about Vikings. It’s not the only band that rose to fame in taking this path, but has become even more famous than its contemporaries in taking that path. The band’s live shows have been just as key in making the band so well-known and respected, as they have included the standard Viking ship on stage, and at times, even Viking battle re-enactments. Of course while the band has become one of the metal community preeminent acts today, its road to worldwide stardom was not the easiest. That story is presented in the documentary included in the band’s forthcoming documentary/live recording package, The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm, and it is a story that is certain to create a new appreciation for the band. It is just one part of what the package – set for release Nov. 16 via Metal Blade Records – that makes it a worthwhile addition to any Amon Amarth fan’s collection. The live material included in the package is just as important to note as the documentary. It will be discussed a little later. Its pricing rounds out its most important elements, and will also be addressed later. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm. All things considered, they make the recording a collection that, again, will appeal especially to the band’s most devoted fan base.
Amon Amarth’s forthcoming documentary/live bundle The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm is a strong new offering from the veteran metal outfit. It is a work that is certain to appeal to the band’s most devout fan base, and even to new audiences who might be less familiar to the band. That is due in no small part to the documentary included in the bundle. The doc, which clocks in sans end credits at a little more than 90 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes to be exact), serves as an interesting introduction to the band for those noted new audiences, and an equally welcome re-introduction to the band’s more seasoned fans. It takes audiences from the band’s earliest days, struggling to balance their blue-collar lives with trying to make it in the music business to its current state atop the metal community. That back story in itself is a sort of rags to riches story, so to speak because it presents the band as a group that worked its way to the top. It was not given the world. It had to work to earn it. The band’s fron man, Johan Hegg, discusses that work ethic at one point late in the documentary, explaining the clear role that it has played in the band’s success. Along with that, some audiences might be surprised to learn that there was a chance early on in the band’s career that it might not even have been around if not for the success of one record. That story will be saved for those who have not yet had the pleasure of taking in this retrospective. It is another one of those anecdotes that adds to the appreciation that the doc presents. As if everything noted here is not enough, audiences will be just as interested to take in the discussions on the band’s decision to go forward with focusing so much on Viking mythology in its albums despite the apparent belief of some that it has to certain groups. There is an equally interesting discussion that goes along with that talk, in which the band talks frankly about steering away from the standard death metal fare, and why it opted not to go that route. That discussion is one of the most powerful, as brief as it might be. It joins with everything else presented over the course of the documentary’s run to make this story one that is certain to make audiences new and old see Amon Amarth in a whole new and certainly positive light. To that end, the documentary featured in this new presentation is a strong addition to the whole of the presentation, and is not the only positive to the set. The live material included in the set adds even more enjoyment to the package.
The live material featured in The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm is so important because of everything that goes into that presentation, from the set lists to the band’s performance thereof and the production values. The two set lists – taken from the band’s Aug. 16 & 17 Summer Breeze Festival performance – pull songs from nine of the band’s current 10 albums. In other words, it is safe to say that this is a career-spanning two-night performance. The only album not represented in the recording is the band’s 2001 album The Crusher. The band’s debut 1996 EP Sorrow Through The Nine Worlds also is not included in the set list, but the band can easily be forgiven for that. Over the course of the 30-song set, the band pulls most liberally from its 2006 album With Oden on Our Side and its follow-up, 2008’s Twilight of the Thunder God, with each album getting six nods. Jomsviking is next with five songs, and then Versus The World (2002) with four, Deceiver of the Gods (2013) with three, Surtur Rising (2011) and Fate of Norns (2014) with two each and then The Avenger (1999) and Once Sent From The Golden Hall (1998) each with just one song representing them respectively. To say that the set list is extensive would be an understatement. As with the documentary, such an extensive set list serves as a solid representation of Amon Amarth’s career to this point. Simply put, this makes the set list another excellent introduction to the band for fans less familiar with the band’s work and an equally welcome presentation for those more seasoned audiences.
The extensive set list featured in the band’s Summer Breeze 2017 performance is just part of what makes that performance welcome. The band’s performance thereof adds even more of a positive touch to the recording. From start to finish, the band gives its all for its audiences on both nights of the festival, letting the music do the majority of the talking. It serves to display that work ethic that Hegg talked about in the documentary, making for even more appreciation for the band. The same can be said of Hegg’s interactions with the audience between songs. From the casual discussion about the band donating its now famous on-stage Viking boat to Hegg’s encouragement of the audience to do its own “Viking row” to the general mid-performance banter, Hegg proves to be an entertaining front man. His band mates meanwhile do just as much to entertain audiences throughout each song, that they are giving 110 percent and more. It’s just one more way in which the live material stands out so strongly here.
The recording’s production values are just as worth noting in examining the recording as the band’s performance and the recording’s set list. The work that went into balancing the sound and capturing the concert both during and in post production paid off, giving audiences at home the best seat in the house. The sound is everything that a home viewer should expect from audio mixing while the camera work offers its own entertainment. Audiences are taken on stage, into the crowd and high above throughout. What’s interesting to note here is that the shooting actually at times has a little bit of a guerilla look. Luckily that feeling is not overpowering at any given moment. Rather, it is just enough that when coupled with the more spit-shined shots, the combination of those clearer and more raw shots makes for its own interesting experience. The end result of the attention paid to every detail makes this performance just as enjoyable for its production work as for the set list and the band’s performance. In other words, everyone behind the boards and cameras is fully deserving of praise for their work. That effort and time was well worth it. Now keeping all of this in mind, the last important element of this set to note is its pricing.
Looking through the nation’s biggest retailers – Target, Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart — finding this new recording was a bit of a craps shoot. That is both because The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm is available on so many platforms and because right now, some of the retailers do not have it listed. Target has the vinyl presentation listed while Best Buy has three of its separate platforms listed at coordinated prices. The problem is that Best Buy’s listings do not specify which price is with which platform. Walmart does not even list the recording, and Amazon lists the pricing for the CD/2 DVD and Blu-ray platforms. Of course, Metal Blade lists each of the platforms and their respective prices. Keeping all of this in mind, and that most people will likely buy either the Blu-ray or CD/2DVD set, finding an average price point at the time of this posting is next to impossible. However, comparing Amazon’s current pricing to that of Metal Blade, it can be said that even with shipping, fans will find it less expensive to purchase the Blu-ray and the CD/2DVD set direct from Metal Blade’s official store. That is always open to change, of course, but for now Metal Blade’s official store is offering a more affordable price for each platform, even with shipping & handling. When this is considered along with everything else noted here, it goes without saying that The Pursuit of Vikings: 25 Years in the Eye of the Storm is a relatively affordable presentation that audiences new and old alike will happily welcome in their own music libraries. | 2019-04-25T23:56:49Z | https://philspicks.wordpress.com/tag/amon-amarth/ | Porn | Arts | 0.09605 |
wordpress | In the name of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), and based on the opinion of our partners overseas, we turn to you regarding the above-mentioned matter with grave concern. As you know, a legislative move to set a basic law relating to the identity of the State of Israel reached its height with the government approval of two private laws – MK Elkin’s law P/19/2502 and the proposal by MKs Shaked, Levin and Eiltov, P/19/1550. According to media reports, the government decision states that following their approval in a preliminary reading, these bills will be aligned with a bill presented by the Prime Minister, based on the principles document which was published on his behalf.
The principles document was presented as a softened version compared with the private bills, and it indeed preserved the legal phrase: “a Jewish and democratic state” and avoids a distinction between the status of the Hebrew language and that of the Arabic language. However, a deeper reading of the document reveals great similarities between it and the two private bills and lacking answers to many of the flaws presented in these two bills.
Below you will find the problems we see in the principles document. These problems are detailed at length in the attached position paper.
We believe that it would have been more appropriate to all together avoid a nation-state legislation in its current format (as presented in the opinion by Prof. Ruth Gavison). It is definitely appropriate to avoid legislation as that presented to the government at this time. In any case, only a deep legislative process, based upon a broad parliamentary and public debate, and which aspires to create a cross-party front (as was done when legislating the basic laws in 1992) can lead to the formalization of an appropriate basic law regarding the identity of the State of Israel. This is especially true during this time, characterized by increased tension between the Jewish and Arab public and within various sectors of the Jewish public.
The main flaw we identify in the principles document is the violation of the critical balance between Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state. Alongside the justified recognition of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people, where we fulfill our right to national self-determination, the principles document only mentions the fact that Israel is a democratic state without mentioning that this obligates the State to be based on values of human dignity, equality to all its citizens regardless of religion, race, national origin, language and gender and that it respects human rights. The lack of these basic principles is especially evident considering the detailed list that does appear regarding principles and expressions of the Jewish identity of the State. In this state of affairs, one cannot be satisfied with a general and unclear definition regarding Israel’s democratic character.
The principles document gives an unprecedented status to Jewish law (Halacha) in its Orthodox interpretation as a source of general inspiration to the actions of the legislative branch. The mere presentation of a religious legislative system as a source of inspiration to the Knesset’s democratic decisions is inherently wrong. This is especially so considering that Israeli legislation has no other sources of inspiration, not even a mention of the declaration of independence. In the future, this section could have a real effect on legislative processes and the alignment of Knesset laws with the test of legal judgment. It is enough to contemplate the impact of such a definition on legislative processes regarding “who is a Jew” in order to understand the repercussions. A further expression of this matter is the provision of a legal status to one set of components of public education in Israel – exposure of students to Jewish history, legacy and tradition, without giving other vital components of public education (civics and democracy, for example) a similar status.
The principles document completely ignores the collective rights of the Arab and Druze citizens of the country. The document only mentioned the individual rights of citizens, including preservation of their culture and identity, but does not mandate the state to actively work to maintain the heritage of these minority groups. It is precisely in a law which emphasizes the right of the Jewish people for self-determination that it is completely appropriate to also give attention to the existence of ethnic-national-religious communities with a natural affinity to the land.
The principles document ignores the need to advance values of tolerance, co-existence and social solidarity between all citizens, and especially in the public sphere and through national symbols. The legal anchoring of the “HaTikvah” national anthem, the blue and white flag and the Menorah emblem, as well as Independence Day and memorial days is appropriate and necessary. However, a legislative move which seeks to emphasize values of shared citizenship would explicitly keep, for instance, the right of the legislator to add national symbols and holidays which are meant to express the common denominators between all citizens of the country. Additionally, it would have been possible to express these values and objectives in the purpose sections and basic principles of the legislation.
All the mentioned-above flaws place a question-mark on the existence of a substantial difference between the principles document and the original bills and sharpen the potential damage from advancing such a law. As a Zionist movement, we believe that the principle of a national homeland for the Jewish people is worthy of clear legislative anchoring, which will fortify the status of a Jewish national homeland in Israeli society and around the world. However, this must all be done as part of an all-encompassing move which emphasizes Israel’s democratic character as well as its Jewish one, and it commitment to all its citizens, including their culture and individual and collective rights. A partial action, which ignores additional basic principles of Israel’s identity and the values on which it was founded, will gravely hurt Israeli society’s cohesion and will cause serious damage to the State’s image and to its centrality as a source of inspiration and pride for world Jewry.
Today, following a long session of deliberations, the Israeli government approved its basic support for the two “nation-state” bills dealing with Israel’s Jewish character. The bills were approved based on a commitment that following a first reading (out of four readings which take place) the bills will not be advanced in their current form, and instead, the government will advance the version presented by Prime Minister Netanyahu, based on the document of principles publicized in recent days.
Over the past few months, the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) voiced its clear and unequivocal reservations from the private bills. These subject Israel’s democratic character to its Jewish character and change basic legal decisions regarding the relationship between the Jewish majority and Arab minority, such as making Hebrew the only official language of the State.
Even though the Prime Minister’s document of principles softens the private bills by securing the character of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and not mentioning the status of languages, the document still contains fundamental problems which justify blocking the move to approve the bill. Among the main problems with the document are that the unique national elements of the Arab and Druze citizens of the country and their collective rights are not mentioned; the lack of the equality principle as a basic value according to the Israeli legal system; that the commonalities between all Israeli citizens, Jews, Arab and Druze are not mentioned either; and finally, giving Jewish law (Halacha) a legal status as an inspirational platform to the Knesset’s actions.
It is important to note that many senior Israeli lawyers and lawmakers, including the government legal advisor and those who receive much public trust from all sides of the political spectrum expressed their objection to the bills. In the coming days, the IMPJ will work with government and different party officials in the Knesset, and together with many other partners to block this law.
We believe that Israel’s Jewish character and its being the national homeland of the Jewish people are fundamental constitutional principles that are worthy of protection and expression in Israeli law. These principles are clearly stated in Israel’s declaration of independence, in the Knesset fundamental laws, and in a long list of other laws, such as the law of return. This new legal step will not strengthen these principles, but rather is destined to weaken them, all while increasing the tension within Israeli society. We believe in the need to advance an Israeli constitution in an overarching and comprehensive move which will express all aspects of Israeli identity in a balanced and responsible way. Only this type of move, which defines the State of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people, as the democratic state of all its citizens and as a state which accepts all its minorities, can we strengthen the Zionist enterprise and its fulfillment in the State of Israel.
“The ‘nation-state’ bills approved today in the Israeli government place a real stain on the State of Israel and provides unnecessary and damaging ammunition to all those wishing to question the legitimacy of the Zionist enterprise. The fact that the bills will not be advanced and instead be replaced with a version presented by the Prime Minister does not change the fact that the unnecessary damage has already been done. During days of increased tension between the Jewish and Arab Israeli public, one cannot protest and object racism on the one hand, and advance legal processes which are seen as exclusionary, on the other. We can only regret that the Prime Minister did not listen to the government legal advisor’s and senior lawyers’ advice to postpone the entire process; we hope that he will step away from his initial intension. It is only appropriate that any legislative move dealing with Israel’s fundamental principles include all aspects of Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state which acknowledges the existence of minority groups and the centrality of the principle of equality” (Rabbi Gilad Kariv, IMPJ executive director).
ARZA expresses its deepest condolences to the families of those who perished at the hands of terrorists today. An attack on innocents, and especially against innocent people at prayer in a house of worship can only be viewed as a purposeful act of violence with the intention of causing pain and death. All those who care about humanity and all who care about the integrity of all beings should decry such behavior and see it exactly for what it is — intentional and brutal murder.
We join with all who care about decency and who are pursuers of peace. We join with all Israel in our deep sense of sadness and mourning, and we hope and pray that all those of good will shall raise their voices high and drown out the forces of violence and terror.
A recent NYT op-ed by Anthony Lerman left me both puzzled and insulted. As a liberal Zionist, I am not at a crossroads, as Lerman directly accused in his sweeping and generalizing editorial, “The End of Liberal Zionism,” wherein he has unfairly categorized many of us in a camp to which we do not belong.
I would like to offer a different picture than that of Lerman’s portrayal of liberal Diaspora Jews getting fed up with Israel’s conduct. On the contrary, this summer’s war has been a wake-up call for many liberal Zionists. So many have come to the realization that now, more than ever, is the time to be involved. Liberal Zionists realize that they have the opportunity and ability to help foster Israel’s Zionist core, which dates back to its “romantic” foundation. Our own Reform movement has worked to provide critical support for a variety of projects since the beginning of the current escalation of violence and rioting this summer. This support has led to the enhancement of co-existence projects between Jewish communities and their Palestinian-Israeli neighbors, and more.
As a liberal Zionist, I take pride in the fact that we openly express sympathy for the loss of Palestinian life in Gaza, question the necessity of ground incursions and targeted strikes, and actively support Israel’s ongoing – but lesser known – humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Further, I take pride in the notion that we do not turn our back on Israel, even though we may be at times critical. We do not view our connection to or support for the Jewish State as conditional, and we recognize that as Diaspora Jews we do have the luxury to choose how to support Israel. Israelis, however, do not have the luxury to ignore constant attacks on their fellow citizens, and Lerman, in his accusation of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s failure to establish an independent Palestinian state, fails to see that there are, in fact, other parties involved. Does being a liberal mean that the Palestinians must be absolved of all culpability for determining their own destiny? Even if Israel has the upper hand, which it clearly does militarily, should the international community give Hamas a carte blanche?
Furthermore, why does Lerman accuse liberal Zionists of being torn during times of war? The liberals that are my friends and colleagues have become more united in affirming Israel’s right to defend herself while staunchly believing in the need for a negotiated two-state arrangement. Let us remember how many reservists heeded their summons and went in to fight despite their own political opinions.
Also, to which rising trend in Israeli politics is Lerman referring? To the trend that turned out in Rabin Square last Saturday night? To the thoughtful discussion between famed left-wing laureate David Grossman and modern Orthodox Rabbi Yuval Cherlow? There has always been vitriol and intolerance from certain Israeli politicians. We are a people who take words seriously and cannot ignore threats or blatant illegal racism. Today, sadly, the examples of these are plentiful. Is this a trend worse than ’95-’96, where the Oslo process passed by a 51% majority?
Liberal Zionism does not lack agency. It is working hard to help its educators, rabbis, youth advisors and affiliates find a voice in the storm. It is mobilizing its constituency to support Israel, as Zionists and as liberals, and to deplore dangerous and demagogic voices coming from the right to far-right. While Lerman does not supply us with the vast research conducted and on whose behalf he writes, I can say personally that being a Zionist means to work to improve Israeli society and hold Israel up to high standards, in addition to wanting Israel to reflect our values. Most importantly, being a Zionist means that Israel is our family with whom we will always be connected, despite how each of us might chose to act were we in the Prime Minister’s chair. As a liberal Zionist I would encourage the government to look towards important diplomatic steps to end the current war – which would result in more than just another abbreviated ceasefire. We must look to the international community (including the Arab states) to help ensure that Hamas will stop firing rockets and mortars so that we can open the strip and aid in the rebuilding of Gaza.
Lerman does, however, make an important point with which I agree wholeheartedly – that now is the time to embrace the challenge of reclaiming Zionism and working to change Israel’s perceived image from its grassroots. Many years ago, I, like Lerman, fell in love with the romantic Zionist ideal. Now, as an adult, I am well aware that Israel is not perfect and has made its fair share of mistakes. I also know that Israel has had to deal with more strife, threat and unfair judgment than most, and that today’s Zionism of consequence must be an enlightened and thoughtful Zionism that admonishes racist and intolerant rhetoric while being cautious regarding those who wish to cause us harm. We liberal Zionists, therefore, continue to pray for peace and work to do what we can to improve the lives of those affected by the throes of war.
Rabbi Josh Weinberg is the President of the Association of Reform Zionists of America, and a Res. Lt. in the IDF Spokespersons unit.
Recent events in the Middle East have once again thrust this volatile region onto the world’s headlines. The speed in which new developments occur in this troubled part of the world can often times confuse even the most educated person.
Currently, the Arab world is deeply divided between radicals and “moderates.” There are also growing tensions between Shiites and Sunnis. Israel’s role in this dangerous neighborhood is consequently changing, presently allying itself with moderate Sunnis against the Islamic fundamentalists.
However in the Middle East, the concept of allies can be best defined as “who one hates least”.
The Gaza War has unmasked the face of that most ancient of hatreds, anti-Semitism. It seems that regardless of Israel’s behavior certain Europeans blame the country. Yet, the atrocities being perpetrated in nearby Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East are consistently and disconcertingly ignored.
This webinar will consider the challenges facing the Middle East, Israel and global Jewry.
This webinar, hosted jointly by ARZENU and the World Union, will be led by our guest presenter Prof. Paul Liptz, a social historian who lectured for 35 years in the Tel Aviv University Department of Middle Eastern and African History. Liptz has taught IDF Reservists as well as Israel Studies at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. He has published many articles on contemporary Jewry and Jewish history, as well as having lectured and conducted workshops in 12 countries. Currently, Professor Liptz is the Education Director of the World Union’s Anita Saltz International Education Center.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. By registering, you will be able to view the webinar even if you are not able to join during the live session. After the event, you will be sent a link to the entire webinar. | 2019-04-21T20:48:31Z | https://arzenuwzc.wordpress.com/ | Porn | News | 0.140674 |
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wordpress | With recent unemployment rates spiking to ten percent, many job seekers have adopted the question, “Why did this happen to me?” Times of my job searching have been filled with frantic behaviors, compulsive online applications, disregarding positions for paychecks and choosing shallow reading over research. Some people may find themselves unemployed and desperately seeking their next position. Others of you may be in a job and would like to create a plan to start something new. In this series of posts, I will share movements that can transform us in the job search process.
The past couple of days I have been resisting writing this post. Ironic, that the shift we are considering here is going from Inaction to Momentum! Funny, how the very things I desire, I can also resist. Can you relate? Maybe you are looking for employment or considering a change of employment. Whichever the case, putting the ‘flesh-and-bones’ on your dream requires action.
My past four months of training culminated this past weekend at the Chicago marathon. Early morning wake-up calls, six workouts a week, and ordering my schedule around workouts all came to a close after the race. I hoped to run a 3:30, which amounts to 8 minute miles. I ran a 3:13 (7 min 22 sec) pace, despite two restroom breaks. I was three minutes away from Boston qualification.
The weekend was also a family trip, initiated by my mom, who ran in the race with me as well. It as her second marathon and my first. Lindsay and my dad joined as spectators. They were die-hard as weather was in the 30s most of the day! The rest of the weekend was filled with limping, a museum visit (Oriental museum at Univ of Chicago) and culinary adventures in both Little Italy and Chinatown. Both restaurants were amazing! And so were our servers. We concluded the trip with pizza dinner in Des Moines with my bro and sister-in-law.
Now, as I face a new work week, I’m feeling the absence of structure that informed so much of my time the past few months. There is no timeline of morning distances to run. There is no set mileage to reach each week. Just emptying of all the disciplines that have supported me the past months. Hopefully, this loss will make the space for what is next. Onward. | 2019-04-23T10:27:47Z | https://jpstreet.wordpress.com/category/eclipse/ | Porn | Sports | 0.94095 |
wordpress | Having an unashamedly good time stealing a few moments between talks inside the XCor Lynx spacecraft mockup parked behind NSRC 2013.
I recently had the great pleasure to give a talk (and serve as co-author for a second) at the fourth annual Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC), held this year in Boulder, Colorado.
As a one-of-a-kind collection of researchers, entrepreneurs, spacecraft providers, students, and government representatives, NSRC’s intent is to foster collaboration of a sort that will enable the research world to fully utilize what amount to a fleet of new spacecraft looking to come online within the next 24 months. In all, exciting to be amongst like-minded folks, great to see familiar faces again, and a thrill to forge new alliances.
The private/commercial spaceflight world, particularly in the suborbital context, is primed to (mis)use off-the-shelf radiation dosimeters designed for the commercial nuclear world; these instruments will not deliver complete or ultimately meaningful numbers without applying specific scaling algorithms to the results, in essence calibrating them for the space environment. User beware!
The greatest benefit of bothering to outfit suborbital astronauts with radiation dosimeters might not be to the spaceflight participants themselves, (who would receive in all but the most extraordinary circumstances a practically immeasurable radiation dose). Instead, the greatest effect may be to improve Earth-based low-dose modeling and safety standards, the researchers engaged in which would benefit immeasurably from having a completely new population group to study who are intentionally exposing themselves to low-dose, high-intensity radiation. This is also, *hint hint*, a completely untapped research funding angle (contact me if interested in collaborating – seriously!).
So, there you have it. If not taking advantage of my own firm’s radiation dosimetry services, my message to the suborbital spaceflight world was to at least engage in planning one’s own flight experience armed to understand that accurate dosimetry in the space environment is not something one can just pull off a shelf and slap on the outside of a pressure suit!
The second talk, which was expertly given by co-conspirator Dr. Mindy Howard of Inner Space Training, involved a task-based assessment of potential spaceflight tasks for suborbital spaceflight participant. The objective there? The development of a spaceflight training “roadmap” to help participants decide which training amongst the many types offered by providers is relevant and necessary for their personal flight goals.
The power to decide which training is or is not relevant to an individual should not, in my opinion, be left up to the spacecraft providers (who may and likely will not have your specific goals in mind)! That’s where our roadmap research comes in.
Please feel free to contact me or Dr. Howard for any additional details along those lines.
Well, the pulse at the conference was that the next twelve months appear to be crucial. With business plans starting to kick in and metal finally being flight tested, I feel as though there are two distinct options for NSRC 2014: It will either be aflood with the excitement borne of the dawn of commercial suborbital spaceflight, or attendance will plummet as cynicism and a fear of perpetual development cycles sets in.
For now, the future looks bright, and that’s good news!
Until next time, NSRC. Cheers!
JFK at Rice University, Sept 12, 1962.
Exactly a half-century ago today, President John F. Kennedy declared in a landmark speech America’s rationale for achieving the impossible: Going to the Moon.
And it is in this speech, which we commemmorate on the day after another anniversary marked by such tragedy, in a social climate today burdened with so much loss, strife, and economic depression, that we can draw inspiration and hope for the future.
Unlike our opponents at the time, Kennedy’s message was a message of freedom and peace in space. And to ensure it, he had to sell it to the American people.
We might look upon the International Space Station today as the realization of Kennedy’s vow for peaceful, knowledge-centered pursuits in space. -And private companies like Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, XCOR Aerospace, and Planetary Resources are today challenging the hardships of space in the pursuit of space’s rewards.
As we look to heal – economically, socially, spiritually – we might look to space as the ideal environment that Kennedy championed, which holds true today: A frontier yet-unblemished by conflicts over belief, religion, combative nationalism, or economic strife; A place from which all explorers emerge with a renewed sense of kinship with our lonely world and the inhabitants of its many diverse and unique cultures; A place where we go to forge technological solutions and harvest knowledge from the very farthest extent of our reach so that all might benefit from it; A place where we have constantly demonstrated the best qualities of humankind.
Today, fifty years after Kennedy set us on a path that many would argue changed the course of history, whether considering the issue of jobs, rights, prejudice, education, or wars, I believe we need space much more than it needs us.
And Kennedy helped light the way.
It’s with an almost electric sense of expectation that I am pleased to report a change in the tide of space exploration. It’s a change that history has never seen before. -With the advent of private spacecraft, (e.g., Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Orbital Sciences, XCOR Aerospace, Armadillo Aerospace,) a critical mass must be near or already achieved, because suddenly the Corporate Scientist-Astronaut has taken shape. Companies are stepping up to provide training, and pioneers are filling out the flight suits I hope to one day wear. It’s thrilling.
For example, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation has recently awarded safety approval to a private firm to offer astronaut training – known as the National AeroSpace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center, it’s the first of its kind. Their services include centrifuges, hyperbaric chambers, technical training, and custom flight simulators, and they’re state-of-the-art.
Then, there’s Starfighters, Inc. – the first company of its kind to get both the FAA and NASA’s approval to provide live suborbital training to corporate astronaut-hopefuls using a small fleet of F-104 Starfigher jet aircraft.
Suborbital flight training. Credit: Starfighters, Inc.
And, then there’s the Astronauts4Hire initiative – with a collection of young up-and-coming space scientists vying to get their training at the aforementioned facilities sponsored so that they too can “get in line to fly.” They’re marketing themselves as burgeoning commercial suborbital payload specialists, the idea being that when companies/universities/etc. want to perform suborbital research using the new spacecraft around the corner, it’ll be cheaper to hire these guys than to train and certify their own staff for spaceflight. -I think it’s a fantastic idea. Heck, I’d be jazzed to sign up with them one day if the opportunity arose.
The market is so ripe that company Orbital Outfitters, a private spacesuit manufacturer, has formed to offer standardized “get me down” spacesuits to supply suborbital researchers. Known as the Industrial Suborbital Spacesuit, or IS^3, the suit provides at least 30 minutes of emergency life support at at an altitude of 90 miles and offers imbedded communication equipment and biometric sensors, enhanced visibility, and can even be integrated into a parachute harness.
The future is now, and it looks like my dream of becoming a corporate astronaut is more realistic than ever. All I have to do is find the right way to get my foot in the door…. er, airlock. | 2019-04-21T10:44:29Z | https://astrowright.wordpress.com/tag/xcor/ | Porn | Science | 0.224358 |
wordpress | It is now compliant with PD 22 2.2A. Make sure you use the updated Precedent H from the 6th April 2014 to avoid being caught out!
The geographical jurisdictional boundaries of the county courts are being remove under Sections 17(1) and 17(2) of the Crime and Courts Act 2013. References to “a County Court” in the CPR are being replaced with “the County Court”. The County Court will be a wholly civil jurisdiction and will not have family jurisdiction. Family proceedings will be in the new Family Court. The County Court will have a single seal to represent its national jurisdiction. Cases will be heard at County Court Hearing Centres (with current County Courts being rebranded as such). Furthermore, except where judicial input is required, cases will not be “transferred” between hearing centres but will be sent as an administrative procedure.
3. Part 8 claims may be started at any County Court hearing centre unless a rule, practice direction or enactment provides otherwise.
However, when a claim is given a hearing date, the court may direct that proceedings should be transferred to another hearing centre.
PI claims worth <£50,000 and other claims worth <£100,000 should be issued in the County Court. From 22/4/14.
For those County Court claims where a request for judgment which includes an amount of money to be decided by the court is filed, the claim will be sent to the preferred County Court hearing centre. Intended implementation date 22 April 2014.
An amendment is made to provide that any order refusing permission to appeal will indicate the court to which any further application should be made and the level of judge who should hear the application.
A further amendment is made introducing a permission filter in respect of appeals to the High Court in respect of determinations or directions of the Pension Ombudsman.
Both amendments come into force on 6 April 2014. | 2019-04-20T18:28:46Z | https://zenithpi.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/amendments-to-cpr/ | Porn | News | 0.437831 |
wordpress | What would you say if I told you that a five-year-old girl from Houston, Texas, was kidnapped from her home and then somehow reunited with her family fifty-five years later? Sounds like something out of a movie, right? But, this story is as real as it is shocking.
Dollie Ann Henson, was only five years of age when she was forcefully taken from her family by her neighbor. Her kidnapper moved her around from Louisiana to California. The woman would repeatedly tell Henson that her family didn’t want her, adding that she would never find them. In an attempt to completely erase tracks of the precious five-year-old, her name was changed by the woman who kidnapped her.
Henson’s kidnapper eventually passed away in 1977 and she went on to make a life of her own in San Fransisco, California. She eventually married and had kids.
For over half a century, Henson tried everything she could to get her old life back. But, all of her attempts at finding her biological family failed- mainly because she didn’t know her real identity. And then one day, she got really close– somehow finding the location of her old residence from which she was taken. But, she was crushed to find out that her childhood home, as she once knew it, is now gone… and it had been turned into a freeway.
Reconnecting with her family seemed to be a hopeless cause. That is, until her daughter Kia’Ora reached out to the Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, knowing Henson was born there. That’s when it happened! Her long-lost relatives just so happened to be watching the newscast and then a KTRK reporter connected them. Unfortunately, Henson was not able to see her mother again since she had passed before the reunion.
However, her aunt- Donilla McDaniel, her sister- Rita McDaniel, and her niece- Valencia McDaniel, were pleased to see her. As it turns out, they had been looking for her all this time. But finding her was no walk in the park. It didn’t help that they were also searching for her under her birth name, ‘Darlene McDaniel’.
“I’m just happy we were able to find them. I’m happy to know they looked for me, and I’m happy to know they all said they loved me,” Henson said as she cried tears of joy. | 2019-04-23T00:14:13Z | https://kidslivesafe.wordpress.com/2018/03/30/missing-girl-is-reunited-with-her-family-fifty-five-years-later/ | Porn | News | 0.938476 |
wordpress | Today, we might feel sad about what is now missing from our lives: the wonderful, loving, caring, fun, intelligent, gentle, sweet man who was so much more than husband, dad, grandpa and friend. But we know that while we may miss him, he is where he wanted to be. So today, we want to celebrate his life with us and share some of the special memories, the gifts that he left for us.
He also told us of the many adventures he had in the Air Force. As a medic, he drove an ambulance in France. He had wanted to be a doctor but got dizzy at the sight of blood! I imagine this is probably what fueled his decision to become a pharmacist instead. Dad enjoyed dazzling us by speaking and singing in French, which he learned while stationed there. He also knew some German and Italian. After the military, Dad went to pharmacy school where he met our lovely mom, Barb… he just might have tried to impress her with those language skills! During their schooling he was her teacher’s assistant in chemistry – and found that their chemistry led to marriage. Mom’s special memory of Dad was when they were with a group of people and he said, “I just want to be the best pharmacist I can be”. We know that he achieved that goal.
We mostly remember what a fun dad he was and the adventurous things we did together! With Jennie and Stephanie each on a knee, he would let them ride the “horses” Blackie and Whitey. I can just imagine their giggles as they held onto his fingers for reins and he bounced them in a horse race. He also had a very big spider (hand) that came down from above and made us squeal in anticipation of getting tickled. His grandchildren, who each had a special relationship with him, also remember fun times with their “Bumpa”. Bumpa loved his Jenna, Caity, Melissa, Adam, Brian, Ashley, Zachary, Courtney, and Michael!
Imagine driving out to the country on summer nights, lying on top of the car and looking at the stars… I could always find the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. One of Mike’s favorite memories is of fishing with him at Tub Springs, Nine Mile Creek and Box Butte Reservoir. The family would often hike and cook out at the Wildcat Hills, and he even took us to the dump to search for additions to Mike’s beer can collection. Olde Frothinslosh was by far the best can in the bunch! We remember trips to Alliance to see Grandma and Grandpa, and vacations in the station wagon to Yellowstone, Wisconsin and Illinois. Dad supported us in all of our band concerts, musicals, sports events and coached Mike’s Little League team. At my first basketball game when I scored a basket for the other team, he wrote a funny poem to make it all better. “A tisket, a tasket, she scored a great big basket…” I wish I could remember the rest!
There’s no denying that our dad was a funny guy. We have many photos of him in funny hats and making funny faces – even one of him wearing a dress for a Lion’s club play. People often speak of Dad’s jokes and his smile. He liked to occasionally embarrass us, too! He would honk and wave driving down Main with the girls, trying to see how many honks and waves he could get! Silliness aside, Stephanie’s favorite memory of Dad was when he taught her to drive.
Being a service-oriented man, dad was an active participant in the church, serving communion and greeting members. He also participated in the Lion’s club – a reminder of that is the Lion drinking fountain that they installed at the zoo. When one of Stephanie’s friends needed scoliosis surgery, it was our dad who spearheaded the effort to raise the money to make that happen. For that, he will be remembered also.
Jennie’s favorite memory of our dad is of him dancing at her wedding. He loved to dance and he loved music – everything from CCR to Tchaikovsky! Mom and he took country swing dance lessons and had a great time together! Stephanie and Dad were regular musicians at Saturday night mass at St. Agnes, as well as playing the guitar and singing at home. At just about any time he could be heard singing or whistling a tune in his own special style. He liked to start a phrase about a half beat behind everyone else, and we could pick out his voice anywhere. Dad especially enjoyed making up funny lyrics, such as “50 ways to love your liver”. Customers at Taco Town were in for a treat when he sang along with the Juke Box!
We love you, Dad. Shine on.
What a beautiful way to remember your dad.
Susie, that’s a beautiful remembrance. He really was a special man.
Wonderful! Printed for our archives. Thank you so much!
I’m glad you liked it! Hope you are both well! | 2019-04-25T10:54:45Z | https://heartcrossedpaths.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/my-dad-memories-of-a-great-man/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.599699 |
wikipedia | The Taebaek Mountains are a mountain range that stretches across North Korea and South Korea. They form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula.
The Taebaek mountains are located along the eastern edge of the peninsula and run along the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula. The Hwangnyong Mountain in North Korea (1268 meters) forms the northern end of the range. Busan lies at the southern end of this mountain range, thus making the mountain range a total length of over 500 kilometers, averaging about 1000 meters in height.
Prominent peaks of the range include Mount Seoraksan (1,708 m), Mount Kumgangsan (1,638 m), Mount Taebaeksan (1,566.7 m) and Mount Odaesan (1,563 m). To the east, the mountain range falls steeply into the sea, but to the west, there are more gentle slopes. Many spurs stretch southwest. The most important rivers of South Korea, the Han River and the Nakdong River, both originate in the Taebaek Mountains.
Many of the slopes are extensively covered in forests.
Economically the Taebaek mountains are important for the mining of iron, coal, tungsten, fluorite, and limestone.
Manggyeongsa Temple in Hyeol-dong Taebaek, Gangwon-do Province at an altitude of 1,460 meters on Mount Taebaeksan, is a temple built to enshrine the statue of the Bodhisattva of wisdom. It was built by Jajang, a Silla Dynasty monk. The "Dragon Spring" at the entrance of the temple is known as the highest spring in Korea.
The 2018 Winter Olympics took place in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do, located in the mountains.
Taebaek is also a name of a poomsae that is performed by the 3rd Dan black belts in Tae Kwon Do. Taebaek is mostly practised in Southern Korea.
^ "T'aebaek Mountains". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 November 2013. | 2019-04-22T18:22:27Z | https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taebaek_Mountains | Porn | Sports | 0.520023 |
yahoo | 45%69°46°Breezy with a high of 69 °F (20.6 °C). Winds SE at 17 mph (27.4 kph).Night - Cloudy. Winds from SE to ESE at 11 to 15 mph (17.7 to 24.1 kph). The overnight low will be 55 °F (12.8 °C).
100%69°54°Scattered thunderstorms today with a high of 69 °F (20.6 °C) and a low of 54 °F (12.2 °C). There is a 100% chance of precipitation.
95%65°47°Rain today with a high of 65 °F (18.3 °C) and a low of 47 °F (8.3 °C). There is a 95% chance of precipitation.
Today - Breezy with a high of 69 °F (20.6 °C). Winds SE at 17 mph (27.4 kph).
Tonight - Cloudy. Winds from SE to ESE at 11 to 15 mph (17.7 to 24.1 kph). The overnight low will be 55 °F (12.8 °C). | 2019-04-22T13:33:40Z | https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather/france/aquitaine/bon-encontre-580572 | Porn | Reference | 0.272673 |
canalblog | Le forum est maintenant ouvert !
I love edwestwick.canalblog.com because I learned a lot here. Now it's time for me to pay back.
The reason I post this guide on this of edwestwick.canalblog.com is to help people solve the same problem.
You can download a trial version of dvdSanta here . If you wish to buy a serial you can do it here . So, grab the trial, install and let's start the guide!
DvdSanta is an All-in-One software that helps you copy, convert and create DVD movies. It can convert video files (include DVD videos) into DVD format, can turn your digital photos into DVD movies with motions and background music, can transfer your digital camcorder tapes directly into DVD video, can burn DVD videos onto DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R or DVD+RW discs. It's extremely easy to use and lightning fast.
The System Requirement for dvdSanta: Microsoft Windows 2000/XP with DirectX 8.0 or higher. Pentium Processor or better, Pentium 4 recommended. 128MB RAM or more, 512MB RAM is recommended. 3MB Hard disk space for install. 5GB of Hard Disk Space for Media Files. Windows Media Player 9 . DVD Burner.
You can join 2 or more avi files to make one DVD? Ex: cd 1 and cd 2 of a movie so that these 2 become one on the same dvd?
Just load all the avi files into dvdSanta and click the "Create DVD" button and the joining will be done.
DvdSanta allows conversion of a PAL DVD to NTSC DVD?
I have done that many times. Just load your PAL dvd into dvdSanta and click "Create DVD", make sure NTSC is checked.
The following 3 "How to" show you how to copy, convert and create DVD movies using the primary functions of dvdSanta: How to burn DivX / Xvid movies or other video formats on to DVD? How to Copy DVD Movies with dvdSanta? How to Transfer miniDV Camcorder Tapes Directly into DVD Movies?
How to burn DivX / Xvid movies or other video formats on to DVD?
dvdSanta supports almost all kinds of video formats, such as AVI, DivX, Xvid, WMV, ASF, MPG, VOB.... To ensure that dvdSanta can burn your most up-to-date video files onto DVD. You need to have some latest audio and video codecs installed on your PC. If you do have all the codecs you need on your PC, skip this part and read Step 1. Install latest Microsoft DirectX 9. Install latest Microsoft Windows Media 9 . Install the latest Official Xvid codec from http://nic.dnsalias.com/XviD-Dec.exe Install the latest Official Divx codec from DivX.com .
NOTE: It is VERY important to have the latest DivX/Xvid codecs installed on your PC. Old codec versions may cause problems when encoding the newer video files.
Click "Video Files to DVD" button to convert video files.
Click "Add Media" button to load video files from the hard disk.
Select the video file you want to burn on DVD.
Step 2, Convert the video files to DVD video format.
Click "Create DVD" button to start converting the video file.
Wait until the conversion is complete.
Step 3, Burn the DVD.
dvdSanta has done preparing the DVD video, now it's time to burn your disc.
Before you burn the disc, you can use a software DVD player such as PowerDVD to examine the DVD video created by dvdSanta. The DVD video is stored under c:TempDVDVIDEO_TS folder.
Now you can insert a blanc DVD-R/+R disc in your DVD burner now and click "Yes" to continue.
If you want to burn this DVD disc later, you can click "No" button now and quit dvdSanta. The DVD video is stored under C:TempDVDVIDEO_TS folder. You can burn it later using dvdSanta and follow " How to Copy a 4.7GB Single Layer DVD movie "
If you are a using DVD+R/RW disc, just click "Burn!" and wait dvdSanta finish the burning job. If you are using a DVD-R/RW disc, you should select burning speed to 1x,2x,or 4x, then click the "Burn!" button to burn the disc.
And that's it! When the burning is finished, you can play your newly backuped DVD in your DVD player and watch the movie on TV!
How to Copy DVD Movies.
You need to have a MPEG-2 video decoder installed on your PC so dvdSanta can use it to read DVD video format. You can download and install a Free MPEG-2 decoder here: MpegDecoder012.msi (255Kb) . The second thing you need to know is dvdSanta Does NOT Copy CSS encrypted DVD movies or copy protected movies. If you insist that you have the right to backup your own copy protected DVD movies, use the internet to find answers about how to decrypt or rip your DVD movies to your hard disk.
The following instructions assume that you have aready transferred your DVD movies to your hard disk and you want to burn them back to blank DVD-R/RW or DVD+R/RW discs.
So, What's the trick to copy DVD and what can dvdSanta do here?
Most dvd burners can only burn single layer DVD discs, which hold only 4.7GB data each. However, many movies come in double layer DVD discs, which hold 9GB data each. In order to copy the double layer DVD movies, you need to "Shrink" the DVD movies and make them fit on 4.7GB sigle layer DVD discs. Luckyly, you can do it with dvdSanta! If what you want to copy is a 4.7GB single layer DVD movie, you can also use dvdSanta to make an IDENTICAL copy without "Shrinking" your original movie.
Before you run dvdSanta, make sure your DVD burner is Empty, yes, no blank DVD-R/+R disc in your burner now. You will be intructed to insert your blank DVD-R/+R disc later.
Now insert a blank DVD-R/+R disc in your DVD burner. If you are a using DVD+R/RW disc, just click "Burn!" and wait dvdSanta finish the burning job. If you are using a DVD-R/RW disc, you should select burning speed to 1x,2x,or 4x, then click the "Burn!" button to burn the disc.
And ...Done! When the burning is finished, you can play your newly backuped DVD in your DVD player and watch the movie on TV.
How to Transfer miniDV Camcorder Tapes Directly into DVD Movies?
Step 1, Connect an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) cable to miniDV Camcorder.
Connect an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) cable to your miniDV camcorder. Turn on your camcorder and switch the mode to VCR mode.
Step 2, Connect the IEEE 1394 (Firewire) cable to your PC's IEEE1394 port.
Step 3, Run dvdSanta and burn the DVD.
Use the buttons on the left side to control your camcorder. You can play, stop, rewind your tape. If you want to transfer a whole tape, click the "Rewind" button to rewind the tape to its beginning.
Then, click "Play and Capture" button to start transferring the miniDV tape into DVD video.
Now the transferring begins. Wait until it ends. If you want to stop in the middle, click the cancel button. After the transferring completes, click "Create DVD" button to burn your DVD video.
Done! When the burning is finished, you can play your newly made DVD in your DVD player and watch the home video on TV!
If being interested in it, please click dvdsanta for purchase!
I am from Ukraine ... My name is Irina, I'm from the city of Lviv .. This is a beautiful city ... I'm sorry for my bad English, so sorry ..
Я з України ... Мене звати Ірина, я з міста Львова .. Це прекрасне місто ... Я перепрошую за мою погану англійську, так що вибач.. .. | 2019-04-20T14:26:11Z | http://edwestwick.canalblog.com/archives/2009/03/28/13170511.html | Porn | Computers | 0.19568 |
wordpress | The results of the Flower and Produce Show competitions are shown on the Score Tables. The first table lists all those who have entered at least one competition and the last table lists the cup and prize winners for each competition. The other tables give details of the scores, section by section.The content of each section is given in the Schedule.
3 – points given for first place in the competition section. | 2019-04-20T14:16:24Z | https://tarrantmonkton.wordpress.com/flower-show-2/score-tables/ | Porn | Reference | 0.795026 |
wordpress | gah! I keep forgetting to update and then it’s too late!!
lol! I don’t usually have a lot of time, but (as I always say) I’m gonna try to make time! I have a couple things I’m working on to blog about, hair chalking, b-day parties etc.
and just for fun, I couple selfies from when I visited Vin in Osaka! | 2019-04-25T20:18:36Z | https://ravinsekai.wordpress.com/2015/05/23/no-time/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.937545 |
imdb | It looks like we don't have any photos for Cees Nooteboom yet. You can add or change photos at IMDb Pro. You can also browse other available content for Cees Nooteboom on IMDb such as filmography, trivia, personal details, etc. | 2019-04-20T21:01:06Z | https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634814/mediaindex?ref_=nm_ql_3 | Porn | Reference | 0.625769 |
flickr | Made Explore on September 16th.......#370.................Thanks everyone!
Bali is famous for its dancing. The eyes and facial expressions play a big role in the dance. Most of the dances are based on stories from the Hindu religion. | 2019-04-22T22:56:25Z | http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladyexpat/1388819838/ | Porn | Arts | 0.963424 |
wordpress | Among the array of services the agency offers, the International Institute helps place resettled refugees in jobs, mainly in manufacturing, because it enables them to work in groups and to carpool, as transportation can be a barrier for resettled residents.
Mike Carney, branch manager for Select Staffing Canton, echoes this sentiment about refugee employees. “They want to work; they’re very trainable. If you send them on a task, they do it that way over and over again.” Carney helps keep Rubbermaid stocked with employees from IIA’s employment program.
“The refugees are willing to work; they have an absolutely amazing work ethic and they are there every day,” says Joan Pritchett, HR manager for Flambeau, a plastics manufacturer. “They want to be there, they want to help their family.” She adds that the carpooling employees also help alleviate the facility’s parking issues.
For info about the program (including employers interested in hiring clients), contact Tiffany Stacy, regional manager of Employment Services at tiffany.stacy@iiakron.org or (330) 376-5106, ext. 115.
This entry was posted in Community, Education, Neighborhoods and tagged Akron, Akron Neighborhoods, Akron News, akron nonprofits, bushnu sunar, employment services, flambeau, International Institute of Akron, North Hill, Refugees, rubbermaid, Tiffany Stacy. Bookmark the permalink. | 2019-04-22T09:05:50Z | https://goodplaceakron.wordpress.com/2016/10/14/refugee-employees-prove-profitable-for-local-businesses/ | Porn | News | 0.640263 |
wordpress | Daily Prompt: What are the three most memorable moments — good or bad, happy or sad — in your life? Go!
Second is my last day of school, even though this was only a year ago. Never did I ever think I would cry. I imagined myself in a High School Musical situation, skipping out of the school gates singing ‘What time is it? Summertime!’ Oh how wrong I was. As I sat in the school hall with the rest if my class, we soon realised that our two tutors would be the first to give a goodbye speech to us. As we listened to our usually stern and unsympathising male tutor stumbling over his words as his voiced cracked, and our female tutor downright sobbing to us about how we were like their second children, every girl in our row the school hall began to cry – yes, I was one of them. Once the heart breaking assembly was over, everyone spilled out into the playground and proceeded to hug everyone – even people who hadn’t exactly seen eye to eye were bawling into each others shoulders. Then, as we walked away and the school building grew smaller and smaller in the distance… we all bought fish and chips and played football in the park.
Yes, these memories are all quite recent but they are the most memorable ones! The next one is my prom day. I got up at eight in the morning just to paint my nails – it does take that long for me! In the afternoon I had my hair and makeup done and it all added to the excitement – by the time I put my dress on I was raring to go! I walked around to my friends house, (with some difficulty in heels), and we had champagne and photographs, then we were picked up by a vintage car and driven around a bit until we were dropped off at the prom venue. It was great to see everyone again, (even if some people did act like they’d rather be at home), and even though it did typically rain, it was an amazing day!
Take me back to prom! | 2019-04-20T23:04:32Z | https://allthingscuteandbeautiful.wordpress.com/tag/daily-prompt-moments-to-remember/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.868745 |
typepad | Nobody marries with the expectation of failure. Couples never contemplate that the person they once loved could eventually become an adversary and an enemy. Yet, statistics paint an alarmingly bleak. Approximately 4 out of 10 marriages today end in divorce.
One of the greatest contributors to divorce is the issue of "control" - either financial or personal. Who controls the bank account? Who decides what to buy and when to buy it? When one partner to a marriage "controls", the other partner loses their sense of self. A divorce becomes imminent as the controlled partner tries to regain their self-esteem.
gifts to one party rather than the family.
Maintain complete and separate records of your financial holdings such as bank accounts, IRA's, 401K, land purchases, and stocks. This includes assets in your spouse's name as well. You may wish to maintain copies of these records at your place of employment or in a safety deposit box in your name. Records have a way of disappearing after a divorce has been started.
If a divorce is imminent, you should immediately contact joint-credit-card companies in writing to freeze or cancel your joint accounts. You do not want to be responsible for your spouses' new credit card charges, particularly when those charges may include attorney's fees. This protects your credit. It is important to remember that, although a creditor may freeze a joint account, the outstanding balance must be paid off before the account can be closed.
You may also wish to close your joint bank accounts. If any proceeds are removed, keep a carefully accounting where the money is placed or how the proceeds are spent. You will undoubtedly be asked for that accounting as part of the divorce process. You can save yourself time and money by keeping accurate records.
It may be very important to hire a good lawyer early in your divorce planning process. An experienced attorney can help you avoid mistakes that could later cost you in your divorce proceeding. There are many lawyers to choose from so it is important that you ask important questions in order to choose one that is knowledgeable and right for you. Ask about their experience in family practice and specifically divorce. Ask the attorney to explain the legal issues as well as the legal process in your particular county. | 2019-04-20T21:17:17Z | https://sworrall.typepad.com/georgia_family_law/2007/10/six-steps-for-e.html | Porn | Reference | 0.167649 |
yahoo | Stephen Hawking famously wrote in ‘A Brief History of Time’ that a theory of the universe would allow people to know ‘the mind of God’.
But he later said the quote was misinterpreted, and the physicist’s last book left no doubt about his position on God and the afterlife.
Hawking died this year aged 76.
Hawking said, ‘We are each free to believe what we want, and it’s my view that the simplest explanation is that there is no God.
‘No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realisation: there is probably no heaven and afterlife either. I think belief in the afterlife is just wishful thinking.
He previously spoke out against belief in the afterlife, saying, ‘I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail.
His famous quote from A Brief History of Time about ‘knowing the mind of God’ was often misinterpreted, he said.
Professor Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with r amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, aged 21, and given only a few years to live.
But Hawking defied the normally fatal illness for more than 50 years, pursuing a brilliant career that stunned doctors. | 2019-04-24T09:53:03Z | https://uk.style.yahoo.com/stephen-hawkings-last-book-says-no-god-no-afterlife-094746254.html | Porn | Science | 0.787061 |
wordpress | I took a step off the path of carving. But I always love playing with wood. And now I can literally PLAY it!
My wife and I over the summer attended an event where someone was playing a Hammered Dulcimer. My wife didn’t know what it was and was intrigued. I knew what it was but I saw Wood. I thought it would be fun to build something like that sometime. Seemed simple enough. Well a couple of weeks ago I got the bright idea to try and build one for my wife for Christmas.
Now it’s easy enough to buy a kit as there are kits for pretty much anything. And it’s easy to buy all the parts to build instruments as well. Same for strings, hammers ( for the instrument) tuning tools, rosettes, tuning pegs, hitch pins rosettes etc.Do you think I can do that? Nope! I had the idea to make everything short of making the wire for the strings.
So I forged my own tuning pegs and made jigs to locate the hole precisely on each one as well as have the lengths exactly the same. Same for the hitch pins, more jigs so the small groove that catches the loop in the string is exactly the same . I needed 46 of each. Several days later they were done. Go figure,, for $6.99 you can get a pack of 25 ready to go. Since I made the tuning pegs I had to make a tuning tool as well. I used a carriage bolt , sliced a slot in the end and then turned it down a bit on my bench grinder to accept a section of aluminum arrow shaft to act as a collar to slip over the pin.
Being around wood I had always heard that Spruce was a good wood for instruments. So I got some great pieces , 4 inches wide and was able to joint them and glue up a top. The wood ended up at 1/8th inch thick. That was fun. It was only a 32nd thicker when I started, and I don’t have a thickness sander.
The rest of the frame is African Walnut. It has an amazing grain that photos just don’t do justice. The tuning section is Maple with an inlay I’ve had sitting around the shop for 20+ yrs waiting for a place to go. The back is Birch. The rosettes, 2 inch diameter were turned out of Cherry, 1/4 inch thick with the center relieved even more. The one design is from the inlay, and the other is my initials overlaying each other. The ‘M’ and the ‘Y’ do this nicely and it’s a neat way of signing the piece.
I made a jig out of an old low rpm motor to help me make the tiny loops in the strings. That .20 piano wire is a bugger to work with. Without my tool it would have been a mess. I ended up with nice tight,, actually stylish ,,, loops.
For the bridges I decided to segment them and have inlaid brass rod for the strings to lay on. The same for the side frets.
Speaking of side frets, the long strip that the strings initially cross over right at the sides, serves a dual purpose. I decided to have the top completely free floating. This means it’s not attached anywhere. Under the top, and directly under the side frets is a small ledge that the top ( the sound board) sits on. The top and bottom of the soundboard aren’t touching anything as there is an 1/8 th inch gap here. The only other support is narrow strips directly under the bridges. So the top is just sandwiched between the bridges and the frets and the small supports underneath them. The rest of the box is just empty space to produce sound volume. Many , if not most just glue the entire top to the frame and leave sound holes. Well , I may try that at some point, but I wanted to see how this works even though it’s a lot more trouble and greater need for accuracy. That very thin top can’t take much pressure without proper placement of the bridges, and the tension of the strings is the only thing keeping the bridges, the frets, the top and the supports underneath them in place. Nothing is glued into position.
If I remove the strings,, the entire piece comes apart and I’m left with just a frame.
The two bridges were segmented as it’s easier to string the instrument and it isolates each string. These , as well as the side frets have inlaid brass for the strings to lay over. The bridges were marked with 24K gold to indicate each major key.
I made the hammers ( the pieces for striking the strings) double sided. One side is bare wood and the other is lined with suede. It produces two distinct sounds.
For finishing I went old school and pre VOC rules and used Nitro Cellulose Lacquer. Multiple coats and then hand rubbed. I read somewhere that this too was a great finish for instruments. Hey , what do I know about these things.
Speaking of which the total info I had when I started making this piece was essentially, the side angles are 55 degrees. The length of the strings breaks down into multiples of 5 so you can use 2/5ths and 1/5th for the placement of the bridges.And there are 12 treble and 11 bass strings. Really , it wasn’t much more than that. I used this info to draw a full size plan, and a side view and off I went.
I just finished stringing it today, well, last night actually but had some adjustments to make today and got it tuned. I learned that it can take up to 6 months for the instrument to “find it’s voice” . Meaning the wood takes a set, the finish hardens completely etc. to stabilize. And it can take several days or more for the strings to stop stretching and hold a tune for a reasonable time.
Whatever it’s voice will be 6 months from now will have to be something really special because right now, this thing sounds amazing. The resonance , sustain and volume it can produce just shocked me. And the difference between the wood vs. the leather striking the strings is like night and day. One is similar to a Harpsichord, and the other reminds me very much of a steel drum in some respects. Either way there is still that Medieval quality to it.
I hope my wife likes it as much as I do. Now , my mind is spinning with a larger one, with greater range, and you just have to know that all those side pieces are just begging to be carved! That one will be mine!
Believe it or not, I started by making the tuning tool and hitch pins first. Not the box itself. Why? I don’t have a clue. Here is the tuning tool which I made out of a carriage bold, polished it, cut the top into a square to be fitted into the 3 piece handle and the other end I slotted to fit over the tuning pegs. The collar is part of an arrow that serves to locate the tool over the pins and keeps it from slipping off as you use it. Seemed to make sense to me at the time.
A factory sample on the left of a tuning pin. The samples I started with to see if I could duplicate it.
Well it worked, after making a few jigs to keep everything exactly the same, hole location, length, depth, height above the hole etc. here are the tuning pins. The hitch pins as well needed a couple of jigs in order to have a small groove at an exact location to catch and hold the little loop on the strings. This photo is just after I dipped them into a solution of acids that blackens the steel by oxidizing them. Amazing stuff, just the opposite of Tarn-X . Works instantly!
Believe me, buying these things at the rate of 25 for $6.99 would have been the way to go. But I wanted to make it all myself.
Here is the basic box. See, pretty simple as far as construction goes. I cut the maple blocks at 22 degrees so the strings pull tight over the edge before hitting the side frets and the main bridges. As a note, the Bass strings fasten to the left side go over the Bass bridge and under the Treble bridge. The Treble strings do just the opposite. That’s why there are large and small holes in the Maple for the tuning pins and the hitch pins. I also laid out the holes so the strings ( 2 strings per note, not one like a guitar) were 1/4 inch apart, and 1 1/4 distance between the center of the strings. 12 ( 24 total) strings for the treble, and 11(22total) for the Bass. Also in this shot, you can see how I built up the blocks with Maple for the pins, and walnut underneath. All this got covered with the side frame of African Walnut. Here I’m making essentially a test run. I got black and white sewing thread and strung the instrument. Hey, I have all these pieces made and I don’t know if everything will actually line up. I’d rather do this than play with that stubborn piano wire and make sure it’ll all line up. A few tweeks here and there and I was ready to start applying the finish. Nothing worse that finishing all the parts and THEN find out something isn’t quite right and needs to be changed. This solved ( most of) that phenomenon.
And of course the strings. This wire wants to do nothing but stay straight. It may look thin but it has no intention of bending. This is NOT like playing with cold rolled wire. This likes to pretend it’s a steel bar and not bend. Getting it to wrap around itself like this is not an easy trick. Without the tool I made these windings would look like a birds nest. Believe me. Get a piece of this wire and try it for yourself.
The other thing this wire likes to do is to turn you into a human pin cushion! Speaking of pins,, this stuff is very similar to a pin. A short section of this could easily double as one. Now, imagine wrapping a pin around itself like this and you get the idea. Well after all that, and multiple coats of lacquer here it is.
The pin blocks, hitch pins, tuning pins and the decorative inlay. Had to do something to dress it up a bit since I didn’t carve on it.
This is the pin block on the right of the instrument. You can see the slight gap I held along the base here where the soundboard comes close to the bottom rail. I did the same thing on the top rail with this slight air gap for sound. The fret directly under the strings shows the inlaid brass rod for the strings to lay on. The bridges also have segmented brass rod for the strings to lay on as well.
2 inch Cherry rosette with my initials.
The other rosette with the design element from the inlay. You can also see in this shot the segmented bridges to isolate each string as well as the 24K gold I used to indicate the major keys.
The hammers, about 9 inches long and symmetrical so they can be used either with the wood side striking the strings or the leather side. The balance is so nice on these as well as easy to use as they are cradled between your thumb and index finger and with that balance you just sort of flick them with the rest of your fingers to strike the strings. Doesn’t take much.
And just more photos from here on,, just because I think it’s neat to look at. That wood is flat as can be! The grain makes it look like it’s grooved. And as you turn it, these grooves flash a bright gold leaf look to them. The photo doesn’t do it justice.
Well there you have it. Or actually my wife will have it. I hope she likes it. If she doesn’t , she can always re-gift it to me.
Naw,, I got plans now that I have this one under my belt , and all the bugs worked out, that I’m building another .
Hope you enjoyed my new journey into another facet of this world of wood and woodworking.
Having spent some time in West Virginia, I can say that that is without a doubt one of the most unique dulcimers I’ve seen. You’ve done an excellent job on it. A lot of folks make these and are available through artisan guilds around WV and Virginia, but I don’t think they have the overall ‘oneness’ that this instrument presents.
All the inlays look great – did you scroll saw the rosettes and mallets or did you carve through? They add much to the overall appearance of the instrument.
Ok, so now that you are a carver, wood worker, machinist, blacksmith, luthier and manufacturing engineer, what else are you going to tackle? Quite amazing!
Thanks for the generous comments. There are , from what I’ve seen , many ways to build one of these. The simplest and fastest way is to simply make a frame and skin it front and back and glue it on. In an afternoon you could almost call it done. I had only read about , but haven’t seen one with the full floating soundboard such as mine.
So off I went and solved the problems as I went along. It may look intimidating at some level, but it really is fairly straight forward.
My wife ( nor I ) probably won’t go in the bluegrass direction. We love classical music and this will lend itself to that as well as Medieval or Renaissance style music. Oh, I’ve since read up on Chromatics, the full range of a Violin ( also on my list to make) as well as a simply larger instrument with more strings. Now that I know what to watch for I’ve solved many of the glitches and I’m ready to go. This one is straight forward as the next will be carved every which way. And I’m planning a Honduras Mahogany top.
The hammers and rosettes. I scroll sawed the Yin -Yang ( looks like a simple “S” doesn’t it?) in the hammers as well as the rosettes. I chose this design because I wanted to lighten the hammers in some way and this is neat as it’s symmetrical as the hammers are used either way, the natural wood vs. leather, me giving it to my wife, male/female, wood/music etc. Seemed appropriate. The rosettes I chucked in my lathe, spun them to 1/4 inch, 1/8 in the soundboard, 1/8 above the deck. Scroll sawed them after relieving the back to leave a thin surface to cut through.
What else can or will I do? I like to think I’ll try most anything.
Besides being able to rebuild engines and most anything on a car as well as a few restorations under my belt ( the nicest was a 57 chevy pickup) the list includes, welding, painting ( 8 cars), concrete, general construction ( additions) all facets of home wiring up to 220 volts, all facets of plumbing ( from furnace installation to main sewer lines which I just did at one of my homes, hand made knives with acid engraving, tempered and annealed, custom gun work ( used to be a speed shooter as well as bullseye) , hand made soap from lye in a variety that sound like something you would eat instead of bathe with, that’s a fascinating process silly as it may seem, custom made shaving brushes ( nice sideline) with my own resin poured and turned handles with natural Badger hair and ,, well,, the list just goes on and on.
Like I said, I’ll try anything and have a ball doing it. It’s the curse of a curious mind. Everything sounds like fun to me. Used to drive my wife nuts always going off in different directions,, but now she just says ” OK,,” And ,, she’s learned , but I’m wise to it now, to get me to do something all she has to say is,,, ” I don’t know if you can do this,,,but I saw a______” And off I go.
Whatever it is,, I’ll figure it out. And in many cases,, I don’t want to own the final product,, I just want to build it. That’s the fun part. After that,, I get bored.
Bob,, sorry I missed your post. I apologize.
Ha,,, STRIKINGLY beautiful. Not many people do,, but I love puns! I’m always playing with words.
Upload a recording. Of what,, me trying to play “Mary had a little Lamb?” Not yet my friend. Soon I hope. It’s getting better each day as I “fiddle” with it. Tonight I got the makings of Edelweiss. I do think my time will be up once I give it to my wife.
Yup, time to make another.
wow mark, that is simply beautiful. what a great gift. it is a pleasure for the eye, and i hope too we may hear it if possible. and your writing is so exciting, i feeled like standing beside you and watching… loved your description of the wire,,, i played with wire some time too, and know what you mean,,, hehe i am laughing, even though i knew you build a hammered dulcimer, i am speechless looking the pictures and reading the story. the instrument is not only beautiful, it shows the fun you had figuring out all the jigs, and procedures, to get everything accurate. i am sure it sounds as wonderful as it looks. thank you so much for sharing. | 2019-04-18T14:30:32Z | https://woodcarvingblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/a-hammered-dulcime/ | Porn | Shopping | 0.888017 |
typepad | Plus, I have a great traveling companion! Jonah, not Toby.
Yesterday morning at 8 AM, this was the view off my balcony here in Jinqiao, Shanghai. Pretty hazy, don't you think? I don't wonder why, as we were all listening to firecrackers and fireworks until after 2 AM. Big change from last year on this day when it went on non-stop for about ten days. I thought the decrease in NOISE might be because I had moved to a different part of Shanghai, to a foreigner enclave closer to Jonah's school and away from the more highly populated center. Then I heard that the authorities had asked the residents to moderate their use of fireworks this year due to the air quality issue.
Here's the graph for air quality taken on the first morning of the lunar year. You can see that the level of pollutants hanging in the air went up, up and away well after midnight when the peak of the celebrations were heard and seen here. By the time I finally got up after a good five hours of sleep, the air quality had improved dramatically to just "Unhealthy".
In my humble opinion, there's nothing wrong with pretty fireworks and fun hand held sparklers to celebrate the hope and joy of a new year, but the incessant LOUD BOOMS that traditionally accompany this celebration add nothing to the quality of life, and certainly don't improve Shanghai's already compromised air quality.
Here's a sample of what it was like to stand on our balcony at midnight, Chinese New Years Eve.
I am overwhelmed by the tragic news from Connecticut. It makes us all appreciate our children that much more, even if they are no longer small. I have been so blessed to finally spend some time with my daughter this week. She doesn't understand this, but when I worry about her, it isn't because I lack confidence in her, it is because of the seemingly random nature of events that can dramatically change the course of life. A life that is so precious. So when I grab your arm crossing the street in Shanghai, put up with me, Monica. We can't protect our children completely, but we still try. Oh how we try. And besides that, drivers here are crazy.
We did a lot together this week. Yoga Ball and Zumba class, decorating the christmas tree, massage, manicure and pedicure, walking and talking and meals. Now she gets a few days to spend with Joey and Jonah without me around worrying about her all the time.
To Martin> Yesterday, with Monica's help, you dealt with the return of our stored items from when we moved to Japan away from Tennessee so long ago. The fact is, that lately, you have had to deal with a lot of challenges, on top of significant travel and with little support. I really feel like you've grown quite sturdy and capable, and I think I will keep you.
Here's some pictures to remind you (and our friends) of how much has changed in twelve years. These are photos taken over the course of our last week living in Franklin, including the Tennessee style Sayonara Bonfire.
If you click on any of the pictures, it will take you to the gallery with a few more.
Which leaves me home alone, with Toby. As we have mentioned, this next year... until June, will be different, with Martin setting up house and working in Michigan, and us still here. But I'm not just sitting around with my feet up. Seems that the word has gotten out that I'm pretty capable at tutoring, and I have students every day. Plus I'm still working on the school spirit store website, which is volunteer, but quite a job.
Near our condo, the trees explode in beautiful colors. マンションの近くに美しい木々は火のような色が落ちる. | 2019-04-23T04:24:53Z | https://tokyomurrays.typepad.com/a_year_from_now/home/ | Porn | Kids | 0.423191 |
wordpress | Elven Evening Hymn from The Wolf Pack | Dragons Rule OK.
This entry was posted in fantasy, fiction, Poetry, writing and tagged blogging, elves, Elvish, Evening Hymn, Poems, Poetry, writing by V.M.Sang. Bookmark the permalink. | 2019-04-23T22:03:29Z | https://aspholessaria.wordpress.com/2018/10/16/elven-evening-hymn-from-the-wolf-pack/ | Porn | Arts | 0.983621 |
google | This invention describes a nanometer scale interband lateral resonant tunneling transistor, and the method for producing the same, with lateral geometry, good fanout properties and suitable for incorporation into large-scale integrated circuits. The transistor is of a single gate design and operation is based on resonant tunneling processes in narrow-gap nanostructures which are highly responsive to quantum phenomena. Such quantum-effect devices can have very high density, operate at much higher temperatures and are capable of driving other devices.
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/338,842, filed Nov. 14, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,558, and Ser. No. 08/379,833 filed Jan. 27, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,618.
This invention pertains to a tunneling transistor and in particular to an interband lateral resonant tunneling transistor.
Conventional semiconductor technologies are rapidly approaching practical limits to minimum device sizes which can be achieved in very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits. It is estimated that the limit of the minimum active-region dimension, L (gate length, channel length, etc.), of such devices are on the order of 1000 Å for both bipolar and field effect transistor (FET) devices. Conventional device speeds are similarly limited, since there is a direct correlation between size and speed and the maximum cutoff frequencies achievable are estimated to be in the order of 300 GHz. At the present rate of development, these limits will have been reached by around the turn of the century.
In order to achieve the ultimate limits in downscaling, Randall et al. in the paper Nanoelectronics: Fanciful physics or real devices?, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B7(6), pp. 1398-1404, Nov/Dec 1989, discussed heterojunction technology employed to form tunneling barriers and quantum wells. The tunnel barrier is a thin slab of wide band gap material clad by a narrow band gap material. When the layer is physically thin enough, (comparable to the electron wavelengths) quantum mechanical tunneling through the barrier is permitted. The quantum well is complementary to the tunnel barrier. It is a slab of sufficiently thin narrow band gap material surrounded by a wide band gap material. Electrons confined to this layer will have quantized energy levels where the ground state energy is higher than the conduction band edge found in a bulk crystal.
A transistor utilizing resonant tunneling (RT) diode technology, where tunnel barriers and quantum wells are combined to form a quantum effect device, has been proposed as one means to overcome the problems foreseen in VLSI technology. This proposal is based upon the extremely high speed associated with tunneling phenomena, and in part on the small minimum intrinsic length which is required (present vertical diodes are often less than 100 Å thick). It is advantageous to reduce both the. longitudinal and lateral dimensions of an RT diode or transistor, because this sharpens the quantum resonances.
The resonant tunneling (RT) diode technology has been around for the past two decades and one popular approach is to put a double-barrier quantum well structure inside a bipolar transistor or in series with a modulation-doped field-effect transistor (MODFET) having a single gate structure. Nearly all resonant tunneling transistor devices reported to date have employed vertical geometry.
Another approach is shown in FIG. 1 where the lateral resonant tunneling field-effect transistor (LARTFET) 10, which is very similar to the MODFET, except that it has dual closely spaced nanometer gates 12 and 14. The dual gates, or electrodes, 12, 14 electrostatically create double potential barriers in the channel and a quantum well 16 in between. By controlling the potential on the gates, 12 and 14, the barrier heights, 18 and 22, can be adjusted continuously. This technology is set forth in the paper by Chou et al., Observation of electron resonant tunneling in a lateral dual-gate resonant tunneling field-effect transistor, Appl. Phys. Lett. 55 (2), pp. 176-178, July 1989. A similar technology having two or three closely separated, independently controlled gate fingers, termed a planar resonant tunneling field-effect transistor (PRESTFET), has been reported by Ismail et al. in the paper entitled Lateral Resonant tunneling in a double-barrier field-effect transistor, Appl. Phys. Lett. 55(6), pp. 589-591, August 1989. In the devices reported by both Chou et al. and Ismail et al., potentials applied to the dual gates (separated from the GaAs channel by an Alx Ga1-x layer) induce barriers that quantize the electron states in the central region. In both papers, the quantum well width, LW and gate length, LG, are in the 600-1000 Å range. Also see, U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,190, Eisenstein et al. which describes a resonant tunneling transistor having a plurality of gates disposed on opposing sides of the transistor structure.
Therefore, while lateral structures have considerable architectural advantages in ultra-dense circuits, the lateral tunneling transistors presently available to the art have displayed negative differential resistance only at extremely low temperatures (4.2K). Most of these have displayed either low transconductance or low impedance, which accounts in part for the fact that demonstrated circuits have generally employed no more than a single transistor.
This is because the transconductance, gm, is far too small to be useful in driving other devices. Although vertical RT devices can in principle be reduced to a size much smaller than the 1000 Å limit for conventional transistors, fabrication becomes increasingly difficult because of the need to individually contact the three different vertical layers.
It is well known that semiconductors with small energy gaps have small effective masses as well, and hence far greater response to quantum phenomena than do wide gap semiconductors confined to the same scale length. Quantum-effect devices will therefore operate at much higher temperatures, and processes which are too weak to be useful in wide-gap configurations become practical when a narrow-gap nanostructure is employed. Also, depletion of the carrier population becomes a serious limitation in wide-gap nanostructure devices with the shrinking of the device size due to the pinning of the Fermi level by mid-gap states.
Quantum wells produce confinement in one dimension only. When one lateral dimension is reduced a quantum wire is obtained. When both lateral dimensions are reduced to the order of the electron wavelength, the bands are split into discrete electron states and one obtains a "quantum dot."
It is the objective of this invention to provide a resonant tunneling device based on resonant tunneling processes in narrow-gap nanostructures capable of driving follow-on devices within the electronic circuit.
Another object of this invention is to provide a resonant tunneling transistor displaying negative differential resistance (NDR) and transconductance, gm, that are favorable to fanout (≠104 mS/mm) at temperatures, T, up to 300K.
These objects are achieved by an interband lateral resonant transistor that is a narrow-gap heterostructure transistor employing the resonant tunneling technique with a single gate. Tunneling occurs via valence states in the gate region which have been brought into energy resonance with the conduction states in the source and drain channels. In the design of the interband lateral resonant transistor advantage is taken of the fact that the valence quantum states, or levels, are well resolved because the subband splitting for holes near the top of the valence band in both Hg-based and InAs-based quantum wells are nearly as large as for the electrons.
The electronic material forming the transistor is AlSb-InAs-GaAlSb or a modulation-doped HgTe--CdTe single quantum well grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The pattern of the interband lateral resonant transistor is defined in a resist by electron-beam lithography and transferred to electronic material by reactive ion or wet chemical etching.
FIG. 1 is a depiction of the prior art utilizing multiple gates and lateral geometry.
FIG. 2a is a schematic of the lateral profile for the conduction band and valence band within the interband lateral resonant transistor.
FIG. 2b is a schematic of an interband lateral resonant transistor depicting the placement of a single gate and the lateral geometry.
FIG. 2c is a schematic of an one-gate interband lateral resonant transistor utilizing negatively-biased gates.
FIG. 3a is a preferred embodiment schematic of the design of the quantum well structure of an interband lateral resonant tunneling transistor along cross-section A--A of FIG. 2c.
FIG. 3b is a preferred embodiment schematic of the design of the quantum well structure of an interband lateral resonant tunneling transistor along the cross-section B--B of FIG. 2c.
FIG. 4 is another preferred embodiment cross-sectional schematic of the design of the quantum well structure of a resonant tunneling transistor along cross-section B--B of FIG. 2c.
FIG. 5a is a schematic of a two-gate interband lateral resonant tunneling device depicting the placement of the two gates and the lateral geometry.
FIG. 5b is a schematic of the lateral profile of the conduction band and valence band within a two-gate interband lateral resonant unneling device.
In utilizing narrow-gap semiconductors in quantum-effect devices, it is apparent from the particle-in-a box approximation ##EQU1## that the subband splitting, ΔE=En+1 -En1 for a quantum well width, LW, scales inversely with effective mass, m*, where En is the energy level for a given quantum state (nth subband), and h is the Planck's constant. Since m* is approximately proportional to the energy gap, Eg, quantum effects are far stronger in narrow-gap semiconductors.
Referring to FIG. 2a, the separation between the energy of the conduction band 24 and the valence band 26 is called the band or energy gap, Eg, and energy regions or energy bands are permitted above and below this energy gap, Eg. Thus the predicted subband levels for a narrow-gap quantum wire 31 and quantum dot 28 are exceptionally well-resolved, with subband separations potentially exceeding the thermal energy, kB T, at 300K. Therefore, quantum-effect devices utilizing the narrow-gap nanostructure will display much sharper tunneling resonances and operate at higher temperatures. A HgTe--CdTe quantum well structure 20 with a quantum well length, LW, (approximately 500 Å) will yield ΔE>100 meV, i.e., much greater than the thermal energy, kb T, at 300K (26 meV). By employing a material with a smaller effective mass, the transmission coefficient, Tα, through a barrier 27 ##EQU2## is also improved. LB is the thickness of the barrier 27 and EB is its height.
The bandline, shown in FIG. 2a, is accomplished in the interband lateral resonant tunneling transistor (ILRTT) 30, shown in FIG. 2b, at the points shown by dashed lines from the schematic depiction of FIG. 2a to a corresponding point in the ILRTT shown in FIG. 2b. In application of the theory, the interband lateral resonant transistor, shown in FIG. 2b, employs a single gate, or electrode 32 whose effective barrier thickness is less than the gate width, Lg. Tunneling occurs via hole states in the gate 32 region which have been brought into resonance with the conduction band 26 in the source. Resonant interband processes are well-known from Type-II heterostructure tunneling and are the dominant mechanism in vertical InAs--GaSb--AlSb RT diodes. Type-II heterostructures are structures where the conduction band 24 minimum is in one layer (InAs) while the valence band 24 maximum is in the other (preferably AlGaSb). This leads to a spatially-indirect energy gap, Eg, which is much smaller than the energy gap, Eg, in either of the two constituent materials.
It is desirable that the energy gap, Eg, be small (about 50-100 meV) so that the gate voltage, Vg, does not have to be raised to a high level (>100 meV) before tunneling from the conduction band 24 to the hole state valence band 26 occurs. If the energy gap, Eg, were very large (>300 meV), a larger voltage would have to be applied to the gate 32 before tunneling would occur.
The pattern for the quantum wire source 21 and drain 23 for the gate 32 of transistor 30 may be defined in a resist by electron-beam lithography and transferred to the electronic material by reactive ion etching, or with negatively-biased gates. The resist is normally left to the discretion of the individual for pattern definition in the semiconductor.
The preferred resists have yielded resolutions of 400 Å for SAL-601 and 250 Å for PMMA. Dry etching could be accomplished using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave plasma source for the reactive ion etching system, such as that manufactured by Applied Science and Technology of Woburn, Mass. The heterostructure is etched through exposure of the substrate to an ECR-generated CH4 /H2 plasma. The ECR provides low (≈20 eV) and controllable ion energies which yield minimal damage levels to the exposed semiconductor sidewalls. Using the SAL-601 mask for e-beam lithography and ECR/RIE processing, Hg-based nanostructures with nearly vertical sidewalls are achievable. Following etch definition of the narrow-gap nanostructures, surfaces are passivated with an insulator (such as Si3 N4 or SiO2), e.g., using a plasma deposition process well known to the art. The metal gates may be patterned with PMMA on top of the insulator layer.
When the pattern for the quantum wire source 21 and drain 23 for the transistor 40, FIG. 2c, is defined utilizing negatively-biased gates 31, those negatively-biased gates 31 must be physically separated from the gate 32, described above, which controls the resonant tunneling or by etching.
A preferred quantum well structure 50, FIG. 3a, is grown on a substrate 41 using molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). The substrate 41 can be of any insulating material normally utilized for that purpose, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs). MBE is the preferred method for growing the quantum well structure on the substrate 41 because it is well known in the art that MBE produces atomically smooth layers and allows very precise control over grown layer thickness.
Utilizing MBE a nonconducting buffer layer 42 of aluminum antimonide (AlSb) approximately one to two micrometers thick is grown onto the substrate 41 material to ease the mismatch of the lattice constants between the substrate material 41 and the succeeding layers of materials 42, 44, 46 and 48, described below.
A layer 44 of aluminum-gallium-antimonide (Alx Ga1-x Sb) having a thickness of approximately 50-100 Å, preferably 80 Å, is deposited upon the buffer 42 utilizing MBE. This layer 44 of AlGaSb contains the hole state involved in the resonant tunneling.
An indium-arsenide (InAs) layer 46 is then deposited on the layer 44 of AlGaSb to a thickness of approximately 100-150 Å, 150 Å being preferable. The InAs layer 46 contains the electrons and provides conduction in the source and drain. Electrons in the InAs, upon entering the area under the gate tunnel into the AlGaSb, and then tunnel back into the InAs upon exiting the gate region.
By varying the alloy concentration, x, from 0.2 to 0.4 in the Alx Ga1-x Sb layer 44, the energy gap, Eg, may be varied from approximately -50 meV up to 400 meV. The optimum being from approximately 50-100 meV which will occur when using an AlGaSb layer 44 preferably composed of approximately 40% aluminum and 60% gallium. Electron energy is conventionally defined to be positive when measured upward, and the hole energy is positive when measured downward.
Following the layer 46 of InAs, an insulating layer 48 of aluminum-antimonide (AlSb) from approximately 250-500 Å thick, 250 Å being preferable, is deposited utilizing MBE. The AlSb layer 48 makes the input impedance of the ILRTT essentially infinite.
To prevent oxidation of the AlSb 48, a cap layer of gallium-antimonide (GaSb) 52 is deposited on the AlSb layer 48 because of the non-oxidizing nature of the material and the good lattice match with the underlying AlSb.
A metal gate (or electrode) 32, preferably chrome-gold, is deposited onto the GaSb cap layer 52 by a standard processing technique, such as thermal e-beam sputtering, and then defined by electron (e)--beam lithography. The gate 32 has a lithographic gate thickness, Lg, of approximately 500-1000 Å, preferably 500 Å, a length slightly longer than the source/drain width, LS, which is ideally no more than 1000 Å wide (these dimensions may vary, such that the width, LS, may be 500 Å, or smaller).
A voltage, Vg, is laterally applied to the metal gate 32 at the connection point 54 and may vary from approximately zero to three volts. The gate voltage, Vg, raises the conduction and valence levels over a limited lateral extent. The peak current density, Jp, is orders of magnitude higher than for a two gate structure of the prior art, depending on the voltage, Vg, applied. Theoretical estimates have established Jp ≈104 A/cm2 and gm ≈104 mS/mm at 300K, where A is amperage and gm is transconductance.
FIG. 3b shows the preferred embodiment of the quantum well structure of an interband lateral resonant tunneling transistor along the cross-section B--B of FIG. 2c.
In another preferred quantum well structure, FIG. 4, cadmium-telluride (CdTe) forms the substrate 62 with a buffer layer 64 of CdTe two microns thick deposited on top of the substrate 62 utilizing MBE. An n-type CdTe modulation doping region 63, or doping area, containing indium or gallium dopants, 20-100 Å thick, preferably 50 Å, and containing a sheet density of 1011 -1012 cm-2 dopants, preferably 2×1011 cm-2, is deposited on the insulating buffer layer 64 by MBE. An undoped CdTe barrier layer 65, or undoped region, 50-1000 Å, preferably 200 Å, is deposited on the doping layer 63 by MBE.
A quantum well layer 66 of mercury-telluride (HgTe) is deposited on the CdTe spacer undoped barrier layer 65 by MBE and contains both the electron states and the hole states involved in the resonant tunneling. This layer 66 may be approximately 40-70 Å thick, preferably 60 Å and forms a single quantum well containing both the conduction band minimum and valence band maximum between which resonant tunneling occurs.
On the HgTe layer 66, a layer 68 of CdTe approximately 250-500 Å, preferably, 250 Å, is deposited by MBE to form an insulator between the HgTe layer 66 and a gate 32. The gate 32 material, size and method of depositing are the same as described above.
The embodiments described above, ideally, are a quantum wire, very narrow, approximately 400 Å, but with a length to be defined by the designer to meet anticipated use. With the use of the sub-micron size elements, the packing density will be very high (over 109 cm-2) allowing the inclusion of follow-on devices driven by the RT packaged into a total device size of less than a micron. The power dissipation of the total RT device is the limiting factor for determining packing density.
It is noted that the depletion of the carrier population is avoided in both Hg-based and InAs-based nanostructures of arbitrarily-small size, since the surface states for both systems lie above the conduction band minimum rather than within the energy gap.
Although the preferred embodiments set forth a single gate device, multiple-gate ILRTT devices would simulate more complicated logic functions. This feature would enable an integrated circuit to be designed utilizing the techniques set forth above that would decrease the number of transistors required for a given circuit. A multiple, or two-gate ILRTT device 70, shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, has operating principles similar tho those of the one-gate device 20, shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, with the exception that the interband tunneling resonance under both gate regions 75 and 76 are independently tuned through the two gate voltages Vg1 and Vg2. Although the ILRTT structure has been discussed above in terms of laterally-confined AlSb--InAs--GaAlSb or HgTe--CdTe quantum wells, the device could also employ a number of other narrow-gap systems such as InSb, InGaAs, narrow-gap IV-VI semiconductors (PbTe--SnTe, PbSe--SnSe, etc.), Bi-based superlattices (e.g., Bi--CdTe and Bi--PbTe) and Sb-based superlattices (Sb--GaSb--InAs). Also, where the above discussion has considered devices with electron conduction in the source 77 and drain 79 and interband tunneling into hole states under the gates 71 and 72, one may also invert all of the polarities to employ hole conduction in the source 77 and drain 79 and interband tunneling into electron states under the gates 71 and 72.
Integration into silicon devices can be accomplished through MBE or metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth onto a buffer layer such as GaAs which is grown onto a silicon substrate. Both narrow-gap III-V and Hg-based II-VI quantum wells can be fabricated in this manner. Further, although it is specified that electron beam lithography combined with reactive ion etching is used to fabricate the ILRTT nanostructure devices, other patterning methods capable of producing features of the required dimensions would be applicable. Possible alternative methods would include wet chemical etching and selective area epitaxy. Also numerous variations on the lithographic and etching chemicals well known to the art are usable.
Not only are ILRTT devices an order of magnitude faster than the maximum speeds for conventional VSLI devices, but the approach set forth in the preferred embodiments is suitable for continued downscaling into the sub-1000 Å regime. As improved lithographic and other nano-fabrication methods succeed in reducing feature sizes beyond those now available, narrow-gap ILRTT's will display improved performance down to L<100 Å.
ILRTT devices present a suitable building block for the design of large-scale integrated circuits. The prior art has not disclosed that NDR is also attractive as the basis for a complementary logic employing resonant tunneling transistors. Fanout is also excellent because of the high input impedance and high conductance, and the low voltage swing will be conducive to high speed. Multi-state RT memories based on multiple NDR minima in a ILRTT will function with far fewer devices. ILRTT is also well suited for highly-parallel neural network logic. Here again the lateral architecture will have significant advantages, and narrow-gap ILRTT's presently offer the only viable opportunity for lateral circuits with high-temperature operation.
Although the invention has been described in relation to exemplary preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in this art that still other variations and modifications can be affected in these preferred embodiments without detracting from the scope and spirit of the invention.
depositing a single electrode of a width small enough to induce quantized energy subband levels with energy separators greater than the thermal energy kBT, where T is BOOK, due to lateral confinement induced by the electrode, said electrode disposed on said insulating layer forming a gate controlling a flow of electrons so as to cause interband lateral resonant tunneling in said single quantum well layer of material under said electrode when a voltage is applied to said electrode.
2. A method, as in claim 1, wherein the quantum well layer is mercury-telluride (HgTe).
3. A method, as in claim 1, wherein the insulating buffer layer is cadmium-telluride (CdTe).
4. A method, as in claim 1, wherein the doping region is n-type cadmium-telluride (CdTe) containing indium (In) dopants.
5. A method, as in claim 1, wherein the doping region is n-type is cadmium-telluride (CdTe) containing gallium (Ga) dopants.
6. A method, as in claim 1, wherein the undoped barrier is cadmium-telluride (CdTe).
7. A method, as in claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is cadmium-telluride (CdTe).
Blaikie et al., Lateral Resonant Tunneling Through Constrictions in a ε-Doped Ga As Layer, Appl. Phys. Ltr. 64(1), pp. 118-120, Jan. 1994.
Chang et al., A Laterally Tunable Quanum Dot Transistor, J Appl. Phys. 76(5), pp. 3209-3211, Sep. 1994.
Chou et al., Lateral Resonant Tunneling Field-Effect Transistor, Appl. Phys. Ltr. 52(23), 1982-1984, Jun. 1988.
Chou et al., Observation of Electron Resonant Tunning in a Lateral Dual-Gate Resonant Tunneling Field-Effect Transistor, Appl. Phys. Ltr. 55(2), pp. 176-178, Jul. 1989.
Hoffman et al., Electron Mobilities and Quantum Hall Effect in Modulation-Doped Hg Te-Cd Te Superlattices, Phys. Rev. B., vol. 44, No. 15, pp. 8376-8379, Oct. 1991.
Hoffman et al., Setback Modulation Doping of Hg Te-Cd Te Multiple Quantum lls, Appl. Phys. Ltrs. 60(18), pp. 2282-2284, May 1992.
Ismail et al., Lateral Resonant Tunneling in a Double-Barrier Field Effect Transistor, Appl. Phys. Ltr. 5555(6), pp. 589-591, Aug. 1989.
Longenbach et al., Resonant Interband Tunneling In InAs/Gd Sb/AlSb/In As and GdSb/InAs/AlSb/GdSb Htererostructures, Appl. Phys. Ltrs, 57(15), pp. 1554-1556, Oct. 1990.
Randall et al, Nanoelectronics: Fanciful Physics or Real Devices, J. Voc. Sc. Technol. B-7(6), pp. 1398-1404, Nov./Dec. 1989.
Reed et al., Observation of Discrete States in a Zero-Dimensional Semiconductor Nanostructure, Phys. Rev. Ltrs, vol. 60, No. 6, pp. 535-537, Feb. 1988.
Seabaugh et al., Quantum Functional Devices: Present Status and Future Prospects, Fut. Elect. Dev. J., vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 1-XII, 1992.
Sen et al., Resonant Tunneling Device with Multiple Negative Differential Resistance: Digital and Sianal Processing Applicatins with Reduced Circuit Complexity, IEEE Trans. on Elec. Dev., vol. ED-34, No. 10, pp. 2185-2191, Oct. 1987.
Soderstrom et al., Demonstration of Large Peak-To-Valley Current Ratios In InAs/AlGaSb/InAs Single-Barrier Heterostructures, Appl. Phys., Ltrs., 55(13), pp. 1348-1350, Sep. 1989.
Zaslavsky et al., Resonant Tunneling of Two-Dimensional Electrons into One-Dimensional Subbands of Quanum Wire, Appl. Phys. Ltr. 58(13), pp. 1440-1442, Apr. 1991. | 2019-04-22T19:03:45Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US5804475A/en | Porn | Science | 0.443269 |
wordpress | Category Management – Just old fashioned Marketing, re-boxed?
Category Management. Every time I think about CatMan key points, one is the core definition of the Marketing Concept: Satisfaction of Customer Needs & Wants.
Of course, there is much more to Category management than one-sentence, throw-away lines, simple theory, or intangible concepts.
Category Management is a potent and serious business approach that, properly implemented, can grow an industry, streamline a channel’s operations and genuinely improve profits throughout the channel while increasing customer value: It is a win/win for everyone!
However, badly done, misunderstood, or inadequate organisational commitment means win/lose… which (ultimately) means lose/lose.
You’ll acquire the material you need to attract internal support and trade partner alignment, as well as adopt and carry out your own Category Management strategies through both supply chain and demand chain. | 2019-04-21T03:07:51Z | https://leighcowan.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/category-management-just-old-fashioned-marketing-re-boxed/ | Porn | Business | 0.996501 |
wordpress | I read this a few months ago and was sure I reviewed it but I was wrong. So I am sorry if I cannot remember everything properly.
The beginning of this book was awesome, it was full of wonder, magic and intrigue. I loved the idea that there was a mist around their town. I enjoyed the journey and the setting was beautiful and enchanting.
Magic and herbology are at the centre of this unique tale and they make it really interesting. The lore was exciting and very interesting. It was not too in depth, just the perfect amount to satisfy but not bore.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy, especially ones set in a pretty world. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Great review! And that cover!
Thanks, ye it’s a very striking cover.
It looks and sounds like it would be right up my alley.
And what a beautiful cover. | 2019-04-24T10:24:14Z | https://bookgeeking.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/arc-review-arrow-of-mist/ | Porn | Arts | 0.230094 |
wordpress | 8. But he who is greedy and thinks himself self-sufficient, 9. And denies Al-Husna. 10. We will make smooth for him the path to evil. 11. And what will his wealth avail him when he goes down (in destruction).
“But he who is greedy” meaning, with that which he has.
“and thinks himself self-sufficient,” – This means he is stingy with his wealth and considers himself to be in no need of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.
“And denies Al-Husna.” – meaning, the recompense in the abode of the Hereafter.
“We will make smooth for him the path to evil.” – meaning, the path of evil.
“And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly.” (6:110) And there are many Ayat with this meaning, proving that Allah rewards those who intend good with success, while whoever intends evil is abandoned, and all of this is in accordance with a preordained decree. | 2019-04-21T10:35:44Z | https://tsmufortruth.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/quranic-verse-for-the-greedystingy-we-will-make-smooth-for-him-the-path-of-evil/ | Porn | Reference | 0.47606 |
yahoo | BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian troops and rebels fought Tuesday in suburbs of Damascus as well as near Aleppo's airport, stopping all flights in and out of the northern city, activists and state media said.
The intense fighting underlined the rebels' tenacity in the capital and around Aleppo, Syria's largest city, but also the determination of the Bashar Assad regime to carry on fighting. Activists say more than 45,000 people have been killed in the 22-month civil war.
In the past few weeks, rebels have stepped up their attacks on airports in Aleppo province, trying to chip away at the air power that poses the biggest challenge to their advances against Assad's forces.
The Syrian air force has been bombing and strafing rebel positions and attacking towns under opposition control, but the rebels have no planes or effective anti-aircraft weapons to counter the attacks.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fighting around the base of Syrian army Brigade 80, part of a force protecting Aleppo's airport, led to the closure of the airport late Monday.
"Heavy fighting is taking place around Brigade 80," said Rami Abdul-Rahman who heads the Observatory. The Observatory relies on a network of activists around Syria. "The airport has been closed since yesterday."
The Syrian government had no comment on the closing of the airport. On Saturday, Syria's national airline canceled a flight to Aleppo because of fighting nearby.
Rebels have warned that they would target civilian as well as military planes using the Aleppo International Airport, saying the regime is using civilian planes to bring in supplies and weapons.
The rebels have been attacking three other airports in the Aleppo area, including a military helicopter base near the Turkish border.
Rebels have posted dozens of videos online showing fighters shooting mortars, homemade rockets and sniper rifles at targets inside the bases.
Activists also reported heavy fighting in the Damascus suburb of Daraya.
The Observatory and activist Mohammed Saeed, who is based near Damascus, said Syrian warplanes took part in bombing Daraya on Tuesday.
State-run news agency SANA said troops killed "tens of terrorists" in Daraya and nearby areas. The regime refers to rebels as "terrorists."
Daraya is few kilometers (miles) from the strategic military air base of Mazzeh in a western neighborhood of the capital. | 2019-04-22T22:37:21Z | https://news.yahoo.com/clashes-near-syrian-capital-aleppo-airport-closed-155053156.html | Porn | News | 0.670223 |
wordpress | I will always be, a work in progress.
I am excited to let you all in to what I have been so busy with the last few months. At the end of November 2016 I made the decision to start my own business. I decided that I needed something more from life. I needed something that was all my own to focus my energy into. My depression was in high gear and I felt disconnected to so much. I needed to dive head first into something I loved. I needed a job for my down time. So, I signed up with Legging Army Leggings and thus, Kat’s Legging Army was born. The quality of these leggings is superior to most other legging brands out there. They are super soft and come in every design and pattern you can imagine. I have gotten to the point where I rarely wear anything outside of my LA leggings.
In the months following that decision, I focused on growing my new business. It takes a lot more than just creating a Facebook page or group and expecting the product to sell itself. Its reaching out to people, its listening to training calls and watching videos about expanding and excelling with a small business. Its listening to Podcasts about other entrepreneurs and the journey they took to get where they are. Owning a business involves tracking inventory, helping clients, and managing accounts. Its advertising and marketing. Its learning new skills and how to apply them to your business all while balancing all of this with daily life.
Honestly, its hard. But it is so worth it.
Recently, I decided to expand the products I sell to include Designer Shoes. (With coming expansion into jewelry and purses). I am so in love with the stunning styles from Fibi & Clo. They are HIGH Quality shoes with glimmering gemstones on them. They are the shoes of princesses.
I LOVE the look in clients faces when they fall in love with a new pair of leggings or see the gorgeous jewels on their new shoes. It makes every frustration worth while.
In this journey I have had some struggles. I fell into a slump and had a month with no sales. This really hurt my ego but I realized that the lows in my business fell hand in hand with the lows in my mental state. I go back to the FACT that you HAVE to take control of your health to stay a functioning member of society.
All in all I am proud of myself. I have journeyed into a new world with this business. Starting a new business isn’t something I took lightly. For a long time I had a bitter taste in my mouth when it came to MLM or Direct Sales businesses. So many people get into them JUST for the money and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want ANYONE to feel pressured to buy from me. I have seen MLM business owners go to many extremes to sell a product. They would say things like “this can cure your health issues” and make promises of unrealistic results. I didn’t want to be that kind of person. I am confident that my clients can see the quality of my goods. I don’t need to make false promises to deliver great results.
I appreciate all of your continued support for this blog and the business you bring me. I wouldn’t be where I am without each of you.
Thank you!!!! There are so many designs I can’t ever shoes which ones I want to purchase!
DimplesInProgress on My Newest Adventure!
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wordpress | I’ve been in my little cocoon for some time now. I think it was something I needed and still need. It’s been one hell of a year. People ask if I’m ok and Honestly I’m not, nor will I be for some time to come. Life has really taken a toll on those that I hold most dear and I have a hard time talking about myself in light of that. A dear friend of mine recently lost their precious first born and in light of my sorrows that has taken over every piece of my heart. Please keep them in your thoughts as they grieve and miss their little man who’s no longer on earth. I have a hard time remembering that everyone is suffering their own troubled roads and painful heaps of sorrow. It’s no contest, and it’s one I wish no one had to participate in.
I’m struggling with life, grief, God, and Faith lately. I’ve lost my way and my logical brain doesn’t get the unyielding, blind surrender of faith. But that’s the thing about Faith and God is that you have to trust what you don’t see. I get angry so often because people offer their condolences and well wishes and it seems just so… fake or just not sincere. I mean, I sure some mean it but when you’re in a place of grief and sorrow, some words hurt just to be said. I struggle with having faith that life gets better past this place of hurt. Why did it need to happen in the first place? God is always said to be our Heavenly Father and is sovereign. Having ultimate power and if he can create the universe surly he can save us from grief and hurt. I don’t say this to say that I don’t believe in God but more to say that I’m so deeply hurt by my circumstances, it’s hard to trust. It’s hard to let go of control and just let life happen. I’ve spent my whole life grasping for some kind of control over my circumstances and failing miserably. Ultimately, the only control I had was how I reacted to what was happening. How do you trust when hope feels like it’s buried?
Author littlebitsofme22Posted on February 19, 2019 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Battle Worn.
Depression is like living in a deep bottomless pit. A void that you can never get out of.
They say practice self-care. Get out of bed, exercise, drink water. But what about when you see these people that do those things make you feel jealous and self conscious?
They say make plans but what about those that don’t want to be around you so they put you off or when your anxiety makes it to where the night before plans is so sleepless and wracked with overwhelming thoughts?
What about those people who disappeared the minute you talk about suicide and how worthless you feel?
What about those that are family but don’t recognize how sick you are and think that basically you’re faking having cancer?
What happens when you’re in so much pain day in and day out that you physically can’t do much?
What happens when you’re so financially strapped that you can’t make your appointments and your car is falling apart to the point it’s so loud you get physically sick riding in it?
How am I to make changes when I’m literally left with nothing?
might affect that person. Be there when you say you care.
Author littlebitsofme22Posted on April 27, 2018 Categories UncategorizedLeave a comment on Void. | 2019-04-18T16:27:15Z | https://littlebitsofme22.wordpress.com/ | Porn | Health | 0.14141 |
wordpress | In order to get your websites to automatically run the Application_Start of your global.asax in an Azure WebRole, some changes to your application are neccesary. This solution is probably not the only solution for this problem, but it worked for me. Let me know in the comments if you have a (much) easier solution.
Now we’ll start modifying the app so that it automatically starts up.
Your webapplication may or may not have a WebRole.cs out-of-the-box. If you don’t, create the file yourself. Make sure it inherits from RoleEntryPoint, which is what Azure will be looking for.
We’ll need a startup script to install the IIS-ApplicationInit module on our IIS webserver when the WebRole initializes for the first time. For this purpose we’ll use a startup script.
Create an App_Data folder in your webapplication and add a new file named startup.cmd, or merge the following commands in your own startup file. Set this file to Copy if newer.
In the cloudproject we’ll do two important things: add the startup task so that it gets executed at startup, and make sure our OnStart method runs with administrator privileges in order to make the neccesary changes on the IIS configuration.
The startup task will run elevated so that it can install the ApplicationInit module. The Runtime will run elevated for the WebRole.cs logic.
Now it’s just a matter of publishing the webrole and checking if everything worked. When the webrole has finished deploying, visit the website. When your Remote Desktop to your instance, you should see that Application_Start has executed and a request from 127.0.0.1 (or ::1 for IPv6) was received. The logfile should be in D:\Windows\Temp, which is the default system TEMP directory. | 2019-04-23T17:59:43Z | https://martijnstolk.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/automatically-run-application_start-for-websites-in-an-azure-webrole/ | Porn | Reference | 0.917381 |
wordpress | The Liverpool Players specialise in performing early drama and literature for the public at free cultural events in the North West of England.
Established in 2012 by Professor Sarah Peverley (Director), the troupe comprises students and alumni from the University of Liverpool, who are dedicated to exploring the richness of early English literature and making it accessible to all. Many of the players are studying English and want to experience early stagecraft in a creative and practical way, but anyone with a passion for drama and storytelling can get involved; other subjects studied by members include philosophy, music, modern languages, psychology, biology, physics, astronomy, marine biology, maths, classics, archaeology, and astrophysics!
The players work in partnership with a number of cultural venues in Liverpool and the surrounding area, including Speke Hall, Walker Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool Central Library, Liverpool Museum, Rufford Old Hall, and Lady Lever Art Gallery. They have also contributed to national events, such as the Being Human Festival, The British Academy’s Literature Week, and St George’s Festival. Recent collaborations include The National Trust, Liverpool Museums, Culture Liverpool, The Everyman Theatre, Spike Theatre, Liverpool University Drama Society, Sonnatas a trè, and Liverpool Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. The players also offer costumed storytelling sessions for schools and pre-schools.
Watch the Players’ trailer below and follow them on Twitter or Instagram for updates on forthcoming events. Information about past productions is available here.
The Players’ activities are generously supported by The Friends of The University of Liverpool; The Liverpool Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies; The School of Arts, University of Liverpool; AB Photography; and Billy Frank. Being Human: A Festival of the Humanities kindly funded The Players’ productions of Bisclavret (2015), The Little Mermaid (2016), Mermaid and Pirate Tales (2016), and Daughters of the Deep (2016). In 2017 The British Academy kindly funded a performance of The Little Mermaid in London for Literature Week. | 2019-04-23T02:58:51Z | https://theliverpoolplayers.wordpress.com/about/ | Porn | Arts | 0.911366 |
wordpress | The International TVA network (ITVA) is an association of attention scientists who use the Theory of Visual Attention (TVA) in their research projects. TVA is an internationally leading model of attention that describes selection of visual information by a system of mathematical equations. TVA covers attention research in cognitive psychology, single-cell physiology, functional neuroanatomy, and clinical neuropsychology.
The ITVA network was founded in June 2010 at a conference in Copenhagen. The aim of the network is to coordinate research projects, share theoretical and empirical resources, and organize joint meetings and other events. ITVA currently includes 32 scientists based in 17 different research groups. | 2019-04-22T15:03:48Z | https://itva.wordpress.com/about/ | Porn | Science | 0.992508 |
wordpress | Services – Mark Martin & Sons, Inc.
Mark Martin & Sons, Inc. has proudly served Otisville, Otter Lake, Millington, Fostoria, Davison, Mayville, Genesee, Burton, Flint, Clio, Vassar, Mt. Morris, North Branch, Birch Run, Goodrich, and Frankenmuth. We produce a variety of wash sand and stone products including Class II, Fill Sand, Mason Sand, Beach Sand, 2NS/C33 Sand, Birdseye Stone, Pea Rock, and 6A Stone. We also screen our own custom Topsoil and Black Dirt Blend which is designed for flower beds and gardens, and we also have regular Brown Topsoil for lawns. We keep several driveway gravels on hand including 21AA Natural, 23A Limestone Mix, 21AA Crushed Concrete, 21AA Crushed Asphalt, and 1X3 Crushed Concrete. We also provide a Calcium Chloride Sand mix perfect for ice control.
Whatever your particular needs may be, we’re happy to provide you with the highest quality aggregates available in our area. Whether it’s a simple driveway improvement, septic system, landscaping, commercial or residential, we can help you! Our phone number is (810) 631-3478 or (800) 450-3478 or you can drop us an inquiry on our Contact page. We look forward to hearing from you soon to assist you with all of your sand and gravel needs! | 2019-04-26T00:04:14Z | https://markmartinsonscom.wordpress.com/services/ | Porn | Business | 0.987733 |
typepad | Is there a "literal truth" defense available? In order to successfully prosecute a person for perjury, the government must establish that the witness statements were lies, and not just misleading or non-responsive. The famous case of United States v. Bronston, 409 U.S. 352 (1973), requires that the testimony be false because "the perjury statute is not to be loosely construed, nor the statute invoked simply because a wily witness succeeds in derailing the questioner -- so long as the witness speaks the literal truth." (Italics added). The Bonds testimony identified as perjurious in the indictment seems fairly straightforward, with him responding "No" to questions about receiving steroids from Anderson or having Anderson inject him. Of course, ambiguity in the questions can preclude a conviction if a defendant can assert he did not understand it, or was confused in how to respond. Some of the questions seem fairly straightforward, such as "in the weeks and months leading up to November 2000, were you taking steroids -- No." Other responses seem a bit more ambiguous, such as "Not that I know of" or "I don't recall having anything like this . . . ." Bonds' lawyers are sure to argue that his statements were not misleading, and perhaps challenge the materiality of the testimony. And even without a "literal truth" issue, the government still has to prove Bonds knew his statements were false, which is no easy task.
What took so long? Prosecutors have been investigating Bonds for perjury at least since March 2005, and perhaps earlier. Part of the delay is attributable to dealing with contempt issues related to the leaking of Bonds' testimony to two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, who were spared jail when the government determined it was the lawyer for another Balco defendant who leaked the transcripts of a number of baseball players who testified. There was also the contempt citations of Anderson, the former trainer, who has been sent to jail twice for not testifying before the grand jury. Perhaps more importantly, the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco has been involved in quite a bit of turnover, including the removal of former U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan in 2006 when he was one of the seven U.S. Attorney's fired in what became a major scandal in Washington, D.C. There is still no permanent appointee in the position, and any time there is turnover in the leadership of the U.S. Attorney's Office a case as sensitive as Bonds' will be delayed.
What happened to the tax evasion investigation? There were media reports about an investigation of whether Bonds declared income from sports memorabilia sales, including claims that an alleged former girlfriend would testify to cash transactions. The credibility of the witnesses in this area, at least as described in the media, was open to serious question, and tax counts would likely have distracted from the core perjury/obstruction case. The tax issue could potentially be used to cross-examine Bonds if he chooses to testify and claim he is a truthful person, so the issue isn't dead, but it was probably a good idea to go with a single issue prosecution.
Where's Greg Anderson? As noted above, prosecutors subpoenaed Anderson twice to testify before the grand jury, and each time he refused and landed in jail for contempt. The first stint ended when the grand jury's term expired in July 2006, but a new grand jury was empaneled a short time later and Anderson headed back to jail, where he has been for over a year. Anderson was released the same day the indictment issued, and I think it is likely he did not testify before the grand jury. After waiting over a year for him to crack, the federal prosecutors probably decided to move forward without him. Once the indictment issued, there was no further need to hold him in contempt for refusing to testify before the grand jury. Whether the government will try to get him to testify at trial remains to be seen, but I rather doubt it because he would be such a risk, i.e. testifying favorably for Bonds, without grand jury testimony to hold over him.
Why the obstruction charge? The obstruction of justice charge is broader than the perjury charges because it does not require proof that Bonds made literally false statements, only that he sought to impede the grand jury investigation. The charge looks like a backstop -- note the use of baseball terminology -- in case there are problems with one or more of the substantive perjury counts that leads to a "not guilty" verdict. The obstruction count includes both the alleged false statements by Bonds and that his testimony before the grand jury was "evasive and misleading." This claim would be insufficient for perjury, but can be enough for obstruction. If Bonds were convicted of obstruction, then any "not guilty" verdicts on perjury counts would not affect the likely sentence.
Why Didn't Word About the Indictment Leak Out in Advance? In a case riddled with leaks, the indictment, or at least its timing, seems to have been a complete surprise. This has been a closely watched case, and there was some speculation that an indictment would be returned after the baseball season ended in late September, but nothing happened and it seemed to drop off the radar screen. For once, grand jury secrecy seems to have worked.
When will the trial take place? While there is a very slight chance a trial could be completed before baseball's regular season starts in April, I don't see any realistice possibility of that happening. Indeed, the trial is likely to take place after the next baseball season, and it may well start in 2009 rather than 2008. In looking at other prosecutions of a high-profile defendant on similar charges, Martha Stewart was indicted in June 2003 and convicted in May 2004, while I. Lewis Libby was indicted in October 2005 and convicted in March 2007. The Bonds case is sure to include the usual array of pre-trial motions, from discovery to dismissal, and getting the lawyers and judge to clear time for the case will likely result in a trial date no earlier than nine months from now, and perhaps even next November. The initial statement from Bonds' attorney indicated a likely charge of prosecutorial misconduct related to leaks in the case, and that will require time to sort out. Claims from either side that they want a quick trial date does not necessarily mean that's in their interest. Delay beyond the start of the 2008 season may mean that Bonds remains permanently at 762 as his homerun total. Bonds has been cut loose by the Giants, and at this point no team has signed him during the free agency period. There is a chance that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will suspend Bond pending resolution of the case, but that remains to be seen. It may be that no team will sign him, and Selig then won't have to take any action one way or other until the case is resolved, probably after the 2008 season. If Bonds does not play in 2008, will any team take a chance on a 44-year old player who has sat out a year and had serious steroid use allegations aired, even if he's found not guilty?
What are the odds of a plea bargain? The morning line in Vegas won't be less than 100-1, roughly the same odds as the Tampa Bay Rays winning the World Series. This may be Bonds' last chance to salvage his legacy, so I think a trial is a foregone conclusion, unless somehow a court dismisses the charges, which is equally unlikely.
I routinely speak to business groups and associations on ethics, choices, consequences and their total effect. Every choice has a consequence - and the sooner we recognize that telling the truth is a choice the quicker we control the type of consequences we face. I personally prefer ”positive results” from the choices I make. | 2019-04-19T23:00:12Z | https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/whitecollarcrime_blog/2007/11/the-indictment.html | Porn | Sports | 0.477013 |
wordpress | Allow polluters to keep polluting.
Increase air pollution and public health threats.
Increase consumer costs by keeping us addicted to foreign oil.
Kill competition from California clean energy companies.
Result in the loss of billions of dollars in economic growth and tens of thousands of clean energy jobs.
WHAT: Protest outside Valero Gas Station to draw attention to the Texas Oil Companies behind the Dirty Energy Proposition.
WHEN: Earth Day, Thursday April 22 at 10:30 a.m.
WHO: Environment California, Green LA Coalition, Sierra Club and dozens more environmental and social justice groups and individuals. Sponsored by No on Valero <http://www.noonvalero.com/> .
“Dirty Energy Prop Kills CA Jobs”. | 2019-04-20T16:48:12Z | https://ecoangeleno.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/urgent-green-la-action-alert-stop-valero/ | Porn | Business | 0.615094 |
wordpress | You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘US Chem Safety Board’ category.
Is Middletown Mayor speaking for OSHA?
Officials from state and federal agencies have begun investigating the cause of the deadly explosion at the Kleen Energy plant in Middletown, CT that took the lives of Peter Chetulis, Ronald J. Crabb, 42, Raymond Dobratz, 58, Chris Walters, 42, and Roy Rushton. In “Investigators to Sift Power Plant Rubble for Evidence of Criminal Negligence,” the New York Times is reporting that Middletown Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano said investigators from the US Chemical Safety Board are not welcome on the site.
It sounded strange to me that OSHA would object to the CSB’s presence, and I wondered if Mayor Guiliano was putting words in OSHA’s mouth. The CSB announced on Sunday it was deploying a 7-person team to Middletown, and seasoned investigator Don Holmstrom would lead their effort. | 2019-04-23T03:01:56Z | https://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/category/us-chem-safety-board/ | Porn | News | 0.892971 |
wordpress | We moved house about 6 weeks ago, and my book making equipment, materials etc. are still packed in boxes in what will, I hope, eventually be my work room. The same room also contains most of our other books, and my sewing gear, though not, fortunately, my knitting wool and needles.
One thing I have been doing since we moved is taking lots of photos of the views from our new house. So, desperately needing some sort of creative outlet, I have been playing around with my photos and the excess of apps I have on my iPad.
This one was taken with the Obscura camera app. I don’t really understand how to get the best from it, but it took some good photos this evening. This is the original.
The processing apps I used were Distressed FX for added colour and corvids – we have plenty of real ones but they are never around when you want them – and PhotoToaster to take the colour away and add a bit of a moody vignette.
A stab-bound book, made to criteria randomly selected from Tetenbaum and Chen’s Artists Books Ideation Cards. It was inspired by James Fenton’s poem, Yellow Tulips, and my own photo of tulips, though they weren’t yellow.
Handmade paper, card, digital prints, knitting ribbon. The app IColorama was used for the illustrations.
A change of direction or back to my roots? | 2019-04-21T21:06:59Z | https://celiadarbyshire.wordpress.com/category/photos/ | Porn | Arts | 0.981606 |
wordpress | In an attempt to create something beautiful out of something horrible, decorative materials and aesthetically pleasing imagery are used in this series. These pieces relate to the effect that operations and changes in physicality may have on body image. The depiction of internal organs and open wounds are common themes and are representations of very real experiences. Through making these pieces, Arnett aims to create an openness through sharing experiences that are sometimes difficult to communicate to others.
Hospitals are often portrayed as unpleasant places and sometimes create fear in individuals. This series of work explores the hospital environment as somewhere clinical, but safe. Arnett continues to develop work based on the concept of feeling safe in relation to hospitals.
Exploring the ‘ideal’ and the impossibility of perfection, these works are reminiscent of Arnett’s own experiences growing up. in making these pieces the realisation that perfection is unattainable is even more apparent as can be seen in the awkward construction of ‘Classroom’ and ‘Staircase’. This series of work has been included in the portfolio, as it was from the making of these pieces that Arnett’s interest in the uncanny began. | 2019-04-21T23:04:06Z | https://arnettpowell.wordpress.com/portfolio/ | Porn | Arts | 0.972888 |
wordpress | Today I pass over the Pastoral Staff to my successor and enter a very active “retirement.”God is good, all the time!
“Death threats, and the now-worldwide controversy surrounding your election of me as bishop, have been a constant strain, not just on me, but on my beloved husband, Mark, who has faithfully stood with me every minute of the last seven years, and in some ways, you.
Pope Leo IX of the Roman Catholic church imposed a ban on married clergy in 1039 which was only slightly relaxed in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not allow a marriage after ordination, but a married man may be ordained as a priest – though to be consecrated as a bishop, a priest must be unmarried or a widower. But in the Anglican Communion, created by Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer, there is no ban on marriage for priest, bishop, or archbishop – which was the reason for Pope Benedict’s 2009 relaxation, to let married Anglican priests who wanted to leave the Church of England for the Catholic Church.
In the 1950s, an old hillbilly preacher invited Jordan to come and speak at his church in rural South Carolina. Jordan arrived to find, to his surprise, a large, thriving and racially integrated congregation — a remarkable thing in that time and place. (Sadly, it’s actually a remarkable thing in any time or place.) So Clarence asked the man how this came about.
Are you being sued for doing something you believe is right?
One of the basic rules of deciding whether it’s worth taking the case to court instead of settling out of court with apologies: is the Christian Institute offering to pay your legal fees? If so, then you know two things in advance: you will lose, and you will become a kind of public figurehead for whatever campaign the Christian Institute are running. Unwinnable cases are a form of advertising.
One of the basic rules of running an inn, a hotel, a guesthouse, or even a B&B, is that if the lodgings are available, the host can’t turn people away based on their own prejudices. That’s tolerance: active, practical, and kind. | 2019-04-22T08:44:18Z | https://edinburgheye.wordpress.com/tag/homophobic-christians/ | Porn | Business | 0.445093 |
columbia | OK, over the last few days I have worked through all the comments left on the Stacks project. There were some interesting ones that needed a bit of thought. Please keep them coming! | 2019-04-24T13:59:19Z | https://www.math.columbia.edu/~dejong/wordpress/?m=201802 | Porn | Computers | 0.314025 |
yahoo | The GuruFocus All-in-One Screener can be used to find insider trades from the past week. Under the Insiders tab, change the settings for All Insider Buying to "$200,000+," the duration to "March 2019" and All Insider Sales to "$5,000,000+."
Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with HAIN. Click here to check it out.
Engaged Capital Co-Invest VI-D and Glenn W. Welling, a director and 10% owner, bought a combined 7,949,822 shares of The Hain Celestial Group Inc. (HAIN) for an average price of $20.25 per share on March 7.
The consumer-packaged food company has a market cap of $2.24 billion and an enterprise value of $2.93 billion. It has insider ownership of 2.66% and institutional ownership of 130.54%.
Over the last 12 months, the stock has fallen 39.36% and is trading 40.36% below its 52-week high and 49.20% above its 52-week low.
Flagship Ventures Fund V LP, 10% owner of Kaleido Biosciences Inc. (KLDO), bought 933,333 shares for an average price of $15 per share on March 4.
The company has a market cap of $376.63 million with just 29.39 million of shares outstanding.
Richard D. Kinder, executive chairman and 10% owner of Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI), bought 211,900 shares for an average price of $19.65 per share on March 4 and 5.
The energy infrastructure company has a market cap of $44.91 billion and an enterprise value of $79.81 billion. It has an insider ownership of 12.88% and institutional ownership of 89.98%.
Over the last 12 months, the stock has risen 23.61% and is trading 0.85% below its 52-week high and 35.70% above its 52-week low.
Alexander J. Denner, director of The Medicines Co. (MDCO), bought 606,900 shares for an average price of $25.59 per share on March 5.
The drug manufacturer has a market cap of $1.8 billion and an enterprise value of $2.35 billion. It has insider ownership of 3.57% and institutional ownership of 194.51%.
Over the last 12 months, the stock has fallen 25.26% and is trading 41.50% below its 52-week high and 45.72% above its 52-week low.
Joseph P. Disabato, director of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., 10% owner of Benefitfocus Inc. (BNFT), sold a combined 6,509,470 shares for an average price of $46.80 per share on March 5.
The cloud-based platform company has a market cap of $1.48 billion and an enterprise value of $1.52 billion. It has an institutional ownership of 137.90% and insider ownership of 12.17%.
Over the last 12 months, the stock has risen 84.65% and is currently trading 24.05% below its 52-week high and 111.82% above its 52-week low.
Ronald W. Burkle, director and 10% owner, and Bradley J. Gross, director of Americold Realty Trust (COLD), sold a combined 46,483,811 shares for an average price of $27.47 per share on March 5.
The real estate investment trust has a market cap of $4.37 billion and an enterprise value of $5.68 billion. It has institutional ownership of 104.84% and insider ownership of 0.3%.
Over the last 12 months, the stock has risen 65.67% and is trading 2.52% below its 52-week high and 65.58% above its 52-week low.
Geoffrey W. Guy, executive chairman of GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (GWPH), sold 1.2 million shares for an average price of $14.69 per share on March 4.
The drug manufacturer has a market cap of $4.94 billion and an enterprise value of $4.35 billion. It has institutional ownership of 117.87% and insider ownership of 34.03%.
Over the last 12 months, the stock has risen 39.23% and is trading 9.46% below its 52-week high and 83.05% above its 52-week low.
Director Jesse I. Treu and Giulia C. Kennedy, chief scientific and medical officer of Veracyte Inc. (VCYT), sold a combined 1,069,776 shares for an average price of $20.30 per share on March 4.
The biotechnology company has a market cap of $797 million and an enterprise value of $745 million. It has institutional ownership of 103.42% and insider ownership of 0.49%.
Over the last 12 months, the stock has risen 210.56% and is trading 12.96% below its 52-week high and 264.85% above its 52-week low. | 2019-04-18T12:46:48Z | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/insiders-roundup-kinder-morgan-hain-173345471.html?.tsrc=rss | Porn | Business | 0.984077 |
wordpress | Over the weekend I attended a Twenty One Pilots concert. How does an eclectic and wildly popular alternative band relate to music education? Well, while playing their song, “We Don’t Believe What’s On TV,” drummer Josh Dun put down his drum sticks and pulled a trumpet out from behind his kit, and then stood up and played the chorus. It was not any sort of amazing trumpet solo, and for most concertgoers it was just another cool example of how versatile this band is. However, for kids in their school bands, this could have been some sort of a monumental moment.
When I was in middle school, Macklemore’s song, “Thrift Shop,” exploded, and all the students in the Castillero Band Program could not get enough of playing that repetitive sax riff. It was catchy, and us kids loved the fact that one of our instruments was being used in the most popular song at the time. It made playing the saxophone cool, and it brought attention to the instrument. Instances like these encourage kids to practice more because they work to recreate what they hear, and they realize that their instrument can be used for more than just “Hot Cross Buns” or classical music. This same sort of phenomenon happened with the orchestra kids too, except with the cello part of One Republic’s “Secrets.” Back then, I was so excited that the Jonas Brothers started incorporating brass into their music, and I currently love listening to the horns that are now in Panic! at the Disco. It is just a lot of fun to hear and play, especially when these kinds of instruments are often absent from pop music. Incorporating pop culture is just another form of sparking students’ interest in music education. In high school, my wind ensemble played music from all sorts of composers, from Bach to Stravinsky, but every once in a while we would play some sort of song that referenced pop culture (one time it was the score from the Studio Ghibli movie, My Neighbor Totoro, and another time it was Lalo Schifrin’s “Mission: Impossible Theme”). My teacher often focused on more reputable music, but he knew that occasionally something extra fun could renew our enthusiasm.
On Sunday, February 12, Twenty One Pilots took home their first Grammy for the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. They accepted the award in their underwear because they watched the Grammys a few years ago in frontman Tyler Joseph’s rental house, in their underwear, before they had any sort of mainstream attention. They wanted to symbolize the fact that, as Joseph stated, “Anyone from anywhere can do anything.” Pop culture in the classroom helps to excite students about learning, but moments like these also help to inspire. When Josh Dun picks up that trumpet and plays it for those 18,000 people in a sold-out arena, there just might be a wide-eyed nine-year-old who recently started learning how to play the instrument, and he might see a little piece of himself in Dun; he may see a connection here, and he may be inspired to believe that he too can follow his dreams. | 2019-04-23T06:11:23Z | https://musiceducationmeditations.wordpress.com/2017/02/13/incorporating-pop-culture/ | Porn | Arts | 0.592002 |
wikipedia | The Green Party (Slovak: Strana zelených, SZ), until January 2006 called Green Party in Slovakia (Slovak: Strana zelených na Slovensku), is an environmentalist political party in Slovakia without parliamentary representation.
The Green Party was founded on 9 December 1989 as a Czechoslovakia-wide party, and was the second green party in post-communist countries. It was registered on 3 February 1990 and three branches were set up – Bohemian, Moravian-Silesian and Slovak. The first congress of the Slovak branch was held in February 1990 in Banska Bystrica, with Juraj Mesík elected as chairman.
In the 1990 Slovak elections the party received 3.1% of the vote, winning six of the 150 seats in the National Council. The combined party failed to win any seats in the nationwide elections. On 21 October 1991 the Slovak branch of the party was officially registered as a separate party with the Ministry of the Interior as the Green Party of Slovakia.
In the 1992 Slovak elections the party's vote share fell to 1.1% and it lost all six seats. Prior to the 1994 elections the party joined the Common Choice alliance. The alliance finished in second place, winning 18 seats, of which two were taken by the Greens.
In June 1995 the party became the 28th full member of the European Green Party. It joined the Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK) in the build up to the 1998 elections. With the SDK winning 42 seats, the Greens took four seats. The party contested the 2002 elections alone, but received only 1% of the vote and failing to win a seat.
In 2006 it changed its name from the Green Party of Slovakia to the Green Party. It had some candidates on the Free Forum list in the 2006 elections, but failed to win a seat. In the 2010 elections it had candidates on the Party of the Democratic Left list, again failing to win a seat. They contested the 2012 elections alone, receiving 0.4% of the vote, remaining seatless.
This article about a Slovak political party is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
This page was last edited on 29 October 2018, at 21:23 (UTC). | 2019-04-18T19:28:00Z | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_(Slovakia) | Porn | Reference | 0.440295 |
sfgate | Of all the crises in California, few touch as many lives and fortunes as the woes of the workers' compensation system.
Nearly 1 million claims are filed each year in a system that insures about 15 million workers against on-the-job injuries. California employers say they're being crushed by the nation's highest insurance premiums and want reforms to curb soaring medical and disability costs.
"Right now, this workers' comp issue is just a wet blanket over the California recovery," said Jack Stewart, president of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association.
Lawmakers cut $7 billion out of workers' compensation in 2003. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came into office saying the remaining $22 billion system had to be whacked in half. Now he's gathering signatures for a reform initiative if the Democrat-controlled Legislature doesn't act.
Schwarzenegger has been meeting with the four top legislative leaders from both parties, looking to head off a ballot fight. His second deadline for compromise legislation passed uneventfully on Friday, and although legislative staffs met throughout the weekend, including Sunday night, no deal was reached. Staffs are expected to meet again today.
"We're continuing to make progress," Gabriel Sanchez, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said Sunday. "We're optimistic we can come to an agreement soon -- over the next week."
Allan Zaremberg, president of the California Chamber of Commerce said last week that "it's early in the real deadline process -- April 16," a reference to the day ballot backers must submit the required signatures to place their measure before the voters.
While the looming initiative lends urgency to the talks, the real impetus to strike a deal is rooted in the perception that California's workers' compensation system is failing employers and employees.
At a conference at the University of Southern California in February, experts highlighted the insurance burden on employers.
"California has consistently been above the U.S. average, and since 1996, the gap between California and the rest of the country has widened," said John Burton, dean of the school of management and labor relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Average workers are often baffled by the system's confusing rules and unpredictable outcomes. Economist Peter Barth, emeritus professor at the University of Connecticut, called workers' comp in California "the worst of all worlds ... costs are high to employers, while the benefits (for injured workers) are low to relatively low."
Though divided on details, business and labor groups have entered the current negotiations ready to consider reforms directed toward the medical, legal and insurance interests that feed off workers' compensation.
"We make the assumption that both the administration and the employers understand that this is not about taking a hatchet to the workers' compensation system," said Barry Broad, a lobbyist representing the Teamsters, the United Food & Commercial Workers and other unions.
"It is my perception organized labor wants to reach a consensus with the business community," Zaremberg said.
Despite these good-faith efforts, the system's flaws stem from a thicket of problems, any of which would be tough to solve alone: the overall inflation in medical costs, the general litigiousness in society and the fact that some people -- bosses and workers -- will try to game any system.
"You're dealing here with financial facts, medical facts, business facts, myths and anecdotes," said Stanley Zax, chairman of Zenith National Insurance, one of the state's largest workers' comp insurers. "If you spent all of your life, you still wouldn't capture all of the complexity of it."
A recent Rand Commission report found wide disparities for workers with comparable injuries and noted that this caused people to hire lawyers. Business wants the state to adopt uniform standards, such as the American Medical Association's guidelines, to reduce the variations that invite litigation. Rand report co-author Robert Reville said no guidelines are perfect, and two doctors could interpret them differently. Still, "it's likely to be better than the present system," he said.
Injured workers can be paid for partial disabilities even if they return to work. Some estimates say 80 percent of California's workers' comp costs involve cases of permanent-partial disability. Employers say current rules allow some workers to collect multiple payments for repeated injuries to the same body part. They want tougher rules to prevent double-dipping. The code word is "apportionment."
Employers want greater control over who makes coverage and treatment decisions. Today workers can predesignate a provider or switch medical providers after 30 days. Business leaders say this encourages "doctor-shopping. " Labor is leery of putting "company doctors" in charge.
Labor wants to make sure any savings get passed to employers in the form of lower rates, so that businesses won't demand new cuts. Since workers' comp insurance rates were deregulated in 1995, cost controls would require new legislation -- which business leaders call a "distraction" from cost-cutting reforms.
Labor would also like some provision to trigger immediate benefits when workers file claims. Now benefits can be delayed in disputed cases. Labor says this not only delays treatment, but also pushes workers to get lawyers, while business is wary of a change that could increase costs.
Once these and myriad equally complex issues are ground through the legislative sausage-maker, the bill that emerges will be scrutinized by all sides.
"We need time to look at the legislation to make sure that it does what it's supposed to do," Zaremberg said.
There will be just as much anxiety on the other side.
"Without workers' comp, I don't know what I would have done," said Albany resident Robyn Raymer, now recovered and working after six months on disability for repetitive strain injury.
"It's pretty easy, I suppose, to fake injuries," she said. "But workers' comp has to be there for the people who really need it."
The stakes couldn't be higher. Nearly 15 million Californians are covered by workers' compensation. But with one voice, employers howl that the program's escalating costs are killing them. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and leaders of the Democratic-controlled Legislature are negotiating compromise reforms in time to head off a threatened ballot initiative. Here's a glimpse of the challenges..
Since 1913, California has required employers to provide medical and disability benefits to injured employees. In return, employees are generally prohibited from suing employees for pain and suffering or punitive damages. .
Why is the system in crisis?
- The cost of providing workers' compensation coverage in California far exceeds national norms. Business owners say it is killing jobs.
- Data show that California workers file more claims than workers elsewhere for temporary or permanent disability.
- Medical costs per case in California are far above average. But the average injured worker gets benefits at or below national norms. For fatalities, the average death benefit in California is less than 60 percent of average.
- Critics say the system hurts employers and employees, and blame attorneys, medical providers and/or insurance companies for the system's woes..
1989: Legislators tried to curb legal and medical costs.
1993 to 1995: Laws passed during this time stopped mental stress claims and deregulated insurance rates.
2002: Lawmakers raised disability and death benefits while toughening anti- fraud provisions. Costs were supposed to drop 2.9 percent. But insurance premiums continued to skyrocket.
2003: On the eve of the recall, lawmakers whacked $7 billion, mainly in medical costs, pruning the system back to $22 billion. But employer premiums barely dropped. Lawmakers are trying once again to control this behemoth - with the threat of a ballot initiative if they fail.
In California, direct cash payments to workers are average or below the national average . . .
. . . but California workers file so many claims . . .
. . . and medical costs here are so much higher . . .
. . . that California employers pay the nation's highest rates for coverage. | 2019-04-23T06:01:47Z | https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/POLITICS-WORKERS-COMPENSATION-CRISIS-System-2773795.php | Porn | Business | 0.736984 |
wordpress | Future House Therapy Centre, Chesterfield, England, S40 1SZ.
Whether you are an experienced Hypnotherapist or Mind Therapy Practitioner, a Mystery Entertainer or are involved in some area of the New Age & Spiritual community as a Healer or Psychic Consultant, this Unique One Day Accelerated Learning Workshop with Top Hypnotist Jonathan Royle will prove to be worth it’s weight in gold to you.
No prior knowledge or experience of Hypnosis is necessary as everything you will ever need to know will be taught in Royle’s Unique No Bullsh*t direct to the point easy to learn, remember and use manner!
*The easy and reliable way to conduct Profitable Past Life Regression Sessions both on a one to one basis and also for public performances & demonstrations.
*The use of Hypnosis for Future Life Progression & Creating a truly Magical Future.
*How to demonstrate Astral Projection using a simple Eyes Closed Relaxation Process that you will learn in easy to understand detail.
*The use of Pendulums both to Induce a Hypnotic Trance State in your clients and also to help them to overcome their Habits, Addictions, Fears, Phobias & other issues including releasing Traumas & Anxiety as well as effectively helping people to overcome & eliminate Pain from all areas of their Minds, Body, Spirit & Soul.
*Using Hypnotic techniques to run profitable Seances, Paranormal and Ghost Hunting events.
*Help someone to meet their Spirit Guide and gain inner strength and renewed positivity in all areas of life.
*Enabling someone to enhance their Psychic Powers so they can see Spirits and communicate with deceased relatives in a manner whereby it can be both entertaining for an audience if it were a public demonstration, whilst also being hugely therapeutically beneficial for them.
*The Magic of Candle’s & how to use them for Hypnotic Inductions as well as in a therapeutic manner to help clients achieve their goals, dreams, ambitions & desires in all areas of their life’s.
*Meeting your Power Animal, how to discover what your clients Native American Indian Power Animal is and how to help them benefit from this knowledge & experience.
*Mystical Power of Mirrors & how using a mirror during sessions can help your clients to experience positively profound long lasting & truly Spiritual & Magical changes.
*Numerous other Insider Hints, Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Techniques that will help make you a far better Hypnotist & Mind Therapist on all levels.
*The Three Most Powerful & Effective Suggestibility Tests on the planet.
*4 Amazing Rapid Hypnotic Induction Techniques that work like magic!
*Various tried, tested and consistently proven to work Marketing, Advertising, Publicity & Promotional Secrets that will help you to attract a regular stream of high paying clients for your “Spiritual Hypnosis” Services.
Seating for this never to be repeated event is Strictly Limited, so to encourage you to take action and secure your place to join us in Chesterfield at Future House Therapy Centre on Saturday 13th October 2018, when you book today as well as a ticket to attend in person (or online via Zoom Video Conferencing) you will also after the event gain access to this Amazing package of goodies..
This package of Marketing, Advertising, Publicity & Promotional training materials and business building tools for Mind Therapy Practitioners & New Age Consultants usually retails at $497 which is approx £385.
But be warned seating is Strictly Limited so you would be wise to book now.
Why not treat yourself and save money at the same time?
Simply secure a ticket for the “Secrets of Spiritual Hypnosis” workshop on Saturday 13th October and at the same time grab a place to attend the “Fortune Telling for Fun & Profit” event on Sunday 14th October at the same venue to grab a discount and also claim an EXTRA BONUS GIFT.
Yes indeed take action now and instead of paying £97 for each day which is a total of £194, instead you will SAVE £47 and pay just £147 for a ticket to attend both days. | 2019-04-24T21:51:07Z | https://klearthoughtsmentalismhypnosis.wordpress.com/tag/mentalism-hypnosis/ | Porn | Arts | 0.272513 |
wordpress | I spent last week at a conference in Spokane, WA. I learned, laughed, and networked. We rarely got out of the hotel until evening, but that was fine as the sights were still spectacular. I love walking in new places with old friends.
Since the conference was scientific in nature, my Baron Fig Experiment made the trip with me, and got considerable use. The green ink pops so I used it to write down those things that I want to come back to—issues, questions, things to think about.
My roommate and I were often the first ones at breakfast so I’d sprawl a bit—coffee, water, Nock Co. case wide open, Hobonichi ready for updating. I took a pared down selection of pens, but enough to keep things interesting. The pens that got the most use were my Lamy Aion (black, fine) and my clipless Karas Kustoms INK (tumbled aluminum with a wonderful titanium medium nib), both filled with Colorverse Cat. I took notes in a Nock Co. A5 DotDash notebook which was the perfect choice in both size and performance. I almost filled it with my conference notes and will use the remaining space to flesh out thoughts and ideas that popped up during the week’s sessions and conversations.
But ya gotta have some fun, too.
Atticus Coffee & Gifts (222 N Howard St, Spokane, WA) was definitely my happy place. I could’ve spent all of my free time there happily browsing through their selection of books, mugs, t-shirts, unique cards, stickers, pencils (Blackwings!), pens, and journals, or settled at a cozy table with some cold brew coffee or huckleberry tea. What a cool and comfortable place.
Saturday morning, I made one last visit a few hours before my flight back east, and walked away with a nice little bag of souvenirs (t-shirt, novelty pen, tea, travel mug, stickers), as well as a much needed caffeine boost.
Flights went well, the weekend went fast, and Monday arrived as it always does. A friend on Facebook said, “The Monday after a week away is the Mondayest Monday ever.” She’s so right—re-entry is hard.
Well, I thought, if I have to work, I’m using my new pen. Which is exactly what I did.
And you know what? It kind of helped.
Are YOU having a Monday? Do you need a rubber feather pen? Atticus Coffee & Gifts doesn’t appear to have an online presence, but I see the pen is available HERE. There’s also a grass pen that I should’ve bought, too. You know, for those pesky Tuesdays.
Grocery shopping is a necessary evil. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it, either. We go once a week, usually on Friday evening, to avoid the dawdling hordes that descend on Saturday. We like to get in and out as efficiently and quickly as possible. But then, who doesn’t?
Oops…I wrote cherries twice. I must really want them.
I use a program called MacGourmet to digitally organize recipes on my desktop iMac. What’s really great is that I can export the recipes from MacGourmet to DropBox as .txt files so that they’re easily accessible via my phone. So even if we’re eating out, as we often are on a Friday evening, I can quickly pull together a grocery list for the coming week. As we brainstorm our needs and wants, I record the list on a Nock Co. DotDash 3×5 card, while also sketching out a tentative menu plan on the back of the same card. We do this every single week. And if we can’t, because of a Friday night event, we feel off-kilter. Creatures of habit, is what we are.
The pen I chose to write out my list this Friday was the INK rollerball by Karas Kustoms. (Huh. I’m not seeing the rollerball version on their site at the moment.) The Schmidt P8126 liquid ink refill is bold and smooth. The INK rollerball is a great writer that’s as fun to look at as it is to hold and use. All of this pen goodness distracts you from the fact that you’re preparing for a chore. The INK glides. Your mind goes to a happy place. I’m pretty sure endorphins are released. This is a good thing.
The list is made. We head to the store. Time to get down to business.
As we pick up each item on the list, I color in the little checkbox with red or orange ink. Yes, I could just check the box. I suppose. But the completely filled in boxes appeal to me, AND I get to use yet another pen. This week it was my Uni Style Fit 3 Color Multi Pen outfitted with brown, green, and red 0.38mm gel refills…a super sweet and customizable pen that I’ll write about in more detail before too long. (Thomas Hall got me hooked on these. Thomas, Master Enabler.) The Uni Style Fit refill colors are strong, and the ultra-fine point is wickedly smooth. The colored boxes make it abundantly clear what we’ve loaded into our cart and what we’re still trying to track down. Plus it’s fun to color, even if it is just a little box.
If we have to hit more than one store, as we almost always have to do, I jot the alternative store name next to the item. You know, for fun.
Despite this post’s name, I don’t really find grocery shopping all that gross. Unless it’s on the Saturday of a holiday weekend. Then, ick. But it is a chore that will always be there, week after week. The trick is to make it as palatable and efficient as possible. Using my pens and favorite 3×5 cards, I’ve nailed down a system that works for me, while injecting some fun into the process.
Now to find those elusive cherries. | 2019-04-24T04:39:21Z | https://fromthepencup.wordpress.com/category/karaskustoms/ink/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.930869 |
wordpress | Hector Peterson is said to be the first person to be shot during the famous 16 June 1976 student riots in Soweto, where state police used live ammunition against students who were protesting against the use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction. At the time of the incident, a picture of the 13-year-old Peterson was shown all over the world, prompting international outrage and condemnation.
Our tour guide stopped the car and we hopped out to take pictures, there were some men using weed eaters to cut the grass at a local school and we think a rock was thrown from the weed eater because George’s back window was broken. Now keep in mind that it is pretty cold here combined with the fact that your stuff will get stolen pretty quickly. We kept on with the tour and brought all our stuff with us at each stop. Since George wanted to see if he could get his window fixed today (tomorrow is a holiday) he dropped us off at the Apartheid Museum. Brandon and I made our way through the huge museum; I think you could spend a whole day there. The museum was done very well and reinforced a lot of things we had just seen. George picked us back up and took us by Nelson Mandela’s house today, a far cry from the Soweto house. If you want to check his house out, check out 10 12th Avenue Johannesburg, South Africa. His house is on the top left corner of 12th Avenue and 4th Street . After the long day, we were finally dropped back off at the cottage.
For dinner we went up the street again to a restaurant called Turn n Tender. Once again we had a fabulous dinner. Brandon had the ribs and I had a lamb shank the size of my head. We also had a few drinks and we are now back in the cottage and ready for bed. We have another busy day tomorrow. George is picking us up again to take us on a day of sightseeing at the Cradle Of Humankind. It should be interesting.
Enjoying your blog. Keep posting! Safe travels, Pendergrafts! | 2019-04-21T12:35:10Z | https://pendykb.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/june-15-2010-tour-day/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.945135 |
wordpress | Do you buy supermarket generics? I sure do. I’m a REALTOR, remember? The past 3 years have been challenging and the A&P brand dishwasher liquid works the same as the much more expensive brand name.
Do you use generic prescription drugs? I use them as well and I use the pharmacy at a local discount warehouse rather than the brand name chain drug stores. I have found my prescriptions are about 1/5 the price at the warehouse – same generics! Can you imagine!!?
I want efficient, effective products and I don’t care if it says A&P or a brand name on the package. There is, also, no guarantee that a product is not going to stink just because it has a recognized brand name attached to it. My loyalty is to quality, not names.
I understand that some folks feel safe and comfortable with certain brands they’ve always used but brands also disappear. It’s a fact of life. People aren’t running, screaming into the streets, tearing their hair because they can’t buy Sunshine Hi Ho crackers or a Datsun anymore. Was anyone really upset when New Jersey Bell, New York Telephone and New England Telephone became NYNEX, then Bell Atlantic and, finally, Verizon? Don’t go looking for Chemical Bank, FW Woolworth, B. Altman, Howard Johnson’s, E.F. Hutton, Paine Webber, Oldsmobiles, Plymouths or Pontiacs, McDonnell Douglas, Eastern Airlines, TWA, Rustler Steak House, Checker cabs or Rexall Drugs. They’re gone. Disappeared into the maw of the merger, fell into the cauldron of a dwindling consumer base, got absorbed into a consolidated business model or simply proffered an updated name. Society has persevered, somehow, without these storied brands and will, no doubt do the same in the recent real estate consolidation and merger environment.
Brands go in and out of existence in real estate, also. A few years ago, in my market area, Schweppe and Company was a dominant brokerage. Never heard of them? That’s because they don’t exist any more. How about Burgdorff? Heard of them? Probably, but don’t go looking for them in the phone book. They bought Schweppe and, now, both are gone. How about this little tid bit: Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Burgdorff (when it existed) and then Schweppe Burgdorff (until its demise) are and were all owned by the same company. What does that tell you about the unique characteristics of each of those brands? What it tells me is that soap is soap, no matter the name on the box and a duck is a duck no matter the color of its feathers.
Brands in real estate do support their agents with some technology and training. I have no scientific proof but I’ll be surprised if this varies a whole lot from brand to brand. Many company trainers I have met have had a career with multiple brands. You can, also, throw all the branded training you can muster and some agents and it just won’t stick. Does their brand matter? Not at all. They’re stinkers no matter who they work for.
If there is brand recognition in real estate, as in consumer products as a whole, I have come to the conclusion that only the smallest fraction of consumers use brand loyalty as a motivating criterion when picking a REALTOR. Picking a service provider is different from picking a box of soap. Did you hire your last REALTOR because they came from Prudential, Sotheby’s, ReMax, Coldwell Banker or Century 21? I’ll bet not. I don’t think the cost of the agent’s services or any special programs or concierge service was the determining factor, either. I think you hired your agent because you felt a connection and you were impressed with the agent’s persona when you interviewed him or her. Maybe you knew someone who used that agent and was pleased or you saw that agent’s name a lot in your area. There’s also a bunch of local brokerages not affiliated with a larger brand and those agents may have gotten your business as well regardless of their lack of major branding. As little as 25 years ago there were many fewer major brand names in real estate than now and houses got bought and sold anyhow by the many brokerages with only local affiliations.
What all this is leading to is the big news regarding the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates or PREA which, until just recently, was a Prudential Insurance Company of America company – oops! that’s not their name anymore – was a Prudential Financial company.
On December 6, 2011 Prudential’s real estate business network (PRERS – Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services – which included the Prudential Real Estate brokerages and Prudential Relocation) was sold to Brookfield Residential Property Services, an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management. The union creates North America’s third-largest residential real estate brokerage business and the world’s second-largest relocation-services provider. Under a licensing agreement, Prudential Real Estate affiliates will continue using the Prudential name for the duration of their franchise agreements. Affiliates whose contracts expire within the next two years have the right to renew and continue using the Prudential brand for an additional five years.
I guess branding is important to someone involved in this sale/merger. Why else would the Prudential name be licensed and maintained? So what does this make me? I’m still an associate with Prudential New Jersey Properties so I guess I’m still a Prudential agent – at least in name.
We’ve been getting our fair share of razzing from other brokerages (“Do you know the name of your company today? We do.” – hil-ar-i-ous!). It’s ok. I did the same to them when they went through their branding convulsions. I am, however, far too polite to razz the alarming number of agents who move from company to company with some frequency. There are some agents who have been with 3 or even 4 different companies since I’ve known them in the past 10 years. Branding, obviously, means nothing to them or else how do they explain their new and frequently changing loyalties? Local brokers will also pop up as a broker with a different company. What this says is these folks are marketing themselves first and whatever brand they happen to be at the moment, a casual second.
Does the morphing of Prudential Real Estate into another brand matter to the services I provide? Not in the least. I am still me (sounds vaguely biblical, doesn’t it?) and my work ethic, experience, skills and attitude haven’t changed a bit. Call me a Prudential agent or a Brookfield agent or a Real Living agent (the name of Brookfield’s U.S. brokerage franchisees) but I’m still the same old Jim who will walk through fire for you, will still give you the best advice for your situations, will still help you avoid the myriad pitfalls in a real estate transaction and will work hard for you with a standard of service and knowledge that I challenge anyone to match.
At least for now, our real estate network will have the same management team who made the jump from Prudential with the sale. All companies concerned in this sale have been stressing that it’s business as usual. That, to me, is the final proof that branding is a minor consideration when conducting business in real estate. The dollars you spend or receive when buying or selling a home are your dollars regardless of the names of the companies brokering the deal. You will be satisfied or dissatisfied based on your very personal, individualized experience in a real estate transaction regardless of the names on the commission checks.
As we begin 2012, call me a Prudential agent, call me a Brookfield agent or call me whatever else (just don’t call me late for dinner! – I love that joke) and what you’ll get is what you deserve – a high quality REALTOR – whoever I am. | 2019-04-26T12:15:14Z | https://jamesstefanile.wordpress.com/tag/prers/ | Porn | Business | 0.973078 |
tripod | All of our previous wars will be laid to rest on this page to keep the calendar of events page fresh and easy to navigate. Only the previous event, curent event, and the next two events will be on the calendar of events page so no scrolling is necessary to see all events that pertain to the current time.
Who: The Black Knights plus a relatively large number of Nerfers from the greater Southern California Area.
Who: Clan NARF, The Black Knights, plus several other nerfers from the Greater Souther California area; the starting bookend of the summer Nerfing Season in Southern California.
Who: The Black Knights plus other Nerfers from the greater Southern California Area.
Who: The Black Knights plus a large gathering of nerfers from across the country.
Who: The Black Knights, Desert Storm, Narf!, plus a relatively large number of Nerfers from the greater Southern California Area.
Who: The Black Knights; any who can make it, feel free!
Details: Dress is decent/button-up shirts and jeans (or something similar; basically a little nicer than your average tee shirt and shorts/jeans.) Bring a gift, $10 or less, for our gift exchange (appropriate for anyone, please). If you have not already, please give Falcon a single song request; this will be part of the gift exchange process. Merry Christmas!
Note: Please leave all guns at home. | 2019-04-24T23:57:09Z | http://black-knights-nerf.tripod.com/id38.html | Porn | Recreation | 0.815817 |
wordpress | Christian | The Seed, The Melanin, The Saviour!
WOW WOW WOW 2014 has been one of those years where if I were told in January, what I would experience by December, I would have…………believed it! Because that’s the way life is, but I still would have been in awe of how these random events would fit into a tightly knit puzzle called 2014.
Suffice to say that 2014 has exceeded my expectations of how I envisioned God working in my life personally! With all that has gone on, I feel it necessary to continue my tradition of writing a “Thankful Post” the end of every year just so I remind myself that above anything else. God is Good.
So here are my top 10 things that made me thankful in 2014.
Health – Never underestimate the blessing of just having good health. Many of my Christian brothers & sisters have fallen ill throughout the year & my prayer goes out to them, so to take health for granted is a big mistake.
Chanced Encounters – London, my city is a place where you can meet various people at any given time. I have had the pleasure of meeting really interesting people throughout 2014. Some who have stuck around, others who stayed just for a short while. All with interesting backgrounds & from different walks of life. It really opens your eyes to the world we live in. As Christians, we cannot be closed minded, the world is crying out for truth & as bastions of truth, we have to let the light shine as Christ taught us to do.
Single Vision Conference – I attended the Single Vision Conference in Florida once again this year & just like previous years, it was of tremendous encouragement to me. Not only did I meet so many other like-minded believers, but I got to hear some truly inspirational talks & sermons from people I look up to.
My Heritage – I am thankful that I am made in the image of God of the melanoid variety 🙂 – 2014 has made me more aware of my heritage than ever before, both good & bad. Regardless of everything, I am thankful of who God has made me.
Hobbies – 2014 had it fair share of stressful moments, but whenever I needed to let some steam off, football or running came to my rescue. For those few moments nothing else mattered, except playing for my team & pushing myself to deliver on the pitch or run further than I’ve ever ran.
My Bible – Battered, worn out, highlighted, paper clipped, smudged, bent, ripped……it just gets more beautiful the longer I have it.
My Church – My sanctuary away from this crazy world. God’s house, God’s people.
As I type this, I wince in pain as the fingers on my left hand tap each individual key. A movement I had taken for granted all my life, now provide a little slither of pain shooting down my left elbow, where I have been stitched up pretty tightly. Currently my arm is healing from a pretty severe cut from shattered glass; my attempt to climb through my window (I left my keys inside) seemed like a good idea at the time, but a smashed window and a deep cut prove otherwise.
I received 18 stitches to my arm to cover the gaping hole the shattered glass had left, the piece of glass somehow managed to cut through two layers of skin, arm fat and nerves, just about scraping my muscle tissue underneath. Once the wound has healed, I will be left with a scar on my left forearm for life. A little reminder of my bull headedness!
Now whilst my career as an arm model has ended before it’s even begun, I readily have a sermon illustration for the rest of my life now. The scar will always serve as a reminder of my exploits at that window. every single time I look down at my arm, I will be reminded! A mark of remembrance.
Paul bore marks and scars of a whole other nature to my bullheadedness. He bore the marks of Christ!! We only have to flip back to 2Corinthians 11 to read the physical scars he bore for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now not all of us will face physical persecution, but what about the spiritual scars Paul bore and we should strive to bear for Christ’s sake?
When I mean spiritual scars, I mean marks that tell a story. Who can you point to and say I have left my mark on them in a spiritual sense. You led them to Christ or you helped them in their spiritual growth, you met a physical need or spent time in prayer for your brother or sister in Christ. Spiritual marks!!! Where can you point to and say I have sacrificed my time and energy to congregate and be with other believers, every time the church doors open for services.
If the Lord is gracious enough to give you a long life, would you have borne the marks of a life walked with Christ? Maybe physical, but more so spiritually.
Jesus lived a marked life, a life which showed his actions spoke louder than his words……and Jesus spoke many words, as we see in the gospels.
My challenge is this; just like how Jesus Christ and Christians who have come and gone through history did great exploits, exploits still to this day which shape our everyday living. We should also strive to do great things for a great God. Let us attempt to leave our spiritual marks on a lost and dying world and on lost souls.
Why The LGBT Rights Movement Is Not Like The Civil Rights Movement!!
Speaking with an acquaintance of mine who is a homosexual prompted me to write this post if only to address the rather unpleasant slave trade, Jim Crow, early 20th century era of world history. Somewhere along the line, I guess the idea that the fight for gay rights could or should be compared to the fight for civil rights. This acquaintance of mine covertly tried to link the two movements together repeatedly, as if me being black would send an agreeing nod his way.
Now this kind of thinking is WRONG on so many levels, not to mention insulting to say the least. To compare a God-given right to be counted equal with other human beings, to a movement which seeks to gain equality with the very laws of nature itself is shocking. I’ve read several articles as well which have sought to draw these two together, as if the spirit of those men and women fighting for something they really should not have been fighting for in the first place, will somehow rub off on those fighting for equal rights for LGBT.
1) Homosexuality is a sin, whilst being black or being any colour is not a sin – Now this ends up offending many people who are LGBT, but why does it offend so much? I am told by your staunchest defenders that I should be accepting of the LGBT message, but when I say you should be accepting of my stance as a Christian, I am the one who is intolerant? What? How does that make sense.
2) Colour is an intrinsic attribute, whilst homosexuality is an adopted lifestyle – This one is simple! A LGBT can be of any colour, and are of every colour, any person can adopt a LGBT lifestyle, but what colour God has given you is an intrinsic attribute you are born with. You cannot change it, no matter what you might think to do. This then highlights one of the key reasons why, those who were fighting for civil rights were not just fighting for an adopted lifestyle, but were rather fighting for life itself. If they lost, then there were no alternatives, they are stuck with the colour they are given.
I find it ridiculous that these two would even be uttered in the same breath!! That is all…….now a few thoughts on the race issue!
Personally, I don’t have hang ups about the Civil Rights Movement, or what people of my colour have had to endure through the centuries. Just because I grew up in the 90’s and 00’s not personally facing the stigma of the past doesn’t mean I don’t know about the history, and the not so distant past atrocities black people endured, but I don’t let it interfere with my life. The moment I got saved 6 years ago, was the moment I found my identity in Christ, who I am, is defined by the relationship I have with my Saviour. The past will be judged by God, as well as the sins of all mankind for that matter.
You see the answer to the race problem is simple; the answer is found in Jesus Christ. In fact the word “race” in relation to mankind is not even found in the bible. The word of God always talks about nations, not races of people. A nation is made of many different kinds of people, not the other way around.
The nation of Israel itself, the nation God decided to use to shine the light of his workings to the gentile world was of a diverse mix of people. A nation which similarly were freed from slavery, were warned by God to not mistreat strangers, because they were once mistreated themselves (Deuteronomy 24:17 and like verses etc). Problems began when the Jews started to get an inflated view of themselves, and shunned other races, even their former brethren the Samaritans, because of their mixed ancestry. A problem that still persists today I might add towards others. This was never God’s intention for people to be divided by their colour, rather by nations were we meant to be divided.
Therefore I don’t subscribe to a “white race” or a “black race” etc mentality, I have many friends from different walks of life and backgrounds, our differences are what makes us strong, and builds our bonds as people and as friends. | 2019-04-23T06:35:47Z | https://salaamkamara.wordpress.com/tag/christian/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.414445 |
wordpress | Remember during the 2008 run for the White House, John McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin’s comments about fruit fly research? Let me refresh some of your memories or fill the ones if you haven’t heard.
Over major concerned for an ever increasing US deficit being produced by the United States government, Sarah Palin was advocating priories for spending (eliminating earmarks) which would promote some cutbacks in government expenses as well as future ones while focus on spending the money where it was most needed. And one example was mentioned by her that can under enormous criticism by the liberal media outlets and others and that of course was about fruit fly research in France.
These modules fit exactly within a promising model of genetic organization called “facilitated variation,” and they clearly show that genes are well-organized in expressed clusters. In fact, specific DNA sections seem to be laid out so that they can be mixed and matched between each generation.
This observation is another failed prediction by the hypothesis of evolution which states mutations cause very slow changes within the species and many secularists have to confine their beliefs or assumptions within this framework because there is no other in the realm of naturalism. We as Christians believe in God who is a very advanced being in intellect, so we are not surprised to observe a fruit fly which was made by Him, having an enormous scope of precise organization and variation within it’s genes.
Sarah Palin received a lot of flack for criticizing the research of fruit flies in Paris France back in Oct 2008. I’m not quite sure what part of the research partaining to fruit flies she was briefed on. But I can understand why she said it!
Liberals attacked her saying it’s helping with “autism.” It might be, but how much is it contributing is debatable because other animals are used for the same research. None of them presented a viable explanation to these questions; are fruit flies are more important for the research than other animals? How important are fruit flies compared to other animals (or humans for that matter) in this research?
While this is not really a debate over Sarah Palin’s comment during the Presidental run with McCain, but rather the lastest discovery on fruit fly research which has opened the door for some interesting analysis. It has been discovered that fruit flies have a highly specialized molecular machinery that prevents a genetic disaster.
The machinery doesn’t allow specified parts of chromosomes to touch one another at the wrong times. Yes, not just any part of the chromosome but a targeted area.
“The machines, proteins called condensin II, separate chromosomes by twisting them into supercoils that kink up and therefore can no longer touch.
The question is, could have fruit flies survived without this mechanism? Since evolution which claims it takes an enormous amount of time in various little steps. Without question, this highly advanced molecular machinery in fruit flies has intelligent designer namely; God written all over it!
Why would proteins be recruited to the chromosomes in the first place by an unthinking process by random chance? There is no evidence of naturalism in this discovery. While this research shows design, there is value in studying fruit flies.
Sarah Palin has captivated the attention of the American public at large. One of the segments of American society she has really caught the eye of are militant atheists, who have been accusing her of pushing creationism in the public schools. Their allies the ACLU, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State haven’t been caught up in the fuss.
“Get ready for more fallout over Sarah Palin, who seems to be even crazier than I thought. There was an attempt to rehabilitate her from the accusations of pushing creationism recently, but the counterclaims got the facts all wrong.
So where is the proof that Sarah Palin was pushing creationism in the public schools in Alaska? Wouldn’t you think the Professors in the University up in Alaska would be the first to be complaining about it? Indeed they would have been.
There is no doubt that she will continue such a policy if elected as VP where she believes that creationism should be taught along side evolution, or having children being able to talk about creationism in the schools, but not doing anything about it in her official status.
After watching her speak, and reading about her, she has other agendas in mind as she wants to promote energy policy, special needs for certain children, and cleaning up Washington to name a few. But sadly trying to get creation or more critical thinking in the public schools isn’t one of them. So Sarah Palin though a creationist at heart, is not a political creation activist. | 2019-04-23T01:02:17Z | https://thebibleistheotherside.wordpress.com/tag/sarah-palin/ | Porn | Science | 0.831684 |
wordpress | 1) Working in the real world informs your characters and stories.
A lot of authors and illustrators smuggle elements of the real world into their work (I certainly do). But in order to do that, you need to be living in the real world. Take a moment each day to actively observe the people, places and relationships of your workplace. The smells. The colors. The lighting. That annoying clicking noise Travis makes with his tongue. Throw it all into the stew-pot in your brain and let it cook down into something new. It’s all research for future stories and characters.
Have something story-worthy you’ve picked up from the workplace? Let me know this Friday when we #KTChat!
I’ll go first… check out the shoes of my co-worker, Banner.
2) Making books can be lonely.
I’m a very social human. So when I have a deadline and devote my every free moment to writing and illustration: I get a little stir crazy. Writing and illustration are often accomplished when you’re alone with the page/screen, and sometimes that can feel, well…lonely. Don’t get me wrong, I obviously adore making kids books. In fact, I thought I was the only person who sometimes felt lonesome while creating…until I had other authors and illustrators echo this same feeling. So, remind yourself to rejoice in any day job where you get to interact with actual human beings (or monsters).
And don’t worry, you’ll have time alone with your pages again soon! They’re always waiting for you.
3) Boredom is essential for creativity.
When do your best ideas strike?
4) Your job is paying for goods and services.
So that’s it! Just four simple reminders of why you’re totally allowed to love your day job while simultaneously building your children’s book career and working to put your stories & art in the hands of young readers. What am I missing? I feel I could probably list a dozen more reasons…but I have to get to sleep. Because I have to be at work at 6am. Cuz I have a day job too.
Join Bethany and SCBWI-Los Angeles on Twitter this Friday, April 22nd, from 12-1PM PST to continue this discussion. We’ll talk about our love/hate relationships with our day jobs, all the great questions Bethany posed, and any others you want to ask her. She’ll also do her best to answer questions you leave in the blog comments beforehand. We can’t wait to chat with you!
And if you’d like to learn more about writing an article for #KTChat, find info here.
Bethany Barton is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. Her 2015 book I’m Trying to Love Spiders (Viking/Penguin) garnered numerous awards and starred reviews, including the 2016 Children’s Choice Award 3rd/4th Grade Book of The Year. Her 2017 book Give Bees a Chance (Viking/Penguin) was a 2017 SCIBA Award finalist, was listed in Scripps National Spelling Bee “Great Words, Great Works,” and was featured in the New York Times. Her books have been translated into 3 languages. Her newest book, I’m Trying to Love Math, hits stores this July. Find Bethany at bethanybarton.com or on Twitter @awesomebarton.
Images provided by Bethany Barton.
In high school I created the saying, “If necessity is the mother of invention, then boredom is the father.” Nice to see I’m not the only one who believes that. | 2019-04-19T10:32:52Z | https://scbwikitetales.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/ktchat-with-author-illustrator-bethany-barton-in-defense-of-your-day-job/?shared=email&msg=fail | Porn | Kids | 0.434984 |
wordpress | Sea Salt Eatery | Serving extraordinary fresh seafood, wine & beer daily April through October.
Serving extraordinary fresh seafood, wine & beer daily April through October.
2019 Season Begins April 12th!
SEA SALT EATERY is a SEASONAL restaurant, we open in the spring and close temporarily for business in the late fall.
Reservations are not accepted, we operate on a first come, first served basis. We do not offer catering of any sort as we are a very high volume restaurant with a smaller kitchen and limited cooler/ freezer space. Phone orders are not accepted, however we do offer most of our menu to-go if you come in and order at the counter.
Pets of all kinds are not allowed inside the restaurant. Dogs are welcome on the patio but must be kept on a leash.
There is a parking lot at the main entrance of the park, pay boxes are located at the head of the path that leads to Sea Salt. The smaller side lot adjacent to the round-a-bout is for temporary Longfellow House visitors and Sea Salt staff. | 2019-04-19T05:05:00Z | https://seasalteatery.wordpress.com/ | Porn | Business | 0.690816 |
indstate | Dr. Jennifer Murray, who studies mass shootings as a professor at Indiana State University, said mass shooters have definable similarities.
“These people have anger and they pick a person or a target to fester about and to fantasize about that anger and payback,” Murray said.
Despite having serious disorders, many of those who become a mass shooter stay off the radar of law enforcement.
“They buy their weapons legally, they’re not in trouble with the law. Most people would say, ‘He seemed like an OK guy, but really was off by himself,’” Murray said.
It makes recognizing a potential shooter difficult, even when police have contact with the person before the shooting.
“What we do in training is look at how can we early identify individuals that might need help,” said crisis intervention expert Elizabeth Atwell.
Atwell spent 20 years training Cincinnati police officers in recognizing and working with people they encounter who have mental issues.
“These police and mental health collaborations that are coming up around the country are key to helping people get treatment early,” Atwell said.
Murray and Atwell agree the best solutions to stopping mass shootings will likely come through learning the mindset and recognizing the signs of those who need help before it’s too late. | 2019-04-25T12:37:20Z | https://www.indstate.edu/cas/library/2018/11/experts-key-stopping-mass-shootings-understanding-mindset-killers | Porn | Health | 0.413237 |
dreamhost | Could be any number of reasons, most probably a user permission issue.
It looks like cron.php is web accessible so just use curl http://domain.com/path/cron.php to hit it from any user.
Do I just type following with curl prefix?
Do I need to add following to front?
/usr/bin/ is in the system PATH, which means using just “curl” is fine on the commandline (or in crontab). | 2019-04-19T10:16:17Z | https://discussion.dreamhost.com/t/cron-job-permission-issue/59894 | Porn | Computers | 0.477975 |
wordpress | I cannot believe that Barry Zito signed with the stupid Giants!! I know, I know, that it’s "all about the money" but come on! Barry, or shall I say Mr. Zito, you just signed with a team that has absolutely no "legal" offense. I mean did his agent forget to even take a slight glance at the Giants depth chart? I am not sure that Zito knows that his projected line-up behind him is (according to me): 1. Dave Roberts 2. Randy Winn 3. Ryan Klesko 4. Rich Aurilia (Lance Niekro) 5. Pedro Feliz 6. Benjie Molina 7. Ray Durham 8. Omar Vizquel 9. Pitcher (Pinch Hitter: Mike Sweeney).
And, oh yeah since only 2.2% of Zito’s 222 started games have resulted in complete games, the bullpen in San Francisco matters too. So, there is another reason that Zito picked the wrong team to sign with. So whats is the bullpen situation in San Francisco, you ask. Well, now Zito has the unlucky honor of having Armando Benitez (a.k.a. "Inconsistante!") in the back of the "pen." But, even if Armando can close 20 games or so who is going to finish out the 7th and 8th innings? Well, if I were the Giants my best set-up men would be Tim Worrell (120 career holds) and Vinnie Chulk (32 career holds).
So what would Zito’s life be like with the other teams that offered him deals?
1.Manager: Willie Randolph is the best there in the managing role. Having previous playing experience in the league, Randolph has an advantage over many other managers in the game today.
2.Offense: It is arguable that the New York Mets have the best offense in the National League and most likely the American League, as well. With the line-up that they have and the bench players that come through when needed, to give the big guns a day off, it is hard for any pitching coach to find a way to stop them.
3.Pitching: Sure Pedro maybe a little banged up and Tom Glavine’s social security number may be around 100, but if Zito was apart of this staff, the possibilites for the Mets would be endless. I mean with Billy (Wagpipes) Wagner, Aaron Heilman, and Duaner Sanchez leading the bullpen, Zito would have almost no concern about having his lead lost in the 7th, 8th, or 9th inning.
1.Manager: Dudley Mike Hargrove (a.k.a. The Human Rain Delay) has a 147-177 record in Seattle and a 1143-1140 career record (w/ the Baltimore Orioles, the Cleveland Indians, and the Seattle Mariners). It is safe to say that he can be put on a list of the worst managers in the Majors. Even with the team he is given, he should be able to do a little better than 30 games under five-hundred.
2.Offense: With Adrian Beltre’s huge drop off in the 2005 season, the Mariners payroll was seriously hurt with a player whose numbers in the 2004 season were more than MVP like(.334 average, 48 homeruns, and 121 runs batted in). Now, usually those numbers are worth paying a player 12.6 million dollars for the 2006 season, but after his horrifying performance in the 2005 season it would be a miracle (if he had signed a one-year contract) for Beltre to get 1/4th of the money he is getting per year in Seattle. With Beltre is in the middle of a having mid-life slump, the Mariners offensive leader just might be Ichiro Suzuki. The 6-time Gold Glove winner is a fantasy God for teams looking for a hitter with speed and average. But we aren’t talking about fantasy, are we? So what if Ichiro’s career average is .331, so what if his OBSP is .376, and so what if he has 1354 career hits. None of that matters if there is no one behind him to get him in.
3.Pitching: Well, what can you say? Well, I can say that I feel bad that Felix Hernandez’s career is being wasted in Seatle. There rotation is poor. Washburn could hold up as a 3 or 4 starter, but not a number 2 starter. Jake Woods is some young talent that has not proven himself, yet. And, Cha Sueng Baek is more of a spot starter that should be in the minors for a couple more years. But, with Barry Zito in the picture this staff could easily put the team at least 10 to 15 games over five hundred.
1.Manager: 2-time Manager of the Year, Buck Showalter, is one of the best managers in the league. His 319-329 record is not as good as it could be, but his team’s inconsistent pitching and slump prone offense really doesn’t help him out.
2.Offense: After losing Gary Matthews Jr. to free agency, a vital part of Texas’ offense is gone. A lead-off hitter. With Marlon Byrd in front of Kenny Lofton on the depth chart, the closest thing the rangers have to a lead-off hitter is Byrd. Although there line-up may have a hole in the beginning, the rest of the line-up is filled with guys who can produce quality numbers. But, in the end quality players won’t win a championship.
3.Pitching: The addition of Brandon McCarthy really changed my view of the Rangers, I think they are aiming for a younger team (from a pitching point of view). By now you think I’m an idiot, right? Well sure they have two really old vets in Vincente Padilla and Kevin Millwood. But, if you analyze the moves the Rangers in the last few years, they have been trying young pitchers almost the whole season. And, with having the injury prone Gagne in the closers role, games might slip away from the starters. But, with Zito this staff would have a fighting chance at a wild card.
But, after all of this it comes down to Zitos’s love of money over Zito’s love for the game.
Jeff Bagwell. Hmm… what do I think bout Jeff "brown paper" Bagwell? Well, I think that he is definite Hall of Fame material.
Bagwell is in the top 50 among all Major League players, past and present, in seven categories: HR, RBI, X-BH, BB, SLUG, OPS and OPB.
Bagwell was a four time all-star (1994, ’96, ’97, and ’99.
Cause for retirement: Injury. Injury plagued. Bagwell for the past 2 years of his career. Problems with his shoulder prevented Bagwell from being able to throw, effectively, from first base to homeplate.
Bagwell was my favorite player.
According to mlb.com, Aubrey Huff will be an Oriole (pending a physical).
The Orioles have reported that they have offered a $20 million contract to Huff, and according to Huff’s represenative he has accepted the offer.
Huff may or may not be missed in Houston. Dependng on your point-of-view.
Aaron Boone was signed by the Florida Marlins, to help fill there need for a veteran back-up at first and third base.
The Marlins are paying Boone $925,000 for one year on the roster, but he is able to bring up his paycheck up to $1.275 million if he can meet the stat requirements for the raise.
My comment: This deal is a little insurance policy just in case one of their starters gets hurt.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays announced that they are signing Doug Waether to a Minor League Contract and are inviting him to Spring Training.
My Comments:I think that the Devil Rays couldn’t get any worse, so this signing just adds to their minor league system.
Guillermo Quiroz was signed to a Major League Contract by the Texas Rangers.
My Comments: He’ll be behind two other catchers, waste of money for the Rangers.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have signed Shea Hillenbrand to a 1 year contract with a club option for ’08.
Due to club policy other terms were not given out.
My Comments:After the loss of Juan Rivera, to injury, this pick-up was very smart for the LAAoA. This move will give them a temporary replacement for Rivera and could ultimately end up as a starter over Juan. | 2019-04-20T16:28:24Z | https://mlblogsbagwelljeff5.wordpress.com/tag/signings/ | Porn | Sports | 0.926645 |
wikipedia | 主細胞 較暗 多 較小 製造副甲狀腺素 (see below).
^ Cave, A.J.E. Richard Owen and the discovery of the parathyroid glands (PDF). (编) E. Ashworth Underwood. Science, Medicine and History. Essays on the Evolution of Scientific Thought and Medical Practice 2. Oxford University Press. 1953: 217–222 [2009-07-20].
^ Eknoyan G. A history of the parathyroid glands. Am. J. Kidney Dis. November 1995, 26 (5): 801–7. PMID 7485136. doi:10.1016/0272-6386(95)90447-6. | 2019-04-20T20:10:34Z | https://zh.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%89%AF%E7%94%B2%E7%8B%80%E8%85%BA | Porn | Science | 0.585594 |
wordpress | What are virtual friends? Wikipedia definitions include imaginary, pets, pseudonyms, a non-player character in a game, and apparently there is a song too. They also say, people met online.That is what I want to talk about, to wonder about, and think about how close they are to ‘real’ friends, who are people I have met face-to-face.
But mostly one of the important things about friendship is not-thinking, more feeling experiencing, never mind what it actually is. The sense of friendship can happen anytime anywhere, is not about longevity, not about commonality, not about mutual agreement. This post to wonder about virtual friends is inspired by Sidey, about whom I know little of detail, but much of blogging thoughts, who responded to my Being a Granny post with “what a nice personal view…”.
Sorry this is getting so long. What I need to say, is what I did NOT know when I started blogging.
I didn’t know I would meet people online. Of course I knew strangers could read my blog – it is public – but what happened? Someone responded with interest (she knows who she is). I am both polite and curious, so I replied, and looked at her post, liked it, had a look at the long list of ‘other blogs’ at the side of her post. I liked some of those too. Nuff said, you all know what happened next, I began to follow some, OMG I even got followers on mine [not many – I do not feel competitive or bothered about numbers].
Now, I have virtual friends. People I want to hear about, people who seem to want to hear about me.
What does it mean to feel connected, genuinely connected, to someone I have never met, in many cases have not seen a photo of them, may not even know their actual name? I may not be sure what age they are, what profession they follow, etc. I know well that unconscious mind does not like a vacuum and without some effort to allow don’t know it will rush to create assumptions and fantasies, even expectation, which can be dispelled or disappointed or betrayed on further acquaintance. This is so for real meetings also. So when I say ‘genuine connection’ it is NOT everyone, the same as with ‘real’ friends. [I value my acquaintances too, and colleagues.] Knowledge and acquaintanceship, even liking, is not my criterion for friendship. There is something so far as I am concerned, indefinable in the connection. I think it over-rides the unconscious fantasy and assumption – it connects – across all the possible similarities and differences, it outweighs the lot of them.
Now, virtual connection is sneaking up on me. I didn’t know that it was going to be there.
Zemanta lets me see how lots and lots of people have blogged about friendship – some differently some similarly. We are so fortunate.
Responsibility – whose? – what kind?
I have met so many quality and delightful people since I started my blog. In many ways I feel closer with them than most people in actual life I know. I have often wished I could meet on the back porch with a dozen or so so chatting the hours away.
I am wondering now if what I can’t describe as the connection is simply a mutual stimulation so that each grows a bit? This is happening in the virtual world as well as the real one, but of course doesn’t always happen, nor is it always mutual, it just seems likely enough. I too would sorely miss this now I have started on it.
Virtual friends … sometimes referred to as ‘online buddies’, are just as real — it’s just that we haven’t met them physically yet. Many of my online buddies feel closer to me than ‘real life’ acquaintances. We exchange thoughts and ideas without being affected by looks, voice ..anything. That’s the way I communicated with he who came to be my husband, for several years before we met.
Every now and then I start to follow a new-to-me blogger, but it’s rare nowadays. When I’ve signed up to follow one, it feels like a commitment and I can’t turn this into a full-time job.
I’ve been thinking about this very subject these last few days and was meaning to write about it … The reason being that I see people in Facebook saying things like: «I’m going to clean up my friends list» (?!) One gets the impression that they treat these ‘online buddies’ like lesser human beings.
I think that facebook friends can be a different breed entirely; some folk have thousands of ‘friends’- basically anyone they’ve ever met, and a few more besides.
The virtual friendships are unexpected in their depth- I worry about and for people, I cheer their positivity, I laugh with them, I want to hold their hands when the going gets tough. Although I had been reading blogs before I started my own, I was still taken aback. I enjoy the connections, and really think that’s why I blog at all. At the beginning I just wanted to see what it was like, to try writing a bit, and had no expectations of the blog lasting longer than a week or two!
🙂 5 June You’ll not get a chance to miss it! | 2019-04-24T04:46:12Z | https://elspethc.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/virtual-friends/ | Porn | Reference | 0.379703 |
wikipedia | Max Christian Friedrich Bruch (6 January 1838–2 October 1920) also known as Max Karl August Bruch, was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works, including three violin concertos, one of which is a staple of the violin repertoire.
Bruch was born in Cologne. He had a long career as a teacher, conductor and composer, moving among musical posts in Germany: Mannheim (1862-1864), Koblenz (1865-1867), Sondershausen, (1867-1870) Berlin (1870-1872), Bonn, where he spent 1873 -1878 working privately. At the height of his reputation he spent three seasons as conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society (1880-83). He taught composition at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (the Berlin Conservatoire) from 1890 until his retirement in 1910.
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Bruch, Max. | 2019-04-20T10:45:44Z | https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Bruch | Porn | Arts | 0.526552 |
blogs | Welcome to my fish bowl. I'm not sure you really want to peer too closely as you might see the crusty corners in my glass house as well as a fair amount of mirrored illusions, germ-y creatures and felons lurking within.
The weekend has been surreal, like a dream, but not.
When I finish swimming through the murky waters of my toilet, err, fish bowl, and see more clearly, I'll tell you all the slimy details.
But first: John Doe is fine. He just went for a Valentine's Day excursion. Last I heard, he refused tell his tale, but he was indeed still waggin' his tail.
Next: Mom, I'm ok. But boy do I have a doozy of story to tell you which will make you sick with worry. But don't worry. I'm o.k., now. Let's do the cell thing tomorrow so I can horrify you with all the details.
And sadly, my youngest daughter has the flu--poor child. I told her today, as she shivered 'neath 5 piles of blankets, that no matter how much she begged me to go to school tomorrow, there was no way I was gonna allow her to go. No way, no how. She clung to her 'big pillow' and offered me a pitiful grin. | 2019-04-19T04:28:54Z | https://blueridgeblog.blogs.com/blue_ridge_blog/2008/02/whatcha-lookin.html | Porn | Kids | 0.757397 |
wordpress | It seems really trite to say ‘Jesus is for life, not just for Christmas’ and yet there are so many deep truths that could be unpacked from that statement. I’m going to touch on just one.
As a young atheist I hated Christmas, with its consumerism and ostensibly religious nature. After unexpectedly becoming a Christian, Christmas still held much of the same distastefulness for me for some of the same reasons, its mixed origins and its religious sentimentality that seemed to have little to do with the true message of why Jesus came into the world, with the Bible’s emphasis on the events of Easter rather than Jesus’ birth.
Sometimes I take things far too seriously!
And I suspect that the real reason for my dislike of Christmas was more sub-conscious, to do with unhappy times as a child (see My Life’s Soundtrack).
Having children of my own now (the oldest being 15), I’ve had no choice but to lighten up and soften my attitude towards Christmas. And that’s been a good thing.
I’ve even reached the point of enjoying decorating the church for Christmas (with friends like Shane here)!
But further than that, I’ve begun to appreciate the true wonder of the Son of God entering the broken world of humanity.
My attitude towards Christmas has changed. And I’ve changed because of Christmas, or rather because of Jesus and his life in me. His wholeness healing my brokenness.
To be a Christian is to allow endless possibilities for change and healing.
You cannot be a Christian and remain the same.
‘The Christmas contemplative knows that hope is a gift, an undeserved gift of peace, but that it is also a call to decision – the decision to trust….
‘Hope thrives on the difficult and challenges the conclusion that our only contribution to the world will be, in the words of T.S. Eliot, “an asphalt driveway in front of our home and a thousand lost golf balls.” Hope convinces us that in clinging to a miserable sense of security and status quo, the possibility of growth and greatness is utterly defeated. Hope says that I no longer need to be dismayed over my personal dishonesty and self-centredness and feeble life of faith. That I no longer need to feel defeated, insensitive, and superficial.
‘Because the question no longer is: Can I do it? Am I able? Can I overcome my moodiness, my laziness, my sensuality, my grudges, and resentments? The only question is: Is Jesus Christ able? Can my Savior, the Lord of my life, revive my drooping spirit and transform me at Christmas as he transformed the world through his birth at Bethlehem?
Brennan Manning experienced the enslavement that alcoholism brings. But like many addicts, he learned the secret of admitting powerlessness over his weaknesses and trusting instead in the ultimate higher power to bring about change.
What we Christians celebrate at Christmas (and Easter) is true for us all year round.
Because of Christ in me, I’m still changing, still growing, still being healed – as long as I continue to put my trust and hope in him, rather than in my self-effort. Where do you place your trust?
Jesus hasn’t finished with me yet. And if there’s hope for me, there’s hope for you too!
…and are categorical that the Bible is entirely God’s word, historically infallible, the final authority on everything, and express no doubts about it.
Oh, you don’t admire them? Actually, neither do I. Or at least I would, if I thought that these people were being entirely genuine in their certainty.
But the truth is that I’ve often found people who claim to have such conviction betray their underlying insecurity by expressing their convictions with verbal aggression and antagonistic dogmatism.
If they were so sure, they wouldn’t need to be so hostile in their approach, because they’d be at peace about it. Wouldn’t they?
I’m probably being unfair. I have in fact also met people of such strong faith and conviction, who have no need to verbally gun down anyone who thinks differently.
Personally, I’ve found that as I’ve got older, I’ve become more certain about some things, and less certain about others. And I’ve become more comfortable about being honest with myself and others about my uncertainties.
I enjoy some (very) amateur photography.
Landscape photos are often taken with a large depth-of-field. That means that images of objects both near and far remain relatively sharp.
3) The result is that the post is highlighted even more starkly, undetracted by its surroundings.
1) I’ve become more convinced than ever that Jesus is everything we Christians claim he is: not only saviour, King and friend, who gave himself sacrificially for me, you and squillions of others, but the “key to God’s mystery”, source of all wisdom and knowledge*, and Source of love.
…that life is a whole lot better with him than without him, and that he sets people free from addictions and dysfunctionality by filling them with divine, healing love.
He is my focus, my central point.
2) Other subjects which are often ‘givens’ in Christian teaching, like the Bible’s infallibility, origins of the universe, who is and who isn’t ‘saved’, and issues of sexuality, I’ve become far less certain about. My view of these has become fuzzier in comparison with my view of Jesus, the Centre.
But then, right from the start of my new life (begun some 26 years ago, at the age of 22), in the words of Mumford & Sons’ brilliant Whispers in the Dark: “I’d set out to serve the Lord”. It’s always been Jesus I’ve sought to follow, not Christianity.
3) But far from dampening or threatening my faith, those uncertainties of No. 2) merely serve to highlight the certainty of Jesus in my mind. He stands out against a blurry background.
My love for him – my attention to him – has grown, as he’s become more sharply in my focus, undetracted by dogmatic peripheral issues.
“Peripheral?!” I hear some of my Christian friends cry in shock and dismay.
“But the inspiration of the Bible as God’s word is essential to our understanding of who Jesus is”.
What may be fuzzy and peripheral to me may be clear and essential to someone else’s faith.
The last thing I want to do is in any way challenge anyone else’s faith. That’s not my aim, and I hope these thoughts don’t do that. My aim is simply to promote honesty and thereby increase faith.
I don’t believe in 6 literal 24-hour creation days (although I do believe God created and sustains the universe). But I don’t rule out a literal 6-day creation either!
I have doubts about the historical accuracy of other Old Testament stories (although I do believe that every part of the Bible has something to teach us and is in some way inspired by God). However, I concede it’s possible that it is all historically true!
I have no idea whether hell exists and, if it does, what form it takes. I certainly don’t believe that all non-Christians are hopelessly lost; I believe in a far more merciful, loving and inclusive God. But who knows?
As you’ll see from the statements in italics above, I’m not bashing traditional doctrines or standing against those who hold to them. I’m simply saying that I have doubts about these, I’m open-minded, and will graciously agree to disagree on some things.
Many of us (Christians) try to believe things that we really struggle to digest, while pretending to go along with everything we’re ‘meant’ to agree with!
Continuing the honesty theme… I love that time when Jesus meets Nathanael, and declares: “Now here is a genuine son of Israel – a man of complete integrity” (John 1:47).
And the joy and relief expressed by David when he decided to stop pretending (Psalm 32:2).
And the liberation experienced by those who open up with complete honesty about their addictions, faults and misdemeanours on 12-step courses.
God is all for truthfulness, because he is Truth.
I suspect I’m not alone in these uncertainties – and we could use a little more honesty in our churches – if we’re honest!
A small or shallow depth-of-field may not be such a bad thing, if it means Jesus is shown up more clearly, more sharply, in an atmosphere of openness and honesty than in a climate of pretence and hypocrisy.
What is your spiritual depth-of-field like?
Large – you have strong convictions on a wide range of matters?
Or relatively small, like mine – your deepest convictions are limited to a central focus, while other issues are a bit fuzzy?
I suggest that either is OK, as long as you are genuine in your beliefs.
But this blog is not just for Christians… Perhaps you, dear reader, are an atheist with uncertainties, and entertain the possibility of a deity, like a guilty pleasure.
Or maybe you’ve been turned off Christianity because there are some things about church or its teachings that just don’t sit right, and yet you find Jesus strangely appealing?
In the Bible, when people started to follow Jesus, he didn’t demand that they follow a set of doctrines, but rather that they give everything they had to follow him, in response to his love. He called them to live with a shallow depth-of-field. Is that something you could do?
** You might need to read John Lennox’s excellent book Seven Days that Divide the World to get the difference between literal and literalistic. | 2019-04-25T02:16:37Z | https://rojnut.wordpress.com/2013/12/ | Porn | Reference | 0.353559 |
nifty | （ｃ） 2007 TM Productions Limited and PA Tudors Inc. All Rights Reserved.
記憶の森のシンデレラ～STAY WITH ME～ 第2話 7年後の私?! | 2019-04-22T18:06:40Z | https://entame.nifty.com/douga/o30drm000313001385428/ | Porn | Reference | 0.403564 |
google | Pattern matching means 3 matches categories of a reference pattern stored in reference pattern memory means 2 and input samples of an input pattern produced by input pattern generating means 1. Data statistics estimating means 6 calculates the numbers of input samples in individual nodes of a tree scheme reference pattern stored in the tree scheme reference pattern memory means 4. Node selecting means 6 selects nodes used for adaptation according to the input sample numbers calculated by the data statistics estimating means 5. Adaptation parameter generating means 7 calculates an adaptation parameter in the Nodes selected by the node selecting means 6. Reference pattern generating means 8 produces an adapted reference pattern using the calculated adaptation parameter.
The present invention relates to a pattern recognition system and, more particularly, to a pattern adaptation system for adapting “a reference pattern” constituting a plurality of different categories using “an input pattern” as an aggregate of input samples. It is presently understood that the best field of utilization of the present invention is the speaker adaptation system in a speech recognition system. This system is based on a Hidden Marcov model (HMM) of a mixed continuous distribution model type or the like in which the reference pattern output probability distribution is a mixed Gaussian distribution.
Recently, research and investigations concerning mechanical recognition of speech patterns have been made, and various methods (i.e., speech recognition methods) have been proposed. One typical method that is extensively applied is based on a method called dynamic programming (DP) matching.
Particularly, in the field of speech recognition systems using HMM, speaker-independent speech recognition systems that are capable of recognition of the speech of any person, have recently been extensively studied and developed.
The speaker-independent type of recognition system has an advantage over the speaker-dependent type of recognition system, where the speaker-dependent type is used by a definite user, because the user of a speaker-independent type need not register any speech in advance. However, the following problems in the speaker-independent recognition system are pointed out. A first problem is that the speaker-independent system is inferior to the speaker-dependent system for almost all speakers. A second problem is that the speaker-independent recognition performance is greatly deteriorated for some “particular speakers” (i.e., unique speakers).
In order to solve these problems, research and investigations have recently been started, which concern the application of the speaker adaptation techniques that are used mainly in speaker-dependent systems to speaker-independent systems as well. The speaker adaptation techniques have a concept of adapting a speech recognition system to new users (i.e., unknown speakers) by using a lesser amount of adaptation data than is used for the initial training. The speaker adaptation techniques are detailed in Sadaoki Furui, “Speaker Adaptation Techniques in Speech Recognition”, Television Study Association, Vol. 43, No. 9, 1989, pp. 929-934.
Speaker adaptation can be classified into two methods. One is “supervised speaker adaptation,” and the other is “unsupervised speaker adaptation.” Also, it is understood that the “supervised signal” is a vocal sound expression series representing the speech contents of input speech. The “supervised speaker adaptation” thus refers to an adaptation method in the case where the vocal sound expression series for the input speech is unknown, and requires preliminary instruction of speech vocabularies with the unknown speaker for adaptation. The “unsupervised adaptation,” on the other hand, is an adaptation method used when the vocal sound expression series for the input speech is known, and requires no limit on the speech contents of input speech to the unknown speaker, i.e., no speech vocabulary has to be instructed with the unknown speaker. Actually, unsupervised adaptation using input speech as the subject of speech recognition can occur without the unknown speaker being aware that the adaptation is being done. Generally, however, the recognition rate based on “unsupervised adaptation” after the adaptation is low as compared to that based on the “supervised adaptation.” For this reason, the “supervised adaptation” is presently used frequently.
From the above viewpoint, the need for the speaker adaptation system in the speech recognition system is increasing. The “adaptation” techniques as described are important not only in speech recognition systems but also in pattern recognition systems, the concept of which involves the speech recognition system. The “speaker adaptation system” in the speech recognition system can be generalized as the “pattern adaptation system” in the pattern recognition system.
In the prior art pattern adaptation systems of the type as described, adaptation is executed in the same mode irrespective of whether the number of input samples for adaptation is large or small. Therefore, when the input samples are less in number, then the data amount may be insufficient and deteriorate the accuracy of parameter estimation for the pattern adaptation.
The process of the speech recognition system, which are the most extensive applications of the present invention, will now be described. A speech recognition system using HMM is described as an example, and the speaker adaptation techniques in this speech recognition system will also be mentioned with reference to FIG. 4.
A speaker's speech (i.e., input speech) is supplied to an input pattern generation device 42 for conversion to a feature vector time series for each unit, also called a “frame,” having a certain time length through such processes as analog-to-digital conversion and speech analysis. The “feature vector time series” is referred to as an input pattern. The time length of the frame is usually 10 to 100 ms. The feature vectors are obtained by extracting the feature quantity of the speech spectrum at corresponding instants, usually 10-dimensional to 100-dimensional (10-d to 100-d).
HMM's are stored as reference patterns in a reference pattern memory, device 41. The HMM's are speech (sound) information source models, and the HMM parameters may be trained by using input speech. The HMM's will be mentioned in the description of a recognition device 43 given hereunder. The HMM is usually prepared for each recognition unit. Here, the case of where the recognition unit is a sound element is taken as an example. In the speaker-independent recognition system, HMM's are stored in the recognition pattern memory device 41 where the HMM's have been previously obtained for use with an unknown speaker through training of speeches of many speakers.
A case is now assumed, where 1,000 words are the subjects of recognition, that is, a case where a correct answer of one word is obtained among a set of recognition candidates of 1,000 words. For word recognition, HMMs of individual sound elements are coupled together to produce an HMM of a recognition candidate word (word HMM). When 1,000 words are recognized, word HMMs for 1,000 words are produced.
The recognition device 43 recognizes the input pattern using the word HMMs. This “pattern recognition” will now be described. In the HMM, a statistical concept is introduced into the description of the reference pattern to cope with variations of the speech pattern. The HMM is detailed in Seiichi Nakagawa, “Speech Recognition with Probability Models”, the Electronic Information Communication Engineer's Association, 1987 (hereinafter referred to as the Nakagawa Literature), pp. 40-44, 55-60 and 69-74.
Each sound element HMM usually comprises 1 to 10 states and inter-state transitions. Usually, the start (i.e., first) and last states are defined, and a symbol is taken out from each state for every unit time for inter-state transition. The speech of each sound element is expressed as a time series of symbols produced from individual states during the inter-state transition interval from the start state to the last state. For each state the symbol appearance probability (output probability) is defined, and for each inter-state transition the transition probability is defined. The HMM thus has an output probability parameter and a transition probability parameter. The output probability parameter represents a “sound color” sway of the speech pattern. The transition probability parameter represents a “time-wise” sway of the speech pattern. The generation probability of speech from the model (i.e., HMM) thereof, can be obtained by setting the start state probability to a certain value and multiplying the value by the output probability and also by the transition probability for each inter-state transition.
Conversely, when a speech element is observed, its generation probability can be calculated by assuming that it is generated from a certain HMM.
In the HMM speech recognition, an HMM is prepared for each recognition candidate, and upon the input of speech the generation probability thereof is obtained in each HMM. The maximum generation probability HMM is determined to be a source of generation, and the recognition candidate corresponding to that HMM is made to be the result of recognition.
The output probability parameter is expressed by a discrete probability distribution expression and a continuous probability distribution expression. Here, the case of where the continuous probability distribution expression is adopted is taken as an example. The continuous probability distribution expression uses a mixed continuous distribution, i.e., a distribution obtained by adding together a plurality of Gaussian distributions with weighting.
The output probability parameter, the transition probability parameter, and such parameters as the weighting of a plurality of Gaussian distributions, are preliminarily given a training speech with respect to a model and trained with an algorithm called the Baum-Welch algorithm. The Baum-Welch algorithm is detailed in the Nakagawa Literature.
wherein T represents a total number of input patterns x.
Recognition candidate words are denoted by W1, W2, . . . , Wn, . . . , WN. The total number of recognition candidate words is denoted by N. Matching between the word HMM of each word Wn and the input pattern X is made as follows, with the subscripts omitted unless they are needed for clarity. In the word HMM, the transition probability from state j to state i is denoted by αj1, the mixture weight of the output probability distribution by λim, each element Gaussian distribution mean vector in the output probability distribution by μim, and the covariance matrix of the output probability distribution by Σim. Also, t denotes the instant of input, i and j denote the states of the HMM, and m denotes the mixed element serial number.
The following recurrence formula calculation concerning forward probability a(i, t) is expressed.
Such recognition result words are supplied from the recognition device 43 to the recognition result output (i.e., output of recognized result) device 44.
A recognition result output device 44 executes, for example, such processes as outputting recognition result words to a display and sending control commands corresponding to recognition result words to different systems or apparatuses. These displays, systems and apparatuses examples ate omitted from the drawings for clarity.
In the speaker adaptation by a speaker adaptation device 45 (see the broken lines with arrows in FIG. 4), the reference pattern in the reference pattern memory device 41 is corrected to provide improvement of the performance with respect to unknown speakers. Specifically, training, using the speaker's speech when the speech recognition system is used, is allowed for the adaptation of the reference pattern to the speaker, thus providing a high recognition rate. In this case, the adaptation process is not changed in dependence on whether the data amount input speech (i.e., number of input samples) are great or less, (i.e., larger or smaller) and a certain number of input samples are necessary for adequate speaker adaptation.
In the prior art pattern adaptation system described above, with a lesser number of input samples the accuracy of the parameter estimation for the pattern adaptation is deteriorated. This deterioration is due to the insufficient data amount, resulting in insufficient effect of the reference pattern adaptation.
For example, in the speaker adaptation system in the speech recognition system, in the case of a very small amount of input speech data, the parameter estimation accuracy is deteriorated due to the insufficient data amount. The result of this insufficient amount is that an adequate effect of the speaker adaptation of the reference pattern cannot be obtained, that is, the recognition performance is not improved.
In the light of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pattern adaptation system with a tree scheme, in which the concept of the reference pattern tree scheme is introduced to determine a tree scheme hierarchical layer as the subject of adaptation according to the data amount (i.e., number of input samples), thus preventing the parameter estimation accuracy deterioration in a case of insufficient data amount and permitting fine reference pattern updating (production of an adapted reference pattern) according to the data amount.
In the pattern adaptation system with a tree scheme according to the present invention, for adapting a reference pattern constituted by a plurality of different categories by using an input pattern as an aggregate of input samples, the input pattern generating device produces the input pattern. The reference pattern memory device stores the reference pattern. The pattern matching device matches the categories of the reference pattern stored in the reference pattern memory device with input samples of the input pattern produced by the input pattern generating device. The tree scheme reference pattern memory device previously stores the tree scheme reference pattern which is a reference pattern expressed in a tree scheme. The data amount estimating device calculates the number of input samples in each node of the tree scheme reference pattern in the tree scheme reference pattern memory device. The node selecting device selects the node used for the adaptation according to the input sample number calculated by the data amount estimating device. The adaptation parameter generating device calculates (i.e., produces) an adaptation parameter in the node selected by the node selecting device. The reference pattern generating device produces an adapted reference pattern by using the adaptation parameter produced by the adaptation parameter generating device and updates the reference pattern.
Other objects and features will be clarified from the following description with reference to attached drawings.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a pattern adaptation system using a tree scheme.
The present invention will now be described in detail in conjunction with an embodiment thereof and with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention applied to a pattern adaptation system using a tree scheme. This embodiment of the pattern adaptation system using a tree scheme corresponds to the “speaker adaptation system (i.e., device) 45” in the speech recognition system at FIG. 4.
The speaker adaptation system, using the tree scheme embodying the present invention, comprises an input pattern generating (i.e., generation) device 1, a reference pattern memory device 2, a pattern matching device 3, a tree scheme reference pattern memory device 4, a data amount estimating (i.e., estimation) device 5, a node selecting (i.e., selection) device 6, an adaptation parameter generating (i.e., generation) device, and a reference pattern generating (i.e., generation) device 8.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an example of the process of the embodiment of the pattern adaptation system using the tree scheme (i.e., the process used in adaptation). The process in FIG. 2 can be summarized as comprising an input pattern generation step 201, a pattern matching step 202, a buffer value accumulation step 203, a difference vector calculation step 204, a node selection step 205, an adaptation vector calculation step 206, and a reference pattern updating step 207.
FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a tree scheme reference pattern used in the embodiment of the pattern adaptation system using the tree scheme (i.e., a reference pattern expressed as a tree scheme in the tree scheme reference pattern memory device 4 of FIG. 1).
The operation of the pattern adaptation system using the tree scheme will now be described.
In this embodiment, and generally according to the present invention, the words or sentences to be spoken for the speaker adaptation are preliminarily instructed (e.g., provided) to the user, and HMM parameters are updated (adapted) by using the word expression and input speech. This adaptation belongs to the category of “supervised adaptation” noted above in the sense that the “correct” words of speech are known beforehand.
The data amount (i.e., number of input samples) should be made as small as possible in order to alleviate the speaker's burden. However, the number of HMM parameters is generally large, and if all the parameters are to be adapted with only a small amount of input speech for adaptation, the data amount may be insufficient, deteriorating the accuracy of parameter estimation and recognition performance. In this embodiment, from among the HMM parameters the mean vectors of output probability distribution are selected as a parameter to be adopted. The mean vectors are selected as the adaptation subject parameter in that they are thought to have the greatest influence among the HMM parameters on the recognition performance.
The operation of the embodiment of the pattern adaptation system using the tree scheme will now be described. The operation will be described in succession as (1) the preamble operation to the adaptation, and (2) the adaptation operation.
Firstly, a reference pattern that is stored in the reference pattern memory device 2 will be described. As the reference pattern, an initial HMM is prepared. The initial HMM may, for example, be an indefinite speaker's speech element HMM which has been prepared in advance from speeches of many speakers. Such initial HMM is stored in the reference pattern memory device 2.
Secondly, a tree scheme reference pattern that is stored in the tree scheme pattern memory device 4 will be described. A tree scheme of the reference pattern (tree scheme reference pattern) is produced in advance from the reference pattern stored in the reference pattern memory device 2. Here, the aggregate of all the states of the mean vectors in the initial HMM are considered, and an N-layer tree scheme of the mean vector group is produced. Specifically, the distance between mean vectors is defined, and the mean vectors corresponding to the individual states are clustered according to the definition. In this operation, nodes representing the mean vectors corresponding to the individual states (corresponding to leaf nodes) and upper layer nodes based on the clustering are produced. A tree scheme having these nodes is thus produced (see FIG. 3).
A method of producing a tree scheme concerning Gaussian distribution is detailed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Heisei 6-348292 by Watanabe Takao, entitled, “Voice Recognition System” (hereinafter referred to as the Takao Literature).
FIG. 3 shows an example of such tree scheme reference pattern. In this tree scheme reference pattern, N is 5 and the total number of distributed subjects is 1,500. The mean vectors shown by the nodes (leaf nodes) in the lowermost layer (i.e., N-th, here 5th, layer) individually correspond to the respective states of the HMM; and they are referred to as leaf vectors. The vectors shown by the nodes in the intermediate (i.e., 1st to (N-1)th, here 1st to 4th, tree scheme layers are referred to as node vectors. Such a tree scheme reference pattern is stored in the tree scheme reference pattern memory device 4.
Thirdly, buffers which are prepared for the process in the data statistics estimating device 4 (i.e., buffers used for estimating the data amount of the number of input samples) will be described.
A buffer A(n, m) with the dimensions of feature vectors and a uni-dimensional buffer B(n, m) for adding the feature vectors are prepared. Here, n represents the hierarchical layer order number (i.e., n-th order) in the tree scheme, and m represents the order number of node in the n-th layer. The buffers A and B accumulate data necessary for the updating mean vector for every input sound (i.e., every sound of input speech). These buffers A and B are controlled by the data amount estimating device 5.
As will be described later, the contents in the buffers A and B are updated for every input speech. When a series of “input speeches” (i.e., input samples) for adaptation have been inputted, the reference pattern stored in the reference pattern memory device 2 is updated (i.e., adapted) by using the contents in the buffers A and B.
In the adaptation of the reference pattern parameter (i.e., HMM state mean vectors in this embodiment), the following process is executed for every input sound (see FIG. 2).
First, like the recognition process for which a description in connection to FIG. 4 is to be referred to, the input pattern generating device 1 generates an input pattern from the input speeches of each input speech (step 201).
Secondly, the pattern matching device 3 executes pattern matching (i.e., derivation of the correspondence relation between the categories of the reference pattern and the input samples of the input pattern) through the following processes (1) to (3), thus obtaining leaf vectors corresponding to feature vectors at each instant (step 202).
(1) Using correct word expressions, word HMMs corresponding to the input pattern are produced by coupling together initial HMMs of the individual sound elements. Then, pattern matching between the input pattern and the word HMMs is executed. In this operation, the leaf vectors in the tree scheme reference pattern are used as the individual state mean vectors.
In this pattern matching, recurrence formulae based on the following Equations 8 to 11 are used in lieu of Equations 2, 3, 4 and 6 in the recurrence formulae of Equations 2 to 7 noted before.
The method using these formulae is called a Viterbi algorithm. Here, M is the number of distributed subjects in each state, and bim (xt) is the appearance probability N(xt; μim, Σim) of distribution corresponding to the m-th leaf vector in state i. The distribution order numbers are provided such that they do not overlap in all the states.
i=1, . . . , I; t=1, . . . , T is executed, and the states at an instant preceding each instant are stored in an array Ψ1, while storing the distribution order numbers giving the maximum appearance probabilities in an array Ψ2.
This process is referred to as back-tracking. Through this process, the leaf vectors corresponding to feature vectors at individual instants are obtained.
Thirdly, the data amount estimating device 5 estimates (i.e., calculates) the number of input samples (i.e., data amount of input speech) by accumulating the contents in the buffers A and B corresponding to the individual nodes (step 204).
This process is executed repeatedly a number of times corresponding to the number of speech words to be adapted. In this way, the number of input samples (i.e., data amount of input speech) is calculated.
is met for the first time as during the operation executed for the successive nodes from lower to higher layer ones.
In a fifth process, the node selecting device 6 calculates n′ in Equation 24 and selects node (n′-th layer node) to be adapted (i.e., used for the adaptation).
In a sixth process, the adaptation parameter generating device 7 obtains adaptation vectors Δ(m) using Equation 25 according to the no selection by the node selecting device 6 (step 206).
Through the above fifth and sixth processes, it is possible to estimate the adaptation vectors in a lesser data distribution situation from a certain data amount. The upper layer node difference vector is obtained by averaging the lower layer node difference vectors and are thought to represent broader view changes in the vector space. Thus, in a lesser data situation or in a distribution situation without corresponding data, difference vectors representing broader view changes are used for adequate adaptation.
Data amount increase of the input speech increases the data amount in each node. In this case, lower layer node difference vectors are used to obtain a broader view, finer adaptation in the vector space.
As the method of adaptation vector production, in addition to the above method of “selecting a node and making the difference vector of that node to be an adaptation vector”, the following methods (1) and (2) are conceivable.
(1) Method in which adaptation vectors of a plurality of upper and lower layer nodes are weighted for use.
(2) Method in which the hierarchical layer with the adaptation vectors to be used is selected according to the input data amount for all the mean vectors.
In this method, the adaptation vector Δ(m) is obtained as follows.
where TB represents a threshold value of data amount for all the nodes in the same layer.
In a seventh process, the reference pattern generating device 8 calculates the leaf node mean vectors (leaf vectors) as follows using adaptation vectors produced in the above way, and updates the reference pattern stored in the reference pattern memory device 2 by using the leaf vectors thus obtained (i.e., produces an adapted reference pattern which is stored in the reference pattern memory device 2) (step 207).
Lastly, modifications of the embodiment of the pattern adaptation system using the tree scheme will be described. The present invention can be realized by modifying the construction and operation of the embodiment as shown below.
The pattern matching device 3 in the embodiment uses a Viterbi algorithm as a method of pattern matching. However, it is possible to instead use a method called a forward-backward algorithm. In this case, the numbers of data pieces are probability-based values, and real numbers are stored in the buffer B. Again, in this case, adaptation by a method like that described above is possible.
Again, in this case, the pattern matching device 3 executes probability-based matching, and the data amount estimating device 5 calculates an expected input sample number which is used in lieu of the input sample.
In another modification, Gaussian distribution mean vector difference vectors (i.e., adapted vectors based on the difference vectors) are used as the adaptation parameter. It is a further possible adaptation in a system like that described above using other adaptation parameters, such as Gaussian distribution mean vectors, coefficients of weighting in the distributed state, differentials of these parameters, etc. Yet further, it is possible to obtain adaptation of the above parameters simultaneously in combination.
In a further modification, the method described in the Takao Literature is used to organize the tree scheme concerning the tree scheme reference pattern. This tree scheme organization method, however, is by no means limitative. For example, it is possible to use vocal sound similarities in the vocal sound theory. Furthermore, it is possible to use a probability-based tree scheme, in which the degrees to which sub-nodes belong to parent nodes are shown by real numbers of 0 to 1 and the sum of degrees to which a sub-node belongs to a plurality of parent nodes is 1.
The Takao Literature describes recognition using tree scheme. When using the method shown in the Takao Literature as recognizing device, it is possible to obtain improvement of the recognition performance using a tree scheme by making the tree scheme that is used in recognition to be the same as the tree scheme used for the adaptation.
A still further modification uses a method, in which the reference pattern updating is made after operation concerning all the input speeches (i.e., input of the input speech) has been ended. However, it is readily possible to update a reference pattern by executing the process described above for every sound, i.e., every input of input speech (progressive adaptation).
As has been described in the foregoing, according to the present invention the hierarchical layer in the reference pattern tree scheme for the adaptation parameter (such as adaptation vectors) is determined according to the data amount (i.e., input sample number), thus preventing the parameter estimation accuracy deterioration in case of a lesser data amount and also permitting fine reference pattern updating (adapted reference pattern production) corresponding to the data amount. For example, when the present invention is applied to a speaker adaptation system in a speech recognition system, the accuracy of parameter estimation in HMM or the like is not deteriorated in case of a lesser speaker's speech amount (input speech data statistics), and it is possible to obtain adequate speaker adaptation effects.
Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting.
(h) reference pattern generating means for producing an adapted reference pattern by using the adaptation parameter produced by the adaptation parameter generating means and updating the reference pattern.
2. The pattern adaptation system using a tree scheme according to claim 1, wherein the pattern matching means executes probability-based matching, and the data amount estimating means calculates an expected input sample number, the expected input sample number being used in lieu of the input sample number.
3. The pattern adaptation system using a tree scheme according to claim 1, wherein the input pattern used is a time series of feature vectors obtained through analysis of the input speech.
4. The pattern adaptation system using a tree scheme according to claim 3, wherein a hidden Marcov model, in which the output probability distribution is a mixture Gaussian distribution, is used as the tree scheme reference pattern.
5. The pattern adaptation system with a tree scheme according to claim 4, wherein the tree scheme reference pattern is a tree scheme reference pattern produced by taking considerations of output probability distribution mean vectors in individual stages of the hidden Marcov model.
6. The pattern adaptation system with a tree scheme according to claim 1, wherein the tree scheme is based on vocal sound similarities in the vocal sound theory.
7. The pattern adaptation system with a tree scheme according to claim 1, wherein the tree scheme is based on a probability-based tree scheme, in which the degrees to which sub-nodes belong to parent nodes are shown by real numbers of 0 to 1 and the sum of degrees to which a sub-node belongs to a plurality of parent nodes is 1.
8. The pattern adaptation system with a tree scheme according to claim 1, wherein the reference pattern is updated after operation concerning all input speeches has been ended.
9. The pattern adaptation system with a tree scheme according to claim 1, wherein the reference pattern is updated for every input of input speech.
wherein the same tree scheme that is used for a speech recognition mode is used for the pattern adaptation system using a tree scheme.
producing an adapted reference pattern and updating the initial reference pattern based on the produced adaptation parameter.
(h) generating a reference pattern for producing an adapted reference pattern by using the adaptation parameter and updating the reference pattern.
(g) adapting an input pattern based upon the results of step (e).
14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the distribution tree structure comprises a hidden Marcov model, in which the output probability distribution is a mixture Gaussian distribution.
15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the distribution tree structure is produced by taking considerations of output probability distribution mean vectors in individual stages of the hidden Marcov model.
16. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the distribution tree structure is based upon vocal sound similarities in the vocal sound theory.
17. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the distribution tree structure is based upon a probability-based distribution tree scheme, in which the degrees to which a third plurality of sub-nodes belong to a fourth plurality of parent nodes are shown by real numbers of 0 to 1 and the sum of degrees to which a sub-node belongs to the fourth plurality of parent nodes is 1.
(h) a reference pattern generating unit for producing an adapted reference pattern by using the adaptation parameter produced by the adaptation parameter generating unit and updating the reference pattern.
the data amount estimating unit calculates an expected input sample number, and wherein the expected input sample number is utilized instead of the input sample number.
the tree scheme reference pattern is a tree scheme reference pattern produced by taking considerations of output probability distribution mean vectors in individual stages of the hidden Marcov model.
Digalakis et al., "Fast Speaker Adaption Using Constrained Estimation of Gaussian Mixtures", SRI International Speech Technology and Research Laboratory, pp. 94-98, (1995).
Furui, "Speaker Adaption Techniques in Speech Recognition", Televsion Study Association, vol. 43, No. 9, pp. 929-934, (1989).
Kosaka et al. "Speaker-independent speech recognition based on tree-structured speaker clustering" Computer Speech and Language, vol. 10, No. 1, Jan. 1996, UK, pp. 55-74, XP002049794 *paragraph 2.4-paragraph 2.4-paragraph 2.5*.
Kosaka et al. "Tree-structered speaker clustering for speaker-independent continuous speech recognition" Proceedings of International Conference on Spoken Language Processing (ICSLP '94), vol. 3, Sep. 18-22 1994, Yokohama, JP, pp. 1375-1378, XP002049795 *p. 1375.
Kosaka et al. "Speaker-independent speech recognition based on tree-structured speaker clustering" Computer Speech and Language, vol. 10, No. 1, Jan. 1996, UK, pp. 55-74, XP002049794 *paragraph 2.4—paragraph 2.4—paragraph 2.5*.
Kosaka et al. "Tree-structered speaker clustering for fast speaker adaptation" Proceedings of International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP) '94), vol. 1, Apr. 19-22, 1994, Adelaide, SA, AU, pp. 245-248, XP002049796 *paragraph 3.4—paragraph 5.
Nakagawa, "Speech Recognition With Probability Models", Electronic Information Communication Engineer's Assocation, pp. 40-44, 55-60 and 69-74, (1987). | 2019-04-20T04:44:26Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US6173076B1/en | Porn | Reference | 0.160709 |
wordpress | Mwanza is making me a bad brother. First, mom ships Twiga off to America without letting us have a proper goodbye and then the Internet decides not to work for 3 days so I can’t even wish my big Bro a Happy Birthday. Bad Mwanza, bad.
You might wonder how we know when Twiga’s birthday is, if he was born in the dirty streets of Mwanza. Well, like lots of Tanzanians, we just made his birthday up! Twiga’s passport officially says that he was born March 21, 2011. I suppose I now have some sympathy for those Chinese gymnasts in the 2008 Olympics, because when you’re from a developing country, it’s hard to figure out when you were born!
Anyhow, we’ve got our Internet back for now, so I’ll share some of the photos with you that Twiga sent me from his birthday. I feel terrible that I couldn’t be with him since he celebrated my first birthday with me last year, but mom says not to worry because there will be plenty more to celebrate in the future. Humph, but the future is so far away.
Twiga tells me that one of his favorite activities is playing pranks on Servant Colin, like hiding under the table and turning the Internet off every now and then. He says having intermittent Internet makes him feel closer to home.
And just before he went to bed on his 2nd Birthday (which was actually his first ever birthday celebration AND his first birthday in America), he e-mailed me to say he missed me and that I should hurry up and get there. I’m on it, Tweegs!
Happy Birthday Twiga! Looks like you’re doing fine in the USA! Advice to Tito–Stop calling Colin servant!! He’s being a really GOOD FRIEND!!! Not many men would agree to travel halfway around the world with a cat!!!!!! | 2019-04-26T12:26:50Z | https://titotravels.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/twiga-turns-two/ | Porn | Society | 0.559789 |
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wordpress | Adelaide, the capital city of the state of South Australia, was founded on this day 179 years ago. It was named after Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, queen consort to King William IV. Adelaide is the only Australian capital to be named after a woman. Read more at Exploring Australia and at Australia Tourist Guide.
A chronology of the history of South Australia and its capital, Adelaide, up to 1936, the centenary of foundation is available at Family History South Australia. | 2019-04-25T18:24:10Z | https://thestreetandthecityul.wordpress.com/2015/12/28/ | Porn | Reference | 0.927289 |
wordpress | After more than 75 years, medical questionnaires that patients use to share information to physicians, are yet to innovate. Here’s what our FDA is doing now in regards to this innovation. See the accompanying story link.
Having spent many years in clinical nuclear medicine, and more recently, the neurosciences, I always viewed myself as an innovator. But, when I’m a patient undergoing any type of medical treatment, I’m less forgiving of an industry’s unwillingness to innovate, and their insistence to hold the marketplace hostage for their failures.
Way back in 1997, some 5 years and four failed surgical attempts later to get one of my CNS brain shunts to correctly drain CSF fluid needed for my hydrocephalus condition, I designed a patented a software-based monitoring system & named it the “DiaCeph Test.” It was to be a stand-alone software device. Fourteen years later, the DiaCeph Test still sits on a shelf, while new diagnostics needed for hydrocephalus and many other disorders, are not brought to market. This, and tech monitoring of many other disorders today, could be done via mobile phone apps.
Also, visit your Android or Apple store to see what’s available today.
My frustration boiled over recently as I was passed between physician specialists and a slew of lab and other diagnostic tests. Truly the medical field is failing to innovate both in the collection of relevant patient information, and in IT systems that should be mining patient tests results for the appropriate steps to follow. Widely today, physicians still use the same patient questionnaires that were introduced over 75 years ago. And no to very few clinical apps have made much of a dent in care in the doctor/patient relationship. And with all the money spent in health care in the U.S., and all of the political wrangling over Obama Care, why is no one talking about these key failures to innovate, and the difference it could make in care today?
I’ve enclosed a link to an industry story on the Food & Drug Administration’s new law and guidance regarding health apps. It remains unclear whether these regulations will help or hurt the cause for innovation. But it is certainly a story and topic you should follow, at least if you think there’s chance you might need medical treatment any time soon.
Of course, you could seek alternative medical care for what ills you, such as the drum circles and healing (that I do), or chiropractic, meditation, energy work, essential oils, vitamins & herbs, and energy water, to name a few of the alternative options that are available today. These each have some efficacy in bringing about positive outcomes. But, if you have a serious or more chronic illness, you probably want a more proven medical treatment. But, you’ll need supporting technology to make this all work, and you had better stay atop these developments in the industry, and in Washington. | 2019-04-18T19:14:35Z | https://dollecommunicationsblog.wordpress.com/tag/complimentary-and-alternative-medicine/ | Porn | Health | 0.504958 |
typepad | We are having a lot of fun but are exhausted! Lots of info to digest. Thanks for keeping everyone up to date! | 2019-04-24T19:55:29Z | https://theknittingbuzz.typepad.com/the-knitting-buzz/2010/06/an-action-packed-fun-filled-day.html | Porn | Recreation | 0.549339 |
wordpress | Natural Transitioning™ (NT) was founded by Tristan Skye in 2008. It is the process of transitioning from female to male (FTM) by raising the testosterone levels your body already naturally produces without injecting synthetic testosterone.
In this book, you will uncover years of dedicated research and my personal experience as a transgender man developing this alternative method of transitioning. This second edition is quite different from the first and takes a truly natural, holistic approach, with guidance from naturopathic doctors (from both the United States and Canada), Chinese medical practitioners and herbalists. Not only is this a guide book that will help you transition without synthetic hormones, it is also a guide book to help you achieve a greater health for your overall being.
Natural Transitioning™ (NT) was founded by Tristan Skye in 2008. It is the process of transitioning from female to male (FTM) by raising the testosterone levels your body naturally produces without injecting synthetic testosterone.
In this book, you will uncover years of dedicated research that is documented in multiple medical journals, and my personal experience as a transgender man developing this alternative method of transitioning.
This second edition is much different from the first, almost opposite, and takes a truly natural, holistic approach, with guidance from naturopathic doctors (from both the United States and Canada), Chinese medical practitioners and herbalists.
Not only is this a guide book that will help you transition without synthetic hormones, it is also a guide book to help you achieve a greater health for your overall being, including supplements, diet and fitness.
Fundraising efforts by local groups, the Atlanta Radical Faeries and the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, will be honored on May 19th at the First Existentialist Congregation in Candler Park from 5pm – 7pm.
ATLANTA – The Trans Health Initiative (THI) is pleased to announce the availability of Hormone Replacement Therapy to the transmasculine community. THI’s new coordinator, Sybastian Welch (a trans-identified man and advocate), and new Medical Director are committed to providing consistent and high quality health care. They reexamined protocols and integrated recommendations into the program to help realize the actual needs of the Trans-masculine community.
THI has offered sensitive and affordable health care to gender variant and intersex individuals since 2000. THI is a program of the Feminist Health Center’s Cliff Valley Clinic located at 1924 Cliff Valley Way NE in Atlanta.
The THI program seeks to reduce barriers to health care services and hormone replacement therapy for transmasculine individuals. We offer sliding scale fees and relaxants or anesthesia for lower exams, colposcopies, biopsies and other medically necessary procedures that some clients feel may be emotionally and/or physically intolerable if they were awake.
THI follows the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association’s Standards of Care guidelines and is also informed by Medical Therapy and Health Maintenance for Transgender Men, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). For more information about THI, please visit www.transhealthinitiative.org.
Fundraising by local queers groups helped provide necessary funding for services. The Intergalactic Love Affair (IGLA) is a community celebration-meets-fundraising event lovingly thrown together by the collaborative efforts of the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Atlanta Radical Faeries. The event was conceived as an opportunity to unite the passion and creative powers of a group of friends toward raising funds for queer-minded organizations in the Atlanta community. In its inaugural year, all proceeds from IGLA went to YouthPride to shine a light on the issues facing young queers in our community. This year, the event highlighted an often overlooked group in our alphabet soup – the Atlanta transgender community – by donating 100% of funds raised from this year’s event to the Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC) and their Trans Health Initiative (THI).
The Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, order of the Flaming Sugarbakers are 21st century queer nuns dedicated to the manifestation of cosmic joy through freedom of expression, community outreach, social activism and charitable acts. Their manifest states, “We love expiating stigmatic guilt and spreading cosmic joy. We paint our faces to express the diversity in the community and by bringing our inside expressions out and to reflect the beauty of the people we meet and serve.” The Sisters have been in Atlanta since 2009 and delight in helping our communities through condom ministries, diverse fundraisers and promoting health awareness. They are first-line fighters in the campaign for universal human rights in the queer community. For more information, visit http://atlsisters.org.
The Atlanta Radical Faeries are a very loosely aligned fellowship of friends, family, mutants, and misfits uniting countless queer sub-cultures to foment community through acts of radical self-expression, love, and compassion.
TQ Nation is the #1 Social Networking Site for the Transgender (FTM, MTF, Intersexed) & (Gender) Queer Community! CLICK HERE to Join the Revolution!
Enter your email address to SUBSCRIBE to this *amazing* blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. You know you want to! So, DO IT!
The TQ Revolution · TQ Nation: For US, By US! | 2019-04-25T06:05:54Z | https://tqnation.wordpress.com/tag/hormone-replacement-therapy/ | Porn | Health | 0.443632 |
wordpress | This portrait of Wild Goose Bill was published in the Spokane Chronicle in 1934 and was based on an image discovered in the offices of Wilbur’s local paper.
On the 25th of January, 1895, two men rode a freight wagon along a frozen road leading out of the town of Wilbur. The heavy wheels smashed through frozen puddles and left deep ruts in three feet of snow. Clouds of steam ghosted behind the men and the horse, suspended in the still air. A ceiling of oyster-colored cloud sealed the sky, stained by the weak glow of a sun powerless to penetrate. Few words were uttered, and the men’s faces were set in anger or determination.
It was age pursuing youth that led to this moment, a timeless theme played out this time in the fading days of the American west. One man was realizing that the days ahead featured nothing but old age, that the world no longer saw him as strong and powerful. His dreams of a young wife had been shattered. His days of legend were behind him. On this day the final act of his legendary life was to be played out.
The contemporary view of Ardoyne is cleaner and has more nice cars, but the long blocks of terrace houses look the same.
© Copyright Dean Molyneaux and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
I woke each day in the blue room on the north end of the house, on what the Irish referred to as the first floor. As an American, this translated to the second story, since I climbed one flight of stairs to get there. In the back corner was a cold coal hearth. I don’t think I lighted the hearth all year long. It was dirty and drafty, contributing to a constant chill in the room. Moreover, beneath its scorched bricks was the hidey-hole for the house cash box. But through my window I could look out over neighboring rooftops to the heights of those vacant mountains north of the city and the outline of the Iron Age hill fort atop Napoleon’s Nose. It was a reminder that however bad things got in Ardoyne, the world beyond considered other things equally important.
I had inherited this room from the former house master. Now I held the secret of the cash box. Apart from me, the only other one who knew where we kept the Glencree money was Len, the American volunteer who had beaten me to Belfast.
Oblivious to the true history of the site, my Whitworth College tour mates and I clambered through preserved battle lines at Babi Yar.
In the Spring of 1978 the Whitworth College study tour of the Soviet Union made the last major stop on our visit, at Kiev. As usual, our group was posted to a tourist hotel, provided with buses and a suave trained tour guide, and directed to all the major tourist sites in the area. Having spent the summer before reading some chronicles of ancient Russia in which the origins of the empire of the Rus were placed at Kiev, this was one of the places I most looked forward to seeing.
I have to open this post with an apology for the long absence. A combination of circumstances has me hopping every which way, leaving me little time for writing. I’ll share some of it another time, like the process of restoring a log cabin on the Sauk River of Washington State. Other stuff I’ll leave to your imagination. Just remember I’m a teacher and the end of the school year just passed!
Since one of my subjects is Social Studies and my fifth graders study the foundation of our country, it seems appropriate to observe Independence Day from a family history perspective. | 2019-04-20T08:16:18Z | https://nosleinad6.wordpress.com/category/conflicts/ | Porn | Recreation | 0.214568 |
wordpress | git is a distributed version control system. There are lots of tutorials online to teach you the basics of this great system; that’s not the intent of this post. Rather, I want to share a neat trick I found on another site.
When you move files that have been checked into git without using the git mv command, as often happens when using an IDE and renaming a file, you are left with untracked files, and deleted files.
Nick@Macintosh-3 ~/Desktop/git_example$ git ci -m "Initial commit"
While this pattern is not too onerous when you move just a few files around, when you are in the midst of refactoring you could have multiple files moved into different directories, leading to a raft of these deleted files that need to be manually removed from git. Because they are no longer at the old location in the file system, we cannot use tab completion to help remove the old files; you must type out the full path to the file to be deleted. This can be a big pain.
It is a bit of a pain to remove all of the deleted files individually.
Fortunately, there is a shortcut.
If this is a common enough use case, we can add aliases in the global ~/.gitconfig file to support this.
All credit to the git cheat sheet site that initially brought the ls-files –deleted trick to my attention. Hopefully the alias I have provided will be useful to some people. | 2019-04-19T01:17:14Z | https://developmentality.wordpress.com/category/git/ | Porn | Sports | 0.134852 |
google | Special Items You Need for Your Trip!
Cruising with little ones can be challenging but ultimately very rewarding once you have figured out some of the tricks.
Take a kiddo in diapers in the pools - please just don't. You could take them in the "reef" area where the water is only an inch or two deep, but no further.
For kids under 3, they can still play in the kids club with a parent - this can be a lot of fun especially on port days when there are fewer kids and lots of fun stuff to play with.
Tip your steward a bit at the BEGINNING of the cruise to remind them when nap time is or when you want your room cleaned. These folks are also picking up diapers and toys, so showing them you appreciate their service will go a long ways.
Bungy cables are great for hauling around multiple pieces of luggage and strollers both when in transit and when walking around the ship.
Extra ziplock bags for keeping snacks from the buffet for later.
Inflatable beach balls and other inflatable toys - low weight, all fun!
For toddlers that aren't walking, a clean sheet to put on the ground with toys is a good idea. They can play on the ground and when it's all done, you can lift the sheet up and all the toys are cleaned up too.
We have wedged the "pack and play" that Princess will provide into the closet area to make it darker and allow us to use the rest of the room. In balcony, ocean view, and inside rooms, it fits well. In mini-suites it can make the bathroom door a bit harder to open but totally doable. The picture below is in a minisuite. The bathroom door would be to the right and the rest of the cabin would be through the wall at the top of the picture. The hallway would be to the left.
For additional darkness, we have used the heavy duty magnetic hooks to hang a dark sheet near the portacrib for additional darkness.
Use your card key to "open the door" as you are leaving the room - then you can hold down the handle and pull the door snuggly closed instead of letting it slam and wake a napping kid. | 2019-04-25T06:07:13Z | https://sites.google.com/site/princesscruisesfaq/home/cruising-with-little-kids | Porn | Kids | 0.546286 |
wordpress | The hair, the Lupita, the shoes. FLURVE.
You look gorgeous in that sweater! And I am obsessed with Lupita too, she hast the best fashion I’ve seen in years!
Thank you! ISN’T LUPITA THE BEST THO. DUDE.
Just found your blog through a friend’s recommendation and I love it. This outfit is perfection!
Thank you so much Gracey! | 2019-04-23T01:02:01Z | https://prettyinpdxstyle.wordpress.com/2014/03/10/lupita-sweater/ | Porn | Reference | 0.192898 |
wordpress | The beer pours a deep amber with a thick, off-white head.
The nose is entirely lemon, well lemon with a bit of spice (pepper and coriander). Super citrus though!
It’s medium bodied with a little astringency on the finish. It starts off a bit malty and a little sweet with some of the lemon and citrus coming through followed by a finish of peppery spices that lingers.
This is probably my favourite of all the hop series beers so far, it’s from a hop that I haven’t (knowingly) had before, and I was pretty impressed with its flavours! | 2019-04-25T08:46:56Z | https://drinkyourvices.wordpress.com/tag/single-hop/ | Porn | News | 0.144293 |
wordpress | The day after a storm, a really huge storm, is always light and bright. The paint on the lighthouse survived the storm, not a scratch on its bright white walls.
The lighthouse keeper rose early, refreshed after a good night’s sleep. The driving rain and gale winds had disappeared. The only remnant of the storm was a slight sea breeze, and the shards of timber that scattered the rocks below.
He dressed, and after a breakfast of kippers and toast, wandered down to the beach. Good. Silks. The crates would have protected them, and any where the saltwater had got in would still be usable by Mrs Price, the seamstress.
It wasn’t like the tea. No matter how tightly packed the leaves were, water always got in and ruined them. No. Silk would be worth selling at the market.
He scanned the horizon for debris; planks, metal rivets, corpses. But the sea twinkled benignly in the morning sun. Apart from the crates, the timber below could easily be taken for driftwood. No-one would have thought there had been a ship at all. | 2019-04-18T13:33:02Z | https://randomdescent.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/word-bohemia-september-writing-challenge-day-26/ | Porn | Shopping | 0.975753 |
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