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Shirt: Dad's cast-offsThis old denim shirt has spent many years living amongst the bags of "to be recycled" clothing. So when we unleashed the scissors on them, who would have thought that we would fall in love with it sooo much! Oh, it's previous owner didn't even recognise it after we were done.
Shorts: Zara
Socks: Emilio Cavallini
Heels: Bershka
Shorts: Zara
Socks: Emilio Cavallini
Heels: Bershka
If we've lost you with that bit of rambling.
If the socks worn here interest you in any way, you'd be wanting to keep your eyes peeled! Cuz Accessory of Crime will be doing our first giveaway!! Oh yes, and we will try to make it fun too. Who's up for some fun n' games???
Ok. It's a little ambiguous but, just ... just check back.


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A tiny tornado of tweeting,
as though a nest itself
has taken to erratic flight:
is it their mother who follows,
voice like a rusty hinge?
31 January 20122012/01/31
A tiny tornado of tweeting,
30 January 20122012/01/30
Half-way through the newspaper, the garden encroaches, a slow, bursting flood of green and red and yellow. He keeps his eyes intent upon the pages, but his grip is tight. As the clearing shrinks, his long beard will grow whiter as the pages grow yellow, and when the dark, dense thicket closes over him, he will finish the last page, fold the paper in half, add it to the stack and lay his head upon it once again.
29 January 20122012/01/29
The rain says, "stay; be still,"
and so I let ink follow water,
try to catch the words
that fall from the sky.
birds flock to the feast –
his smile makes the smallest things
into carnivals
28 January 20122012/01/29
The ibis teeters on the highest point of the battered old gum tree, its weight in its wings on the wind, before it surrenders to the gusting of the coming rain. The others, jostling for perches, seem to be cheering or jeering, or maybe they're just trying to wake the legion of fruit-bats, still wrapped in their blankets next door.
27 January 20122012/01/27
Two small stones today. Train travel makes it easier 🙂
One Winter tree, skeletal,
stranded in a verdant rainstorm field –
a picture hung on the wall
of this new home
The ibis,
. long legs half-vanished
. in these impromptu lakes,
like lanky spear-fishers
. before the sails and shackles,
. and probe
. at what the rain washed out
and do not turn
. to watch
. the train roar past.
26 January 20122012/01/26
A thrumming and screeching mass of green, yellow, orange and blue feathers swarms to seed and flower, the garden as lush as had seemed an impossible dream before I flew away. I watch, my skin slick and body heavy in air you can almost drink, surrounded by the eternal tinnitus of cicadas. I dream of a clear head, of movement, of a rockpool high on a forested mountain.
25 January 20122012/01/25
Tapes from the early 1990s
An archive of my youthful heartbeat
Every note, every place I've been
Printed into the patterns of my flesh
A radio telescope trained to a distant star
Reveals the image of our own beginnings

subset: commoncrawl


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Diocese of Central Newfoundland
The word "Cursillo" (kur-see-yo) is Spanish. It means a short course or little study. It refers to a program of spiritual renewal initiated by the Spanish Roman Catholic church in the 1940's. It is now worldwide in scope and has been adopted by other denominations.
In the Anglican Church of Canada, Cursillo had it's beginnings in 1982 and is now active in 25 of our dioceses. Here in the Central Newfoundland Diocese, it was introduced in January 1986 with approval and assistance of our Bishop and at present we have a growing membership of several hundred.
Cursillo weekends are conducted in a retreat setting, yet they are not retreats. Cursillo is an experience of Christian Community, but also a time of instruction in the basics of our faith.
It is a weekend of worship, music, instruction, reflection, discussion, prayer, and fellowship.
It is an instrument of renewal for persons, parishes, and dioceses.
It is a launching pad for Christian action in our world.
It is a support in our world.
It is a support system for Christian pilgrims.
A Cursillo Weekend is Three Days Long
But it lasts a lifetime!
It teaches what is fundamental to living a Christian Life. The May Cursillo weekends begins on a Friday evening and ends the following Monday evening. In October, the weekend begins on a Thursday evening and ends the following Sunday evening. During the three days of Cursillo, candidates listen to 15 talks, five each day, given by laymen and clergy.
There is also Daily Eucharist and Prayer.
The laymen and clergy who comprise the "team" spend weeks working together preparing their talks. It takes careful planning because the time is short and the subject extensive.
The talks cover such subjects as Ideals, Grace, The Church, Piety, Study, Sacraments, Action, Obstacles to Grace, Leaders, Environment, and Christianity in Action. Each talk is followed by a discussion period in small groups.
A Cursillo Weekend is not a retreat. There is no fasting, no long periods of silence and very little solitude.
Approaching Cursillo
Be curious
Be open to what happens in the now
Be honest with yourself as to where you are in your spiritual pilgrimage
Know that no specific response is expected of you
Allow others to respond in their way and yourself to respond in your own way.
At Cursillo
There are no surprises, no secrets.
There is love, not just spoken, but made real
There is an experience of Christian Community.
And above all and over all is the abiding presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the constant awareness of the awesome mystery of His endless love for His people.
PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF – laity and clergy, who are curious, searching, discovering, growing TEAM
Laymen and women who spend weeks together preparing for a weekend and becoming a community.
Members of the clergy as part of the team
Back to Top
Cursillo at a glance
Read our


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Akinobu Mayumi to stay on as manager of Tigers?
by Gen on Jul.26, 2010 @ 1:17 am, under NPB
1:00pm JST
Minami, Sakai, Mayumi, and GM Shoji Numasawa all met for a meeting yesterday to talk about the upcoming draft. It seems they may have also touched upon Mayumi staying on for the 2011 season (although an official decision / proposal won't be made until after the season).
1:17am JST
Tigers' owner Shinya Sakai told reporters on Sunday that the team is leaning towards keeping Akinobu Mayumi on as manager for the 2011 season. Sakai also said that while the details had yet to be worked out and discussed, it only made sense to keep Mayumi on board for at least another year.
Sakai, club president Nobuo Minami, and Mayumi were all scheduled to meet for dinner on Sunday night.
Tags: Akinobu Mayumi, Hanshin Tigers


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Full article from from edition 6
Edward Fox: Listen to the Wind
Wareham is a lovely river-bound town, not grown too much beyond its Saxon Walls, retaining an old world charm. It's a township of bay-windowed shop fronts and thatched-roofed pubs, where bakeries still bake and art galleries mingle with butchers and cafes; a hub of rural and industrial enterprise. It is not, however, the first place you'd expect to see one the film-world's most recognisable faces.
The unmistakable Edward Fox sits somehow anonymously sipping coffee at his favourite table at the Salt Pig. The Times lays two thirds open. His olive-green oilskin looks oddly at home over a red cravat and sky-blue shirt – silver cufflinks peeking out. He appears and sounds precisely as expected, the quintessential English gentleman, yet though the café is bustling, nobody seems to notice him. I cherish it. Not anonymity, like 'don't talk to me' or anything like that, I don't feel that way at all, but to be able to… listen to the wind, really – rather than the babble of humanity, which most people have to do all the time.
Listening to the wind. That's one of the reasons he finds Purbeck so special. Clearly, he genuinely cares about The Way Things Are Going, and has plenty to say on the subject. Recently, a local council meeting heard his views; I told them – people come to Wareham to get away from supermarkets and all the ugliness of modernity. They come to get away from it. They go out westwards where they can see the great flood plains for themselves – take that away from people and you're taking life away.
This is an important point. He describes an all too familiar pattern of coagulating conurbations. I grew up in Sussex, fifteen miles north of Brighton. This was during the war. So my upbringing was in the country. After the war, quite quickly, Crawley, which was a market-town, became a suburban town… There is now a thread of terrible buildings for people to live in, built on green-field sites all over the county. Sussex is where I would think of as being one's heart's-home, I suppose, but it has completely changed. I only like the country, and the wilder and unadulterated and untouched in the wrong way by man, the more I like it… The predations on nature since the end of the war are catastrophic. So I'm all for the wild.
I think it's terribly bad, the influence of modernity on children – family breakdown, social disruption, emotional disturbances – it's happening. The only cure for that, when you're young, is to be able to experience the truth of nature – within which they live.
It was his connection with the land, rather than the studio, that bought him to settle Purbeck. We used to come and stay, Joanna and I and our daughter (Emilia), at the white house in Kimmeridge, which was then owned by an actress friend who let it to friends for a week or two in the summer. And I thought, this is again the country I remember – different to Sussex, but it is the country I remember.
Not surprisingly, Edward plays an active role in his community. He is a leading light in the campaign for the establishment of a national park across East Dorset and Devon and a long standing supporter of the Purbeck film festival. I think it's really wonderful, what they're doing. It's terrific. Pressed on his role, he laughs. I've no idea! I don't know whether I'm a patron or what. All I know is I'm a supporter, a whole-heated supporter. That's the only useful thing you can be, really. He imparts sage advice. I wouldn't make it too big. It I'd keep it within the limits it's supposed to be – joyful and interesting.
'Joyful and interesting' are good words to describe both Edward and his career. His professionalism was shown not to be wanting as recently as 2013 when called upon at the last minute to cover for Robert Hardy, playing Churchill in the West End premier of The Audience. I'd like to retire in a way, but if you're an actor, and you can still learn the lines, and people still want you to get up there – and you've got to earn a living sometime… A typical week? If I'm not filming, if I'm not in the theatre: Well, for example, this Monday I'm attending a fabulous dinner at which I'm a guest of the Queens Bodyguard of the Yeoman of The Guard – well, those sort of things only happen to you because you're an actor and that's sort of part of your life. I'll perhaps meet the director of my play that I'll probably do later in the year – there'll be four or five things during the week that have to be done and they can only be done in London.
London is work, he states, then ponders for a moment. You know, in London, I think people have become, sort of, slightly mad. Because of the way society has been developed. I think they've gone slightly off their heads – in vast numbers, actually – and it's all because they have no time to know about being alone within the vastness of nature. They have no chance to know that, and without it… The balance is within the human soul itself, which requires a controlling element by the reasoning human, who has that ability. It's very easy for the human mind to go off course, but 'Our fates, dear Brutus, lie not within our stars, it is within ourselves that we are underlings'. (Cassius, Julius Caesar)
Now we approach 'the craft'. As an actor you get to learn whole swathes of Shakespeare which for some curious reason stick in your brains. It's the equivalent of a violinist having a violin which they pick up all the time and practice with; it's your practice instrument. When did he pick up acting as a vocation? The monkey on your back? Oh, at about twenty-four; quite late in life, really. If you're in front of an audience that isn't particularly interested in the play or you or anything else about it but you know you've got them held by whatever it is you're doing or saying – or conveying, that is the monkey. It's not like a drug or anything, you just think, well I perhaps begin to know how to do this stuff. I suppose I always used to think that it was, in a funny way and especially with the theatre, a form of dual education – for the audience and also for the player, because it's a communication. If the theatre is striving to be an art, that is a valuable function.
I believe in expression, he says with feeling. Without communicative expression – you're stitched. And the more it is developed in the human the happier he becomes, because relating to ideas and other human beings becomes so much easier. I'd teach English to children big-time if I were in charge of schools, teach their own language to them, not the new-fangled rubbish of advertisements and that sort of rot.
Communication and empathy underpin what he sees as the true value of the performing arts. Within two hours, a good playwright will take you through the lives of perhaps five or six people, just by the skill of playwriting, and you'll come away feeling you know a lot about the truth of people's lives. That's the point of the theatre, to take the audience away from its own thoughts and kind of redirect it back again.
There's a lovely story that Fred Zinnermann told me, Fred was the director of Day of The Jackal – a marvellous director – and he gave Marlon Brando his first job in a film called The Men (1950) as a soldier who became paraplegic. At the end (of filming) the real paraplegics, who were also in the film, seeing Brando act, said to Fred – 'How did you find a paraplegic who could act so well?' Now that, to me, is acting
If you think of the really fine films, say Great Expectations, the actors are in that for a start, but Lean manages to make them jump out of the screen at you. That's a combination of the director and the actors… So, who are his favourite directors? Fred, definitely (Fed Zinnermann, Day of the Jackal), and Jo Losey (Joseph Losey, A Doll's House), and I've worked with other wonderful directors like Guy Hamilton (Battle of Britain, Force 10 From Naverone).
What of The Battle of Britain? A lot of good people in it. Precisely the laconic reply you'd expect from Pilot Officer Archie. It was a big number. Technologically ahead of its time. They made early use of what is now called the blue-screen technique. There weren't that many Spitfires or Messerschmitt's flying around so they had to be multiplied for the film. This was a brilliant invention, done in British film studio laboratories, to create the effect of multiple aeroplanes… He speaks affectionately of the WWII pilots who coached the cast, especially his advisor, a dear fellow called Ginger Lacey (Squadron Leader James Harry 'Ginger' Lacey DFM & Bar), a very brave air ace… he was with the squadron that I was in. Yet it never occurred he was a part of film history.
It was a time when films like that were being made over here. It didn't change my life at all. It was very nice that it seemed to come on for the watching public – it sounds a bit trite but it's true, it's the audience that matters. People still come up to me today and say they really liked Day of The Jackal (1973), and that was a long time ago. When people say that, I think, well…
It was marvellous to be able to do it.


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1Sky Policy Update 7/6/2010 - Senate Home for Recess, Then Back to Work for Four Weeks
1Sky Policy Update 7/6/2010 - Senate Home for Recess, Then Back to Work for Four Weeks
By Jason Kowalski
The packed legislative calendar and upcoming November elections make July a crucial month for addressing clean energy and climate legislation. Senate Democrats and the Obama Administration remain committed to pivoting off of the oil disaster in the Gulf and passing a clean energy bill, but a concrete legislative package has yet to emerge in the Senate.
Senate Time line:
- 7/3-7/11: Independence Day Recess
- 7/12-8/6: Four weeks of floor time for Gulf Response, Climate and Energy, and Elena Kagan's Supreme Court confirmation
- 8/7-9/12 August Recess
Senate Climate Bill Update
President Obama met with a bi-partisan group of Senators at the White House last Tuesday to discuss a path forward on comprehensive legislation. The President and others reiterated the need for a price on carbon, but participants did not address specifics. Senators like Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are saying that the silence on details from Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) and President Obama makes negotiations on legislation difficult. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) has been identified as a possible leader for stitching together a comprehensive energy and climate package, but that role is complicated by his preference for passing energy-only legislation (ACELA, S.1462). While some have argued the the Senate can pass a comprehensive bill after the elections in November, Senator Bingaman thinks whatever will be signed into law this year must be finished up by August recess. Senator Bingaman has been working on his own utility-only bill and has been discussing details with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
"We have a draft proposal, but we have not introduced anything; I don't have any immediate plans to do so," Bingaman said on a conference call after the meeting [with President Obama].
Bingaman said he thinks there are ways to design Kerry-Lieberman or a "cap and dividend" bill from Senator Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator Collins (R-ME) to have them focus solely on the utility sector.
- Senator Bingaman's utility-only bill aims to cut utility emissions 17% below 2005 by 2020.
- Senator Bingaman's energy-only bill (ACELA, S.1462) could do more harm than good.
So far Senator Snowe is the only swing vote on climate to be publicly swayed by a "utility-only" cap, but some hope she may be able to court Republicans from the Northeast by using RGGI as a model for a national program. Senator Snowe has been working behind the scenes for months to encourage both sides of the aisle to consider a cap on carbon emissions. Other than positive remarks from Senator Snowe, there is no evidence suggesting that moving from an economy-wide cap to a utility-only cap will significantly change the politics in the Senate and swing enough votes to stop a filibuster. Even an unambitious utility-only approach is facing hostility from most Senate Republicans. Some moderate Democrats, including Senator Dorgan (D-ND), Senator Lincoln (D-AR), and Senator Rockefeller (D-WV) are concerned with even a scaled-back utility-only climate bill. Nonetheless, the Obama Administration and Democratic leaders like Senator John Kerry (D-MA) have announced their willingness to pursue a utility-only approach.
According to E&E News, Administration officials like Secretary of Energy Steven Chu have been supportive of a utility-only cap for the last four months. Also, according to electric utility industry lobbyist Scott Segal, the electric utility industry is demanding concessions beyond a utility-only cap. They will also want exemptions from upcoming EPA regulations to curb smog, soot and mercury emissions, as well as other hazardous air pollutants and coal ash waste. Both parties see the BP Gulf Disaster as an opportunity in a contentious election year, which puts pressure on Democrats to pass legislation.
NRDC's Dan Lashoff has a helpful blog explaining the difference between capping utilities versus including multiple stationary sources, like heavy industry or natural gas heating.
Senator Robert Byrd's Death
With the death of Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), the Democratic caucus is now two votes short of breaking a filibuster which will make their entire legislative agenda more difficult. Byrd's replacement is likely to be more sympathetic to the coal industry than the late Senator given the political leanings of Governor Joe Machin (WV), who will be appointing a replacement until a special election in 2012.
BP Oil Disaster Update - Day 78
The BP Drilling Disaster is now the worst Gulf spill in history. According to recent estimates, more than 140 million gallons of crude have leaked into the Gulf, surpassing the Ixtac disaster off the coast of Mexico in 1979. The gusher continues to spill up to 2.5 million gallons per day. Hurricane Alex, the first of the season, wreaked havoc on clean-up operations in the Gulf of Mexico forcing oil-skimming boats to the docks and spilling oil over protective booms. The rough seas from Hurricane Alex spread oiled-waves onto beaches that had not seen oil in weeks and crippled clean-up operations even though it was more than 500 miles away.
Incredible photos of "Hands Across the Sand" events keep coming in from across the globe. Our friends at 350.org have a great collection of Hands Across the Sand photos on the facebook group "1,000,000 Strong Against Offshore Drilling.".
Prepared by Jason Kowalski and Gabe Elsner from the 1Sky Policy team. Please direct questions or comments to email@example.com
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It's pretty rare for a school board election to attract attention beyond the borders of the parish involved, but that's not the case with this year's heated contests in Lafayette Parish.
Across the state, other school boards are before the voters, but the Lafayette races are important as precedents for how much power a local superintendent has. Those races could influence an ongoing conflict between Superintendent Pat Cooper and the majority of the current Lafayette board.
The root of the issue is in Act 1, the law passed in 2012 at the behest of Gov. Bobby Jindal and a number of education reform groups. The law is being challenged in the courts on procedural grounds but remains in force.
One major goal was to eliminate what school reform groups called "micromanagement" of schools by elected board members.
Act 1 gives superintendents broad powers over hiring, firing and promotions of school employees. The law eliminates long-standing provisions for school board approval of most personnel decisions. In the past, some board members have treated schools in their districts as virtual fiefdoms, requiring personal approval of employee changes.
The goal of reformers in Act 1 is that the elected officials act as overseers, a board of directors if you will, but the day-to-day decision-making in the schools is left to professionals.
Cooper is one of the state's most distinguished superintendents, and he has spearheaded a successful effort to turn around some of the system's worst-performing schools. We agree with Brian West, one of the Lafayette board candidates in the Nov. 4 election: "We may not be where we want to be now," West said of local schools, "but we're not where we were."
That said, there is no question that Cooper's initiatives have rubbed a majority of the outgoing board the wrong way. We hope that a new board will support and extend his turnaround plan, but the broader issue for other school boards is less about the merits of the turnaround plan than Cooper's aggressive use of the powers given him under Act 1.
There are other issues in Lafayette, including the impact on the traditional system's budget of new charter schools. But if a superintendent like Cooper takes on the controversial responsibilities given him under Act 1, is that a precedent for other superintendents to be more powerful in the often-delicate balance between board members and their chief executive?
The hiring and firing of superintendents remains in the hands of elected board members in most parishes. State law before Act 1 generally directed that board members not be micromanagers of the schools, but — depending on the parish and depending on the superintendent's prestige or lack thereof — that wise policy was often enough violated by political interference.
We hope that Lafayette Parish voters will elect a new board committed to the tough but very promising action promised in Cooper's turnaround plan. But it's certainly true that whatever happens, the consequences for Act 1's operations in other parishes will be noted beyond the boundaries of Lafayette.


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Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting has not weighed in on the fate of a fintech charter yet, but the ball is now squarely in his court.
The agency that Otting was just appointed to run scored a victory earlier week when a judge dismissed a lawsuit from the New York Department of Financial Services, which had challenged the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's authority to create a charter for fintech firms.
But that victory may set up future legal challenges. U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said the case was merely premature since the OCC has not actually granted a charter yet. That raises the prospect of the case returning if the OCC moves ahead. Meanwhile, a separate legal challenge by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors is still pending.
Former acting Comptroller Keith Noreika, who was at the helm of the agency when the lawsuit was filed, said the decision is a benefit to the OCC, which can now focus on which direction it wants to take with the fintech policy without having to simultaneously fight the case.
"This sort of takes a little of pressure off the OCC so they can decide how they want to proceed," said Noreika. "The judge did the right thing. There wasn't anything yet there to decide."
Yet others said the decision really just kicks the can down the road, especially if the OCC decides to charter fintech firms.
"If the OCC actually proceeds to finalize the requirements and decides to offer charters, the NYDFS will be able to file a new suit and the process will begin anew," Brian Knight, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, wrote in a blog post. "In other words, a NYDFS lawsuit has not been removed from the realm of possibility, only delayed; a potential lawsuit sits like a landmine in the OCC's path."
The mere possibility of granting bank-like powers to fintech providers such as online lenders or nonbank payments companies has opened a can of worms. The OCC's policy proposal, which was first unveiled by former Comptroller Thomas Curry, not only reveals fissures between the federal agency and states — which now regulate fintech firms — but also raises more competitive questions for banks trying to keep pace with nonbank rivals.
Observers are also watching for whether the dismissal of the N.Y. DFS case will impact the separate lawsuit brought by CSBS, which sued the OCC in April. Both lawsuits argued that the National Bank Act did not provide the agency with statutory authority to create a special-purpose charter for fintech firms.
Some expect the CSBS suit could be dismissed for the same reason as the DFS case was — because the OCC has not taken any action yet on a fintech charter. But that scenario means continued uncertainty over the OCC's legal backing to proceed.
"If the CSBS lawsuit also gets dismissed for a lack of jurisdiction, then the question of whether or not the OCC has the authority to issue special purpose non-depository charters is up in the air," said Knight, of the Mercatus Center, in an interview.
Both N.Y. DFS and the CSBS have claimed that the National Bank Act gives the OCC the authority to charter only those firms engaged in the "business of banking." The states claim that the OCC would need "specific Congressional approval" to create a charter for non-depository institutions.
Margaret Liu, a senior vice president and deputy general counsel at CSBS, said in a statement following the dismissal of the N.Y. DFS suit that the states are confident the courts "will determine that Congress has not given the OCC this authority."
But both Noreika and Curry have said the OCC has the legal power to offer a fintech charter. They cite an amendment to a 2003 final banking rule that provides that a national bank "may be a special purpose bank that limits its activities to fiduciary activities or to any other activities within the business of banking."
The states' argument is also complicated by the fact that the OCC rule they are citing became effective in 2004, and has a six-year statute of limitations under the Administrative Procedure Act.
States have argued that a fintech charter would preempt their authority to impose consumer protection requirements, such as usury caps, on fintech companies seeking to get a national bank charter.
The states also have a financial incentive since their operations are funded, in part, by assessments levied on state-licensed financial institutions. If a fintech firm received an OCC charter in place of a state license, it would deprive the states of operating expenses, state regulators claim.
In dismissing the N.Y. DFS lawsuit, Buchwald said the department was challenging the charter too early in the process.
"Claims are not ripe if they depend on the occurrence of contingent future events that may never occur at all," the judge wrote.
She suggested that the OCC should provide N.Y. DFS "with notice as soon as it reaches a final decision given DFS's stated intention to pursue these issues and in consideration of potential applicants whose interests would be served by the timely resolution of any legal challenges."
That is seen as meaning that a legal challenge to the OCC's fintech charter will still come up at some point.
"There is no indication that the OCC was infinitely ready to use it for a fintech charter, so the question becomes, when the OCC is open for business to grant a fintech charter, it allows [the states] to come back and challenge based on the merits," Noreika said.
In the meantime, the OCC has some options. The agency could issue final agency guidance on a fintech charter or it could grant a fintech license and then the states would file suit again.
"The OCC is going to have this choice either of fighting to protect their authority or telegraphing and acknowledging that they don't have the authority to do this," Knight said. "If the OCC views the fintech as something they're not into, they also can just let it sit."
Alhough the OCC has been actively talking to potential fintech applicants, Norieka said there were only a few good candidates, and the granting of a charter would be at least "probably a year off."


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Now I get why people keep their house-hunting adventures to themselves. Every other day they'd have to update you with "Just kidding, our buyer pulled out," and "Just kidding, someone already made an offer on the house we were preparing to make an offer on," and "Just kidding, we actually did find the perfect house but someone also made an offer on it about six minutes before us so we made a backup offer, but since we have no buyer for our house and we're in 2nd place it's not extraordinarily likely that we'll get it."
And when you try to drown your woes in buying furniture, the sofa you loved is gone and the table you want isn't sturdy enough to hold a square dance on and may (100% certainly) get scratched, and thus gets vetoed.


text:
Product Description
Replacement Polaris RZR Front Grill. CNC laser-cut out of .063 Aluminum, and will not rust. Bolts in, instead of snapping in. (Some aftermarket and stock grills snap in and end up falling out). High strength front grill prevents rocks and large dirt clumps from damaging the radiator. The wide open design provides increased air flow. We have the ability to design just about anything into one of our grills. Just contact us with your design, and we will take care of it.


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Spotlight 77: Meet Alexandra Leisse!
What inspired you to pursue a career in IT?
I had always been fascinated by computers. When I came out of school, I considered studying computer sciences. I wasn't particularly good at anything that had to do with math, though, so I didn't dare.
Instead, I put my efforts into coloratura. But I kept tinkering, and at some point, it was the most logical step to take. I love to make things, and I can spend countless hours on the general topic technology: reading, sketching, tinkering.
What does your working day look like?
First things first: coffee. Then I make my way through emails, Github issues, and the chat backlog. After that, it depends on the day.
Currently, I am working a lot in Sketch to mockup our new interface. Other days, I write sticky notes, sketch on paper, do customer support and user research, or I jump into my editor and code until I'm happy with how the app looks and feels.
We have a lot of discussions around features, existing and new, and how to solve problems we encountered when talking to customers and in product demos.
What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
Hands down, Ardoq, the application I am currently employed to work on, is the coolest as far as projects go. We're so few colleagues, and we all have to wear multiple hats, all the time. I am constantly pushed outside my comfort zone, have to get up to speed on new topics quickly, and have a lot of personal freedom. At the same time, we're solving real problems for real people. It's a lot of hard work, but it's also very satisfying.
Enterprise software may not be the coolest thing ever but it's challenging, and there is an opportunity to make a real impact on a lot of people's workday.
Why do you love working in IT/Tech?
There is so much to learn! It's exciting. I never feel like I can get to the bottom of things, that there is so much more to explore. I love to learn, and I love that there are so many different aspects I can explore. It never gets boring.
Do you have a degree in IT? If so, what taught you the most? And if not, did you miss some important knowledge?
I got my master's degree in opera and stage performance, so everything I know about technology, I had to learn myself. I worked hard to close as many knowledge gaps as possible, but I still sometimes feel inferior to people who have degrees in more relevant fields. Designers seem so obsessed with their "official" process, which often makes me feel like I'm making stuff up as I go along.
Of course, this isn't true. I try not to beat myself up about it anymore.
What would be your advice to everyone who is interested in a career in tech? (or learning to code?)
I have a little story for you.
I did a research study on mobile developers, in which I charted out what their workflow and environment looked like. I did a number of observations where I sat in a corner and just watched what people did.
The first one was at an iOS developer's office. I sat and took notes as he switched back and forth between XCode, the online documentation, and StackOverflow. When I asked him about it, why he would spend so much time googling and looking up solutions, didn't he know this stuff?, he just laughed, and said: of course not, it's different every time, and why would I remember all the API calls anyway if I can simply look them up? I was baffled. I thought developers came up with everything by themselves.
I have been much less intimidated ever since.
So, if you're interested, do it! Just try it out. There is practically nothing you have to lose, and you're probably over-estimating what everyone else knows.
Could you tell us something about Rails Girls Oslo?
I had been eyeing the Rails Girls movement for a while, and I really liked the "franchise concept". I had been to a number of events related to women in tech in Oslo, but I missed something with a stronger focus on programming. I couldn't find anything.
That's when I decided I'd run with it myself.
It still took me almost two years from the decision to execution, but the sheer amount of sign ups we got proved that Oslo needs this kind of community. In the meantime, Django Girls have arrived as well, which is fantastic!
I only managed to get one single event off the ground so far, but I'd definitely like to do it again. So if you're interested in helping out, and you're in the area, hit me up.
Extra question from Besma: Do you ever look at your older code? How does that make you feel?
Most often, I first feel confused because I have no idea what I was thinking. And then it makes me laugh. What was I thinking!?! But it also makes me feel proud because I have made such immense progress since I wrote it. I am constantly improving.


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Several smaller packets are better than one large container.
Ordinary plastic bottles should be drunk and replaced every six months.
Special aseptic packaging lasts up to five years.
Select food you like (that doesn't incite thirst): you may have to eat it someday! Note the shelf-life of the food you select; eat it and replace it before it expires. Choose food that will not require cooking, when possible.
First-aid kit:
First-aid kits come in a wide variety of sized and prices. Choose what is right for you, considering how many people it should serve, your and their medical needs, and where you are keeping the kit. Essential medications/ eyeglasses/ hearing aids. Store an emergency supply of medication in your go-kit.
Medications such as some insulin's should be kept in refrigeration until needed.
Keep a spare pair of glasses or a hearing aid in your kit, along with a prescription.
AM/FM radio (with extra batteries):
Radios are available that use batteries, solar power, or a dynamo (hand crank). Some have two or three of these options, as well as a power cord. Small, battery-powered radios are generally the least expensive.
Mylar blankets (space blanket):
Mylar blankets are fairly inexpensive, effective at retaining warmth, and very compact and lightweight. They are ideal for disaster supplies.
Flashlight (with extra batteries):
In addition to helping you see, flashlights help you be seen. Flashlights make a useful signaling tool over distances for the hearing impaired. Consider using one flash for "yes", two for "no", three for "SOS". Like radios, flashlights are available that need no batteries, generating power as you squeeze the handle. These models naturally cost more, and are only useful for someone with moderate hand strength. Under some circumstances, electrical devices, including flashlights, can pose a fire danger if there is flammable gas in the surrounding air. Most flashlights are not sealed against this possibility. If you live or work in an environment where such a gas leak is a potential danger, consider buying an MSHA-approved light.
Several light layers are better than heavy or bulky items.
Use a solid, metal or strong plastic whistle. Like flashlights, whistles can make excellent signaling devices. If you need to call for help, a whistle will carry further and last much longer than your voice.
Comfortable/sturdy shoes:
Use comfortable shoes you have already worn, with good treads and waterproofing.
Duct tape & Garbage bags (plastic bags):
Garbage bags and duct tape, used together, can solve a surprising number of problems. Some examples of their many uses:
Tissues/Toilet paper:
Store in a see-through sealable sandwich bag to protect from moisture and dirt. Deck of cards, book or something to help pass time Face masks/dust mask/Bandana or cloth to cover your mouth and nose.
If you need to protect yourself from airborne particles, make sure to wet the cloth you use.
Pocketknife/ Scissors:
Pocketknives and scissors are very useful tools, and like all sharp objects, should be used with care. Ensure that children and people with reduced dexterity have proper supervision or support.
Copies of important papers:
ID, credit cards, insurance policies, etc. Store in a see-through sealable sandwich bag. To protect yourself against theft, use a simple code on any of your important numbers (such as bank account, credit card, or insurance policy numbers). Something easy for you to remember, such as adding one to every digit, will make it very hard for a thief to get your information.
Cash and coins:
Money for general use - ATMs need electricity - and coins for payphones.
Paper and Pens:
Document actions, leave notes, and communicate.


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Becoming a member of the MSTA entitles you to a huge list of vendors who provide discounts to MSTA members. The list is updated frequently, here are some of the MSTA's supporting vendors who provide discounts.
Category Archives: MSTA Membership Benefits
Dan Clark Safety Program
This is a reminder to get the most from your MSTA membership.
If you get a chance, be sure to give a big Thank You to Carl and Denise Wieman for taking on administration of the program as well as the Clark family for their generous yearly donation that makes the Dan Clark Safety Program possible.
Dan Clark Safety Program
1. The object of this program is to promote the use of "Motorcycle Safety Apparel" and "Rider Training" to MSTA members. Funding for this program will come from the "Dan Clark Safety Program".


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A while back, we featured a story about fit mom Maria Kang, who received a lot of social backlash after posting a picture with her slim and fit physique while asking the question: "What's Your Excuse?".
Here's Part One of this story!
This week, Maria is in the middle of yet another controversy – this time, the fit mom got into an argument with Curvy Girl Inc, which is a lingerie line that posts unphotoshopped photos of their clients (who are size 12 plus) wearing the products. See their Facebook page here! Maria and Curvy Girl's owner Chrystal Bougon had a filmed conversation on CNN, where Chrystal kept saying that her Facebook page does not allow fat or skinny shaming and she militated for body acceptance, while Maria insisted that the Curvy Girl photos "are not how real women look like or should look like" and that "a lot of people can just tell that a person is not healthy." Check out the video and share your thoughts:


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As adjective, whiter, whitest
of the color of pure snow, of the margins of this page, etc
; reflecting nearly all the rays of sunlight or a similar light
light or comparatively light in color
(of human beings) belonging to a group marked by slight pigmentation of the skin, often of European descent
for, limited to, or predominantly made up of white people:a white neighborhood
pallid or pale, as from fear or other strong emotion:white with rage
silvery, gray, or hoary:white hair
snowy:a white Christmas
lacking color; transparent
(politically) ultraconservative
blank, as an unoccupied space in printed matter:Fill in the white space below
composed entirely of polished steel plates without fabric or other covering; alwite
wearing white clothing:a white monk
Older Use: Offensive
decent, honorable, or dependable:That's mighty white of you
auspicious or fortunate
morally pure; innocent
without malice; harmless:white magic
(of wines) light-colored or yellowish, as opposed to red
(of coffee) containing milk
As noun
a color without hue at one extreme end of the scale of grays, opposite to black
A white surface reflects light of all hues completely and diffusely
Most so-called whites are very light grays: fresh snow, for example, reflects about percent of the incident light, but to be strictly white, snow would have to reflect percent of the incident light
It is the ultimate limit of a series of shades of any color
Compare black (def )
a hue completely desaturated by admixture with white, the highest value possible
quality or state of being white
lightness of skin pigment
a person with light-colored skin, often of European descent
a white material or substance
the white part of something
a pellucid viscous fluid that surrounds the yolk of an egg; albumen
the white part of the eyeball:He has a speck in the white of his eye
white or nearly white clothing, as in tennis whitestop-grade white flour
white wine:Graves is a good white
a type or breed that is white in color
Usually, whites
a blank space in printing
(initial capital letter) a hog of any of several breeds having a white coat, as a Chester White
any of several white-winged butterflies of the family Pieridae, as the common cabbage butterflies
white fabric
the outermost ring of the butt
an arrow that hits this portion of the butt
the central part of the butt or target, formerly painted white but now painted gold or yellow
a target painted white
Chess, Checkers
the men or pieces that are light-colored
(often initial capital letter) a member of a royalist, conservative, or reactionary political party
As verb (used with object), whited, whiting
to make white by leaving blank spaces (often followed by out)
to whiten (areas of artwork) in retouching preparatory to photoengraving (often followed by out)
to make white; whiten
As Verb phrases
white out, to cover (errors in copy) with a white correction fluid
to censor, as by obliterating words or passages with white ink
As Idioms
bleed white, Informal
to be or cause to be deprived of all one's resources:Dishonesty is bleeding the union white
in the white, in an unfinished state or condition, as furniture wood that has not been stained or varnished
As adjective
having the general form, shape, or outline of an egg; egg-shaped
ellipsoidal or elliptical
As noun
an object of oval shape
a body or plane figure that is oval in shape or outline
an elliptical field or a field on which an elliptical track is laid out, as for athletic contests
a football
As noun
a beverage consisting of a decoction or infusion of the roasted ground or crushed seeds (coffee beans) of the two-seeded fruit (coffee berry) of certain coffee trees
the seeds or fruit themselves
any tropical tree or shrub of the genus Coffea, of the madder family, especially C
arabica and C
canephora, cultivated commercially
Compare Arabian coffee, robusta coffee
a cup of coffee:We ordered four coffees and three doughnuts
a social gathering at which coffee and other refreshments are served
medium to dark brown
As adjective
As noun
an article of furniture consisting of a flat, slablike top supported on one or more legs or other supports:a kitchen table; an operating table; a pool table
such a piece of furniture specifically used for serving food to those seated at it
the food placed on a table to be eaten:She sets a good table
a group of persons at a table, as for a meal, game, or business transaction
a gaming table
a flat or plane surface; a level area
a tableland or plateau
a concise list or guide:The table of contents in the front of the book includes chapter names and page numbers
an arrangement of words, numbers, or signs, or combinations of them, as in parallel columns, to exhibit a set of facts or relations in a definite, compact, and comprehensive form; a synopsis or scheme
(initial capital letter) Astronomy
the constellation Mensa
a flat and relatively thin piece of wood, stone, metal, or other hard substance, especially one artificially shaped for a particular purpose
a course or band, especially of masonry, having a distinctive form or position
a distinctively treated surface on a wall
a smooth, flat board or slab on which inscriptions may be put
the tablets on which certain collections of laws were anciently inscribed: the tables of the Decalogue
the laws themselves
the inner or outer hard layer or any of the flat bones of the skull
a sounding board
the upper horizontal surface of a faceted gem
a gem with such a surface
As verb (used with object), tabled, tabling
to place (a card, money, etc
) on a table
to enter in or form into a table or list
Parliamentary Procedure
Chiefly U
to lay aside (a proposal, resolution, etc
) for future discussion, usually with a view to postponing or shelving the matter indefinitely
to present (a proposal, resolution, etc
) for discussion
As adjective
of, relating to, or for use on a table:a table lamp
suitable for serving at a table or for eating or drinking:table grapes
As Idioms
on the table, Parliamentary Procedure
submitted for consideration
turn the tables, to cause a reversal of an existing situation, especially with regard to gaining the upper hand over a competitor, rival, antagonist, etc
:Fortune turned the tables and we won
We turned the tables on them and undersold them by percent
under the table, drunk
as a bribe; secretly: She gave money under the table to get the apartment
wait (on) table, to work as a waiter or waitress:He worked his way through college by waiting table
Also, wait tables
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What is a cycling accident?
A cycling accident is an accident involving at least one cyclist on the road. The most common cycling accidents are due to driver negligence. Drivers can sometimes lose their concentration and fail to look at their mirrors before changing lanes or when turning into side roads.
Common cycling accidents include:
- Cyclists being collided into by cars, buses, lorries and bikes
- Cyclists falling or colliding with another vehicle after swerving road obstructions that shouldn't be there
- Cyclists injured from losing control of their bikes from going over pot holes
- Cyclists being knocked off their bicycle by a dog or another out-of-control animal


text:
Download EBOOK Learn Weight Training in a Weekend PDF for free
Category: Sport
The author of the book: N.J. Whitehead
Format files: PDF, EPUB, TXT, DOCX
The size of the: 541 KB
Language: English
Edition: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
Date of issue: 14 March 1996
Description of the book "Learn Weight Training in a Weekend":Part of the "Learn In a Weekend" series, this book focuses on learning to weight train. The series offers courses for the beginner which can be completed in two days. Each activity is devised by an expert and aims to help the beginner become a competent practitioner.
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Silverlight 2 is here. Press release here. Learn more about it in Singapore here.
Year: 2008
Singapore TechFEST 2008 – Oct 23-24
Okay, so here's the low-down on the TechFEST event I blogged about in my previous post. October 23-24 will mark "THE" event to be at for developers and IT professionals in Singapore. Named TechFEST 2008, this event will feature 12 breakout sessions, free access to hands-on-labs, ask-the-expert clinics, and much more. Each attendee will receive…
TechFest 2008
Mark October 23-24 on your calendars. We'll be having Singapore's largest developer and IT pro event named TechFest. Details to follow soon…
Project Rosetta
Came across this interesting site that's aim is to help developers and designers build sites in Silverlight leveraging skills they may already have. You can add ideas of what you'd like to see by participating in the discussion thread. http://projectrosetta.com/
Join us at the Next Singapore Mix-It-Up Event
We're discussing Rich Internet Applications at the upcoming Mix-It-Up event on September 25. The first session should be quite exciting where we discuss how Microsoft and a partner company built the SingTel F1 Grid Girls site in 4 weeks time. Check it out: http://mssg.earth9.com/singapore/edm/2008/09/10/Design-it-up.html AGENDA Keynote: Microsoft and Rich Internet Applications Mix 01: Building Singtel…
Mix-It-Up August
Another Mix-It-Up event coming up next Tuesday, August 26. The agenda is: Developing Next Generation Websites with Microsoft Tools· Keynote: Overview of Microsoft Tools for the Web· Mix 01: XAML: Enabling Designer and Developer collaboration· Mix 02: Visual Studio 2008: The Swiss Army Knife for Web Development Register here. Hope to see you there. …
Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 has been officially released to manufacturing!
I'm sure most of you have heard already – but thought I'd add it here for completeness. We've just released VS2008 SP1 and along with it the .NET Framework v3.5 SP1. Some of my personal favorite highlights are: Performance increases between 20-45% for WPF-based applications – without having to change any code Improvements in the…
SQL Server 2008 RTM'd
It's official – SQL Server 2008 has RTM'd and is now available for MSDN subscribers. I guess that means Yizhe (our MIC Specialist) should be very happy.
Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V RTM Now Available for Download
Hyper-V has arrived and is now available for MSDN Subscribers… go grab it today…
PDC is up and coming – in fact, registration opens tomorrow. I'm pretty excited and hope to attend myself. http://www.microsoftpdc.com/


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Quality, proximity, and flexibility are important parameters when businesses decide to manufacture in Sweden. All these three parameters are a natural part of what we deliver. We share our cutting-edge expertise in electronics manufacturing based on our clients' requirements.
Building a partnership with our clients, based on transparency in calculations and pricing, is the fourth important parameter. Openness and trust form the base of all great partnerships. The calculations we make with our clients are equally important, ensuring that we get the right component to the right price from the supplier and that we share consensus with our client about the manufacturing process.
Openness permeates the daily work dialogue too. Technician to technician and operator to operator, we minimize the risk of mistakes, regardless if we are on the way from blueprint to a controlled product, creating a single prototype or a large series of PCBs. When we train our staff, for example in soldering (IPC 1-3), we also offer this training externally. Furthermore, we have founded the Production Academy, a two-week introductory education in electronics manufacturing.
Flexibility is at the heart of our offer. We can work based on the client's processes or our own. We can manage just the production, or take care of procurement too. We can assemble and educate personnel quickly, using Speed's staffing. In case we experience manufacturing downtime for a client, we do our utmost to shift staff around to other production lines, safeguarding our own and the clients' attained competence. We do everything we can to ensure long-term flexibility and delivery on time.
Our staff are certified in accordance with IPC-A-610 class 1-3 and IPC-7711/7721.
+46 (0)33 722 59 28
+46 (0)33 722 59 95


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Future Quotes
"Oh Sairey, Sairey, little do we know wot lays afore us!" ~ Martin Chuzzlewit
"Madam," replied Mr. Micawber, "it is my intention to register such a vow on the virgin page of the future." ~ David Copperfield
"As I think I told you once before," said I, "it is you who have been, in your greed and cunning, against all the world. It may be profitable to you to reflect, in future, that there never were greed and cunning in the world yet, that did not do too much, and overreach themselves. It is as certain as death." ~ David Copperfield
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!" ~ A Christmas Carol
"Ghost of the Future," he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?" ~ A Christmas Carol


text:
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
2 Comments:
- said...
bluey taiwan
Your piece is visually very interesting, as the two subjects of the painting are painted differently, one in color, the other in black and white. This seems to add to the theme of your piece, and it does so effectivly. Your sense of color and different tones, as well as shadows is very realistic on the two people. I also love how there is barely any sense of depth, the two heads seem to be floating, and the background is a solid color. Usually a lack of depth takes away from a piece, but in your case, the lack of depth makes an interesting composition with the strange juxtaposition of floating heads. The chinese character also very much adds to your composition, postivly as it is an inference to your culture, and I think that culture might've very much influenced your relationship with your father. Overall, your piece is very interesting visually, and brings out your theme through various fresh techniques that you used.
- said...
I thought that it's interesting how you connected the two heads, (father and child?) and the word with rusted(?) chains, it makes me think that the connections kind of felt a bit heavy. Also you made the word looks "bloody(?)" in a sense that it's contradicting the meaning of the word itself, good fortune.


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But has it always been Bitcoin or cryptocurrency the payment system you wished your casino to run on?
I've been personally involved with Bitcoin back when it was worth less than a Dollar per Bitcoin, the idea of an alternative currency which is not controlled and offers anonymity intrigued me. I have invested a lot in Alt coins and mainly Bitcoin – I strongly believe in the future of crypto currencies and Bitcoin specifically.
It's time to brag now. What are the best features about your brand?
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How about the striking differences of your brand against land-based and real-money online casinos?
Land based casinos were here before the online casinos or Bitcoin casinos were but I think online casinos have made the entire experience much better. There are so many advantages for online casinos over land based casinos, for example, not having to stand the smoke of cigarettes and being able to set clear betting limits and of course the ability of gambling in the comfort of your home in your underpants.
Bitcoin made it even better, now you can gamble anonymously without having to fear what others think or know – this is impossible even with land based casinos.
In your opinion, what will make gambling enthusiasts choose to play in your casino instead?
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PlayCoin Casino is currently running on Bitcoin. Any plans of supporting Litecoin, Dogecoin, and other cryptocurrencies?
In that case, do you think Bitcoin will stabilize in the future?
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Flow of good and bad news causes the Bitcoin to be unstable, that with the fact that a large portion of the Bitcoin is being held by few parties who can make significant changes. It will take some time and eventually all the Bitcoin inventory will be mined; it will be regulated and become a stable crypto-currency.
As I said I am a strong believer in the future of Bitcoin you might be surprised if I tell you my prediction for its price in a few years from now.
What is your prediction, then?
Bitcoin will reach $4000 within 2-3 years – around 2017 – depends on the rate of Bitcoin mining.
Interesting. What do you think Bitcoin needs to reach this price or to become a prominent and reliable payment system?
It needs to be adapted by a huge merchant like Google or PayPal. This will help the development of Bitcoin and improve its stability and security.
I agree. I'm sure using Bitcoin has done wonders for your brands. Mind sharing some of your accomplishments so far?
Getting to read positive players comments about our games or platform and experience as well as reviews about our brands is our greatest accomplishment. We've been reading so many negative comments about other brands, I guess we knew what to avoid when launching PlayCoin. We get great feedback about our games.
How about the problems you've faced along the way?
We are constantly in a learning process. Bitcoin gambling is different than real money gambling. Gamblers are much more knowledgeable and are looking for risk-free opportunities and safer places to bet in. Offering provably fair games is one of the best decision we have made.
Are all the games there provably fair?
We offer provably fair games as well as non-provably fair games provided from BetSoft which have been tested by game test labs for RNG (Random Number Generator) integrity.
Fair enough; but can this be said about the security of your platform?
Other than the SSL certificate we use on our website and advanced encrypting techniques we carry out with player's data and game data we constantly monitor and improve our security measurement to make sure we are protected as well as players' funds.
What can we expect from PlayCoin Casino in two years? What are the plans?
Definitely in the near future we will be adding new games powered by BetSoft. We will also be adding live dealer games including Roulette, Blackjack Baccarat and more. We plan to launch a 24/7 live chat service and a full featured affiliate program for advertisers. More games, more live games, more live support – Better experience.
Many will be interested to know: do you have some sort of VIP program/promotion?
Yes, we have a dedicated VIP manager who gets in touch with relevant players with special offerings.
All right. What can you tell other platforms or brands aiming to succeed in the online gaming industry, specifically in the Bitcoin market?
If you are lacking of budget for: Marketing, paying winnings and customer service – don't go there. If you are aiming for a hit and run operation – it might work but for a very short while as Bitcoin gamblers are far from being dumb.
Great words, Nicholas. That's all we have for today, and thank you very much!


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article by: Vince ChooNo! That's outrageous! What a joke! Unacceptable. You cannot change this. You must not change that. You're diluting the art! This is the crie de coeur that's happened recently. It seems that I have ruffled some feathers in the BJJ community with a recent article I wrote about the Monkey Jits program that is offered as part of the Crazy Monkey Defense program.
Let me elaborate to shed more light on this topic; firstly, what I offer via the Monkey Jits is the option for clients to take part in a competition or not. It is not mandatory for a client to participate in a competition in order to receive their next rank. Competing is an individual activity and has as many positive benefits as much as negative benefits. Secondly, I am not the one changing anything. If you read carefully, I'm just reporting on the words coming out from the mouths of two 8 degree BJJ Black & Red belts, and a host of other BJJ Black Belts. Thirdly, I am in no position to make any changes to BJJ. I'm just a beginner. What does Wikipedia say?
- The amount of technical and conceptual knowledge a practitioner can demonstrate, and;
- Performance in grappling (randori) within the academy and/or competition.
Informal versus formalized testing
Ah, the last line reads, "in most academies it is not an essential prerequisite for promotion, but there are exceptions to this and in a minority of schools, competing is not only endorsed but required."
So why the fuss? Perhaps it exactly due to the different cultures at different BJJ academies. Some are 100% competition, the majority are 50/50 or 90/10 competition and some are non-competitive at all (meaning that they don't compete in open events). I have decided to draw a line on the beach and choose a side. I'm Mac and you're PC. Both computers nonetheless but different OS :) At least its very clear where we stand so there are no delusions, lame justifications or excuses to do what we do.
There are some schools who only award ranks based on competition wins, such as Baret Yoshida's BJJ school among many others. I believe that he awards a new belt for every 10 podium wins, however; I may be mistaken so don't quote me on that. But as Wiki points out, this is a minority. This seems a great, easy way for the instructor to gauge a student's ability by testing them in an open competition format against all other students of the same level. That is a different can of worms there which I'll touch on later.
Before I continue, let's rewind the clock to the 1980's, more accurately in the late 80's to early 90's when I was competing in the USA on the A.A.U. Karate circuit. Representing the state of Hawaii at the time, I competed against some of the region's top competitors, national squad members included. If you don't know anything about sport karate, they have been trying to get it approved as an Olympic event since the 1950's, and still trying.
They have unified rules, standardized competition formats, scoring formats, approved clothing guidelines, etcetera all in accordance to Olympic event requirements. A typical AAU competition will see anything from 300 competitors up to 900 (at least that's the largest I've participated in) in a single day. There are so many divisions for every age, weight, belt category. There are so many officials and spectators and it's really a show! These would be the larger competitions that are sanctioned and will forge a path towards representing the national team and from there to compete against other nations in karate competitions. Then there are also the smaller events held almost every weekend where you can expect a minimum of 30 competitors in your division so there would be around 200 people at minimum.
You can participate in the individual sparring event (kumite), team sparring, individual forms (kata), team forms and rack up wins and a reputation. From there the stage is set for larger events until you are ready for the State, then Regional and finally the Nationals. You can see there are a lot of competitors in these events, some of whom are superb athletes, while others, you wonder if they wandered into the wrong event and everyone one in between.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
The competition team at my former dojo consisted of 6 or so guys who took part for fun and it was. The camaraderie, the travelling, the excitement, the special training sessions, the preparations, and all the events leading up to each tournament was loads of fun. The 6 guys represented only 2 or 3% of my former club membership. The rest were retirees, adults, military, law enforcement officers, college kids, high school kids who didn't participate at this level of competition but they were not ostracized, segregated, but belonged with the whole group and the part of the "team" even though they didn't attend our championships or cheered for us from the bleachers.
During training, despite our competition prowess and experience, there were a number of members in the club who should have been competing alongside as they were so good at what they did and more. They had the time and luxury to develop a more well-rounded game, different angles and combination set ups to trounce us easily and we learned from these individuals as much as from our main coach. These were the "unofficial" coaches who never competed, simply because their martial art meant something else to them at a very deep, personal level. They did not want to express that in an arena of 300 people. Some were military, some were working professionals (architects, businessmen and such) and I would hate to bump into them in a dark alleyway and be on their wrong sides. There was a simple elegance and refinement to their technique that was not present in most of the competitors'. The sense of timing and distance was spot on, but their skills was not lacking in any sense.
Back on the competition floor, I've witnessed poor sportsmanship more often than great sportsmanship. I've seen fathers publicly scold and beat their kids for losing a match and start fist fights with the referees over decisions. I've seen the crowds react and heckle questionable win decisions and have also been on the receiving end of the same due to favouritism and "pressure". Whether the event is in the USA or in Malaysia, the same traits emerge again and again. In the end, the negatives outweighed the positives. Even when you win legitimately, someone out there who is a sore loser will leave you with a scathing, sarcastic remark to darken your otherwise bright day. There are great, friendly competitors and there are lousy, insecure champions and everyone in between. Don't fool yourself with the romantic notion that all champions are pure, innocent and fight for freedom, justice and the truth. As we will see later on, there are plenty of former champions whose true colours are revealed after the public relations machines and managers have been withdrawn and they are left to their own devices.
In addition to karate, I've also competed in judo, fencing, and swimming. Over the years I feel that I've competed enough and I've enjoyed the run and now to pass on the experiences to the next generation.
Back to the present day.
But karate is NOT BJJ I hear you say. 100% correct. I was drawing the similarities of sport and competition training. Competitions all share the same or similar format, whether its judo, boxing, wrestling, ping pong, lawn bowls or darts, there are stages and rules, and all competitors will experience the rush and play by the rules as much as they can. But BJJ competition is not the same as a karate competition. That's right too. They are not the same but you think someone playing in a golf championship for a million bucks is going to feel any less stressed than someone going for the gold medal in synchronized swimming? You think a golfer trains any less than a someone going for 100 meter race in the nationals? Please grow up, competition is competition.
I've lost count of the number of competitions I've participated in, sanctioned, in house, regionals, state level, within the association, within the style, etc. Maybe 90, maybe more. I've competed in the UK, USA and in Malaysia. I don't remember them all but would it make any difference whether the event was a poker game competition or boxing match? Someone is going to lose and experience hurt (physical, emotional, financial, egoistical, confidence, etc.) and someone else will win. One day it's you and another day it'll be another person. That's the game. We will all win and lose on different levels. Some wins are great and definitive while others leave a bad taste in your mouth. Some losses are educational while others make you angry or regretful for taking part.
By allowing the individual's prerogative to compete, is the best option. By penalizing someone for not competing, I think is unfair. What if the person cannot compete (for whatever reason- personal, medical, financial, emotional, psychological, physical, etc.) and cannot be graded is a sure fire way to kill the art.
There are professional gamblers. They go about different casinos around the world and some casinos don't let them play or only let them play (compete) at very high stakes. If we apply the same principle, only competitive, high stakes gamblers should play poker. I don't think many people would agree. Poker is a fun game whether or not you gamble for money or clothes or gamble at all. Poker is played worldwide. Some do it professionally because that's their lives. They are good at it and make a living from it. Is it for me? No, I don't like it that much and more importantly I don't have the talent for poker. Doesn't mean I can't play it for fun and I wouldn't call myself a professional poker player. On a side note, there are lots of websites and magazines promoting poker as a sport and profession. Yeah, I was surprised too.
In Brazil, there are young, competitive blue and purple belts who submit black belts all the time. Do these black belts go and commit suicide after that or give their training partners a hug and thanks for a good roll and sharing a great technique. I think not! There are hundreds of black belts who don't compete but who regularly give champions a hard time on the mats. Where do you think BJJ competitors get constant training partners from? Only via competition or via their home gyms where it's ok to make a mistake and have someone correct you in a safe training environment?
Competition can come in many forms. It can be your best training buddy on the mats or facing the unknown in a tournament. It can manifest as an internal challenge to master a technique but above all, the fundamental reason for competition is to allow one to grow. This often doesn't end up this way though as we all have skeletons in the closet that sabotage our efforts to a greater or lesser degree.
Individuals who are centered and have been properly coached, both physically and psychologically to enter a competition arena with a positive attitude and leave with the same. How many do so? Unfortunately, not a lot. Most trainers understand the physical aspects of training but are clueless when it comes to the mental preparation, pre-competition, during the competition and post-competition de-briefing. That's one of the reasons why you often read about former sports superstars using drugs, BJJ stars using drugs, resorting to violence or involved in financial scams (motivated by greed) in bouts of depression (because they don't get the same "high" from being in front of thousands of fans so they do something else abusive to themselves or their spouses as a substitute). Are these the role models you want to have? Would you invite them to your home and trust them with your family, girlfriend, wife or kids?
My reason for this is because everyone trains in a martial art for personal reasons. If your desire is to become the next BJJ superstar competitor then absolutely, you will have to compete to showcase your skills. If you are training to enhance your skills as an undercover law enforcement or VIP protection detail, then staying out of the public eye is a great decision. I've had one of the European Royal family personal body guard come to train with us and in addition to a military career and responsibility as the Prince's personal bodyguard, he has his own family to look after.
Different motivations for different people; I hope you can appreciate how different people whose job may be to protect the lives of others or the casual hobbyist to learn some cool moves to impress their school friends or a girl down the street may want different things from learning martial arts. You cannot have a blanket policy for all. After all, the belt only means something to its wearer. It is a personal symbol of progression, advancement and growth. Some grow at a faster rate than others and not all are equal. Such is the law of Life. For example, it's not fair that someone like BJ Penn can achieve his black belt in 4.5 years while I was still stuck at blue belt in the same amount of time. No, it's not fair that BJ Penn can train 24/7, everyday with top level instructors as his lifestyle and circumstances affords him that lifestyle while I have to work and deal with business. However BJ Penn has the talent and athleticism and he has achieved what millions cannot. This is what makes him special but what of the non-BJ Penns in the world?
The can of worms
Many BJJ academies agree that a great way to evaluate a student is via competition. This becomes a double edged sword. On one hand an unscrupulous instructor can use competition as a bait to keep the students chasing the belt. He can deliberately "hold back" a student in white belt, for example and keep the individual competing there for many years to "test" them. Others call this sandbagging. It's like a Olympic Judo black belt competing as a BJJ white belt and keeps throwing everyone for the win. On the other hand, the student realises that his or her evaluation is based on the outcome of the tournament will resort to their main technique again and again until they specialise in only that singular technique but as we all know BJJ is beautiful because of the depth and breadth of the techniques. As an instructor, do you only want a student who is one-dimensional.
Some, not all, BJJ competitors only have an "on-off" switch. They are highly competitive and have an attitude about it. They strut when they win, but storm off, often yelling in frustration if they lose, even if its a friendly, in-house training roll. Every roll is as if it's life or death, even against total beginners or smaller, lighter people or the few women in the class. What gives? What's there to prove or are they using the roll as a vent for their problems at work or home?
Many competition based schools have a lot of students with bandaged elbows, knees, and neck injuries. Back injuries are common place too. Injuries costs and causes family members and spouses to worry, often the catalyst for arguments leading to other greater problems in "the real world". With every injury, I fail to see how that makes you a better competitor. It either meant that your partner did not respect the tap, the referee did not enforce the rules, or you failed to submit in time because you either did not recognize the submission was in completion or you were too proud to admit defeat.
I've injured people accidentally. I still feel bad about it and this was almost 4 years ago. I really felt that it could have been avoided but at the moment the individual did the wrong thing and the term was "spazzed out". Although it wasn't my fault, I still feel responsible. This is how injuries happen. It makes people feel bad even when you weren't the one who was injured. Some people laugh it off as if it is a hard-core, macho thing to do. Those are the ones I don't want to train with.
Some competitors are really bad teachers. Some people don't know how to communicate and have a real time expressing themselves verbally. They don't know how to show, lack the patience and vocabulary to teach someone to do what they do and I'm not the only one who thinks so. BJJ Black belt Stephen Kesting also advocates that top competitors do not necessarily make the best teachers. Can we agree that a few competitors are excellent teachers but most are not? It's no coincidence that the best teachers are the ones who have stopped competing. They have focused their energy into becoming better teachers.
So why do people compete if not for the shallow desire to "prove something" or to chase the next belt?
Competing is not the cheapest activity. For many in the South East Asian region, there is a lot of flights, hotels, and the risk of injury is high. Injuries may cost you time off work and no work means no pay in some cases.
Surely there must be more. Testing your technique? Facing your fears? We have to question what motivates us to compete. You have the answer inside yourself. You just have to face it.
So there are people who enjoy practicing and playing the martial arts for fun. It's something that appeals to their warrior archetype personality. It doesn't mean that you have to be rated in the top 10 BJJ players in the world to enjoy what BJJ has to offer. It simply means that this is person who enjoys this martial art. This person may not necessarily have to compete in the martial art to enjoy what the art has to offer. As an example, many people have heard of Chuck Norris, Dan Inosanto and Ed O'Niell (and a whole bunch of other celebrities). I believe they are also BJJ Black belts and I don't think they have any competition records.
For those who enjoy competitions, you can also have in-house competitions like these guys:
I don't think the larger white belt was having an easy time and the smaller blue belt definitely is fighting hard. This is a fun way to train and probably a lot more realistic for the smaller guy to train against a larger opponent in a fun, safe environment. You could say the smaller guy definitely is a blue belt or you could say the white belt was holding back his 100% strength and weight. Whatever, but they enjoyed the roll and no one got hurt. Everyone went home to talk about this event over dinner. Fun!
When we started BJJ in KL back in 2003, the only competitions were the ones we organized ourselves. People in the local BJJ scene are still far and few and remain scarce. Malaysians are just not used to nor accept the grappling scene. Most are uncomfortable with the close contact, the sweat and "roughness" but to me that's the currency you pay for developing skills on the ground. To date, I still don't think there are enough local participants to justify a competition although there are now close to 20 blue belts in the country. Maybe...?
More on competitiveness, I avoid this type of competition/competitor:
As the sport matures and becomes more accessible worldwide, naturally there will be a growth and different people will specialise in different areas of the sport. For example, in Judo there are specialists like Kashiwazaki who is known for his Judo Newaza while others like Russian Shota Khabarelli who uses a unique pickup throw and are known for them. Some judoka never practice the grappling or newaza aspect while others specialize in them and are all regarded part of the same family. There are probably a lot more judoka who do not compete because they recognise that they do not have the necessary skills, talent, or mindset for it.
I'd like to end this by sharing some links to other discussions and circular debates on a related subject of BJJ belt ranks as more food for thought:
- http://www.thejiujitsufighter.com/2009/01/thoughts-on-jiu-jitsu-belt-progression.html
- http://www.onthemat.com/articles/Progression_in_Brazilian_JiuJitsu_10_13_2005.html
- http://thefightworkspodcast.com/2010/04/10/bjj-poll-should-the-ibjjf-mandate-belt-promotions-after-set-timeframes/
- http://www.goodyearbjj.com/bjjblog/?p=13


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See you around