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Natural Goodness from the Earth
The concourse of 1Utama has been decorated with a nature theme to celebrate the launch of Mentholatum Botanics. Special thanks to Butterfly Project Malaysia for the invitation.
The New BOTANICS range from Mentholatum is formulated with the purest Natural Herbal Extracts to give your skin a gentle purifying experience. Inspired by the goodness of NATURE from EARTH, the BOTANICS offers consumers exceptional results with their carefully selected herb and flower at an affordable price.
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the new BOTANICS range by Mentholatum which consist of a series of Face Wash and Face Mask using Natural Herbal Essences.
Sephine of Rohto-Mentholatum explaining the benefits and product details to a group of bloggers.
Bloggers at work taking the perfect shot
Prior to the product briefing we were given the opportunity to make our own tea with these beautiful floral herbs. How thoughtful and so in line with the introduction of the new Botanics range.
Posing with our cup of infused flower tea.
Here's an overview on the range
The BOTANICS consists of four range of products namely tube face wash, foaming wash, pump wash and sheet masks to offer consumers a relaxing nature's experience. Each of these range includes a variety of offerings to suit various skin conditions.
The Face Wash tube comes in 4 variants namely Hydra Whitening, Pore Refining, Deep Cleansing and Hydrating. Each tube is priced at RM14.90
The Pump Wash comes in 2 variants namely Deep Clean and Moisturising & Brightening, the Foaming Wash comes in 2 variants namely Oil & Blemish Control and Whitening.
The pump wash (150ml) is priced at RM21.90
while the Foaming Face Wash (160ml) is priced at RM 25.90
This set is powered by Tea Tree and Ylang Ylang and smells like lemongrass.
From left to right: Foaming Face Wash, Tube and Pump
For those who favour the rose scent, this set is simply heavenly. I am addicted to the scent.
From left to right: Tube, Foaming Face Wash and Pump
The sheet mask comes in 5 variants namely the Aloe Vera Hydrating Facial Mask, Pomegranate Anti-Oxidant Facial Mask, Rosemary Pore Refining Facial Mask, Rosehip Oil Brightening Facial Mask and Lavender for Soothing Facial Mask.
Sheet Mask @ (RM6.90) per piece
The BOTANICS Sheet Mask is infused with herbal essence and enriched with Hyaluronic Acid to repair and rejuvenate your skin while you close your eyes and relax. It comes in 5 variants, namely:
§ Aloe Vera Hydrating Facial Mask
Formulated with the finest blend of Natural Herbal Extracts such as Aloe Vera and Narcissus that hydrate and soothe the skin apart from reviving dull-looking and tired skin. This mask is suitable for all skin types and especially dry skin
§ Pomegranate Anti-Oxidant Facial Mask
Blended with Pomegranate and Natural Herbal Extracts, it protects the skin from free radical damage which causes skin aging. It also awakens and moisturizes the skin with naturally rich anti-oxidants. This mask is suitable for all skin types
§ Rosemary Pore Refining Facial Mask
With Rosemary and Witch Hazel as the key ingredients, the herbal essence kicks in to help diminish the appearance of enlarged pores for a more refined, soft and smooth skin texture while retaining moisture for firmer skin. It is also enriched with Vitamin B3 to protect skin against environmental damage. This mask is suitable for all skin types and especially for oily and combination skin.
§ Rosehip Oil Brightening Facial Mask
Rosehip Oil is naturally rich in Vitamin C to help brighten skin tone and improve skin luminosity leaving the skin looking healthy with enhanced natural radiance. It is also enriched with Vitamin B3 that protects the skin against environmental damage while it helps to revive dull skin and evens out skin tone for a more radiant and healthy looking complexion. This mask is suitable for all skin types.
Refresh and re-energize with a soothing blend of Lavender and Chamomile that calms and reawaken the skin. It helps soothe, repair and pamper skin while protecting the delicate skin against environmental damage. This mask is suitable for all skin types and especially sensitive skin.
You can even buy these products online here
It was also a great catch up session with blogger friends whom I have not seen in ages!
Great seeing you ladies again.
About The Mentholatum Company
The Mentholatum Company, Inc. Founded in 1889 is a manufacturer and marketer of non-prescription drugs and heathcare products. Headquarters are in Orchard Park, New York, U.S.A with operations in Australia, South Africa, Canada, Scothland, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Mexico, South Korea, P.R China, India and Japan.
Manufacturing is carried out in 26 locations around the globe and marketing / distribution in over 150 countries. The company, privately held for 99 years, was acquired by Rohto Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. of Osaka, Japan in 1988. Rohto is a major player in the Japanese pharmaceutical market with top selling products in the eye care, topical and stomach relief categories.
Since 1889, The Mentholatum Company has grown and prospered from a small purveyor of soaps and toiletries into an international company, marketing quality proprietary medicines around the world. In the United States, and in many countries around the world, the Mentholatum family of products has earned a reputation for quality and value. Every Mentholatum brand is sold with an unconditional guarantee of satisfaction.
Brands under Mentholatum: Lipice, Oxy, Hada Labo, Selsun, Sunplay, Rohto C Cube, Deep Heating Rub and Botanics.


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Too early for scorebooks
DUNEDIN, Fla. — The most fitting summation of Monday's intrasquad game at The Mattick came from the mouth of manager John Gibbons:
"I don't know what the score was. Was there a score? Did we score?"
The Ceruttis held a 1-0 lead over the Matticks when I finally left the field to try to catch up with Shannon Stewart on his first day in camp. Rumor has it that Sal Fasano later homered for the Matticks, but I know of no one who saw it happened. I'll say he called his shot — sounds cooler.
After the game, when asked if there was any possible way to break camp with Stewart and Reed Johnson, Gibbons didn't dimiss the possibility of carrying 11 pitchers. That's highly unlikely, though. And speaking of Stewart, here are the incentives included in his contract:
- 50K for 400 plate appearances, 50K for 450 PA, 75K for 475 PA, 75K for 500 PA, 50 K for being an All-Star, 50K for winning a Silver Slugger, 50 K for the World Series or LCS MVP and 100K for MVP. If he's not on the team by March 30 and asked to be relaeased, the Jays have to meet his request.
I'm going to go out on a limp and say there's a few in there that Steart doesn't net. But you can start up your Shannon-Stewart-for-MVP campaigns if you like. If he does indeed make Toronto's roster, Stew's salary will jump to $1.5 million. So, hypothetically, if Johnson is cut and the Jays need to pay roughly 1/6 of the $3.275 million he's owed in '08, the team winds up with a cheaper left fielder.
One item of note this morning is that the Jays posted their pitchers for the first three Grapefruit League contests:
Feb. 28 at Lakeland: Jesse Litsch (two innings), followed by Gustavo Chacin, David Purcey, Lance Carter, Shawn Camp, Josh Banks, Jamie Vermilyea, Mike Gosling and Jean Machi (though not all of them can make one-inning appearances. Sides that day will be thrown by A.J. Burnett, Dustin McGowan and Randy Wells.
Feb. 29 in Dunedin: Roy Halladay (two), followed by one-inning outings for Jason Frasor, Brian Wolfe, Jeremy Accardo, Brian Tallet, Scott Downs, Brandon League and Kane Davis. Side to be thrown by Shaun Marcum
March 1 at Tampa: McGowan (two), followed by one-inning outings for Casey Janssen, Jeremy Cummings, Ryan Ketchner, John Parrish, Tracy Thorpe, Wells, Jesse Carlson and Jean Machi. Side for Litsch.
Lineups for today's intrasquad game:
MATTICKS: SS David Eckstein, RF Alex Rios, 3B Scott Rolen, LF Matt Stairs, C Gregg Zaun, 2B John Tolisano, DH Travis Snider, 1B Chip Cannon, CF Buck Coats
Pitchers: Marcum, Downs, Accardo, Janssen, Wolfe, Wells
CERUTTIS: LF Reed Johnson, 2B Aaron Hill, CF Vernon Wells, DH Frank Thomas, C Rod Barajas, 3B Marco Scutaro, SS John McDonald, RF Adam Lind, 1B John Schneider
Pitchers: McGowan, Frasor, Tallet, League, Carter, Machi
In other news, Lyle Overbay is back in camp, but after missing two days with flu-like symptoms, he's not in the lineup. Robinzon Diaz and Pedro Lopez also finally arrived after visa issues delayed their trips from the Dominican. Hector Luna's still not in camp.
With that, I'm going to head out and try to commit some journalism.
6 Comments
According to the toronto sun, the Rays are pursuing Barry Bonds. I thought the guy was done, and I personally don't want to see him or his steroids play again. But it will be extremely interesting to see what happens.
Barry is my favorite player of all time… He was before he got big and he will be after he gets small. The man was and still is awesome!!! I just don't want to see him smashing dingers off of the Jays, and if he signs with Tampa he will get plenty of opportunities.
Jordan, You're killing it down there so far. Thanks for all the updates. This might just be greedy of me but maybe you, wilner and maybe Jeff Blair should have a contest to see who can outblog the others this spring haha. In other news Radiohead will be coming to town August 15th. Looks like the Jays are out of town that day which *****.
I would not mind seeing both Stewart and Reed make the club. They are both different from each other and valuable enough. 11 pitchers is fine.
Much as I like Shannon, when you look at the schedule in April, it will be pretty hard to do without 12 pitchers. I'm pulling for Reed to knock 'em dead this year, just because nobody else thinks he can do it.
Have a good one
I agree with gnorman, we need 12 pitchers to make the club. I also think Stewart is going to be the odd man out anyway. We have Stairs who hits for power, and Reed who is great at defence and average. Unless Stewart really impresses this spring, I don't think he or his very week arm will make the team.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Truth About High School Hazing
Perhaps you've heard of hazing in sports, but you won't believe what happens these days on school buses or even at church youth groups.
On the first day of school last fall, many residents of suburban Millburn, New Jersey, were shocked to learn that a group of girls in the high school's senior class had created and circulated what they called a "Slut List," which included the names of 21 incoming female students and lewd sexual comments. Some seniors also ordered freshman females to show up for school in camouflage shirts, blew whistles in their faces and shoved them into lockers.
The high school hazing scandal made national news—after all, it was big-league raunchiness at one of the best public high schools on the East Coast. But perhaps the scariest side effect practically escaped notice: Within a few days the town's middle school administrators discovered that some of the school's older girls had invented their own take on the tradition, ordering certain younger girls via text message to wear a specific color shirt to school so that they could be hazed too. (Here's your complete guide to help prevent bullying.)
What is Considered Hazing?
The Millburn case perfectly captures two of the most disturbing aspects of teen hazing. First, there's the way incidents can quickly escalate from bad to worse. Then there's how it morphs and spreads to younger kids. While most people think of hazing in sports as something that happens only in college or to athletes, experts point out that's no longer true. "Younger and younger kids are hazing one another, and the rituals are becoming increasingly violent and sexualized," says psychologist Susan Lipkins, author of Preventing Hazing: How Parents, Teachers and Coaches Can Stop the Violence, Harassment and Humiliation.
One reason is the simple can-you-top-this nature of kids, she says. A tradition starts—as in, respected seniors ask popular freshmen to wear a specific color shirt so upperclassmen can razz them about being new to the school. But the following year, shoving starts. Then the next year's class incorporates sexual taunts. "They remember how bad it felt when it was done to them," says Lipkins. "And even good kids say, 'Let's make it worse.'" (Discover the #1 way to help your student start the school year on the right foot.)
How Common is Hazing and Where Does It Happen (Besides Hazing in Sports)?
The other "whys" are more complex. YouTube-type technology plays a role; a major study from the University of Maine reports that nearly half of all initiation incidents wind up online. Also, as awareness of the dangers increases—hazing is against the law in all but six states and explicitly banned at many middle and high schools—the practice is being driven deeper underground, resulting in ever-more-disturbing variations. (And we mean really disturbing: In recent years high school kids have forced one another to take drugs and chug alcohol, and have even tossed bound-and-gagged teens into swimming pools.)
The problem is so common—47 percent of all high school students have experienced some type of hazing by the time they graduate—that it defies stereotypes. The senior members of athletic teams and marching bands are among the most notorious hazers, but they're not alone by any means—24 percent of kids who've participated in church youth groups have been hazed.
What Teens are At-Risk For High School Hazing?
In general, those who take part in hazing rites don't intend for anyone to get hurt, says Elizabeth J. Allan, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Maine in Orono and coauthor of the largest study ever done on hazing. Instead, the situation just spins out of control. Maybe a boy will get playfully punched in the arm by the entire hockey team when he makes the squad. Or a girl will be ordered to wear her bra outside her shirt for a day when she joins the glee club. Neither seems like a big deal. What's missing in the mission to stop high school hazing is an understanding of just how volatile a group of teens—even the nicest ones—can be. "The mild behaviors create a slippery slope," says Allan. "And before you know it, the entire group is participating in some really violent behavior." (Pro tip: If your teen is acting out, he may need you more than ever before.)
The rituals of hazing can make kids feel flattered and respected. Even if kids disagree with the concept of hazing, the fact that it's happening to them means they're becoming part of an in-crowd, says Stephen Sweet, a sociology professor at Ithaca College in New York. "The more demanding the group's hazing rituals are, the more kids want to belong."
A sizable minority of hazing victims believe these degrading rituals are actually good for them, promoting values like discipline, loyalty and commitment, says Sweet. (The University of Maine researchers found that 31 percent of teens say hazing makes them feel more part of the group and 18% believe it makes them a stronger person.)
- Related: How to Help Teens Learn to Say "No"
In fact, for competitive kids (and also for their like-minded moms and dads) being hazed can be a badge of honor. Case in point: A high school in Marblehead, Massachusetts, is currently under fire for allowing a soccer coach to stand new members of the varsity team—shirtless—in goal, then asking older boys to kick balls at them so hard they leave a mark on the newbies. This is classic hazing, according to experts. But to many of the students and parents in town, hazing in sports is simply a tradition that toughens up players.
And, of course, a major reason kids allow themselves to be hazed is that they just don't know how to stop it. "It takes a very strong, self-assured teen to resist a group and its leaders, especially if he really wants to belong," says Robert Stieber, an adolescent psychologist in San Diego. As he points out, many parents don't have the guts to go against the crowd and unwittingly pass on this "don't rock the boat" message. (Discover how to improve communication with your teen so she feels like she can open up about hazing—and more.)
But for teens who get caught up in initiation rites, the consequences can be dire—stress headaches, sleep problems, depression and panic attacks, says Lipkins. "In extreme cases, they can even develop post-traumatic stress disorder." And then there's the ultimate risk: At least one college student has died in an alcohol-related hazing event each year since 1970, says Hank Nuwer, author of High School Hazing: When Rites Become Wrongs and a researcher at Franklin College in Indiana.
What Parents Can Do to Prevent High School Hazing
Experts say it's crucial to bring up the topic early—middle school is not too soon—and regularly. Start conversations by explaining that hazing isn't in the eye of the beholder. In other words, just because someone agrees to be humiliated doesn't mean it's okay, says Brian Crow, an associate professor of sport management at Slippery Rock University, in Pennsylvania, who has studied hazing in sports teams and speaks out against it. "In states that have anti-hazing laws, a child's willingness to be hazed is no justification." Explain in simple language that it's important to stop incidents before they start, because while you understand not all hazing is horrible, your concern is the way seemingly harmless rites can escalate without warning. "Emphasize that no one ever means for anyone to end up in the hospital, or worse," says Lipkins. "But sometimes in groups, it's as if kids pass through some secret door—like going to Pleasure Island in Pinocchio—and leave their values behind."
For parents of kids thinking of participating in sports, many schools organize Q&A sessions, which provide a forum for asking coaches how they plan to deal with hazing, were it to occur. Yes, your teen might be mortified, but Lipkins says it's vital to send that message of concern. "Otherwise, it's the same code of silence that has surrounded hazing for so long."
These sessions are also likely to give you a feel for how seriously coaches take the issue. "Maybe he'll say something like, 'It's not hazing when we make the freshmen carry the water or clean the locker room—that's team building.' But if that were the case, each class would take turns," says Crow.
If you have concerns or suspicions, don't be afraid to call the coach, athletic director or school principal. The potential cost is too great. "Hazing will not build your child's character," Stieber says. "Nor is this the age to step back and let him fight his own battles." (Learn more about the best ways to be an all-star sports parent.)
But be aware that the possibility of a backlash is real. The National Conference on High School Hazing reports that in 40 percent of cases, kids believe that a coach or adviser was aware of the hazing. In that kind of situation, says Lipkins, things can get ugly fast. "The school and community may band together to turn on the victims and blame them."
Matt Weymouth can vouch for that. Nine years ago, when he was 15 and a student at Pentucket Regional High School in Massachusetts, Matt was sodomized at a football training camp. Initially he was scared silent, but as stories began to circulate, a vice principal confronted Matt, who finally admitted to what had happened. That started an ordeal that ultimately included threats against his family, a lawsuit and his leaving school for safety reasons and being taught by tutors.
- Related: 7 Ways to Get Closer to Your Teen
Yet discussing the problem openly is the only solution. "The year after I spoke up, 50 more guys went out for football," Weymouth says. "They knew they didn't have to be afraid anymore. To me, that makes what I went through worthwhile."
Preventing High School Hazing: Know the Hot Spots
One common element in many high school hazing horror stories is a confined, lightly supervised space like the ones below. These settings create circumstances where kids are more prone to get caught up in the groupthink that leads to trouble.
- Locker rooms
- Buses to out-of-school events
- Any off-site or overnight gathering


text: Equestrian Information & Horse Riding in the New Forest, Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire & the Isle of Wight: Horses. Horses & Ponies for Sale, loan or wanted. New Forest Ponies for sale. Riding Clubs & Associations. Horse Riding. Horse Shows. Gymkhana's. Carriage Driving. Riding Stables. Livery Yards. Equestrian Businesses & Services. Breeders. Studs. Breaking. Ask the Expert Equine Advice. Horses & Ponies for Sale. Donkey for sale. Dressage. Tack for Sale. Gift Shop with Online Ordering. News & Notice Board. Games & Quizzes. Puzzles, Wise Old Pony. Horses & Ponies for Sale. Classified Photo ads. Guest book. Results, Reports & News. Equine Art, Photography & Videos. Rescues & Charities. New Forest Pony Enthusiasts Club. New Forest Equestrian Association. New Forest Polo Club. Pony Drift Dates. Horses for Sale or Loan. Forest Bred Ponies For Sale. Interactive Event diary. Screen Savers. Online Schedules. Beaulieu Road Sales Dates. Commoners. Driving Q & A. Western Riding. Dressage. UK Equestrian News Updated Daily. Hampshire Horse Watch. Equestrian & Local Links & Lots, Lots More.


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Donald Trump caused worldwide uproar when he pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement. Until now, the real story of what happened in Paris and why it matters to the climate movement hasn't been told. Watch An Inconvenient Sequel to see behind the closed doors with Al Gore and add your name to the millions who are rejecting Trump's climate denial and standing in solidarity and action with the world's signatories to the Paris agreement.
The American People Support the Paris Agreement
We, the undersigned people of the United States, will continue to support climate action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
See the full statement of the American people who support the Paris Agreement.
4,050 signatures


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Pürschitz (Jihomoravský kraj, Czech Republic)
Pürschitz (now Prštice), an estate near Selowitz in Moravia (coordinates: 49° 7′ 11″ N, 16° 27′ 47″ E), which Burian Zabka of Limberg in 1563 sold to Albrecht von Boskowitz and Cernáhora. The latter maintained friendly relations with the Anabaptists, had them build for him an ornamental carriage and lay the water pipes in his house in Brno in 1569, and also had them help in building his Wostitz (Wastitz) castle. Their Vorsteher he addressed in a letter as "Brother Bastl, good friend." In 1571 he turned the estate over to his brother John Schembera von Boskowitz, who sold it together with Wostitz and Urspitz to Franz, Count of Thurn. The fate of the Brethren in the Wostitz Bruderhof under him and under his son John Jacob, who married the Countess Magdalene Serenyi, is recorded at length in the chronicle.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III , 413.
Hruby, Franticec. "Die Wiedertäufer in Mähren." Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte XXX-XXXII.
Wolkan, Rudolf. Geschicht-Buch der Hutterischen Brüder. Macleod, AB, and Vienna, 1923.
Wolny, Gregor. Die Markgrafschaft Mähren II 2. Brno, 1837.
Zieglschmid, A. J. F. Die älteste Chronik der Hutterischen Brüder: Ein Sprachdenkmal aus frühneuhochdeutscher Zeit. Ithaca: Cayuga Press, 1943.
|Paul Dedic
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
Dedic, Paul. "Pürschitz (Jihomoravský kraj, Czech Republic)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 17 Nov 2019. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=P%C3%BCrschitz_(Jihomoravsk%C3%BD_kraj,_Czech_Republic)&oldid=146669.
APA style
Dedic, Paul. (1959). Pürschitz (Jihomoravský kraj, Czech Republic). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 17 November 2019, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=P%C3%BCrschitz_(Jihomoravsk%C3%BD_kraj,_Czech_Republic)&oldid=146669.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 235. All rights reserved.
©1996-2019 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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Learn coding concepts and explore how to make MeeBot robots dance using Swift Playgrounds — an app that makes it fun and easy to use the Swift coding language. Bring your iPad or we'll provide one. Recommended for ages 12 and up. To get ready, join us for Coding Skills: Getting Started with Swift Playgrounds.
13350 Dallas Parkway
Dallas, TX 75240


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Surge protection basics are the foundation for a solid protection strategy.
The infamous "voltage spike" lasts for microseconds, yet its damage is often permanent — and sometimes catastrophic. Where do these spikes — transient surges in voltage or current — come from, and what should you do about them?
Causes of transients are usually represented by lightning bolts because they make for dramatic images, but they're not the only source of such events. Transients also occur on the utility grid for various reasons, but most transients originate from inside a given facility. A common source is switching loads on or off.
Transient surge protection can take several forms. For example, you can prevent the surge at its origin by using a soft-start motor. However, with sources like lightning, prevention is impossible. In these cases, you must turn from preventing the surge to coping with it. For surges originating outside the facility, you can divert the surge to ground at the service entrance with a surge protective device (SPD). For those originating inside your facility, you must also use SPDs to reduce the surge level at the inside distribution panels and at key points of use. By protecting the distribution SPDs from outside surges, you can specify smaller SPDs for a significant cost savings when the number of distribution panels is high.
SPDs operate in one of two modes:
Surge arresting: Limits surge voltages on the primary side of the meter by discharging or bypassing surge current (Art. 280).
Transient voltage surge suppression (TVSS): Limits transient voltages on the secondary side of the meter by diverting or limiting surge current (Art. 285).
In either case, the device prevents continued flow of follow current while remaining capable of repeating these functions. How long it remains capable depends on the number of times it carries out these functions as well as the severity of the transients.
SPDs can't reduce swells in the power, nor can they reduce harmonic conditions. And SPDs alone can't provide energy savings or reduce your utility bill. SPDs can absorb or divert surge energy, but most use the diversion method and provide a shunt path for transients before those transients can enter the equipment. Consider the following analogy: The pressure relief valve that protects a water mill does nothing until a surge occurs in the water supply. When that happens, the valve opens and allows the extra pressure out, so it won't reach the water wheel. Even if the relief valve is in place and working properly, a remnant of the surge will still reach the wheel, but it will have been reduced enough to prevent damage to the water wheel.
An SPD won't function properly unless the system is grounded according to Art. 250. Many often forget to reduce the difference in ground reference between port connections for multi-port appliances. You must ground all communications systems to the same grounding electrode system as the power. It's an NEC violation to provide separate grounds for the power system and communications system — doing so is just inviting a flashover from one system to the other.


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IMWG Consensus Statement Regarding the Current Status of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma
There has been much controversy in over two decades about the role of allogeneic stem cell transplant in myeloma. Early studies conducted in Europe and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA, consistently demonstrated high treatment-related mortality (TRM) of approximately 45% in heavily patients receiving full myeloablative allogeneic transplant (full allo). Overall survival rates in these studies were generally less than 30% at five years. Full allo in myeloma patients was therefore largely abandoned worldwide in the early 1990s.
There were, however, some long-term remission durations among patients treated within one year of diagnosis, after a single line of therapy, and with chemotherapy-sensitive disease. In fact, there was attainment of sustained CR in a subpopulation of patients. Researchers did not, therefore, give up on the idea of allo transplant.
The Seattle group introduced the strategy of an autologous transplant followed two to four months later by a reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) allo transplant (subsequently also called "mini allo" transplant), thus reducing TRM among patients whose donor was an HLA-identical sibling. A recent study of 102 patients who had auto/RIC allo from Seattle reports TRM of 18% (i.e. significantly less than 45%), and significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 6.3 years of 64% and 36% respectively. In a similar study in Italy with newly diagnosed patients, follow-up at five years demonstrated event-free survival (EFS) of three years, while median OS was not reached. Unfortunately, neither study has shown a plateau in EFS; that is, patients continued to relapse. The Dutch HOVON group and the European Bone Marrow Transplant (EBMT) groups also conducted trials comparing tandem auto to auto/ RIC allo transplant; both found improved OS in the tandem auto arms of their studies rather than the auto/ RIC allo arms.
Recent data from a very large (710 patients at 43 centers) BMT CTN phase III tandem auto vs. auto/mini allo study presented at the annual American Society of Hematology meeting in December, 2010, demonstrated no difference between the two arms of the study in progression-free or overall survival at three years. Potential benefits of graft-versus-myeloma to reduce disease progression or relapse were offset by increased TRM. The myeloma community interpreted these randomized trial data as definitive evidence that even under the best circumstances, TRM is unacceptably high, without overall survival benefit.
The International Myeloma Working Group therefore recommends that RIC allo transplant should only be performed in the context of clinical trials.
Future studies of allo SCT in myeloma should aim at improving the graft-versus-tumor effect while reducing the morbidity and mortality of allo SCT.


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This week, the Wonder Twins are back and ready for the second week of 2018. Is Nnekay naked?! James investigates. James has discovered The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Nnekay is super excited because and has loved him for a long time and pumps his podcast: Revisionist History. Going back to Tipping Point the twins discuss if they are Connectors, Mavens, or Salespeople. Also, the current Tipping Point we may be in. Speaking of... the Golden Globes! Specifically, Oprah's amazing speech, which motivated all of us to do better, be better, and get ready to fight. Not to mention Recy Taylor- Say Her Name! Continuing the trend of the Golden Globes, Nnekay decides to cover the topic of #TimesUp and the men who wore the pins on the red carpet. Are some of them hypocrites? Do they need to take those pins off? Or is it as simple as saying a sincere "sorry"? She'll give you the facts to find out. In James's Korner- he decides to educate everyone by covering the various racial politics that surround food and obesity in America. Why does obesity effect some races more than others? What are food desserts? How does heart disease factor in killing a disproportion of people of color? As a possible solution James speaks the truths of The Whole 30 and how it might help you re-calibrate your view on food. Thanks for listening and have a good week!
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Guide to A Gay Bar: Straight Guy Edition Pt. 3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7MaDElNnwE
MUSIC: Brownout
EDITOR: Dr. Tara Dunderdale
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Posted by Word Camel on November 04, 2003
In Reply to: Book it, booking on posted by ESC on November 04, 2003
: : : When I hear the detectives say "he booked" meaning he has left I always wonder how it go that meaning?
: : I am not sure if that is the way it is spelled since I have only ever heard it. It is slang meaning to run fast. I used to hear people use it to describe running in football games when I was cheerleader (she mumbled embarrassedly). "Did you see Bozeman? He was bookin'! They didn't stop him until he got to the three [yard line]."
: A couple of references associate "book it" meaning to move fast with "book it" meaning to study or "hit the books." ("Black Talk: Words and Phrases from the Hood to the Amen Corner" by Geneva Smitherman, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1994; and "Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume 1, A-G" by J.E. Lighter, Random House, New York, 1994.) Random House says "book it" is influenced by "boogie." Both sources say the phrase dates back to the 1970s. That's when I first heard it.
: I am not clear on how that would have evolved - from studying to moving fast.
The part about it being black slang and maybe being related to boogie. I'm wondering if it could have been popularised in any of the 'blacksploitation' films of the 70's. Maybe I'll have to go back and watch Shack. :)


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Ciputra Artpreneur, with an area of approximately 10.000 sqm, was the place dedicated to art and comprises of an art museum, gallery, international standard theatre, and multifunction rooms, and other supporting facilities.
Located in Jakarta Golden Triangle, Ciputra Artpreneur lies on the top floor of Ciputra World Jakarta Mall, which is a huge complex consisting of offices, apartmenets, hotel, and mall. Planned to launch at the end of 2013, Ciputra Artpreneur aims to become an incubator partner for Indonesian artpreneurs; cultural, intellectual supporter and Indonesian human resources empowerment.
Ciputra Artpreneur is managed by Citra Art Management, which had been managing numerous prominent art exhibitions in Jakarta as well as Internationally. Past exhibition include The Indonesian Eye (Jakarta and London, UK (Saatchi Gallery)), Beyond The East (Rome, Italy (MACRO)), the annual Artpreneur exhibitions as well as the photography exhibition, Beyond Photography.
Important Information
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Related Places
- The Jakarta Art Center Taman Ismail Marzuki
TIM, located at Jalan Cikini Raya is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and culture in its multiple forms. Here are performance theaters, cinemas, exhibition halls, galleries, archives, restaurants and cafes and there is also a planetarium as well as the Academy for the Arts. Dramas, musical, films, recitals are daily performed here.
- Setu Babakan Betawi Cultural Village
Setu Babakan or the Babakan Lake is located at Jagakarsa. The area is specially earmarked for the preservation and advancement of Betawi
- Jakarta Performing Art Theater
Gedung Kesenian Jakarta is a heritage building from Dutch colonial days, where artists regularly perform traditional and modern drama, concerts, and musicals. Built in 1821 its construction is in neo-renaissance style and was called the Theater Schouwburg Weltevreden or the Pasar Baru Theater since it is located just across the popular Pasar Baru shopping center.


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The Times Union traces its beginnings to 1856, when the Morning Times was founded as a daily newspaper in Albany, N.Y. Following numerous name changes, mergers and transfers of ownership, William Randolph Hearst purchased the Times Union in 1924.
Today, the Times Union is the leading newspaper in New York's Capital Region, and timesunion.com is Upstate New York's most innovative news website. The newspaper is widely respected for its focus on local news and watchdog reporting, particularly on state government and politics. It has won numerous state and national awards for its work in print and online, and has repeatedly been named New York's "Newspaper of Distinction" by the state editors association. The Times Union also publishes several niche magazines and hosts major regional events, including the Great Northeast Home Show at the Times Union Center, which is the area's premier arena.


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The "Cluck" BottleThe "cluck" bottle you hold in your hand is a small copy of the century-old decanter, which was made already in Roman times.During the mediaeval times a very special German type called "Angster" was made, and during the 18th Century this form was brought to Scandinavia, where today it is unique, particularly in Denmark and Norway. This small "cluck" bottle is mouth-blown and hand-made by Kastrup-Holmegaard, modelled on bigger bottles all to contain the famous Danish "snaps", like the "cluck" bottle a product of high quality and tradition.
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|$3800 - Single Copy or $7600 - Web Posting | Report # SH25395981 | 453 Pages | 130 Tables and Figures | 2013
|PDF Brochure
|Table of Contents
WinterGreen Research announces that it has published a new study Optical Transceivers: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2013 to 2019. The 2013 study has 453 pages, 130 tables and figures. Worldwide optical transceiver markets are poised to achieve significant growth as the data in networks expands exponentially. As cloud systems proliferate and wireless data takes hold the efficiencies brought by high speed end-to-end optical networks are needed by carriers and in the data center.
According to Susan Eustis, lead author of the study, "Optical transceivers are used to update the communications networks to manage broadband, to update the data center networks to make them manage traffic with higher speeds, to implement the backbone network for mobile communications. Everything is going mobile. This evolution is driven by mobile smart phones and tablets that provide universal connectivity. With 6 million cell phones in use and one million smart phones, soon to be 6 million smart phones, a lot of people have access to mobile communication. Video, cloud-based services, the internet, and machine-to-machine (M2M) provide mobile connectivity. All these devices are networked and drive significant traffic to the broadband network, stimulating the need for optical transceivers."
The Optical Transport Network (OTN) is a set of optical network elements connected by optical fiber links. Optical network elements provide transport, multiplexing, switching, management, supervision and survivability of communication channels. Carrier Ethernet is emerging. Optical transceiver, transmitter, receiver, and transponders support the implementation of the new network capacity.
Optical transceiver components are an innovation engine for the network. Optical transceiver components support and enable low-cost transport throughout the network. Optical transceivers are needed for high speed network infrastructure build-outs. These are both for carriers and data centers. Network infrastructure build-out depends on the availability of consultants who are knowledgeable.
Consultants with extensive experience are needed to bring optical component network design, installation, upgrade and maintenance into development. Optical components are being used to equip data centers, FTTx, metro access or core networks. They are used for long-haul and WAN.
A palette of pluggable optical transceivers includes GBIC, SFP, XFP, SFP+, X2, CFP form factors. These are able to accommodate a wide range of link spans. Vendors work closely with network planners and infrastructure managers to design high speed optical transport systems.
Optical transceivers are evolving that are compliant with the 10Gbps Small Form Factor Pluggable (XFP) Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) specification for next generation optical transceiver devices. The 10Gbps optical transceiver can be used in telecom and datacom (SONET/SDH/DWDM/Gigabit Ethernet) applications to change an electrical signal into an optical signal and vice versa.
The 10Gbps optical transceiver is generally compliant with XENPAK Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) specification for next generation optical transceiver.
A typical 1550nm chirp managed directly modulated laser is in a butterfly package and is used for 10G/200km. A solution for upgrading metro networks to 10Gbps is enabled by the transceivers. New components are more tolerant of dispersion. They provide a smaller footprint, lower power consumption, and cost savings for equipment vendors.
Optical transceiver market driving forces relate to the increased traffic coming from the Internet. The optical transceiver signal market is intensely competitive. There is increasing demand optical transceivers as communications markets grow in response to more use of smart phones and more Internet transmission of data. The market for network infrastructure equipment and for communications semiconductors offers attractive long-term growth:
There is expected to be tremendous investment in wireless cell tower base stations as the quantity of network traffic grows exponentially. Carriers worldwide are responding to the challenges brought by the massive increase in wireless data traffic. The advent of big data and exponential growth of data managed by the enterprise data centers is a significant market factor.
The global optical transceiver market will grow to $6.7 billion by 2019 driven by the availability of 100 Gbps devices and the vast increases in Internet data traffic.
Internet traffic growth comes from a variety of sources, not the least of which 1.6 billion new smart phones sold per year. Smartphone market growth is causing the need for investment in backhaul and cell tower technology.
Worldwide optical transport market revenues are forecast to grow through 2019. This is in the context of a world communications infrastructure that is changing. Technology is enabling interaction, innovation, and sharing of knowledge in new ways.
|Market Leaders
Furukawa Electric
JDS Uniphase
Avago Technologies
Oclaro / Opnext
Source Photonics
|Market Participants
Advanced Photonix
Agilent Technologies
Analog Devices
Menara Networks
Reflex Photonics
Rohm Semiconductor
Zhone Technologies
|PDF Brochure
|WinterGreen Research, Inc.
|� 2013 WinterGreen Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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The boardwalk. Nathan's Famous hot dogs. The Cyclone. The blue-gray waters of the Atlantic. Not too many places in America so readily evoke the evanescent pleasures of summer as the gloriously shabby environs of Coney Island. Running for nearly three miles along the southern coast of Brooklyn, "America's Playground" (or "Sodom by the Sea," as it was also once known) has been part of New York City lore for more than 150 years.
Packed from Memorial Day to Labor Day with sun worshipers, bathers, entertainers, people-watchers, pickpockets, partiers and other assorted characters — and with loners, Polar Bear Club members, beachcombers and birders the rest of the year — Coney Island has outlasted countless other amusement parks and summer destinations around the country, enduring boom times and years of decay and blight, alike, with a tough, unpretentious and welcoming spirit.
[MORE: See the gallery, "LIFE Goes Surfing."]
Here, as summer 2013 gets into full swing and on the anniversary (June 26, 1920) of the opening of the legendary Cyclone roller coaster — beneath which, as all films buffs know, lived Alvy Singer's family in Annie Hall — LIFE presents one of Margaret Bourke-White's famous aerial photographs of Coney Island from the 1950s. It might not evince the white-sand glamour of the Côte d'Azur, or the laid-back, effortless beauty of a place like, say, Malibu, but in Bourke-White's portrait of Coney Island one senses the energy positively pulsing from the place.
One gets the sense that, even at the beach, New Yorkers are constantly doing something.
[MORE: See the gallery, "Air America: Picturing the U.S. From Above."]


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UPDATE: Is Osama bin Laden's assassination "justice"?
UPDATE: I did not expect this to be a popular blog, though I don't think many commenters have bothered to pay attention to what I am saying. I did not say that bin Laden should be alive, or that he was misundertood, only that using virtue of justice to describe his killing is a pretty anemic understanding of justice, and, I would argue, not a Catholic one.
Nor is it Catholic to "celebrate" the death of any human being. Bin Laden's death may have been necessary for many reasons, but it should not be cause for rejoicing, as the Vatican also pointed out. We should all grieve that this is the world we live in, indeed the world of our own making. As the Vatican statement puts it: "In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred."
Commenters are quick to disavow any complicity in the creation of men like Osama bin Laden, but if you pay taxes in this country, buy gas, or otherwise participate in our petroleum based economy, as we all do, then you are. There is no way around it: The American way of life is petroleum-based, and we have used our power to control those parts of the world that have it. To keep control, we have empowered dictators, and a great deal of that petroleum happens to underneath the holiest ground of the world's second largest religion.
Deny it if you want, but both as citizens of this country and as Christians, we must take responsibility for our role in the world's violence if we are ever to approach anything like a Catholic vision of justice, which means a world in which every human life has a chance to flourish.
ORIGINAL POST: "Justice has been done," said President Obama last night, announcing the assassination of Osama bin Laden, a couple of his aides, and a woman used as a human shield in the attack. Is that what "justice" is?
I say that not because I don't think Osama bin Laden should have escaped punishment for his crimes. The man was guilty of murder thousands of times over. But I wonder if the president of the United States, a nation that has committed terrible and grotesque acts of grave injustice in these past 10 years, should be so bold in invoking "justice." I wish in some way the president had called the action exactly what it was: revenge for the attacks of 9/11. No need to paper it over--in fact, I think many Americans would be completely willing to acknowledge it.
I do not know what "justice" in the war on terror looks like anymore. As a nation we have strayed far from anything I might call a "just" response to the attacks of 9/11; indeed, if there is a devil, I think he must rejoice that the evil unleashed on 9/11 has borne such fruit: the destruction of two countries, the full blossoming of government-sanctioned torture, more than 100,000 further deaths, and new seeds of distrust and even hatred among members of the world's two largest religions.
As a Catholic, I can only say that I am uncomfortable with the celebration that is accompanying this death, and with the way bin Laden's body was dumped into the sea. I was happy that the Vatican today asked people not to celebrate bin Laden's death. Even if he deserved it, we are all responsible for the world that produced him, and true justice demands that we admit it.


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Signing autographs in one corner of a bustling University Village Microsoft Store was Steve Downes, the all-too-familar voice of Master Chief. Past him down the left side was Seattle Seahawks NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, posing for pictures and laughing with fellow Halo fans. And just outside in the chilly Seattle air was Master Chief himself, strutting around the parking lot in his intimidating green gear.
Now this is what you call a launch.
As one of 30 cities around the world hosting marquee Halo 4 launch events, Seattle celebrated the debut of Halo 4 in grand style. Several 343 Industries employees, who took over development of the Halo games from Bungie Studios, were on hand at their first-ever Halo launch. And of course there were the hundreds of fans waiting to get their hands on the newest edition of the famed franchise.
This evening had Halo written all over it.
Ironically, part of the event took over the parking lot that sits in between the Microsoft Store and the Apple Store. While throwing t-shirts to the crowd, a 343 employee joked that he'd pay $100 for anyone to hit the Apple logo.
By the time 10 p.m. came around, the doors opened at a big tent set up for gamers to try Halo 4 against other 343 developers. The first fans in line arrived around 1 p.m. and nine hours later, at least 200 people were waiting to get in. Inside the tent was a mobile Halo museum, featuring original franchise artwork.
Over at the warmer and crowded Microsoft Store, four more consoles were set up with Halo 4 for people to get an early sneak-peek. That's when the lines began forming for gamers to pick up their copy of Halo 4 at midnight. By the time I headed to Starbucks to write this post around 11:30 p.m. the line had also grown to at least 200-deep. There were still at least 100 when I came back around 1 a.m.
I asked an employee if they might run out of copies. She smiled and just shook her head.
Downes, Jen Taylor (voice of Cortana) and other 343 employees and developers signed autographs for well-wishing fans. The boy in the picture above told Downes that he sounded just like Master Chief.
"Well, it's the only voice I got," Downes replied.
Sherman, the NFL stud cornerback, said he's been a gamer ever since you "had to blow on the games to clean them." A self-proclaimed Halo guy, Sherman tried going up against fellow fans and 343 developers earlier in the night but couldn't play ten seconds without respawning.
"Those guys are riiiiidiculous," he admitted.
But that couldn't keep Sherman from enjoying the launch.
"This is amazing," he said. "I wish I knew about events like this when I was younger. They should have these kind of things all the time to bring people together. A lot of gamerheads would love this kind of stuff."
This was my first Halo launch event — first launch event for any game, really. It really reminded me of being at a sporting event or concert, when you're surrounded by people who all share a common passion. Whether it was the seven-year-old in awe of Master Chief or the loyal lifelong Xbox gamers, it was easy to see that everyone here had one thing in common: an intense love for the Halo franchise.
Previously on GeekWire: Halo's success by the numbers: 46 million games, $3 billion in revenue


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Arts & Culture
The Porter's LodgeBy Michael McGrath
In the summer of 2003, I attended a viewing party celebrating the premiere of The O.C. at my friend Diesel's house. Specifically, in a guesthouse planted in an overgrown corner of his grandparents' backyard. We called it the Barn, or the Sidehatch.
The Sidehatch had moldy furniture, an unreliable toilet, seashell ashtrays, and yellowed window lace. The refrigerator was noisy and warm. A thorny jungle pressed against the back windows. We sank into the spotted divan, clinked cups filled with stolen table wine and scarcely potable vodka sodas, and cheered as Ryan, the greasy angel from Chino, took up residency in the Cohen family pool house.
In dreams I occasionally confuse those two structures—the faded shingles of the Sidehatch easing to smooth, cool white—the way you might confuse a historical personality with the actor who portrayed them on film. That viewing party is a warm memory I often revisit in colder, lonelier moments, and the Sidehatch remains close to my heart, as much an unexpected salvation as Ryan's Newport Beach.


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HIGH POINT, N.C. — Pfeiffer University's Aaliyah Jackson has been selected as the final NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas Women's Soccer Player of the Week during week number nine of the 2012 season. This marks the second time Jackson has won the weekly award also grabbing the honor in week #1, her first week of collegiate action.
Jackson, a freshman, helped the Lady Falcons secure home field advantage in the first round of the Conference Carolinas playoffs with a career-high four goals at Belmont Abbey on Saturday afternoon. Jackson, a freshman of the year candidate, put home the equalizer in the 29th minute of the first half before adding insurance in the 32nd, 51st and 71st minutes in the 4-1 victory. Jackson finished her rookie regular season with 11 goals on the year before adding one more against Queens in a 2-1 overtime victory in Monday's first round.
Jackson and the Lady Falcons will look to continue their tournament run with a semifinals matchup at Lees-McRae on Thursday afternoon.


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SATURDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to rugby, players' height, weight and experience are the keys to World Cup success, research indicates.
Latest Exercise & Fitness News
In a new study, published online Feb. 21 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers analyzed data on nearly 2,700 players who took part in Rugby World Cup matches between 1987 and 2007, to see what factors helped create a winning team.
Players were put into categories based on their position on the field: "backs" (who wore numbers 9 through 15) or "forwards" (who wore numbers 1 through 8). The investigators then analyzed the age, height and weight data of these two groups and assessed each teams' performance.
Teams that were most successful tended to have the tallest members playing as backs, the heaviest members playing as forwards and the greatest amount of collective experience, according to the study authors.
On average, forwards and backs on high-performing/winning teams weighed about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) more than those on less successful teams.
"Given the constraints of the game, which directs the play towards more and more physical confrontations, rugby becomes a sport where heavy players become increasingly important," study author Adrien Sedeaud, of the Institute de Recherche Biomedicale et d'Epidemiologie du Sport in Paris, and colleagues explained in a journal news release.
Backs on teams that reached the finals, semi-finals and quarterfinals were an average of 2 centimeters (0.79 inches) taller than those on teams that didn't advance as far. There was also a similar trend in height for players in the forward positions.
The researchers also looked at data on whether players had competed in the World Cup before or if they were "rookies" and found that winning teams had a greater amount of collective experience among forwards -- nearly 40 percent compared with just under 32 percent on less successful teams.
"Although performance in rugby is complex and multifactorial, simple factors such as mass and height are discriminatory in the armament race. In fact, teams with heavier forwards and taller backs perform better than others," the researchers concluded.
"In addition, teams that win a World Cup, arrive in finals, semifinals and quarterfinals have forwards with greater collective experience than those who do not participate in these matches," they noted.
-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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Century Mark
Monday night's game had the makings of a postseason game. Tight pitching, lefty relievers brought in to face the Phillies lefty hitters and clutch hitting. That happed to Raul twice and he drove in two runs.
Cliff was excellent once again. His 17 wins are the most for a Phillies lefty since Shane Rawley, 17-11, in 1987. Cliff finished with 238 strikeouts, the most for a Phillies lefty since Lefty Steve Carlton had 275 in 1983.
Phillies reached 100 wins for the third time in club history, 101 in both 1977 and 1978. Last NL team to reach the century mark, St. Louis in 2005.
Phillies postseason formula is based on stingy starting pitching and the ability to scratch out some runs. That's what got them into the postseason. At times, the offense will pound out runs as it did in 2007-08. Ryan's ailing ankle/foot makes limits him to one base at a time, which impacts the offense.
Heading to Clearwater
Savery, Brown and DeFratus will not be on the NLDS roster but will report to the Florida Instructional League after the last game to stay sharp in case they are needed. Joe relieved in the seventh inning Monday night to face a left-handed hitter and got a ground ball out.
Rosters can be changed for the NLCS and WS.
It's Official
The Yankees played their final home game on Sunday so the Phillies led the major leagues in attendance (3,680,718) for the first time in franchise history. The Yankees were second by around 27,000.
204 consecutive regular season sellouts are really something special. A tribute to the passion of Phillies fans.
Phillies have 644 regular season openings in the history of Citizens Bank Park and they've sold out 380 of them.
What Was That?
In looking out on Citizens Bank Park Monday morning, there was something that resembled a race track or ice hockey rink in the infield from third base toward first base.
Race track? No. Ice hockey rink? Yep. The 2012 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic will be played at the park on January 2. A great rivalry, the New York Rangers against the Flyers. So, Citizens Bank Park will get a new playing surface for 2012.
NHL held a major press conference at 1:30 p.m. on a stage built on top of the Phillies dugout.
Alumni Views
What changes would you like to see in major league baseball? Question was posed to Phillies Alumni.
Mike Schmidt, (3B, 1972-1989)
"Eliminate interleague play so the All-Star Game and the World Series would have the mystique of the old days. Add DH to both leagues to level the playing field in terms of stats and player comparisons, because it looks like the DH is here to stay. Also eliminate on-the-field fraternization by the players when the gates open."
1 Comment
Hi Larry,
That's two pieces of great news–100 wins and the Januar 1 Flyers game! Two questions:
1) What do you think is better–the Phils getting an all-time record 102 wins but perhaps knocking the Braves out of the playoffs, or missing the team record but facing the injury-depleted Braves instead of the Cards? I love the idea of msetting a new record, but the Cards scare me, so if the record has to wait, so be it. Your thoughts?
2) Will Phils' season ticketholders get a chance at the Flyers Winter Classic game?


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Note: This was written against .NET 2.0, then manually converted to .NET 1.1.
I recently wrote an article showing a simple method for panning an image. The code worked very well for small to moderate sized images. However, when using very large images, the performance degraded significantly.
That article used a picture box within a panel, and used the auto scroll functionality of the panel to perform scrolling. I received quite a bit of feedback indicating the need for a version that could handle very large images and still pan very smoothly. I also received requests for ideas on how to zoom the image in and out. So, I got to work.
What I came up with is a control that could smoothly pan super-sized images, and also provided zoom functionality. My tests were with a 49MB GIF (7000 x 7000). The performance was very smooth. Of course, the control works equally as well with small images. The control is demonstrated in the included sample project.
This custom control does not use a picture box, nor does it inherit from one. Neither is there a panel or any "auto-scrolling". This is very different and very much a better way of panning an image (in my opinion). An added benefit to this example is the ability to zoom the image without resizing a picture box (which can get quite large in memory).
Public Property PanButton() As System.Windows.Forms.MouseButtons
Public Property ZoomOnMouseWheel() As Boolean
Public Property ZoomFactor() As Double
Public Property Origin() As System.Drawing.Point
Public Shadows Property Image() As System.Drawing.Image
Public Shadows Property initialimage() As System.Drawing.Image
Public Sub ShowActualSize()
Public Sub ResetImage()
Using the control is as simple as using a standard PictureBox. First, drop the control on a form, then when you need to show an image, you can do it this way:
Dim bmp As New Bitmap("Image.jpg")
Me.ImageViewer1.Image = bmp
Don't forget to change the filename!
It is important to note: If you are working with very large images, you should not pre-load them in the designer. This seriously bloats the project, and can result in "Out of Memory" issues. Instead, load your images during run-time.
You can tell the control what button to use for panning, with the "PanButton" property. You can turn off the default zooming by setting the ZoomOnMouseWheel property to False.
You can manually set the zoom factor so you could implement your own zoom functionality (i.e., using a slider, or buttons).
You can move the image around programmatically by setting the origin. The origin property gets or sets the coordinates of the top left corner of the viewable window in relation to the original image. For example, if you wanted to see the bottom right corner of an image with a size of 5000 x 5000, and your viewable control size was 500 pixels x 500 pixels, you could set the origin to 4500, 4500. This assumes, of course, that you have a zoom factor of 1 (not zoomed in or out).
You could catch the paint event of the control and overlay your own graphics. Just be careful to take the zoom factor into consideration if you need to draw at precise coordinates in relation to the original image.
Due to popular demand, scrollbars have now been implemented.
Double buffering is accomplished by setting the control styles in the constructor as such:
Public Sub New()
'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call
Me.SetStyle(ControlStyles.AllPaintingInWmPaint, True)
Me.SetStyle(ControlStyles.DoubleBuffer, True)
End Sub
Well, sort of. While we do have a copy of the image in memory, we only paint the area currently viewable.
Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint(ByVal e As PaintEventArgs)
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub OnSizeChanged(ByVal e As EventArgs)
DestRect = New System.Drawing.Rectangle(0, 0, _
ClientSize.Width, ClientSize.Height)
End Sub
Private Sub DrawImage(ByRef g As Graphics)
If m_OriginalImage Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
SrcRect = New System.Drawing.Rectangle(m_Origin.X, m_Origin.Y, _
ClientSize.Width / m_ZoomFactor, _
ClientSize.Height / m_ZoomFactor)
g.DrawImage(m_OriginalImage, DestRect, SrcRect, GraphicsUnit.Pixel)
End Sub
Note that we are taking the current zoom factor into consideration when drawing. By using the DrawImage method of the Graphics object, GDI will scale the image from the source area to fit the destination area.
The code for panning the image and keeping the zoom factor in mind, is as follows:
Private Sub ImageViewer_MouseMove(ByVal sender As Object, _
ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) _
Handles MyBase.MouseMove
'Make sure we are panning on the correct mouse button
If e.Button = m_MouseButtons Then
Dim DeltaX As Integer = m_PanStartPoint.X - e.X
Dim DeltaY As Integer = m_PanStartPoint.Y - e.Y
'Set the origin of the new image
m_Origin.X = m_Origin.X + (DeltaX / m_ZoomFactor)
m_Origin.Y = m_Origin.Y + (DeltaY / m_ZoomFactor)
'Make sure we don't go out of bounds
If m_Origin.X < 0 Then m_Origin.X = 0
If m_Origin.Y < 0 Then m_Origin.Y = 0
If m_Origin.X > m_OriginalImage.Width - _
(ClientSize.Width / m_ZoomFactor) Then
m_Origin.X = _m_OriginalImage.Width - _
(ClientSize.Width / m_ZoomFactor)
End If
If m_Origin.Y > m_OriginalImage.Height - _
(ClientSize.Height / m_ZoomFactor) Then
m_Origin.Y = m_OriginalImage.Height - _
(ClientSize.Height / m_ZoomFactor)
End If
If m_Origin.X < 0 Then m_Origin.X = 0
If m_Origin.Y < 0 Then m_Origin.Y = 0
'reset the startpoints
m_PanStartPoint.X = e.X
m_PanStartPoint.Y = e.Y
'Force a paint
End If
End Sub
Many of the concepts used within this example project are worthy of their own discrete articles. Therefore, I didn't go into any great detail about what double buffering is, nor did I dive into the intricacies of GDI+ in .NET. However, I hope that I have adequately covered the basics of how this control works, as well as how you can use it.
This is by no means meant to be a complete solution, nor is this code "production-ready". Then too, there are usually many ways to solve a problem; this is one. Hopefully, though, this sample has proven beneficial in some way. Perhaps, this article has given you a great idea about how to do this a better way, or an idea for expanding what is presented here. Great! That's why I wrote it. Please feel free to leave some feedback. Let me know how it went for you. If you do have an idea on how to improve this example or this article, please let me know that too.
P.S.: Don't forget to vote! If you don't have an account, make one!
Thanks for your patience!
This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Microsoft Public License (Ms-PL)
Dim bmp As New Bitmap("..\FileName.bmp")
SrcRect = New System.Drawing.Rectangle
(m_Origin.X, m_Origin.Y,
ClientSize.Width / m_ZoomFactor,
ClientSize.Height / m_ZoomFactor)
An unhandled exception of type
occurred in system drawing.dll
Additional information: A generic error occurred in GDI+.

if (SrcRect == Rectangle.Empty) {

SrcRect = new Rectangle(m_Origin.X,m_Origin.Y,ClientSize.Width,ClientSize.Height);

g.DrawImage(m_OriginalImage, DestRect, SrcRect , GraphicsUnit.Pixel);

g.Clear(Color.Black);

}

SrcRect = new ... rest of DrawImage as per article.

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Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.


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This is a lesson/briefing about the Dawn mission and the significance of its ion propulsion system.
In this activity, student teams explore the connections between parts of the Earth system by examining a time series of environmental data maps.
This resource introduces the concept of wind chill, the formula used to measure it and relates it to the causes of hypothermia. A simple experiment using a pie pan, sand, fan and a thermometer demonstrates this concept.
Learn how to build a Secchi disk and use it to make water transparency measurements following the GLOBE protocol for water transparency measurement with a Secchi disk. This resource is part of the GLOBE Program Hydrosphere Protocol eTraining.
This textbook chapter summarizes the changes in the ecosystems found in the world's forests. This is chapter 2 in the unit, A New World View, which introduces global systems science, emphasizing the concepts of environmental diversity, Earth as a system, and sustainability.
This exercise shows a practical application of trigonometry in the aviation environment, where student pilots consider the relationship between altitude and distance to complete a landing. It requires a scientific calculator.
This is a set of one-page problems about the size and area of solar panels used to generate power. Learners will will use integer arithmetic to tally the number of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon atoms in a molecule and determine the number of methane atoms that can result.
In this science-based storybook, students learn about making observations, taking scientific measurements and recording their findings in a science journal. Simon, Anita and Dennis join Hannah, a local scientist, as they compare spring and fall observations of changes they see at Willow Creek.
Learners will gain an understanding of simple machines and how they may be used in our everyday lives. Students will also have an opportunity to design a Rube Goldberg Machine of their own. This is lesson 10 of 16 in the MarsBots robotics learning module.
In this data analysis activity, students interpret basic line plots of wind speed using authentic NASA data. The lesson provides detailed procedures, related links and sample graphs, follow-up questions, extensions, and teacher notes.


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Faculty and Staff: Emeriti Faculty
Rachell Anderson
Associate Professor, Women's Studies and Human Services
Psy.D. Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology
Email: email@example.com
Phone: (217) 206-7572
Office: BRK 337
Jan Droegkamp
Professor Emerita, Liberal Studies/Individual Option, Women's Studies, African-American Studies
Ed.D., University of Massachusetts
Email: email@example.com
Judy Everson
Professor Emerita, English, Women's Studies
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Teaching Interests: American Literature
Nancy Ford
Professor Emerita, Legal Studies
J.D., Temple University
Email: email@example.com
Phone: (217) 206-6358
Teaching Interests: Family Law, Legal Writing and Analysis, and Introduction to Graduate Legal Studies. She was co-director of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project which, working with faculty and students in the Legal Studies and other disciplines provides students with an opportunity to conduct investigations in cases where inmates are incarcerated for crimes they did not commit.
Barbara Hayler
Professor Emerita, Criminal Justice
Ph.D. Political Science, University of Washington
Email: email@example.com
Phone: (217) 206-7586
Office: WUIS 57 (Mailstop: PAC 384)
Teaching, Scholarship, and Service Interests: Law and public policy, Title IX in education and athletics, violence against women and children, criminal law and procedure
Jackie Jackson
Professor Emerita, English, Women's Studies
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: (217) 544-2916
Office: CBM 71
Sandra J. Mills
Associate Professor and Field Education Director, Social Work
LCSW, ACSW, EdD
Email: email@example.com
Phone: (217) 206-7602
Office: BRK 346
Rosamond Robbert
Associate Professor Emerita, Human Services (Gerontology)
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: (269) 382-1535
Teaching Interests: Social gerontology, sociology of knowledge, critical theory, feminist theory, issues of older women and teaching.
Pat Langley
Professor Emerita, Legal Studies and Women and Gender Studies
Email: email@example.com


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márc. 7
Discover the beauty of Lake Taupo, the home of IRONMAN in New Zealand
OpenRegister ▻
Voted the best overall swim and best overall venue experience in the 2018 Athlete Choice Awards >
Discover nature's ultimate playground with a pristine fresh water swim, countryside bike and stunning lakefront run.
About Taupō, New Zealand
Great Lake Taupō, home to the IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand, is a popular tourist destination, boasting the largest freshwater lake in Australasia and mountains made internationally famous after being featured in the Lord of The Rings trilogy.
Come for the race but enjoy so much more! World-class trout fishing, mountain biking, hiking, adrenaline pumping adventure activities, or just enjoy a relaxing stroll along the lake front. There are restaurants and accommodation options abound; a dynamic boutique retail area; numerous arts and craft galleries and plenty of natural hot pools for soothing your muscles after the big race.
Taupō is an idyllic host venue for the sport of IRONMAN; it is a renowned and beautiful tourism destination, large enough to host international events yet small enough for the athletes and community to come together as one.
Fast Track your way to the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Taupō 2020 by entering IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand. Qualification slots have been DOUBLED to 80. Double the slots means double the chance!
Over 5,000 athletes will descend on Great Lake Taupō on November 28 – 29 and you will want to one of them. Demand for every race will be high, so make enter early before the race sells out.
The addition of the IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand enhances what is already a must-do event weekend for triathletes. This exciting new event will create a full festival for triathletes of all levels.
"Race week in Taupō is an amazing experience and the town absolutely buzzes. Over the past 20 years, this event has attracted over 25,000 participants from 60 countries.
IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand athletes will have the unique opportunity to race in the morning, then stay around to support family, friends and watch the elite athletes battle it out for the title of IRONMAN New Zealand Champion.
Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said the District was incredibly proud to be home to the newest IRONMAN 70.3 in New Zealand: "The introduction of an IRONMAN 70.3 event will allow us to showcase our beautiful district to an even wider audience, and we look forward to rolling the welcome mat out for those taking part both in March and the years to come."
December 7th 2016
IRONMAN announced its expansion in New Zealand with the addition of a second IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon in 2017. Read More >


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Appointments Made To Boards Across County
By Samar Fay
Courier Editor
A number of local people have volunteered to serve on the many boards that oversee local affairs in Valley County. The Valley County Commissioners have recently appointed 19 people to three-year terms, which will expire June 30, 2016.
Glasgow Mosquito Control District – Jody Faul, Norm Girard
Hinsdale Cemetery District – Ernest Marinko, Doris Tollefson, Paul Yeska
Hinsdale Mosquito Control District – Valeria Schmauch
Hinsdale Television District No. 1 – Wayne Johnson
Nashua Mosquito Control District – Raymond Yoss
Opheim Cemetery District – Albert Fehler
Refuse Disposal District No. 1 – Halvar Olstead, Paul Zerbe
Valley County Board of Health – Shirley Baumgartner
Valley County Historical Museum – Sherman Lacock
Valley County Tax Appeal Board – Ron Garwood
Valley County Transit Board – Sherrill Richardson
Valley County Weed Control – Nathan Miller, John W. Mogan, Kirk Sibley
In addition, Betty Stone was appointed to the state's Missouri River Country Tourism Board.


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Rosita S. Chen and Sheng-Der Pan CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO FREDERICK WINSLOW TAYLOR'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO COST ACCOUNTING Abstract: This article is to introduce the cost accounting system that Frederick Winslow Taylor installed at the Tabor Manufacturing Company sometime in the 1890s. A comparative analysis between this system and Captain Henry Metcalfe's Cost of Manufactures is also made in order to investigate their sources and in-fluences. It is concluded that Taylor was a pioneer in many aspects of cost accounting, but his most important contribution was the development of the managerial approach that paved the way for modern managerial accounting. In the later stages of the Industrial Revolution, businessmen were under increasing competitive pressure and were, therefore, striving to improve their managerial efficiency. It was largely in response to this drive for efficiency that Frederick W. Taylor (1856-1915) pursued the study of scientific management. Realizing that efficient managers require timely, complete, and accurate account-ing information, he devoted a great part of his time to studying accounting in the 1880s. Following the widespread acceptance of scientific management, his methods of cost accounting became popular. This popularity lasted at least up until the 1920s. Accounting history has not done justice to Taylor's contributions. This is probably because he had little interest in publicizing or claim-ing credit for the originality of his bookkeeping and costing systems. Nevertheless, an introduction to his work in cost accounting serves a valuable purpose. For one thing, it provides better understanding of his system of scientific management in general. It also helps identify Taylor's role in the development of industrial accounting and thereby bridges a historical gap in an important period of modern industrialization. Acknowledgement is made to Dean V. K. Zimmerman and Professor R. I. Dickey of the University of Illinois, Dean Emeritus Paul Garner of the University of Ala-bama, and the anonymous reviewers of this paper for their comments and en-couragement. Great appreciation is extended to the Stevens Institute of Technology for the use of the Taylor Collection, without which this paper would have been impossible.


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Subscribe To Enchanted Updates
Enchanted Synopsis
A classic Disney animated fairy tale meets with the modern, live-action romantic comedy in Walt Disney Pictures ENCHANTED. Featuring an all-star cast, the film follows the beautiful princess Giselle (AMY ADAMS) as she is banished by an evil queen (SUSAN SARANDON) from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer (PATRICK DEMPSEY) who has come to her aid -- even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince (JAMES MARSDEN) back home, she has to wonder: can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world?
Enchanted looks a little something like Cool World meets Aquamarine, and the plot synopsis sounds like it ought to be the sort of movie that'll throw good film lovers into convulsions. Except the trailers really work and the cast is simply fantastic. Amy Adams stars as the fish-out-of-water princess, and she's every bit as lovable in the trailers as she is in just about everything she's done so far. James Marsden her male cartoon counterpart, Susan Sarandon is in the mix as a wicked Queen, and Patrick Dempsey is in the film as, well, a guy who seems a lot like every character Patrick Dempsey plays. At least we know he'll be good about it.
I'm hoping for a film that's a total throwback to those fun, silly, family 80s movies that have sort of become a vanishing breed in modern times. If it is, get ready to bundle up the kids and buy $50 worth of tickets on November 21st.


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For Seniors: View Location Information in iPad's Google Maps
iPad 2 includes the Google Maps app. Use it to lookup directions, addresses, phone numbers, and web pages for homes, businesses, and landmarks. Maps also allows you to quickly add the addresses and phone numbers it finds to your Contacts list for easier retrieval next time.
After you start Maps and search for an address, business, or destination, it appears on the map with a red pin.
1Go to a location on the map and tap the pin.
An information bar appears above the pinned location.
2Tap the Information icon.
The Information dialog box appears. Here, you can find the location's address, phone number, and web address (if any).
4Tap Add to Contacts.
The New Contact dialog appears. The name, address, phone number, and web address of the location is entered for you; add additional information as needed.
5Tap Done.
The information is stored in Contacts. If needed, tap outside the Information dialog in Maps to close it.
You can press and hold the Phone, Address, or Home Page field to copy it elsewhere, such as the Notes app, for future reference.


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About Us
Rotork is the market leading actuator manufacturer and flow control company that operates in any market where the flow of gases or liquids needs to be controlled. It has established manufacturing facilities, a global network of local offices and agents who can truly provide a worldwide service. You will be able to locally source Rotork's products, supported by life-of-plant maintenance, repair and upgrade services.
Rotork's business is split into four actuation and flow control divisions supported by our service company; Rotork Site Services:
An overview of the markets and industries we serve.
Rotork's Markets
Rotork's Board of Directors
Find out more about the Board of Directors Rotork PLC.
Rotork PLC Key People
The story of how a small, privately owned engineering company in the West of England has grown to be the world's leading designer and manufacturer of industrial valve actuators, control systems and accessories.
History of Rotork
Search and apply for a job at Rotork
Careers at Rotork


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Newt Gingrich: 'Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior' Is Model for Obama
[There was a video here]
Having trouble understanding President Obama's "worldview"? Former speaker of the House of Representatives and possible Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich may be able to help! According to Newt, you can only understand Obama if you "understand Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior."
Gingrich spoke with Slate's Dave Weigel and Robert Costa of the National Review Online on Saturday night and told them both about the "most profound insight I have read in the last six years about Barack Obama." Weigel recorded part of the interview, which you can listen to above. And what was this "profound" and "stunning" insight?
"What if [Obama] is so outside our comprehension, that only if you understand Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior, can you begin to piece together [his actions]?" Gingrich asks. "That is the most accurate, predictive model for his behavior."
"This is a person who is fundamentally out of touch with how the world works, who happened to have played a wonderful con, as a result of which he is now president," Gingrich tells us.
Oh wow! Now that you mention it, Newt, I can totally see it. Kenyan anti-colonialism! Newt's thesis is taken from a wonderful piece of what I believe is called "fanfic," written by the breathless conservative, uh, intellectual Dinesh D'Souza for Forbes, which, I swear, was at one point a respectable business publication.
"It may seem incredible to suggest that the anticolonial ideology of Barack Obama Sr. is espoused by his son, the President of the United States," writes D'Souza. It is! And now it is less incredible, because theoretically-mainstream Republican Newt Gingrich has repeated it and called it "profound," and now we get to talk about it for a week. I hope everyone still has their copies of The Wretched of the Earth! Ha, or not. Who needs actual anti-colonialism when you can just assign that label to anything?


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The first question was simple: "Siri, when is Christmas?" After the two-tone "BEED-EEP" chime, the voice of the Apple iPhone responded: "Christmas is on Tuesday, December 25, 2012. I hope I have the day off."
Then matters got complicated: "When is Advent?"
Siri searched her memory and said: "I didn't find any events about 'Ed Fant.' "
Trying again: "When is the Advent season?"
Siri cheerfully responded: "I am not aware of any events about 'advent season.' "
After several more "BEED-EEP" chimes the Apple cloud ultimately drew a blank when asked, "When does the Christmas season end?" Alas, Siri didn't understand the term "Christmas season."
That's understandable, since it's clear that millions of Americans are either confused about these questions or they disagree with answers rooted in centuries of Christian life, noted Jimmy Akin, senior apologist at Catholic Answers (Catholic.com).
The problem isn't just that the secular marketplace celebrates a different season -- "The Holidays" -- which runs from the shopping day previously known as Thanksgiving through Dec. 25th, which precedes several days in which gifts are returned, leftovers consumed, trees discarded and decorations jammed into garages.
The problem, said Akin, is that many Christian institutions have surrendered and no longer observe the four quiet weeks of Advent (Latin for "toward the coming") and then the 12-day Christmas season, which begins with the Dec. 25 feast and continues through Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. The Advent and Christmas seasons have for centuries been celebrated in many different Christian traditions.
"There is just so much noise out there in the culture this time of year, so many signals clashing with the church's traditions," said Akin. "The key to all this is that our culture treats Christmas Day as the climax of a giant holiday season, not as the day that -- after the preparations of Advent -- kicks off the 12 days of Christmas."
The bottom line: Most Americans, believers and nonbelievers alike, "frontload" Christmas celebrations into the weeks before Christmas, trample Advent and then ignore the traditional season of Christmas. The question for church leaders is how to serve as winsome advocates for Christian traditions without adopting an "Advent Grinch" attitude -- the term used at the Occupy Advent website -- that turns off people seeking alternatives to the modern Christmas crush.
Some church leaders are convinced that it's time to throw in the towel, noted Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, in an online commentary about what he called "The Annual Advent Argument."
A traditionalist, he said, may proclaim, "Yeah, remember 50 years ago when we were kids? The tree would not go up until Christmas Eve; carols would never be heard till real close to Christmas; there were some added days of fast and abstinence during Advent; even Christmas Eve was a day of penance! Wasn't that better? We so looked forward to Christmas because we waited!"
Then somebody else will respond, "But there's nothing we can do about it! Society begins the Christmas season on Thanksgiving, and ends it on December 25. ... The Church is out of it and will just have to change."
Meanwhile, Catholic instructions for bishops continue to urge clergy -- on the crucial issue of decorations in Advent -- to proceed "in a moderate manner, as is consonant with the character of the season, without anticipating the full joy of Christmas." The same general rule applies to Christmas music.
"The question everyone asks," noted Akin, "is, 'Why don't we do Christmas songs in church during Advent?' The answer is pretty simple: 'Because it isn't Christmas yet.' ... And it's one thing to put up a tree, but it's something else to completely decorate it weeks before Christmas. It's one thing to put up your Christmas creche. It's something else to go ahead and put the baby Jesus in the manger."
The goal is for churches to take symbolic actions that help people reclaim the full Christmas season. The most important move most churches could make, he said, would be to put their Christmas parties, festivals, caroling events and other celebrations during the traditional 12 days of Christmas.
"It would be pretty radical to pull some of those frontloaded celebrations out of Advent and back into the Christmas season itself. If we did that it might get some people's attention," said Akin. "The point we need to make is this: Christmas belongs in Christmas."


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California Operators Ready To Benefit From Favorable Laws
From state labor rules to cannabis bans and LAX access, the Greater California Livery Association enjoys a golden chapter of regulatory successes.
SCHOHAIRIE N.Y. – After a limousine crash that killed 20 people in upstate New York, there are growing concerns about the potential dangers of these vehicles.
When it comes to modified stretch limos, oversight is usually handled by state and city officials. Limousine safety standards vary widely among states across the country.
CBS 2 New York video and article here
Related article: No New Limo Safety Laws In New York This Year
Related Topics: accident reduction, accidents, coachbuilders, custom coachbuilders, fatalities, limo crashes, New York operators, New York state regulations, stretch limousine
From state labor rules to cannabis bans and LAX access, the Greater California Livery Association enjoys a golden chapter of regulatory successes.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation said they were uncovered after implementing a system of "random checks."
A previous Senate Bill addressed the issue of passengers under 21 smoking on buses and agreed to creating sealed compartments so the smoke and smell doesn't impair drivers.
The Assembly passes a measure that if signed into law would mean you couldn't toke up while touring cannabis outlets.
This could set a national industry precedent.
Paula DeBiasi, executive director of the Illinois Limousine & Bus Association and owner-operator of Chicago CoachWorks, talks with LCT contributing editor Jim Luff during the International LCT Show in March for insights on why associations are needed to protect operator livelihoods.
2019 LCT Video Education Series: The head of the industry's Illinois trade group deals with one of the toughest city regulatory environments in the U.S.
GCLA members will get the latest details on a pending state bill that could transform TNCs, and an update on LAX construction traffic patterns.
Assembly Bill 5 could upend the TNC business model by making it more difficult for them to classify workers as independent contractors.
Mavis Discount Tire is accused of negligently inspecting the vehicle without authority to do so.
Despite CHP objections, the proposal narrowly passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
The operator is now linked to an inspector's sticker ordering the stretched involved in the deadly Oct. 6 New York accident be taken out of service for brake problems.
Only the bill requiring more insurance passed both houses in June before the legislative session ended.
Of the Senate's package of nine safety bills, only one increasing insurance limits also passed the Assembly.
A coalition confirmed it gave money to gig workers to cover the costs of travel and expenses for the day.
The world's No. 1 online marketplace and trader for professional chauffeured and chartered vehicles, including all types of motorcoaches, buses, vans, stretch limousines, sedans, SUVs, exotics, and classics. New and used vehicles are available from sellers across the nation.
The best online networker to find quality affiliates worldwide and market your company.
Click on any state to see the latest industry news and events in that region.
Get the latest news and most popular articles from LCT delivered straight to your inbox.
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Traverse City Record-Eagle Names City Editor
Kathy Gibbons has been named city editor for the Traverse City (Mich.) Record-Eagle, overseeing business and features. She replaces Bill O'Brien, who took a position with the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. Gibbons worked at the Record-Eagle, most recently as features editor, for about 15 years before leaving in 2008. After running her own business, she accepted a job managing the Booth Newspapers Regional Content Center, overseeing specialty publications for the Grand Rapids Press, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle and Booth statewide. Previously, she was editorial director for Great American Media Services near Grand Rapids, Mich.


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Product Description
Whippin Good is a scrumptious vanilla custard that tastes so good you'll think it came straight out of the oven and right into your ZFG cartridge. This sweet and rich flavor is the perfect vape for any dessert lover.
Filled to the brim with quality e-liquid, White Cloud's ZFG cartridges are made out of thermoplastic for the ultimate in long-lasting flavor freshness. No screwing on cartridges or filling e-liquid tanks: with ZFG cartridges, you can change flavors in a snap with the convenient magnetic connection.
ZFG cartridges are available in 15+ flavors and 6 nicotine strengths and are compatible with the ZFG e-cigarette battery..
Additional Information:
|2 cartridges total of 5ml of e-liquid
|2.7 inches (68.59 cm)
|.681 inches (1.7 cm)
|10 grams
|Liquid Volume:
|2.5 ml
|Compatible Products:
|ZFG Battery, ZFG Charger
Product's Review
Perfect sweetness Review by Monica
I can't get over how smooth this flavor is with just the right amount of creaminess. very delicious! (Posted on 4/2/2019)
Sweet Treat Review by Monica
It's a nice cool treat on a very hot Summer day! Just what I need besides jumping in my pool. I recommend this awesome flavor! (Posted on 8/1/2018)
Sinful!! Review by Monica
I had the pleasure of running into someone who has a Whitecloud and he had "Whippin Good" all it took was one hit and I was hooked. It is soooo delicious! (Posted on 6/28/2018)
Shipping & Warranty
Rechargeable e-cigarette batteries, chargers and adapters are covered under limited warranty for 6 months from date of purchase. Cartridges and Fling disposables are covered by a separate no-defect guarantee. If your cartridge or Fling is defective, return the item(s) for testing with a copy of your receipt. If deemed defective, we'll replace it at no cost.
Please visit our Warranty and Returns page for additional information.
Shipping and Delivery
We are proud to offer Same-Day Shipping on weekdays (not including public holidays), for all orders placed before 4pm ET. Please Note: Due to additional processing times, some International orders will not ship the same day, but will be shipped promptly the next business day.
White Cloud offers domestic and international delivery options to meet any need and budget. Simply select the appropriate option at checkout. UPS Overnight and Saturday delivery is available, priced according to the ZIP code used at checkout.
Please visit our Shipping page for additional shipping and delivery information.


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If you look really closely, as I have resolved,
At Boards of Education,
You'll see hidden creationists; some have evolved
A protective coloration.
Some wear their belief upon their sleeves
And some choose not to wear it–
But sometimes you'll see what one believes
By the phrases that they parrot:
"I think it's fair to teach both sides"
"Evolution is 'just a theory'"
"With freedom of speech, then who decides?"
"Just think of the children, dearie"
And just as we can identify birds
By the calls of hens and drakes
We can sometimes tell creationist turds
By the sound stupidity makes.
A tip o' the cuttle to PZ, here.


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China told the U.S. to back off of its domestic affairs Friday, chastising the American government for honoring the Dalai Lama with a human rights award despite Chinese animosity toward the peace figure.
"We urge some members of the U.S. Congress to respect the history and the facts, recognize teh true face of Dalai Lama, stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China's internal affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Web site.
Congress Tuesday celebrated the exiled Tibetan leader, honoring the Dalai Lama's human rights efforts with an award from the Lantos Foundation, named after human rights activist Tom Lantos. China has long argued that Tibet is part of its territory, although many Tibetans -- including the Dalai Lama -- argue the region has been independent for most of its history.
President Obama decided this week he would not meet with the Dalai Lama during his trip to America to accept the award, saying instead he would meet with the spiritual leader after he visits Chinese President Hu Jintao in November.
Get more: The Associated Press


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Microsoft has unveiled its NFC-enabled mobile wallet, as part of its planned Windows Phone 8 operating system, which the software giant introduced today at its Windows Phone Summit in San Francisco.
Microsoft had been expected to launch its own NFC-enabled wallet and its unveiling today confirms that Windows Phone will be the third major mobile platform to support a wallet, after Google's Android-based NFC wallet and the recently announced Passbook wallet from Apple, which may or may not support NFC.
But unlike Google, Microsoft has made it clear it will support SIMs as the secure element to anchor payment and other secure applications in its wallet.
Get access to all premium content and the world's first global newsletter devoted to the NFC and contactless markets by subscribing to NFC Times, the most authoritative source for news and analysis in the industry.
Subscription Options
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NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Results of yet another survey has shown that a significant percentage of U.S. consumers continue to harbor security fears about using their smartphones for payments, a stubborn problem that has hindered growth of mobile payments from the beginning.
NFC TIMES Exclusive – While Apple Pay next month will mark the 5th anniversary since its launch in the U.S., there is another contactless-mobile payments service that is three times as old as Apple Pay–Japan's Osaifu-Keitai, or wallet phones, which this year turned 15.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Rome has become the second major city in Italy–and one of a small but growing number of large cities globally–to enable riders to pay transit fares with EMV contactless credit, debit and prepaid cards and NFC devices.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Vivo, China's second largest smartphone maker, made it official this week, launching its NFC-enabled "vivo Pay" wallet, the last of the major Chinese phone OEMs to roll out NFC payments–though their use has been disappointing, at least for payments in stores.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Given the poor financial results of U.S.-based Fit Pay, it's becoming clear that the business case for provisioning of payment cards to wearable devices remains difficult.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Plans disclosed this week by JPMorgan Chase to shut down its Chase Pay app for in-store purchases is yet another nail in the coffin–perhaps the final one–for bank wallets in the U.S. And the situation does not look much brighter for bank-issued wallets abroad.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Transit officials in Miami-Dade County, Fla. are the latest in the U.S. to introduce open-loop payments of fares with contactless credit and debit cards and bank card credentials on NFC wallets, launching the service yesterday on the city's relatively small metro network, with plans to expand to buses later.
NFC TIMES Exclusive – Transport for Greater Manchester, which last month launched open-loop payments on its large Metrolink tram network, said Thursday that contactless credit and debit cards and NFC wallets accounted for a combined 170,000 rides during the first four weeks of the service.
NFC TIMES Exclusive – When New York City transit officials announced Tuesday that the 1 millionth ride paid for through their new OMNY open-loop payments service had arrived ahead of schedule, they also proudly noted that 80% of the contactless payments had come from NFC wallets, not physical bank cards.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – As Japan continues to fight what to date has been a losing battle against cash, an announcement by the joint venture behind QR code-based payments service PayPay offers a little bit of encouragement.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – As Apple Pay approaches the fifth anniversary of its launch in the U.S., there is more research showing that most American consumers simply don't see the value of tapping to pay with NFC-based payments services.
NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Five years ago next month, Transport for London introduced open-loop contactless payments across its transit network, including metro, trams and commuter rail, following an earlier launch on buses. The service now accounts for more than half of all pay-as-you-go journeys and has become a global showcase for the technology.