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Welcome to the first Four Seasons marina resort, a showpiece of contemporary design on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. Nestled on 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) of untouched beachfront on the Sea of Cortez, Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas? fills your days with swimming, snorkelling, sport fishing, golf and desert adventures.
- Prime Ocean-View Room
Exclusively on upper levels, these prime guest rooms offer elevated views of the Sea of Cortez – both from the sleek interior and the oversized private terrace. Gaze across the waves and watch for dolphins and whales at play.Details
- Ocean-View Room with Plunge Pool
Float in your own private plunge pool as you ponder the Sea of Cortez. Designed for indoor-outdoor living, this sleekly sensual guest room feels like your own personal hideaway. You may never want to leave.Details
- Sunrise One-Bedroom Suite
Boasting our best sunrise view over the Sea of Cortez, these exceptionally large suites are a great choice for families. With extra-spacious living and dining areas – both indoors and out – there's plenty of room to relax and entertain.Details
Four Seasons rests on 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) of untouched beachfront.
Tropical calm on the Sea of Cortez
The Baja Peninsula's undiscovered East Cape provides a long stretch of white-sand beach along the Sea of Cortez, featuring calm, lake-like waters with no waves and no seaweed. The shallow, sandy bottom continues out far from shore, creating an ideal spot for swimming. Looking up and down the shoreline, there's a pristine, unobstructed view – letting you feel fully immersed in the beauty of nature.
With a long sandy beach and calm clear waters, our new resort is a one-of-a-kind tropical hideaway – just an easy flight from L.A.Borja Manchado General Manager
- Explore an underwater paradise
A UNESCO Marine World Heritage site, the nearby Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park is home to 695 species of aquatic plants and 891 species of fish. Jacques Cousteau called it "The Aquarium of the World." Plan a boat trip from the marina for unforgettable diving and snorkelling.Details
Remarkably lush and green, the vast Costa Palmas community includes 7 hectares (18 acres) of organic farms and orchards – providing truly locally sourced ingredients for our Four Seasons restaurants. Meet the farmers and get hands-on to learn the latest techniques in sustainable organic growing.
It's just a half-hour drive to the quaint community of Santiago. Take a short hike and go for swim beneath a waterfall pouring off granite cliffs. Or head to El Triunfo, a 19th-century mining town where several old buildings have been restored and converted to restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and a museum.


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A Close Look at the Kabar Last Ditch Knife
The Kabar Last Ditch Knife is specially designed for law enforcement officials to serve as their protection if their encounter with a potential suspect gets out of their control, or it turns out to be a life-threatening situation on their part. This self defense weapon is so small that it can be concealed within the pocket of a vest or pants.
In this article, we will examine its specifications, advantages as well as its disadvantages in self-defense in order order to help you decide whether it is ideal for you or not.
Ka-Bar Last Ditch Knife Specifications
The knife has an overall length of 3.63 inches, which includes its 1.63-inch blade, and it weighs around 0.3 ounces only. The blade has a drop-point shape with a 15-degree angle curve. The material used for the weapon is stainless steel, plus it comes with a plastic sheath and cord for storage.
The Price of the Kabar Knife
The original price of the item in Amazon was $20.94, but it has been slashed down to $14.87 to let buyers save up to $6.07. The offer comes with a free shipping promo too.
Tactical Advantages Provided by the Kabar Last Ditch Knife
The main advantage offered by the product is that it is highly concealable. Drawing it out in a fight will give you the element of surprise, which has a huge tendency to catch your opponent off-guard. Aside from hiding it in your pocket, you can also wear it around your neck using its cord, or tie it to your hand.
The knife possesses a pointed tip that you can use for stabbing and a sharp edge for slashing. Despite the small form of this self defense weapon, the kind of damage it would cause should not be undermined. A properly executed pierce or cut from its blade could cause serious bleeding or even death if an artery has been severed or a sensitive organ has been ruptured by the weapon.
Then, the curved grip and the jagged handle of the unit will give your opponent a hard time disarming you. You can wear it on any side of your fist, which will allow you utmost flexibility when attacking.
Disadvantages of the Kabar Knife
First, the small size of the weapon is both advantageous and disadvantageous. The downside of its very short blade is that it will not provide you with a significant increase in reach. Thus, you have to be careful when fighting an opponent armed with a longer weapon.
Second, the holes should have been great for added grasp of the knife. But, they are just too small for the fingers of a grown man to fit in.
Third, the sheath has a trouble holding the item in place. Therefore, some people who have purchased this product complain about dropping the item from its sheath frequently, and worse, some even lost the knife right away after purchase due to this issue.
Should You Buy the Kabar Last Ditch Knife
This self defense weapon is a nice addition to your tools if somehow your opponent manages to take away your primary weapon. As its name implies, it is only good as a last ditch weapon due to its very small size. So, if you want an extra weapon that you can pull out when nothing else is available within your reach during a life-threatening confrontation, the Kabar Last Ditch Knife is something that you should consider buying.
Source: Amazon
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subset: commoncrawl


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Just a few favorites from September!
To see more Wordless Wednesday participants, click here.
To see more Wordless Wednesday participants, click here.
oh what a gorgeous little blonde man you have!!!! Happy WW
Aww- he is just too cute!
He is just a cutie!
Perfect catch for wordless! Mine's up too hope you can drop by... Happy WW!
What a sweet little muffin!!
Love the tubby!
What a cutie!
All very sweet ! I love sleeping photos when they are that young.
What cutie pie !
What a sweet little guy!
sweet shots! happy WW:)


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Did you know that there are far more male portfolio managers (PMs) than female? New research reveals the gap continues to widen since 2009 and currently, only 6.7% or 489, make up nearly 7,300 managers as of November 2014.
Additionally, the percentage of fund with at least one PM has fallen. In 2009, 21.6% or 1,441, of the 6,667 U.S. open-ended mutual funds had at least one female manager. In 2014, only 17% or 1,306, of the 7, 696 funds had at least one PM.
What can be done to improve this statistic and drive diversity?
Read more here.


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How to Apply Transitions to PowerPoint for Mac Slides
Transitions are animations that appear between PowerPoint slides when you advance from one slide to the next during your presentation. Examples of transitions include a slide dissolving into the next slide, a slide pushing the previous slide off-screen, and so on. PowerPoint includes more than 50 different transitions. Used wisely, transitions can make your PowerPoint presentation look even more impressive.
It's usually a good idea to use the same transition throughout your presentation. Using the same transition not only gives your presentation consistency, but also makes it look more professional. The exception to this rule is that many presentations have one slide that deserves to have attention called to it. Sometimes, it makes sense to use a different transition to introduce that special slide. But, most of the time, you'll look more professional if you use only one transition throughout your whole presentation.
You can also decide to use no transitions between slides. If you don't use any transition, when you click to advance to the next slide, the next slide replaces the current slide instantly with no animation.
Switch to either Normal view (choose View→Normal) or Slide Sorter View (choose View→Slide Sorter).
It's usually easier to apply transitions in Slide Sorter view, which allows you to see more slides and provides feedback on which slides have transitions.
Select slides you want to use the transition.
To select multiple slides, you click the first slide and then hold down either the Shift key (to select contiguous slides) or the Command key (to select noncontiguous slides).
After you click any slide, you can select the rest of the slides in the presentation all at one time by choosing Edit→Select All or pressing Command+A. If you're using Normal view and objects on your slide get selected, instead of all the slides in the left pane, click a slide in the left pane before you choose Edit→Select All (or before you press Command+A).
With some or all of your slides selected, click the Transitions tab in the Elements Gallery.
Move the cursor over any of the transition thumbnails, and its name will appear.
Click a thumbnail, and the theme is applied to all slides that are selected.
When you click a thumbnail, you see a thumbnail-sized preview of the transition on the first selected slide. Slides that have transitions applied to them display a little icon below their bottom-left corner.
To preview your transition, click the Slide Show button or choose View→Slide Show.
Click anywhere to advance from one slide to the next.
When you're finished, press the Esc key to return to the Normal or Slide Sorter view.
If you didn't apply this transition to all your slides, apply one to all your slides now.
Transitions work pretty much the same as themes and layouts. Click a thumbnail to apply the transition (theme, layout) to the selected slides.


text: At The Centre we seek to offer help and support for a range of different relationships. We recognise that sometimes we simply need a context in which to form friendships; sometimes we need a helping hand from someone who's been there before; and sometimes we need more specific expert support. We seek to do all this in the services we provide.


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ASSOCHAM suggests to set-up quality universities in Tier-II cities
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) conducted a study and has suggested that tier-II cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, should be made into centres for quality universities. The suggestion comes in a backdrop of high number of students from Tier-II cities going abroad for costly education, and to generate jobs in the sector.
In order to stop student migration, it has been recommended that high standard institutions should be set up on Public Private Partnership(PPP) model in these cities. Nearly, over six lakh Indian students go abroad for higher education, which means a foreign exchange outflow of Rs 95,000 crore annually.
According to DS Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM, India has a huge capacity constraint in providing quality higher education. The opening of higher education will result in providing 30-40 million additional jobs in the field of education alone. India has only 45,000 foreign students, as compared to 2-3 lakh in Australia.


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Dubai. United Arab Emirates
(Multiple Lines)
Office hours: Sunday-Thursday from 09:00 to 17:30
News & Articles
Why is the Emirate of Dubai so attractive for wealthy people of the world
Why is the Emirate of Dubai so attractive for wealthy people of the world The popularity of the Emirate of Dubai among the wealthy representatives of our planet is growing exponentially every year. Dubai was long ago recognized as the most popular destination for purchasing immovable property of a Luxury category. A few years ago, wealthy people of the world gave their preference to luxury real estate in Monaco, but today they pay more and more attention to the United Arab Emirates, and in particular to the Dubai
The UAE as an example of expansion and prosperity in the Middle East
The UAE as an example of expansion and prosperity in the Middle East The latest study, conducted by the international analytical group Legatum Institute, showed that the UAE has the highest well-being index in the whole Middle East. The countries' welfare ranking Legatum Prosperity Index covers more than 140 countries and considers the following factors: Economic situation in the country; The efficiency of public administration; Opportunities for entrepreneurial activity; Security to reside in the country and level
Tax consulting / advice in UAE – Dubai as well as other Emirates.
Tax consulting / advice in UAE – Dubai as well as other Emirates. United Arab Emirates provide great environment for completely countless business types and companies domiciliation whereby a business itself can be inside the UAE as well as abroad – virtually in any country of the globe. Considering the unique taxation system of UAE, experts are of the clear opinion that it provides a number of benefits from taxation standpoint as well as from other assessment aspects. Like any other country, UAE has its own specifics,
Hospitality industry in the United Arab Emirates
Hospitality industry in the United Arab Emirates The beginning of the hospitality industry development in the United Emirates was initiated a few decades ago. About thirty years ago on the territory of the United Arab Emirates several modern hotel complexes were built, and that was the beginning. Nowadays the United Arab Emirates demonstrate very high standards of service throughout the world. Besides, more and more hotels and resorts are built every year. It is worth noting that these are both well-known international hotel
The UAE in search of alternative energy
The UAE in search of alternative energy The national economy of the United Arab Emirates owes its rapid development to the correct government policy on diversification and a shift away from hydrocarbon exports. The Government of the Emirates, due to its aspiration for getting rid of oil dependence, has taken active measures for the development of the other sectors of the economy and search for alternative energy sources. Therefore, the power systems, which allow using the solar energy, are widely spread in the UAE. The


text:
The cyborg alchemist
by helenawesterlind
I placed my human-computer/artist/alchemist/writer/shamans/scientist in the center and on the horizon line of a new canvas. I put the DIPswitches of the computer board on her chest as if it were a part of her dress. A giant keyboard sits in front of her and her hands are poised to play with the cosmos, matter, words, games, images, and unlimited interactions and activities. She can do anything. The computer screen in the night sky offers examples. There are three images that graphically display different aspects of the same galaxy, using new high-technological imaging devices. Another panel exhibits a diagram of a gravity well. The central panel offers mathematical formulas, one from Einstein and the other a calculation found in chaos theory. In the same panel a game of tic-tac-toe has been played using the symbols for male and female and the woman has won. In the foreground hovers a neon sign of the philosopher's stone, the ultimate goal of alchemy, and a reminder of the cyborg's ability to deconstruct and reconstruct matter as she wish. She transforms dust into super matter and water into substances with magical properties. The historical desert plain replete with pyramids, is implying that the cyborg can roam across histories and civilizations and incorporate them into her life and work. Finally I placed the shamanic headdress of a white tigress spirit on her head and arms…
(modified image and text by Lynn Randolph, the artist behind the cover of Haraway's Manifesto for Cyborgs)


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Open text services
With open text, you break up your in-house silos with a single source system. The OpenText ECM suite is one of the leading enterprise content management systems and allows centrally classifying, managing and archiving long term all structured and unstructured data including e-mails in the company.
We ensure that you move without media breaks between the different data worlds and that your processes are automatically linked with the associated data (client, creditor, all booking-relevant creditor information, order/reference numbers, invoice positions, etc.).
Your benefits at a glance:
- Data and document archiving
- Compliance & content management
- Livelink Enterprise Server/
- Contract management
- E-mail archiving / e-mail management & monitoring
- Overall basis / IT infrastructure /long-term storage
SAP services
Our solutions are based on the latest SAP software. With our single source solutions, we help you to link all business-relevant information in such a way that you generate the biggest possible benefit from your data for your business.read more
SAP invoice management
Thanks to automatic data extraction and alignment with SAP data, our solutions enable you to manage a large number of invoices within the shortest period of time in a cost-effective and error-free manner.read more
SAP Extended ECM
We link your documents and processes in real time at one site, regardless of whether the data are structured or unstructured, whether SAP, Office, Salesforce, Oracle, photos, etc., transaction-oriented processes as well as static details.read more


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'Blessed!': Real Housewives Of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice shares photo of daughters after judge approves her bankruptcy settlement
Teresa Giudice is one proud mother.
On Tuesday the Real Housewives Of New Jersey star shared a photo of her four daughters - Gia, Milania, Audriana and Gabriella - with the caption 'blessed.' She has been the taking care of the children by herself ever since her husband Joe checked into jail earlier this year for fraud charges.
This post comes just after some good news. A US Bankruptcy Court Judge in New Jersey approved a proposed settlement between the reality star and her creditors stemming from her 2013 bankruptcy filing, E! News reported Friday.
Happy family: Teresa Giudice is one proud mother. On Tuesday the Real Housewives Of New Jersey star shared a photo of her four daughters with the caption 'blessed.'
Happier holiday: A judge has approved a proposed settlement between Teresa Giudice, shown here with husband Joe on March 5, and her creditors stemming from her 2013 bankruptcy filing, E! News reported Friday
The reality TV star received a settlement from her former attorney, James Kridel, and will reportedly be able to keep 55 percent of that money while using the remaining 45 percent of the funds to pay off her creditors.
The settlement was based on a lawsuit alleging legal malpractice against the lawyer for advice he gave leading up to the couple's second filing for bankruptcy.
Giudice's most recent Instagram post hinted at a brighter outlook for the family. The beauty's full caption read: 'Blessed with such happy & gorgeous girls! [heart emoji].'
Housewife and then some: The former inmate is also now a New York Times' best seller, seen here at a book signing in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on December 5
The former inmate is also now a New York Times' best selling author.
She released her memoir, Turning The Tables, co-written with KC Baker, in February.
Between book signings across the country and holiday trips with friends, she's definitely keeping busy while her husband serves his prison sentence for their misdeeds.
Party people: Teresa attended a holiday party in Iowa with Dorinda Medley of Real Housewives of New York, sharing this post from the festivities to her social media on December 8
Joe, 44, is currently nine months into serving a 36-month sentence in New Jersey's Fort Dix prison for his role in bankruptcy fraud connected to an earlier 2009 bankruptcy filing.
US Weekly reported that he had five months knocked off his original sentence of 41 months.
Teresa, also 44, served only eleven months for her charges from the illegal activities.
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The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.


text:
Daedalus Inc
(Setting element in Megacorps)
Makarev founded Daedalus with the billions he earned from selling Midas International. It is the company that will build the space elevator.
Makarev reached out to Dennis Goh and Goh-Goh Sec to provide special security for the project.
Issue/Aspect: Dreams of Olympus (Season 1 Aspect)
Face: Corey Makarev
Question: Where is Daedalus HQ? London? Or Singapore?
GM Comment…
Continuing the theme of mythological references, the name Daedalus is pregnant with interesting allusions (the Labyrinth, relationship with Minos, the Icarus story, etc).


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It would be my hope that you would never have the need to seek out a divorce financial consultant, but no matter which source has the more accurate figures about divorce rates, the reality is that the divorce rate for first marriages is somewhere between 40%-50 % and the divorce rates for second and third marriages are even higher. Divorce can be an emotionally painful and complicated process. There are many financial challenges associated with ending a marriage and you will be asked to make some very important financial decisions. Some of these decisions may impact your financial well-being for many years after the marriage has ended. We will provide you with valuable information and advice, specifically tailored to meet your needs.
It may seem that adding one more professional is costly. The services outlined below are necessary in order to make informed decisions. We are trained and experienced in these issues and typically charge an hourly rate that is less than that of most attorneys. Susan has been involved in over 200 divorce cases in various capacities, including: expert witness; consultant in dissolution cases; mediator; neutral consultant working with couples jointly; and as a joint neutral in Collaborative Law cases.
Services Provided:
Identifying Your Goals
Discuss, identify, and prioritize your financial goals. While one may not be able to realize all goals, or goals may change over the course of discovery and analysis, this is an important first step. Some goals may be more short-term, like meeting on-going expenses during this process. Others will be more long-term, like what to do with the house.
Gather Financial Data
Organization of your financial information is critical in keeping the process efficient. Whether this information is used for court filings or for meetings to negotiate a settlement, it is important to know what you own, what you owe, the sources of income, and the family's expenses. You and your attorney will be working with these facts to develop a plan.
It is important to make informed decisions. We will work with you so that you will better understand the issues related to your financial matters. Wondering how child-related tax deductions will be impacted? Unsure as to how employer-provided stock options work? Need to access retirement plans? These discussions will be part of your meetings.
Advice and Illustrations Regarding the Division of Your Assets and Liabilities
Who keeps what? How do you decide? Using the goals and the facts that have been identified, we can explore with you the various options regarding the division of the assets and liabilities. Areas to discuss include after-tax value of your assets, the financial pros and cons of various options, and the impact of these choices to your future cash flow.
Analysis and Tracing of Assets
Discuss with your attorney any assets that you may have had prior to the marriage and any assets that you may have received as an inheritance or gift during the marriage. An analysis and tracing of those assets may be necessary in order to identify those assets.
Review of Future Cash Flow
After having identified the sources of income, one then needs to incorporate the other factors that affect cash flow: income taxes and expenses. Expenses for the future may look different from the past. Insurances, such as health insurance, tend to go up as one of the spouses may seek out an individual policy, if no longer able to stay on the family plan. Filing statuses and income (especially income with no tax withholding) need to be reviewed in order to ensure the proper planning and payment of taxes.
Communication with Your Attorney
A divorce financial professional does not provide legal advice. Sound legal advice is necessary and can't be provided by a non-attorney. With your permission, reports and analyses can be shared with your attorney so that they may better assist you.
Post-Divorce Matters
Depending on the complexity of your financial matters, there may be post-divorce matters to discuss. Transfers of investments, transfers of retirement plans, and tax filings typically occur after the divorce is final. We can provide you with advice with regards these matters.


text:
Found 4 resultsAuthor Title [ Type] Year
Filters: Author is Brooke, Cassandra [Clear All Filters]
Journal Article
Adapting to climate change through local municipal planning: barriers and challenges. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change.. 2011.
Igniting change in local government: lessons learned from a bushfire vulnerability assessment. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. 14:251–283.. 2008.
Managing for Climate Variability in the Sydney Region. Journal of Coastal Research. 2007:109–113.. 2007.


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LINN Energy Expects a Great Fourth-Quarter
Things are going so well at LINN Energy that it just couldn't wait until the new year to share its progress this quarter. That's why the company put out a press release just to let investors know that it is having a terrific fourth-quarter. That's not all LINN had to say, so let's take a closer look.
Steady production
LINN Energy expects its fourth-quarter production to be right on target and land somewhere between 840-860 million cubic feet equivalent per day, cfe/d. However, what's important here is that the company expects to hit these numbers despite being affected by the severe winter weather that hit the Permian Basin and Mid-Continent this quarter. Investors might remember that LINN's production and earnings were actually negatively affected by the weather during this year's first quarter.
Not all companies operating in the region were able to get by without lowering production guidance. Pioneer Natural Resources , for example, issued a press release of its own noting that the same severe weather had a negative impact on its production and drilling. Because of this, Pioneer expects that it will need to issue new lowered guidance once it knows the extent of the damage. The reason LINN's production wasn't affected to the same degree as Pioneer's is that it made up for the production shortfall by exceeding expectations in its drilling program.
Better cash flow
While reiterating its production guidance is nice, the real news is that LINN expects its cash flow to be 5%-10% above its distribution. That's a lot better than the previous expectation, which had LINN paying out every dime it made to investors. Basically, this means that LINN's distribution coverage ratio will be up to 1.10 times on the quarter instead of 1.0 times. It's also well above the worrisome first quarter showing of 0.88 times that started its year off on the wrong foot.
Two factors have contributed to the excess cash flow this quarter. LINN is seeing better realized prices for its natural gas liquids, while its operating expenses are falling. The one-two punch of higher prices and lower costs is the perfect recipe for higher profits and exceptionally strong distribution coverage.
Merger update
LINN's great fourth-quarter could be even better, as it expects to close its merger with Berry Petroleum before the end of the year. The LinnCo -led deal isn't factored into the quarter's guidance, so it's quite possible LINN exceeds these raised expectations before all is said and done.
The deal heads for a final investor vote on Dec. 16, and is expected to close immediately after that vote. Once the deal closes, the combined entity will emerge as a stronger company, as the Berry deal improves LINN's exposure to liquids, debt metrics, and reserves.
Investor takeaway
LINN Energy's year started off on the wrong foot after its poor first quarter showing. However, the company battled back and is poised to end the year on a good note. With the Berry merger nearing completion, 2014 looks exceptionally bright for LINN Energy.
Nine more great dividend stocks
Dividend stocks like LINN Energy can make you rich. It's as simple as that. Over the long term, the compounding effect of the payouts, as well as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine. With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the absolute best of the best when it comes to rock-solid dividend stocks, drawing up a list in this free report of nine that fit the bill. To discover the identities of these companies before the rest of the market catches on, you can download this valuable free report by simply clicking here now.
The article LINN Energy Expects a Great Fourth-Quarter originally appeared on Fool.com.Fool contributor Matt DiLallo owns shares of Linn Energy, LLC and Linn Co, LLC. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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On this page, you will find links to useful information such as the Parent Association, school uniform expectations, term dates and other items that tell you about the general running of the school day.
Please do take a look at the school prospectus, as this contains a wealth of information.
If you have any further concerns that cannot be answered in this page, then don't hesitate to call into school.
Remember, we are always delighted to welcome you into school. If you have any skills that you would like to share, or any time that you could give in order to help our children, then please let us know.
Similarly, if you would like to put your name down on a reserve list for supply lunchtime cover, then please see Mrs Teal or Miss Sharp in the reception.
All information regarding admissions is under the Statutory Information/Policies pages.


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You could call it bias-by-boring-headline. This typically happens when liberal Democrats do something scandalous or at the very least questionable and a major newspaper covers the story and publishes it, but headline editors give it such a milquetoast headline as to essentially tell the reader,"You'll fall asleep reading this. Move along."
That's essentially the case with the Washington Post's headline* this morning for a story about how Democratic state legislators in Maryland are circling the wagons to protect 2014 gubernatorial front-runner Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) from a steady stream of bad ObamaCare-related news which could sink his chances for the Democratic nomination and/or the governor's office in November.
The story itself -- written by Post staffers Jenna Johnson and Mary Pat Flaherty -- is relatively good, but Post editors did their underlings no favors with the bland headline choice. "Health probe timing decried," droned the non-descript headline. "Md. critics see political motives," added the first subhead. "Likely delay of inquiry could help Brown," the second subheader added.
All in all, it's pretty bland and bloodless. A better headline might have read "Delay of ObamaCare probe could benefit Lt. Gov." with a subheader explaining how "Rivals see cynical partisan motives at play."
That would have been a perfectly fair description but written in a way to pop out at the reader and draw him or her in to read the piece.
Here's an excerpt of Johnson and Flaherty's story. You can read the full piece here (emphasis mine):
For nearly two months, top Maryland leaders have promised to investigate what went wrong with the launch of the state's online health insurance marketplace. But they have been vague on when or how that would happen.
Last week, legislative leaders said that instead of continuing to question health officials and request documents, they are likely to defer to a previously scheduled state audit of the exchange that is expected to begin this summer and could take a year to complete. That angered many Republicans and some Democrats who want a full accounting now.
They said that a delay could also spare Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), who is running for governor, from having to publicly address more questions about the exchange before the Democratic primary on June 24 or the general election in November. Brown was tasked with implementing President Obama's Affordable Care Act in Maryland.
"We don't have time to wait," said Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Montgomery), who is running for governor. "I don't know anybody in Annapolis who feels like they have their hands around what is still problematic."
Maryland was one of 14 states that opted to launch their own online health insurance exchanges, created as part of the Affordable Care Act, instead of relying on the federal marketplace. But the roll-out of Maryland's plan has been one of the most troubled. The Web site crashed on its first day of operation and has been plagued with problems that have made it difficult for Marylanders to sign up for health insurance. Two of the contractors that built the online exchange continue to fight.[...]
Jared Smith, the lieutenant governor's communications director, said Brown is working with others to find the "best way to do a comprehensive and meaningful review, deliver accountability." In the meantime, he added, the exchange continues to improve.
Brown testified before lawmakers for several hours in mid-January and answered questions about the troubled exchange. Brown said then that he was unaware of impending problems with the site ahead of its launch and had not seen reports about instability.
Although some officials grilled Brown, most saved their most difficult questions for the state's secretary of health and mental hygiene.[...]
Meanwhile, two contractors that worked on the exchange continue to fight over money in court.
Maryland's main contractor — Noridian — has a contract worth $193 million, according to a presentation that the exchange's chief financial officer gave last week. So far the state has paid Noridian nearly $65 million and has unpaid invoices totaling another $13 million.
Noridian hired another contractor, EngagePoint, to integrate different pieces of software together into one seamless operation. Soon after the failed launch, Noridian ended its contract with EngagePoint and went about fixing the exchange itself with few employees and uncertain where to begin, according to internal e-mails obtained by The Washington Post. Noridian then tried hiring back EngagePoint workers, triggering the federal lawsuit.
EngagePoint is seeking $7.4 million from Noridian for work done before and after the site launched, according to recent court filings. Noridian disputes that amount in legal filings. Maryland officials could soon be pulled into that dispute, because EngagePoint has asked the state to withhold the money from Noridian or pay EngagePoint directly. Noridian officials say in court records that withholding money could "significantly" impair their ability to complete work on the Maryland exchange.
Noridian and EngagePoint declined comment, citing the court case.
Of course, an ongoing series of legislative hearings would be incredibly negative press for Brown and his boss, Gov. O'Malley, who is considering a 2016 presidential run. What's more, an ongoing focus on ObamaCare failure could help energize Republicans and Republican-leaning independents while dispiriting Democrats. That's something neither Democrats in Annapolis nor the liberals at the Washington Post -- they rarely endorse Republicans in Maryland gubernatorial races -- want in this election cycle.
*the online version has a different but equally bland headline, "Maryland leaders accused of political motives over long review of health exchange problems."


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Have you tried exercises to tone your abs only to feel like they look the same or worse? Are you overwhelmed by the conflicting advice about the "right" and "wrong" exercises to do? Do you feel disconnected or weak in your core after baby? This program is for you! This class is led by Carrie Koziol, physical therapist, pre and postpartum pilates specialist, and Diastasis Recti Expert.
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AAPL: Short and sweet story is that it counts well as having completed 5 waves up off the February low. Now 5 waves up can also be count as ABabc, or ABabcdef, so the jury is still a bit out there, but the perfect Elliot wave channel does favor the impulse count. We expect wave 2 then to retrace 38.2% to 61.8% of all of wave 1, which is between $104.75 and $100. On Friday AAPL hit the 38.2% retrace; but can thus -and ideally- still go lower. Hence, how it reacts on Tuesday on earnings will be a first indication, and how price then reacts at these Fib-retraces will be next indication.
Note the red descending trend channel price has been in for a year now and that must be respected. IF price can move over it then we can be rather certain wave 3 is underway, targeting likely the ATH as the 1.618 extension of wave 1, from $100 goes to… $133…
Hence, what we could see is a wash out to $100 first on earnings and then a rally. In the case Friday's low was it, then the 1.382 extension of wave 1 targets the ATH. This is also a typical 3rd wave extension (or iii of 3).
Bottom line: break above the red upper trendline targets the ATH.
In the bearish case we witnessed an extended c-wave of a larger b-wave that retraced exactly 50% of the prior a-wave. Rather common. The c-wave should then target $72ish for a c=a relationship (yellow line). A close below $100-$98 will push this count to the forefront.
AMZN: This chart has also two options, but different setup then AAPL. Either we're dealing with a set of nested i,ii,1,2,i,ii or with an ABabc wave up to the recent high. Noet how price was unable to move back into the red trendchannel and hit the 76.4% retrace of the prior decline. Not uncommon for a b-wave.
In the nested 1,2 scenario we should see AMZN spike up on earnings, as long as $585 holds (the red i, and green 2 high and low; respectively). Price should then break above the recent high and will move swiftly to the ATH and beyond. If it does overlap then this scenario is off the table. Then we have a c-wave underway targeting $415 for a c=a relationship.


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St. Mary the Virgin
This delightful little church has possible origins in Celtic Christianity, but the present building dates from about 1260. There is a gentle approach with clipped yews, which leaves one quite unprepared for the huge graveyard behind.
On entering through the porch of 1722, one's attention is immediately drawn towards the most attractive chancel beyond the arch. A northern aisle was added by public subscription in 1834. This appears to create an almost square body to the church and means that the occupants of the new aisle cannot see into the chancel. There is a balcony across the entire west end, which accommodates both pews and organ. There are two bells, housed in a C14 bellcote above the west wall, with an intriguing mechanism of levers and chains to ring them. One bell, C13, is the second oldest in Dorset. (The oldest being in St. Michael and All Angels in the parish of Hanford near Child Okeford.)
Registers date from 1699 and churchwardens' accounts from 1729. There is a well preserved stoup, an excellent Jacobean pulpit, a font dated at about 1150 and an interesting C15 grave slab (mounted on the north wall) engraved with the effigy of a man, possibly an early incumbent
The Trust gratefully acknowledges images and text by Robin Adeney ©


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Partying in Beaumont -- does it get any better? The smoky industrial fumes, the Golden Triangle aura, the knowledge that at any moment you could up and visit the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum if you wanted to: It's what makes life in Beaumont so good.
As long as you keep the Wiffle-Ball Bats safely put away.
A woman was shot in the chest over the weekend at a party in Beaumont; she's expected to survive. According to the Beaumont Enterprise:
[A] fight broke out, and one partygoer tried to hit another with a plastic wiffle ball bat, but missed and struck a child, according to an incident report filed by police. A larger fight ensued, and a party guest got a pistol, shot once in the air and shot a woman in the upper right chest, according to the report.
The courtesy of a warning shot: That's just Beaumont friendliness.
The shooter is claiming she was protecting her home, but the police say that would mean they would have to classify the plastic wiffle-ball bat as a deadly weapon.
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As TV station KBMT put it, "Beaumont Police officer Randy Stevens says, 'That's when somebody retrieved a hand gun and shot somebody. In this particular case, if you're going to use self defense it has to be you use deadly force to stop deadly force. And in this particular situation it doesn't appear to be the case.'"
The shooter told the station "the shots weren't fired at anyone in particular and unfortunately struck one of the people at the party."
Yeah, unfortunate, that.
If only she used a Nerf gun.


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Oh yeah, did I mention it is a Disney film and produced
by the same producers of Alice in Wonderland?
How cool! Thanks for the les mes heads up!ReplyDelete
I am so incredibly excited!Delete
I can't wait for Les Misérables. This is a classic but we never get tired of it!ReplyDelete
I am also so excited for both of these upcoming movies, but definitely looking forward to Les Mis the most! What an amazing thing this should be! I'm so stoked.
Les Mis is one of my fav books!Delete
I'm so excited for both of these! Winter is going to be amazing for books.
That is very true!Delete
Hi there I'm Noël, I'm new here. Found you through the Monday meet up. I love your Bright yellow Umbrella ;) So both of those movies sound really good. I could honestly tell you whether I like books or movies more, but I do usually like to read the book before seeing it as a movie though. Happy to meet you ;) I'll be back.ReplyDelete
Aww, thanks.
I am not sure which one I like more either - books or movies.
Can't forget The Great Gatsby is coming out on Christmas too!!!ReplyDelete
Great Gatsby got bumped to May 10, 2013. :(
I was so sad when I found this out.
Oh wow! Better start planning sitters for "date night" now!ReplyDelete
Wow I was syked about Les Mis, but I had no idea about Oz!ReplyDelete
Yep, I am so excited!Delete


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Motherhood: the most important yet hardest job on the planet that requires sleepless nights, lots of patience, laughter, hugs, kisses, games, an understanding friend to laugh with and most of all - the easiest part - love!
Happy Mother's Day to all you hard working Moms out there. Without us, there'd be no new life to celebrate, no Thomas birthday parties to throw, no poopy diapers to change, no first steps or first dates, no BFFs, no college parties, no weddings and a lot less bitching - but who would want that?
This post was dedicated to all my wonderful mom friends {and their moms too} and family who work so hard to keep their sanity in times of pure mayhem, stress and pressure! but at the same time show hugs, kisses, smiles and tons of love. It's really the most difficult thing but also so rewarding, especially with friends to share these insane moments with. I'm so glad to be on this journey together! Thanks for the support and friendship all these years.
Cheers to my own wonderful mom that taught me how to be a loving mom. Love you tons!


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Deloitte Insights
A new mindset for public sector leadership
Take the #TenYearChallenge
Government and public services have changed substantially in the past decade and so have the demands on public sector leaders. This article sets out the new capabilities that the sector's leaders need today – and the new mindset they will need to thrive in the future.
Deloitte Insights
Breaking trade-offs in government
How innovation can help improve services
Trade-offs abound in government. A common debate is whether the value of regulatory protections offsets the accompanying burdens on businesses and citizens. But what if emerging technologies and new techniques could help break these trade-offs?
Smart City | Smart Nation
The world around us is changing. Clients are facing unprecedented disruption, and more than ever, industry lines are blurring and converging. Smart City strategies and tools developed by Deloitte help us deliver the future to our clients. Learn more about this convergence in smart cities.
2019 global aerospace and defense industry outlook
Aerospace and defense industry trends
This publication from Deloitte US explores the factors driving growth in both the commercial aerospace and defense sectors in Deloitte's 2019 Global Aerospace and Defense Outlook, a take from Robin Lineberger, Global and US Aerospace and Defense leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Funding and financing strategies for smart cities
Creative alternatives for funding tomorrow's ecosystems
Smart cities need to consider innovative financing strategies to transform their vision into reality. Our research provides guiding principles based on the experiences of several government officials, industry leaders, and our own experienced professionals.


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Today is November 22, 2019 -
Morristown Jewish Center Beit Yisrael
Member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
177 Speedwell Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: 973-538-9292
Gateway Totem Project
MJCBY is a proud contributor to the diversity of Morristown. Our contribution to the community has been recognized in the Gateway Totem Project sponsored by Morris Arts. Learn more by clicking on Video


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Category Archives: Singapore – My new home
MRT broke down yet again
Credits: Twin MRT faults on Friday morning not linked: LTA
Credits: Potential delay on North-South Line; commuters advised to plan ahead: SMRT
CR 7 in town!
Darn i wish i was there to see this handsome little boy (droolzzz).
Wish he had done a fan greeting or something. Really pays to be rich and connected.
Feeling a little left out as a average citizen in Singapore. But hey! whats new? This has been the case for loads of people. The rich getting richer, poor getting poorer. Income gap widening.
Wonder what kind of world we will be leaving to the next few generations.
Still back to topic…..CR7……o yeah….
SINGAPORE – The quiet, unassuming lobby of Thomson Medical Centre turned into a hive of activity early on Friday morning (July 21), although those who turned up were not there to see a doctor Rather, they were patiently waiting to catch a glimpse of… Credits: Cristiano Ronaldo sparks fan frenzy in Singapore
End of the Lee Saga?
Well this could finally be the end of the story. Personally i wished that the Lee siblings would reveal more as they had mentioned there are more information that had been held back.
How one is to interpret the whole saga is really up to themselves. Personally it just brings to light what most of us already know but dare not mention much in public.
SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's siblings said on Thursday (July 6) they welcome his offer to manage their disagreement away from the public eye, and they would stop posting on social media "provided that we and our father's wish are not… Credits: Lee siblings welcome PM's offer to settle dispute in private
More land release in Singapore for Housing?
Does seem like the property price easing in Singapore is not going to stop anytime soon. At least not by the wishes of the government in Singapore.
Perhaps it is an attempt to continue boosting the flagging economy in Singapore by propping up the construction sector?
We can't be sure where the market would move in the near future.
SINGAPORE – The Government announced on Thursday (June 29) the second half 2017 Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme, which comprises six Confirmed List sites and 10 Reserve List sites. These sites can yield up to 8,125 private residential units and 83,590… Credits: Government increases supply of land for housing for second half of the year
Ageing population and Singapore
Not something new. Which is why our goverment in Singapore keeps increasing the influx of "foreign talent" at the ire of the locals.
We have to admit that they have been over doing it a little as not only has the labour influx been used to combat the ageing population issue, it has also been used to spur the GDP growth in Singapore.
Still this is an issue many goverment in Asia has to deal with. Balancing work, life and family. Part of the reason for the falling birth rate has to do with the high standard of living causing the locals to focus more on their career in order to sustain their daily life which in turn affects their financial and time planning when it comes to their family planning.
This creates a very vicious cycle that keeps going on creating a population deficit for the country.
So rather than just relying on the import of manpower from overseas perhaps the goverment should work on the base of the cause.
just by looking at http://www.tradingeconomics.com/singapore/housing-index

source: tradingeconomics.com
you can see the steep climb in property price which affects the basic need of shelter for any human. Yet there is no easy solution right now as it also links to our wealth growth.
The International Monetary Fund called on Asian economies to learn from Japan's experience and act early to cope with rapidly ageing populations, warning that parts of the region risk "getting old before becoming rich." Credits: IMF warns Asia to act early on rapidly-ageing population
Subtle yet strong message regarding the next Singapore Presidential Election.
Can't really deny it can they? Shots fired by Mr Tan Cheng Bock. Still waiting for the reply from the ruling party.
This is something we all already know but yet nothing much was said as the candidate it affects most have not spoken up much since. Yet finally the can of worms is finally opened with a very tactful statement. Perhaps Trump can learn a little of "thinking before you speak" from Mr Tan Cheng Bock.
Not much said. Subtle yet strong message meant to bring across the message to the ruling party without offending them. I am loving this guy even more and if should he be able to run for president i am definately voting for him.
SINGAPORE – Former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock, who said he disagreed with the Attorney-General's Chambers' (AGC) advice on when to trigger a reserved presidential election, has called on the Government to apply for a court review on the… Credits: Tan Cheng Bock questions timing of reserved election for president
Singapore Budget 2017: 4 things families need to know!
It pays to be informed. Know more of your privileges and preparations this year!
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat has just announced Singapore Budget 2017, and we decode what it means for families. Also, do check out our infographic, which we hope, will help in understanding this year's budget for families a lot better.
Families who are first- time home buyers will receive more CPF Housing Grants if they opt for HDB resale flats.
Families buying 4-room flats or smaller from the resale market will get a CPF Housing Grant of $50,000 (up from $30,000). Those purchasing 5-room flats or bigger from the resale market stand to get a CPF Housing grant of $40,000.
Please note that these changes take place with immediate effect.
This means that maximum amount of housing grants available for resale flats has gone up to $110,000, if you consider the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Proximity Housing Grant (PHG).
(The AHG gives applicants up to $40,000, for those whose combined incomes are $5,000 and below, while the PHG gives a further $20,000 for those who live near their parents.)
The Government plans to increase the total capacity of centre-based infant care to 8,000 by year 2020, up from the current 4,000. This is to meet growing demand, considering that both parents work these days, and many are reluctant to leave their babies at the hands of a maid.
In a move to encourage students to study more, bursaries for students attending post-secondary education institutions like junior college or ITE has been increased.
Undergraduate students stand to get up to $400 more, diploma students gain up to $350 more, and ITE students up to $200 more. The income eligibility criteria to receive such bursaries will also be revised, and about 12,000 more Singapore students are expected to benefit from this move.
Read more: https://sg.theasianparent.com/singapore-budget-2017-families/
House Hunt Guide
There are mistakes that are cost a little. And then there are mistakes that cost a lot! Buying a piece of property is a financial commitment that can be a smart move or a deadly one.
When a foreigner is in Singapore, he or she might face difficulty finding an apartment, very much of a time is when you can't decide on the location, and you don't know what's best for your family and yourself. Here are some useful hints you will need ask yourself before taking further action. For further assistance, we have our friendly consultants who can help you look for that perfect home.
Budget – How much am I allocating for my housing in Singapore? It is a personal lease or my company paying? How much should the maximum be? Give yourself a flexible range like $3,000- $6,000, so you will not find yourself being stuck in a situation where you are not able to find a place with a firm budget, in an area or apartment that you like.
Budgeting yourself will also evaluate which are the areas and apartments are suitable for you. If you have a budget of $5,000 a month for rental, you can get an apartment of about 1,000 sq ft to 1,300 sq ft. (Also much depending on the district). If you have $15,000 a month budget, you can rent a spacious luxurious apartment with facilities such as swimming pool, tennis courts and gym or even a landed home with a private swimming pool. If you have a budget of $18,000 – $30,000, you can rent a first class …
Read more: https://www.singaporeexpats.com/guides-for-expats/house-hunt-guide.htm
How to Get a Work Permit or Visa for Singapore
Here are some essential facts you should know about Singapore if you are planning to work in this place.
Working in a foreign country requires a work permit or visa. In Singapore, your monthly salary determines whether you need to apply for an Employment Pass or a Work Visa. Employment Passes are meant for professionals who make more than $2,800 a month and Work Visas for those who make less than that amount. Employment Passes are further divided into "P" and "Q" qualifications. "P" passes are designed for professionals who make at least $4,000, while those who make between $2,800 and $4,000 will receive a "Q" classification.
Complete and sign a copy of Form 8 (Employment Pass Application Form). This document is available online on Singapore's Ministry of Manpower website (see Resources). The form takes about a half-hour to complete and requires signatures from the applicant and the applicant's employer or sponsor. The sponsor company's stamp or seal is also required on the application forms. Make three copies of Form 8.
Submit the completed application forms, along with a copy of the information page of your passport and your diploma or educational certificates. Annex A on Form 8 lists other copied documents that need to be included with the application form. These documents are subject to the type of job you'll be performing in Singapore or the need for Dependent Passes. The application can be submitted to the Singapore Immigration and Registration office or any Ministry of Manpower approved SignPost location.
Pay the required administration fees when submitting your application. Additional fees must be paid after the assessment phase.
See more: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/work-permit-visa-singapore-55004.html
Consumer more satisfied with F&b sector? got to be a joke
Having worked in the F&B industry in the past (and i am really proud of my time there), i do personally feel that the service standard have dropped.
Just a few days back i was at the airport to send off and the experience was not the most pleasing during the check in. First, the face of the staff at the desk seems to be unhappy. Throughout the whole check out process, it felt like no one smiled at all. Secondly, i saw a lady asking the counter staff for information regarding the check in timing. The staff whom was busy doing her nail care did not even bother to look at the customer (seems like the nail care is way more important) nor did she seem to have the ability to speak. All she did was stand up point at a board with the timing and said "you can't see".
With such service being displayed i am appalled.
SINGAPORE – Consumers were more satisfied with the food and beverage (F&B) sector in the third quarter, with the ability of service staff to meet special requests, explain menu items, as well as the order-taking process cited as important in driving… Credits: Consumers more satisfied with F&B, tourism sectors


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Specialist areas
At Arjo, we are dedicated in providing information to our customers in all our focus areas. From information on pressure injuries, VTE prevention, early mobilisation and patient handling, this section is dedicated to provide clinical support, techniques and guidelines to help enhance quality of care in healthcare environments.
Patient Handling
Safe Patient Handling isn't just about enabling safer conditions; it's also about helping people feel more secure.
Learn more
Early mobility
Early mobilisation of the ICU patient has been demonstrated as feasible, safe, and beneficial in improving physical function, and shortening hospital and ICU (Intensive Care Unit) stay.
Learn more
When entering a care environment for a short or a long-term stay, reliance on others to assist with personal hygiene needs can significantly impact a person's wellbeing.
Learn more


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40 Days of Prayer for America
Lord God as I consider all the possibilities of what may be in the future of our nation I realized that I have not followed the first part of the command in Philippians 4.
"Don't be anxious about things instead pray".
I have been more than willing to pray and I have spent time in prayer.
But I don't think I have been willing to let You be in charge of the answers.
I confess that I have allowed worry and anxiousness to take my attention off of what is most important.
Not my will but your will be done.
I cannot see into the future I do not know all that you know.
What I would like to see how I would like things to go may not be your will.
So this morning I do the one thing that I can do the thing that is best.
I put it all in your hands and trust you for the outcome.
That your will would be done your Kingdom Would Come On Earth. as it is in heaven


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This article was originally written before the death of Opera, and was then called "The decline of the Opera Web browser". Now that its final demise is in the past, I have rewritten it to reflect that.
I used the Norwegian Opera Web browser as my main/general browser for well over a decade. It felt radically different in responsiveness and usability compared to the sluggish, feature-poor browsers available at the time (early 2000s), and managed to keep this feeling of an "instant" user interface until its death. It had tabs (actually real, internal windows) and various little useful things long before the others copied them. It did many things in a clever, unique way and was obviously made to be a powerful, rich tool for doing more than just browsing Web pages. Ironically, it would eventually turn into the exact opposite.
For years, it cost money. They later gave you the choice to run it for "free" by being subjected to advertisements. Even so, I felt that it was superior to the rest in enough ways to use it. Even with the highly questionable default user interface setups and looks (that kept changing all the time), it was still the browser I preferred over the others. It was anything but perfect, but the miserable competition made it shine like a star. At least this is how I and quite a few others perceived it.
For years, every single minor release felt like a little Christmas to me, in the same way that any software you use heavily and really like gets you excited about new versions. Because this was really the case back then: each update actually felt as if it made it
. Just as it should be.
At some point, I guess they got sick of having such an extremely small (relatively) market share and changed their business model yet again. They stopped giving you the choice to pay for a license, removed the direct advertisements and instead started making special deals with various search engines, essentially adding a little "referrer" parameter to any search query you made through the special search feature(s), which would give Opera a share of the ad profits later. As I understand it, they had already for many years received money for their trashy default bookmarks. That'd be OK if it weren't for the fact that, unless my memory is playing tricks on me, it would sometimes add back the garbage bookmarks when you upgraded, mixed in with your existing bookmarks. Very annoying and an ominous sign of what to come.
The beginning of the end
This (perceived) change in their mindset from producing a solid, unique, high-quality product toward making something attractive and shiny and ever "new" to the drooling masses is what pushed Opera into transforming their product into the abomination it was to become, even before the huge revelation which resulted in its actual death.
I'm not saying that it became worse at rendering pages or noticeably slower than before, or that there weren't
welcome additions and improvements in its last years (because there certainly were) — it was just gradually made more and more obnoxious in a very disturbing manner. Refusing to upgrade was never an option; running an old version of any Internet-facing software would be completely insane and futile for security and compatibility reasons. I can't believe some people use that "argument" at all.
Release after release, they added many superficial, unnecessary, pointless "features", such as "widgets", the crappy BitTorrent client (which actually wouldn't have been a horrible idea if it had just been done well), or "Opera Unite", while ignoring sensible things such as actually updating the grossly neglected chat/mail parts or generally polishing the interface and deciding on things once and for all. They kept changing the user interface around at random, adding really stupid crap such as the "Google this" context menu item, replacing the "Copy text" item, causing me to make about 500 searches by mistake before muscle memory kicked in and taught my hand to not pick the first item. In other words: a bunch of nasty, diabolic, user-hostile nonsense, clearly intended to generate money for them rather than benefiting the user.
After years of using the (sensible) argument that Opera provides rich tools by default, built in, they switched to having "extensions", just like Firefox & Co., where you are forced to trust random third parties to get the features you need. I never liked this, although both ways do have their pros and cons in the real world.
There really is no point in listing everything they did wrong. You get the picture. Toward the end, I really starting to
each update of Opera instead of looking forward to them. Each little version seemed to do its best to hammer another nail into the o-shaped coffin. Mercilessly. Almost as if they had gone mad and derived some sort of sick pleasure from ruining their product and screwing the users over.
The end of an era
Opera as we knew it does no longer exist. Opera 12.x was the last "classic" Opera. Everything beyond this point is simply a Chrome skin.
, with their own minor changes to the "skin" as the only "unique selling point".
As you can probably guess, this sounded like a joke to me (and to many other old-timers, as evident from the thousands of upset comments on their blog) at first. Some of us went through the classic "denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance" phases until we moved on and forced ourselves to shoehorn Firefox with its many extensions into our workflow, and simply try to repress the glorious times of classic Opera, now rotting away as increasingly legacy software.
If something valuable came from this, it's that I've realized just how pathetic the competition still is. Just something as "simple" as getting RSS properly set up with Firefox requires a third-party client, which inescapably results in an obnoxious workflow. However, with enough preferences changed and extensions added, my Firefox largely mimics what Opera used to do, although not quite. In some ways, it's better. In some ways, it's still far more unresponsive, lacking and generally annoying. Being able to get used to something doesn't make it good. You could probably get used to eating live bugs for dinner every day as well, but would that be a life worth living? If I only had the time and energy, I would attempt my own browser project.
Some final words
I don't know the exact details of who were/are behind Opera. However, I heard that some main guy(s) left at some point, and it seriously feels as if Opera was in the hands of inexperienced morons toward the end (as well as the new "Opera", obviously). Either that or they have completely forgotten/given up on what used to make them unique and great. Opera, I don't want you to look and behave like every other dumbed-down piece of shit browser out there. I picked you, and stuck with you for so long, because you were unique, fast and had useful features not found anywhere else. It could have been so great.
It seems clear that they were constantly struggling to make money from this product which they wouldn't charge for, and had to resort to real asshole methods to keep that stream of cash flowing. I have barely used their new "Opera", because I was so disgusted by what I saw when I tested it, but it appears to exist solely as a means for them and their master (Google) to extract every last bit of privacy from you, treating you like a dumb consumer sheep. Again, the new "Opera" is the exact opposite of the classic,
Opera; yet another piece of software designed for those who are only expected to passively consume and don't use their brains, who have no need or will to be a "poweruser", who have absolutely no sense of privacy or security, and who have absolutely no reason to use the new "Opera" over its identical clone: Chrome.
Why "make" yet another browser like that? No user wants that. Not the dumb users. Not the powerusers. The whole point of Opera was always that it was an
— the
"Nothing is sexier (to us, anyway) than knowing your personal information is safe and secure."
Is that why you implemented the keylogger which sent private data to the most evil multinational corporation on the planet, even back in real, classic Opera? Is that why even if you turned that crap off, it's back again in the next version, resetting itself and ignoring your active choice? Is that why "your" new browser is now completely dependent on the very same evil corporation?
There was something magical about Opera. It had something special. It could have evolved into something amazingly great. It had many things going for it, but was constantly being pulled in the wrong direction. The last version of real Opera is therefore not that great (unless you compare it to the new "Opera") if you consider what it
have been at that point had there been sane people in charge. It doesn't matter much if it's so powerful and great if the defaults are insane and you keep adding random crap to it, making it very confusing and incoherent. It was simply "all over the place" rather than focusing on being great, polished and solid. And I don't even mean the constant crashes (which plagued the browser for basically the entire time I was using it). It's almost a miracle that the people who made such awful decisions also came up with such good ideas. Or maybe the good developers left and/or had little or no say. Whatever the case may have been, it's just so damn sad.
Fuck you
, Opera. There is nothing you can do at this point to win back my trust, ever, short of the original founder coming out saying it was all a big joke, and that they've been secretly working behind the scenes on the best version of Opera ever, written entirely from scratch, keeping all the good features, perfected and with sane defaults, while removing the junk. Then,
. But that's clearly not going to happen.
Opera is dead and buried. Don't be fooled by the name and logo of this new abomination. It has nothing to do with the real Opera. Rest in peace.
Summary of its death and aftermath
In early 2013, the Opera developers
A few months later, there was
a new announcement
revealing that the new Opera, 15 (they skipped generations 13 and 14), is in fact just a Chrome skin. With no bookmark support. Or mail. Or RSS. Or chat. Or any feature at all that Chrome doesn't already have. In other words, what they said earlier was a lie.
Only after countless useless, unbelievably arrogant blog posts with more bullshit and half-assed "damage control", did they sort of cave in and said they would bring back bookmarks "in some form". However, it's just too late.
Now what?
You can
send me some feedback
tip me
or link people here. And maybe
install Firefox
, before they ruin that completely as well.
Short address to this page:
Published sometime in late 2011 (rewritten in 2013). Last touched 2014-02-04.


text:
The early New York Hughcards:Posted: April 19, 2013 | Author: Hugh MacLeod | Filed under: #hughcards | Tags: Backstory, Meta, New York, Personal | Comments Off on The early New York Hughcards:
[Photograph of three of the early New York originals, 1997-1998]
An artist is quite a f**ked-up thing to be, and to be honest I'm not sure if I would recommend it to anybody. Still, in my collection there are a few drawings from my time living in late-1990's New York that, looking back, make the whole thing seem worthwhile. For the first five minutes, at least…
The Shark Bar
When I first moved to New York in December 1997, I stayed at the YMCA on West 62nd.
My first drawing as a New York resident was on my first evening, sitting on a barstool at the Shark Bar: a hip, young place in SoHo.
Having only arrived in town a few hours before, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by New York, to say the least. Plus I had already drunk quite a lot. I think both show up in the drawing.
I've been back to the Shark Bar a couple of times since then, but it never had the same insane magic of that first evening. Great name for a bar, though. Especially in Manhattan.
Spring '98. I was at a bar, it was late, I was kinda tipsy.
Suddenly I realized that my life hadn't changed much in the last decade since leaving college. Work, bars, cartoons, random conversations of a big-city nature, second-hand bookshops and art-house movies, the occasional bout of random sex to tide things over etc etc.
It wasn't as interesting as it used to be. But I hadn't moved on, really. And I had no idea where to go next.
Welcome to New York.
The best cartoons are the ones that give you these amazing moments of clarity as you draw them. That's the best thing about cartooning, really. Everything else seems rather secondary in comparison.
I Choose This Life
I drew this card my first weekend in New York, at a restaurant bar in Tribeca called The Screening Room (it was attached to an art house cinema next door). I was very single and very alone around then, I hadn't made any real friends yet, it was a very scary and lonely time for me. Still, I imagined what it must be like to fall in love, to have someone you would want to say these words to, and actiually mean them. It would be a poignant contrast to my current situation, which is what exactly gave the cartoon its bite.
December 29th, 1997. Fanelli's, on Prince and Mercer in SoHo, is one of the great bars in Manhattan. I had been in New York only a couple of days when I found myself there, drinking heavily.
I no longer drink much, however at the time I had this idea that seriously heavy drinking was essential in order to enjoy New York properly. I don't think I was wrong, either.
Around midnight at the bar I bump into an old acquaintance of mine from Chicago, the film director Mark Mann. He had moved to New York about 3 months previously to do something with his then-embryonic film career. He is one of the funniest and most interesting people I know, but at the time I didn't know that. We were quite suspicious of each other for the longest time before we admitted that we actually were friends.
I hadn't told anybody I was moving to New York except on a need-to-know basis, so he was quite surprised to see me there, at the bar. A ghost from his former Chicago life- just suddenly popped out of nowhere.
Told him my story. Told him about being laid off in Chicago. Told him about this new job I got in New York. Told him I only knew I got the job officially 5 days before Christmas- only about a week previously. Asked him how he was liking New York.
"It's great," he said. "Everybody's insane with loneliness, but that's OK. After a while you realize that's part of the edge."
I was hit with a paradox. I wanted to be in New York, I wanted to be "part of the edge", but I didn't want to be "insane with loneliness". Was one necessary in order to have the other? Was it a price worth paying? To this day, I still have no answer.
A couple of months later (July, '98) I drew this, sitting on a barstool. Thinking back to that conversation with Mark, suddenly I had a realization: The simple truth about big cities is that people don't go there to give. They go there to take, or at least, to get. If you feel like giving, good for you,somewhere an angel is smiling yada yada yada, just don't expect other people to follow your example. And if you're feeling lonely, at least now you now know why. This drawing is partly about that.
Within 1 week of meeting this person you realize that not only have you found your soulmate, but you've found your soulmate who likes to have sex 4 times a day in the bed, on the dining table, on the kitchen floor, in the changing rooms at Bloomingdale's etc.
Within 2 weeks you're already talking about moving in together.
Within 3 weeks you're talking about having babies together.
Within 4 weeks you realize this person is a complete psychopath.
Within 5 weeks this person also thinks you're a complete psychopath.
Within 6 weeks you're sitting at a restaurant with an old friend who is giving you the "How come you only call me when you're single" speech.
I Knew My Pain
Sometimes life throws you a devastating curve ball. And you're never ready for it. Ever.
I remember being young and stupid. How utterly sweet and simple life seemed back then, but I also knew in the back of my mind that these days weren't going to last forever. Ouch. Hopefully, in a decade or two I'll be looking back to this time now with equal affection. I think that's all you can do, really.
Early 30s is a great time to be alive- you're still young, but you have experience. A powerful combo.
The downside is all that weird rockstar shit you believe about yourself is well past its sell-by date, and if you haven't outgrown it by then, it starts to fuck up your life.
New York is tough enough if you're a man. God knows how the women manage to do it.
The piece is not particularly clever nor especially beautiful to look at. But something gently disturbing resides just beneath the surface. Hmmm… sort of like apartment brokers.
Yes. Exactly.
All clients want one, I am told.
Cheap Plastic Toys
Some of it was my fault, some of it wasn't. Regardless, I've made a list and they will pay dearly.
There are many advantages of getting older… more money and respect from the world at large being the main one. However, with all this newly found cash & kudos comes the idea that maybe the world isn't such a nice place, after all. That maybe all that unhappiness you see on the faces of your fellow commuters is there for a reason. And no matter how much you try or how hard you work, none of that will ever change.
Still, I suppose it's better to know that said brutality exists, rather than burning all those calories pretending it doesn't. I just wish I'd wised up a decade earlier than I did.
OK, this one isn't exactly subtle. But it doesn't take any prisoners, either. Unrestrained bile is actually pretty hard to pull off, artistically.
Wolf vs Sheep
No, I don't have an answer to which option is better. Both exact a heavy toll, eventually.
Too Many Cats
Good thing a certain friend of mine never reads my website.
I've always been a big Dorothy Parker fan. Urbane wit at its finest. Would I trade my life for hers in order to be that talented and famous? No way. Like all intoxicants, talent can be a poison. Reading her biography, it seems she learned that more than most.
It's 2 am and I'm in this crazy Midtown Irish bar. I have no idea why I'm there. I shouldn't be there. I should be somewhere else. Asleep, comfortable, happy, sharing my bed with a sensible girl from a good family, Brooks Brothers' pyjamas, insufferably middle class. But no.
Everybody in that bar is crazy. I tell myself I'm the only sane one but I think I'm kidding myself.
Being an artist/creative is like wearing funky clothing. Every year gets a little bit harder. After a while it just looks stupid. Eventually the stupidity reaches critical mass and the late-night tailspin begins. At a midtown Irish bar at 2am, while I'm drawing this picture, these things no longer seem to matter.
I like this card because it's the kind of thing poor old Dorothy would have written.
All The Time
After years of struggling in impecunious obscurity, a very old friend of mine recently had a bit of success in his business.
Suddenly, everybody in the industry knew who he was, and would mob him at trade shows and conventions. People who wouldn't have given him the time of day only a year before were shamelessly throwing themselves at him, scattering business cards like confetti.
My friend, the rock star. Who knew?
Shortly after one of these little feeding frenzies, we meet up for a drink, as we do.
He's telling me all about it. All the off-the-record stuff that happened. All these relentless people coming after him, like terriers on the bone.
"How weird," I say.
"Sure is," he says. "Now I know what it's like to have a vagina."
Manhattan, 1998. One evening after a gruesome day at the office, I went into a coffee shop on 6th Ave to write. Got a coffee, found a table, opened my laptop and looked around. I'm not kidding; there were nine other people in the cafe with open laptops, writing away, just like me. Nine! I counted (N.B. This was well before the era of wi-fi and ubiquitous computing, laptops were a lot rarer back then- trust me, nine was A LOT).
They were probably writing the same tedious crap I was: "It's a novel about some guy who moves to New York to break into the high-brow literary scene and score with lots of chicks yada yada yada…"
One of the reasons I stick to cartooning is because my traditional prose writing is so godforsakenly awful.
Writing about New York is a bit like writing about sex- it's already been done to death. And done. And done. And done again. It's a form of literary necrophilia. Unless you have something completely unique and visionary to say about New York (I have yet to meet somebody in the flesh who does), any kind of Manhattan-fuelled artistic ambition runs the risk of turning you in to a "ligger".
"Ligger" is Scottish slang for the worst kind of hipster. Somebody who's a hanger-on, a wannabe, a social parasite. Somebody who goes to art openings to drink the free wine, but never buys a painting. Somebody who sees art as not something you make, but something you milk socially. Somebody who confuses knowing all the right names with actually being one. Somebody who is always seen at all the right parties, but is never remembered. Somebody who actually hasn't done the actual work.
[Techincally, a ligger is that little red and white plastic ball that you attach on the end of a fishing line: like hipsters, it's just kinda there, bobbing up and down, not doing much.]
Living in New York is only possible if you treat it like a religion. Liggers are really good at this, for some reason. Hence their vast numbers; hence why a big part of your average day in New York is spent seperating the liggers from the real people.
This cartoon is all about the liggers, turning up and handing out their business cards like polished machines, right on cue.
So you're going out a lot. Pretty soon you're going out too much. Parties. Bars. More parties. More bars.
So you decide to cut back a bit, y'know, start living like a normal person.
So you trade in those wild & crazy times for delivered Chinese food, Harvard Business Review and Seinfeld reruns. You're just going to try it for a couple of weeks, and see how it feels. After all, this is a "new you" we're talking about. A better you. A saner you. A wiser, more sensible and compelling you.
But you know in your heart of hearts that you didn't move from suburban Cleveland, Denver, Pittsburgh etc to a $3000-a-month Manhattan apartment just to watch Seinfeld.
In New York, you always think that if you try harder, work longer hours, make more money, spend more time at the gym, put more effort into networking, read more books, go to bed earlier, drink less booze, avoid negative people, be less shallow about the whole sex thing, be more supportive to your close friends, eat more vegetables and stop smoking so many damn cigarettes, you will eventually be able pull off that great Miracle Of Miracles i.e. you'll finally, finally, finally be able to live in Manhattan while simultaneously leading a healthy, productive, emotionally-balanced life.
Yeah. Good luck with that.
About The Marfa ProjectPosted: April 18, 2013 | Author: Hugh MacLeod | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: #hughcards, art, marfa | Comments Off on About The Marfa Project
"When I first moved to Manhattan in 1997, I started drawing cartoons on the back of business cards. Since then, I've drawn over 10,000 of them."
Here's how to navigate:
The "About" page. Including the backstory.
"Marfa One". The latest batch of new work, approx 200 drawings.
The drawings, by year (incomplete, still a work in progress):
1997. 1998. 1999. 2000. 2001. 2002. 2003. 2004. 2005. 2006. 2007. 2008. 2009. 2010. 2011. 2012. 2013.
Writings on art, creativity etc:
My books. 3 titles, hardcover, published by Penguin Portfolio.
In Praise of Small Art. Short blog post.
Evidence. Short blog post.
My personal favorite cartoons from the early days.
"On cartooning." From 2007. Short blog post.
"The Art of Not Sucking". Blog manifesto, 2012.
"How To Be Creative". PDF manifesto, 2004.
"The Hughtrain". PDF manifesto, 2004.
"Hugh's portable studio". Short 2011 blog post about all the materials I used to make the cards.
Some random samples


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The following is adopted with permission from www.skyislandalliance.org.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that the lead agency – in this case, the US Forest Service – prepare responses to all substantive comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) during the public comment period and include those responses in the Final EIS. The more specific and focused your comments are, the more detailed the response must be from the agency.
More specific comments are the most desirable and will require a more detailed response to the agency. An example would be: "I am concerned that the DEIS does not identify a mill site, transportation route, or communities potentially impacted from transportation of uranium ore. The agency needs to analyze these impacts."
Comments that simply say, "I am concerned about water quality" or "I am opposed to this project" will not, by themselves, require a response from the agency.
To the extent you can, direct your comments to specific sections, pages or topics in the DEIS, recognizing that some comments may be addressing missing or incomplete information, or even missing topics, that you feel should be addressed.
Your personal connection to Mt. Taylor is an incredibly important part of your comment letter. How will you be personally impacted if this proposal moves forward? This is a great way to start your letter and to frame the rest of your comments, and will help get the agency's attention.


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Does anyone have any experience with the new RIO Smallmouth Bass Line? How does it compare with their Clousr Line? Thanks in advance.
Type: Posts; User: Hooligan
Does anyone have any experience with the new RIO Smallmouth Bass Line? How does it compare with their Clousr Line? Thanks in advance.
I'm looking for suggestions for a case or bag that is TRULY waterproof (and reliably so!) that I can use for wet wading. I need something that will fit in the pocket of my shorts and is large enough...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody!
I have enough tying material to last a couple of lifetimes and I don't NEED to buy any flies. That said, I always buy something (a couple of flies, material or hardware) when I stop in a fly shop to...
As usual, phenominal work. I really like the wrapping on the stripper guide. I take it you found the amboyna block you wee looking for! Good find.
Nice after! The before looks really cheap.
Thanks, Lew. After posting this the lightbulb went off in my head- email Waterworks! Duh!
Same answer. They are compatible.
Do the "newer" Radius spools fit on the "older" Radius reels? Thanks.
What Cliff said.
I'll second Joe's suggestion. Steve of Midwest Custom Fly Rods can help you out. He's a really good guy and, this being your first build, will certainly point you in the right direction.
Beautiful workmanship! I know that rod will be enjoyed.
Nice work, Steve. I can't let my wife see this (she loves anything purple) or she'll want me to build a like-kind fly rod! That will only lead to the first rod I built (it was for her) and the...
Bob got ya? :D Looks great. Out of curiosity, what type of finish did you use on the wraps?
I've built two using garnet w/gold metallic trim on one and black/white w/silver metallic trim on the other. I didn't use color preserver on either rod and (watch the modesty) they look great.
I'll take 100- consider it sold. PM me your paypal address and I'll settle up.
God rest his soul. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
A fine rodcrafter that I was going to try to meet personally. My loss.
Well done! :-P
ROFLMAO! Yeah, that's why I started tying. If I save any more money, I'll be completely broke! But you may as well spend money on something you enjoy.
I usually tie 4 to 6 of each pattern per...
Yeah, that's pretty much me (troutwise). EXCEPT:
I was fishing the headwaters of the Brodhead in the Poconos. 2 years in a row, the exact same stretch of water, same time of the year- mid May,...
Throw my name in the hat, also. And thanks- it's very kind of you to do this for us.
I've built rods for myself and for friends.The quality is way better than a factory rod of the equivalent price. As to the expense for the building gear and supplies: a) the more you build the...
Found some fishing equipment in the Scudder Falls (Delaware River) area today. If it's yours, please PM me with a description of the equipment and the location. Be happy, it's your lucky day.
Polluting another site with your hack work, eh Steve? :p
Seriously, though, Steve does great work, as these pics attest. And although it hurts me to say it, he's a great guy, too. I'm a very...
That's Steeldrifter (Steve Clark), and here's his website: http://www.midwestcustomflyrods.com/index.htm
I had him build a rod for my nephew (Matrix, not Tiger Eye. Sorry). It came out great. He...


text: Most tasters could agree that, while the ice cream was "creamy," they enjoyed the chocolate coating more. "The crunchy milk chocolate" has a "hint of nuts" which gave it good texture, according to our volunteers. Overall, the 160-calorie bar tastes as delicious as it looks. Calories Per Treat: 160 Reviewed: July 2012 Price When Reviewed: $5.49 for 6 bars


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Increase both responsibilities and privileges of the party leader
Only party leaders should be able to START a quest. Party members could then choose if they want to follow or not.
Some decisions could be entirely up to the party leader, and even some information about the quest. The leader role would then be more interesting to play, and in relation to the other members he/she would have more responsibilities e.g. for not putting them in dangerous situations or providing them with equipment.
We're considering giving the party leader responsibility for selecting quests in the final release of the game. We might give them a few other privileges as well, such as breaking ties in voting. We don't plan to give them responsibility for handing out equipment, however; we want each player to have full control over his or her character.
5 comments
Erik commented
I'd like to have an option to automatically vote for the same quest option as the party leader for group play.
Demota commented
I'd really want this as only an optional thing, and even then, not on by default. I don't really feel that this adds anything other than giving someone power that isn't necessary for play.
Taurondir commented
In my opinion, I don't personally believe that mission choices should put players into "safe" or "dangerous" choices. The choices should simply branch the mission into other parts of a quest that is simply different, otherwise entire sections of quests would get ignored once players memorize optimal paths.
It's more logical to have one branch that goes to a tavern brawl and one to a forest fight just so that players that know both branches could just optimize a little purely based on party makeup, or go to one tougher fight to save time on 2 smaller fights on another branch.
You want players to enjoy playing through a quest and see all the ins and outs, and if you min-max paths, lots will be skipped, and with lots of branching, some quests could have LOTS of replay ability.
Taurondir commented
If players could choose to place their character under another player control (say to go to the bathroom or whatever) that would also allow them to give control to the party leader.
Joshua Nicholson commented
I'd like to see an optional flag, perhaps, to set whether only the leader can start quests or whether anyone in the party can. I don't like the idea of having leaders distribute equipment, though.


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Broken color
Don't want to overwhelm with new posts, but I have some catching up to do. I'll save the rest for later in the week. But I wanted to bring up this thing about broken color. It's not new, at all, it started with the impressionist movement (think Seurat, s'il vous plait), at least really got some legs and has been going strong as a way of getting color to work ever since. It's a relatively simple notion, a colors power depends on the color it's next to. It's a way to get color to vibrate, to come to life. Lots of reproduction methods use this principle, off-set printing, your TV set, stone lithography, ummm the rhythm method. I did this little sunset 9x12 this week at the Winter Park paint out. Probably could have sold it more than once or twice. And that might be because it is a simple painting with color doing all the work. The trick is to juxtapose compliments, split-compliments and even analogous colors (sorry for the color theory speak, but, hey, it's color theory) to create an overall color field. The notes have to be near each other in value and saturation in order to get the subtle shimmering of light particles. This image is a little larger than I usually put up, so when you click on it you can see what I mean. It helped to paint this on a broad weave linen so that the color underneath can still show through and the chunks of paint come off the brush better. I like me some broad weave linen or is that linen weaving broads... they are fun to paint.


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Natasha Roth
Israel's ethnic purity police presents: Anti-assimilation for men
In its ongoing efforts to save every Jewish soul, anti-assimilation group Yad L'Achim has broadened its offerings and is now extending its marriage-wrecking service to Jewish men in relationships with non-Jewish women. Israeli anti-miscegenation group Yad L'Achim took a step towards equality last week when it announced via its website that it had rolled out its anti-assimilation "rescue" service to Jewish men in relationships with non-Jewish women. A more established counterpart to Lehava's goon squads, Yad L'Achim is also known for harassing Messianic Jews as part of its anti-assimilation efforts. [tmwinpost] Like Lehava, Yad L'Achim has traditionally focused on preventing relationships…Read More... | 13 Comments


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As a manufacturer, you depend on your sales and marketing channels. In addition to presenting your company and its products consistently, for a cohesive brand, these channels also need to connect you with valid customers.
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A DAM system gives you greater control over all types of digital assets — as well as your sales and marketing initiatives — locally, nationally and globally.
DAM software helps keep your manufacturing business ahead of the curve, and ahead of the competition.
DAM software is no longer a "nice-to-have" for manufacturers, it's a must have. Digital asset management keeps your team working like a well-oiled machine, improving productivity, efficiency, brand consistency and streamlining workflow — so there's more time to focus on making great products, and less time spent stressing over finding digital assets.


text:
Senior Economist
Phone: +61 2 8880 4817
Martin has over eight years of experience in the application of economics to infrastructure regulation and policy questions.
On regulatory matters, Martin has significant expertise in applying economic principles to the regulation of infrastructure services and analysing the corresponding incentives that such regulation creates. His particular strengths are in infrastructure pricing, regulatory design and regulatory impact statements.
Martin has applied his expertise to a number of industries, including electricity networks, electricity wholesale and retail markets, bulk water, heavy vehicles and accident towing.
On policy matters, Martin has significant experience in solving complex problems through clear and practical solutions across the transport, energy and water sectors. His particular strengths lie in devising and evaluating policy reform options, and examining the economic and financial implications for different stakeholders of reform.
Martin has worked with state and federal government agencies, regulatory agencies, and regulated businesses. He is well versed in communicating with different stakeholders and devising practical advice by reference to economic principles.
Martin holds a bachelor of commerce degree with first class honours in economics from the University of Sydney. Prior to joining HoustonKemp, he worked at NERA Economic Consulting and GHD.