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Everything sucked in 2017 except video games.
Insane amounts of GREAT video games came out in 2017. 2007 has been forever considered the golden year for iconic video game releases (Bioshock, Rock Band, Assassins Creed, COD4 Modern Warfare, Halo 3, to name a few). It's only fitting that a decade later it is finally in my mind, officially dethroned. 2017 has taken the crown. Lord knows it couldn't have come at a better time.
One of my goals for 2017 was to keep a spreadsheet of every single video game I played this year, including system (mobile included) and if I beat it or not (or marked as "NA", meaning it doesn't have a clear-cut ending. For example, Overwatch or Rocket League). The rules are that I needed to play it for more than 10 minutes, and it didn't matter if it came out in 2017 or not. Here's the results:
In 2017, I played 71 different video games. I completed 10 of them. I still have yet to beat 21 of them. The other 40 are N/A.
That tells me what I've always known. I like to game-hop, play as much as possible, and I'll get around to beating stuff at some point. For what it's worth, some of these I've beaten in the past, but I'm playing them on a new console (IE: Doom on PC this year, or Kingdom Hearts 1 on PS4). But still, I have 21 unfinished goddamn games.
I played most of my games on PC this year (a first), with 23. Followed by the Xbox One at 16, Switch and Mobile tied at 11, and PS4 with the remaining 10.
Honorable Mentions:
This year was so good that I have NINE games I want to shoutout in honorable mentions. I'm just going to name them besides the first one. The first one is the Nintendo Switch console as a whole. Nintendo had an absolutely killer year, and it starts with the Switch. I've always been "whatever" on Nintendo, as nothing could ever top my childhood memories of the Nintendo 64. But this year Nintendo changed all of that, putting out a phenomenal console with phenomenal games. It runs everything great, and the power of portability has directly influenced my game purchasing decisions. It's both a AAA and an indie game dream, and it's where I want to buy as much as possible specifically because I can take it on the go or play it on my couch with something on the TV. Its first party titles blew the world away (more on that below), and it's made me love Nintendo again for the first time since Nintendo 64. It feels like they're taking risks again, and that's the Nintendo I want. If you don't own a Switch, I can't even begin to explain how much you're missing out on. Just buy one, you idiot.
My honorable mentions this year are Resident Evil 7, Prey, Heat Signature, Nier Automata, Splatoon 2, Middle Earth Shadow of War, Evil Within 2, Ghost Recon Wildlands, and Golf Story.
Real quick, games that I revisited in 2017 that I want to keep playing in 2018:
The Witcher 3 (I'll beat that in like 2021), SWAT 4 (IT'S STILL SO GOOD), GTA V Online, HITMAN, Rainbow Six Siege. I'm still heavy into Overwatch and blown away with their community/dev team and the forthcoming Overwatch League. It's the eSports league I've always wanted. (Shoutout to Boston Uprising) Most of my pals have found their game-as-a-service of choice, mainly MOBAs, and as someone who can't stand MOBAs it's nice to finally have my game. And of course, Rocket League. But that's more a love/hate relationship. It's real good on Switch, though.
Wolfenstein II has so many individually insane moments, I can think of five off the top of my head, that it should have its own "Moment of the Year" category. The gameplay is definitely not the most appealing part of the game. It's actually pretty weak. But the story….holy shit. The story more than makes up for it, and the writing is superb throughout. It's hard to talk about the game without spoiling almost anything, but my recommendation is put it on easy and coast through it. The ending is extra satisfying. Plus, you get to kill a lot of nazis insanely hard, which always instantly makes a game glorious.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG as it's now known quickly took over the entire world in a matter of months. It's the number one game on Steam. It's everywhere. It's now on Xbox, albeit extremly unoptimized and poorly running. It's chaos, and it's super fun. 100 players enter, 1 leaves. Initially, I wasn't too fond of the game, citing similar games that were maybe/maybe not unfair comparisons like H1Z1 or ARMA, but it certainly stands on its own. In my opinion, the game shines with friends. You hear a gunshot in the distance or see a car coming, everybody goes prone. Everybody goes quiet. Communication is vital. It's made for some of the best gaming memories I've had in a while, and certainly some of the most tense. Some day I'll be rewarded with a glorious chicken dinner but until then, I'm having a ton of fun in the process. Absurd amounts of jank and all.
Mario vs Rabbids is a game that has absolutely no right to exist, let alone turn out as good as it did. It's a goddamn Mario XCOM! With Ubisoft Rabbids in it! Mario has a gun! Luigi is a sniper, and there's half-cover tactics. What the fuck? Still, Mario vs Rabbids turned out to be one of my favorites. Somewhat deep RPG-tactics gameplay with a skill tree, beautiful environments, fun enemies, and a great soundtrack from Grant Kirkhope, who is behind the excellent Viva Pinata soundtracks (as well as Goldeneye 007). Don't sleep on it one bit.
Assassins Creed suffered series fatigue way before they took a year break, but when they finally did, boy did it ever benefit this game. Origins is a beautiful open world adventure with all new combat, and way more. I'm pretty early in, but I'm addicted to it. I've never been big on the franchise as a whole, but this one feels almost like The Witcher 3 to me in terms of scope/scale and how much there is to do. The combat almost feels like a Dark Souls game. There's an arrow you can control in mid-air. Did I mention how good it looks (especially on the Xbox One X)? It also finally just has you sprinting at all times, something more games should finally let you do. Who walks in a video game? Ubisoft has crafted something special here, and I hope they continue to build off of it. I'm excited to keep digging in and see where it goes. Also, best looking water of the year goes to Assassins Creed Origins by far.
This was a late contender for me, but it's easily one of my favorites. I absolutely loved The Stick of Truth. Besides the past two seasons or so, I've been a huge South Park fan since it started, and I'll play anything Trey Parker and Matt Stone want to make. Not only is this superhero franchise spoof of a sequel incredibly hilarious, it tops the first in terms of its quick-yet-deep turn-based combat and aesthetic. They absolutely nailed the look and feel as if you're in a South Park episode. I'm still plowing my way through, but it never lets up, you never know where it's going, and you want to play more. I can't stop laughing while I play it. There's a fairly complex skill tree and party system. I also used Moses to heal my entire party during a fight with Italian chefs, but only after posing as strippers to extract information from drunk businessmen about missing cats. Even if you're not too big on South Park, I still recommend checking this one out. It's a good time.
Uncharted 4 was obviously the best possible scenario to end the Uncharted series, so when I heard they were making this, I was expecting just a little random side adventure. I always thought Chloe and Nadine deserved much more than what I thought they were getting, so I'm glad Naughty Dog proved me wrong by making it a full fledged Uncharted game. Uncharted The Lost Legacy might just damn well be right next to Uncharted 4 for my favorite Uncharted game. It's the perfect length at about 10 hours, and has some uneblievably intense moments. One of my favorite Uncharted moments is the train sequence from Uncharted 2, and this one has a great callback to it. Chloe and Nadine's back-and-forth was handled pretty well, and it made me love them even more as individual characters finally being featured in their own adventure. This isn't just some side DLC, it's right up there with the rest of the Uncharted series. And as a bonus, it's definitely one of the best looking games I've ever seen. (Naughty Dog, duh)
I have waited for Cuphead since E3 2013 when it showed up in some sizzle reel on the Xbox stage. The idea of making a platformer completely handdrawn with a callback to the Disney animation of the 1930s was an insane undertaking, but holy shit did they nail it. Cuphead is mainly about boss fights. There's platforming levels inbetween, but the main event are the bosses. Sure, Cuphead is the most difficult game I may have ever played. Sure, it makes me want to chuck my controller at the walls. But I never have stopped having fun, and it's probably the most rewarding feeling every time you finally master a boss and defeat them. The animation is gorgeous, the soundtrack is phenomenal. I listen to it all the time. Cuphead was worth the wait, and at only $20 bucks, it's an absolute bargain. If there's one game you absolutely need to see this year, Cuphead is probably it. Don't deal with the devil, you idiot.
Super Mario Odyssey is the exact Mario game I have wanted for years and years. There's no (major) gimmick, the worlds are great, and the controls are super tight. There's a whole lot of moons to find in the game (I think in the 800s?) and you're rewarded pretty much anywhere you go on any of the amazing worlds. The game is only technically half over when you beat it, so I'm excited to go back and keep collecting moons to see the secret worlds I keep hearing so much about. The fan service is absolutely amazing. Whether it's THAT MOMENT at the end of New Donk City, or THAT OTHER MOMENT after you beat the game, it made me smile super hard. Even my current outfit in the game is a MOMENT YOU NEED TO SEE. It's charming, it's good looking, and you can open it for a few minutes to search for a moon. The perfect Nintendo Switch game. Everybody has always said there will never be a better Mario game than Mario 64, but Super Mario Odyssey finally did it.
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my favorite games I've played in a long time. The premise revolves around hundreds or even thousands of years after society collapsed and now giant robot dinosaurs roam the land. What happened to humans? Why are these robot dinosaurs here? What's this weird bluetooth headset thing in my ear? It's such an original premise, and at first it's so absurd, but it absolutely delivers not only wrapping up the individual game nicely, but answering pretty much every question I had about the world I was in. It's a weird thing to hunt these huge dangerous robots with bows and arrows and spears, but every combat situation felt new, and it never lets up. There's tactics to take on pretty much every kind of creature, and the game is certainly no cakewalk. I died a lot, and it taught me how to handle each scenario a lot better. The main character Alloy is also written very well, and on top of everything going on in this world, her story is also great. There's just all these little touches like finding a coffee mug with a name on it and the various tribes in the world refer to that name as one of the ancient gods, with this relic belonging to them. The world they created is absolutely breathtaking, and the included photo mode made for some killer shots that I kept stopping to take. Between exploring the giant world, side missions, and everything else there is to tackle, the world of Horizon Zero Dawn leaves you wanting more. It seems like we'll probably get it, too.
I didn't think I could ever love another Zelda game as much as I could those from my childhood, nostalgia goggles aside. Breath of the Wild was famously delayed for several years, and I didn't think Nintendo could nail an open world game. In a year of chaos, I was happy to be proven wrong yet again.
The environment, the soundtrack, the worldbuilding, the physics. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the perfect game. It recaptures that sense of wonder and adventure in games that I have been looking to see for damn close to 20 years. The amount of freedom is unmatched, allowing you to beat the game however you choose, and frankly do whatever you want. There's 120 puzzle shrines to find in the game. You don't need to do them all. Hell, you don't even need to fight the four main bosses in the game. The first objective you get is "Beat Ganon," and it's entirely up to you how you want to do that.
You don't even have to solve puzzles traditionally. Maybe instead of connecting the giant metal blocks to conduct electricity, you just line up a bunch of swords to make an electric path. You are rewarded for "breaking the game" and thinking outside the box, and it's all the more satisfying when you do it. Despite being all in this massive open world, every town feels different. Every town has its own culture, and doesn't feel cookie cutter. Sometimes you'll need to use a torch, and it'll be raining, and you'll be shit out of luck. As a recent tweet put it, the fact that the game is often antagonistic to what you need to accomplish is ultimately what makes it so unique. This open world isn't here to help you, but it is here, so figure it out. There are STILL countless things I have done that were unexpected and put a smile on my face. Trying to figure out how to navigate a boat, and realizing I could cut a tree down to get a giant leaf and use that to push the wind in my direction. Just one of my many stories and examples of why this game makes me smile.
It has reignited my love for Nintendo games by itself, and has taken a place in my Top 3 games of all time. While Super Mario Odyssey finally beat out Mario 64, this one did the same to Ocarina of Time. It's only fitting that Nintendo rekindled my love of the Nintendo 64 and its games by releasing an amazing new console with two perfect next-generation Nintendo games in the same calendar year.
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is the best Legend of Zelda game ever made, and one of the best video games ever made.


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My CPU (the tower part) doesn't turn on. YES it is plugged in and my monitor is plugged into the same outlet so I know its not outlet failure. The blue light is not coming on and I can't even turn it on so I can't use that computer. I am at my Cousin's house typing this and viewing the stuff on my iPod after. Please help!! I tried the 30 second thing and the temperature thing not working and there is no viruses on my computer FACT
"My CPU (the tower part)"
Nothing pisses a computer guy off more than someone referring to their tower as a CPU. A CPU is a socketed chip that plugs into a motherboard. Here's an example:
"I tried the 30 second thing"
Have no idea what that is...
"and the temperature thing"
Don't know what that is either...
"and there is no viruses on my computer FACT"
And how would you know any of this if you can't even turn it on?
You *probably* have a bad power supply.
First thought is the powersupply has failed. That may not be the problem or the only problem but it is a starting point.
A simple test would be to disconnect mains power, open the case, Disconnect all motherboard and drive power connectors.
Now on the main 20/24 pin plug, bridge from green wire to any black wire using a paperclip inserted into the sockets.
connect mains power and see if the PSU fan spins. If not the PSU has completely failed. A spinning fan is of course no guarantee the powersupply doesn't have problems. They put out several different voltages on different "rails" and the paperclip test does not tell if one or more of those has failed, but it is a starting point.
Goin' Fishin' (Some day)
@Jam I know there are none as I do weekly
virus scans and Im not tech-savvy or
something like that as you... The 30 sec
thing from Acer help site and temperature I
read here about how some computers can't
start if its too cold/hot
@Richard59 not power failure fact. Easier
"not power failure fact"
Have you ever opened up a PC case and looked at the internal components? You say in your initial post that it isn't power OUTLET failure and I believe that, but if you get absolutely no response when pressing the start button on the tower then the logical suspect is the tower's internal powersupply. That is the box with all the wires coming out of it that converts mains AC power into the various DC voltages that the rest of the computer needs in order to run. I would be prepared to bet that yours has failed.
But, if you have tested the powersupply and proved it is not faulty then that leaves motherboard or CPU failure.
Unless you have a supply of known good compatible components that you can swap in/out in order to test & identify what has failed then I suggest you take the system to a qualified tech for assessment.
Goin' Fishin' (Some day)
No im only 11... I cant open my PC or i'll get introuble any
ways to fix this?
The monitor has power going to it separately from your computer tower.
It looks like you have a computer crash?

subset: commoncrawl


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There are a total of 183 traffic signals under the jurisdiction of the City of Guelph. Traffic Field Operations is responsible for 134 full traffic signals, 21 mid-block traffic signals and 28 Intersection Pedestrian Signals (IPS).
New traffic signals are installed when the justification requirements established by the Province of Ontario are met.
Justification factors include: vehicle volume, pedestrian volume and collision history. Other installations may be made through the site plan development approval process or the direction of City Council. City Council approves all new traffic signal installations
Frequently asked questions
If I drive the speed limit will I get through the lights faster?
Traffic signal coordination is established along arterial roads to allow vehicles to pass through multiple consecutive traffic signals with a minimal amount of stops for red signals.
Approximately 75% of full traffic signals operate in coordination with adjacent traffic signals. Traffic signals are reviewed for coordination based on traffic volumes, signal spacing and posted speed. Most coordination zones operate with a balanced two-way progression strategy – meaning each direction along the roadway has a similar green time period to pass through adjacent signals.
Traffic signal coordination does not guarantee a motorist will pass through a number of adjacent signals without stopping. Factors such as signal spacing and posted speed sometimes do not allow for two-way signal coordination. In those instances, the direction with the heavier traffic volume is favoured, and opposing traffic will likely be stopped. An example of this is Wellington Street between Edinburgh Road South and Neeve Street.
Why is the light always red when I am the first to reach an intersection of a main street from a quieter side street?
These are Semi-actuated signals– there are vehicle and pedestrian detectors to cross the main street only. The signal will display green minimum time along the main street then responds to any side street actuations. An actuation may be a result of either a vehicle detected or a pedestrian pushing the button. Should a vehicle only be detected, the signal will change to green a minimum of 7 seconds for the side street and extend should further vehicles be detected. The pedestrian "walk" will only be displayed by pushing the pedestrian push button Example: Paisley Road at Silvercreek Parkway North.
Why does it seem like the length of time the light is green is different each time?
These may be fully-actuated signals – there are vehicle and pedestrian detectors for all lanes and all crossings. The signal responds to vehicle and pedestrian demands at the intersection. The signal displays green a 10 second minimum time for each roadway and extends should further vehicles be detected, or rests in that movement until an opposing vehicle or pedestrian is detected. The pedestrian "walk" will only be displayed by pushing the pedestrian push button. Example: Stone Road East at Victoria Road South.
Does the City monitor changes in traffic and adjust the signal timing?
Six to eight signal coordination corridors are reviewed each year in detail. These detailed reviews ensure the signal corridor is still operating as desired and adjustments to signal timings are made as required based upon updated traffic volumes.
Do we have audible pedestrian signals in Guelph?
Accessible audible pedestrian signals are located at various crossings throughout the City to assist pedestrians with their crossings. Pressing the pedestrian crossing button for more than 5 seconds triggers the recorded voice indicating when the walk signal is on. Presently there are over 20 traffic signals equipped with accessible pedestrian signals. Beginning in 2008, most new traffic signal installations will include accessible pedestrian signals on all crossings. Any request to add an accessible pedestrian signal at an existing location is made through the Guelph Accessibility Committee.
Why does the Flashing Don't Walk signal begin before I've finished crossing even though I started across the intersection when it changed to walk?
The Flashing Don't Walk (FDW) is to signal pedestrians reaching the intersection not to begin crossing. The FDW is always 2/3rds of the total crossing time. Walk/Flashing Don't Walk time is calculated by measuring the total crossing distance and providing one metre/second crossing time. For example, if the total crossing distance is 30 metres, the FDW time is for 20 meters or 20 seconds.
All traffic signals have pedestrian signals (Walk/Flashing Don't Walk) to inform pedestrians when they are legally permitted to cross. At some locations in the City, countdown pedestrian signals are provided to supplement the Flashing Don't Walk information. Only the FDW time remaining is shown, as the Walk time may vary.
Wellington County and outside of the City of Guelph
For concerns with signs or signals on roads in Wellington County and outside of the City of Guelph boundaries please contact the Wellington County Roads Division at 519-837-2601 or 1-800-663-0750.
Hanlon Parkway/Highway 6 North
For concerns with signs or signals along the Hanlon Parkway/Highway 6 North please call MTO INFO at 416-235-4686 or toll-free at 1-800-268-4686. (TTY: 905-704-2426 or 1-866-471-8929)
City of Guelph
To request a review of a traffic signal timing you will need;
- name of the street
- name of the nearest cross-street
- which lane (i.e., north bound lane, turning lane, etc.)
- signal issue


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Jason began another busy day in the constituency at the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce breakfast business forum at the John Smith's Stadium. He held a Q&A session as he heard first-hand about the issues affecting local businesses.
He then visited the new Beaumont Primary Academy in Crosland Moor. Jason was delighted to go on a tour of the new academy and take part in a Q&A session about his life as an MP.
Later on he visited Jim Woodhead, Director of A for Agency in Milnsbridge, to discuss how the government can do even better for small businesses.
ason has had further meetings at his office this afternoon and is taking part in a number events across the constituency including a residents meeting on broadband this evening. Over the weekend Jason is supporting local village tidy ups and of course cheering on Huddersfield Town.


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We Want to Hear From You
It is hard to imagine a more important time for women's voices to be heard.
It is imperative that women participate fully in any and all debates about the future, especially as nations' leaderships change. It is not just a matter of belonging on conference stages or on lists of "top" leaders, and it extends beyond women's presence at cultural events or as commentators on media platforms. It is about ensuring that the perspective, the intelligence, the experience, and the ideas of more than half the population are understood.
We at GenderAvenger find examples of women being underrepresented every day, and we bet you do too. When you wake up and read the papers with announcements of events. When you watch the news. When you get emails inviting you to conferences or asking you to pay attention to everything from economic policy and health care options to environmental initiatives and declarations of war and peace. When you go to events in your community where you pray, where you play, and where your political allies and foes convene.
It's time to raise the volume.
Every week we have asked you to take action to congratulate and condemn those who meet our standards and those who don't. Now, we want to know what has your attention and what you're committed to calling out in the communities that you are a part of. Increasingly, you've been using the GA Tally and emails to email@example.com to keep us informed of your experiences and observations. Now it's time for your voice to move from one tweet to a tweet storm and from one Facebook post to an avalanche of Facebook posts.
So, we will be counting on you to do the counting.
You can depend on us to share your calls to action with the entire GenderAvenger community so your fellow GenderAvengers can be your bull horn, your amplifier, your cheerleader. Together we can all make the change we need.


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Nothing else to add, you are making the right point; they must...
Pastor Rivel Dumaine Dr. - April 20 2011, 9:33 PM
Nothing else to add, you are making the right point; they must be no deal on arms, construction of jail, bomb shell we don't need those crap.
Haiti needs What MR. Jean Pierre just stated.
Haitian Leader especially rgwe new President will not go for those none sense deals.
never and never!
Pastor Rivel Dumaine, Dr.
Response to:
Vonvon,Haiti can get very cheap weapons thru...
Contract for Tanks,Machine guns,warplanes,jail construction underway
According to a source close to Michel Martelly, a group of death merchants from the USA and France are negotiating...
Direct replies to this message:
I agree with you at 100% that Haiti does not need...Return to Message List


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Sunday, 05 December 2010 12:29 PM
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York senator wants to make it illegal for anyone to distribute or record images produced by full-body scanners at airports.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer introduced a bill Sunday that calls for punishing anyone who misuses full-body scan images by up to a year in prison. They could also face fines of up to $100,000.
Privacy advocates say there are insufficient safeguards to ensure that the revealing images produced by the machines remain private.
The X-ray scans from the machines can see through people's clothing.
The Transportation Security Administration says the images cannot be stored, transmitted or printed and they are deleted after use.
Passengers can opt instead for a pat-down that includes the crotch and chest.
© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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In April, the Japanese government released the names of over three thousand members of Unit 731. Unit 731 was a group in the Japanese Imperial Army responsible for some of the worst atrocities committed by the Japanese during World War II. Jack Gray explains.
(1) Unit 731 is the commonly used name for the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army. It was a secret unit of the Japanese Imperial Army that carried out experiments in biological and chemical warfare using human test subjects. Unit 731 was only one unit of several in the Japanese Imperial Army that carried out medical experiments, but it is the best known. These units were known as the Ishii Network, after Lt. Gen. Ishii Shiro, the commanding officer of Unit 731 who spent his military career researching the development of biological weapons.
(2) Unit 731 was established in 1936 and operated in the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. It was shut down in 1945 after the defeat of Japan. Lt. Gen. Ishii had been carrying out experiments in China in secret since 1933 during the second Sino-Japanese War, although most of these early experiments were much smaller in scale. After 1939, Unit 731's headquarters were located in Pingfan, near Harbin in China. In its early days most of its members were medical researchers from various Japanese universities, not professional soldiers. There were only eight people in the first group posted to the unit, but it quickly grew in size until there were several thousand members (only a small number were doctors).
(3) Unit 731 was known for their use of humans as test subjects in horrific experiments studying the effects of plague, frostbite, and other various diseases. While they did carry out several field tests using biological weapons, the use of their weapons was generally less successful than their gruesome experiments. In these, they examined the effects of diseases such as anthrax, cholera, dysentery, plague, smallpox, tetanus, tuberculosis, and typhoid on live human subjects. Researchers infected prisoners with the diseases and then performed vivisections on them while they were still alive to track the progress of the infection. Some experiments studying frostbite involved leaving prisoners outside until their limbs froze and then attempting various methods of reviving the necrotic body parts.
(4) Many of the members of Unit 731 received immunity from the U.S. government in exchange for the data from their experiments. After the conclusion of the war, Americans began investigating the unit's experiments and asked for the data, but never used it as evidence to prosecute any members, saying that the information gained from the experiments was too valuable not to take advantage of, since no similar experiments could be carried out in the United States due to moral scruples. In addition, seizing the data prevented the Soviet Union from being able to access it; using the experiments as evidence in a trial would have resulted in making the results public, thereby giving the Soviet Union the information as well. Regardless of the reason, no member of Unit 731 was ever prosecuted by the United States or by Japan.
(5) The history of Unit 731 has been a contentious issue in Japan, as the government did not disclose any information about the group until recently. Only recently has more information come to light after a request from the public. Many people feel that the lack of any criminal charges against members of Unit 731 is a great injustice, and that the United States should have prosecuted every member. The publication of the names of several thousand members of the unit by the National Archives of Japan was the result of a petition led by Katsuo Nishiyama, a medical professor. The request was first made in 2015, but most of the names on the list were redacted. Only in January of 2018 did the government agree to release the rest of the names. Katsuo hopes that the release of the names will lead to greater awareness of the unit's history and a new commitment never to repeat the crimes of the past.
To summarize, Unit 731 was a group in the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II that was responsible for war crimes involving experimentation on live human beings, but escaped prosecution. Only recently have the names of the members of the Unit come to light. Hopefully with this new information there will be new commitments to avoid further atrocities and remember those who suffered.
Jack Gray is from Pacific Atrocities Education, www.pacificatrocities.org.
What do you think of the article? Let us know below.


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Monique Oxender
Download photo:
Monique Oxender leads Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. efforts to Brew a Better World as its Chief Sustainability Officer. Monique joined Keurig Green Mountain in 2012 and has navigated a path for integrated sustainability management. This journey travels directly through the intersection of world benefit and business value, informed by meaningful internal and external stakeholder engagement.
Prior to joining the company, Monique spent eight years with Ford Motor Company where she designed and developed a leading supply chain sustainability program spanning the company's $65B buy from 60 countries. Issues under her responsibility included human rights, indirect carbon and water footprints, and raw material transparency. In addition, she served as Chair of multiple industry workgroups for the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and represented Ford on United Nations Global Compact, US State Department, Department of Labor and OECD advisory groups.
With a background in secondary education and sustainability, Monique has an MBA and an MS from the University of Michigan.


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Carolina Panthers
Panthers coach Rivera will miss 2 practices to attend brother's funeral
Panthers coach Ron Rivera will miss Saturday and Sunday's training camp practices at Wofford College to be with his family in Nevada as they mourn the death of his older brother, Mickey.
Mickey, who was three years older than his 53-year-old coaching brother, died Tuesday after a two-year fight with pancreatic cancer. A subdued Rivera addressed the media Thursday at the start of camp and talked about his brother's spirit despite his odds.
"The one thing about it is, and just knowing who my brother was, it was never really about him. He just went out and worked hard," Rivera said. "When you talk to someone who's in a situation like he is and you see that he just keeps going forward and doing the best they can, you do draw inspiration from it. You draw strength because of everything that they go through, which is bad, your day can't be that bad."
Rivera wore a white T-shirt Thursday with words memorializing his brother. The shirt read: "You will never know how STRONG you are, Until being STRONG is the only choice! Team MJR."
Assistant head coach Steve Wilks will take the reins over the weekend until Rivera returns Monday. Wilks ran one of the organized team activities in the spring when Rivera went to California for his daughter's graduation.
"We've got a plan in place," Rivera said. "I've already talked to Steve, and we've talked about how we're going to go forward. I'll talk to a few of the veteran leaders just to make sure they understand and know where I'll be and what's to be expected in those two days."
Jonathan Jones: 704-358-5323, @jjones9


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Kimmie and Joe's Rhythm Lab
Love rhythm and the freedom of improvisation? We want to workshop with you! Through an improvisational approach, this lab will dissect and expand on simple rhythmic ideas. Open to tap dancers, musicians of any instrument, and rhythm makers (so....everyone!) So bring your ax and come play, we'll make something truly unique!
$5-$10 Suggested Donation
Kimmie Allen is a New Orleans based freelance dancer and teacher. Originally from Natchitoches, Louisiana, her musical upbringing has always had a strong influence on her dancing style. While exploring phrasing and timing, her classes also investigate space and the anatomical sequences of the body, leading to tactile and dynamically fluid movement.
Joe Goldberg is a reed player in New Orleans leading his own 7 piece swing band Joe Goldberg and The Function as well as being a member of the Smoking Time Jazz Club for a few years. Joe plays with plenty of rhythm when he solos, uses space sometimes, and rarely gets lost during a Jason Marsalis drum solo.


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There is some controversy raging at the present time with regard to colour headed white Rough Collie puppies, some argue this is not a recognised colour and as such the KC should not allow registration of such puppies. I take a different view.
There are several breeds today in which unrecognised colours have been introduced in recent years, I refer to colours that have not occurred naturally within those breeds, which would suggest another breed has been recently introduced in order for those colours to make an appearance. Understandably other breeders are concerned about this, as it becomes obvious that some manipulation of pedigree has occurred. Such puppies can not really be carrying true pedigrees.
However this is not the case with colour headed white Rough collie puppies, in fact the colour has been present within the breed since it began. Colour headed white puppies, and puppies that are splashed with a higher percentage of white in the coat than would be found acceptable in the show ring, also sable merle, are naturally occurring colour patterns that can appear in litters from certain combinations of the 3 standard colours. I am writing specifically about colour headed white and heavily white factored collies. I am not writing about dilute merle, these are different thing entirely.
Colour headed whites are in fact collies with predominantly white bodies, but whose head (and often a few body patches) are one of the three recognised colours, ie: sable, tricolour, blue merle. Such collies are sometimes born from parents that do not have excessive white themselves. In America and Canada this colour is recognised, because some of the early imports from the UK were this colour pattern, and these two countries have favoured them enough to include them as a separate but acceptable colour to this day.
On the other hand, a double dilute is the result of the mating of TWO MERLE dogs. When a puppy inherits an M gene from both parents, it is a double dilute. Some double dilutes appear as solid colour such as tricolour, because the M gene is unstable, the Poly A tail can become truncated on the M allele and in so doing it appears as tricolour, this is know as cryptic merle. Such dogs can have two allele for Cryptic merle, although they are actually double dilutes, but they appear as solid coloured dogs. Only a gene test can detect such collies! The mating of two merles is no longer allowed by the UK kennel club although it is a certainty that some cryptic merles still exist within the gene pool , and I am sure these words might surprise the owners as they can go undetected to the native eye for many generations. Understanding the merle dilution requires a book of its own! Double dilute merles are more commonly white, and often defective. Some are born blind and even without eyes at all, and they are often deaf. DOUBLE MERLE DILUTE WHITES ARE NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH COLOUR HEADED WHITES. The latter (colour headed whites) are not born defective.
It is understandable that colour headed white collies would appear in the gene pool of a very old shepherding breed such as the collie. The Rough collie was bred from dogs used to care for sheep out on the lonely weather torn hills and mountainsides of Scotland, during a time period when roads were unheard of. Wolves were still around. Some of those dogs would sleep amongst the flock to protect them, and Sheep are generally unafraid of white dogs. Those dogs would be accepted by the flock, and live amongst them to protect them. The coloured head would help the shepherd to spot the dogs amongst the sheep. Hence the early breed standards wrote.
Colour & markings
are immaterial, but other points being equal, a nice showily marked dog is preferred. ALL WHITE OR RED SETTER colour is most objectionable.
My notes
As we can see, the 1910 breed standard allowed for almost any colour. it found all white objectionable so as to discourage the production of double dilute puppies (double merle) however the colour headed white is NOT an 'all white' dog.
Colour and markings are immaterial, but other points being equal, a nice showily marked dog is preferred.
My Notes.
By 1950 all reference to 'all whites' had been removed, possibly because breeders at that time understood the difference between double dilute whites and colour headed whites.
Three recognised colours are sable and white, tricolour and blue merle.
SABLE: Any shade of light gold to rich mahogany or shaded sable. Light straw or cream colour is highly undesirable.
TRICOLOUR: Predominantly black with rich tan markings about the legs and head. A rusty tinge in top coat is highly undesirable.
BLUE-MERLE: Predominantly clear, silvery blue, splashed and marbled with black. Rich tan markings to be preferred, but their absence should not be counted as a fault. Large black markings, slate colour, or rusty tinge either of the top or undercoat are highly undesirable.
WHITE MARKINGS: All the above may carry the typical white Collie markings to a greater or lesser degree. The followings markings are favourable - White collar, full or part; white shirt, legs and feet; white tail tip. A blaze may be carried on muzzle or skull or both.
my notes :
For the first time ever, in 1969 the three presently recognised colours were introduced. Some have argued with me, they have told me that other colours had been penalised in the show ring, long before this change was made, and I would have to say WHY?, previously the breed standard clearly said 'colour immaterial' and to penalise certain colour patterns prior to the introduction of the three newly recognised colours in 1969 would have been going against the standard of the previous era!
Strangely enough, we now have people wanting to alter the standard yet again, they want to prevent breeding from 'unrecognised colours' within the breed, and to do this some would like to make more changes. Such people are often ill informed. In my opinion this is VERY foolish. It will only serve to reduce the gene pool further. There are far more important things to worry about, and to rid the breed of more serious problems, some of which can be found in the Kennel clubs 'breed watch', surely the larger the gene pool the better! why ban the registration of dogs based on colour, when those colours are not only naturally occuring, but were acceptable for the greater part of the breeds history! Many of these collies, whose coats are discribed as 'colour not recognised' carry some exceptionally healthy genes, and in my opinion those healthy genes are of greater importance to the breed. Such collies are 100% pedigree, these colours have not been 'introduced' in recent years, they do not carry added health risks, so why remove them from the gene pool? In FCI countries the opposite is happening. They are much more open to understanding the problem of decreasing gene pools, with several countries having recently decided to allow the mating of sable to merle, countries where such a combination was previously banned. Thank goodness the FCI have taken this attitude, and it will be a very sad day for the rough collie, if UK breeders manage to pursuade our kennel club to limit rather than expand the gene pool. I am not suggesting they be added to the breed standard as a new recognised colour..although that would actually be a more sensible move than preventing them from being bred at all!
present breed standard (2017)
Three recognised colours: Sable and white, Tricolour and Blue Merle. Sable: any shade of light gold to rich mahogany or shaded sable. Light straw or cream coloured highly undesirable. Tricolour: predominantly black with rich tan markings about legs and head. A rusty tinge in top coat highly undesirable. Blue Merle: predominantly clear, silvery blue, splashed and marbled with black. Rich tan markings preferred, but absence should not be penalised. Large black markings, slate colour, or rusty tinge either of top or undercoat are highly undesirable. All should carry typical white Collie markings to a greater or lesser degree. Following markings are favourable – white collar, full or part, white shirt, legs and feet, white tail tip. A blaze may be carried on muzzle or skull, or both. All white or predominantly white is highly undesirable.
Please note that predominantly white is not actually defined as an unrecognised colour...rather it is an undesirable colour .....and it is not the only colour that is highly undesirable either!
I have recently read comments
through facebook by some of my fellow breeders, comments suggesting that Collies presently registered as '
KC unrecognised colours' should NOT be bred from, and they point to colour headed white collies as being one of them. However predominantly white is technically one of the three recognised colours, but with a 'standard' fault, it is predominantly white ( a fault but not an unrecognised colour) ...so....who is going to police breeders to prevent them breeding from rusty coated merles and tricolours, because these are also amongst the undesirable colours ?
A recent study done by Dr Leigh Ann Clarke revealed the rough collie, world wide, is seriously lacking diversity in the immune system allele..are we as breeders here in the UK seriously wanting to throw out the baby with the bath water, arguing about naturally occurring colours to the point of wanting to prevent people breeding them?.....and in so doing, we are arguing to reduce ever further an already dangerously small gene pool ? According to the Kennel Club breed watch, we should be trying to eliminate such traits as
small eyes
Cow hocks
Weak hindquarters
and more!
I see no one wishing to remove dogs with the above traits from the gene pool, and yet these traits have been reported by JUDGES...such dogs are being shown and sometimes winning, and they are certainly being bred from! Such dogs ARE unhealthy.
We here at WICANI have one bitch registered as 'colour not kc recognised' she is a sable merle, a colour that naturally occurs when we breed together sable with merle. A mating that several other European countries have recently agreed is acceptable, in view of the decreasing gene pool and a wider understanding of genetics. Her name is Wicani The Shepherdess and she is beautiful. She does not have small eyes, in fact her medium sized eyes are completely FREE of all inherited eye conditions (such incredibly healthy eyes are VERY RARE), she is not cow hocked, she has beautiful strong hocks and consequently she has strong hindquarters. She has a beautiful chin (no narrow jaw) and the correct scissor bite. She is not affected with, nor is she even carrying, any gene for Degenerative Myelopathy. She has a nice character too.
What a shame that some breeders who proclaim to be protecting the breed, would rather 'Wicani The Shepherdess' was never bred from, whilst themselves breeding from cea affected dogs, often with cow hocks and weak hindquarters, and often with nervous dispositions too !
In the photo gallery below are
1) Mrs Nadine George with her English collies showing the existence of white factored show collies in the twentieth century, these dogs are in the distant pedigrees of all UK collies!
2) our sable merle Wicani The Shepherdess. Yes..she looks sable and white to us too and in our opinion she fits the breed standard interpretation of the colour, but she is genetically merle.
3) a beautiful sable headed white puppy. Happy and healthy, her 'highly undesirable' breed standard fault (only since 1969) is that she is predominantly white, otherwise she fits the breed standard and better than many others !


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at Boom.
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The incident, which did not result in any bystanders being injured but did lead to the temporary evacuation of an apartment complex, drove home to Kretzer the need for all families to have a survival bag they can grab in an emergency.
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With hurricane and wildfire seasons under way, summer is a good time to consider packing a go-bag of emergency supplies.
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(This page will be regularly updated to reflect minor programme changes)
To Innovate through Service Design – Conference for Torino Design of the City
From 10 to 16 October, the City of Turin will host Torino Design of the City. This week of events, meetings, workshops, exhibitions and guided tours about design will take place in strategic city locations that are experiencing urban regeneration.
As part of this design week, Experientia and Intesa Sanpaolo bank are hosting a half-day event on Friday 13 October on how companies can successfully use service design as a point of differentiation and innovation.
To Innovate through Service Design is a half-day event that invites people from all industries to join us in exploring the widespread impact that service design is having on how companies do business and drive product and service innovation.
Today's service design is relevant no matter your industry, and has gone beyond its roots in web and app development to become a powerful tool for shaping how business and customers interact with each other. Our speakers include people coming from the consumer goods, finance, construction and business technology sectors. The conference will explore service design as a tool for companies to innovate products, craft new customer experiences, and reinvent the way that they bring value to their customers.
Our Italian and international guests – Gianpaolo Barozzi (CISCO), Stefano Carmi (Autogrill), Lara Ermacora (IBM), Benjamin Huneau (Tarkett), Elisa Maero (Intesa Sanpaolo), and Francesca Tamma (Swiss Re) – will discuss how service design is influencing their industries and present case studies of how they are successfully using service design to drive innovation in their companies.
This will be followed by a round table on the theme of cultural and digital transformation and the challenges of implementation.
The event will be moderated by Fabio Salierno (head of the Experience Design Lab at Intesa Sanpaolo) and Mark Vanderbeeken (CEO of international service design consultancy Experientia).
Friday 13 October, 14:00 – 17:00
Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo – Corso Inghilterra 3 – Torino
The event will take place in English.
Access is free until seats are exhausted. RSVP (required): [email protected].
14:00: Introduction and welcome
14:10: Presentation of service design setup at Intesa Sanpaolo by the moderators
14:20: Introduction of the speakers and the audience
14:30: Presentation by guest speakers
15:45: Coffee break
16:00: Round table focused on challenges, cultural change, and implementation.
17:00: End
Gianpaolo Barozzi (LinkedIn)
Senior HR Director, CISCO
Gianpaolo Barozzi is a Sr. Director in Cisco HR, leading the Digitalization Office in the newly formed Leadership & Team Intelligence organization. He leads the design and development of innovative workforce experiences and solutions in multiple HR areas at Cisco. His passion is re-defining the future of work in corporations – how talent is identified, leveraged, allocated and engaged, and how work is organized, measured and rewarded – and its implication on people, HR and ultimately the society.
Stefano Carmi (LinkedIn)
Group Design and Architecture Director, Autogrill
Stefano Carmi is Autogrill's Group Design & Architecture Director. In his position he defines the design selection worldwide, oversees our key and flagship projects and addresses standard's guidelines and design innovation. He lived in New York for several years, then Tokyo and Venice directing projects and teams in Restaurant, Interior & Retail Design and Global Project Management. With Giorgio Armani he oversaw the retail development of the group in Japan, China and Asia Pacific. He was the Director of Retail Design in Gruppo Coin and Benetton. For over ten years he guided Marithé & François Girbaud in their global retail expansion, designing new store concepts and environments. As a consultant, in the past he has also worked for Calvin Klein, National Geographic, Sears Roebuck, Ermenegildo Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana, Marlboro Classics, Gas Jeans, Pomellato and Furla. His projects have been published in The New York Times, Interiors, Domus, Modo, Capital, Panorama, L'Espresso, Uomo Vogue, La Repubblica and Il Corriere della Sera.
Lara Ermacora (LinkedIn)
Customer Engagement & Design Practice Lead, IBM
Lara Ermacora has more than ten years of experience in the digital field, from being a graphic designer in 2006 to leading the UX & Social Analytics team in IBM Interactive Italy and becoming professor of two university courses about digital strategy and market research. Since 2008 she has been focused on social business and digital transformation (marketing/Sales/Service) advisory both in B2B and B2C, through the redesign of business models understanding the underneath clients path and needs. She has been working with a wide range of customers in different industries, such as Retail and Consumer Goods (Moncler, Bulgari, Autogrill, Ferrero, …) Banking & Insurance (Generali Group, Veneto Banca, Allianz, …), Information Technology (IBM, Oracle, …). She is now very focused on project management activities and business development mainly in the marketing and communication field, working with top management functions of big Italian and international enterprises. She is now Customer Engagement & Design Practice Lead, Italy at IBM iX.
Benjamin Huneau (LinkedIn)
Customer Experience Transformation Director, Tarkett
Benjamin Huneau has been working with Tarkett since 2015 to transform this global leader in flooring products manufacturing, into a service-oriented, customer-centric company. Prior to Tarkett, he alternated operational and consulting positions, working on Customer Experience topics for multiple groups such as Accor, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, HSBC, SFR or Transdev. Benjamin holds both business and engineering degrees from ESSEC and Supaero.
Elisa Maero (LinkedIn)
Digital Factory Coordinator, Intesa Sanpaolo
Elisa Maero is a member of the Digital Factory coordinator team at Intesa Sanpaolo Group Services. The Digital Factory aims to simplify, review and re-design some of the main bank processes, through a "zero based" approach. Service design is considered one of the core drivers in this approach, where people work to explore, imagine and design innovative solutions for colleagues and for customers.
Before joining the Digital Factory, Elisa acquired various other experiences at Intesa Sanpaolo, mainly as a Marketing, Loyalty and Communication Expert. Projects she managed included ticket issuance at EXPO 2015, intranet communication at the Innovation Center, and the development of new banking products (e.g. new credit cards).
Elisa is an economist by background and has a masters in Ebusiness at the Institute Boella in Turin.
Favorite Quote: "There's a way to do it better – find it", Thomas A. Edison
Francesca Tamma (LinkedIn)
Behavioural Research, Consultant & VP, Swiss Re
Francesca Tamma is a Behavioral Research Consultant (Vice President) at Swiss Re. She is part or the 10-person strong Behavioural Research Unit, where she leads the efforts in non-life insurance, working on client projects and on internal research. Some of the topics she focusses on include: how to design customer journeys and products together with Swiss Re's clients, how to decrease noise and bias in underwriting judgment, how to use the information recorded by in-vehicle telematics and smart home sensors to increase safe behaviors.
Previous to joining Swiss Re in 2016, she worked in London for the UK Behavioural Insights Team where she gained extensive expertise in applying behavioural economics to public sector projects.
She is an economist by background, having completed in 2014 an MSc Economics with merit at the LSE, and having graduated in 2012 with a MSc Hons Economics and Geography with distinction from the University of Edinburgh.
We are an international experience design consultancy helping companies and organisations to innovate their products, services and processes by putting people and their experiences first.
Vaccine hesitancy is a top10 global health threat. Dealing with it successfully requires understanding it as a behaviour and generating a holistic view of people's perspectives & ecosystems. This way we can identify the best opportunities for intervention. Here is Experientia's position on vaccine hesitancy and our tailor-made support for the vaccine industry.
100&Change is a MacArthur Foundation competition for a $100 million grant to fund a single proposal that will make measurable progress toward solving a significant problem. 100&Change will select a bold proposal that promises real progress toward solving a critical problem of our time. And it will award a $100 million grant to help make […]
Then we are interested in hearing from you. We have several positions available for talented UX/UI and service designers who are passionate about creating world-class user experiences. Please see the job descriptions on our website for more information, and send us your CV with a cover letter statement about yourself, your experience, and what UX […]
Experientia is proud to have been a key participant at the Roche Innovation Summit, held at Roche headquarters in Basel Switzerland on 19 June 2018. Themed "Transforming the Healthcare Experience Together", the summit aimed to galvanize the Roche community around the future transformation of healthcare and diagnostics. With 800 attendees from Roche and Genentech global […]
Hai una startup? Hai mai pensato ai benefici che potrebbe trarre dal Design Thinking? Questa è l'opportunità per scoprirlo! DesAlps Workshop #2: Il Design Thinking per la tua startup! Giovedì 28 giugno 2018 – dalle 9:30 alle 17:00 @ I3P | Corso Castelfidardo 30/a, Torino —– Nell'ambito del progetto europeo DesAlps, un team di esperti […]


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Between lakes and forests, in an exceptional setting, next to Lake Eclaron
Imposing landscapes, intoxicating scents, wide-open spaces, lots of fresh air and plenty more! You'll find all this with the Yelloh! Village nature campsites, and plenty more besides!
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A heated, covered aquatic park in the heart of the Loire Valley and two hours from Paris!


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We receive generous support from many institutional donors. These include the European Union, the United Nations and the governments of Ireland, the UK, and the US.
We also receive funds from a number of charitable trusts and foundations across Ireland, the UK and USA.
The public has never wavered in its support for the work that we do. We are forever grateful for the many direct donations and other contributions, such as in Wills and Legacies, that they make. And, of course, for the public's enthusiastic support of our fundraising events.


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My card today is inspired completely by the stunning inspiration photo for this months Avery Elle AEI♥U Challenge.
The colours are just perfect and very very me.
I'm kinda longing for some blue skies as its just freezing for May in London right now.
I also loved the nautical theme, as i have no stamps in that style i have improvised :)
Three Avery Elle stamp sets used for my card are...
I stamped the background in three different blues.
Then to make the tag i used one of the blues from the background and added another for the border.
The only embellishments are the knotted twine on the tag and some sequins.
Thanks for looking.


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text: I resist buying quilt pattern books on line. Their covers are always so inviting, but without seeing what is inside, I shake my head and move on. When I am in a LQS, I can flip thru and see if it has patterns I want to use. Does anyone else feel this way too?


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Dallas Area Family Photographer – Jessica Starr Photography
baby | family | children | seniors
baby | family | children | seniors
Category Archives: Holidays
The other day I mentioned on Facebook about my goal to get some pictures of myself and each of my kids this week leading up to Mother's Day. I am always the one behind the camera so I challenged myself to get out the tripod and camera remote and get IN the picture with the kids. […]
A new year and a fresh start…I hope this year is full of blessings for you and your families! Every year has ups and downs but I hope to learn from the downs and be grateful for the ups.
It's what I wanted for Mother's Day! To get some time to photograph my own kids. I must have wanted the same thing last year because this is the Second Annual Starr Family Mother's Day Mini Session! That makes it a tradition! We went downtown for these…Our town has so many cool old buildings. Kyle […]


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Sow seeds and grow vegetables and other plants at home.
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Weekly Gardening Tips for Your Area
With a few basic tools and precautions you can be well on your way to preserving the harvest from your home garden in no time. We'll show you how.
Our Griller's Herb Toolbox is the perfect accessory for anyone who loves grilling, and the perfect complement to everything that goes on the grill!
Now is the time to organize and rearrange the shed to prepare for spring. We'll show you how!
You can start now to plan the perfect salad garden and have fresh salad fixings all season long.
In many landscapes across the country, shaded areas are often neglected, largely because people just don't know what to plant in areas that get minimal sun. Shade gardens can indeed be lush and beautiful, full of texture and color.
You've always wanted to grow a vegetable garden, but your yard is too shady… or is it?
Bring the outdoors inside any time of year by making your own terrarium.
Even if you don't have a lot of space, you can start your spring garden seeds outdoors.
Before you toss your tree out with the trash, consider the options for recycling your Christmas tree and you might discover just how easy it is to get your tree out of the house and do something good for the environment at the same time.
You'll love our family-friendly holiday beverages infused with garden-fresh herbs!
We all know that tropical houseplants are beautiful, but did you know they could save your life? A report by the World Health Organization in


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Here's a updated version of the truck model I did a month ago....
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Truck Model Update
Posted by Steve Hubbard at 8:28 AM
1 comment:
- Steve Harpster said...
This truck is cool. Like the teeth.
- February 9, 2010 at 5:52 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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October 05, 2013
Jim Rogers: Set "even more serious accident"
"The U.S. is the most indebted nation in the history of the world ," said Rogers. " There may be a very strong upswing of the stock exchanges in the U.S., but it is not based on reality . I encouraged investors to understand that in the paradise of fools , to be cautious , but when people start to sing praises , saying : " I've been such a celebration and I know I have to go ," he added .
For it is only a matter of time before the U.S. stock market to fall into huge problems because of the program of the U.S. Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy and its similarities in the world.
"First of all - in the entire history of the United States have occurred drops every 4 to 6 years. This means that at some point over the next few years - maximum 3 - will once again have our problems caused by any reason , "said the investor . "For instance, we had 2001 and 2002 , then in 2007-2009 it became much worse . Well, the next time is going to be even worse because the debt level is much, much higher. The same vreme each country increases its debt , " he argues .
Stimulus measures of central banks such as asset purchases with printed money raise asset prices in the short term . According to Rogers , however, this is all they can do .
"This is the first time in the known history where every major central banks print money , so that the world keeps on artificial sea of money. Well, one day this artificial sea will disappear and when that happens, the crash will be even more severe . Yes , this moment is approaching , " he is adamant . " If I was smart enough to be aware of when it will happen, I'd be rich ," says the investor .
Although the predicted disaster , he still advises investors to sell. "I see no reason to rush and sell shares now because of these artificial events that happen ," said the investor . " I do not buy U.S. stocks at the moment , but do not bet against them because they fear that could lead to a huge balloon. So I sit and watch , " he explained his position .
What would you convinced him to sell ? "If the market expanded twice over the next 6 or 8 months, as has happened in the past, I would have to think whether to shorten ," said Rogers. But until then, "because of the uncertainty - at least in my head - will not initiate anything," he says .
Jim Rogers is an great investor, author and respected financial commentator. He is a regular guest on different TV programs like these of Barron's, FT, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Fortune and CNBC. Rogers is the president of Rogers Holdings and Beeland Interests.
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text: The purpose of this paper is to try to understand which negative effects grading and judging in art class can have on the students. The emphasise lies on how the media specific parts of the subject is affected. The goal is to get knowledge how students experience getting judged and graded and how this affects them, hence understanding which factors affects them in a positive or negative way in this process. The literature study starts with a historical survey of the swedish grading system and the art subject in Swedish schools. It countinues to explain the current curriculum with an emphasise on art. In the last part of the literature study one can find prior research that has a connection to the survey in this paper. The empirical study that follows includes interviews with twelve ninth grade students and two art teachers. The results show, among other things, that the students have a fear of failing which is partly an effect of them being graded. Furthermore the results show some off the positive and negative effects that grading in art class has. One being that grades are a source of motivation and another that students tend to aim their work towards a grade and thus being limited in their creative choices. It also shows that although the student do not have a problem understanding the goals for exercises they have a harder time understanding on what grounds they are being graded, i.e. they have a hard time understanding the criterias in the curriculum.


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Adam Neal from Journey Church in Raleigh, NC brings us this stage design begging to be slicer apart with a samurai sword.
For their 7-week series, EPIC, their pastor requested a visual timeline on the stage. So they built columns on the front of the stage. The columns consisted of two wooden crates ($8/each) from A.C. Moore stapled to each other, then wrapped with blinds (8 total).
The hanging blinds were 3 blinds per column, tied together and hung from the ceiling with hanging wire. They bought the blinds from Lowes for around $28/each (12 total).
The letters were made locally with PVC material for about $85/letter. (You could also use foam.)
Total cost for the design was a little over $1,000.


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living, loving, laughing, leaving, wishing, missing, kissing, hugging, fighting, crying, trying, dying...this is life.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
January Blog Chain ~ Winter Nightmares
It was frighteningly cold that Tuesday night in February. Freezing rain left the roadways coated with a perilous sheet of ice, and I let out a slow breath as I pulled into my driveway unharmed. My husband and I, being used to losing power at the slightest wind, took stock of the weather as soon as I was inside. The forecast was ominous. The winter storm was threatening a large portion of the midwest along with the eastern seaboard. When the power went off the first time, we considered our options. We could stay the night with my husband's grandma, which would put us both closer to work and, therefore, make our morning drive not so horrible. Or we could take shelter at his parents' house, putting us fifteen miles further from our jobs. As the power kicked back on, we dared to think we would be okay. Perhaps we could just stay home.
As the lights flicked off and the house became silent once more, we grew anxious. Could we make it one night without power? It was just one night. Time passed, and we knew the power was not coming on anytime soon. We can make it one night. But our entire house ran on electricity, and we had none. The electric stove would be of no use for making dinner. The electric water pump which piped water from our well was disabled. And the water in our electric water heater would soon grow cold and drain itself at the first flush of a toilet. What could have been our saving grace was the fireplace, but the only wood we had was already buried outside underneath an inch of ice. The wind howled and the drops of ice beat against the roof as we made a decision to head to my husband's grandma's. We called to give her the news, but alas! Her power was out now, too.
We packed our bags and gathered our dog's necessities, prepared to seek warmth from my husband's parents' house instead. We locked our doors and drove away, certain we'd be home the next morning. My husband's 4WD truck could not get him to work the next day, and he called me. "You are NOT going to work today." If his truck couldn't go 32 miles, my little front wheel drive car would not go 55 miles.
Later that day we attempted a trip to our house. Chickens depended on us for food and water. We cared for them the best we could and drained our faucets of what little water they held so no pipes would freeze. Then we returned to my in-law's home.
We were without electricity for five days. Each day we checked on our house, and our chickens, and each day I fell on the ice covered snow. It became comical. I slipped fourteen times in one day. Thankfully I was never hurt. When we were able to return home, I was grateful it hadn't been worse. Some people were still without power. And at least we had had somewhere to go.
Check out this month's other participants and their posts:
Alpha Echo
writingismypassion (you are here)
Ralph Pines
in one
more to come, check back soon...
17 comments:
What a scary thing to have to endure. I come from the south so I'm not used to things like bad weather involving snow. Glad you made it out OK!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 13, 2012 at 2:08 PM
I used to lose heat semi-regularly when I was living in cramped student ghetto quarters, and even with city water, a gas stove, and full electricity it was horrible to try and tough out even one night.ReplyDelete
Times like that are awful. In England we rarely get weather like that, but last winter (and the one before that) was bad and i got stranded on a few occasionsReplyDelete
And don't worry, i too fell over. A LOT!!
Matt (Turndog Millionaire)
OH man! I hate being without power, and falling...you poor thing!!!ReplyDelete
Ooh that ice will get you every time! I usually end of slipping no matter how careful I am.ReplyDelete
Being from the North, we too had many nights without power. It's a scary thing when you don't know when it'll come back on.
I remember driving to work 2 years ago, what usually took me less than 15 minutes took 45 minutes. Once I got there they sent us home an hour later saying, "It's bad out there, go home." Doh!ReplyDelete
Fourteen slips in one day! Wow! Glad you didn't get hurt. I remember the winter you're talking about too. That's the most snow I've seen since I was a kid and we used to spend the holidays with my grandmother in Connecticut.ReplyDelete
I think I could go a day, but 5?? Wow...ReplyDelete
And I have three dogs, a cat and salt water fish. I need to come up with a disaster recovery plan, for real!
Never hurts to be prepared, Diane!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 23, 2012 at 11:57 AM
I hate being reliant on just electricity. Especially in northern climates.ReplyDelete
Power outages can be frightening.
Falling 14 times and unhurt? That's impressive!
Another Blogger comment page that hates me
drlong67.wordpress.com (inkstrokes)
Blackouts seem theoretically just an inconvenience until you experience one. Went through one last March - and honestly, even though I live in an urban area, I had no idea what the hell to do!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 25, 2012 at 11:50 PM
I remember us being without power for a few days one winter, and my poor dog was my main priority. We had a generator and got the house fairly warm with it, so it ended up being an adventure. :) So glad you didn't hurt yourself with all of those falls! You clearly have better luck than I. :DReplyDelete
Thank you all for commenting. I think the reason I never got hurt by falling was because there was enough snow on the ground to act as a cushion.ReplyDelete
Ugh, that must have been a horrible week. I'm glad your husband had the truck, or getting around would have been impossible.ReplyDelete
How much snow did you get?
If I remember correctly, we only had 6-8 inches of snow. The ice on top of the snow was the problem.ReplyDelete
Definitely a winter nightmare. That must've been horrible. Where was this?ReplyDelete
Bill, this was in south/central Illinois.ReplyDelete


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Every year ATV accidents take the lives of Iowa farmers and recreational riders. In a recent accident a pregnant mother was killed and a young passenger was injured. [LOGAN, Ia. (Iowa State Patrol Press Release) - A woman pregnant with twins was killed and her son injured in an ATV accident Monday afternoon.] I have covered ATV accidents in several blogs; listed below. To solve the problems involving safety the University of Iowa scientists are developing a virtual-reality stimulator to study how and why it is so easy to lose control of an ATV. It is unclear whether they focus of the study will develop into trying to figure out how to reduce the incidence of injury and death from these accidents.
"The Iowa State Patrol said it was on Morgan Avenue just North of Hwy 127 that 27-year-old Jordan Muxfeldt lost control of the 4-wheeler that she and her son 3-year-old were riding on. The ATV rolled and both were thrown onto the pavement." Cedar Rapids Gazette
Places to find useful ATV safety tips:
- Iowa laws about ATV's are under transportation and Chapter 321G, Snowmobiles, Iowa Laws for 2015 governing snowmobiles. Please refer to the current code for the applicable laws. Laws current for 2016 are here.
- 530 Consumer Fatalities with news links
- News from Iowa's WHO-TV, HARRISON COUNTY, Iowa - A Western Iowa woman is dead following an ATV accident in Harrison County. Video available at WHOT-TV-13
- Cedar Rapids Gazette: University of Iowa scientists have created a virtual-reality simulator to study how and why hundreds of people a year lose control of ATVs and become injured or die. The work is a collaboration between the UI College of Engineering's Center for Computer-Aided Design and the UI Children's Hospital.
- For ATV safety tips the National Safety Council and the ATV Safety Institute have information and a pamphlet for riders.
- Link to the Lombardi Law Firm Practice areas for Motorcycle, Bike and ATV accidents. Call or email us for up-to-date advice concerning any ATV accident, injury or death claim.
- Tips and Practice Guide for the All-Terrain Vehicle Rider
From the ATV Safety Institute are these golden rules.
The ATV Safety Institute's Golden Rules:
- Always wear a DOT-compliant helmet, goggles, long sleeves, long pants, over-the-ankle boots, and gloves.
- Never ride on paved roads except to cross when done safely and permitted by law - another vehicle could hit you. ATVs are designed to be operated off-highway.
- Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Never carry a passenger on a single-rider ATV, and no more than one passenger on an ATV specifically designed for two people.
- Ride an ATV that's right for your age.
- Supervise riders younger than 16; ATVs are not toys.
- Ride only on designated trails and at a safe speed.
- Take a hands-on ATV RiderCourse and the free online E-Course. Visit ATVSafety.org or call 800.887.2887.


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Overcoming the Challenges of Adolescent EHRs
In this web series, HIM professionals working in emerging roles give advice on tackling difficult HIM problems. This month features the conclusion to a two-part series discussing the unique challenges HIM professionals face in deploying EHRs customized to serve pediatric and adolescent providers.
CMS to Award States Millions to Implement, Accelerate Health IT Programs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has freed up $730 million in state grant funding to support states in implementing health IT projects and new payment and delivery models.
App uses Data and Clinical Decision Support to Decrease Hospital Readmissions
Coordination and continuity of care during transitions between care settings are priorities for all healthcare stakeholders—so much so that efforts to bolster continuity were included in the "meaningful use" EHR Incentive Program.
LTPAC Providers and Pharmacists Talk EHRs and Medication Information Exchange
Just because long-term and post-acute (LTPAC) care providers are exempt from the "meaningful use" EHR Incentive Program, it doesn't mean clinicians in these facilities are immune to interacting with it.
Lack of Acute, Long-Term Care Continuity Harming Patients
Healthcare today desperately needs to improve the quality of care provided to patients. Success in raising the quality bar requires healthcare stakeholders understand the emerging changes in payment reform and care delivery, including how technology is being used to assist in care coordination and quality. Speakers at Tuesday's Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Health IT Summit's Town Hall session urged the audience to focus on using technology to support and improve continuity of care.


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New in
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Monk Shoes for women
Looking for an original alternative for classic derby or oxford shoes? Ladies, discover the monk shoes for women! These comfortable and elegant shoes made out of high quality leather will be a must have in every women's wardrobe. At Melvin & Hamilton, they exist in several variants, with one or two buckles, called a double monkstrap shoe. Whether you are searching for classic shoes or an original twist with a coloured rubber sole - you won't be disappointed!