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A Total Scholar's Controversial EssaysFebruary 1, 2011, 5:34 pm
by H. L. Seneviratne
Review of Ariya Rajakaruna's Vivadatmaka Puvat Pat Lipi. (Godage Publishers, 2009)
Professor Ariya Rajakaruna, the author of this volume, is one of those rare academicians completely dedicated to scholarship, with no other interest to distract him, a fact to which his voluminous output of very high quality bears testimony. It is in this sense that I call him a total scholar. As the title suggests, this volume brings together articles previously published in the Sinhala press, the Silumina, Irida Divayina, Dinamina, Lakbima, Irudina, Ravaya and Sarasaviya. The articles, dealing with diverse topics nevertheless focus on a single theme, the malaise afflicting the contemporary Sinhala language and literature. As a portrait in contrast, the reader is treated to a glimpse into the vibrant world of Japanese literature through the lens of one particular genre, the screenplay, which in turn gives us a glimpse into the Japanese cinema.
Professor Rajakaruna's prognosis is not a happy one: in fact it is alarming, because he is predicting the prospect of our language disappearing from the face of the earth by the end of the present century. The essays discuss the symptoms of the malaise: the failure of linguists, despite the presence of modern linguistics for over half a century, to come up with a standard Sinhala for our times, although the need for one had been periodically verbalised; the idea of staging a tradition-based Sinhala play in English translation; an assessment of the poetry and fiction of Gunadasa Amarasekera; the baffling replacement, by the education authorities, of a good tenth grade language and literature textbook with a bad one; and many more.
On the question of a standard Sinhala, Professor Rajakaruna tells us that a standard modern Sinhala should be based on contemporary usage. However, forms held to be derivatively flawless continue to be used by many contemporary scholars, and that despite the standard grammar Sidat Sangarava's oft quoted injunction vaharanu seren sapaya, "follow usage". In contrast, the early twentieth century scholar Mudliyar W.F.Gunawardena in the introduction to his renowned edition of the Guttila Kavya expresses the view that it is unscientific and improper to use forms held to be derivatively correct if a variant form is in widespread usage. Professor Rajakaruna hails this as a progressive statement and pours scorn on those who today, a century after Mudliyar Gunawardena, yet insist that ancient usage alone is the correct usage. Agreeing with Professor Rajakaruna, one might mention here that linguistic orthodoxy is a form of cultural orthodoxy, and like the latter, can often be an elitist attempt to preserve status, privilege and hegemony.
Commenting on the idea of performing a tradition based Sinhala play in English translation, Professor Rajakaruna questions the need for such an exercise. Is it a meaningful exercise to perform a play in its original form in a foreign language? Here we have a foretaste of a discussion to come: the screenplay as literature. Kalidasa's Sakuntala was translated into several European languages, but for reading purposes, the author tells us, and not for performance. On the other hand original foreign language plays, like the Japanese Kabuki and Noh, are staged in the west, but in their original language, not in translation. As a meaningful exception to this, the author cites the staging of Dayananda Gunawardena's delightful Nari Bana (The Jackal Son-in-law) in Germany, in German. The difference is that the German text was not a direct translation but an adaptation, giving the play an entirely different interpretation. Whereas in the Sinhala original, folk sentiment dominates and the jackal son-in-law is chased away very much to the laughter of the audience, in the German adaptation, audience attention is drawn to the plight of the jackal as the unrequited lover, transforming the light farce of the Sinhala into a tragedy in the adaptation.
In his discussion of the work of our best known novelist and poet Dr Gunadasa Amarasekera, Professor Rajakaruna points to the freshness of Amarasekera's early work, both poetry and fiction. Later, embracing the culture based criticism of Martin Wickremasinghe, Amarasekera denounced his own work and launched on a literary journey that defined poetry and fiction narrowly, as ideally rooted in a mystical indigenous-ness that he and his fellow travellers have labeled Jatika Cintanaya. Thenceforth Amarasekera's critical standard seems to be an ill defined "indigenous-ness" with value placed on literary work that reflects a society asserting its identity in relation to foreign (i.e., western) modes of life and thought, and its indigenous elites gaining political ascendancy.
Amarasekera here is up to nothing less than prescribing and promoting a single conception of fiction and poetry as the one right path for literary development, with disastrous results not only to literature but also to the society, because it misleads readers, especially the youth, and blunts its talent. This is evident in the poor quality of the contemporary literary output. Amarasekera's is a hegemonic theory of literature harbouring no dissent and making no room for humanity's natural diversity. Like the sermonic novels of Piyadasa Sirisena, the post self-denunciation Amarasekera novels are a mere vehicle to promote the jatika cintana ideas, with monotony as their principal feature. As an admirer of Amarasekara's early work, I can fully agree with Professor Rajakaruna's verdict that Amarasekera has failed to keep his promise, and will loose his readership as did Piyadasa Sirisena and John de Silva over half a century before him.
Focusing on the causes that underlie the literary and linguistic malaise, Professor Rajakauna points out the ironic fact that the Sinhala novel, and literature in general including scholarly literature, were thriving under colonial rule when Sinhala was neither the state language nor the medium of instruction in schools. All three modes of education in the island, the Sinhala, English and the Pirivena, imparted high quality instruction and reached substantial achievements. It is this system of education that nurtured the greatest scholars and writers of recent times, like James de Alwis, Hikkaduve Sumangala, Munidasa Kumaratunga, D.B.Jayatilake, Senarat Paranavitana, E.W.Adikaram, Rapiyel Tennakoon, and Ediriweera Sarachchandra. As a continuation of this, during the period between the 1940s and the early 1970s, a relatively dynamic and self-perpetuating educational and literary culture had come into being. The indispensable economic foundation of this culture was a dedicated reading public with a thirst for reading, or the "reading habit". The changes in educational policy whose effects were beginning to be felt in the 1970s, but rooted in the unwise policies going back to the nationalist regime of 1956, brought an end to this literary and educational culture. Professor Rajakaruna provides telling statistics that show the dramatic decline in the numbers of the reading public that demanded quality writing, preventing publishers from publishing quality books. While Professor Rajakaruna does not go out of his way to identify the abandonment of the English medium as the main culprit in the extinction of a valuable educational and literary culture rooted in the reading habit, the direction of his argument leaves no doubt as to that is exactly what he means.
In this context it is pertinent to mention a recent article by Dr Usvatte in which he, while making a case for the Central School, talks about the indispensability of the reading habit for a healthy system of education, and indeed one might argue, for a healthy society. He mentions that rural children came to central schools from homes with uneven exposure to books and reading, and the central school hostel provided an environment conducive to the reading habit for children without prior access to such an environment. Since the children had thorough exposure to English in its capacity as the medium of instruction, the majority of them developed remarkable competence in the language, while also gradually internalizing the reading habit. In another plus, the central school children both by virtue of their home background and curricular study, were proficient in Sinhala, giving rise to arguably the most significant creative social force of modern times, bilingualism.
The reading habit presumes the availability of books, in particular those that can hold the attention of young minds, and belonging to both literary and non-literary genres. The Sinhala language is deficient in such a literature while English is stacked with an abundance of it. Thus, a policy that would have been in the national interest would have been to continue teaching in the English medium while making sure that the children received substantial exposure to the national languages. Such a policy, for which a solid foundation was already in place, would have fostered the reading habit and the kind of colourful literary culture that had a fleeting existence in the decades between 1940 and 1970. Teaching in the English medium would have also ensured a broad and cosmopolitan education that would have acted as an antidote to ethnic, religious and other forms of parochialism, as indeed it did in the late colonial decades, and right up to the enforcement of the 1956 policies.
That was not to be, and Professor Rajakaruna is eloquent on the consequences of that not to be. He refers to a recent survey showing that school children read no books other than the prescribed texts. The reading habit has fled not just the children, but their teachers as well. Elaborating further, he tells us that even undergraduates show little interest in reading, and it is rare to find among undergraduates even a single addicted to reading. Lecture notes have so replaced reading that university education can fairly be described as based on lecture notes alone. It seems as if, according to Professor Rajakaruna, that even those who take to post graduate study are not habitual readers. It is thus no surprise that serious literature has no meaningful readership, and is not sustainable.
About one third of the present volume deals with the contrastive case of Japanese literature of which Professor Rajakaruna is an internationally known authority. In the interests of keeping down the length of this review, I will make only passing reference to this part of the book. I should however say that the essays are an excellent peephole into the world of Japanese literature, and they represent Professor Rajakaruna's own personal saga of discovery of that world and his contribution to its popularization through internationally acclaimed translations and commentary. The focus in these essays, as already mentioned, is not Japanese literature as such, but one specific genre, the screenplay, a unique Japanese contribution to world literature and the art of the cinema.
It is part of the ABC of the theory of the film and standard first statement in the textbooks on the cinema that it is an essentially visual art form. It is on this fundamental premise that the cinema evolved and its greatest triumphs achieved. Interestingly enough it is on the inspiration of aspects of Japanese culture, in particular the Kabuki theatre and the technique of the Japanese pictographic script, that the visuality of the film, and the dynamic aspect of that visuality known as montage, were defined as the cinematic essence by the founding, and still the greatest theorist of the film, Sergei Eisenstein. It is then indeed ironic that the Japanese film has, as one of its unique and distinguishing features the screenplay, which is a literary work, meant to be read (or heard) and not seen.
This subversion of the visual, ostensibly detractive, has not only had not detracted from the power of the Japanese film, it has instead enhanced it. Besides, the screenplay which in cinematic orthodoxy is part and parcel of the film as a finished product, emerges in Japanese cinematic practice as a detachable object, assuming a life of its own as an autonomous literary work to be read and enjoyed as such, and if desired, used as an enhancive prop for enjoying the film, thereby making a distinctively Japanese contribution to the art of the film. We can also see here a resonance of the Japanese theatre connoisseur's practice of studying the text of a play before seeing it, and indeed carrying the text to the performance so that it could be consulted when necessary. The Japanese screenplay and its role in the cinema and cinematic culture is a fascinating example of how a universal art can get the stamp of a national identity, enriching both, and stands in contrast to the authoritarian imposition of a shallow and dubious conception of the indigenous on literary works.
In conclusion, I return to the defining term of Professor Rajakaruna's title, Vivadatmaka (controversial). The book certainly will be, for those politicians and their cronies and ideologues, who I must add come from both national political parties, and who are responsible for the tragedy that the volume deals with, namely, the demolition of an excellent system of education and a related literary culture that would without doubt have been a sufficient foundation for building a happy and prosperous society. For all others, especially the victims of the shortsighted policy of abandoning English, the essays should pose no controversy at all.
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ketralnis has responded to this post here and throughout this thread.
Occurrences of "reddit the open-source software" have been abbreviated to "reddit OSS". – Nov. 19, 2010
I use reddit, as in reddit the open-source software, for a website that doesn't get much traffic for several reasons. reddit OSS is one of the bigger reasons. I want to talk about reddit OSS and its management for a moment.
reddit OSS is published at http://github.com/reddit and http://code.reddit.com. reddit.com usually works pretty well, but reddit OSS is very unfriendly to anyone that is not reddit.com.
There has not been a push for about a month, and before that, there had not been a push since mid-July, despite "planning on a much more sane release schedule for future patches (much closer to 'weekly' rather than 'epoch modulo 10Ms')." The long lag time between pushing changes makes code merges when a new version eventually does get pushed a serious undertaking, especially for those who run hobby or part-time sites (as most running the reddit open-source platform would be). Each time I have updated my reddit installation to a new HEAD it has been two or three days of configuration, re-merging, and bug-squashing before the updated codebase was working as expected; recently, subtle failures occurred while running ads for the site and essentially made it impossible to post comments. If changes were pushed in smaller increments, the same necessary merges would be much easier to handle; merging three or four changes is much simpler than merging 60-70+.
Merges get even more complicated because to customize reddit even in the most basic ways, you'll have to hack up several base code files that contain a lot of other stuff. When you clone reddit from git, the clone comes with the same ads that run on reddit, and the only way to remove them is to edit that file, a file that git tracks and a file that clashes on merges (if you don't –assume-unchanged, which is probably safe in this case as that file hasn't been updated in over two years, but still extra hassle and excludes all future changes from applying automatically — changes which may be important).
There are several other instances for things that really should have been cleaned up for reddit OSS but still linger, and as you go through removing all them, you get quite a few changes built up — changes that cause problems when it's time to pull. You shouldn't have to sanitize the codebase of the OSS version in the first place; that's the maintainer's job.
Most obvious among these things that should have been stripped is the reddit alien. It is all over the place — under the submit link button, under the create a subreddit button, thumbnail placeholder, and so on. As far as I know the reddit alien is still held by Conde Nast/reddit corporate under an All Rights Reserved copyright license, as one might expect for a company's logo. The term "reddit", "subreddit", etc., appear throughout the site, causing potential trademark liabilities.
If a website that runs reddit OSS starts to gain momentum, how long do we expect the lawyers at Conde Nast to abide usage of the reddit name and logo on a website over which they have no control, especially if that site infringes on reddit.com's primary audience? Why can't they draw an distinct alien for reddit OSS or just include generic images and icons from Tango et al? It would be a much better thing to do so. My site has been going for almost a year and I'm still finding the term "reddit" sprinkled in odd places, despite going through the translation file a few times. It's hard-coded in some spots.
Then, to run reddit OSS, one must use memcached, Cassandra, an AMQP server like rabbitmq, PostgreSQL, and a handful of paster daemons included with reddit, which are currently configured to run with daemontools, so unless you want to spend a while converting the current scripts/daemons, you must also install and use daemontools. Furthermore, running these daemons is non-obvious and it was not required when I originally pulled, so it took me a while to figure out a lot of the weird bugs I got resulted from not running these daemons. These daemons are mostly for caching as far as I know, but if you don't have them in place weird things like disappearing thumbnails and comments will befall you. The commit messages I saw did not make big shiny letters about it, and the overall documentation is poor.
reddit.com does almost no testing of reddit OSS. They just push out what they run on reddit.com. Many times in #reddit-dev I have seen "we haven't tested it that way but it should work…" before someone describes a bug or submits a patch. reddit does not test reddit in a conventional environment.
In the October update, reddit merged several contributed patches, but prior thereto it was rather rare, only occurring a couple of times on a couple of patches (from the github history). There are still a lot of changes out there that would do well to be merged, but reddit.com is trying to keep the codebase unified (despite its super-ugly squash commits that get pushed out in the "weekly" updates), so if your patch would help most users of reddit OSS but not reddit.com, it won't get merged. This can be good in some cases — it forced me to produce a more scalable database reconnect priority patch, for instance — but it can also mean that more sensible defaults or caching mechanisms for sites that are not reddit.com would be rejected.
The reddit guys insist that their number one priority is reddit.com and almost any time someone brings up a push of reddit.com to the OSS version or merging of a patch or whatever in #reddit-dev, ketralnis is adamant that there is just no time for that. reddit is clearly understaffed and reddit OSS is largely neglected.
There's not necessarily anything wrong with that, but all of this means that reddit OSS is in prime condition for a fork. However, ketralnis does not think a fork is a good idea. Here is a snippet from IRC, with pieces omitted for brevity and coherence:
(01:03:12 AM) sjuxax: I am planning on forking reddit sometime soon fyi
(01:05:07 AM) ketralnis: I wouldn't recommend that
(01:05:12 AM) sjuxax: why?
(01:05:21 AM) ketralnis: It'd be a nightmare to maintain against our code-releases, for one
(01:05:47 AM) ketralnis: For another, the license make it difficult to divorce from our brand
(01:05:55 AM) sjuxax: Well it's already a nightmare to merge with the six-month release cycles and big changes you guys make.
(01:06:12 AM) ketralnis: Agreed, and we should do less of that
(01:06:14 AM) sjuxax: The license basically just requires the attribution at the bottom, right?
(01:06:39 AM) ketralnis: If you're planning on forking it, you should actually read it. It's not a long one
(01:06:43 AM) sjuxax: so we can leave that, but the alien is all over. Obviously the license won't let us get rid of the powered by reddit logo, but the rest should be free to go
(01:06:51 AM) sjuxax: I have read it in the past, but it's been a while
(01:07:16 AM) ketralnis: I understand where you're coming from, but it would harm our open-source development to have it forked
(01:08:43 AM) sjuxax: Well I would prefer to keep upstream and the fork at least somewhat compatible
(01:08:58 AM) sjuxax: so hopefully most patches could still go both ways
(01:10:17 AM) sjuxax: but yeah, uh, sorry. reddit has neglected its open-source users imo so a fork is inevitable when you get serious users; that's why we use OSS software; if the maintainer isn't taking care of it, someone else can
(01:10:47 AM) ketralnis: We are taking care of it, in that it's what's running our live site, right now. 14 million pageviews yesterday.
(01:11:04 AM) ketralnis: So I'd say it's holding up rather well under its current maintanence
(01:11:21 AM) sjuxax: OK, you are taking care of your reddit installation, you are running reddit for reddit which is fine if that's what you want to do
(01:11:25 AM) ketralnis: The right solution is for me to set aside a day to merge up with public, not to go forking it
(01:11:28 AM) sjuxax: but it is not attractive as an option for not-reddit
(01:11:43 AM) ketralnis: I'm telling you, forking us will hurt reddit.
(01:11:50 AM) sjuxax: but you don't set aside that day often enough; you were going to do it weekly but now it's been months again
(01:12:57 AM) sjuxax: reddit as an open-source project is either going to get forked or going to continue to limp on. it will be nice for reddit's reddit, but if things keep going how they have been going, virtually no one is going to use the code you publish.
(01:12:57 AM) ketralnis: I don't have time to argue this right now. But trust me, you forking reddit will fuck up my week, and probably stall any future open source contribution to reddit.
(01:13:53 AM) ketralnis: Forking it will make that situation worse by losing the only developers *paid* to contribute to it from your fork, and any open source developers from either
So reddit corporate would not be happy to see a fork rise up, but what choice do users of reddit OSS have? Things are definitely not good the way they are now and I think that a fork is ultimately inevitable unless reddit revises their policies, allows some divergence, and finally takes the open-source side of things seriously.
Is there much interest in a fork out there? There's lots of good contributions on github that remain unmerged, and a fork would be more active about merging these and especially merging changes that enhance the platform for smaller sites. Once someone gets reddit.com-level traffic, they can switch the platform to the official reddit OSS and then all of the onerous/tricky/annoying/monstrous stuff that is employed by reddit to allow caching and survival under that kind of traffic will be beneficial.
The paths before reddit.com/reddit corporate are A) take reddit OSS seriously, get patching and merging fixed up and make it easier to push out changes, and then maintain the open-source version frequently and well, including possible divergences where it benefits the OSS user; B) stay the course until someone forks, and its unclear what the ultimate consequences of this would be. ketralnis seems to think it would mean a secession of commercially-funded development entirely; or C) stay the course until everyone gives up on reddit OSS and the project withers and dies. What'll it be?


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Great Mail Day
You know it's going to be a good fabric day when you see that in the mailbox. And everything was filled with Heather Ross fabrics! Lots of Munki Munki from Kerri at Sew Dearly Loved for my future Munki Quilt. Lots of Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries from Quilt Home. A couple other Heather Ross out of print pieces I splurged on from Etsy.
And those join my current stash. It's getting quite respectable!


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Manufacturing plant starts small as it plans Monday reopeningAugust 19, 2016
This coming Monday is the day Samuel Thornton has been working toward for almost two years – the resuming of production at Athens Mold and Machine.
The tire mold manufacturing company closed in 2011 when business dried up but Thornton, the plant's general manager, is convinced the time is right for a comeback.
The restart will be small, with just four workers out on the floor and one in the front office. And the output will be limited as they take it slow to make sure the equipment is in good working order.
"The sky's the limit," he said Monday. "I definitely see that 100 employees" is possible.
"The majority of the jobs are machinists," he added, and they "get paid pretty well…an average of $17 an hour."
At first, production will take place in 20,000 square feet of space at the plant, located on Mill Street. Then plans call for it to expand into the other two thirds of the facility in a total of eight phases.
A new roof was put on, and other improvements already have been made, with more to be done as manufacturing is increased and workers are added.
Thornton is the grandson of Jack Thornton, who founded Jax Mold and Machine, the parent company of Athens Mold and Machine, in 1969. Samuel Thornton is also the general manager of TeNac Inc. in Morrison, Tennessee.
The two plants – which make molds for companies that make tires – are owned by the Thornton family, along with a third, Caliber Mold and Machine in Akron.
"We are having a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 8," said Sara Marrs-Maxfield, executive director of the Athens County Economic Development Council. She helped put together the $3 million it's taking to reopen Athens Mold and Machine.
As much as half of that may come from grants from federal, state and local agencies, according to Samuel Thornton, who added, "This is a big investment on our behalf as well."
In return for the grants, the company is promising to hire at least 60 workers over the next three years.
The reopening is a homecoming for Thornton, who first came to Athens with his family in 2000. He grew up here and calls it "a great place."
"I worked out in the plant and got to know the guys out there," he said. "I really liked it. (This was) during high school and college."
He graduated from Hocking College and went to the Tennessee plant after the Athens plant closed but always wanted to return.


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I get asked this question all the time so I thought I'd answer it for you! "How much should I really be throwing away?"
Grab a piece of paper and write down what percentage of things in your office you expect are trash. Do this right now! There's no right or wrong answer.
But whatever answer you wrote down, you will most likely exceed it.
So I don't actually have a set rule each client should stick to.
The number I want you to start with is the one that just came to mind, bumped up a little.
So please tell me in the comments - what number came to mind for you?
Office Organizing Expert Kacy Paide loves to do what most people hate: organize offices & paper. She works with folks who are desperate for a more functional, more beautiful, more inspiring office. Kacy has been a Professional Organizer since 2001 and has worked with over 500 clients. Call her crazy, but she loves a good mess and wants to fix yours. Based in Silver Spring, MD, Kacy is nationally available for consulting & speaking. Reach her at 202.262.1207 and email@example.com. Learn about Skype consultations here. Watch video lessons on office organizing here. Receive your free list of 100 Ways to Organize Your Office at www.theinspiredoffice.com


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March 30, 2014
While e-commerce is on the rise and there is no shortage of Tech Press coverage about it being a $1.5 trillion industry in 2014, that number remains but a fraction of the staggering $15 trillion global commerce figure—and Amazon knows it. If you know anything about the retail giant, you know they're not content to be a big fish in a small pond. That is why they have been making several steps to enter, and possibly dominate brick and mortar as they have with e-commerce.
What do they have currently? Not much as they have no real experience in physical retailing and retailers might not be willing to collaborate and do business with them as they see Amazon as a big competitor. But what Amazon does have is credit card information of more than 230m users, exceeding PayPal's 143m.
When Amazon started 20 years ago, the world of commerce was irrevocably changed, but that change was taking place online, not in stores. In the years since, the Amazon effect has been slowly and surely squeezing retail stores, sometimes right out of business. And while amazon has surely reaped the benefit of e-commerce growth, they are left with a growing, but still smaller piece of an incredibly lucrative pie.
How Amazon Is Targeting Physical Commerce, Payments et al.
Last year, we learned that Amazon acquired GoPago Inc., a mobile app, enabling consumers to pay for goods before picking them up at a store, with the retailer POS system to processes those orders. This was possibly the first major hint towards Amazon's intentions to enter the retail space, but intentions were still unclear
Kindle POS
Fast forward to 2014, where we have recently learned that Amazon will be offering brick and mortar retailers a Kindle checkout system. If successful, the implications would be tremendous. In addition to POS sales, and potential profits off sale transaction percentages, amazon would have access to a currently untapped vault of data surrounding in-store spending trends.
Not known for backing down from a fight, Amazon would have their work cut out for them by competing against giants and startups alike, of which include VeriFone Systems Inc, NCR Corp. and Square.
It has been reported that the checkout system would include Kindle tablets and credit card readers.
Not only has Amazon given little information as to what we can expect, they have also indicated that their plans could be delayed, changed or canceled at any time, which is to say, they're testing the waters as much as possible before throwing themselves to the wolves with such an ambitious project.
Amazon Brick and Mortar
If a Kindle-based POS system doesn't go far enough to convince you that Amazon cares about retail, news of their own physical stores set to open as early as the coming months should leave no doubt. And what better place to set up shop than in their hometown of Seattle. While details are vague, it has been indicated that the stores will be nothing but the opposite of what you will find at amazon.com. The boutique locations will be stocked with high-end, high-margin items. It can be expected that Amazon will take this opportunity to give consumers an exceptionally hands-on experience, something they have never been able to provide online. Rings a bell? Yes Apple has mastered the art and science of retailing. Other tech firms are also trying to do it - Google, Samsung, Microsoft and others.
Now that Amazon has successfully changed e-commerce, and in so doing, given brick and mortar retailers a run for their money, it only makes sense for the company to now set their sites on the still large, but weakened retail space.
Remember what Brian said in his article on Let's Talk Payments 'Amazon is also already mobile ready and can be coded into Android apps and indirectly into iOS apps. This will be a stepping stone for the future push for Amazon to enter retail payments. This will take place at about the same time Apple will move into full retail payments. The market already has PayPal so with the three very large companies in this market, the landscape will change dramatically. Each will have their own attributes and at some future date I will help decode what deeper meaning this will have for all of us, consumers and merchants. I saw this coming quite some time ago and back then I think my assertions seemed to be outlandish.'
Can Amazon stake their claim in retail? What other ways do you see Amazon using their success to enter the retail market? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments below.


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Concerns regarding personal ties to or bias towards contractors/vendors (Examples include: awarding a vendor contract to a relative without going through a competitive bid process, allowing a vendor an unfair advantage by giving them proprietary information during the bidding process, bribery, inappropriate customer/vendor relations, etc.)
To appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use. (Examples include: bookkeeping errors, misapplication of funds, and mishandling of cash)
Employee Benefits Abuses
Improper, misleading or deceptive actions/statements, falsification of records, or misrepresentation of actual conditions related to employee benefit plans; including health and supplemental insurance plans and sick or other paid time-off programs.
Falsification of Contracts, Reports or Records
Falsification of records consists of altering, fabricating, falsifying, or forging all or any part of a document, contract or record for the purpose of gaining an advantage, or misrepresenting the value of the document, contract or record.
Improper Giving or Receiving of Gifts
The giving, receiving, or solicitation of items which could be reasonably interpreted as an effort to influence City business or a City official, employee, or volunteer.
Improper Supplier or Contractor Activity
Supplier or contractor activity in violation of corporate policies and procedures; improper supplier or contractor selection based on personal gain, improper negotiation or diversion of contract awards.
Stimulus Act Abuse
Mismanagement, misuse and/or waste of funds allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (including abuse of authority, unfair competition practices, health and safety risks, and retaliation against whistle blowers.)
The act of stealing; specifically: the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.
Time Abuse
Concerns about an employee or manager who is falsifying his/her work hours.
If you feel that the definitions above do not describe the event, action or situation you are looking to report about, please use this header.
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Career Opportunities
Interested in a career with a leader in engineered material handling systems?
For over 50 years, Align Production Systems and our Airfloat brand have been an industry leader in material handling and engineered manufacturing solutions. We have career opportunities available in manufacturing, engineering, sales, and administration.
At Align, we have built a reputation for working together as a team with our customer. We aim to develop and implement the best solution, on the best schedule, at the best price. This is driven by our "Q3" philosophy, which means we choose to work with Quality People, Quality Products and Quality Customers.
To maintain a company of quality people, Align Production Systems is committed to creating and maintaining a strong company culture. We foster our strong company culture by investing in modern, open workspaces, having modern technology and hardware, and engaging with our employees both in and out of the workplace.
To learn more about about our company and our team, visit here. To apply for an open position, click on a job below.


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New Members Ministry
The Christian code of hospitality should be ours
A guest comes, Christ comes
Guests are truly our sisters and brothers
We love God in loving our sisters and brothers
The goods of our world were given for all to share.
St. Mary's is known for its welcoming and abundant hospitality. The Committee is on hand to provide luncheons for special occasions, and help with parish social functions. They are called upon to assist families with special coffee hours for baptisms, or luncheons following a funeral or memorial service. The committee is made up of a team of 6 - 8 people. Members help to provide food, set the tables, and clean up.
Coffee Hour
Coffee hour is a special time for fellowship following the 8 AM and 10 AM Service on Sundays. Coffee, tea and juice are accompanied by breakfast cake, cookies, fruit or small sandwiches. Refreshments whether elaborate or simple are always enjoyed. Coffee hour is a pleasant, unhurried time for catching up with church family friends. New members and visitors are warmly welcomed at coffee hour.
It should be noted that our parish potlucks held for the Annual Meeting and other special events, are particularly bountiful, delicious and not to be missed!


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Five dancers joined the Army on three days of combat exercises deep in the Galloway countryside to prepare for their stage roles at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The four men and one woman who make up the cast of 5 SOLDIERS: The Body is the Frontline, joined Exercise Solway Eagle, which involved members of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Scots DG) who are soon to be deployed on an overseas peacekeeping mission.
The acclaimed production follows the fortunes of an infantry company as they prepare, then deploy, for combat. It is among the shows taking place at Army@TheFringe, the Army's first ever Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue, which aims to enable the military to engage with wider society in new ways.
Joining the exercise allowed the dancers to get direct experience of life in the Army, the training and the camaraderie, and to see how the military trains for the stress and danger of conflict.
Captain Edward Mitchell, who helped look after the dancers while they were in the Galloway Forest, said: "This was an ideal opportunity for the dancers to see what soldiering is about, what really happens when we prepare for a tour of duty overseas and how soldiers learn to survive and fight in combat conditions.
"It's also been an opportunity to chat with soldiers with very different levels of experience, some who joined relatively recently and others who have served in many situations and places."
Duncan Anderson, from Falkirk, said: "One of my mates is in the Army and what I've been seeing here is exactly what he's told me about. It's been fantastic to be out with the Army on exercise in Scotland, I've learned so much."
The dancers discovered what it was like to be out on patrol in enemy territory, be part of an ambush, deal with a roadside bomb blast and undergo an artillery bombardment. They also witnessed a live fire exercise involving heavy machine guns and grenades. Army@TheFringe and the 5 SOLDIERS tour are part of a wider initiative by the Army with festivals, photographic exhibitions and performances to build connections with wider society.
Lieutenant Colonel Sue Wright, the Army's first ever officer for the arts, said: "Many people simply don't have connections with the Army in the way they used to. We are society's Army, it's important that people know who we are and what we do.
"The arts are a way we can engage in new and different conversations with those who often don't meet soldiers in their day-to-day life. Through initiatives this we can talk to them about issues we are all interested in like diversity and inclusiveness. We firmly believe that as society's army we should reflect the society we serve.
"And sometimes the arts are a superb way to celebrate our soldiers and show people the amazing work they do for all of us."


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HP 2530-24G Managed Switch - 24x 10/100/1000, 4x Gigabit SFP, ARM 800MHz, 128MB Memory, 1U, Rack-mountable - J9776A#ABAItem#: YYT2-2563BD | Model#: J9776A#ABA
- Price:
- $767.99
- Shipping:
- In Stock, usually ships within 24 hours (Details)
HP 2530-24G Managed Switch Product Details
HP 2530-24G Managed Switch
The HP 2530 Switch Series consists of 12 fully managed Layer 2 edge switches that deliver cost-effective, reliable, secure, and easy-to-use connectivity to business networks. Designed for entry-level to midsize enterprise networks, these Gigabit and Fast Ethernet switches deliver full Layer 2 capabilities with optional PoE+, enhanced access security, traffic prioritization, and IPv6 host support. The HP 2530 Switch Series offers uplink flexibility with four Gigabit Ethernet uplinks on all 24- and 48-port models. Gigabit Ethernet uplinks are four small form-factor pluggable (SFP) slots for fiber connectivity on the 24- and 48-port Gigabit Ethernet models. The Fast Ethernet 24- and 48-port models have two SFPs and two RJ-45 Gigabit uplinks. The compact and fanless 8-port switches offer additional flexibility with two dual-personality ports that can be used as either RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet or SFP ports. For customers implementing Power over Ethernet for voice, video, or wireless deployments, the HP 2530 PoE+ switches are IEEE 802.3af and IEEE 802.3at compliant with up to 30 W per port. The switch series is easy to use, deploy, and manage via SNMP, CLI, and Web GUI. It offers flexible wall, table, and rack mounting; quiet operation with fanless and variable speed fan models; and improved power savings, with features such as IEEE 802.3 az (Energy Efficient Ethernet). These switches include a lifetime warranty, as well as all software releases and technical phone support.
What It Is And Why You Need It:
- 24x 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T RJ-45
- 4x SFP+ Management RJ-45
Additional Resources: Product Manuals
Related Items
Manufactured by: HPE (Canada)
Warranty provided by: HPE (Canada)
UPC No: 886112458515
Mfg Part No: J9776A#ABA
Box Size:
( Length:23, Width:15, Depth:6)
Shipping Weight: 9.7000 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
- HPE (Canada) logos are registered trademarks of HPE (Canada). All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


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Paiste PST5 14" Thin Crash
Paiste PST5 14" Thin Crash
Paiste PST5 Series 14" Thin Crash - very warm yet forceful and brilliant crash cymbal with a fair amount thomann of silvery hiss and breath, fairly wide range, fairly complex mix, all purpose crash for a wide range of musical applications, thin weight, high-grade bronze alloy.
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Conscious and unconscious (or subconscious) are really just phrases to describe the general characteristics of the human mind. The conscious mind is the state or being aware of an external object, or of something within yourself, the part you might think of as actually who you are. In effect. When you read or concentrate or listen to something that is the conscious mind in operation.
The unconscious mind controls all of the automatic processes of the body that take place without you having to think about it, such as heart beat, breathing, your blood pressure, immune system and so on.
The subconscious mind controls our emotions, our habits, and it is where our thoughts, memories, and experiences are stored. In fact, it can be likened to the memory bank of a massive computer, where everything that ever happens to you is permanently stored. Its capacity for storage is limitless. This is the way your personal world, or persona, is created.
Studies have revealed that the unconscious mind processes about two million bits of data from your senses every single second, while the conscious mind deals with about seven at a time.
This is construed to mean that the things you are aware of from moment to moment, are delivered to you by the unconscious mind, by choosing that which it considers to be important at a particular moment.
The conscious mind is very logical, critical and analytical, and does not just accept things without due consideration and judgements. You are aware of something on the outside, like your environment, your breathing, your heart beating, and perhaps even the chair you are sitting on. At the same time you will be aware of specific mental functions and reactions, happening on the inside, in response to something you see or hear. This is the conscious mind in operation.
The subconscious part of the mind, is not analytical or critical. It accepts and stores information fed into it, and is stored there for you to access when, or if needed. This relates mainly to events that affect you on a personal, or individual basis.
Hypnosis works by circumventing the analytical conscious mind, usually through relaxation or linguistic techniques. It speaks directly to the subconscious mind in words which it understands, creating a path for you to easily access information stored there whenever it is necessary. More about the dynamics and mechanics of how hypnosis workd in the follow up to this article; how hypnosis works and why 3.0. In the meantime, if you are interested in feeling the benefical effects that hypnosis and the synergy of concious and uncouncious mind can offer you, go ahead and click on the button below to get acess to my free hypnosis mp3 and notice what you notice.


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Straight Outta .Compton
A collection of gansta rap lyrics inspired by dot com marketing copy (and vice versa). Check your E*trade account, take a sip of your 40 oz., sit back, and enjoy these dope lyrics and some wack copywriting.
My site's as sticky as a mack daddy's jimmy
my biz model's doper than Eminem's Slim - yes he's
Shady like Pixelon / Large as Enormicon
But I'm dropping mad cheddar on H. Miller Aeron
My burnrate makes boo look like scrooge before Christmas
My site ignores rulez from that Zeldman guy's List - must
All playa haters insist on a cash flow?
Franklins come later. For now it's more Flash 4.
I'm boring the eyeballs all staring at PCs
Pour 40 mil out for my dead dotcom VCs
- courtesy of Lileks
Eminem vs. Microsoft
Eminem: "Bitch I'ma kill you!"
Microsoft's .NET: "Embrace and extend"
- courtesy of Matt
marchFIRST vs. Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg
At the core of marchFIRST is a multidisciplinary focus
that helps clients build visionary business models,
brands, systems and processes. Blending imagination,
know-how, rigor and passion in the work it does, the
company seeks to be the strategic weapon of the
boardrooms of the digital economy.
Look at what the doc brought in,
A chrome 38, a Fo'ty-fo' mag, and mack 10
So what you wanna do? (What you wanna do?)
I got the gauge, an uzi and the mothafuckin 22
so if you wanna blast, nigga we can buck 'em
If we stick 'em then we stuck 'em so fuck 'em!
- courtesy of Matt
marchFIRST vs. Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg (redux)
Mid-sized companies that want to transform their market and become the category leader.
I'm on a mission and my mission won't stop
Until I get the nigger maxin at the top.
- courtesy of Matt
dot-bomb rap by front-end
front-endz in the house...
front-endz in the house...
yo this is homey.d.j.action-item bringing it to you from seattle,sanfransisco,newyork and muthafuckinsiliconvalley, bitch.
i'm gonna touch your audience, touch them down below
wave our space inter-face 'til your eyeballs glow
stick my vortal in your portal and suck your paradigm
we're a reinvented army whose gonna revolutionise
we use a "complex algorithmic model" that shits upon the opposition
makes them look like sweet madonna in the missionary critical position
we can sieze,
make you wanna scream from your back-end's state
we're gonna
seize ya,
inside ya,
get all frictionless as we
magnetize ya
you can use me,
as i use you,
lets interface until we're
green and blue
front-endz in the house...
front-endz in the house...
yo this is homey.d.j.action-item broadcasting to you lowd and clear, will the real dot bomb please stand up? suckas!
i'll take your other dot coms
put a bullet in their head
rip out their solutions with my cutting edge
then i'll tell ya a thing or two about my main pre-IPO
i got efficient streamlined content that's gonna make you blow
innovative thinking and a true capacity
takes our e-biz out of fucked comp-an-ee
we can extend,
get innovative in your face like a golden showa
we're gonna
grow ya,
inside ya,
get all transparent as i
synthesize ya
you can use me,
as i use you,
lets interface until we're
green and blue
I got your "internet mojo" right here boyz.
take it away my main man 'B2B2C'...
i gotta point to exploit to optimize and illustrate
i'm scheming to see you feeding as we procreate
all tied up in morphing mesh and bound by synergy
i'm gonna probe inside your brand and deliver you to me
i'll orchestrate remediate i'll reintermediate
to generate and syndicate
to incubate
your lovely dot-bomb ass will rub with mine
our user-centric lovin' style
i'll go down upon your place as long as you don't ipo upon my face.
we're gonna
move ya,
inside ya,
get all proactive as i
maximize ya
you can use me,
as i use you,
lets interface until we're
green and blue
yo this is homey.d.j.action-item empowering and embracing the love of the internet and telling everyone that the heart and soul of the net is the individual creative and personal website.
right back atcha, bitch.
- courtesy of Neale
Automatic Media tranzlation, biatch!
Automatic Media:
In addition to a growing number of editorial partners, the [Automatic Media] network will soon add extensive e-commerce and community features, and will feature cutting-edge Web-based applications tailored to its audience. The company also announced today a partnership with the creators of Slashdot.org to develop and expand their "Everything2" software, a community and information management tool that will be integrated into the network.
They be rhymin' and sellin'; all that shit be da bomb:
Pop a cap in tha ass of BN.com
And my boy Slashdot give 'em Everything2
Tell 'em what tha fuck's what and who tha fuck's who.
- courtesy of Rob
Microsoft vs. NWA
Microsoft: Where do you want to go today?
NWA: Where da fuck you think you goin' in my 'hood?- courtesy of Matthew
Straight Outta E-Com
You are now about to witness the strength of e-knowledge
Straight outta e-commerce, crazy motherfucker named Amazon
The canonical internet bookseller from the gang called "dot com"
When I'm called off, I got a sawed-off
Squeeze the trigger, and IPOs are hauled off
You too will pay if you fuck with me
The police are gonna have to come get me
Off your ass, that's how I'm goin' out
For the punk motherfucker that's showin' out
Crackers fuck 'em up, and want to rumble
Mix 'em in, cook 'em in a pot like gumbo
Goin' off on a motherfucker like that
With a gat that's pointed at
Your ass, so give it up smooth,
Ain't no tellin' when I'm down for a jack move
Here's a rap that keep you dancin'
Amazon with the Earth's Biggest Selection
WWW is the tool
Don't make me act the motherfuckin' fool
Me and you could go toe to toe, no "maybe"
I'm knockin' IPOs out the box, daily
Yo, weekly, monthly, yearly
Until them dumb motherfuckers see clearly
That I'm down with a capital AMZN
Boy, you can't fuck with me
So when I'm in your neighboorhood, you better duck
'Cause Amazon is crazy as fuck
As I leave, believe I'm stompin',
But when I come back, boy, I'm comin' straight outta E-Com
- courtesy of MGT


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BC2 demo is now up on marketplace. Bad Company 2 Demo 1Gb
its funny how everybody is a$$-u-me ing that BC2 will be the MP savor and that there will be less camping/hacking/boosting then MW2 but after the hackers are done messing with MW2 (if ever) what game do you think they will target next??? They seem to target the bigest of the games like BC2 seems like it will be and once the boosters are to 10th P in MW2 maybe just maybe they will be boosting in BC2??? I'll be the very 1st to admit that MW2 has a LOT of issues that need to be fixed but every game has issues that need fixen. I loved BC1 and will pick up BC2 when I get some extra $ so I'm not hateing on it by any meens but all this talk of near flawless BC2 is just crazy


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He plotted to have his father killed and lied to keep his brother banished to Earth. When it looked like he might escape, he sent a giant robot warrior to take him out.
Then, in The Avengers, he tried to wipe out humanity by forging a partnership with an evil alien race, opening up a wormhole to allow them to invade Earth with giant serpentine beasts.
When Tom Hiddleston calls Loki a "psychopath," he's not kidding.
"As a character, he's so grand in scale and dimension," says Hiddleston, who returns as Thor's adopted brother for a third outing in the upcoming sequel Thor: The Dark World, which hits theatres in New Zealand next week.
"Obviously on a human level he is a psychopath who actually has a very intricate psychology in terms of the make-up of his emotional damage.
"And yet, he is a god, and we are dealing with gods, monsters and ancient beings. In the Norse myths he's the incarnation of the trickster.
"For an actor, it's gold to dig around in this stuff."
Watch footage of TimeOut's interview with Tom Hiddleston:
Aside from the inspired all-in sprawl of The Avengers, Thor was one of the best films in the Marvel superhero universe, thanks to Chris Hemsworth's grizzly portrayal of the muscle-bound lunkhead, some jaw-dropping set pieces involving frozen armies and otherworldly beasts, occasional outbursts of genuine belly laughs with its fish-out-of-water love story, and a mythology that rivals Game of Thrones for its intricacy and intensity.
But what really set it off was Hiddleston, who played the wiry, snivelling Loki with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and a "who, me?" smirk on his face.
He's been bad in the past, but what Hiddleston gets up to as Loki in Dark World may even top his antics across Thor and The Avengers.
At a preview screening, TimeOut saw 30 minutes of footage including one gruesome scene involving Loki and his brother that was so shocking it sent surprised gasps through gathered media.
With the film yet to hit cinemas, TimeOut is sworn to secrecy, but it's fair to say Loki isn't planning on mending any of the rifts that have developed between him and his brother.
Hiddleston admits that, in this case of sibling rivalry taken to epic extremes, Loki might be the worst little brother ever.
"The complication is that they're not actually siblings - they were brought up as siblings until Loki found out he was adopted," says Hiddleston, referring to Loki's discovery he was born a descendent of Frost Giant leader Laufey before being found and raised by Thor's father Odin (Anthony Hopkins).
After the shenanigans of Thor and The Avengers, the 32-year-old says the only redemptive signs for Loki come from his interactions with his mother.
"You see a sliver of vulnerability in his relationship with his mother.
"At the beginning of this film, Loki is in prison, incarcerated, unseen, unheard and forgotten and nobody in Asgard wants to hear his name or visit him.
"Possibly the only person who still cares is his mother, and maybe he recognises that, and possibly that's where a twist takes place."
Hiddleston, who has theatre performances as Cassio (from Othello) and the lead in Coriolanus behind him, agrees there is an element of "Shakespearean grandeur" to Loki.
"A lot of Shakespeare's plays are about kings and queens and princes who are wrestling with each other for the same thing.
"Think about Macbeth, think about King Lear ... Shakespeare knew how to write good bad guys."
When it comes to what drives Loki's decisions, Hiddleston sums them up like this: "He feels hard done by, by people.
"He can't help himself in terms of wanting to betray people and give them as good as he got."
Hiddleston, who only had a series of minor TV parts to his name before Thor, says it didn't take long for him to agree to the role.
"It was a combination of factors: The chance to be in a big movie, the fact that Loki is an agent of chaos on a massive scale . . . it's nice to change my shape a bit.
"I look like a Scottish farmer most of the time ... to suddenly have black hair and to have a pale face and look different was an amazing opportunity.
"To work with [Thor director] Kenneth Branagh and Anthony Hopkins and Chris Hemsworth - who's become one of my best friends - it's been one of the most rewarding acting relationships I've ever had."
It's fair to say some of Loki's antics have become fan favourites - and Hiddleston says there are several moments that seem to stick in their minds.
"They love it when I turn up at the beginning [of The Avengers] and say, 'I am Loki of Asgard and I am burdened with glorious purpose', and people also like my incredibly abusive insult to the Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) when I'm in prison, when I call her a 'mewling quim'.
"It is not a nice thing to call a lady."
And Hiddleston tells a nice story about watching The Avengers for the first time with a group of rescuers involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York.
"I was in New York when The Avengers came out, watching the film with a bunch of first responders in 9/11 and one of the great thrills was when they cheered for The Hulk when Loki gets Hulk-smashed - they loved that he was getting his just desserts.
"I love that my job as a bad guy in a film is to make the audience want me to lose. In that particular instance I realised I had done my job."
Who: Tom Hiddleston
What: Thor: The Dark World
Also starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba
When: Opens in cinemas October 31


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My car shakes when I brake the needle hits 40 and it shakes but stops when the car hits 20 I've got new brakes pads and rotors an also drums and just today I've got the tires balance can you please help me
My car has 107879 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
If you are getting a brake pulsation, then it is in one of the rotors or the drums that are causing it. If you feel it more in the steering wheel, then it is in one or both front rotors. If you feel it more in the seat then it is most likely from one or both of the rear drums. Have a local expert, like one from YourMechanic, diagnose the brake system and replace the necessary components.
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


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CFCL Australia is the premier provider of tailored locomotive and rolling stock leasing solutions to rail operators and shippers around Australia. We own and maintain an extensive fleet of rolling stock and provide our customers with the operational flexibility required to meet the demands of today's modern rail environment. We can provide solutions for any rail need, and specialise in:
- Complete Train Sets
- Locomotives
- Ore Hoppers
- Grain Hoppers
- Infrastructure and construction rolling stock
- Ballast Wagons
- Intermodal Wagons


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Jordan Morgan was wed to Taylor Forsythe on May 17, 2014. Jordan wore a stunning and ethereal silk chiffon gown for her farm wedding. Our Alabama bridal boutique was excited to be able to assist Jordan with finding the perfect gown for her wedding day and we wish her a lifetime of wedded bliss!
Venue: John Dawson Farm | Event Planner and Stylist: Ginny Au | Photographer: Mandy Busby Photo | Bride's Attire: White Dresses Boutique | Stationery: Signora e Mae | Calligrapher: Script Merchant Calligraphy Design | Floral Designer: Cloth of Gold | Hair and Makeup: Amanda Gros | Music: Will and Jeanette Hightower (ceremony) + The Carmon's (reception) | Caterer: Kathy G. Catering | Cale: Diane Steward


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Technical Paper
Shock Loading Experiments and Requirements for Electric Wheel Motors on Military Vehicles
The University of Texas at Austin Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) has conducted a set of simulations and full-scale experiments to determine suitable shock load design requirements for in-hub (wheel) propulsion motors for hybrid and all-electric combat vehicles. The characterization of these design parameters is required due to recent advancements in suspension technology that have made it feasible to greatly increase the tempo of battle. These suspension technologies allow vehicles to traverse off-road terrains with large rms values at greater speeds. As a result, design improvements for survivability of in-hub motors must be considered. Defining the design requirements for the improved survivability of in-hub motors is the driving factor for this research. Both modeling and experimental results demonstrate several realistic scenarios in which wheel hubs experience accelerations greater than 100g, sometimes at very low vehicle speeds.


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Date: 23 Aug 2016, 13:00 - 16:30
Host: MedTech Innovation, COBIS (Room M10), Ole Maaløes Vej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N
Please note that the conference also took place 24 Aug 2016 in Aalborg!
Date: 24 Aug 2016, 13:00 – 16:30
Host: MedTech Innovation, Comwell Hvide Hus, Vesterbro 2, 9000 Aalborg
Are you an SME or Medtech Startup developing a new medical device? Have you ensured a US focus in your regulatory documentation, product design and reimbursement strategy and processes?
MedTech Innovation invites its members as well as non-members to a preliminary conference/workshop with three FDA and key persons from Minneapolis presenting their take on what is needed to succeed in gaining an FDA approval, conducting clinical trials and why Minneapolis is the hub to conduct this in. The event is also an opportunity to apply for an extended US development program, taking place in Minneapolis in connection with the Advamed conference 2016 in October.
Welcome to Medtech Innovation
Introduction to the BSR program opportunity- Minneapolis trip etc.
Key-note 1: Minneapolis Medtech scene, companies, network, FDA etc.
Frank Jaskulke, Medical Alley Association
Key-note 2: Small companies and regulatory pathways in the US – how do you overcome the hurdles?
Marcus Mianulli, Gnarus Consulting
Learn about market validations and more.
Break – Networking
Key-note 3: Newest trends in conducting clinical trials in relation to FDA approvals, fall-groups and setting up EU and US trials parallel
Mary Beth Hendersen, RCRI
Rounding up and next step for applying for Minneapolis program
Networking and 1-1 meetings with key-notes.
Sign up is closed now but was through Annette Rye Larsen on email@example.com!
When signing up, you can already apply for the extended program in Minneapolis. Unsure of whether your company is ready and relevant for the extended development program? Feel free to contact Sofie Wandrup email@example.com or Annette Rye Larsen firstname.lastname@example.com for further clarification.
Read more about the arrangement here.


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Love fashion tech + wearables? This internship is for you. Assist with writing, researching, and more-all while getting an insider's view of what the future of fashion will look like.
Third Wave Fashion is a fashion tech think tank that publishes a quarterly publication, Third Wave Magazine, runs a popular fashion tech blog, and works with large fashion brands and technology companies to help them find seamless ways to merge fashion with technology. Some of our past clients and partners are fashion brands like Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and Zappos; and technology companies like Cisco and Vodafone.
This internship will be a mix of writing + editing, styling + photoshoot production, assisting with general tasks, and social media. Read more below.
This internship includes tasks such as ::
// Help our blog editor find new and interesting fashion tech startups and wearable tech companies to cover
// Work with our database lead to ensure that all new companies are in our private fashion tech database
// Write up blog interviews, articles, and quick news blasts
// Work with our magazine editor on our quarterly print magazine
// Help style photoshoots, including the all-important shoot organization
// Work with our creative director to create branded content for social media
// Post to and interact on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram
// Pickups and errands in NYC
// Potentially assist with client work
// Attend fashion tech events
You should be ::
// Passionate and knowledgeable about fashion tech and / or wearables
// A total self starter-someone who works well without close supervision
// Goal-oriented- we want this internship to lead to great things for you (past interns now work at places like Harper's Bazaar, Tommy Hilfiger, and Todd Snyder)
// Reliable, organized, and detail oriented
// Experienced with social media, a solid writer, with a good eye
// A nice human
We're asking for 2-3 days a week of availability; the schedule is flexible. You'll need to attend team meetings in our Chelsea offices once a week, but can potentially work from home on other days. There is a small stipend, and college credits are available. The internship will run from May through the end of August.
Send an email with links to your social media profiles and LinkedIn page to info (at) ThirdWaveFashion (dot) com. In the subject line, write the names of your three favorite fashion or tech websites. (We'll delete any emails that don't have that. Detail oriented, see?)
Third Wave Fashion has been your fashion tech think tank since 2011. We publish the first ever printed fashion tech magazine, Third Wave. Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of the latest in fashion tech + wearables.


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I actually got all of these things yesterday but unfortunately didn't have time to do a post. I was beyond excited when all of these things arrived all in the same day!!! I have been stuck using my stone age Iphone 4 for almost a week after my Samsung Galaxy S3 committed suicide jumping off the couch (yep, that's how it happened. Carter definitely didn't kick it off the couch)! Here's a look at my goodies...
Samsung Galaxy Note 4: The reason I chose this phone was for the camera and the S Pen and boy am I glad I did! The camera is absolutely AMAZING!!! And that is an understatement! I've only played with it for a minute so far but the quality of this camera reminds me of a professional one. It really picked up every little detail like Carter's each individual eyelashes. I've read a bit about the panorama feature for wide angle selfies but I haven't tried that out yet. There's also a really awesome selfie mode that has a beautifier that you can adjust the level of intensity on. I love the S Pen, it's so much easier using that when I'm writing down notes. The phone has tons of great features and I can't wait to see what it has to offer.
Voluspa Saijo Persimmon 2 Wick Candle: This is the prettiest candle I've ever seen, it comes in such a beautiful tin! And it smells soooo incredible with hints of peach and red currant. The Kardashians are huge fans of these candles and even my fiancee was like "oh my god! That smells so good" lol, so that tells you how much people love these!
Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb Hair Mist: Oh my heavens! This stuff smells incredible. It lasts and everyone notices it. I just need the perfume now!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Blonde: I've heard such amazing things about this product and I've always loved Anastasia. Can't wait to try this out!
First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum: This had such great ratings on Sephora's site that I had to get it. My skin gets so dry and red in the winter, hopefully this does the trick!
That's all for now. I can't wait to post some reviews on these products after I've played with them a bunch.
If anyone has any tips/tricks about the Note 4 feel free to share them :)!


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What are summer banked hours?
Full-time undergraduate students who are charged the flat rate and take fewer than 15 hours per semester may be able to bank hours to use in the summer. The hours a student has banked will automatically be used to reduce summer charges for tuition and mandatory hourly fees. For more information please visit the Flat-Rate tuition website at: http://www.ou.edu/content/bursar/flat-rate-tuition.html or by clicking HERE.


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Obama Directs Agencies to Submit Diversity and Inclusion Plans
President Barack Obama issued an executive order last week mandating agencies to develop and implement a more coordinated and strategic diversity and inclusion plan.
"To realize more fully the goal of using the talents of all segments of society, the federal government must continue to challenge itself to enhance its ability to recruit, hire, promote and retain a more diverse workforce," Obama wrote. "Further, the Federal Government must create a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness to enable individuals to participate to their full potential."
Agencies' plans should include an ongoing plan to identify and implement best practices that encourage inclusion and promote diversity, Obama said. After implementing their plans, agencies should also establish a reporting system for their progress on meeting their diversity objectives and designate the agency's Chief Human Capital Officer as responsible for furthering the goals of the plan.
"A commitment to equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion is critical for the Federal Government as an employer," Obama wrote in the order. "As the nation's largest employer, the Federal Government has a special obligation to lead by example. Attaining a diverse, qualified workforce is one of the cornerstones of the merit-based civil service."
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has already begun the implementation process for its diversity management plan, part of an overall diversity strategy that began in 2010. DOJ evaluates its Senior Executive Service members on their progress and efforts to further the agency's diversity initiative.
"A key component of any aspect of a diversity initiative is accountability," said Channing Phillips, senior counselor to Attorney General Eric Holder, in an interview with Federal News Radio.
In 2010, Holder set out four goals to further DOJ's diversity initiative: leadership commitment and organizational structure, outreach and recruitment efforts, staff development and retention and transparency.
All agencies must complete their diversity and inclusion strategy plans before March 16, Obama wrote in his executive order.
Posted in General News


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Document Type
Publication details
Pre-print of: Vanclay, JK 2001, 'The effectiveness of parks', Science, vol. 293, no. 5532, pp. 1007a.
Publisher's version of article available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.293.5532.1007a
Bruner et al. examined the effectiveness of parks in the tropics, drawing on survey data to support their contention that parks 1) have been effective; 2) need more support; and 3) should remain a central component of conservation strategies. Their conclusions remain equivocal...


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There's an excellent game on the BBC Who website at the moment called The Wire's Last Message. You have to trawl through the archives to piece together a message from The Wire. And one of the clips is Holly's series one distress call!
How's this for a Doctor Dwarf moment?
Tags: doctor dwarf, doctor who, observation dome


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An issue as important to our heritage as a 111-year-old transport institution cannot be trifled with.
But the Hong Kong government is beginning to look utterly dismissive by saying nothing.
Hong Kong people deserve to know how it's dealing with a proposal by a private consultant that tram lines be removed from Central to ease road congestion.
The aim might be practical, even noble, but the way in which the study proposes to go about it shows everything that is wrong with our urban development program.
First of all, anyone involved in this initiative should have a little respect for our heritage.
Second, even if we ignore the fact that our tramways are six times older than our post-colonial history, we should pause to consider how they're performing a vital public service.
More than 200,000 commuters rely on the trams every day, making them a critical complement to our highly regarded transport system.
We could argue that kicking the tram out of Central will not necessarily cause its demise until we consider that we're depriving it of a vital artery and taking away a big chunk of passenger traffic.
Let's forget for a moment the government's deafening silence on the matter and look at the consultant which conducted the study.
Intellects Consultancy Ltd. is controlled by a former civil servant who worked previously at the Planning Department.
That alone tells us something about the study, apart from its stated aim to decongest the roads in Central.
Is it testing the waters for future development of the Central business district?
But the most obvious beneficiaries of the proposal are Central's landlords who will no longer have to put up with an ordinance that requires them to set aside part of their properties for use by Hong Kong Tramways Ltd.
At present, all buildings on the tram route have to provide space for Hong Kong Tramways' power supply.
Their owners can challenge the ordinance by filing a judicial review but for the most part, it has held up against attempts to weaken it.
Hong Kong Tramways and building owners see this arrangement from different perspectives.
The former says it's an idispensable part of its operation while the latter insists it's an unfair imposition.
But commentator Jacky Lim believes it's all to do with a redevelopment plan for Central.
Landlords see the arrangement as an obstacle to those plans.
We don't need him to point out the obvious — that certain parts of Central are weathered and many old buildings could use a new face or new bones.
But it's good that Lim is raking that notion with a fine-toothed comb.
He says commercial buildings on the tram route are getting old and landlords are waiting in the wings to demolish them and build skyscrapers.
The result is not just a more impressive Central landscape but fatter bank accounts for the landlords.
But they have to deal with Hong Kong Tramways and the Planning Board over what to do with the tram facilities.
The study seems to have made the task a little less complicated.
Is this another instance of property tycoons bringing their influence to bear on the government?
Who knows.
There's no evidence to link Intellects Consultancy or its study to the landlords but rumors will continue to abound until the government comes out and says something.
– Contact us at [email protected]


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