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After recently unveiling their first new track in three years, Ghostly-signed, Copenhagen-based Choir of Young Believers share their new video for 'Face Melting'.
The video for 'Face Melting' stars Jannis Nova Makrigiannis, the main man behind Choir of Young Believers. Filmed in a sparse, hot, deserted land, the visuals create a suitably avant-garde setting for the band's smouldering, experimental-pop laced new single.
When listening to Choir of Young Believers, it's hard not to imagine an army of white-clad singers with arms outstretched, their voices raised in holy polyphony. In actuality, though, the Danish group is the brainchild of Jannis Noya Makrigiannis, a staple of Copenhagen's underground indie scene. In 2006, Jannis moved to the Greek island of Samos, developing solo material before returning home to gather musicians and friends around him. And thus he formed Choir of Young Believers, an orchestral-pop project marked by magisterial melodies, dark lyrical concerns, and a healthy dose of cathedral-grade reverb.
Choir of Young Believers' 2008 debut album, This is for the White In Your Eyes, mixed modest folk arrangements with ambitious pop, cooling its theatrics with Nordic stoicism and a glowing inner light. On 2012's Rhine Gold, Jannis expanded his daring concepts in every way—classic Krautrock, big sky Americana, avant-garde composition, and bombastic gestures were seamlessly ushered into the fold. But no matter how the music evolves or shifts over time, the clear, mournful voice of Jannis Noya Makrigiannis remains, always reaching quietly for the heavens.
Having toured extensively around the world and landed "Best Newcomer" at the Danish Music Awards, Choir of Young Believers took a long break after Rhine Gold, returning in early 2014 to support Depeche Mode on a string of shows. Jannis has since rekindled his love for working as a solo artist, and is currently in the middle of putting the final touches on a third LP. Inspired by the likes of Talk Talk, Enya, Sade, Dean Blunt, Frank Ocean, and early '90s Madonna, that forthcoming record is schedule to appear sometime in late 2015.
Face Melting' is a romantic, piano-led pop nugget, a smoldering slow jam laced with gossamer vocal harmonies and anchored by an undercurrent of electronic experimentalism. And once you make it through the song's weightless transformation, it seems readily apparent that we are now entering a whole new chapter in the Choir of Young Believers story.
See Choir of Young Believers live:
19 July – Ostrava, CZ @ COLOURS OF OSTRAVA


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Head Lice Treatment
Head Lice Treatment
Scalp itch and irritation caused by head lice can seem never-ending, and most products that offer a lice cure only do a middling job of actually solving the problem, unless you use them repeatedly over time. Fortunately, there is a way to get rid of lice in a single cure. ClearLice is a simple treatment that allows you to wash the parasites right out of your hair with no worries about repeat dosages or lasting side effects.
What is ClearLice?
ClearLice is an all-natural lice cure that can help you get rid of lice without any repeat treatments or other hassles. The product contains no toxic materials, no poisons, no pesticides, and no other harsh chemicals. In other words, it is designed specifically with kids and families in mind. ClearLice was manufactured in the United States and used an FDA-certified laboratory to make sure that the researchers got the best results possible. It is not a chemical formula, so lice don't have a chance to develop an immunity to it like they have with so many other lice treatments out there. The product is guaranteed to eliminate not only lice, but also the nits that they leave behind.
How Does it Work?
Most lice cure products simply poison the parasites, killing them off with chemicals or pesticides. This can sometimes be effective, but research has demonstrated that lice are capable of developing an immunity to such products and can pass that immunity down through their genes. That means that as time passes, lice are getting harder and harder to kill. ClearLice works to get rid of lice in a completely different way. Rather than simply poison the lice, this product softens their protective exoskeleton, taking away their natural resistance to treatments and killing them quickly. Because the lice don't register this as a harmful poison, they never build up a resistance to the treatment.
What Makes ClearLice so Great?
One of the biggest advantages that ClearLice offers over any other lice cure on the market is that it works in just a single dose. Many other treatments get rid of lice over the course of several days or weeks. This exposes your children to more harmful chemicals than is necessary and also allows the lice to either develop protections or lay additional eggs that the treatment might miss. When it comes to getting rid of lice for good, it's important to do it as quickly and effectively as possible. By using ClearLice, you get rid of lice in one swoop and make sure they don't have a chance to lay additional eggs that will come back to bother you and your children again in the future.
ClearLice is a safe and easy lice cure that can get rid of lice like no other product on the market. If you want something that is simple and effective, this is the product for you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tag Archives: temperature
GPU Caps Viewer 1.34.0 Released (Updated: 184.108.40.206)
A new version of GPU Caps Viewer (OpenGL, Vulkan, OpenCL and CUDA utility) is available.
Discovering the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT
The Raspberry Pi Sense HAT is a really cool piece of hardware: it's an all-in-one board that comes with several sensors and even a LED matrix. Let's discover it.


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Nigerian Becomes Best Doctorate Student In UK University
A Nigerian Dickson Ndukwe Agbai has become the best doctorate student with the highest grade from the Newcastle University in England.
Dickson is a native of Ugwueke Community in Bende local government area of Abia state, New Telegraph reports. The talented student has been announced the best following his outstanding thesis titled "Analysis of Biofuel Potential in Nigeria".
Examiners Dr. Paul Wilson of University of Nottingham and Dr. P. J. Dawson of Newcastle University were impressed by Dickson's outstanding performance; therefore, the candidate was immediately admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
The examiners' joint report reads the following:
"This thesis examines the potential of biofuel production in Nigerian using programming methods. Various scenarios are estimated and appropriate policy recommendations follow. It is an interesting and worthy piece of research which tackles a problem that is highly relevant to the Nigerian Government. The method of analysis is appropriate and while not novel, the application is. The thesis is well-written and well-presented, and its structure is appropriate. It is of doctoral standard."
"During the oral examination of about two hours, the candidate defended the thesis well. He demonstrated a thorough understanding of his work and he can place his research in the wider context of the literature.
"He understands and appreciates the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative methods and provided a convincing argument for that chosen. The policy recommendations, which should be helpful to the Nigerian Government in its development of a biofuel policy, follow from the results and the candidate understands their implications."
It is worth mentioning that Dickson's great achievement has not gone unnoticed in Nigeria. A non-governmental Organisation Eco Empowerment & Sensitization Initiative (ECO-ESI) has commended the student for bringing honour to his motherland.
Bari Brown Malachi Elisha, secretary to ECO-ESI, said that Dickson had "placed the Nigerian flag at the pinnacle of academic excellence in a highly-competitive global stage".
He also expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund for their financial support to Dickson and other Nigerian scholars during their programmes.
Earlier this year, we reported about a 17-year-old high school senior who also achieved unbelievable success when he was accepted by eight of the most prestigious universities in the world.
SOURCE: www.naij.com


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Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire/
As the publishing industry has jumped wholeheartedly into the emotional Vampire trend that's seen the release of the Twilight novels, it's nice to come across a book that was published during this that really brings the horror back to the style of story. Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire, by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola is an engrossing read that both deals with vampires, and brings in a proper horror feeling to the story.
This unconventional novel was first recommended to me a couple of years ago, where I was drawn to the absolutely fascinating cover, drawn up by comic book artist and author Mike Mignola. Mignola, the creator of the Hellboy and BPRD comic series, is a favorite of mine, not only for his excellent artwork, but for his strange, gothic stories that pull me in. When I came across the book at a convention last month, I immediately picked up the book, and had it signed, as author Christopher Golden was one of the attendees.
Lord Baltimore, a soldier in the English military during the first World War, leads a night attack against German soldiers, when his entire squad is killed when they are spotted. Wounded, he sees something frightening: creatures coming out of the dark to feed on the men under his command. He attacked one of the giant bats, striking it in the face with his bayonet, scarring it. He is attacked in turn, and loses his leg as a result.
Those actions push the story into action, and the rest of the book is preoccupied with not Baltimore's story, but of three friends of his: Doctor Lemuel Rose, the doctor who treated Baltimore's leg after the attack (and ended up amputating it), Thomas Childress , a childhood friend of Baltimore's, and Demetrius Aischros, who brought Baltimore home from the battlefield. Each man was summoned by Baltimore, and as they await his presence, it unfolds that each of them has had an encounter with the supernatural, and that they would help him in his mission.
Following Baltimore's attack, Red King (the leading vampire who was wounded in the face) unleashes a plague against Europe in retaliation for his disfigurement. People passed away across the continent, and turned into vampires themselves, grinding the war to a halt as the death toll climbs. As Baltimore returns home, the King exacts his own revenge on his attacker by killing his family, then his wife, in an effort to break the man. The opposite happens, and Baltimore goes on a quest to kill the Red King. As the stories are told, they blend together towards a finish that was entirely unexpected, but rewarding.
Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire is s a good example of where a genre has been changed from largely traditional details, yet is able to stand on its own. Where books such as Stephanie Myer's Twilight have been criticized because of the liberties that have been taken with the books, Baltimore was able to capture the horror of such individuals and come out as a work who's antagonist doesn't feel shortchanged. Having not read Twilight yet, I can't accurately compare the changes to some of the more rooted versions of the canon, but I can say that Baltimore reaffirms my belief that canon isn't always paramount, and that modern stories that take on vampires shouldn't be rooted as firmly to Bram Stoker's Dracula as we'd like.
Baltimore sheds away the Victorian gothic styling that comes with the territory and advances towards World War I. With its trench warfare, rapid advances in weapons and seemingly pointless nature to the attacks, the battlefields in France and Germany are the perfect setting for a horror novel, and under Golden and Mignola's care, a time of industrial realism is blended together with a sort of surreal supernatural amongst each of the characters, in Italy, England and South America. Moreover, vampirism here seemed to be carried on by disease – a horrifying method of death in and of itself – rather than the bites and lives in coffins. These vampires are pretty scary in their own right – taking over towns, coming out at night and generally not good people to be around, especially as they feed and decimate the population of Europe.
In the end, the book serves as an interesting counterpart to the First World War. By the end, it becomes increasingly clear that both sides have become larger than their individual selves: they represent a larger picture, and with the war as a background, they have become two larger forces that collide endlessly, tirelessly and each unable to yield to the other. Baltimore is a fascinating read, one that pulls in the strange worlds that Mike Mignola puts together, (along with his art on every page) and the excellent storytelling of Christopher Golden. The story shows that the vampire craze can be adapted into its own different ways, but that it retains some of the core facets: there are some things that are more horrifying than death.


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Fritters, huh? That's intriguing. I always do slaw. Must try fried! Thanks GREG
How-To: Cooking With Kohlrabi
Before I even begin this post, please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks the above vegetable (kohlrabi) looks like an alien vegetable? Doesn't it? Something you'd see on a Men In Black movie. Teleported right from space onto your kitchen table. Don't you think? I know, I sure do!! It's gotta be one of the wildest vegetables I've ever seen. Or eaten for that matter.
Alien or not, kohlrabi (also known as a German turnip) are popping up all over local farmer's market, being that it's a mid-Spring and early Summer vegetable. Part of the cabbage family, kohlrabi has a very similar taste to broccoli stems or obviously, a cabbage. It has a mild and a slightly sweet flavor. The texture sorta reminds me of a broccoli stem too – crunchy but not too tough. I actually really enjoy the taste – especially raw in salads or in the place of cabbage in coleslaw (see recipe below). As weird as it may look, it actually tastes quite delicious.
When selecting kohlrabi, make sure to pick ones that are firm to the touch, without bruises and feel heavy for their size. If the leaves are still attached, they should be full and not wilted. Nutritionally speaking, these little German turnips are low in calories, high in fiber, Vitamin C and potassium. A healthy addition to any meal.
Now, if you're up for trying one of these wild veggies I've got some great tips on how to prepare and cook them in addition to two delicious recipes of mine! And remember, although they look a little strange, kohlrabi are really tasty! So grab a few the next time you're at the market or store, you won't be disappointed.
Kohlrabi Recipes:
- Tangy Kohlrabi Slow (1st photo below)
- Kohlrabi and Summer Squash Fritters (2nd photo below)
Tips for cooking kohlrabi:
- Make sure to peel the thick outer skin. It's very tough and somewhat bitter and not very tasty.
- The leaves are edible! Yup, you can use the leaves of the kohlrabi plant just like kale, collard or mustard greens.
- Try kohlrabi raw in salads or alongside some crudite. It's great all by itself too – just sprinkled with a little bit of salt.
- For a quick cooked kohlrabi recipe trying steaming it and topping it with butter or oil and salt and pepper.
- Not into steamed kohlrabi? Try it roasted! 425 F for about 20 minutes. It becomes caramelized and takes on a somewhat sweet flavor.
- Pickle it. Since it's really crunchy and crispy, kohlrabi stands up well to pickling. Use any of your favorite pickling blends for a tangy twist.
You tell me! Have you tried kohlrabi? If so, what's your favorite way to prepare it? What's the weirdest veggie you've ever eaten?
4 Comments
I bought a kohlrabi at our Farmer's Market last week – it just looked too good to resist. I tried it raw and it was lovely, but I wanted to try it cooked. Your suggestions sound great!!! Bring it on!


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- - Only bespoke design recruiter in the Middle East
- - Unrivalled results within the design industry
- - Access to award winning designers and jobs on iconic projects
Leading Architecture and Design Recruitment Specialists in The Middle East
Successfully placing candidates within the Middle East for nearly two decades. AE Recruitment specialises in architecture and design jobs in the built environment for leading firms within these respected fields. Maintaining intricate relationships with their clients, the company's young and dynamic work nature rewards its partners with unparalleled results
"AE distinguish themselves from other recruiters with their professionalism, prompt replies and top quality candidates. One of the best recruitment firms in the market, AE are always listening to our needs and take these into consideration unlike other recruiters out there.
. The screening process is thorough with AE thus doing exactly what we need – pre qualifying the best candidates, following up efficiently and always updating us from start to finish. We continue to work with AE as our number one recruiter and have them to thank for recruiting some of the best members of our team" –
"Hayley is a wonderful recruiter, she knows the architecture market very well and she has many good connections.
She is excellent in reading one's skills and personality and finding the perfect fit. Hayley helped me during my recent job transition through a dedicated and valuable assistance and also thanks to her effort I am working now in a great office with great people. For these reasons I give her my highest recommendation" – Tommaso Calistri, Killa Design
"AE have been better than their market leaders in terms of their communication, response and diligence. AE always listen to our needs and provide quality, carefully considered candidates in response. We have worked with AE for 8years, and hope to continue to do so for many more to come"
''Carly exhibits a thorough understanding of recruitment. Carly does an extensive research once a job requirement has been conveyed. Her Work approach is different to other agents in the region and ensures that the results are of higher quality. Carly ensures that she maintains good rapport with some of the best in the industry and is quick in responding to queries. She has precise understanding of Job requirement; is dedicated and has a professional approach to dealing with both candidates and companies. It is indeed a pleasure working with Carly.''
"Hayley is amazing! She is a professional recruiter who has an immense knowledge, connection and experience with architectural market. She clearly understand the role that I was looking for that helped me felt upbeat throughout the process. She is very comfortable to work with, quickly responsive to all my questions and follow-ups. I have no hesitations recommending Hayley to those in the industry looking at exploring their next career move"
''I have worked with Carly over the last 5-6 years on many roles, I have found her to be very professional at all times. She listens to our requirements and always sends appropriate candidates and keeps me updated at all stages. She is a pleasure to work with'' – Carolyn Keeling, HR Manager –


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Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The pregnancy started out pretty normal and non exciting. I was pretty sick in the beginning and we figure out that I was lactose intolerant. I had to cut out anything that had any milk ingredient. This was hard but we got through it. I did end up loosing 15 lbs the first trimester and lived mostly on.... um.... I can't even remember what I ate. I do remember only able to eat turkey, sweet potatoes, and apple pie for Thanksgiving.
I was happy to find that my lactose intolerance ended before Christmas and was able to eat whatever I wanted. I had a couple blissful months until about February. Now is only April, but February seems so long ago. A lot has happened since then.
It all started with some back pain. On a Saturday night my back had started hurting and it just got worse and worse. I was unable to get comfortable and nothing relieved the pain. It lasted for 4 hours and then just disappeared. I had about a 4 hour break where I was able to get some sleep, but then woke up to it again. It lasted another 4 hours. It was then Sunday and I stayed home from church and tried to relax and get some sleep. I had a doctors appointment that friday, so I just waiting to ask the doctor then.
The appointment happened to be the lovely glucose test. I started to feel the back pain on the way to the appointment and also started to feel pressure in my chest. I was getting really uncomfortable during the appointment but the doctor just said it was normal pain for pregnancy and that if it got "bad" that I should go to a chiropractor, get a massage, or do physical therapy. He didn't even give me a referral and just chalked it up to being "normal". I have never really appreciated this office. There are 5 doctors and I hadn't see one more than once. They didn't know me or act like they wanted to know me.
I had a couple more "episodes" each time getting worse and would happen every other day. It now started as pain in my chest and radiated to the back. I went into our family doctor that next week and he suggested a new obgyn who worked in his office. I scheduled a physical therapy appointment as well as an appointment with the new obgyn for the next Tuesday.
That Saturday the pain got so bad we ended up at instacare. This doctor was able to determine that it wasn't muscular and wasn't anything life threatening but gave me lortab to help with the pain.
I was had the pain again on Monday, and had taken half a lortab with no effect. I put a call into my new obgyn and prepared to go into labor and delivery. The actual doctor called me back and told me to take the other half of the lortab. He didn't have appointments that day and just happened to be in the office to sign some paperwork and took the time out to call me himself. I took the other half pill and it took just enough of the edge off so I wasn't crying in pain, but still not enough to be functional.
I went in the next day and fell in love with my doctor. He walked right in and said, " I talked with you yesterday". He knew me before he even met me. He knew right off the bat what the problem was. I was blessed to happen upon a doctor who also studied orthopedics.
The condition I have is called Costochodritis. To put it in lame man's terms, my ribs come out of joint and because of the inflammation around them, they are not able to slip back into joint. The only thing usually prescribed for this is an anti-inflammatory, which I cannot take while pregnant.
This is not uncommon in pregnancy because of the hormone our body produces in pregnancy called relaxin. It makes our joints all loose so we can carry and deliver babies.
Because of this and my history of having surgery on my ribs and sternum back when I was 12/13 it is extremely painful. He said that many people with the condition believe they are having a heart attack.
The hardest part was hearing that there was nothing he can really do to help and that it will get worse as pregnancy goes on. It will also begin earlier and be worse with each pregnancy. We were very blessed that I did not experience this while pregnant with Rusty.
The doc put me on "restricted movement" and gave me "joint juice". These have really helped me heal over the past month and if I strictly follow the "restricted movement" then I should be okay. The doctor did say that it will most likely get worse closer to delivery because our body dumps relaxin the month before we deliver.
So what does "restricted movement" mean? I am pretty much not able to do anything at this point. Daniel has taken on 100% of the house hold duties. Things I am unable to do: lift Rusty, cook, clean, vacuum, laundry, play with the dog, dishes, etc. Pretty much anything where I lift over 5 lbs, bend over, or stand for more than 5 min. Doc said that even a sneeze or rolling over in bed can trigger the pain.
This has been hard on all of us. Daniel has everything put on him and doesn't get much of a break. I have to sit there and do nothing as my house gets messy and Rusty gets into trouble. While Rusty goes stir crazy stuck in the house. I am unable to go out of the house unless someone is there to lift Rusty into the shopping cart, car seat, or stroller.
The hardest part is feeling like I can't be a Mom to Rusty. I am unable to pick him up to comfort him when he is hurt, physically put him into time out when he has done something wrong, take him out to the park, etc.
We are more than ready to have this little girl join our family in around 6 weeks. Hopefully we can get there without any more "episodes".
3 comments:
- Strong Family - said...
Oh my goodness Alisha, I am so sorry to hear about all you're going through. You are all in our prayers. I cannot even imagine...you both are amazing. I can't wait to see you all this summer. Hang in there! Lauree
- April 4, 2012 at 7:04 PM
- dallin said...
We are all thinking about you guys. Pregnancies are bad enough without the other stuff! (or so I'm told). Good luck counting down the days until the little one comes!
- April 4, 2012 at 8:47 PM
- Holly Decker said...
first of all, congrats!
second of all, that is so hard!
i hope that things go quickly for you and that holding that sweet baby girl brings joy to your sorrowing heart.
if its any comfort at all, even though you may feel like you aren't much of a mom for Rusty, he probably won't remember this time in his life and i am sure he will love having you to play with that much more when its all over. it can be good for a kid to learn to entertain himself.
when i was pregnant with my second, my eldest was only a few months old. i laid on the couch for most of his first year of life! i always felt like such a horrible mommy, but i know that my kid was resilient and learned a lot of great independence during that time. he hasn't shown any repercussions from it, and still loves me! i think its mostly the expectations we have of ourselves that make us feel bad... but our kids don't know any different.
tell Daniel thanks for taking good care of you, for me. when my husband steps up to the plate and does that sort of stuff, he really learns a lot and grows a lot and is blessed for his efforts.
God be with and bless you both! :)
ps. if y'all weren't in Utah i would totally take rusty for a play date, dangit! maybe i will just have to move back... :)
- April 7, 2012 at 9:39 PM


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"Yesterday, the Jakarta Government took a first step towards making history," Uber said in a statement.
"Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) officially recognised Uber's value and legality having received approval from the BKPM (Indonesia's investment coordinating board)," the company added.
Uber has been aggressively expanding globally, but it has faced regulatory and competitive obstacles in major markets.
Mike Brown, regional manager for Asia Pacific at Uber, told Reuters that the company already has presence in three cities in Indonesia - Bali, Bandung and Jakarta - and expects to expand to "many more" cities in the country next year.
It also expects to grow the number of drivers from more than 12,000 currently to 1,00,000 by 2017.


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25 Oct Maine Whitewater Rafting Fans Love Big Snow Years
The 2010 Maine whitewater rafting season has come to a close and we're turning our attention to the winter season. Maine snowmobile guests will soon be heading this way to enjoy the great Forks area snowmobile trails, warm cabins, good eats and a fresh beer or two. A lot of the folks come Dead River rafting or Kennebec River rafting with us each year, and they know that a good winter of snowmobiling means a good summer of rafting!
Maine's lakes and rivers are always offer awesome rafting, canoeing and kayaking, but a winter of heavy snowfall means lots of spring snowmelt. Lots of snowmelt means lots more water in the lakes that feed our rivers and thus lots of water come spring and summer.
Those who love big, wet summer rafting have long since learned to love super-snowy winters as well. So we encourage everyone to break out the skis, snowboards, snowshoes or snowmobiles — not only do all those toys make for great winter fun — but they are also part of a celebration of our interconnected seasons of adventure here in Maine


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Visiting the Birthplace of Switzerland
In my first post, I'm going to take you on a journey back in time to the year 1291.
We find ourselves at Rütli, a beautiful meadow overlooking Lake Lucerne.
Legend has it, this is where three men swore an oath to the Swiss Confederation on August 1, 1291.
This is the beginning of Switzerland as we know it.
The three men were from Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden — the first cantons of Switzerland. And together, they were united under one confederacy.
To commemorate this occasion, the Rütli oath is reenacted at this historic landmark every August 1st, on Swiss National Day.
But more recent history makes me shudder.
It was here that Switzerland's commander-in-chief, General Henri Guisan delivered his famous speech with the prospect of an invasion by Nazi Germany in 1940.
Addressing all officers in the Swiss army, he said —
"I decided to reunite you in this historic place, the symbolic ground of our independence, to explain the urgency of the situation, and to speak to you as a soldier to soldiers. We are at a turning point of our history. The survival of Switzerland is at stake.[1]"
This defensive strategy is known as the Réduit strategy, and it leads many to wonder if Switzerland could have stopped an invasion from Germany.
As I walk through the meadow, I think back to these moments in history, and appreciate this place even more. The sun is shining and the Swiss flag stands tall. A light, warm breeze wafts through my hair.
It's almost lunch time and we've worked up an appetite. So we treat ourselves to a traditional Swiss meal at "Restaurant Rütlihaus."
The Alpler Macaroni is a personal favorite and can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
If you sit at the ledge of the balcony, a breathtaking view awaits. This is Lake Lucerne, otherwise known as "Vierwaldstättersee", which translates to "The Four Forested Settlements Lake."
As you can see, the lake borders Switzerland's first three cantons — Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden (which was later divided into Obwalden and Nidwalden). It also borders the canton of Lucerne.
Rütli Meadow is perched on the shores of Urnersee, which is at the southernmost part of Lake Lucerne and where the famous Swiss Path begins — a 35 km (22 mi) hiking trail that was dedicated to Switzerland on its 700th birthday.
To begin the first leg of the hike, follow the trail signs from Rütli to Bauen. This will take a little over three hours to complete, and it's a great way to work off your lunch. Alternatively, you can take the boat to Bauen and choose a short hike to Isleten. This will only take 40 minutes.
Many people pick and choose parts of the Swiss Path to hike, instead of attempting the whole thing at once. There are many historic sites to be enjoyed along the way, and the best time to go is between April and November.
Ready to visit?
Rütli Meadow is somewhat isolated and best reached by boat, operated by the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (SGV).
If coming from the north, catch the boat from Brunnen to Seelisberg, the municipality where Rütli is located. Boats run every hour and the ride lasts almost 20 minutes.
If coming from the south, catch the boat from Flüelen to Rütli in Seelisberg. The boats also run on the hour and the ride lasts almost 40 minutes. For those of you who prefer shorter boat rides, take the train from Flüelen to Brunnen instead — the boat ride from Brunnen is only half as long.
Have you visited Rütli yet? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below!
- Guisan (1946). Rapport du General Guisan a l'Assemblee Federale sur le Service Actif, 1939-45. Bern, Switzerland. p. 203.


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In between my trip to the Galapagos and our end of semester Beach Debrief we squeezed in Eden's birthday party. I'm learning to keep it super simple at that time of year because not only do we have all the holiday craziness that any family has, but add on all of the end of semester trips and activities and a birthday and well, there isn't a lot of time for extras! Fortunately kids are so delighted with little things.
I bought US candy last summer in anticipation of a candy birthday theme and Eden was overjoyed with the idea. We picked 5 of her friends and her up after school one afternoon and brought them home. Pauli and Agus joined later. Honestly, we let them just go crazy with their own explorations of our house and toys for a solid 45 minutes before doing anything "birthday" and that worked just fine. The kids decorated sugar cookies with little plastic containers full of more candy than mine usually eat in a month. They also did a game using straws and chocolate chips, unwrapping seran-wrapped candy with mittens and dice and one more I can't remember. We did a piñata, stromboli and then cake! Of course cake! Eden was a great hostess and engaged her friends well. Canaan enjoyed chasing Romina around our backyard. And after 2.5 hours Nate and I were totally happy to grab their backpacks and hand them off to parents as they rang the doorbell! Easy, low-stress and just what our little girl wanted.


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Here is a WIP of an EC's Lord. I wanted to go with something elegant yet sinister. i am most pleased with the backpack. This has been constructed using 29 bits from 9 different kits; Sanquinary Guard, Chaos Space Marines, Dark Angels Upgrade Sprue, Dark Eldar Raider, Dark Eldar Kabalite Warriors, Demonettes, Seekers of Slannesh, Vampire Counts Grave Guards and Chaos Warriors Champion of Slannesh on Demonic Mount.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Emperor's Children Lord WIP
Posted by amaximus at 7:27 PM 3 comments:
Labels: chaos, emperor's children, hq
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Movie: Chappie
My Rating: 4 stars
People seemed to really hate this movie . . . which means that I went into the experience with the gift of low expectations. And, I love when that happens. It always leads to me really enjoying films with mixed reviews. And, I really liked this one. In fact, I'm not really sure why everyone's feathers got so ruffled. It's fun, and silly, and even raises some interesting existential questions. I love science fiction, I love Die Antwoord, and I love that cheeky South African accent. What's not to like about this film?
The story is set in the near future, when robot technology is pretty well established. In fact, the police force has largely been replaced by anthropomorphic, titanium soldiers. And, that's a benefit, because they are largely bullet proof. That really comes in handy on notoriously dangerous streets of Johannesburg. Human have attempted to avoid the problem of a robot revolution by rigidly controlling the robots' programming. They aren't sentient and they can't make their own decisions. That is, until their developer (Dev Patel) creates a brand new, experimental operating system that may create the spark of consciousness. And that's how he creates Chappie.
Unfortunately, before Dev can properly train and study this amazing, new, artificial intelligence, the robot is stolen from him by a gang of bank robbers—Die Antwoord and friends. But, Chappie is just learning about the world. His mind is a sponge. This means that during Chappie's most formative, first days of learning and brain development, he's picking up some pretty rude material. When Dev finally links back up with his creation, he's already been molded into a slang-talking, bling-wearing, car-jacking, street tough. It's a very funny premise.
The movie also features a handful of very interesting casting choices. Of course, I love Die Antwoord. Their antics are hilarious, and their music is infectiously fun. They actually feature much more heavily than I was expecting. They're almost the main characters. Then there's Sharlto Copely playing Chappie. I'm not sure whether he just voiced the character, or if he was in a green-screen suit doing the actions, but he is as charismatic as ever. Of course, Sigourney Weaver is well-established as the ball-busting CEO character, as seen in The TV Show, and early on in Working Girl. But, then there's the interesting choice to cast Hugh Jackman as the primary villain. He's usually such a happy-go-lucky guy. It's fun to see him in an evil role. And, all these characters work well together.
My overall conclusion is that I liked this movie. It's fun and quirky, and explores a couple new ideas. And, I can never see too much of South Africa. Plus, the movie is a little heartwarming too. I really don't know why critics panned this one as much as they did. Maybe because they were expecting another serious and important movie from Neill Blomkamp, in the same vein of District 9. Expectations can really color your experience. But, I feel comfortable recommending this movie to you guys.


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Easter Brunch - 2 seatings, 11am & 1:30pm
Dinner Choices;
-Filet Mignon with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Green Bean Amandine
-Pan Seared Salmon served on a Roasted Red Peppper Coulis with Toasted Almond Rice Pilaf
-Veggie Alfredo (add Chicken or Salmon) with Garlic Bread
Each dinner choice includes appetizer, salad, bread, butter, dessert and champagne.
reserve your table online at LYNXGC.com or call today at
(269) 694-1313
Musical Entertainment by KaR Tunes
Cost: $30 per person
Looking for a wonderful Sunday Breakfast spot with a view? We have you covered at the LYNX. Every Sunday from 9am-1pm we are serving up delicious breakfast fare!
Come check out our 2016 Winter Menu!
Hop over to http://lynxgc.com/grill for the actual menu.
New Winter Grill hours in January & February
Thursday-Saturday : Lunch 11am-4pm, Dinner 4pm-9pm
Sunday Breakfast : 8am-1pm
Burger Thursday : $7 burger+fries
Fish FRYday : $10 all you can eat crispy fried fish
Allegan Chamber of Commerce Holiday After Hours - Holiday Auction
SUNDAY Breakfast at LYNX Grill 9am-2pm


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We welcome individuals, corporations, and community groups
to help us fulfill our mission.
Your donation makes all the difference in the life of a child and family. Join Arundel Child Care Connections in supporting a community where the health and safety of children is valued, where children can grow and thrive in quality child care programs, and where those who care for and educate them can get the professional development, technical assistance and behavioral support services they need to be successful in helping ALL children.
Arundel Child Care Connections is actively seeking volunteers! We welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences to participate in the organization! Find out the many ways you can support us.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Assist with providing child care during parent workshops and earn a Professional Activity Unit towards Credentialing.
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Call 410-222-1794 or email email@example.com to find out more information.
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Release Date: 05/20/2011
Number: 201120027
Release Date: 5/20/2011 Office: —————
From: ——————— Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 11:55:55 AM To: ———————— Cc: ———————————————————————————— Subject: RE: Question concerning IRC section 170(f)(8)(D)
No. The Service has never implemented sec. 170(f)(8)(D) as an alternative to taxpayers obtaining a contemporaneous written acknowledgment in accordance with sec. 170(f)(8)(A). Accordingly, taxpayers must comply with sec. 170(f)(8)(A) in order to be allowed a deduction.
UIL No. 170.12-09
Number: 201120022
Release Date: 05/20/2011
Number: 201120022
Release Date: 5/20/2011 Office: —————
From: ——————— Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 12:35 PM To: ————————————- Cc: ———————————— Subject: Section 170(f)(8)(D) ____________________________
Question : Does a donor who discovers that he failed to obtain a contemporaneous written acknowledgment under section 170(f)(8)(A) meet the requirements of section 170(f)(8) if the donee subsequently files an amended Form 990 for the year of contribution for purposes of attaching a statement to the Form 990 that includes the information required by section 170(f)(8)(B)§
Answer : No.
Analysis: In Schrimsher v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2011-71 (March 28, 2011), the Tax Court recently held that taxpayers' failure to obtain a contemporaneous written acknowledgment resulted in disallowance of a charitable contribution deduction. The law is well settled that no deduction is allowed unless the taxpayer substantiates in accordance with section 170(f)(8). See e.g., Addis v. Commissioner, 118 T.C. 528, aff'd, 374 F.3d 881 (2004), cert. denied, 543US 1151 (2005); Viralam v. Commissioner, 136 T.C. No. 8 (Feb. 14, 2011).
The taxpayers in Schrimsher had argued that the deed satisfied this requirement, but the Court did not agree. The Court noted that the taxpayers did not argue that any exception to section 170(f)(8) applied. In paraphrasing the requirements of section 170(f)(8), the Court properly noted that section 170(f)(8)(D) provides that the requirement of a contemporaneous written acknowledgment does not apply if the donee files a return, on a form and in the manner regulations may prescribe, that includes the information otherwise required to be included in the contemporaneous written acknowledgment.
Section 170(f)(8)(D) states:
(D) Substantiation not required for contributions reported by the donee organization. Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a contribution if the donee organization files a return, on such form and in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, which included the information described in subparagraph (B) with respect to the contribution.
Section 170(f)(8) was enacted in the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993, P.L. 103-66. Regulations have been promulgated under section 170(f)(8). T.D. 8690, Nov. 27, 1996.
The final regulations promulgated in T.D. 8690 ( Treas. Reg. 1.170A-13(f)) were preceded by a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (IA-44-94) published in the Federal Register for August 4, 1995 (60 FR 39896). A number of comments were received in response to the Notice. See 1997-1 C.B. 68 at 71. For example, commenters asked whether a contemporaneous written acknowledgment must be in any particular format. The Service responded that a contemporaneous written acknowledgment may be in any format.
One commenter suggested that the regulations allow charities to report charitable contributions directly to the IRS on Form 990 or 990-PF. In response to this comment, the Secretary noted that section 170(f)(8) authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations allowing donee organizations to satisfy the requirements of section 170(f)(8) by filing a return that includes the information described in section 170(f)(8)(B). However, the Secretary stated that the "IRS and Treasury have decided not to implement this suggestion at this time. However, in an effort to reduce paperwork and taxpayer burdens, the IRS will examine whether any existing IRS forms can be modified to assist in their use in substantiating charitable contributions." 1997-1 C.B 71.
To date, the Secretary has not identified any existing forms for donees to use in connection with section 170(f)(8)(D). Because the Secretary has chosen, as documented above, not to provide for donee reporting under subparagraph (D), taxpayers cannot satisfy the requirements of section 170(f)(8) with a Form 990 or any other Form filed by the donee under subparagraph (D).


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Meat Hook, Ketkrókur
Meat Hook, Ketkrókur
Meat Hook
St. Thorlák's Day, 23 December, is the day of Meat Hook's arrival. Meat Hook was crazy about meat. In the old days he would lower a long stick through the chimney and snag a smoked leg of lamb hanging from the rafters, or a piece of smoked lamb from the pot. In those days the smoked lamb, which is traditional Icelandic Christmas fare, was cooked on St. Thorlák's Day.
Meat Hook, the twelfth one,
his talent would display
as soon as he arrived
on Saint Thorlak's Day.
He snagged himself a morsel
of meet of any sort,
although his hook at times was
a tiny bit short.
From the poem The Yuletide Lads by Jóhannes úr Kötlum. English translation by Hallberg Hallmundsson.
Return to The Yuletide Lads page to see the next Yuletide Lad


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My next guest is Rachel Vincent, who will be here on July 1 to talk about her fourth Shifters book Prey. She will also be popping in to answer questions, so drop in, say hi and leave a comment or question. You can read my review of the book here and I must say it was terrific and the best in the series to date. You won't want to miss it.
I also have a great line-up of additional guest postings and interviews scheduled throughout the summer including –
- July 8 - Laura Resnick will be guest posting about her new fantasy book The Purifying Fire from Wizards of the Coast.
- July 16 - Mike Carey author of the Felix Castor series will be here to talk about the July 23 launch of Dead Man's Boots, the third book in the series.
- July 29 - Rachel Vincent will be guest posting about her first YA novel My Soul to Take.
- August 5 - Author Dakota Banks will be guest posting to tell us about her debut urban fantasy novel Dark Time: Mortal Path Book 1.
- August 25 - Canadian author Annette McCleave will be guest posting to tell us about her debut paranormal romance novel Drawn Into Darkness.
CONTESTS:Meljean Brook has a contest for an ARC of the MUST LOVE HELLHOUNDS anthology. Contest closes July 31st at midnight.
Marta Acosta says Dirty Sexy Books is having a contest for her first two novels, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula and Midnight Brunch. So if you need some "brain candy for a lazy afternoon," head on over there. Uhm, brains!" Contest runs through July.
Annette McCleave says - "Next Monday, Jun 29th, I'll be blogging over at Cynthia Eden's website. In honor of her June 30th release, Midnight's Master, she's hosting a blogfest called 30 Days of Demons.
Since demons play an integral part in my Soul Gatherer series, I thought it fitting to join the fun. I'll be talking about my take on demons, showing off a never-before-released excerpt, and giving away an ARC of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS. Yes, that's right--I'll be giving away an Advance Reader Copy."Seanan McGuire is having a giveaway of an ARC of her debut urban fantasy novel Rosemary and Rue. Contest ends July 30.
The Book Smugglers has FIVE copies of Jacqueline Carey's newest book, Naamah's Kiss up for grabs. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and will run until Sunday June 28 at Midnight (PST).
Susan McLeod's weekly giveaway for a choice out of The Eternal Kiss : Twelve Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire or Mean Streets plus a signed copy of either The Cold Kiss of Death, or The Sweet Scent of Blood. Second commentator drawn will win the other book. Contest open to all, and finishes end of day [anywhere] Wednesday 1st July 2009.
On Monday, Vampire Wire is part of a blog tour for Stephenie Meyer's The Host. I'll be having a contest for THREE COPIES of The Host, so be sure to stop by.
Amberkatze's Book Blog has an interview & contest with Ciara & Shane from Jeri Smith-Ready's WVMP series. The winner will get to choose one of Jeri's books as a prize. Jeri will send the winner a bookplate so the book will be signed, as well as a signed BTTB cover flat and a shiny metal bookmark with engraved paw prints and quotes about dogs.
A Journey of Books blog has an interview with Rachel Vincent and an impressive contest for Rachel's books. Open until July 2.
The League of Reluctant Adults has an interview and contest with Linda Robertson for an autographed copy of Vicious Circle. Open until Monday June 29.
The Deadline Dames has an interview and contest with Diana Rowland, debut author of Mark of the Demon, an utterly fabulous urban fantasy that you should go out and buy immediately! Two lucky readers will win an autographed copy of Mark of the Demon. All you have to do is leave a comment by midnight Eastern on Sunday, June 28.
The awesome Melissa Marr is giving away 6 autographed ARCs of MY SOUL TO TAKE and 3 un-signed copies of the LJ Smith 2 books in one omnibus (containing The Awakening & the Struggle). Click here to enter. I think you have to register and number your entry, but it's open to everyone. [Via Rachel Vincent's blog]
AUTHOR AND BOOK NEWS:On July 2 Sin City's Vicki Pettersson on CITY OF SOULS Authors On Air at Blog Talk Radio.
UPDATE: Kim Harrison will be hosting this show! At ComicCon in New York, Vicki brought down the house with her sly, take-no-prisioners humor at the "Kick Ass Female Authors and their Killer Heroines" forum. See why everyone is talking about this former Las Vegas showgirl...who is now the hottest new name in urban fiction! She's just out with CITY OF SOULS, the newest book in her Zodiac series - a real astral sign that you should listen in!The paperback of VALOR'S TRIAL by Tanya Huff is on the Globe and Mail's Canadian Bestseller List. A great tribute from Canadian SF author Robert J. Sawyer here.
Mark del Franco has turned in Connor book 4, now entitled UNPERFECT SOULS.
Deborah Cooke updates
Just wanted to remind you all that there's now an Out-Takes page on my Dragonfire website. The first scene to turn up there was originally in the Prologue to WINTER KISS - but it won't appear in the final book. I like it, though, and it will tell you a bit more about Magnus. You can read it now, while you're waiting for Delaney's book!You definitely need to read it before you read Niall's book, just FYI. There's also an excerpt posted on the WINTER KISS page, which WILL appear in the book. I'll let you know whenever I add scenes to this Out-Takes page.Devon Monk Book 4 of the Allie Beckstrom Series now has a title: MAGIC ON THE STORM.
Alyssa Day says - "I'm thrilled to share that I have a new 3-book deal for more Atlantis books!"
YA author Melissa Marr has closed her first adult deal with her longtime publisher, HarperCollins. Merrilee Heifetz of Writers House brokered the deal for two books for mid-to-high six figures. Jennifer Brehl at HC took North American rights. Heifetz described the first book, Graveminder, as "Six Feet Under laced with ancient Irish evil and a dash of Faulkner"; the second book is currently untitled. Marr's teen books Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange, dark paranormal titles featuring fairies who coexist uneasily with the few humans who can see them, earned starred PW reviews and were Book Sense Picks."
From Publishers Marketplace: Erica Hayes's SHADOWSONG, in which a knife-wielding banshee gangster's quest for revenge on the assassin who ruined her life is interrupted when a deluded fairy sorceress steals her magical song, again to Rose Hilliard at St. Martin's, in a two-book deal, by Marlene Stringer of the Stringer Literary Agency (World). Erica Hayes on her blog says - "Yeah, that's my series, now to be a glorious four books long. Mighty pleased, I am..."
Bone Shop is a free, serialized online prequel novella about the early adventures of Marla Mason (Crime boss. Sorceress. Badass.) by T.A. Pratt. Chapter One: Coming June 29th. Supported by donations from readers. Pay whatever you like.
Lilith Saintcrow has good news! Night Shift, the first Jill Kismet book, is now part of Hachette Book's Open Book program!
RhiReading has an excellent post summarizing the many urban fantasy and paranormal romance anthologies releasing in the next few months. Check it out. June was anthology month as well and Rhianna reviewed First Blood, Weddings From Hell, Shifter, My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance, My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, and Hotter Than Hell, with more planned.
Destined for an Early Grave Jeaniene Frost Book Trailer
Yasmine Galenorn has an update on her blog about her new series and the title of the eighth book in the Sisters of the Moon series. She says - "So yes, I did finish Night Myst, and it's on my editor's desk and I so hope she likes it because I love it. I'm going to start work in about a week on Harvest Hunting—Delilah's third book."
Interesting Anne Rice interview with comments on True Blood [at Examiner.com via Loving True Blood in Dallas]
Carrie Vaughn talks about the Uncanny Valley and liminality here. Fascinationg stuff. Interesting observation that applies to urban fantasy.
Sneak peak of Episode 3 of True Blood.
I found debut author Skyler White via Tez Says. Here is the cover for her first urban fantasy novel and Falling, Fly (although the website describes it as A dark fable of desire between a fallen angel & a self-medicating neuroscientist in a steampunk hell.). Coming in March 2010. Another second novel Deus Inversus is due in 2011. You can visit her blog here.
The angel of desire is damned.Olivia is a vampire bored with modernity. Tattooist, boyfriend, black-metal singer: everyone you don't love tastes the same. She returns to Ireland's subterranean L'Otel Matillide – the Hotel of the Damned — to bury her hope with her severed wings.NANCY HOLZNER
In this flame-papered, inertia-powered hotel, Olivia encounters Dominic O'Shaunnessey, a revolutionary neuroscientist secretly plagued by impossible visions. Dominic, convinced that Olivia is delusional and not damned, urges her to enroll in his research. His medication, he asserts, can cure her of mythology. She counters that his hallucinations are past-life memories and part of an ancient curse of repeated, remembered incarnations.
In a secret Hell where billionaires and burned-out rock stars mingle with ancient and allegorical beings, Olivia and Dominic discover the only force consistent between their opposing realities is the deep, erotic gravity between them. Bound to each other finally in a knot of interwoven freedoms, Dominic and Olivia — the vision-touched scientist and the earth-bound angel, reborn and undead — encounter the mystery of love: it is both fall and flight.
I also found debut author Nancy Holzner via Tez Says (way to go Tez!). She has a mystery novel releasing in August (Peace, Love, and Murder) and the start of a new urban fantasy series beginning with Deadtown in December 29, 2009. No synopsis available yet, but quite an impressive list of blurbs from other urban fantasy writers. You can see the complete list on her blog here.
"DEADTOWN is a perfect blend of mystery, fantasy, humor and even modern-day social issues. It's Boston as you've never seen it . . . where the shapes shift, the zombies gnaw, and the blood flows warm through the oh-so-delicious veins of the area known as Deadtown. Victory Vaughn gives evil a run for its money."
Anton Strout, author of DEAD TO ME
COVER ART RECAP:Jennifer Rardin shows of some very striking covers of her Jaz Parks books in German editions here.
New cover for Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione, the fourth book in the Demonica series. [via Lurv a la Mode]
New cover for Scorched by Sharon Ashwood [via Tez Says]
A new cover for Crimson & Steam by Liz Maverick, the ninth Crimson City series novel. I love the stories in this shared world of shapeshifters and vampires in futuristic Los Angeles. Other authors that have contributed to the series include Marjorie Liu, Patti O'Shea, Carolyn Jewel and Jade Lee. You can read more about the series here or visit Liz's website here.
As if peace might be achieved so easily. Darkness is rising: a mysterious plot shall force every inhabitant of Crimson City to take sides. Deliverance exists, but first must come a tale of impossible passion and discovery, of Marius and Jill in a race against time leading back to the city's paranormal beginnings, to Victorian London, to an era of invention and a world of *CRIMSON & STEAM*A new cover for Bad Blood by Marianne Mancusi (writing as Mari Mancusi) the newest entry in her YA urban fantasy Blood Coven series. You can visit her at her blog here or her website here.
A Blood Coven Vampire Novel
Sunny McDonald is in the ultimate forbidden relationship. Her boyfriend Magnus is a vampire, and the leader of the Blood Coven. Their differences have never been an issue, until now…
When the Blood Coven decides that Magnus needs a mate to be his co-ruler, Sunny's humanity puts her out of the running. The Coven's chosen candidate is Jane Johnson, a magna cum laude graduate of Oxford University who just happens to look like a vampiric celebutante.Sunny is suspicious of a Rhodes Scholar who can't answer the most basic poly-sci questions, but Magnus brushes it off as petty jealousy. Still, when the Blood Coven goes to Las Vegas for a vampire convention—where Magnus and Jane's bonding ceremony will be the main event—Sunny and her sister Rayne secretly tag along. And Sunny's not going home before she learns the truth about Jane. Because not everything stays in Vegas—especially bad blood…
A new cover for Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast, the first book in a new series coming in January 2010.
When you're a half incubus, your reputation precedes you…
All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about the half incubus who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms.
So when the Summer Queen of the fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, she is understandably on guard. She's fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before. In addition, Gabriel might be more than he seems and his true mission is far from innocent.
This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life…


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I would never fix my own car, file my own taxes or cut my own hair, I leave it to the experts, so I'm not going to pretend that I am a cookie baking queen anytime soon. I leave it to the experts, I turn to Heidi of Foodie Crush to show me how its done. Let's start with Triple Chocolate Oreo Chunk! I have to tell you, I don't LOVE making cookies, but these were super easy to make and SO GOOD. I would make them again!
Go to Heidi's site to download her eCookBooks, Cookie Cravings and Holiday Cookie Cravings NOW. You won't regret it! Jam-packed with a huge range of recipes that you will go back to for the rest of time.
No free recipe card download for these babies, go buy the books!
Yields 2 dozen cookies
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup Dutch-cocoa
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped white chocolate
1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup chopped Oreo cookies
1 / Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2 / In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
3 / With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix until blended.
4 / Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix until flour disappears. Stir in chocolate chunks and Oreos.
5 / Drop cookie dough by rounded table- spoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
6 / Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Don't over bake. (I thought they weren't done, but I did pull them out at about 9 minutes and they are perfect!) Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Leave 'em for Santa with a glass of cold milk, or eat them all yourself. They are incredibly rich and sweet and everything a cookie should be. Thanks Heidi for the recipe.
Come back for some more cookies tomorrow!
What are you baking? Tweetat me @128johnst with #SantasSnack with your images!


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Autumn Gear Guide
Find inspiration in our Gear Guide that will keep you out on your bike through wind or rain.Download Now
10 stylish men's and women's cycling jeans to cruise into autumn.
Fall is in full swing. With the beautiful autumn colors and cool, crisp days come a whole new set of fashion requirements for getting around town. Gone are the days of breezy dresses and short sleeves, now we bring on the layers! Jeans are our favorite fall and winter staple for both comfort and style, you can dress them up or dress them down. For a while, many everyday cyclists were forced to avoid jeans, finding them restrictive or overly warm, or both. But manufacturers have taken note, and in recent years, there has been a proliferation of breathable, moveable denim in a range of styles, designed with the active commuter in mind. Here are a few of our fall picks for men's and women's cycling jeans.
1. Ligne 8 Aubry Straight Leg Jean, $128 USD
This classic straight leg jean looks great with everything and is ideal for year-round wear. The denim is made of stretchy material and finished with Nanotex technology which actively repels water and stains. While the jean looks classic, it includes a number of integrated cycling-specific features, such as a higher back rise with a contoured waistband, a discreet gusset with a reverse denim print and an anti chafing liner. Both lower legs also include reflective trim and Ligne 8 reflective logos when jeans are cuffed.
2. Dish and Duer L2X Relaxed Skinny Jean, $119.00 CAD
Sometimes we don't want to choose between baggy and tight. The Relaxed Skinny jean is right in the middle. Stylish and comfortable so you have the great transition from your bike to your office or social life. They're designed with L2X® Coolmax fabric so you stay cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold. The new, all season stretch denim dries quickly and uses hollow core fibers that move moisture away from the body while maintaining a natural, breathable, feel.
3. Betabrand Black Bike to Work Skinny Jean, $118 USD
These are an elegant hybrid of the cycling jean and the work pant. These black jeans sport reflective cuffs when rolled up, plus an equally reflective pullout that can be pulled out from the rear pocket. Other cyclist-friendly features are a reinforced crotch, raised back cut for proper coverage, and a slight stretchiness in the fabric, which is water and soil repellant.
4. Levi's Commuter Skinny Jeans in Rosin, $108.00 USD
You can't get much more classic than a pair of Levi's, but the iconic brand brings it to the modern day with this commuter-inspired dark green pant. It's hard to find a biking jean in another color besides indigo and black, so this deep green color offers a refreshing change for fall and winter fashion. Bike friendly feature include a water-resistant fabric, 3M™ reflective details, and deeper back pockets for secure storage.
5. Rapha Women's Jean $220 USD
Rapha's women's jean fits tight yet is designed to move. The mid-rise skinny jean is made from a proprietary denim that is durable, stain-resistant and fast-drying. Cycling-specific features include offset seams for comfort in the saddle, hi-vis piping, and a reflective logo inside the ankle cuff.
1. Betabrand Black to Work Britches, $108.00 USD
The Black to Work Britches can take you from your bike to the office, back on your bike, and our for drinks later. The jeans boast stretchy denim, a gusseted crotch, U-lock loop in the back waistband, reflective 3M tape on the inseam and outseam of both legs and a rear pocket triangle flag, as well as a slightly higher rise for optimal coverage.
2. DU/ER Stone Wash Relaxed fit, $129.00 CAD
This is DU/ER's relaxed men's cycling jean. They have a slightly lower rise and more room in the butt and legs. Their coolmax fabric is designed to keep you cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold. Get five times the mobility in a fabric that is 30% lighter and 30% stronger than traditional denim.
3. Levi's Commuter's in BurntWood, $108.00 USD
It can also be difficult to find color options for men's cycling jeans. This deep shade of red is the perfect starting point for fall fashion. The style of Levi's with the function of a bike pant: reflective 3M tape on interior cuffs, U-lock storage on waistband, double-layered seat and back pockets, and odor-resistant Sanitized® protective finish.
4. Upright Cyclist Selvage Riding Denim, $159 USD
Upright Cyclist's Selvage jean is a classic, indigo men's jeans that can be adapted for any outfit or occasion. They have a higher waist for optimal coverage, and a tapered cuff with reflective panels on both ankles, as well as a nine-inch double gusseted seat for riding durability.
5. Swrve Cordura Regular Jeans $100 USD
Swrve's Cordura jeans are their relaxed, everyday jean, built for getting around town or grabbing a beer with friends. Cycling-specific features include a seamless gusseted crotch, articulated knees for easy bending, reflective striping inside the cuff, deep pockets for a mini U-lock or accessories, and a waist that sit high in the back for coverage, but low in the front to prevent it digging into your waist while riding.
Dear Geffen,
How do you not have Osloh jeans in this review? they have mens' and womans' jeans.
Thanks for the comment! I love Swrve shorts but the jeans didn't fit me well. Just returned them and giving the Osloh's a try.
Find inspiration in our Gear Guide that will keep you out on your bike through wind or rain.Download Now


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Don't miss Influence, a sustainability occasion for folks working in, or interested in travel and tourism. Pondering my 60s, I'm wondering what life has in store for me throughout the next 10 years. Sometimes I want I might look into a crystal ball and ask. Different occasions I need to be surprised. Please help me understand as a result of what I would like is a Tours & journey theme,, which can be capable to play a video on the web sites house web page and preferably which might be linked to you tube.
Underneath McBain, and later presidents Gerald A. Sivage and Joseph Burnham,, the company embarked upon a branch improvement program which would take it by the Nineteen Sixties and 70s. The subsequent store to open was in Skokie, Illinois, at the Previous Orchard Shopping Center developed in part by Marshall Field & Company in 1956. The store, with its Hawthorn Room restaurant, originally opened at 315,000 sq. ft. in measurement, however was expanded to 445,000 sq. ft. in a few years.
A couple of caveats should be considered here. First, the WTTC by no means clearly reveals how it comes up with its numbers. I have been trying to find this, and have even emailed them requesting it. So I'm not convinced that their numbers are anything greater than very tough estimates. UPDATE 6May08: I did find data on this, which is linked to a separate blog put up on Tourism Satellite tv for pc Accounts However, I didn't change my opinion of TSAs, which yow will discover extra data on in that different put up.
Marshall Area & Firm was the Grande Dame of Grande Dame American department Shops. Macy's may have had the larger constructing, and Neiman Marcus had extra exclusivity, however Subject's was the standard-bearer for the trade on account of its repute for high quality, its standing as a civic establishment, and because of its lovely, iconic retailer building in Chicago. A slogan used by the shop in nationwide promoting was There's nothing prefer it again residence,†and that was largely true. Read More About Travel Guide Here There have been positive stores across the country, but Marshall Field & Firm embodied all that was the perfect about the trade, and threw in its own cachet for good measure.
Area's had a brief dalliance with the Charlotte, North Carolina-primarily based J.B. Ivey & Co., that may have introduced the corporate and its fame to the southeast. Nevertheless, it was offered in the Nineteen Eighties and wound up in the arms of BATUS, the retail division of the British-American Tobacco Company. BATUS had additionally acquired Gimbel Brothers and its subsidiary, Saks Fifth Avenue. As the mum or dad company struggled via the 80s, Field's older branches have been closed, Gimbels ceased doing business (although the Milwaukee stores had been moderately unsuccessfully folded into the Chicago Shops division) and the plug was pulled on The Halle Brothers Co. in Cleveland.


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VAT gap narrows but €1.2bn still goes unpaid
Ireland could be losing out on €1.2 billion in revenue each year over its failure to collect tax on all goods and services liable for VAT, according to an EU report.
A study released by the European Commission has estimated that the tax authorities in Ireland are missing out on up to 11 per cent of all potential VAT revenue.
Official figures show that VAT receipts in Ireland amounted to almost €10.4 billion in 2013, the latest year for which comparative figures across the EU are available. However, it is estimated that the total amount that was liable for VAT was just under €11.6 billion.
The commission believes that the "VAT gap" in all EU member states could be reduced through improved enforcement and compliance…


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Time to pluck myself back to the nostalgic 90s...the time of the Tetsuya Komuro Boom(小室哲哉)with Namie Amuro(安室奈美恵)and trf. With those big stars in there, it can be easy to overlook that actress Ryoko Shinohara(篠原涼子)was also part of the TK collective. I first got to know about her from her mammoth hit "Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to"(恋しさとせつなさと心強さと)with Komuro as the theme song for "Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie".
She was in her early 20s then and was a very well-known face everywhere on the telly. Shinohara graced the magazines and commercials along with her appearances as a comic tarento on variety shows. But of course, there was her music career which began with her time as a member of Tokyo Performance Doll which led to her association with Komuro. A little over a year after scoring big success with "Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to", there was the other song that I knew by her, "Lady Generation". Well, mostly it was from the commercials plugging her 6th single from August 1995 and that saucy cover of the album of the same name. I have just seen the entire video for the first time in the last half-hour.
"Lady Generation" was also another Shinohara-Komuro collaboration but listening to the entire song, I didn't think it had quite the oomph factor that the "Street Fighter" theme had. Mind you, anyone who had a crush on Shinohara probably was quite satisfied from the music video. However, despite the familiar Komuro beat, the melody kinda stayed at the same level throughout.
The song was also used for a campaign involving Family Mart. That's one zippy song for a convenience food chain...although I enjoyed their bento over there. Anyways, "Lady Generation" managed to peak at No. 5 and went Double Platinum. It ended the year as the 64th-ranked single.


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About the Pure Land Project
The Pure Land Project is an initiative of the Wheel of Life Palliative Care Support Group, which is a social outreach community service attached to the Hayagriva Buddhist Centre, 64 Banksia Terrace, Kensington, WA 6151.
The Pure Land Project is currently in the process of registering as a not-for-profit charitable organization. We have our own website and bank account. There is a Steering Committee and an Advisory Committee comprised of Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Based on our experience in the Wheel of Life Palliative Care Support Group over the last ten years, running comprehensive training courses for care of the dying, it is now our intention to create a centre for care of the dying that has a focus on emotional and spiritual care. The following points summarize our model for the Pure Land of the Indestructible Buddha (Pure Land Centre):
- The Pure Land Centre will be a facility where dying people, classified as requiring only palliative care, can die in a peaceful and virtuous environment. Such an environment will allow the person to die in what is more like a 'sacred space' than at home, which is often a 'worldly place'.
- The dying person will have a well-equipped private room, and there will be adjoining rooms for their carers, who will usually be their family, to live in. The dying person's own spiritual teachers will be invited to visit frequently to provide spiritual guidance at the most important time approaching death.
- Trained Pure Land volunteers will be on hand to provide companionship, emotional and spiritual support, to both the dying person and their carers. Other volunteers will assist with cleaning, cooking, garden, and building maintenance. A Resident Manager will live at the Centre. The family/carers will be expected to live in much of the time and to take responsibility for the nursing and medical needs of the patient.
- Some ancillary services such as laundry, cleaning and meals, will be available. A full hospice service will not be offered. The Pure Land Centre will offer accommodation, companionship, emotional and spiritual care. As with 'home care', nursing and medical services will be arranged by family members, and will come from organizations such as Silver Chain.
- To help meet the costs of running the Centre, the patient, and their family/carer will need to make a contribution towards expenses.
In summary, the Pure Land Centre will provide the environment for a peaceful and virtuous death, for those who wish for an emphasis on emotional and spiritual care during their last weeks. The family/carers will be expected to take responsibility for the nursing and medical needs of the patient. Visiting professionals, from organizations such as Silver Chain, will provide the requested nursing and medical care. The Centre will be run primarily by trained volunteers, with a Resident Manager. The Centre will be open to all, but the main users initially are expected to come from Buddhist groups in Perth, and their families.


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Self-Improvement Skills Training
In this section:
Assertiveness Skills Training - Weight Loss Hypnotherapy - Relaxation Skills Training - Resilience Skills Training - Exercise/Fitness Goals Training
This is a very broad section based on a number of the insights and lessons learned through practising, ongoing study and feedback from clients and contemporaries. Hypnotherapy is not just about what it removes (like anxiety, a phobia or a damaging pattern of behaviour) but also what it can give. It is not unrealistic to be unsatisfied simply to not struggle but to actually excel, to rise-above, develop and master things which don't necessarily come naturally. This is achievable and hugely rewarding.
Assertiveness Skills Training
Assertiveness comes at number one in the list of great life-skills to improve. The general public perception of assertiveness, whilst not incorrect, hardly does this vital concept justice. The classic examples people think of regarding assertiveness are along the lines of sending a substandard meal back in a nice restaurant or challenging a stranger who has cut-in to the queue ahead of you. These examples do require an aspect of assertiveness but it is so much more than that.
Assertiveness is nothing less than the ability, and the consistent action, to give voice and expression to how you feel at the precise moment you feel it. This applies for positive or negative. If someone has wronged you, you tell them right at the very moment it happens without intervening, complicating over-thought. If someone's company is enjoyable to you, you say as much as soon as think it.
It takes a while to grasp what this is all about but once the value of this approach has become apparent it can be applied to every aspect of your life. This is the key to living an 'authentic' life. It changes your perception of the world around you and your relationship with it. Others will notice the difference and warm to the new you.
Best of all this kind of assertiveness training is a wonderful antidote to anxiety. When practised correctly this kind of assertiveness cannot coexist with the anxious mindset and the negative is replaced with the positive.
Weight-loss Hypnotherapy
So much of what is written and said about 'diet' and weight control is detrimental to the task at hand. The idea of moralising and 'shaming' when it comes to weight has become normalised. From the outset there are a few principles to establish: There is no body shape that is more, or less, shameful or virtuous than any other. Body shape has no moral dimension whatsoever. Neither does any of the food we eat. If you have eaten a small salad for lunch you have been neither 'good' nor 'bad'. The same is true if you had a large slice of cake - you have not been 'naughty', you just had some cake. It is entirely inappropriate to assign a moral code to things which exist outside of moral consequence. It is time this link was broken. One of the main reasons so many people get frustrated with trying to lose weight is that they fall into a classic trap, resulting from such judgement: go for a two mile jog ('good' behaviour) rewarded with a muffin and a latte ('naughty' but justified by previous 'good'), resulting in calorific surplus. Or, just as damaging: have a sweet snack between meals, feel bad and angry because of this 'sin', less likely to stick to exercise goals, more likely to commit further food 'sins'.
This key is to remove counter-productive morality from the equation. Nobody owes anyone else their body shape and there is no food in the world that is 'naughty' to eat.
In addition it is time to revert the word 'diet' back to being a noun rather than the verb it has erroneously become. No-one is 'dieting'. Everyone has a 'diet'. If you wish to lose weight it may very well be wise to shift to a diet that you will stick to indefinitely, not a diet that you cannot bear to stick with beyond two months. Thus you will be free of the curse of 'dieting' for life.
Relaxation Skills Training
It may seem counter-intuitive that specific training is required in how to relax but it is clear from the work I have done in this area how truly necessary this can be. I use some aspect of relaxation training with all of my clients and their response to the experience is generally extremely revealing. We assume that we have the ability to relax at will and do so daily but it is only when time is taken to use specific relaxation methods that we realise that this is not the case. True relaxation feels immediately distinct from what we are used to. The restorative effects can be profound both physically and psychologically.
The skills that are learned with this training are of use in the short and the long term. The methods and procedures will be of great benefit for years to come.
Resilience Skills Training
One of the first things that sparked my interest in hypnotherapy came about as the indirect result of working in the City during the economic crisis of 2008 and its aftermath. The industry changed massively in a relatively short space of time and from a position of confident profit-making the environment suddenly became fraught, panic-stricken and far less certain. What fascinated me was the diversity of the responses to this change, particularly from those in senior managerial positions. Some found the change in circumstances intolerable and clearly struggled to cope. Others seemed immune to its stress, rolled with the punches and found news ways to adapt and ultimately to thrive. All were under similar pressures yet some had a resilience that others lacked.
The concepts and approaches that are key to this resilience can be analysed, learned and adopted. We have a genuine choice of how we respond to external forces. We can learn to be one of those people who not just survive, or pretend to be ok, but truly and serenely thrive in high pressure environments.
Exercise/Fitness Goals training
In little more than a generation the active participation in activities designed to improve physical conditioning or even obtain the ideal body has increased from a fringe interest to a societal norm. Whole industries have sprung up in support of this, new foods introduced to the popular diet, kitchen appliances launched to prepare them, new branches of media developed to cater for the fitness-conscious and a whole network of 'revolutionary advice', usually of a spurious nature, to disclose 'secrets' of achieving a flat stomach or swollen pecs etc.
The secret is there is no secret. For those wishing to obtain the physique of the fitness models the first thing to know is that even the fitness models don't look like that (most are by now aware of this). The next thing to know is that small tweaks to an already pretty-much optimum diet won't make the difference advertised and this new type of exercise routine won't deliver the results promised. The less exciting reality is that there is nothing new under the sun. What works is hard work, consistency and a sensibly designed diet that is broadly adhered to.
This may initially sound like bad news, but it is actually good. If consistent hard work and eating sensibly are not currently things you find yourself able to do then it's time to learn. New patterns of behaviour can be learned, adopted and become the new normal for you. Focus on the behaviour, you take care of what you do. When you do that the results you want are inevitable.


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Grant Assistance Program
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FireGrantsHelp provides grant assistance by category through direct assistance request forms. Once a department submits a form, there are three options for assistance:
- Find grants to fund your project or program by subscribing to Fire GrantFinder: a subscription research database focused on grants for fire and rescue. Contact us today to learn more!
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Read what other departments have to say about our grant assistance services. Testimonials
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- Who We Are
- What's ON
- The Waterfront
- Learning
- Support Us
What's On Calendar
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Janak Khendry Dance Company - KAAL - TIME
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Time creates itself, maintains itself, and ultimately dissolves itself − along with the universe − when the time cycle is complete. This fascinating production centres on the history of time and how it came into existence and our connection to it.
For details, inquire at the Info Desk or call 416 973 4000.


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How to Configure Site Navigation in SharePoint 2010
Most clients usually want a static menu that doesn't change anytime someone decides to publish an article page. You accomplish this by deselecting the Show Pages and Show Subsites options in the navigation settings for each SharePoint 2010 site. You can then manually enter whatever navigation you want to appear in the global and current navigation for each site.
To manually configure your navigation items:
Browse to the site you want to configure and then choose Site Settings→Modify Navigation.
Scroll down to the Navigation Editing and Sorting section.
This section shows a hierarchy of your global and current navigation items. The items you see here depend on the settings you make in the global navigation and current navigation settings of the page. For example, if you select the Show Subsites in Global Navigation option, you see subsites listed in this section of the page.
To add a new navigation to your global or current navigation, click the place in the hierarchy where you want to add the item.
Click the Add Heading button to add a new heading, or click the Add Link button to add a new link.
Here is the Add Heading dialog box. The Add Link dialog box looks exactly the same. A heading doesn't require a web address or URL. That is, you can use a heading to contain links without requiring that the heading point to anything in the browser.
Enter the details for the navigation item.
You have these options:
Title: The text you enter in this field appears in the navigation menu.
URL: Enter the page where the item links to. This is an optional field for headings.
Open Link in New Window: Select this check box to open the link in a new window.
Description: The text you enter in this field displays as a ToolTip when someone hovers over the navigation item.
Audience: Use this text box to filter the navigation item so that only members of the selected audience can see the navigation item.
Get creative about adding navigation items.
Click OK to save your heading or link.
The heading appears in the site's navigation hierarchy. Use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to reposition the item in the hierarchy.
Repeat Steps 3–6 to add more links and headings to your navigation hierarchy.
Use the Hide and Edit buttons to make additional changes to the hierarchy.
Click the Hide button to mark items in the hierarchy that shouldn't appear in the site's navigation. Click the Edit button to modify the title, description, link, or audience for a navigation item.
Click OK to save your navigation settings.


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Balance: Benefit or Bluff?
To give you a flavor of the literature using balanced operation as a selling point, Audio Research's literature for their LS5 preamplifier describes "an imposing array of...professional-grade XLR connectors...clearly proclaims the fully balanced design...an uncompromising approach. While the professional industry and recording studio used balanced operation and connectors as a standard for many years, the consumer electronic industry is only now gradually adapting its products to this superior format."
In my view, unwarranted and unwanted assumptions are being made in the dissemination of such claims. I am not singling out Audio Research—this approach is rife at present.
A state of madness currently exists wherein several international markets are discriminating against some excellent audio equipment simply because it doesn't have balanced signal connections. This is madness; there's no reliable proof that an audio system with balanced connections sounds any better than a well-designed normal system. In fact, time and again, top-line components that come my way for evaluation suggest no advantage—and, in some cases, even demonstrate performance loss—for balanced operation.
Market pressures are so great that, much against their better judgment, a number of designers are succumbing to the demand for balanced equipment, passing the extra cost on to their customers. For example, I know of a fine D/A processor that delivers superb sound quality in its normal form. One of its primary virtues is its very short signal path following the DAC chip, which the designer refused to sully with the usual, compromised, tacked-on balanced output amplifier. To maintain sound quality in the market-mandated balanced form, the designer was driven to replicate the entire DAC chain, driving the second DAC with a non-invasive, inverted digital data signal in order to achieve the pair of audio outputs for balanced working. It almost doubles the cost of the decoder, with no perceptible audible benefit. [However, it does lower DAC noise by 3dB, which some will feel a worthwhile increase in resolution, while the D/A processor's overall linearity can also be improved.—Ed.] While this is an extreme example, there's no dispute that balanced designs generally cost more.
Most "balanced" products are, in fact, single-ended inside with messy, potentially sound-corrupting conversion buffer/amplifiers at the inputs and outputs. Some components even have more amplification stages in the cold line than in the hot. Only a few products are truly balanced from input to output, but then costs escalate. For example, a true balanced preamplifier, such as the Audio Research LS5, needs a four-gang selector switch and a four-gang volume control, each section closely matched to the others.
Normal vs. balanced
I suspect many of us do not know what balanced operation is, other than that it involves a different kind of signal connector from the familiar RCA plug.
Audiophiles have lived with normal connections—two wires, respectively, for ground and signal connections—for decades without experiencing significant problems (figs.1 & 2). Even the requirements of those delicate low-level signals from moving-coil cartridges can be handled satisfactorily, provided that appropriate care is taken with local hum fields and system grounding. And with digital sources, the signal levels are so high that noise and hum are considered wholly negligible. If a normal, unbalanced connection can be made to work for a tenth of a thousandth of a volt signal from a low-output phono cartridge, it must be cast-iron reliable for the 1V or 2V signal from a modern digital source.
Fig.1 An unbalanced signal connection.
Fig.2 A typical unbalanced amplifier input stage (which may be either discrete or in the form of an IC).


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A friend of mine sent me the text of this hymn as she was going to bed on the other side of the world, encouraging me in my work of carrying on "the global rhythm of prayer and praise."
And now, at bedtime here in Dubai, I'm reminded of the profound truth that God's mercies are new every morning-- and it's always morning somewhere.
Enjoy this hymn written by John Ellerton (1870):
- The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.
- We thank Thee that Thy church, unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.
- As o'er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.
- The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.
- So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth's proud empires, pass away:
Thy kingdom stands, and grows forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.


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My Thoughts on the Ken Burn's Special
I watched Ken Burn's special show about Vietnam with mixed feelings. I was sure that he was going to portray us in the worst possible light, and though some of it reflected badly on the American solider, I think that, for the most part it was an honest presentation.
It was interesting to see the war from the point of view of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers…who suffered far more than we did. We learned, for example, that the families of the NVN and VC who were killed in battle never got any official notification.
One memory that has stayed in my mind for over a half-century now, was during a recovery operation when a VC sniper began shooting at us. We had an infantry platoon providing security, and they, rather quickly, located, and killed the sniper. They buried him right there, then smoothed down the dirt so that there was no sign of the burial.
We had no idea who he was, of course, and so now, more than fifty years later, he remains in an unmarked grave. Any family he had, had no idea what happened to him . . . as far as they were concerned, he just disappeared.
The part of the show that covered the years 66 and 67, was particularly meaningful to me…I lost six friends during that period. While in Germany, I was on a bowling team, composed of four Warrant officers, all of whom deployed from Germany, to Vietnam. By the end of that Vietnam tour, I was the only one of that bowling team that was still alive.
This is not the normal kind of post for me….I didn't share any vignette to amuse or inform…I just shared some of the emotions stirred in me by the Ken Burns special.
Here is a photo of our helicopter. This was taken on the flight line of the 56th Trans Company. When a helicopter would go down, we would go to the site and rig it for recovery. Our motto was: "You crash and call…we dash and haul."


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About Us
As a nonprofit land trust, the Katy Prairie Conservancy works to protect greenspace for its conservation and recreational benefits, enhance wildlife habitat, restore tallgrass prairie and wetlands, sponsor scientific research, and offer public programming and activities to introduce the general and school-aged public to the sights and sounds of the prairie.
KPC Quick Facts
- Acres Protected: KPC has protected 20,000+ acres since 1992
- How We Protect Land: KPC protects land through purchase and through conservation easement agreements.
- Biodiversity Powerhouse: The Katy Prairie is home to 300+ species of resident and migratory birds, 110 species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, and more than 600 species of grasses, wildflowers, trees, vines, and shrubs.
- How We Fund Our Work: Combination of funding that comes from foundations, organizations, corporations, individuals, and competitive federal grants.
Mission and goals:
The mission of the Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC) is to protect a sustainable portion of the Katy Prairie for the benefit of its wildlife and all Texans forever.
Long-term goals are to:
protect between 30,000 - 50,000 acres of the Katy Prairie;
provide access and programming to allow the public to enjoy the Katy Prairie;
manage protected land to preserve and enhance its natural resources;
restore and improve habitat for upland- and wetland-related species;
offer programs that educate participants on the importance of conserving the prairie;
conduct and facilitate research that helps KPC achieve its mission; and,
involve a broad spectrum of organizations and individuals to meet KPC's objectives.
KPC has already conserved 20,000 acres of the Katy Prairie, a once vast tallgrass prairie that is still home to hundreds of species of wildlife and native grasses and wildflowers. The prairie is also enormously productive, offering services to the region, including reducing downstream flooding, removing sediment and pollutants from nearby wetlands and water bodies, offering great recreational opportunities, and sequestering carbon. Yet, the prairie's proximity to the fourth largest city and one of the fastest growing regions in the United States makes it an attractive site for residential and commercial development as well.
Click here to read about the history of the Katy Prairie.
View KPC's awards and achievements
View KPC's most recent 990
If you would like to know more about the Katy Prairie Conservancy's financial policies, practices, and position, please click on the GuideStar link for access to KPC's annual reports, audited financial statements, letters of determination, and other documents. GuideStar is a project of Philanthropic Research, Inc. (PRI), a nonprofit organization.