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The Full 90
Sporting KC plans for future with sale of Oriol Rosell
Selling a player as talented, respected, enjoyable to watch and revered as Oriol Rosell is never going to be an easy pill to swallow.
Simply stating the economic benefits of selling him or the additional flexibility Sporting Kansas City will gain isn't going to help make the pill go down any better. Even if both are absolutely true and played significant factors in the move.
Uri was the anchor of the team's midfield. An exceptional passer who excelled at calm distribution, he was instrumental in orchestrating Kansas City's attack. He was also vitally important in breaking up the opponent's attacks with well-timed interceptions. He was also extremely young and oozing potential. Many, including myself, could've seen him developing into one of Major League Soccer's best midfielders in a few years.
"It was a decision we made as an organization that was good for both sides," Sporting KC coach and technical director Peter Vermes told The Star on Tuesday. "Uri's been great for us. Now it's time for us to move on to the next step."
The "next step" is important in that sentence. Vermes is always thinking about the evolution of his roster. Since taking over as coach in 2010, he hasn't shied away from tough decisions. Whether it be trading Kevin Hartman and Jack Jewsbury, letting Roger Espinoza walk, or selling Kei Kamara.*
*That's not to say every decision has been a home run. Lest we forget the Pablo Escobar era.
Think of it this way: Rosell has been consistently good for Kansas City and has earned a chance to take an (assumed) increase in salary. Sporting KC received an invaluable resource (money) that will allow them flexibility to keep evolving into the future. That, like the move with Kei Kamara, is a win-win.
Of course, it's hard to hear talk about the past and the future when the present is an ugly five-game winless streak and a defense struggling to find four healthy bodies to play together.
Staying in the present tense, there isn't a single player on the roster capable of playing defensive midfielder at Uri's level. Benny Feilhaber can duplicate the passing acumen, but isn't quite as defensively sound. Also, his creativity is sorely missed for KC further up the field. Lawrence Olum can cover the ground and break up play, but he isn't a prolific passer. Paulo Nagamura isn't fast enough. Alex Martinez not experienced enough.
If Kansas City doesn't back up this move with activity in the transfer market, we can all come back and revisit this topic.
But that's how the economics of Major League Soccer work. The league, despite growth and expansion, is still a relative minnow in the world transfer market. Even after the big splashes of Clint Dempsey, Jermain Defoe and, soon, David Villa, most MLS teams are hampered by salary caps and roster restrictions. It's an uphill battle trying to attract and keep talent.
Especially after a team becomes highly visible. Like, say, after winning a championship.
Because of these factors, an MLS roster is a constantly mutating organism. It's fluid in a way that NFL and NBA rosters aren't. One move often requires another move to set it up — a situation that often requires blind faith on the part of the fandom. As is the case now.
"We're in a place where at times you can't compete with foreign clubs because of the kind of dynamics they have in regards to finances. We have a salary cap. They don't. So certain situations dictate what you have to do," Vermes said. "But we've always managed to do the right thing, especially for the long term of our organization. As much as we liked Uri and he liked it here and everything else and he fit into our team well, there's other guys that can play there and will do a good job for us."
Sporting KC's CEO Robb Heineman told Sam McDowell that the money from the sale of Uri will be used to add transfers and potentially extend the contracts of existing players, such as Matt Besler and Graham Zusi.
He's talking about allocation money. Which is the lifeblood of an MLS team. The money generated by a transfer can be used as allocation money to buy down budget charges and sign new players. If Kansas City is lining up a move for a new designated player (say, maybe, a midfielder), it would need cap flexibility and money to do so.
Of course, it was a good bit of business for Sporting KC. If reports are correct and KC is going to get more than $1 million, well that's one third of the team's total salary cap. The front office acquired Uri on a free transfer. That's an exceptional return on investment.
However, many fans aren't likely to view players as investments. Nor should they. Fans view them, rightly, as players. Often, objects of adoration is more accurate.
Which is why it's often tough to see them go. Especially when you don't have the ability to see what the next move is yet.
This is a process of evolution. In a league that's ripe with parity, there's a very short shelf life on being good. Sometimes, the tough decision — which teams like Los Angeles, Salt Lake and Kansas City make on the regular — is to sell a player at an opportune time to lay the groundwork for another move in the difficult job of fighting to stay on top.


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The heavenly view from Alishan National Scenic Area on Lishan and other mountains in Taiwan.
I took this panorama of mount Fuji from the lake Kawaguchi. It was a spectacular view I would recommend anyone to experience.
The lake is part of Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes). Did you know that this vulcano is the highest mountain in japan with 3.776,24m?
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
The wonderful sunset of the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine in Hiroshima, Japan.
Golden Skyline
Seen from the Taipei 101.
I waited a couple of hours to capture the best light on that amazing city in Taiwan.

subset: commoncrawl


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Want a Free SEOmoz PRO Account? Prove It!Blog Post: February 19, 2009
I'm not sure I actually NEED the membership, but I do desperately WANT to be a pro member. Basically I just want to be able to login and ask Rebecca questions via Q&A so she will be obligated to respond.
I don't know if this is a good enough reason to warrant winning the contest, but it's going to take a pretty compelling entry to top "wanting to annoy Rebecca" as the most noble cause.


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Leonardi Hearing Center
Click Map to Expand Area
Meet Our Staff
William Huntley
W.L. "Hunter" Huntley III, HAS., BC-HIS is a native Floridian, growing up in Coral Gables. After graduating from high school, he attended Edinboro State University in PA on a football scholarship. He finished his education at the University of Florida. After he graduated in 1982, he had extensive training with several major hearing aid manufacturers, including Beltone, Oticon, Starkey, Nu-Ear, Audina, Sonic Innovations, and Rexton, among others. He has dedicated his life to serving the hearing impaired since the mid 80s. He is Nationally Board Certified, a member of the International Hearing Society, Florida Society of Hearing Healthcare Professionals, and a Senior Master Hearing Instrument Specialist. Since 1993, Hunter is a 2-time brain cancer survivor. He appreciates everyday and takes great pride and pleasure in helping people resolve their hearing problems. He is very resourceful and open-minded when it comes to addressing each individuals needs.
Hunter was voted one of the Best Hearing Healthcare Professionals in the nation by the Hearing Review magazine for 2012.
Debbie Stewart
Debbie has been a valued member of the Leonardi Hearing Center family since March of 2012. She is the person you will first hear on the phone and makes our reminder calls for your appointments. She is very patient and will help you decide when and what time you would like to set up your hearing examination. She very friendly, personable, and enjoys helping people.
Lori Huntley
Lori is a valued member of the Leonardi Hearing Center family. She is compassionate and is very patient with our patients. She is knowledgeable in the day-to-day happenings. She works at Leonardi Hearing on Thursdays and Fridays, and to fill-in at vacation times or illness. She is also Hunter's wife.
Contact Us
Leonardi Hearing Center
16251 N. Cleveland Ave. #8
Corner of Littleton Road
North Fort Myers, FL 33903
Phone: 239-997-8288
Toll-Free: 866-332-0566
Fax: 239-997-8084
Email: leonardihearingcenter
Monday thru Thursday
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Friday and Saturday by Appointment
"The Best 13 Years"


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Michigan Board's Proposal Would Provide Youths a Shortcut to College
Michigan 10th and 11th graders who passed a state exam would have the option of enrolling in college, under a proposal put forward by the state board of education.
The state board last month overwhelmingly endorsed the plan, which requires legislative approval. Under the unusual proposal, high school students who passed the test could receive public funding for their continued education at a community college or public four-year college or university.
"If students who are 16 years old can elect to drop out of school, I think they should be able to elect to select a program that meets their needs,'' Superintendent of Public Instruction Robert E. Schiller said last week.
Mr. Schiller said the proposal has been forwarded to Gov. John Engler, whose office the board has asked to work with the legislature to develop necessary changes in state law.
The superintendent also has asked the state attorney general's office for an opinion on whether state funds could be provided to students who elected to leave high school early to attend a private institution.
Mr. Schiller said he consulted with several education groups in developing the college-option plan. But Jack D. Bittle, the executive director of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, said his organization "strongly'' opposes it.
"They are virtually saying there is nothing in high school worth learning past the sophomore year,'' Mr. Bittle said last week.
"So far, I have not found anyone who is able to convince me that it is advantageous to send a 15-year-old off to college,'' he added. "There is a lot of socialization and growing up that happens, as well as the academic things, during that time.''
Individual Education Accounts
The proposal would give 10th and 11th graders who successfully complete a state proficiency examination that will be required in a few years for graduation several options beyond staying in their high school, provided they also meet all local graduation requirements.
Students could continue their high school education in another district, enroll simultaneously in a public high school and a community college, or attend a postsecondary institution full time.
"Basically, this grows out of the fact that the Governor and the state board have a commitment to schools of choice and offering as many options and opportunities as we can to our students,'' Mr. Schiller said.
Students who enrolled in public institutions of higher education ahead of schedule would be credited with Individual Education Accounts for each year until their high school classes graduated.
The amount in the accounts, to be used to pay tuition, would equal either the per-pupil spending in the student's district of residence or the actual tuition cost of the receiving higher-education institution, whichever was less.
"We are not saying kids should shorten their education,'' Mr. Schiller said. "What we are doing instead is encouraging them to further their learning.''
Use of Test Questioned
Mr. Bittle of the principals' group said he also objected to the board's decision to base the college option on the state proficiency exam. A 1991 law requires all students in the class of 1997 and beyond to pass the test in order to graduate.
Mr. Bittle said the test, slated to be offered for the first time in 1995, was designed to measure whether students have acquired certain basic academic skills--not whether their high school education is complete.
Chris Pipho, the director of state relations for the Education Commission of the States, pointed to one issue not addressed so far in the Michigan proposal--parent involvement in the student's decision. That question severely complicated the implementation of early-exit plans in California and Florida, which experimented with the idea in the 1970's, he noted.
Parents feared children would take the tests to exit from school
without their knowledge, Mr. Pipho said.
Vol. 13, Issue 06
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All comments are public.


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In this review, we cover what we believe to be the 3 best travel reward credit cards on the market in 2016. If you learn how to use travel reward credit cards like these, you'll soon be on your way to free or discounted flight and hotel stays. Learn about other great travel deals and credit cards throughout our travel deals series.
Each of the following travel credit card products are used by millions of people and are issued by reputable credit card brands.
Note that if you really want to make the most of, and substantially increase your points and miles balance, you'll need excellent credit. The three travel reward credit cards below all require that the consumer have excellent credit in order to be considered for approval. Please read each of our reviews below for specific details on each travel credit card, and then click the link to be taken directly to the card issuers webpage for additional fine print.
What are the Best Travel Reward Credit Cards to Get This Year?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
The Chase Sapphire is a Visa rewards credit card. Rewards, as they relate to this card, first equate to points; which can be redeemed for free and discounted flights, car rentals, hotel stays and cash (redemption options go past these, but this is where you'll find the most value). I've been a long time client of JP Morgan Chase. Since opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, I've earned over 200,000 miles (points) and a couple dozen free round trip flights.
New account holders will earn 50,000 points in their Chase credit card account if they spend $4,000 dollars within the first 3 months of opening the account. Have a friend or family member who likes to travel? Refer them and you'll earn more. Oh, you like food and traveling? Everytime you use your card at a restaurant (includes fast-food), you earn 2x points per dollar. The same goes for any travel related purchase, like flights, cabs, rental cars and hotel spending. The Chase Sapphire also comes with no foreign transaction fees, making this literally the only card I use abroad. It comes with no fee for the first year of membership, and then you'll pay $95 annually. Considering the signup bonus alone will cover this for 5 years, it's a non-issue.
My favorite part about this card is the Ultimate Rewards portal. It's an interface within your credit card account that lets you search hundreds of hotel, airline and car rental merchants. If you're looking to plan a trip, Ultimate Rewards simplifies the process like no other and presents you with point redemption options along with regular purchases. If you opt out of using your points for a particular trip — you can pay for that same trip through Ultimate Rewards and earn 3x points per dollar spent. That makes this the most lucrative credit card for travel purchases. You can also transfer your points to a wide variety of airline and hotel programs at a 1:1 ratio.
Here are Chases' current 2015 terms for the Sapphire Preferred card. Keep in mind that credit card issuers change the Terms & Conditions of their products incredibly frequently. It's important that before you apply, you read the current terms so you know what you're getting into. If used responsibly, credit cards be an incredible asset to the frequent or wannabe frequent traveler.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- Earn 5,000 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening
- $0 foreign transaction fees, plus chip-enabled for enhanced security and wider acceptance when used at a chip card reader
- 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs at full value — that means 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points equal 1,000 partner miles/points
- Travel and shop with confidence with premium Travel and Purchase Protection Benefits, including Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Purchase Protection and more
- 24/7 direct access to dedicated customer service specialists
- Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95
*Hint* — Renting a car? No need to pay extra for that collision coverage at an additional $20 per day. Chase actually encourages you to charge the whole thing. Their coverage is primary, which means that they will provide reimbursement up to the confirmed cash value of any vehicle following an accident or theft. This coverage is provided for most rental merchants globally.
You can apply for the Chase Sapphired Preferred here. Keep in mind that this is a credit card product for the consumer who maintains an excellent credit rating. Ideally over 740+.
American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
American Express is a great issuer because they pride themselves on customer service. The name has a certain ring of exclusivity to it as well which I'm sure their marketers are aware of. If you look behind all that, there's serious value in their credit cards. Especially when it comes to the Starwood Preferred.
You automatically earn 10,000 points after the first purchase and an addition 15,000 when you spend $5,000 in the first 6 months. Make sure when you apply for credit cards that have a spend threshold that you space them out. $5,000 is definitely relatively easy to hit in 6 months if you put all of your spending on this one card (and you're not a college student). That's ultimately 25,000 Starpoints you can use to redeem hotel stays around the world with Starwood partners or over 150 airline companies.
This card also comes with no fee for the first year, and then you're charged $65 annually. Low compared to most other reward products.
- Earn up to 25,000 bonus Starpoints®
- Earn 10,000 Starpoints after your first purchase on the Card and an additional 15,000 Starpoints after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
- Redeem Starpoints for free nights at over 1,100 hotels & resorts in nearly 100 countries and for free flights on over 150 airlines with SPG Flights – all with no blackout dates.
- Some hotels may have mandatory service and resort charges.
- Starpoints stay active as long as you continue to spend on your Card.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65.
- Terms and Restrictions apply.
You can apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest from American Express here. As with most prime travel reward credit cards, this is also a credit card geared towards the consumer who maintains an excellent credit rating. Have a question about this? Ask us in the comments.
Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard
Barclaycard has come on strong in the last 2 years as a major player in the credit card industry. This card dropped in and gave Chase a punch in the nose saying "we CAN compete with you." The Arrival Plus is a flexible card, but not in the way that Starwood or the Chase Sapphire is. Pickup a quick 40,000 points when you open your card account and spend $3,000 in the first three months. When you earn points with this card, you redeem them like you would cash. If you earn 10,000 points by spending money with it, that translates in $100 in rewards. That $100 must be redeemed in your Barclaycard account as a statement credit. IE: My Balance this Month = $500, but I have 10,000 points, if I redeem that, my balance is now $400. Maff, though, and yes I went to MIT. Separately, you'll get an additional 10% back when you redeem your points as statement credits. The BEST part about this card, which in some ways makes it better than the Chase Sapphire, is that you earn 2x points on EVERY purchase. Not just travel and dining. Like the other two cards above, it also comes with a free first year. After one year of card membership with Barclaycard, you'll pay $89 annually. Which, again, is covered for 4 years by the signup bonus alone. Finally, there's no foreign transaction fees, which makes it a great backup to the Sapphire since it's a MasterCard.
*Hint* I rotate this card with my Sapphire and AMEX Starwood. If I'm eating out or spending money on travel, I'll use the Sapphire. If I'm buying ANYTHING ELSE under $200, I use the Barclay Arrival. Anything over $200 that doesn't fall under travel and dining, goes on my AMEX Starwood. Anyway, that's my routine, and it's helped me maximize hundreds of thousands of miles without getting 800 credit cards.
- Earn 40,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days — that's enough to redeem for a $400 travel statement credit
- 0% intro APR for 12 months for each Balance Transfer made within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable APR currently 14.99% or 18.99%, depending on your creditworthiness.
- Earn 2X miles on all purchases – Miles don't expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing
- Chip card for increased confidence and convenience to pay abroad as easily as you do at home
- Redeem your miles for travel statement credits – redemptions start at 2,500 miles for $25 toward travel purchases made in the last 120 days
- Get 10% miles back to use toward your next redemption every time you redeem for travel statement credits
- No foreign transaction fees on anything you buy while in another country
- Complimentary online FICO® Credit Score access for Barclaycard Arrival cardmembers
Apply for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite here. As an FYI, this credit card requires an excellent credit rating like the others we discussed.


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Web Date: May 13, 2013
Urine Test May Detect Pregnancy Problems
News Channels: Analytical SCENE, Biological SCENE
Keywords: urine test, metabolomics, NMR, pregnancy, prenatal testing, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, trisomy 21
By analyzing metabolites in the urine of expectant mothers, doctors could diagnose problems in pregnancy earlier than with current tests, according to a new study (J. Proteome Res. 2013, DOI: 10.1021/pr4002355).
Currently, urine analysis has limited use in prenatal testing. Doctors use it to diagnose maternal infections or to look for proteins in urine that signal preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure in pregnant women. A team led by Ana M. Gil at the University of Aveiro, in Portugal, decided to look at the full range of metabolites excreted in urine to see if they could find ones that indicate potential complications in pregnancy.
The team took urine samples from 300 pregnant women in their second trimester and stored the samples until the end of the pregnancies. Some women went on to be diagnosed with specific complications. Others had no problems.
After the women gave birth, Gil and her colleagues analyzed each urine sample using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The researchers then performed a statistical analysis on the NMR data to compare urine from the women with a certain complication to that of mothers who had no issues. From this analysis, the researchers identified characteristic patterns of NMR peaks that corresponded with preeclampsia, preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, fetal malformations, and the chromosomal disorder trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome.
For some of the conditions, the team could connect the NMR signatures with specific metabolites by comparing peaks in the signatures to those in the spectra of known metabolites. For example, women who went on to suffer preeclampsia showed lower levels of fumarate, acetate, and formate—compounds not previously linked to the condition.
Some of the complications identified by the NMR technique aren't easy to diagnose in the second trimester using conventional tests. The researchers could find an NMR signature linked to gestational diabetes, which usually is tough to detect through blood tests before 24 weeks into a pregnancy. They also found differences in amino acids present in the urine of women who went on to have intrauterine growth restriction, which stops the fetus from growing properly. Gil says doctors often don't detect this condition until later in a pregnancy.
The urine tests also revealed differences in the levels of glucose and certain amino acids in women whose babies had trisomy 21. Doctors usually diagnose this disorder with an invasive procedure such as amniocentesis, in which they collect fetal cells from the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus with a needle.
Warwick Dunn, an expert in the study of metabolites at the University of Birmingham, in the U.K., says that the researchers next need to test a larger and more geographically diverse population of women to determine if the NMR method is clinically useful. More testing is necessary, he says, because the types and levels of metabolites in urine can change based on a wide range of conditions, including diet or other lifestyle choices. But if the NMR technique can be validated, he believes it will help identify pregnancies at risk.
- Chemical & Engineering News
- Copyright © American Chemical Society


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Do you wonder how life originated on Earth four billion years ago? Do you puzzle over finding an environmentally responsible way to provide stable, cost-effective energy? Have you questioned whether nano-machines can be constructed at the molecular level? Then Chemistry is for you.
Chemistry sometimes is called the "central science" because it connects sciences to each other, such as biology, physics, geology and environmental science. At York, our chemistry program spans the traditional to the new: analytical, physical and organic chemistry to nanomaterials and biological chemistry. We offer a stream in Pharmaceutical & Biological Chemistry that combines knowledge of the biological, medical and physical sciences in the study of molecular-level biological process such as protein folding and drug functionality.
Offered as an optional study plan within the honours program, Materials Chemistry is centred on the rational synthesis of novel functional materials using a large array of existing and new synthetic methods. Similarly, the Analytical Chemistry option focuses on the fundamental tools and methods of chemical analysis and separation including instrumentation, miniaturization and computerization in a range of settings.
It is our goal to help you succeed in whatever field of Chemistry you choose to explore.
There are several areas of study from which to choose including:
Pharmaceutical & Biological Chemistry
This fast-growing field looks at how biological and chemical systems interact. For example, how do you design drugs to target a specific problem in the biological system? If you're interested in the life and health sciences, this option provides solid grounding in both chemistry and the basics of biological science. Pharmaceutical & Biological Chemistry is an official stream of study and will be reflected on your transcript.
Materials Chemistry
This program is designed for students with an interest in polymers, electronic materials, optical materials, magnetic materials, surface chemistry, biosensors, biomaterials, crystallography and other aspects of chemistry related to the preparation, characterization and use of specialized solid state materials. This stream will provide you with a solid grounding in Chemistry as well as a specialized exploration of the chemistry of solid-state substances, their preparations and properties.
Analytical Chemistry
In the Analytical Chemistry stream, you will receive training in the fundamentals of chemical analysis and separation. As a graduate from this stream, you will be highly desirable to industry and government agencies.
What can you do with a Chemistry degree?
Studying chemistry puts you in an excellent position to choose from a wide variety of rewarding careers. A chemistry degree also serves as an excellent foundation for advanced study in the health sciences a number of related areas (medicine, dentistry or pharmacy). Careers may range from forensic scientist to brew master, medical or cosmetic product developer, chemical engineering technologist to textile chemist, environmental policy-maker to bacteriologist.
York's Career Centre provides information about careers with a Chemistry degree. You may also want to check out professional associations for their information on careers in Chemistry: Chemical Institute of Canada, American Chemical Society, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers; and the Canadian Medical Association to name a few.
Sample First-year Schedule
- Chemistry
- Physics and/or Biology
- Calculus
- Computer Use
- Non-Science Requirement
Possible Career PathsExplore what you can do with your degree
- pharmacological chemist
- air-quality specialist
- polymer materials specialist
You are required to provide official evidence of academic achievement in secondary education. This can be demonstrated through:
- Final grades under the Ontario curriculum (obtained through correspondence, night school or through TVO)
- Credentials through other curricula, such as results from Advanced Placement (AP) or Advanced-level courses in the General Certificate of Education (GCE). (Students may register to sit for the AP and GCE examinations as private candidates.)
In the absence of final grades in courses:
- You must submit the results of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a minimum combined total of 1170 on the Critical Reading and Math components or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of 24.
- Your application will be reviewed by an admissions sub-committee. If admitted, you will not be eligible for entrance scholarships. You will be considered for continuing student scholarships at the end of your first year of study, if you satisfy those criteria.
You may also be required to provide proof of language proficiency. You will be considered for entrance scholarships on the basis of your overall averages in the six 4U/4M (Ontario curriculum) or equivalent courses.
We are adding to our database of admission requirements by country. Please check back in October for additional admission requirements by country. General requirements are currently available by country — note that program-specific requirements may apply in addition to general requirements.


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10% off ISM full membership for Federation members
The ISM is delighted to offer musicians within the Federation's membership network an exclusive 10% discount on ISM full membership when you join as a new member by 31 January.
The ISM is delighted to offer musicians within the Federation's membership network an exclusive 10% discount on ISM full membership when you join as a new member by 31 January.
Lobster, the AI-powered UGC marketplace, is giving freelancers and small creative studios unlimited access to over 10 million photos and videos, and suite of editing and personalised search tools – for just £19 a month. To celebrate, they are offering Fed members a limited number of promo codes to unlock 50% off for the first month.
Creative Review delivers the sharpest opinion, analysis and advice on life in the creative industries. Sharing insight and inspiration across disciplines and borders, it connects brilliant minds to make brilliant things happen. Fed Members are entitled to a one-year subscription at a fraction of the original price.
The only creativity, commerce and community symposium in the UK. A Symposium for curious kids, creative thinkers and those of you who want to create an impact and be part of something bigger than yourself. Federation members are entitled to a 20% discount on tickets.
Acadmi is a dynamic start-up offering a year's free license of their Intelligent Mobile Training Platform to all Federation Members. Companies will have immediate access to their own branded platform from which they will be able to deliver highly interactive, bitesize, media rich content to their employees, stakeholders and customers across all their devices.
Cake: A Creative's Guide to IP by Erica Wolfe-Murray is here. It is a simple guide aimed at helping freelancers, the self-employed and creative companies better understand how to use their intellectual assets and IP. CIF members are eligible for a 10% discount on the e-book which can be downloaded from the Lola Media website.
AllBright Academy are teaching female business leaders how to build and grow their own ventures in a series of November courses.
Federation members can receive a range of benefits when signing up to the Academy.
Rhys Ifans will star in a new version of Charles Dickens' classic story, A Christmas Carol, at the Old Vic.
Notting Hill star Ifans, who played the Fool in King Lear at the London theatre last year, returns in November for the production adapted by Jack Thorne and directed by Matthew Warchus.
Shakespeare's Globe has announced that its next artistic director will be the award-winning actress, Michelle Terry.
h Club London is a dynamic social and cultural club in the heart of London, offering the creative industries the environment and facilities it needs to connect, collaborate and create. Designed to showcase and support creativity, h Club London is delighted to extend special partnership rates for Federation members.


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For the past two years a small group of Democrats have been organizing a local group called West Amwell Proud. They are constantly building the local Democratic Party by inviting residents to participate in their monthly meetings. With so much at stake in 2018, West Amwell Proud has reached out to Democrats, Unaffiliated Voters and even Republicans who are simply sick and tired of seeing what is happening both locally and nationally with the Republican party. Monthly meetings include recruiting members and candidates and then mobilizing for this year's election cycle.
The next West Amwell Proud meeting will take place on Sunday, February 25th at 1:00 PM at the West Amwell Fire Department Building, located at 26 Mt. Airy Village Road, Lambertville, NJ.
For more information and to stay connected visit and like their Facebook page - West Amwell Proud
"If we sit on the sidelines, we will never make progress. We will never "right a wrong." Nothing will change.


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Myrtle Beach notebook | Take your horse for a ride on the beach
From the third Saturday in November through the end of February, people can take their horses to the beach for a ride.
No permit is required but riders and horses must follow some rules.
No more than six horses and riders can ride in a single group at one time. You are not allowed to ride on or across any sand dunes. To get your horse to the beach, you must go through Myrtle Beach State Park.
Horse trailers can not be staged or parked in the public right-of-way. And all riders are required to clean up after their mounts in all areas landward of the mean high tide line.
So how many people take advantage of this allowance?
Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said since there is no permitting process, there's no way to know how many horses stroll down the beach during the allowed time period.
"I know we do have people who take their horses out," he said, adding that most of the people who take part are horse owners.
Kruea said that even though the annual Heart Association Beach Ride typically occurs a few weeks before the allotted window, many tourists he's spoken with plan their trips around the event because they like to see the horses on the beach.
When asked about the need for a six-horse limit, Kruea said it's more common to see a group of people on horses than someone on their own.
"It's more fun to ride with a group than to be a lone ranger," Kruea said.
Crow Lane closed for sewer service installation
The construction began Monday, but traffic on Crow Lane from Farrow Parkway to Putnam Drive will be closed through Wednesday.
The road is closed to install a new sewer service line for residential construction underway along Farrow Parkway. There is a possibility that the construction could end sooner.
Keep an eye out for detours, which are posted to direct traffic.
Santa to stop by your neighborhood
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department will escort Santa Claus through the city's neighborhoods on Sunday, as he gears up for his worldwide trip on Dec. 25.
Grab the kids and head out to visit with Santa and the firefighters as he makes his way through your neighborhood. He'll be out between noon and 4 p.m.
For more information on the tour, call Lt. Christian Sliker at 918-1221.


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Fingerprint scanner
Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit)
MicroSD, Smart card slots
2.1 GHz Intel Core i5 or Core i7 Processor 3.30 GHz Turbo (2C/4T)
Bluetooth 4.0
When it comes to laptops we know HP gives us the best in terms of design and quality.The HP Elitebook Folio 1040 G1 fits the description of design and quality, It's supremely thin; it has a great keyboard and an innovative track pad; and it has very good security features that don't require you to pay for features of interest only to enterprise users. The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 is a lightweight and durable notebook for business users.
It has a 14.0-inch 16:9 panel, a common size for business purposes, but with full-HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. That gives a decent pixel density of 157 ppi, and to make the interface more clearly legible, HP sets the laptop's Windows 7 Professional operating system with 125 percent scaling. In terms of design the HP Elitebook Folio 1040 G1 has an elegant aluminum chassis and sleek wedge profile, The lid is constructed of gunmetal gray aluminum with an embossed HP logo in the center. Not only does it feel great beneath the fingers, the lid proved resistant to ugly fingerprint smudges even after extensive usage.
The EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 features has different sets of ports to choose from, On the left are a USB 3.0 port; a microSD card reader; and a Smart Card reader. A second USB 3.0 port, a headphone/microphone combo jack, a Display Port, and a docking connector are located on the right. VGA output and Ethernet are available through a dongle bundled with the 1040 G1 that plugs into the docking connector.
It features a faster CPU a 2.1 GHz Intel Core i7-4650U with better integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 5000, a larger solid-state drive 256 GB, and perhaps most notably, a 1080p IPS display panel. This is a very fast drive overall, boasting read speeds well into the 400 MB/s range, and with 4K read/write speeds that make everyday operations feel nearly instant, Buyers will be able to choose between Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors.
HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 comes preinstalled with Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit) operating system – Windows 7 Professional is available through downgrade rights.
Given the Folio's slim frame, the Folio comes with a 45 Wh 6-cell lithium-polymer battery. Under minimal load minimum brightness, Power Saver profile, wireless off, the notebook can last up to 11 hours and 22 minutes of run-time.
Speakers: 2.0, top-mounted, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Fingerprint Reader, Webcam: 720p HD, Bluetooth 4.0.
- 0-inch (1920 x 1080) 157 ppi IPS matt anti-glare display
- 1 GHz Intel Core i5 or Core i7 Processor 3.30 GHz Turbo (2C/4T)
- Intel HD Graphics 5000
- 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3L
- 256 GB SanDisk X110 (SD6SN1M-256G-100) SATA Revision 3.0 SSD
- gigabit ethernet &
- VGA via included dongle
- 11a/b/g/ac dual-band 2×2 MIMO
- Bluetooth 4.0
- 2 x USB 3.0
- Display Port
- Fingerprint scanner, NFC
- MicroSD, smart card slots
- Stereo speakers
- Dual microphones
- 5 mm headset jack
- 100 x 68 mm buttonless trackpad
- Wh 6-cell lithium-polymer battery
- 45 W mains charger with IEC C5
You can buy the HP Elitebook Folio G1 at any of the computer stores or online stores.
Explore various models of HP Laptops on Konga.com at best prices with fast delivery services nationwide. Click Here To Buy


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Planning a concert is a challenging yet exciting process at MyMusicTaste. We strongly value every MAKE collected on MyMusicTaste as it is one ofthe most important factors when choosing which artist campaign to proceed with. As much as we want to bring artists to every city where fans are, there are several other factors that must be taken into consideration when planning a concert tour.
In planning a potential concert tour, we must consider at minimum the following factors: artist schedule, venue availability, local promoter partners (quality/availability), etc. There are many moving pieces when planning a concert tour but here is the process in a nutshell:
Step 1) Look for popular artist campaigns (Artist + Country City)
Step 2) Approach artist management and share fan's MAKE data. Artist management provides input on desired cities, artist availability, etc.
Step 3) After negotiations are finalized with management, we begin logistics planning (venues, production companies, local promoters, hotels and flights)
Step 4) Based on the data gathered (TasteMaker activity + logistics, et al.) we make a final decision for cities that will be included in the concert tour.
Correlating MAKES with the logistics required to make a concert happen in a certain city is a detailed and multi-faceted process that requires careful thought and research up until the final decision is made. It is a difficult decision to make since we want to give every fan the concert he/she desires. At MyMusicTaste, we believe that fans have the most power to influence when and where concerts happen. We see how hard fans work to spread the word about campaigns on MyMusicTaste and share their disappointment if their city is not selected. As long as we have the MAKES, we will always continue to try to persuade artists to come to you!.
Don't forget to visit MyMusicTaste to bring your favorite artist to you!


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There is time for everything, a time to sow and a time to reap. It's now time to open up crime covered up decades ago. Aids and Ebola are medical crimes against humanity. Just as the Germans planned to exterminate all the Jews, the same, America, Belgium, Holland, and the World Health Organization planned to depopulate Africa, with contaminated vaccines.
Not only Jews were used for horrific experiments. Gypsies, orphans, babies, mentally disabled persons, prisoners, and homosexuals were purposely infected with contaminated vaccines giving birth to new diseases, including Aids and Ebola. But the majority of people affected by Aids and Ebola are black skinned people. (Africans).
Long before the outbreaks of Aids and Ebola in Africa, the viruses responsible for both Aids and Ebola had already been created in laboratories. The years between 1960 and 1973, during the darkest days of the cold war in which dangerous experiments on human beings secretly done and massive polio and smallpox vaccinations were used, guided by the WHO and CDC, and mostly paid by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Not everyone has pleasure in wickedness. To avoid animal cruelty and find a substitute for his experiments, Microsurgeon and scientist Johan Van Dongen invented the "Anastomosis Simulator" and the "Artificial Rat"and received the "Prize Alternatives for Animal Experiments" from the Ministry of Health, of the Dutch Government, at the Annual Congress of Animal Technicians, on November 3, 1993.
But his nightmare started when his native country recognized him as a whistleblower for revealing that Aids and Ebola are human made and tested on Africans, in order to find vaccines against it for military defending purposes in two books he published in Dutch.
The Dutch government, journalists, and medical establishments discouraged the sales of the books with bad reviews and finally banned them, then afterward lost his job and house. "The things I didn't lose were my wife, brain and the courage to continue the revealing of the truth about the real origin of Aids and Ebola," says Professor Johan Van Dongen.
Professor Johan Van Dongen for a very long time was fighting this battle alone until he met the Belgian – African journalist, writer, and author Joel Savage, hence; the publication of this book. "I am not qualified to polish the shoes of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah etc; so death doesn't mean anything to me. About the truth on Aids and Ebola, no stone shall be left unturned," says author Joel Savage. Get your copies at Amazon and find out the truth.


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Governor Tom Wolf was sworn-in today as Governor of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Wolf said he will be an unconventional leader. He said he is not a product of the political system. Wolf added that he believes the middle class can be rebuilt.
Tom Wolf Sworn-in as Governor of PA
by Vati | Jan 20, 2015 | Blog | 0 comments
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The Tree of Life (film)
|The Tree of Life
Theatrical release poster
|Directed by
|Terrence Malick
|Produced by
|Written by
|Terrence Malick
|Music by
|Alexandre Desplat
|Emmanuel Lubezki
|Edited by
|Distributed by
|Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date
Running time
|139 minutes[1]
|United States
|$32 million[2]
|Box office
|$54.3 million[3]
The Tree of Life is a 2011 American experimental epic drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain. The film chronicles the origins and meaning of life by way of a middle-aged man's childhood memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, interspersed with imagery of the origins of the known universe and the inception of life on Earth.
After several years in development and missing 2009 and 2010 release dates,The Tree of Life premiered in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the Palme d'Or. It ranked no. 1 on review aggregatorMetacritic's "Top Ten List of 2011",[4] and in January 2012 was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography.
The Tree of Life made more critics' year-end lists for 2011 than any other film.[5] It has appeared in the 2012 Sight & Sound critics' poll of the world's top 250 films[6] as well as BBC's poll of the greatest American films,[7] one of the few 21st century works to be included in both.
The film begins with a quotation from the Book of Job: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth?... When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
A mysterious, wavering light, resembling a flame, flickers in the darkness. Mrs. O'Brien recalls a lesson taught to her that people must choose to follow either the path of grace or the path of nature. In the 1960s or thereabouts, she receives a telegram informing her of the death of her son, R.L., aged nineteen. Mr. O'Brien is notified by telephone while at an airport. The family is thrown into turmoil.
In the present day, the O'Briens' eldest son, Jack, is adrift in his modern life as an architect. One day he apologizes to his father on the phone for something he said about R.L.'s death. In his office, Jack begins reflecting; shots of tall buildings under the sky, Jack wandering in the desert, trees that stretch from the ground up to the sun high in their leaves, and scenes from his 1950s childhood all link together and lead back to the flame.
From the darkness the universe is born, the Milky Way and then the solar system form while voice-overs ask existential questions. On the newly formed Earth, volcanoes erupt and microbes begin to form and replicate. Sea life is born, then plants on land, then dinosaurs.[8] In a symbolic first act of compassion, a dinosaur chooses not to eat a weakened creature that is lying on the side of a river bed. An asteroid tumbles through space and strikes the Earth, causing the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.
In a sprawling suburban neighborhood in the American South live the O'Briens. The young couple is enthralled by their new baby Jack and, later, his two brothers. When Jack reaches adolescence, he is faced with the conflict of accepting the way of grace or nature, as embodied by each of his parents. Mrs. O'Brien is gentle, nurturing, and authoritative, presenting the world to her children as a place of wonder. Mr. O'Brien is strict and authoritarian, and easily loses his temper as he struggles to reconcile his love for his sons with wanting to prepare them for a world he sees as corrupt and exploitative. He laments his decision to work in a power plant instead of pursuing his passion for music. He tries to get ahead by filing patents for various inventions.
Jack's perceptions of the world begin to change after one of his boyhood companions drowns at the pool and another is burned in a house fire. He becomes angry at his father for his bullying behavior and begins to keep a running tally of Mr. O'Brien's various hypocrisies and misdeeds, lashing out at his mother for tolerating such abusive behavior.
One summer, Mr. O'Brien takes a long business trip. While he is away, the boys enjoy unfettered access to their mother, and Jack experiences the first twinges of rebelliousness. Goaded by other boys his age, Jack commits acts of vandalism andanimal abuse. He later trespasses into a neighbor's house and steals her sheer nightgown. Jack is confused and angered by his feelings of sexuality and guilty trespass. He throws the stolen lingerie into a river to rid himself of it. Mr. O'Brien returns home from his business trip. Shortly thereafter, the plant that he works at closes and he is given the option of relocating to work in an inferior position within the firm or losing his job. He and his family pack up to move to the new job location. He laments the course his life has taken, questioning whether he has been a good enough person. He asks Jack for forgiveness for his harsh treatment of him.
In the present, adult Jack leaves work. Riding the elevator up, he experiences a vision of following a young girl across rocky terrain. Jack tentatively walks through a wooden door frame erected on the rocks and sees a view of the far distant future in which the sun expands into a red giant, engulfing the earth and then shrinking into a feeble white dwarf. Someone says "follow me" in the darkness, which is ended by the lighting of two candles. After emerging from rustic doors, Jack follows the girl and then a young version of himself across surreal landscapes. On a sandbar, Jack sees images of death and the dead returning to life. He is reunited with his family and all the people who populate his memory. His father is happy to see him. He encounters his dead brother, whom he brings to his parents. The parents are then seen saying goodbye to the young brother as he steps out of a home into a vast expanse. Accompanied by a woman in white and a young woman, Mrs. O'Brien looks to the sky and whispers, "I give him to you. I give you my son."
Jack's vision ends and he leaves the building smiling, while nature returns to the surrounding buildings as the sky is reflected in them.
The mysterious wavering light continues to flicker in the darkness.
- Brad Pitt as Mr. O'Brien
- Sean Penn as Jack O'Brien
- Hunter McCracken as young Jack
- Finnegan Williams as (aged 5) Jack
- Michael Koeth as (aged 2) Jack
- Jessica Chastain as Mrs. O'Brien
- Laramie Eppler as R.L. O'Brien
- John Howell as R.L. (age 2)
- Tye Sheridan as Steve
- Kari Matchett as Jack's ex
- Joanna Going as Jack's wife
- Michael Showers as Mr. Brown
- Kimberly Whalen as Mrs. Brown
- Jackson Hurst as Uncle Roy
- Fiona Shaw as Grandmother
- Crystal Mantecón as Elisa
- Tamara Jolaine as Mrs. Stone
- Dustin Allen as George Walsh
Terrence Malick pitched the concept of The Tree of Life to River Road Entertainment head Bill Pohlad while the two were collaborating on an early version of Che. Pohlad recalls initially thinking the idea was "crazy," but as the film concept evolved, he came to feel strongly about the idea;[9] he ended up financing the film.[10] Producer Grant Hill was also involved with the film at an early stage.[10] During a meeting on a different subject involving Malick, his producer Sarah Green, Brad Pitt, and Pitt's Plan B Entertainment production partner Dede Gardner, Malick brought up Tree of Life and the difficulties it was having getting made.[11] It was "much later on" that the decision was made for Pitt to be part of the cast.[11]
The Tree of Life was announced in late 2005, with Indian production company Percept Picture Company set to finance it andDonald Rosenfeld on board as executive producer. The film was set to be shot partially in India, with pre-production scheduled to begin in January 2006.[12] Colin Farrell and Mel Gibson were at one stage attached to the project. Heath Ledger was set to play the role of Mr. O'Brien, but dropped out (due to recurring sicknesses) a month before his death in early 2008.[13]
In an October 2008 interview Jack Fisk, a longtime Malick collaborator, suggested that the director was attempting something radical.[14] He also implied that details of the film were a close secret.[15] In March 2009, visual effects artist Mike Fink revealed to Empire magazine that he was working on scenes of prehistoric Earth for the film.[16] The similarity of the scenes Fink describes to descriptions of a hugely ambiguous project entitled Q that Malick worked on soon after Days of Heaven has led to speculation that The Tree of Life is a resurrection of that abandoned project.[17]
Principal photography began in Texas in 2008.[18] Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki returned to work with Malick after collaborating with him on The New World. Locations included Smithville, Houston, Matagorda,[19] Bastrop, Austin,[20]Dallas,[21] and Malick's hometown of Waco.[22]
The namesake of the film is a large live oak tree that was excavated from a property a few miles outside Smithville. The 65,000-pound tree and root ball were trucked into Smithville and replanted.[23][24][25]
Visual effects[edit]
After nearly thirty years away from Hollywood, famed special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull contributed to the visual effects work on The Tree of Life. Malick, a friend of Trumbull, approached him about the effects work and mentioned that he did not like the look of computer-generated imagery. Trumbull asked Malick, "Why not do it the old way? The way we did it in2001?"[26]
Working with visual effects supervisor Dan Glass, Trumbull used a variety of materials for the creation of the universe sequence. "We worked with chemicals, paint, fluorescent dyes, smoke, liquids, CO2, flares, spin dishes, fluid dynamics, lighting and high speed photography to see how effective they might be," said Trumbull. "It was a free-wheeling opportunity to explore, something that I have found extraordinarily hard to get in the movie business. Terry didn't have any preconceived ideas of what something should look like. We did things like pour milk through a funnel into a narrow trough and shoot it with a high-speed camera and folded lens, lighting it carefully and using a frame rate that would give the right kind of flow characteristics to look cosmic, galactic, huge and epic."[27] The team also included Double Negative in London. Fluid-based effects were developed by Peter and Chris Parks, who had previously worked on similar effects for The Fountain.[28]
A column in The New Yorker noted that the film credited Thomas Wilfred's lumia composition Opus 161, and that this was the source of the "shifting flame of red-yellow light" at the beginning and the end.[29]
In March 2009, Empire magazine's website quoted visual effects supervisor Mike Fink as saying that a version of the film will be released for IMAX cinemas along with two versions for traditional cinemas.[16] The IMAX film has been revealed to beVoyage of Time, a documentary expanding on the 'history of the universe' scenes in The Tree of Life, which the producers decided to focus on releasing at a later date so as not to cannibalise its release.[30] It is set to be released by Broad Green Pictures.[31]
Delays and distribution problems[edit]
By May 2009, The Tree of Life had been sold to a number of international distributors, including Europacorp in France, TriPictures in Spain, and Icon in the UK and Australia,[32] but lacked a US distributor. In August 2009, it was announced that the film would be released in the US through Apparition, a new distributor founded by River Road Entertainment head Bill Pohlad and former Picturehouse chief Bob Berney.[33] A tentative date of December 25, 2009 was announced, but the film was not completed in time.[34] Organisers of the Cannes Film Festival made negotiations to secure a premiere at Cannes 2010, resulting in Malick sending an early version of the film to Thierry Fremaux and the Cannes selection committee.[35]Though Fremaux warmly received the cut and was eager to screen the film at his festival,[35] Malick ultimately told him that he felt the film was not ready.[36] On the eve of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Berney suddenly announced his departure from Apparition, leaving the company's future uncertain.[37] Pohlad decided to keep The Tree of Life at Apparition, and after significant restructuring, hired Tom Ortenberg to act as a consultant on its release. A tentative plan was made to release it in late 2010, in time for awards consideration.[38] Ultimately, Pohlad decided to close Apparition and sell rights to the film.[39]Private screenings of the film to interested parties Fox Searchlight Pictures and Sony Pictures Classics took place at the 2010 Telluride Film Festival.[40] On September 9, Fox Searchlight announced their acquisition of the film from Pohlad's River Road Entertainment.[41] The film opened in limited release in the United States on May 27, 2011.[42]
On March 28, 2011, UK magazine Empire reported that UK distributor Icon Entertainment was planning to release the film on May 4, 2011. This would make the UK the first region in the world to see the film,[43] preempting the expected Cannes Film Festival premiere on May 11. This would disqualify the film from inclusion at Cannes.[44] As a result, a surge of interest in the story developed on international film news sites.[43] After film blogger Jeff Wells was told by a Fox Searchlight representative that this was "unlikely",[45] and Anne Thompson received similar word from Searchlight and outright denial from Summit,[46][47]Helen O'Hara from Empire received a confirmation from Icon that they intended to stick with the May 4 release.[43] On March 31, Jeff Wells was told by Jill Jones, Summit's senior VP of international marketing and publicity, that Icon has lost the right to distribute The Tree of Life in the UK, due to defaulting on its agreement, with the matter pending arbitration at a tribunal in Los Angeles.[48] On June 9, it was announced that The Tree of Life would be released in the UK on July 8, 2011, after Fox Searchlight Pictures picked up the UK rights from Icon.[49]
Home media[edit]
The Tree of Life was released on Blu-ray Disc in the United States and Canada on October 11, 2011; on January 24, 2012, there was a separate release of the DVD.[50]
The Tree of Life Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat was released in 2011 by Lakeshore Records. Although billed as the movie soundtrack, only a few minutes of the album's music are heard in the film.
Early reviews for The Tree of Life at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival were polarized. After being met with both boos[51] and applause[52] at its premiere at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, the film received mixed early reviews.[53][54] The film went on to be awarded the prestigious Palme d'Or. Two of the film's producers, Bill Pohlad and Sarah Green, accepted the prize on behalf of the reclusive Malick.[55] The Tree of Life is the first American film to win the Palme d'Or since Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004.[55]The head of the jury, Robert De Niro, said it was difficult to choose a winner, but The Tree of Life "ultimately fit the bill".[55] De Niro explained, "It had the size, the importance, the intention, whatever you want to call it, that seemed to fit the prize."[55][56]
The film won the 2011 FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Big Prize for the Best Film Of the Year. The award was presented on September 16, during the opening ceremony of the 59th San Sebastián International Film Festival.[57]Malick released a statement of thanks for the award.[58] On November 28, it was announced that the film had won the Gotham Award for Best Feature, shared withBeginners.[59]
The Tree of Life has since garnered critical acclaim and holds an 84% rating onRotten Tomatoes, based on 256 reviews. The site's consensus is that "Terrence Malick's singularly deliberate style may prove unrewarding for some, but for patient viewers, Tree of Life is an emotional as well as visual treat."[60] At Metacriticwhich assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 reviews from film critics, the film has a rating score of 85, based on 50 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[61]
Roger Ebert gave the film four stars of four and wrote, "The Tree of Life is a film of vast ambition and deep humility, attempting no less than to encompass all of existence and view it through the prism of a few infinitesimal lives. The only other film I've seen with this boldness of vision is Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and it lacked Malick's fierce evocation of human feeling. There were once several directors who yearned to make no less than a masterpiece, but now there are only a few. Malick has stayed true to that hope ever since his first feature in 1973."[62] The following year, Ebert gave The Tree of Life one of his 10 votes in Sight & Sound's 2012 critics' poll of the world's greatest films.[63] Anthony Lane of The New Yorker said a "seraphic strain" in Malick's work "hits a solipsistic high" in The Tree of Life. "While the result will sound to some like a prayer, others may find it increasingly lonely and locked, and may themselves pray for Ben Hecht or Billy Wilder to rise from the dead and attack Malick's script with a quiver of poisonous wisecracks," the magazine's reviewer said.[64]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded it five stars and lauded it as an "unashamedly epic reflection on love and loss" and a "mad and magnificent film."[65] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter states "Brandishing an ambition it's likely no film, including this one, could entirely fulfill, The Tree of Life is nonetheless a singular work, an impressionistic metaphysical inquiry into mankind's place in the grand scheme of things that releases waves of insights amidst its narrative imprecisions."[66] Justin Chang of Variety states the film "represents something extraordinary" and "is in many ways his simplest yet most challenging work, a transfixing odyssey through time and memory that melds a young boy's 1950s upbringing with a magisterial rumination on the Earth's origins."[67] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone states "Shot with a poet's eye, Malick's film is a groundbreaker, a personal vision that dares to reach for the stars."[68] A. O. Scott of The New York Times gave the film much praise and stated, "The sheer beauty of this film is almost overwhelming, but as with other works of religiously minded art, its aesthetic glories are tethered to a humble and exalted purpose, which is to shine the light of the sacred on secular reality". Total Film gave the film a five-star review (denoting 'outstanding'): "The Tree of Life is beautiful. Ridiculously, rapturously beautiful. You could press 'pause' at any second and hang the frame on your wall."[69] Richard Corliss of Time named it one of the Top 10 Best Movies of 2011.[70]
Some religious reviewers welcomed the spiritual themes of the film.[71][72][73][74] For instance, Catholic author and now auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles Fr. Robert Barron, reviewing The Tree of Life for a Chicago Tribune blog, noted that "in the play of good and evil, in the tension between nature and grace, God is up to something beautiful, though we are unable to grasp it totally..."Tree of Life" is communicating this same difficult but vital lesson."[75] Rabbi David Wolpe says "that Terrence Malick's new film "Tree of Life" opens with a quotation from Job. That quotation holds the key to the film and in some sense, the key to our attitude toward life."[76]
Not all reviewers were positive. Sukhdev Sandhu, chief film critic of The Daily Telegraph describes the movie as "self-absorbed," and "achingly slow, almost buckling under the weight of its swoony poetry."[77] Likewise, Stephanie Zacharek ofMovieline praised the technical aspects of the film, such as the "gorgeous photography", but nonetheless criticized it as "a gargantuan work of pretension and cleverly concealed self-absorption."[78] Lee Marshall of Screen Daily referred to the film as "a cinematic credo about spiritual transcendence which, while often shot through with poetic yearning, preaches too directly to its audience."[79] Filmmaker David Lynch said that, while he liked Malick's previous works, The Tree of Life "was not his cup of tea".[80] In 2016, John Patterson of The Guardian complained of the meager impression that the film left on him, opining that "much of it simply evaporates before your eyes."[81]
Sean Penn has said, "The screenplay is the most magnificent one that I've ever read but I couldn't find that same emotion on screen. ... A clearer and more conventional narrative would have helped the film without, in my opinion, lessening its beauty and its impact."[82] He further clarified his reservations about the film by adding, "But it's a film I recommend, as long as you go in without any preconceived ideas. It's up to each person to find their own personal, emotional or spiritual connection to it. Those that do generally emerge very moved."[83]
The film appeared on over 70 critics' year-end top ten lists, including 15 first-place rankings.[84] The Tree of Life was voted best film of 2011 in the annual Sight & Sound critic poll, earning one and a half times as many votes as runner up A Separation.[85] The film also topped the critics poll of best released film of 2011 by Film Comment,[86] and the indieWireannual critics survey for 2011,[87] as well as The Village Voice/LA Weekly Film Poll 2011.[88]
In 2012, 16 critics, including Roger Ebert, included it as one of their 10 votes for Sight & Sound; this placed it at #102 in the final list (making it the fourth film on the list which had been released since the year 2000, behind Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love, Edward Yang's Yi Yi, and David Lynch's Mulholland Drive). The film also received five votes in the directors' poll (placing it at #132).[6]
In 2015, Bradshaw named the film one of the top 50 films of the decade so far by The Guardian.[89]
The Tree of Life ranked seventh on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)'s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century in August, 2016.[90] The list was compiled by polling 177 film critics from around the world.


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Latest News
Avery Gennesy narrows his college picks
East Mississippi offensive tackle Avery Gennesy appears to have narrowed down his final college choices.
Gennesy plans to take visits to Kentucky, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Tennessee or Georgia will be his other visit, since NCAA rules prohibit five official campus visits.
"I need to find the place where I feel at home," he told Rivals.com. "I need to find the place where I can get a good education.
" I need a place where they play good football, too. I don't want to commit to a school then decide I like the next school I visit better and have to switch. I'm just going to do it after all the visits."


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The Bear Bites Back!
A British Inquiry into the death of Alexander Litvinenko chaired by retired High Court judge Sir Robert Owen concludes to nobody' great surprise that Litvinenko was probably murdered on the personal orders of Vladimir Putin. Owen said that evidence presented in open court made a "strong circumstantial case" that the Russian state was behind the assassination but, taking account of a "considerable quantity" of secret intelligence not aired in open court, he found "that the operation to kill Mr Litvinenko was probably approved by … President Putin", although the report cited no hard evidence to support this conclusion.
In a statement opening the inquiry, Owen said 'The reason why it is of great importance to be able to hold at least some … hearings [from which the public, the press and most of the core participants are excluded] is that HM Government holds some documents that are relevant to Mr Litvinenko's death, but which are of such sensitivity that they cannot be used in open court.'
The British Government was predictably outraged by the Report's findings, which drew the conclusions which the Government expected to be drawn from the secret intelligence it supplied. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, called Mr. Litvinenko's death "a blatant and unacceptable breach of the most fundamental tenets of international law and of civilized behavior,"(NYT Jan 21, 2016). Slavish repetition of this confected outrage by Australian print and broadcast media reminded me that, even if we leave their colonial records to one side, Britain and its Western allies have form in the breach of these alleged tenets. We might note, for example, that in September 2015, the Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the RAF had used a drone to kill two British nationals who were alleged to be plotting terrorist attacks on British soil. Along with a third person who was travelling with them and in spite of the partial abolition of the death penalty (for murder) in 1965 and its final abolition (for treason) in1998, they were executed without trial. In February 2004, the UK acceded to the 13th Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits the death penalty in all circumstances. Cameron is reported (Aljazeera September 8 2015) to have said. "We took this action because there was no alternative." Drones have also been used by Israel and the USA to execute without trial individuals identified as their enemies and, in the course of these activities, a number of bystanders suffered extreme collateral damage.
We might also note that a US Senate Committee Report, chaired by the Democrat Frank Church, revealed that there had been several American attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro. The Committee claimed that it substantiated eight attempts by the CIA to assassinate Fidel Castro between 1960 and 65. Cuban authorities claimed to hae identified 638 American attempts several of them depicted in the Channel 4 documentary 638 Ways to Kill Castro (2006)
At the time of writing, theAustralian mainstream media have treated the Report's findings simply as fact. While it might seem that they are simply following their British counterparts, no serious observer of Australian journalism would have expected more robust treatment. Mainstream Australian media normally do little more than present Reports' findings, along perhaps with a few reactions from people who might be affected by these findings, in part, no doubt, because it is easier to paraphrase a press release, than it is to seriously question how they have been produced. The supine response to the findings of the Owen Inquiry simply extend this dubious courtesy to a Report produced for the British Government by a retired justice of the High Court.
As luck would have it, the Owen Report landed in Australia only days before the opening of 'Spotlight', a film based on the exposure of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in America by team of investigative reporters at The Boston Globe. Australian reviews of the film have been generally positive, celebrating both the film and the courage shown by the Globe's newsroom in taking on a powerful vested interest. Paul Byrnes' review in the Fairfax media (January 20) notes that the film 'left me both enraged and saddened. You could make the same movie here, at least about the church's behaviour in transferring priests, rather than reporting them to the police. Some courageous reporting in Australia helped lead to the current Royal Commission, but the film's silent question about the future of newspapers applies here too: for how much longer?' Nice question. Yet it is worth remembering that the film shows that a lot more than courageous reporting was required to break the story at the Globe; the reporters needed courageous editorial support and a tightly organised newsroom. The day after Byrnes review appeared, his colleague Stephanie Bunbury, writing in the Fairfax weekend metropolitan papers, lamented that 'they don't make newspaper offices like this any more'
Unfortunately, while pointing out the hypocrisy of the powerful has an undeniable feelgood effect it is of limited analytical significance. Hypocrisy is a commonplace feature of public life – as it is of other areas (business and private life) – and there is little to be gained from pointing to its presence in any individual case. Rather than continue in the vein of my opening remarks, I want to use the Owen Report to reflect on issues raised in earlier contributions to this blog, particularly my comments on Ben Anderson's Imagined Communities and my Folk Devils paper.
Some of my readers have suggested, in private correspondence, that I may have been too hard on Anderson and, in particular, that he was on to something. I agree that he was on to something but what exactly is not as he thought . Anderson maintains that neither Marxist nor liberal accounts of nationalism have much to say about 'the central problem posed by nationalism: what makes the shrunken imaginings of recent history (scarcely more than two centuries) generate such colossal sacrifices?' (1991, 7). In his view, 'both Marxist and liberal theory have become etiolated in a late Ptolemaic effort to 'save the phenomena'(1991, 4). The nation, he says,
is imagined as a community, because… [it] is always conceived as a deep, horizontal comradeship. Ultimately it is this fraternity that makes it possible, over the past two centuries, for so many millions of people, not so much to kill, as willingly to die for such limited imaginings (1991, 7)
Leaving aside the question of whether or not it is reasonable to criticise Marxist and liberal theories for not getting this point, it seems clear that the affective quality of nationalism requires that nations are imagined by those who see themselves as its members or, at least, by those who are prepared to kill or die in its name. Yet, it is not so clear what follows from this observation. Should we think of the nation as a real community imagined by those who believe they belong to it? Must we think of it both as a community and as 'imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion'? Anderson goes on to say that '[i]n fact, all communities larger than primordial villages of face-to-face contact (and perhaps even these) are imagined.' (1991, 6). Although he does not say so directly, this suggests that the nation exists only by virtue of its being imagined by its members.
My blog post noted that this view of the nation as both imagined and a community raises serious questions that Anderson fails to address. How do we know that a nation's members all see it as 'a deep horizantal comradeship' and that 'in the minds of each lives the image of their communion'? Should we assume that they all have the same 'image' in their minds? And what happens to the imagined community of the nation if they do not, if its members have divergent images of the community to which they all belong?
We can step away from such difficulties by noting that many of Anderson's descriptive phrases – 'horizantal comradeship', 'fraternity' and 'in the minds of each lives the image of their communion' – read as if they were adapted from the rhetoric of nationalism, although 'the image of their communion' clearly comes from somewhere else. The invocation of unities – nation, class, gender, status or region – that include both speaker and audience is a familiar enough rhetorical strategy. Yet, there is no reason to suppose that there is more to such unities than the rhetorical effectiveness of their invocation. The fact that the nation is invoked as a comradely or fraternal unity, one that lives in the minds of its members, one that they are willing to kill and to die for does not make it so.
Rather than follow Anderson's account of the nation, we can acknowledge that nations – along with classes, races, taxpayers and many others – have been invoked in certain ways and that in some, but not all, cases these invocations have moved their hearers or readers to action.
Anderson insists that '[t]he nation is imagined as limited' (1991, 7). The other – and sometimes the more prominent – side of the appeal to unity is the invocation of difference or, as Said (1978) and many others have noted, of the Other who is unlike us in significant respects. The nation is always in need of its Others. This point brings us to my 'Folk Devils' paper. While I lifted the term 'Folk Devils' from Stan Cohen's Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rockers (1972), I also noted that there were difficulties with the two key concepts in Cohen's title. The Folk Devils were only too human while 'Moral Panic' offered a neat way of understanding what the great and the good were playing at in demonising Mods and Rockers but it left open the question of how they managed to co-ordinate their demonizing rhetorics.
The French sociologist, Emile Durkheim argued that crime was a functional necessity of society and further that "We do not condemn it because it is a crime, but it is a crime because we condemn it." In his view the rituals of denunciation and punishment served to promote solidarity. We do not have to endorse Durkheim's functionalist view of society to recognise the importance of his point. The argument can be reworked by means of a focus on rhetorical appeals, as I suggested earlier with regard to Anderson's account of the nation.
While the rhetorics of condemnation and punishment may invoke, if only indirectly, a sense of national solidarity, one does not have to accept that they produce a shared sense of national 'horizantal comradeship' that 'lives in the minds of its members'. The Mods and Rockers taken together may be regarded as an internal demonic Other while the Moral Panic that both constituted and reacted against them appears as just another ugly nationalist ritual that invoked a sense of British, or English, unity. Similarly, British responses to the Owen Report and the Report itself breathed new life into the Russian bear, an ancient British (and European) demon. Since its identity had long been absorbed into that of a leading Cold War enemy, at least in British iconography, if not in much of Central and Eastern Europe, it took some time after the end of the Cold War before the bear was able to raise its ugly head in England yet again. In both cases – the Mods & Rockers and the Owen report – Britons and media outlets who stood out in public against these Moral Panics risked becoming targets of similar condemnation.
The focus on rhetoric also allows us to address one of the difficulties in the moral panic literature. The terms Moral Panic and Folk Devil both refer to popular perceptions or sentiments while the evidence provided in Moral Panic research normally consists, according to Cohen's seminal study, of statements by 'bishops, politicians and other right-thinking people' (2002, 1) the odd archbishop, colourful media reports and editorials. There is an obvious gap here between what is presented to the public and its popular reception. The rhetoric may refer to popular outrage, a nation, town or city mourns or some such sentiment. In this case, too, rhetorical invocation is not evidence of what the rhetoric invokes. The most we can say is that police media, archbishops and other public figures work, intentionally or otherwise, to promote a sense of popular outrage or insecurity – a.k.a. Panic – and that they sometimes succeed.
The question remains, how do all these 'right-thinking people' manage to get their acts together? There is no reason to invoke a conspiracy theory, suggesting a grand conspiracy to manipulate public opinion. Sometimes, no doubt, editors, reporters and/or politicians do conspire with police to present an agreed demonic angle on a story, but once the rhetorical invocation of popular opinion takes off, other right-thinking people can be expected to jump in as and when the opportunity presents itself


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Random Thought of the Day
Random Thought of the Day
January 16th
Food goes in the mouth!
January 12th
Sometimes its hard to see the herd through the cow.
January 11th
I put my pants on TWO legs at a time.
January 10th
Salami always tastes better on Wednesday.
January 9th
Don't ask a moose for directions to Louisiana.
page revision: 4, last edited: 16 Jan 2008 16:11


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Surgeon Investigator
Prior to medical school Mr Smith undertook a BSc in Anatomy and an MSc in Sports Medicine. After two years of junior doctor jobs Mr Smith undertook ten years of surgical training on the Edinburgh programme. He was awarded the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in 2011. Prior to starting work as a consultant Mr Smith completed 4 specialist fellowships. These included six months at the highly respected Exeter Knee Unit and an AO trauma fellowship in Seattle. He was later awarded a twelve month fellowship at the world renowned Vancouver Trauma Unit and six months in London specialising in Foot & Ankle Surgery.
Mr Smith has published and presented his research widely at both national and international meetings. He is an invited reviewer for the major British Orthopaedic journal, the JBJS. He has given lectures and written book chapters on various topics related to the foot & ankle, trauma and sports surgery.
To obtain an out patient appointment please visit your GP and request a referral. Only written GP referral's can be accepted for an NHS appointment.
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, Norwich (not yet recruiting)


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AS1225 - ntt.net
NTT America, Inc.
AS1225 NTT America, Inc.
Network Speed
We don't currently have any network speed data for this network.
Hosted Domains
There are no domains currently hosted on this ASN.
Whois Details
ASHandle: AS1225 OrgID: NTTAM-1 ASName: NTTA-1225 ASNumber: 1225 RegDate: 2000-04-12 Updated: 2012-03-02 TechHandle: VIA4-ORG-ARIN Source: ARIN OrgID: NTTAM-1 OrgName: NTT America, Inc. CanAllocate: Street: 8300 E Maplewood Ave. Street: Suite 400 City: Greenwood Village State/Prov: CO Country: US PostalCode: 80111 RegDate: 2005-12-08 Updated: 2019-04-30 ReferralServer: rwhois://rwhois.gin.ntt.net:4321 OrgTechHandle: VIPAR-ARIN OrgNOCHandle: NASC-ARIN OrgAdminHandle: VIPAR-ARIN OrgAbuseHandle: NAAC-ARIN Source: ARIN
IP Address Ranges
There are no known IP addresses belonging to this network
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Hosted Domains
There are no domains currently hosted on this ASN.
There are no peers for this ASN.
There are no upstreams for this ASN.
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Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) are assigned to entities such as Internet Service Providers and other large organizations that control blocks of IP addresses. This network page, and the organization field that's shown on the main IP address information page and also returned in the geolocation API are based on the ASN.
The ASN details will often correspond to the IP address owner, but for smaller organizations it may be that organization's parent, or their ISP.
Find out more about AS1225 at robtex.


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More than 1.4 million Americans are expected to experience an episode of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in 2010. Evaluation of the symptoms of ACS is important since symptoms determine when, or if, patients seek care. Recent studies have identified gender differences in symptoms of ACS, however retrospective designs, abstraction of symptoms from medical records, and variations in assessment forms make it difficult to determine the clinical significance of gender differences or if gender specific health messages are warranted. Therefore, the aims of this prospective study are to: 1) evaluate for gender differences in the occurrence, severity, and distress of 13 ACS symptoms after adjusting for age, diagnosis, comorbidities, and functional status, 2) establish the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of symptoms as an indicator of ACS for women and men, 3) explore symptom clusters including characteristics of gender, age, diagnosis, comorbidities, and functional status, and 4) determine if there are gender differences in the longitudinal (30 days and 6 months) outcomes of functional status, major cardiovascular events, hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and mortality. An exploratory aim is to determine if a relationship exists between selected biomarkers and symptoms of ACS for women and men. A novel approach, in which symptoms are recorded in the emergency department as they are occurring, will be used. The sample will be comprised of 630 patients admitted to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of ACS: 522 patients with confirmed ACS and 108 patients ruled out for ACS. Participants will be recruited from four medical centers in Illinois and Oregon. The 13-item ACS Symptom Checklist will be completed on presentation to the emergency department. Comorbidities, activity status, and patient variables will be measured when the patient is stable. Pilot data indicate that the procedures are feasible and safe. Analysis of covariance will be used to test the hypothesis that there are gender differences in symptoms. Symptom clusters will be examined using agglomerative cluster analysis, and patient outcomes will be evaluated using linear mixed methods. Findings will aid in establishing the clinical significance of ACS symptoms.
This study will address limitations of prior research including lack of prospective designs, systematic methods, standardized assessment forms, and evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of symptoms, particularly important since symptoms trigger health seeking behaviors. Given persistently long patient decision-delay, comprehensive evaluation of symptoms for a potential life-threatening illness take on added urgency.
|Zègre-Hemsey, Jessica K; Burke, Larisa A; DeVon, Holli A (2018) Patient-reported symptoms improve prediction of acute coronary syndrome in the emergency department. Res Nurs Health 41:459-468
|Burke, Larisa A; Rosenfeld, Anne G; Daya, Mohamud R et al. (2017) Impact of comorbidities by age on symptom presentation for suspected acute coronary syndromes in the emergency department. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 16:511-521
|Knight, Elizabeth P; Shea, Kimberly; Rosenfeld, Anne G et al. (2016) Symptom Trajectories After an Emergency Department Visit for Potential Acute Coronary Syndrome. Nurs Res 65:268-78
|Madden, Lori Kennedy; DeVon, Holli A (2015) A Systematic Review of the Effects of Body Temperature on Outcome After Adult Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurosci Nurs 47:190-203
|Rosenfeld, Anne G; Knight, Elizabeth P; Steffen, Alana et al. (2015) Symptom clusters in patients presenting to the emergency department with possible acute coronary syndrome differ by sex, age, and discharge diagnosis. Heart Lung 44:368-75
|DeVon, Holli A; Burke, Larisa A; Nelson, Heather et al. (2014) Disparities in patients presenting to the emergency department with potential acute coronary syndrome: it matters if you are Black or White. Heart Lung 43:270-7
|Devon, Holli A; Rosenfeld, Anne; Steffen, Alana D et al. (2014) Sensitivity, specificity, and sex differences in symptoms reported on the 13-item acute coronary syndrome checklist. J Am Heart Assoc 3:e000586
|DeVon, Holli A; Noureddine, Samar (2014) 20 things you didn't know about women and heart disease. J Cardiovasc Nurs 29:384-5
|DeVon, Holli A; Piano, Mariann R; Rosenfeld, Anne G et al. (2014) The association of pain with protein inflammatory biomarkers: a review of the literature. Nurs Res 63:51-62
|DeVon, Holli A; Patmon, Frances L; Rosenfeld, Anne G et al. (2013) Implementing clinical research in the high acuity setting of the emergency department. J Emerg Nurs 39:6-12
Showing the most recent 10 out of 11 publications


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Nicole Scherzinger has recently hinted that pussycat dolls might reunite in the future.
The 36-year-old singer said that nobody could ever replace the Pussycat Dolls and it was a unique time and nothing else had ever come out like that before, the Daily Star reported.
The Dolls hold a special place in her heart and nobody can touch them, so hopefully they will get back together, she added.
Scherzinger broke away from the band in 2010 and has since enjoyed solo chart success, a spot on one of the largest UK television shows and even has her own fashion line with online fashion retailer Missguided. (ANI)


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PENTAX K-1 Upgrade Service – Put it in your diary now!
RICOH IMAGING is pleased to introduce the PENTAX K-1 Upgrade Service, which allows PENTAX K-1 users to add the advanced functions of the new PENTAX K-1 Mark II to their PENTAX K-1 camera.
After the upgrade, the K-1 will have the following new features:
Externally, the updated camera will be recognizable by a small logo sticker on the lower left side of the housing.
The Upgrade Service will be available from 21 May – 30 September 2018.
Detailed information and an order form can be found on our PENTAX K-1 Upgrade Service Page.


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UK, EU, AUSTRALIA + NEW ZEALAND Purchase RICHARD THOMPSON'S
This is a PRE-ORDER ITEM, which will ship on or slightly before the street date of June 29th, 2015. The album comes in three different formats: a standard edition CD, a deluxe edition containing 5 songs from a previously unreleased session entitled The Variations EP and a double disc 180-gram vinyl version for the audiophile in all of us.
Still was recorded in a two-story rehearsal loft in Chicago with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy at the helm, backed by several longtime players from both Thompson's and Tweedy's bands.
"Richard's been one of my favorite guitar players for a very long time," stated Tweedy. "When I think about it, he's also one of my favorite songwriters and favorite singers. He's the Ultimate Triple Threat. Getting to work closely with him on this record was a truly rewarding experience, not to mention a great thrill. And he keeps alive my streak of working exclusively with artists who make me look good as a producer."


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Remember Mad Libs? I used to love doing them as a kid! Now I love using them in the Spanish classroom!
Here is a simple Mad Lib activity that I wrote for my beginner level class.
Click here for 2 page Mad Lib PDF activity sheet.
I hope to share more soon, and there are many other Spanish teachers who have shared their Mad Libs online as well!
If you use this in your classroom, I´d love to hear how it went in the comments!


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By Doug McMurdo • The Times-Independent
The advice was simple: If you want Americans to visit China to go Jeeping – make the trails just a bit easier.
Sounds like a challenge, but that was a small part of the message two residents offered a Chinese entrepreneur who wants to bring a little bit of Moab to the Far East.
Members of the Red Rock 4-Wheelers are often invited to visit the countries visitors to Moab come from, but none of them were as insistent – or as accommodating – as Jinson Gao, who owns a Jeep park in Yinchuan City in the Ningxia Province of northwest China.
It wasn't until Gao made his second visit to Moab and, also for the second time, invited members of the group that puts on the annual Easter Jeep Safari, that President Mike Kelso and Past President Doug McElhaney took him up on his offer.
They were glad they did. The two men were still excited three weeks after returning on their more than 13,000-mile round trip when they described their experiences to The Times-Independent.
The men left on their all-expenses paid trip on Aug. 3 and returned Aug. 15.
"The trip was designed mostly for Jeeping," said McElhaney, but they also visited temples and parks, and dined out while essentially immersing themselves in a foreign culture. "We had built in certain things other than Jeeping," said Kelso. The men four-wheeled at Gao's The Hooke Jeep Park. He owns a Jeep dealership that provides warranty work, custom modifications, two restaurants and a brewery.
McElhaney said the park is "spectacular," both in terms of challenges and vistas – a portion of the Great Wall was in clear view.
They also Jeeped on two deserts, visited lower Mongolia, viewed a herd of camels and made new friends. They had a ton of fun, but the trails might be too rough for some, according to the men. "I told him, 'If you want American tourists, make things easier.' The infrastructure isn't there yet. China has a very small Jeeping community," said McElhaney.
Small but passionate, Gao is doing everything he can to introduce four-wheeling culture to his fellow citizens. That includes offering more than challenging trails. "He throws big concerts where 2,000 to 3,000 people show up. It's so much larger than what we do. We get hundreds and he gets thousands," said Kelso.
Gao is getting the Chinese government involved, as well as the national media, rubbing shoulders with the people who can help him market to international tourists. The government seems willing to help. Kelso said China has amped up its tourism marketing efforts since the country hosted the 2008 Olympics.
The trip was educational, as well. "The people were unbelievably friendly," he said. "We never felt threatened. The food was great. We both gained weight that we're still packing around."
Gao and his entourage will be back in Moab later this year and again next April for Easter Jeep Safari 2019. Not to be outdone, Kelso and McElhaney plan to return to China next year. "We went there to see what it was. They (Yinchuan City) would be like a sister city to Moab," said McElhaney. "They want to emulate what we do here."
Clearly, Gao is a huge fan of Moab. In his showroom is a mural featuring a Jeep and one of area's iconic arches. There are other Moab-centric photos with captions on his walls. "To think that some guy in China has been here, and now in China there are trails named after trails in Moab. That shows that the people of Moab made an impact on this man," said McElhaney.


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phpMyVisites | An open source website statistics and web analytics application (license GNU GPL).
Provides cyberbullying facts, stories, presentations, statistics, laws, articles, blogs, fact sheets, downloads, activities, events, resources, and research.
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Welcome to Shell in the United States
Welcome to Arlington Virginia. This is the official website of Arlington County, Virginia
Tracking legislation and votes in the United States Congress.
The whos.amung.us homepage. Here you will find really cool widgets for your website or blog - free! No registration required.
ImageShack offers image hosting, free photo sharing and video sharing. Upload your photos, host your videos, and share them with friends and family.
It is content, or rather the consciousness of content, that fills the void, but the mere presence of content is not enough. It is style that makes us care. And beer. Always beer.
This is a comprehensive listing of the most commonly used traffic signs in the United States.
The Alachua County Library District (ACLD) is an independent special taxing district and the sole provider of public library services to approximately 250,000 citizens in...
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As America's leading home energy efficiency network, RESNET home energy raters & contractors can help make your home more comfortable & save you money.


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Ignite brought us many different questions and answers posted on the wall of #GetAnswers.
There were so many questions we (the Community Engineers) first picked our favorites and posted those right after Ignite ended, and now we're posting the leftover questions as they may be of interest or could spark some discussion.
If you missed out on what happened at Ignite, please check out the blogs at https://live.paloaltonetworks.com/t5/Ignite-Blog/bg-p/Ignite2017_Blog
Disclaimer: The answers provided are from customers and visitors at the booth, so may not be the 'best' answer (we did vet for accuracy), so feel free to add your own answer or take in the comments section below.
As always, we welcome all comments and questions below. If you see an answer you'd like to expand upon, please feel free to do so.
For more Ignite2017 questions from @kiwiand @jdelio, please see the following links:
#GetAnswers from Kim / kiwi: Q&A from Ignite
Reaper out.
How can I recategorize a survey URL that the firewall is categorizing me as financial
@kairoosto, If you want to "recategorize" a URL yourself, then you can always create a Custom URL group, and then use that in a rule BEFORE any rule to block that traffic (with the URL Categorization profile).. That should do what you need it to do.
@kairoosto you can request a URL recategorization here : https://urlfiltering.paloaltonetworks.com/
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