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My elementary school population has been going through a transition and is becoming more of a melting pot. I've been completing more bilingual assessments lately. There is always a risk of over identifying children that come from different cultural backgrounds. Most of our speech and language tests are normed for the average English speaking American child. In order to determine if the child has a language disability we need to determine it is not a language difference and the disability is apparent in both languages. This can be even more difficult if the child is caught between the use of two languages. The primary care giver may not have a good handle on English, but this is the primary language used at home. The child's English model may not be standard English and they are not exposed to it until they reach school age. As a result their vocabulary and syntax skills may also be lower than expected.
When starting an assessment for special education, it is important to determine which language is dominant for the child. An interview with the caregiver will tell you how much the child has been exposed to English and what the predominant language is used in the household. The caregiver can also give developmental information. If the child made developmental milestones, there is less chance he/she has a language disability. Our English Learning program conducts regular testing to show progress. This information can be used to address the child's functioning in English and if progress is steady. I am fortunate that my district employs interpreters that can help complete speech assessments. Sometimes it's possible to get a speech assessment in both languages such as using the Spanish CELF and English CELF. The scores can be compared to reveal discrepancies and if the child has a delay in both languages.
I found a web sites that I find useful when completing bilingual assessments. It gives resources and considerations for doing bilingual assessments. Its called Multicultural Topics in Communication Sciences and Disorders . I also put it on the blog roll for easy reference. There is also a handy site that provides text to speech and translation for multiple languages. It is Text to Speech Translator.


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- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 whole turkey legs (about 3 1/4 pounds total), cut at joints into drumsticks and thighs, skin removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Recipe Preparation
Rub thyme over turkey; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to 6-quart slow cooker. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; sauté 8 minutes. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves. Transfer vegetables to slow cooker. Add wine to skillet; boil until reduced by 1/3, about 1 minute. Pour wine and tomatoes with juice over turkey. Cover; cook on high until turkey is very tender and falls off bone, about 5 1/2 hours.
Mix parsley, peel, and remaining garlic in bowl for gremolata. Using slotted spoon, remove turkey from pot. Pull meat from bones; divide meat among 6 bowls. Season sauce with salt and pepper; spoon over turkey. Sprinkle with gremolata.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hulu has released the first photos from "The Handmaid's Tale," its upcoming ten-episode TV series adaptation of the award-winning, best-selling novel by Margaret Atwood. The first season launches in April.
The story is set in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States. Facing environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead is ruled by a twisted fundamentalist regime that treats women as property of the state.
Elisabeth Moss is Offred, one of the few fertile women left and Handmaid in the Commander's household. She and several other women are forced into sexual servitude as a last attempt to repopulate a devastated world. In this terrifying society where one wrong word could end her life, but she moves swiftly with one purpose – to find the daughter that was taken from her.
Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Max Minghella, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd and O-T Fagbenle co-star in the series which is executive produced by Bruce Miller.


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FC: The World History River Valley | By: Tristen Rodriguez
1: Table Of Content | 1. Egypt 2. Mesopotamia 3.Indus 4.China | Pg. 2-3 Pg 4-5 Pg 6-7 Pg 8-9
3: The Nile River | 1. Egypt river valleys is one of the oldest river valleys there is. 2. In Egypt pharaohs rule as kings. 3. Egypt rivers is call the Nile River. 4. In Egypt there where 2 famous kings there are 1.king tut 2. king ramses . 5. In Egypt they invented paper .
4: Mesopotamia | 1.. Mesopotamia is currently living in Iraq. 2. Mesopotamia had the first code of laws. 3. Mesopotamia river valleys are call the Tigris&Euphrates. 4.Mesopotamia is polytheistic. 5.Mesopotamia invented the wheel.
7: Indus | 1.Indus is polytheistic 2. Indus river valleys is called Indus&Ganges 3. Indus had the first pluming system. 4. We do not have allot of information about Indus because we could not decodes their language. 5. they had written language.
8: China | 1.China river valleys are called hung he& Yangtze . 2.China where ruled by empire. 3. China is polytheistic. 4.China invented the bronze&iron Silk roads 5. China look at there ancestors for help.


text: Home / ALPHA BRONZE ALPHA BRONZE Your go-to party heel is now sorted with 'Alpha'. Party all night long with a flattering top line, luxurious bronze leather upper and minimal gold hardware. Heel Height: 9.5cm Composition: Leather Upper Leather Lining Manmade Sole Availability: In stock $169.95 $29.00 Final Sale Only. This product cannot be returned or exchanged unless deemed faulty. *Size Choose an Option... * Required Fields $169.95 $29.00 Qty: Add to Cart Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare Size Chart Email Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare


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Bruce Springsteen once wrote: "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)." I doubt he expected that story of love gone wrong would become ideal political commentary for the group known as ACORN.
The small scandal showing an embarrassing video of Baltimore ACORN staffers giving tax advice on how to set up a brothel for underage girls is now national news. This story has everything you could ever want – corruption, sleazy actions at tax-funded organizations, firings, government ties, sex, hookers. It is a network news director's dream. Imagine the ratings!
Only almost no one has been covering it. CBS and NBC just joined the party -- days late.
This is the news media in the era of Van Jones and President Obama. The major outlets cover what they want and create the themes they want. When they find something inconvenient, they let it pass. They didn't like the Van Jones story because he was a community organizer and environmentalist, so they ignored it. The network news media liked the financial entity known as Fannie Mae, so they ignored that scandal-plagued organization for years. ACORN is getting the same treatment.
But it isn't working any more. The ACORN fiasco has now impacted four offices – Baltimore, Washington, New York and San Bernardino – with laugh-out-loud videos featuring hookers and pimps reminiscent of the 1970s "Starsky and Hutch" show. Huggy Bear returns! Four employees have been fired, with more likely to come. And the controversy was so laughably bad that the Census Bureau cut off all ties to the group known formally as the "Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now." They called it the "tipping point" to shed themselves of ACORN. More nuts for someone else, I guess.
For the rest of this column including more on the latest CBS and NBC stories on ACORN, go to the Business & Media Institute.


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Join Now
Join ePHOTOzine, the friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
Lowest Price: £354.00The Fujifilm X-Pro1, an all-new interchangeable lens camera system. The X-Pro1 features a 16 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor, a brand new X lens mount, Hybrid Multi Viewfinder and three prime lenses.
ePHOTOzine Reviews
User Reviews
I purchased the X-Pro1 as a lightweight alternative to my Canon DSLR. Having had it for 2 months, I have to say it is unlikely that my Canon will see the light of day again. The Fuji is a massive upgrade! The detail, sharpness and colour rendition from the sensor/dedicated lens combination are all outstanding. Although I always shot RAW with the Canon, JPEGs straight out of the Fuji are superb, with distortions, aberrations and dynamic range adjustments all taken care of very well indeed. Having the option of LCD, EVF or OVF gives great flexibility. Controls are very intuitive, with the most-used adjustments all close to hand. Fuji are to be applauded for their attention to customers' suggestions and the firmware now aboard is first-class, with the most notable improvement being focus-peaking. I now have 4 lenses - 18mm, 35mm 18-55mm and 55-200mm and they are all superb - the primes being as good if not better than anything I have experienced from Canon - including their 'L' series in my humble opinion.
As primarily a Landscape/Architectural snapper, I can't wait for the 10-24mm lens release.
One word of warning. If you are a sport or wildlife photographer, this may not be the kit for you. There are a number of other cameras out there for which autofocus is faster and more sure-footed. But if that's not your scene and landscapes, portraiture, macro and street are your thing, then the X-Pro1 will not disappoint.


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Mimosa webworm is active in landscapes in Delaware. The following is more information.
Mimosa webworm is an introduced pest that effects both honeylocust and mimosa. Trees in grown in nurseries may be more susceptible. There are usually two generations per year. The overwintering pupal stage gives rise to very small, gray moths that lay tiny, rose-colored eggs in late spring. Young larvae strip/skeletonize upper surfaces of leaves and produce large amounts of silk. This silk sandwiches together leaves and small branch tips. Eventually, webby masses are quite visible on the tree. Caterpillars vary in color from pinkish gray to green to dark brown and grow to about 5/8". After feeding, larvae use silk threads to lower themselves into bark crevices or to the ground and pupate in small, white cocoons. The second generation is produced quickly in mid-late summer and there are reports of a third generation during warm years in southern mid- Atlantic locations. The earliest observed date for larvae is June th 15 in Northern DE. A GDD range of 750-3216 (avg. 1643) and full bloom of Kalmia latifolia can also be used.
Research at Purdue University indicates that isolated honeylocust trees are more commonly affected than trees grouped closely together; and observations in this region seem to confirm this. Early research indicates resistance amongst certain thornless honeylocust cultivars. 'Sunburst' is quite susceptible, while 'Moraine', 'Shademaster', and 'Imperial' were touted as less susceptible. Manual web removal is not a practical control method.
Sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis 'kurstaki' (Dipel, Bt Worm Killer, many others) may be used very early in the season if the eggs or young larvae are found during scouting and before webbing. Neem products containing azadirachtin such as Azatin, Ornazin, and Azatrol provide some feeding repellency along with larval knockdown. Conserve (a.i. spinosad) and pyrethroids are used once webs are widely observed to protect against greater damage by subsequent generations.
Mimosa webworm webbing. Both mimosa and honeylocust are attacked by the mimosa webworm. Photo by John A. Weidhass, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org.
Information from Casey Sclar, IPM Coordinator, Longwood Gardens
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Landscape - Mimosa Webworm
Posted by Gordon Johnson at 6:35 AM
Labels: mimosa webworm
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Exclusive Savings on the Official Grand Central Audio Tour
Grand Central Terminal is known for its architectural highlights, but this tour will give you back story on the station's little-known anecdotes, archival material and secrets (tennis, anyone?). Listeners can take the "local" or "express"—if visitors are interested in more in-depth information, there are options for additional material at the push of a button. The self-guided tour can last as little as 30 minutes to just over an hour.
Visit the Tours window in the Main Concourse, open 9am-6pm daily.
The tour is available in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian and German.
Orpheo's state-of-the-art audio device and headset comes with a map of the terminal for just $9 per adult and $7 discounted (seniors, military, students, kids). Thought Gallery readers can enjoy the tour for just $5 by presenting the image on this page at the Tours window.


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John McCarthy Roll was a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. He joined the court in 1991 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush. Roll was shot and killed on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona, in a SUPPOSEDLY random shooting by a crazed, disconnected lunatic. Many Americans already know this. Most Americans, however, do not know ANYTHING about "The Story Behind The Story" of Judge John Roll – and why I personally believe he was monitored, stalked and then shot and killed by a "Manchurian Candidate" programmed killer named Jared Lee Loughner. Think about it, in a high-level – POLITICALLY MOTIVATED assassination (such as President JFK) it would be highly desirable to make it look to be the random act of a crazed lone-gunman "lunatic shooter". If this is indeed so, then what was the motive for the contract killing?
Fact #1: Before being appointed the Chief Federal Judge of Arizona by President Bush, Judge Roll, in his position as a State Judge, was accused of being complicit in the machinations of a massive child abduction ring operating in Arizona with ALL of the earmarks outlined by attorney John W. DeCamp in his seminal book: "The Franklin CoverUp – Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska." Over 2,500 "missing" children were involved in this scandal in Arizona, and Judge Roll was, according to witnesses, deeply "in the loop" of this most heinous activity.
Fact #2: An integral piece of this scandal involved Mexican Drug Cartel money being laundered through American bank accounts. Judge Roll had in fact authorized the seizure of hundreds of millions of drug cartel funds – and was openly defying U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's demands to release the money to federal control (which I submit would then find its way quickly back into its original Organized Crime accounts.) Roll refused to do follow Holder's demands, and on Friday, January 7, (the day before his PLANNED ASSASSINATION) he issued a ruling that seized drug money would remain in State of Arizona control.
So — which BANK appears to be involved in this "money laundering" process? The answer may well lie in this recent Salt Lake Tribune article:
By paul beebe
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published: February 12, 2011 09:15AM
Updated: February 12, 2011 12:30AM
Two federal agencies have slapped Zions Bank with multimillion-dollar civil penalties for failing to monitor suspicious wire transfers of billions of dollars related to transactions that may have involved drug trafficking and other crimes.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Friday said it imposed an $8 million penalty against Zions for shortcomings in its anti-money laundering controls — violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA Patriot Act.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network — a Treasury Department agency involved in fighting money laundering — also fined Salt Lake City-based Zions $8 million but said the government would be satisfied by a single payment of $8 million.
"The bank is supposed to file suspicious activity reports if they find suspicious activity, and the bank failed to file those on a timely basis," OCC spokesman Dick DeBuck said.
"The regulations also require the bank to monitor this wire activity, and the bank did not do that, either."
Zions did not admit or deny the allegations spelled out in separate documents issued by the OCC and the Financial Crimes Network.
In a statement, CEO Scott Anderson said the bank takes "very seriously our obligations to comply with federal laws and regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act."
Anderson said Zions has closed down the business unit handling the money transfers and has been cooperating fully with regulators.
"Over the past three years, we have employed considerable resources bankwide to significantly enhance our systems designed to detect and report potentially suspicious activities," Anderson said in the statement.
The OCC said Zions had developed a "remote deposit capture product" that allowed customers to deposit imaged financial documents such as checks into accounts in Mexico and other countries from "remote" locations, ostensibly in the United States.
The product was marketed to "high-risk customers" in 2006 and 2007 "without sufficient regard to (Bank Secrecy and Patriot Act) compliance implications," the OCC said.
The Financial Crimes Network said Zions failed to report 132 cases of suspicious activity that represented more than $12.3 billion.
"These suspicious activities involved, among other things, sequentially numbered travelers checks, possible black market peso exchange, transactions involving entities and accounts alleged to have been involved in drug trafficking activities and unusual wire transfers," the Financial Crimes Network said in a document released Thursday.
The agency said Zions processed money transfers that indicated patterns commonly associated with money-laundering, such as the nature of the business, originators and beneficiaries in "high-risk" locations and lacked any apparent business or legal purpose.
DeBuck said the OCC discovered the violations during examinations of the bank. But an OCC statement said the bank later conducted a voluntary assessment of its "foreign correspondent business" after shutting down the unit. Zions then reported suspicious activity to the agency.
According to the Financial Crimes Network, Zions filed 20 reports of suspicious activity after the review. The transactions involved in the activity totaled $11.5 billion, according to the network.
"With these actions, we are sending another strong message that banks need to be vigilant and ensure that they have effective anti-money laundering programs in place," John Walsh, the OCC's acting director, said.


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About Bioprofiles Ltd.
Bioprofiles Ltd. was established as a spin-out from the University of
Newcastle upon Tyne in December 2001 by two scientists, Dr. Kirsten Wolff and
Dr. Marie Hale
company has close ties with the University and has laboratory and office
space on campus
Dr. Kirsten Wolff
Dr. Kirsten
Wolff's Research Interests
Broad research interests in molecular
1) molecular evolution in plants
2) population structure in general, and in Plantago species in particular
3) use of molecular tools for cultivar identification
However, University
education was taken up again, resulting in
a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 1994 and a PhD in zoology in 1999
at The University of Western Australia. A big step was made in 2001 by
coming to the UK and a wide range of projects was undertaken, fingerprinting
plants as well as animals. Marie's work resulted in a large number of
publications in top ranking journals
Marie now has taken up a position at the University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New Zealand
Arthur Leewis is our Laboratory manager.
Arthur takes care of the day-to-day
running of the lab and customer relations.
He has an excellent track record of
successfully managing different groups in different environments, ranging
from private companies to an IT department in the NHS.
Home |
About |
Root DNA Identification
Development |
| News |
Links |
Bioprofiles Ltd. 2018


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Bus from Pune to Parali
A convenient mode of travel while commuting from Pune to Parali is by taking a bus. The time taken to complete the bus journey is dependent on traffic, roads and climatic conditions.The bus companies adopt safety measures while running their buses from Pune and Parali. The smooth availability of bus service creates travel convenience for many people travelling from Pune to Parali.
If you are also looking for return checkout, please ensure to check Parali to Pune Bus.


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Twist your brain into unlikely shapes as you dare to engage the Mind Wall in battle. Will you be the first to work your way through its labyrinth of pain, and at what price, your SANITY?!
No matter how impossible a level looks, I guarantee you there is ALWAYS a solution.
You can use Alt-Enter to toggle windowed/fullscreen mode.
Edit the command_line.txt file to change the screen resolution if you want. (1920 by 1200 is niiice)
Check the readme.txt for more info, and the /source dir for sources.
For music I used Sonar with the "Dimension" soft synth, using an Evolution MK-461C for control.
For sfx, I used sfxr, of course.
Update April 20th: If you are not an LD judge, you should download these slightly improved versions instead
Update June 27th: Get Mind Wall for iPhone!
Original Compo versions:
OS X (universal binaries)
NOTE: Meh, there is a minor cosmetic bug that makes the "congrats, you won" text hard to read… there is a work around though, after you've unlocked the last level, quit and restart, your progress will be saved and when (or should I say, IF?!!) you win the text will look right. (Thanks to 5arrowhawk)
Tags: final


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Your presence here means that you know it all about multiple attempts of using various diets to lose weight without any considerable results or successful weight maintenance after the weight loss.
Use of slimming medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter ones, requires your strong commitment to your goals and compliance with the developed weight loss plan.
Only this kind of approach will help you achieve your goals of a fitter and healthier body and higher self-esteem and life quality.
As weird as it may sound, the abundance of various weight loss meds on the market became a real problem for many people wishing to get slimmer, because they find it difficult to understand where to begin and where to never step.
We did our best did its best to cover all diet pills that offer great weight loss possibilities. And now, you have a wonderful opportunity to get comprehensive reviews on all popular weight loss products in a single catalogue.
Why people use weight loss medications
It is a well-known fact that excess weight is a problem that doesn't allow for a long search of solutions, since it endangers each overweight person's health and is fraught with a long list of complications and severe health issues, including:
- hypertension,
- heart diseases,
- type II diabetes mellitus,
- stroke,
- cancer,
- degenerative arthritis,
- liver and kidney diseases,
- sleep disorders,
- depressive disorders.
At that, not many people who have excess weight regard the issue from this point of view. Most slimmers try to get rid of excess kilos for the sake of improving their physical appearance.
Whatever the reason for your anti-obesity campaign, it requires doctor's assistance and clinical examination, especially if you decide to use prescription weight loss medications or OTC slimming products.
Who can take weight loss medications
Both prescription and OTC slimming meds can cause unpleasant reactions and have a list of contraindications, which should be carefully studied and considered before an overweight person starts using any pharmacological products to boost his weight loss.
In addition, any medications that you are currently taking or use from time to time might interact with the slimming medication that you take, so it is important to let your doctor know of any other drugs and supplements that you use or have been using at least over the last couple of weeks.
However, first thing that your doctor will check is your weight/height ratio, commonly known as the BMI, which, though lately been considered inaccurate, is still used by most doctors to define your current health situation.
If your BMI falls within the category that makes you a suitable candidate for the use of slimming pills, you will first be offered to lose weight through a comprehensive weight loss program, which should include:
- Reasonable nutrition
- Increased physical activity
- Elimination of bad habits
- Improvement of mental condition
- Counselling, if that is the case.
If none of the above provides a satisfactory result or patient fails to cope with his cravings and poor eating habits that have been developing through his entire life, he may be advised to use a weight loss medication, which can help him cope with his uncontrollable desire to consume unhealthy foods or unhealthy amounts of food.
Choosing best diet pills that fit your goal
Of course, getting slimmer is the obvious major goal of any overweight person, who is trying to lose weight, be it to get better looks or improve unfavorable health situation.
Still, this single goal can be achieved in different ways, depending on the underlying cause of your weight gain.
- Your weight gain may be caused by ravenous hunger that occurs during the daytime or at night, and you find it impossible to withstand the temptation of emptying your fridge. If this is the case, you should opt for using effective appetite suppressants, which will help you fight hunger and lose weight through reducing the amount of food you consume on a daily basis.
- Your weight gain may be caused by a low metabolic rate, so you will benefit from the metabolism boosters that are aimed at increasing your metabolism and helping your body work faster and harder to burn more calories that you would have lost on your own.
- Your weight gain is something that your body is used to and it feels quite comfortable with, so the extra fat is not willing to part with you. In this case, you will find a fat burner an effective tool of making your body volumes shrink.
However, you should always keep in mind that no diet pills for sale are capable of providing you with a consistent and fast weight loss, if you don't accompany them with a proper eating and exercising plan.
Ask your prescribing physician, dietitian or personal trainer to develop a scientifically based weight loss plan, which takes the account of your individual features and weight loss goals.
Doctor's advice will, in turn, help you keep up to date with changes in your health and introduce necessary changes, when needed.
Do I have to exercise while taking diet pills
There is a good reason that slimmers are advised to become more active when trying to lose weight.
Higher physical activity helps you to:
- Burn more fat during the day
- Increase your metabolic rate
- Gain muscles, which will burn more calories, even when you're resting.
At that, you will not necessarily be encouraged to hit the gym 5 times a week and immediately sign up for boot camp competitions. Adding a brisk walk or increasing your walking speed during your everyday walk will already help you increase your heart rate and, consequently, the metabolic rate.
If you are taking diet pills, intended for boosting metabolism and causing the thermogenic action, the effects that you will get from this seemingly minor change in your activity level will be surprisingly positive and motivating.
However, there are cases when people are incapable to exercise due to their current health condition, trauma or disability and wonder will they lose weight on diet pills if they don't exercise.
Unfortunately, there is no single answer that fits everyone. It depends on the cause of your weight gain and the type of weight loss drugs that you buy. If you were overeating and choose an appetite suppressant, it will help you reduce your portion size and may cause a weight loss.
Still, it is always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional and follow his advice on rehabilitating exercise that you can make to improve your current physical condition and boost weight loss at the same time.
What types of diet pills you can use to lose weight
The best type of weight loss medications is the one that does help you lose weight and does not cause severe side effects – it's a clear fact. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a medication that is 100% free from adverse events, and even Vitamin C should be used reasonably or may harm your health.
So, weighing the pros and cons of a slimming drug is a wise approach, and this is the approach of Health Authorities in various countries when assessing a new product.
Of course, we are looking for approved diet pills, and are hasting to bring you the great news that such medications do exist.
Below, you will find several examples of such diet pills and tools to choose from:
- Phentermine HCl 37.5mg, Duromine, Adipex, Ionamin, Axcion (a.s. – Phentermine)
- Qsymia (a.s. – Phentermine + Topiramate)
- Belviq (a.s. – Lorcaserin)
- Contrave (a.s. – naltrexone hydrochloride + bupropion hydrochloride)
- Saxenda (a.s. – Liraglutide injection)
- Meridia (Sibutramine).
You have a great opportunity to check out the information about a variety of slimming drugs to help you choose the best option for a successful weight loss campaign!


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The Situation of Women in Iraq
During the time of the Ba'ath regime, women in northern Iraq have become victims of gender-specific human rights abuses, especially when they were politically active, or in their capacity as wives, mothers or sisters of enemies of the former regime. Sexual violence against women was a multi-layered method of warfare specifically designed to destroy family structures, to humiliate political dissidents, and to disrupt the cultural cohesion of ethnic groups.
In the course of the so-called Anfal Campaign, hundreds of thousands of women lost their relatives due to executions, military operations and during their attempts to escape genocide. Through the death of their male relatives, women were frequently driven into isolation and loneliness; at the same time, they had to endure enormous economic hardships while struggling to feed the remaining family members.
Furthermore, young women in northern Iraq continue to face numerous forms of domestic oppression, including domestic violence and so-called honor killings, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, as well as limited access to educational opportunities.
Our Services for Women and Girls
Our departments for women, entirely staffed by female therapists, address the severe and long-lasting consequences of gender-specific violence. These departments aim to
- protect women and their children from domestic violence
- raise women's awareness of their fundamental rights and the rights of their children
- increase women's access to systems of welfare, legal protection, education, labor and health
- provide a secure setting where traumatized women can engage in group dialogue
- empower traumatized women to become agents of change in a post-repressive society
- strengthen non-violent conflict resolution within families and across generations.
Each year, the Jiyan Foundation helps around 1000 female victims of violence. Women and girls receive gender-specific medical and psychosocial assistance, they join regular self-help and discussion groups and take part in educational seminars. They are referred to evening schools and vocational training, women's shelters, or medical specialists. Family therapy and mediation sessions help to develop non-violent communication strategies, reconcile couples and stabilize traumatized families.
Supporting women who have become victims of violence has important secondary effects on family members. When women become aware of their fundamental rights, they can protect themselves and their children from domestic violence frequently produced by collective trauma. Moreover, they will share positive experiences of peaceful conflict resolution with their male relatives and thereby promote democratic attitudes.
Our work for women and girls in Iraq is possible due to funding by Misereor and the European Union.
Further Information


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Graduate Commercial Officer at Russel Smith Group
RusselSmith is an ISO 9001:2008 certified asset integrity management services company incorporated to serve the needs of the global oil and gas exploration and production industry, using rope access technology as our principal medium of access.
A career at RusselSmith offers you growth and a chance to make a difference. Throughout our history, we have continued to help our employees realize their dreams, whilst creating opportunities for them to fulfill their personal and professional potential.
RusselSmith Group is recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Commercial Officer
Job Reference Code: COM-17-001
Location: Nigeria
Job Type: Full-Time
Summary of Functions
- Assists in preparation of bids and ensures conformity to tender requirements.
- Responsible for compiling data for preparing estimates; examining performance requirements, delivery schedules, estimates cost of materials, equipment, and production to ensure completeness and accuracy.
- Assists in providing business advice and guidance to others on contracting work and prepare correspondence that supports contractual actions and recommendations.
- Review project plans to assure performance is measured against plans.
- Collate and compute weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual data on contracts quotes and actual spend.
- Bid Preparation, Submission and Reporting- Liaising between the company and NIPEX, Client or other relevant bodies on project bids, applications and tender in the upstream sector of the industry.
- Assists in building pricing spreadsheet models and in the preparation of pricing charts.
- Drafting required documents to accomplish proper contract administration, and answering Management queries.
- Assists in maintaining conformed copies of tender documentation within organizational responsibility.
- Advises relevant departments on documentation for company projects as per contractual obligations. Works closely with the respective departments to implement and ensure the fulfillment of contracts needs.
- Follow up to ensure purchase orders and contracts are received and duly filed in defined folders
- Manage the file management system, control of records and document control processes
- Coordinate the completion, issuance, filing and archiving of mobilization/demobilization forms and acknowledgement
- Liaise with internal departments to ensure sales requests are followed up and required services are completed in timeframes acceptable to the customer
- Maintaining and expanding good relationships with existing customers
- Reports- Generate and or updates required meeting notes i.e. departmental and other meetings as required.
- Completing administrative work, as required. Manages the department's office stationeries and equipment; make requisitions for new or additional stationeries and equipment as appropriate.
- Ensure that all proposals/applications submitted to NIPEX, Client or other relevant bodies are in compliance with statutory requirements and are submitted as at when due to the relevant agencies.
- Manage and update the sales order database, sales pipeline, project cost tracking sheet, sales order tracker report and prospects database
- Prepares and processes sales orders and submits for invoicing within 48hours of project(s) demobilization or 48hours of month end for recurring projects and that the information is correct and accurate.
- Ensure timely collection and submission of daily and or monthly progress reports.
- Performs other duties as assigned or required.
- Good Communication and Presentation Skills
- Good Business Writing & Reporting Skills
- Exhibits Initiative and Proactive
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Tools
- Client Relationship Management
- Quality control the individual demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness and monitors own work to ensure quality.
- Safety and security the individual actively promotes and personally observes safety and security procedures, and uses equipment and materials properly.
- Document Control – Reviewing and keeping records of transaction of sale and purchase goods and services
- Good Relational and Interpersonal Skills.
- Good Team Spirit and Problem Solving Skills
- Strong Quantitative Skills i.e. Statistics & Data Analysis Skills
- Good Reasoning skills; Multi-tasking & Organizational Skills
- Good Analytical Skills
- Good Time Management Skills
Physical Demands:
- Regular use of the telephone and e-mail for communication is essential. Sitting for extended periods is common. Hearing, vision and speaking within normal ranges is essential for normal conversations, to receive ordinary information and to prepare or inspect documents.
- No heavy lifting is expected. Exertion of up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally may be required. Good manual dexterity for the use of common office equipment such as computers, calculator, copiers, and FAX machines.
Educational Qualifications
- A good university first degree is required
Experience Required:
- 0-2 years
Work Environment
The job is performed indoors in a traditional office setting. Activities include extended periods of sitting occasional fast paced events and extensive work at a computer monitor and/or calculator.
How to Apply
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I have a new shop! Buy all my latest books here!
This comic very nearly didn't get made, and the story of the events of last night is not one for the faint-hearted. Those of you of a nervous dispostion are advised to simply enjoy the comic and move on, blissfully unaware of the UNIMAGINABLE HORRORS I faced last night. For those of a more corageous nature, please brace yourself as you read on: I cannot be held accountable for anyone who spotaneously expires out of sheer fright. As summer enters full swing the nights are starting to get decidedly clammy, and so I decided employ nature's air-conditioning (also known as 'breezes') and leave my window wide open, to keep cool while I drew the comic. I was happily drawing the strip when suddenly a baleful sound met my ears: FLIK-A-FLIK! It sounded like the gargantuan beating wings of some deamonic bat, but in my heart I new the reality was far, far worse. The beast that had entered my room was none other than the greatest villain of the animal kingdom, that satan on dusty wings: a MOTH. After flying around for a bit the black-winged fiend eventually lost interest in repeatedly dive-bombing my head and took up residence on the wall. Taking advantage of this remission in the onslaught I finished the comic and went to my computer to scan and colour it. Little did I know that reinforcements were waiting to ambush me there. I made several attempts to scare it away by stabbing it with the mouse pointer, but to no avail, so with gritted teeth I did perhaps the bravest thing I have ever done: I coloured the comic while there was a moth on the monitor, and I did it all for YOU. Admittedly when the moth did inevitably launch itself directly at my face I did give a small shriek and stand on the bed for a bit, but that is beside the point. I am a hero, and from now on today will be declared an international holiday. World 'Comics in the face of moth-based adversity' Day. We'll have little flags and everything. Today's cool comic link: Michael's Exciting Life. I always admire the bravery of anyone who can appear in a photocomic. But they're still not as brave as people who go up against moths obviously. MOTHS.
- James9 Jun 2006
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I recently heard a great saying when it comes to training.
Every workout should help you be more prepared for the next workout.
I couldn't agree more.
With our "train smart" approach to training, our goal is never to destroy the body. This is not limited to just putting training stress on the body with specific workouts but also with nutrition. No workout is performed without proper nutrition before, during and after workouts. Just to make myself clear, Karel and I never perform a workout without a snack before, sport nutrition during (powder in a bottle of water each hour) and some type of recovery snack or meal post workout. I just see no point in sabotaging a workout by not fueling properly to support the immune system, postpone fatigue and to enhance recovery.
Additionally, we never create a workout that is so "epic" that the human body can not recover within a short time frame. As an age group triathlete, time is not unlimited. It is important that in order to make consistent performance gains that we are not overstressing the body in one workout that we can not be equipped for another workout the next day. Certainly, there's exceptions to this rule such as well- designed training camps that place an intentional heavy load on the body to stress the body in a certain time frame. However, it would be a waste of time, money and energy if an athlete accomplished a big load, let's say, at a camp, and did not properly recover to make long lasting fitness gains.
After Karel was finished with his 14 RETUL fits on Mon evening, we continued our trip just a bit more south to visit with my mom.
Campy was SO happy at his resort, although it was a little different without my dad being present. This was the first time that Campy was in the house without both of his grandparents being there but not to worry, my mom gave Campy extra love.
Weekly training update:
On Tues morning, we woke up without an alarm and had a good 90 minute spin.....in the pouring rain. We didn't plan for the rain but around 1:15 into our ride, the sky opened up so we turned around. It was a planned EZ spin as Karel's legs were completely toasted after being on his feet for 4 days with the fits.
On Wed morning we had 10 hours of driving ahead of us so we didn't want to exhaust ourselves before our trip. We had an early bedtime on Tuesday so that we could get a solid 8 hours of sleep and we woke up with an alarm around 5:45am so that by 6:45am (enough time to digest a pre training snack and get the body going after dynamic stretching/campy walk) we were both out the door for a run (Karel and I do not run together because he is too fast for me).
My set:
1 mile warm-up. Then stop and stretch it out.
2 miles steady running w/ 20 sec walk in between each mile.
1 mile warm-up. Then stop and stretch it out.
2 miles steady running w/ 20 sec walk in between each mile.
3 x 8 minutes (4 min @ ~6:50-7 min/mile, 4 min @ ~7:45-8 min/mile - under/overs, my fav). 1 min walk in between.
3 x 8 minutes (4 min @ ~6:50-7 min/mile, 4 min @ ~7:45-8 min/mile - under/overs, my fav). 1 min walk in between.
Then cool down
Total: 6.5 miles
When we got back to SC, I made sure to spend a good 20 minutes stretching out my hips and back as I was getting a bit stiff in the car (especially with a chihuahua sitting on my lap when I wasn't driving)
On Thurs I sat an alarm at 5:45am and was at the Y (2 miles down the road) at 7am for a swim/strength workout. Although I can choose my own schedule as a small business owner, I typically need a good 60-90 minutes to answer emails in the morning (most from my west coast athletes) and I do not like to push my workouts back past 8am because I need a good 7-10 hours most days (weekends included) to get to all of my Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition to-do's.
I started my morning with a great swim which I shared in a previous post and followed it with 30 min of full body strength (primarily legs and core). With IMWI being a challenging course, it requires a lot of power, not necessarily speed. Therefore, Karel and I are making sure our bodies are as strong as possible to take the 140.6 miles of stress on the body. I absolutely love being in the weight room even though most of my strength work is body assisted work (not machines).
Karel and I wanted to do an EZ spin on the Swamp Rabbit Trail in the evening but it was raining so it was a good excuse to eat an early dinner at 5:30pm and get to bed before 9:30pm.
On Friday morning, it was a cooler morning and the rain had stopped by the time we got to the Y at 7am. We did a great 3200 yard swim (the outdoor pool was chilly!):
500 swim warm-up
Pre set:
4 x 200's w/ fins (50 drill, 50 swim)
500 swim warm-up
Pre set:
4 x 200's w/ fins (50 drill, 50 swim)
3 x 100's (50 steady, 50 strong)
2 x 100's (25 steady, 75 strong)
1 x 100 (strong)
2 x 100's (25 steady, 75 strong)
3 x 100's (50 steady, 50 strong)
400 pull
8 x 25's - 10 strokes no breath, then EZ into the wall w/ 10 sec rest
2 x 100's (25 steady, 75 strong)
1 x 100 (strong)
2 x 100's (25 steady, 75 strong)
3 x 100's (50 steady, 50 strong)
400 pull
8 x 25's - 10 strokes no breath, then EZ into the wall w/ 10 sec rest
After our swim, we did 30 min of strength work and we added in some plyo's as well as good core work. It was a great morning workout!
In the evening, Karel went for a bike ride and I went to the Y for a nice form focused run on the treadmill (4 miles) w/ 30 sec rest each mile) for the first two miles and then 10 minutes of 1 min "fast" w/ 30 sec rest. Then cool down.
This morning we were SO excited to ride as there was no rain on the radar!
However, it's been a while since we rode our normal routes and wow, did those hills grow since last week!!!
We did 75 miles and just over 4 hours with 5000 feet of climbing. It was another beautiful ride but I was super excited to be off my bike when I got home.
Off the bike, 4 miles w/ 30 sec walk each mile. It was a fast run for me with just under 7:45 min/miles but it felt good as I was not going by pace but just RPE.
So, there you have it - lots of progress, feeling strong and the countdown continues for IMWI!!
Happy training!
Happy training!
Thank you body!


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In the comments on my blog post about sex past marriage, a discussion erupted about whether or not women "own" sex and "sell" it to men for things like money and security. In the sense that there is a huge market for female prostitution and female porn stars, I'd say yes. But that, to my mind, is indicative more of the inequality of the sexes than evidence that men have higher sex drives than women. In other words, it's not that women control a commodity, but that men, being more powerful, are entitled to buy and sell women's sexuality. I know, it's not a nice way to put it, but I can't really think of any other way to phrase that .
Anyway, the real point of this blog post is the difference in attitudes between the book and the TV show "Sex and the City", since that subject came up. Commenter Ilkka pointed out that the attitudes and themes in the book differ greatly from the ones on the show, and I concur, though I doubt that I see the difference in quite the same light as he does. For those who read the book after watching the program, it's quite a shock. The show is caustic and funny, but overall it had a very positive take on human nature. I'd classify most episode in the category of screwball comedy, and the characters of Carrie and Mr. Big were definitely modeled after the great couples of screwball. But the book is extremely cynical and Bushnell's take on people and their relationship to sex is closer to Neil LaBute than it is to the "Thin Man" series or anything like that.
Bushnell definitely portrays the world of dating and sex as a marketplace where men trade on their money and women trade on their looks. Initially, this seems to support the contention that Bushnell agrees with the idea that women "own" sex and men want it, so they have to buy it. For all I know, she does agree with that, but that's not what you get off a close reading of her book. In fact, in her book, the male demand for female beauty is for an even shallower reason than the sex. The men in the book mostly just want the high status of having a gorgeous piece of arm candy.
A couple of the stories she tells to demonstrate this actually made it into the show during the first season. In one story, a man is powerfully attracted to a woman who is rather plain and unglamorous, but his ego won't let him take her out in public. So he takes her out to out-of-the-way restaraunts and won't introduce her to his friends. In another story, a man takes so much pride in himself for seducing fashion models that he tapes himself having sex with them to show his friends. (Forgive me if I got the stories from the book a little wrong--my memory is getting mixed up with the show.) Bushnell's point is that men and women are shallow cretins who use each other as status symbols--women want wealthy men to brag about and men want beautiful women to brag about.
The show had the same stories but had a different take on them. These two characters were played not as typical men, but as neurotic, self-obsessed freakshows. By the end of the episode with the guy who hides his girlfriend, the show makes a big deal out of showing characters who don't engage in such egotistical behavior. The moral? Some men are shallow assholes, but not all men are. It's actually a more realistic take than the book, a good demonstration that while cynics may think that they are the only realists, they aren't necessarily.


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An Intriguing Design Innovation: Litracon® Transparent Concrete
Have a look at this creative idea that can be widely applied when it comes to a variety of designs ! According to the producers," Litracon® is a combination of optical fibers and fine concrete. It can be produced as prefabricated building blocks. Due to the small size of the fibres, they blend into concrete becoming a component of the material like small pieces of aggregate. In this manner, the result is not only two materials – glass in concrete – mixed, but a third, new material, which is homogeneous in its inner structure and on its main surfaces as well. Litracon® is a fully handmade product which results an exceptional and individual pattern of light in each piece". We like the idea of indoor panels, but we believe there are many more ways this innovation could be taken advantage of. How would you use transparent concrete in your home?


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Joan Armatrading is currently mid way through her last major world tour and it will be her final one on this scale.
After 42 years this is not just her ultimate major tour, it is also, rather unbelievably, her first ever solo world tour.
Join Joan as she trawls through her songbook, utilising various guitars and a piano, when she shares some of her highlights of the last four decades when she visits the Music Hall, Aberdeen on Wednesday, March 18, 2015.
In 2007 Joan Armatrading became the first female UK artist to debut at number 1 in the Billboard Blues chart.
She also became the first ever female UK artist to be nominated for a Grammy Award in the blues category.
It is fair to say Joan Armatrading is a woman of substance - borne out by the Grammy and Brit Award nominations, the seven Honoury degrees, her own BA, the Ivor Novello and Basca Gold Badge awards.
Not forgetting her personal milestones which include meeting Nelson Mandela, getting her MBE and running the New York marathon.
Joan's solo tour kicked off in South Africa earlier this year.
With nearly every show to date a complete sellout, it sees her on the road until the end of 2015.
It also encompasses the UK, Australia, North America, Germany, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, New Zealand and more concerts in South Africa.
Such has been the success of the shows in the UK that Joan returns in March 2015 to play a raft of further venues including the Music Hall.
Joan said: "I have absolutely enjoyed the last 42 years of performances but now, with my final major tour, I want to capture a unique memory for both myself and the audience."
Tickets are available online by visiting www.aberdeenperformingarts.com, calling the box office booking line on 01224 641122, or by visiting Aberdeen Box Office at either the Music Hall or His Majesty's Theatre.


text:
I couldn't let the 20th anniversary of the premier of the Black or White video pass by without paying tribute to it. At the same time, I realized that a discussion of this groundbreaking video can be closely tied in with another subject I have been wanting to write about-teaching Michael Jackson in the freshman college classroom.
I have been teaching English classes at a local community college for several years. A few semesters ago I began incorporating Michael's Black or White video into the curriculum of my English 102 classes, usually as part of our unit on theme and symbolism. In the beginning, I was a little apprehensive. I wasn't sure how a discussion of Michael Jackson or his work would be received by a group of mostly 18-to-22-year-olds, mixed in with the occasional middle-aged homemaker who has returned to school after a 20-year hiatus of raising a family. I know how most of those 18-to-22-year old kids view Michael Jackson. They've all heard of him, of course, and may even be familiar with some of the songs. If pressed, they could probably tell you he was that guy who did Thriller and was famous for doing the moonwalk. They no doubt will know something about the controversies of Michael's last years; they may be aware that he was the butt of nose jokes and-sadly-pedophile jokes. They realize that he is someone considered great; a legand and icon to their parents' generation. If they've thought much about him at all, they think of him as one of the great old school artists-someone they know is supposed to be revered, but in the same way they regard Shakespeare. In other words, as someone they know is "supposed" to be great art, but who remains for them an enigma enshrouded by mostly ignorance and fear-the fear of the unknown. For just as with Shakespeare, whom students will avoid out of fear and intimidation until a good teacher is able to help tear down that wall, I realize every year that the reason most young people remain ignorant of the art and influence of Michael Jackson is simply that they have never had any kind of exposure to Michael Jackson as a serious subject of study.
Of course, that is starting to change as many universities are beginning to include Michael Jackson studies as a part of their offered academic curriculums. We are at the stage now where there is just enough distance to finally begin acknowledging and assessing Michael Jackson's importance, not just as a pop icon, but as a serious artist worthy of academic study; as one who is worthy of inclusion in the academic canon. Last year, a very succesful symposium in Chicago was dedicated to the topic of Michael Jackson as a subject of academic study. New books such as Joe Vogel's Man In The Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson are helping to shed new insight on the serious study of Michael Jackson's music and art. It also means that as a culture we are finally somewhat getting away from the idea of Michael Jackson as simply a great entertainer, and accepting that, like the Beatles and Bob Dylan (artists who have been subjects for academic study for many years) ), he is among that elite handful of artists whose work has helped define and reshape our culture.
One night, earlier this year, I was in the middle of teaching my class when I heard a familiar falsetto-"shoop!"-coming from the music class across the hall. I realized I was hearing Speed Demon. I had no idea what the music class was covering that night, or how Speed Demon fit into the picture, but I smiled a little inside knowing that Michael's music was being taught and appreciated. At the same time, it's a bit ironic to think that the pop Top 40 of our day is now music worthy of serious academic study. Michael Jackson is being taught right alongside Beethoven and Mozart, but somehow that does not feel strange at all.
However, it's one thing to teach Michael Jackson in a music class. But an English class? Well, that may not be as far fetched as it sounds. I have been using music as part of my class curriculum for several years. I have found that using music-especially pop music- helps students to comprehend difficult and sometimes dense concepts such as theme and symbolism. And because a song is more compact and immediate than, say, a short story or even a poem, it can be a great way to introduce young students to these concepts.
The first time I actually introduced Michael Jackson into the classroom was as part of a discussion of theme. I played Sign O' The Times by Prince, which is a great song to use for a discussion of theme and also to discuss artistic motifs' (themes that may reoccur repeatedly throughout an artist's body of work). Playing that song usually leads to a discussion of how Prince incorporates apocalyptic themes and imagery into his work. Next, I played Michael's Stranger In Moscow (which is not only a great song, but also exposes them to something by Michael Jackson other than just Beat It, Billie Jean, or Thriller, which for 99% of them is all they've ever heard). The playing of Stranger In Moscow always elicits some great classroom discussions. Among the themes we usually discuss is that of alienation; particularly, in Michael's case, the alienation of the artist. But we also discuss how the song can be applied to anyone who feels isolated and alone, or as if no one in the world cares. Which, quite frankly, is a theme we can all relate to at some time or other, especially teens. Of course, turnabout is fair play, so the way I usually encourage my students to get involved and listen is to tell them, "Okay, if you guys will be patient and listen to my old school 80's music, I'll let you bring to class and discuss something you like." What this accomplishes is that it opens the door to dialogue; my students feel that I am interested in what is relevant to them, so in return, they are more open and receptive to listening to…well, as I jokingly say, my "old" music. Except that an interesting thing usually happens once the dialogue has been opened; we usually find that we learn a lot from each other. And for most of my students-for whom Tupac Shakur is old school- it is often a revelation for them to realize that Michael Jackson is still just as relevant as Chris Brown or Lady Gaga; perhaps even moreso. They learn, in essence, why his music has stood the test of time (in much the same way that Shakespeare still endures, while literary fads may come and go).
But it was not until a few semesters ago that I finally decided to go completely out on a limb, and to set aside an entire class night to discuss and analyze the Black or White video. I made the decision after realizing that it is not only a terrific video for discussing symbolism, what with the Black Panther segment, but also a very fascinating case study in what can happen when symbolism is misinterpreted-or, perhaps, coded in such a way that it is only intended for certain viewers to "get."
I knew this would be taking a risk. Although I had in the past devoted a few minutes of class time to discussing theme in Stranger In Moscow, I had never before seriously considered the idea of devoting an entire class night to a serious academic discussion of Michael Jackson. I didn't know how well this would go over; I didn't know how students would react. After all, like it or not, Michael Jackson remains a very controversial and polarizing figure, one that people either love and revere, or passionately despise (even if, albeit, for all the wrong reasons, but that is a debate for elsewhere). Simply put, I didn't know what can of worms I might be opening. Nervously; hesitantly, I set aside an evening on my syllabus calendar (which every student receives a copy of on the first night of each semester) and wrote: "Discuss Symbolism In Michael Jackson's Black or White video." It was slipped in as casually as any other discussion of any other important literary work or author on the syllabus, and that was exactly how I approached it. This would be an evening dedicated to a very important artistic work by an important American, 20th century artist-no different than any other evening spent discussing Robert Frost's "Birches" or F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited. I also gave them an added incentive to take it seriously..by letting them know it would be on their exam!
I am proud to say I have now been regularly teaching the Black or White video as a routine part of my English 102 curriculum for several semesters now, and so far it has been mostly a resounding success. So now I thought I might share a little of what that experience has been like over the past several semesters, and perhaps in so doing, hopefully inspire more teachers to bring Michael Jackson into the classroom.
For me, it's been a revelation, and not without a few surprises-mostly positive ones.
Each class night that I teach Black or White begins, of course, with watching the full length, eleven minute video. Before showing the video, I usually give a brief talk to give them a sense of context, reminding them that this was 1991, and at the time, Michael Jackson was the biggest pop star in the world. By this time, every new video from him was an event; a spectacle. It's important to give them this sense of context; after all, most of these kids weren't even born in 1991; at most, they were just babies. Like I said before, most of them do have some idea that Michael Jackson was a huge star, but for most of them, coming of age in the era of Youtube and post-music MTV, it's hard to even fathom a time when one pop star could command a worldwide television audience of over 500 million viewers with just a single video.
But the real clincher is when I tell them that the video had no sooner been broadcast, then it was almost immediatly panned, condemned, and ultimately banned from MTV. Of course, that gets their attention because they immediatly want to know: What was so bad about it that it was banned? That is when I say, "Just watch…and then we'll talk about it."
So for about six minutes, the class sits through what must seem to them a relatively catchy, cute and funny, if albeit harmless enough, peon to racial harmony. "It don't matter if you're black or white…" Looking out, I can see many of them bopping along; most of them recognize the song, even if it's just a distant, childhood memory. At some point, they had all probably heard it, maybe even sang along to it as kids, but then had stored it away in the deepest recesses of their collective, subconscious memories-probably along with Barney the Dinosaur and Ren and Stimpy!
And then, usually, there is an almost audible gasp when they see their first glimpse of the 1991 Michael Jackson, dancing among the aborigines in his skinny black pants and flowing white shirt, rocking the long hair; his lean dancer's body lithe as a cat and ready to spring! For many of them, this is a Michael Jackson they have not experienced. They may be familiar with the iconic image of Michael Jackson from his Thriller days; or even moreso, the Michael Jackson of later years who had become the butt of media jokes. My students, after all, are a generation who have come of age with the "Wacko Jacko" image perpetuated by the tabloids. Those images of Michael Jackson coming and going from court in 2005 have unfortunately become the only image that most younger kids even know.
But suddenly, they are seeing Michael in his youthful prime, and in that moment, there is a palpable connection made. I can always feel it in the room. Michael is young and beautiful, larger than life on the big projection screen; even a bit dangerous. In that moment, he comes alive again; he becomes relevant again.
However, it is those final, infamous six minutes or so-the Black Panther Dance-in which my students literally become spellbound. But who can blame them? As someone was quoted in "The Making of Black or White," even if you didn't like it, could totally care less, you couldn't pull your eyes away from it. It is in those moments that I see the true magic of Michael Jackson at work. Even the good ol' macho redneck boys-the ones who could really care less about Michael Jackson-are nevertheless enamored to his every move; no one can tear their eyes away. The Panther Dance sequence is brilliant in its unexpectedness; its juxtapositions of the erotic and the profane; the sexual and the violent.
Most don't "get it" but they certainly can't turn away!
When the video is over, it is always the most stunned sort of uncomfortable silence that falls over the classroom. And breaking that silence is always the most awkward moment of the entire lesson. I can feel it in the air; can read it in all their faces. They have gone from enjoying what at first seemed a very fun and catchy video to a stunned "What the bloody hell was that?" In some ways, not so very different from the exact, same way that audiences reacted in 1991.
What can one possibly do in that situation? Where to begin after that, as far as facilitating class discussion? Well, where I begin is with the obvious…and usually, a sense of humor helps. I will say, "I know you're all thinking, 'what the bloody heck was that?' and then I'll say, "Well, you know what? The first time I ever saw this video, I thought the same thing…and so did a lot of people!"
This is the point where I go into the uproar and controversy caused by the video. As a follow up, I always play portions of "The Making Of Black Or White" which does an excellent job of depicting just how big this thing blew up. I also usually get a few laughs when I mention one of my own fondest memories of that following Monday morning when EVERYBODY was talking about this video. On one radio talk show, an elderly woman called in. They asked her what she thought of the Michael Jackson video. In a quivering voice that could have been anyone's grandmother, the old woman paused for a minute and then said, "Well, I just think that boy needs to get married, real bad."
At this point, we discuss the reactions to the video and the resulatnt condemnation. Was all the uproar and controversy warranted? Students will usually be divided; some saying yes; others no. But most still do not at this point get the truly relevant symbolism, so that is usually where I direct them next.
As a companion piece to the video, I always read with my students Barbara Kaufmann's excellent essay on this video, "Black and White and Proud." It is not only by far one of the most insightful pieces I've read on the symbolism and historical context of this video, but also, for my own classroom purposes, an excellent model for my students in what good literary criticsm should be. Writing literary criticism (especially coming up with an arguable, persuasive thesis) is a concept that many students struggle with. In using Kaufmann's essay, it is also a good opportunity for me to teach students how a well written piece of literary criticism does far more than just "explain" the work-when done right, it can open the doors to understanding; can help shed light on the work in ways we may not have previously thought, and can even completely change or alter one's perception of a work.
Much of the focus of Kaufmann's article is about the video's coded symbolism;the Black Panther symbol's powerful (if implicit) message, and the historical role of Michael Jackson as a civil rights activist-in ways that many may not have considered before. I know that for my students, especially, the idea of Michael Jackson as a civil rights activist is something of a revelation, and one that I think encourages many of them to view him in a whole different light. Part of class discussion, of course, is encouraging them to agree or disgaree with the points of Kaufmann's article ( I encourage them that disgareeing is okay, as long as they can back their disagreement with valid and logical points). However, to provide further context for the article, I usually follow up, when time permits, by also showing the clips of Michael's 2002 speech against Sony, and the 2001 speech in New York with Rev. Al Sharpton. In both clips, students get to see Michael in action as an activist standing up for the rights of black artists. Seeing him in this context helps add validity to both the message of Black or White and Kaufmann's essay. I tell them the story I was told when I visited Gary, Indiana last year and learned that as recently as the 1960's, when Michael was a child, "colored people" were not allowed past the downtown railroad tracks after 6pm (which presented a problem for Michael and his brothers, since they were usually playing at downtown clubs long past the 6pm curfew!). I tell them about the racially motivated beating that Michael took right here in our own home state, Alabama-as late as 1983! I tell them, these are not the things you will read in any book; these are not the things the media will report. But yes, Michael Jackson knew racism, and yes, he was angry, and yes, he was an activist in ways many will never know or realize.
But this brings up another interesting dilemma when teaching Michael Jackson in the classroom. How does one manage to take this very complex man-whose life has been the subject of tabloid fodder and misunderstanding for over thirty years-and condense the essence of him down to an hour-long class? Every time I prepare for this class, I find myself asking that question. I am thinking, if I have but one hour to maybe change some kid's mind about Michael Jackson, or to impart a kernel of truth that might somehow make a dent in all of the lies and misinformation the media has programmed into these kids' brains-what should I say?
Well, just as with teaching any writer or poet I love, I have to realize that I can't cover everything. What I have to do is to keep the discussion focused and relevant to the topic at hand. However, it's virtually impossible to talk about Michael Jackson to a classroom of teens and young adults without at least touching on some of the familiar controversies of his life. At various times, discussions of everything from his vitiligo, to his surgeries, to the molestation allegations have come up-and, of course, I have to be prepared to deal with those topics. For the most part, I don't dwell on the allegations, simply because if I allowed myself to really get carried away on that topic, I could easily spend the entire hour discussing that and nothing else! But if students do ask questions, I answer them honestly and forthrightly, giving them the facts that I have researched. Once, I had an especially inquisitive student who couldn't help asking: If Michael Jackson really felt so strongly that it did not matter if you're black or white, why did he bleach his skin to be white?" That question really took me aback. This student was not being a smart aleck; he genuinely believed that Michael Jackson bleached his skin. He was all of eighteen years old, and had never heard any different. All he knew was what the media had told him. So that opened the door for us, as a class, to have a very good discussion about the disease vitiligo. Predictably, most of my students were stunned. They couldn't understand why the media would withhold such information.
On the flipside, however, I am also very proud to say that most of my students are incredibly smart and savvy. They know how the media operates. What I am always most delighted to learn is that many of them, in fact, have a very genuine and avid curiosity about the man Michael Jackson. They seem for the most part to enjoy this opportunity to get to know a little bit about a man they rightfully feel the media did not allow them to get to know. When we talk about the media injustice to Michael Jackson, I'm very surprised to learn that most of my students "get" that. But perhaps it shouldn't be too surprising. After all, they are a generation that has been in a more privileged position than any other to witness just how quickly the media can tear someone down. They have come of age in a generation where our government and media have lied to us about weapons of mass destruction in order to justify a war we should never have been in; they are, for sure, a more cynical and world-weary generation than we were.
I can't say with 100% certainty what my students take away from these discussions. If they hate Michael Jackson, of course, they probably aren't going to tell me-I'm the teacher, after all! But judging from the cumulative responses so far, I know for certain that most of them come away from that one hour with a better understanding of Michael Jackson, both the man AND the artist-than they've ever had before. When it comes time for the exam question on Black or White, I am always both amazed and touched at the depth with which my brightest students are able to analyze how and why the "coded symbolism" of The Black Panther works, whether to enhance, expand upon, or deflect from the video's message of racial equality. Ultimately, what I hope they take from it is that Michael's message of racial equality is an ideal-a beautiful one, at that. But before that ideal can be achieved-before it is even possible-we first have to purge a lot of the ugliness. The ideal cannot be achieved as long as racial injustice still exists. The Black Panther Dance, with all of its violence and pent-up rage, is the catharsis that has to happen before true healing and equality can be achieved.
Yes, an hour is a very short time in which to make a difference. But I don't regret undertaking this challenge. For one hour every semester, I get an opportunity to introduce my students to a man, an artist, a humanitarian, and an amazing civil rights activist they never knew. I give then an opportunity to meet Michael Jackson, the human being.
As for Michael Jackson, The Caricature, he will still be out there, long after my students have moved on from English 102. But somehow, I doubt The Caricature will ever hold quite the same appeal for them.
Truth has a funny way of doing that.


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You won't be able to hold a candle to our beautiful Glitter Number 0 Birthday Candle. Whether you're celebrating a 10th birthday or a 100th jubilee, the zero candle will look adorable on your cake. These numeral candles are available in all numbers so you can celebrate every milestone big or small.
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craft interests: embroidery, jewelry making, knitting, quilting, sewing
Member Since: 08/04/2009
Re: How to Make a Valentine's Day Felt-Fortune Cookie and Ring
I saw this idea somewhere else but it was way more difficult and I could not get it right!! Thanks for the easypeasy version.
Re: Beaded Bookmarks
Beautiful....makes me want to start reading again!
Re: Putting My Own Spin On Fabric Bowls
love these bowls too! i have a book on it, and made a few MANY years ago. Beautiful!
Re: My Craft Room
It's SO neat, also clean and tidy! : )
Re: Zebra Fleece Hand Tied Blanket
What a great twist with colors! Lovely!! We carry B&W paws, cow print and houndstooth too....I wonder how that would look.
Thanks for posting. http://www.jandofabrics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=fle00023
Re: kitty coasters
These are adorable how are they made, just curious. Paper, fabric?? Can't tell from the photos
Re: New Fall Purses: Long Live Macrame!!
I love these bags, will you be putting them on Etsy anytime soon? What a great use for macrame!!


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I came across today this great quote from Judge McShane hearing the marriage equality case in Oregon. The words summarise the story:
"On this issue of marriage I am struck more by our similarities than our differences. I believe that if we can look for a moment past gender and sexuality, we can see in these plaintiffs nothing more or less than our own families. Families who we would expect our Constitution to protect, if not exalt, in equal measure. With discernment we see not shadows lurking in closets or the stereotypes of what was once believed; rather, we see families committed to the common purpose of love, devotion, and service to the greater community.
Where will this all lead? I know that many suggest we are going down a slippery slope that will have no moral boundaries. To those who truly harbor such fears, I can only say this: Let us look less to the sky to see what might fall; rather, let us look to each other ... and rise."


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MCA Curator Tricia Van Eck presents the work of artist Jeff Koons.
Featured image
Related content
- Heaven and Earth: Alexander Calder and Jeff Koons–
- Short Small white circles connected by thin wire balance opposite a thicker orange wire weighted by an orange rudder-like shape hanging from the edge of a white table.
- From the Archives: Interview with Jeff KoonsIn this excerpted interview on the occasion of his exhibition at the MCA, Jeff Koons: Works 1979–1988 (Jul 1–Aug 28, 1988), Jeff Koons speaks about banality as a tool, consumerism,...
- Short A close up image of a man in the midst of speaking.


text: Dieter Vanderelst wrote: > I would like to know whether there are people that have been using the > Vigra image processing library with python > (http://kogs-www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~koethe/vigra/) ? > > If you have would it be possible to tell me how you did this? Did you > use Swig? Or are there other (easier) options available? I used Boost.Python in combination with the numarray c-API to export some algorithms I wrote in Vigra to be exported to python on the image level; I don't think exporting Vigra on a lower level than that is either feasible nor preferable: numarray support in python is quite good and Vigra's templated C++ design is going to be hard to pythonize anyway. OF course you could use Numeric or PIL or any other library that supports images to represent your images in python and then have bindings to run Vigra algorithms on those. --Ronald


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Jesse Jackson Slams Black Votes Against Health Care
"You can't vote against health care and call yourself a black man," Jackson said Wednesday night, the Hill newspaper reports. Jackson made the remarks at an event hosted by the CBC Foundation to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jackson's presidential bid.
Jackson later told the Hill he "didn't call anybody by name," but he noted that the state of Alabama could benefit from health care reform because of its relatively high poverty levels. In a statement to the Hill, Davis avoided conflict with Jackson.
"One of the reasons that I like and admire Rev. Jesse Jackson is that 21 years ago he inspired the idea that a black politician would not be judged simply as a black leader," he said. "The best way to honor Rev. Jackson's legacy is to decline to engage in an argument with him that begins and ends with race."
Some CBC members defended Jackson's statement, but they also rationalized Davis' vote.
"Artur Davis has a more conservative constituency," Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, according to the Hill. "Since he's running for governor of Alabama, he reflects an even more conservative constituency."
While Davis may be catering to the interests of the entire state of Alabama to advance is gubernatorial race, his own congressional district voted overwhelminglyfor President Obama in the 2008 presidential race.
A handful of major minority and civil rights groups injected race into the health care debate last month when they launched a series of ads linking the decades-long push for health care reform to civil rights.
The NAACP National Voter Fund, National Council of La Raza, Campaign for Community Change, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, PowerPAC.org and the United States Student Association said they were running the ads because "people of color have a special stake in health care reform." The coalition pointed out that minorities have higher rates of common problems like heart disease and cancer and also face higher insurance rates.
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care
Senate Embarks on Health Care Battle
Plastic Surgery Tax Added to Health Care Bill


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Farmers National Bank #1 Performing Bank in Ohio
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Our mission is to provide a creative, safe, supportive environment in which aerialists of all levels can learn, train, perform and be inspired.
Recent Work
The students of Versatile Arts get plenty of opportunities to perform if they wish to! From casual end-of-session show-and-tells to informal variety shows to formal student shows, our aerialists get plenty of chances to show off their hard work!
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About Versatile Arts
About Beverly Sobelman, Founder/Director
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Recent Blog Posts
July 26, 2017 |
Why Progressions are Important
I recently had an experience as a student that, while stressful and fairly traumatic, was useful in that it...
January 23, 2017 |
Manuary vs the Womxn's March
It is not lost on me that our annual "Manuary" show fell on the weekend of the biggest march for women's rights...
June 4, 2016 |
Learning Aerial Skills From Videos
Thanks to the Magic of the Internet, it is easier than ever to learn new skills from instructional videos: how...
March 17, 2015 |
2018 PNW Circus Workshop Weekend
We are delighted to announce our fifth Circus Workshop Event, May 25-28, 2018! Click here for details and...
February 17, 2014 |
By T Lawrence-Simon Circus is an amazing blend of physical effort and conceptual art. Whether it's for...
May 25, 2013 |
Thoughts on Being Injured
A week ago, about two thirds of the way through the act I was performing, I felt a crrrrrunch in my rib cage. I...
February 4, 2013 |
Pregnancy and Aerials?
By Adrienne Mays, aerial student and soon-to-be mother "I'm so excited I'm pregnant! Oh, I still have 5 weeks of...


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Europe's shambolic efforts to create an unmanned-aircraft industry to rival the U.S. and Israel continue. But while the defense ministers of several nations have taken steps towards developing a European medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS by 2022, the tricky task of persuading the region's industrial rivals to work together is only beginning. Even China looks as though it could outpace Europe.
The region's stumbling progress is an opportunity for U.S. manufacturers to export their systems and offset the cutbacks in Pentagon UAS procurement, but the potential is limited by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) treaty, which bars the sale of UAS with payloads of 500 kg. or more without a hard-to-get waiver from the government.
But even as U.S. defense spending slows, the UAS market is expected to grow. The military market for surveillance and strike missions will be worth $67.3 billion from 2013-20, Forecast International projects. Of that total, $35.6 billion will be for production, $28.7 billion for research and development, and $2-3 billion for UAS services contracts. The production value is divided between air vehicles ($14.2 billion), ground control stations ($6.6 billion) and payloads ($14.8 billion).
Despite cuts to the U.S. Air Force's RQ-4B Global Hawk program, Northrop Grumman will be the top player in the UAS market. Even with reductions in the USAF fleet, the Global Hawk program will be worth some $5.8 billion to Northrop through 2022, including the U.S. Navy's 68-aircraft MQ-4C Triton program. Germany canceled plans to buy four Block 20-based EuroHawks in May 2013, citing airspace integration issues, but work to deliver five Block 40s to NATO by 2016 is continuing.
Efforts to export the high-altitude, long-endurance UAS are progressing slowly. South Korea intends to order four RQ-4B Block 30s in 2014. Japan could follow with four in 2015. Canada and Norway are among nations eyeing the Global Hawk, while Australia has declared an interest in the maritime-surveillance Triton.
Northrop will also garner $679.5 million by 2022 from its MQ-8 Fire Scout vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) UAS program. Flight tests of the 6,000-lb. gross-weight, extended-endurance MQ-8C, based on the Bell 407 helicopter, began in October 2013 and production is switching to the bigger variant.
For now, navies are the main military customer for VTOL systems. Ground forces are showing interest, but programs are moving more slowly. Europe is moving less slowly in small rotary-wing UAS than in fixed-wing. Saab's 520-lb. Skeldar V-200 is operational with the Spanish navy and Scheibel's 440-lb. Camcopter S-100 has been sold to four countries and tested by several navies.
The U.K. awarded AgustaWestland a contract to demonstrate an optionally piloted, 4,000-lb. SW-4 Solo helicopter on a Royal Navy ship in 2014 as a step toward deploying a tactical maritime UAS on warships by 2020. France conducted similar land- and ship-based trials with Boeing's 3,100-lb. H-6U Unmanned Little Bird, which also has been demonstrated to the South Korean army.
General Atomics had been at the top of the military UAS market for years, due to demand for its MQ-1 Predator/MQ-9 Reaper family, and remains the leader in the largest sub-segment of the market: medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) systems. The Predator/Reaper family is forecast to generate $5.5 billion in production value through 2022, 40% of the segment total and 16% of the entire market.
The U.S. Army continues to buy MQ-1C Gray Eagles, but the Air Force plans to halve MQ-9 procurement from 2014, and the export market is constrained by MTCR restrictions. In 2017, the Netherlands will become the fourth European nation to operate Reapers after France, Italy and U.K. Australia, Canada and Germany are interested, but would not place orders before 2015-16. The United Arab Emirates has ordered five Predator XP export versions of the MQ-1, and other Persian Gulf states have expressed interest.
In November, the defense ministers of France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands endorsed development by the European Defense Agency of a common requirement for a MALE UAS to be developed by 2020. An effort by France and the U.K. to have BAE Systems and Dassault co-develop a MALE UAS, dubbed Telemos, has been shelved, but in June 2013 EADS, Dassault and Alenia Aermacchi called for creating a European program and began joint definition of a twinjet MALE UAS.
Italy, meanwhile, will work with Piaggio Aero and Selex ES to certify the P.1HH HammerHead—the first European-developed MALE UAS and a derivative of the P.180 Avanti business turboprop—and consider the system for its long-term needs. A P.1HH demonstrator made its first unmanned flight in November, and the UAS is to be ready to enter service in 2015. Development is being backed by Piaggio's co-owners Mubadala of the UAE and India's Tata.
For now, European companies control less than 3% of the market's value, but this share will grow as countries expand their UAS assets. Meanwhile, UAS orders from Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America could exceed $2 billion during the coming decade, with purchases by the Israeli defense forces accounting for nearly half of this total. The annual production value of UAS in Asia will triple over the next 10 years, reaching $2.9 billion in 2022. Sales in Asia could account for $18 billion of the market's value during this period, with China claiming $13 billion of this total.
In clear signs of China's growing capability in the unmanned sector, in September Japanese fighters intercepted a Harbin BZK-005 Predator A-class MALE UAS exercising with warships, and in November a stealthy unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) made its first flight from Chengdu. The Lijian (Sharp Sword) resembles the Boeing Phantom Ray and Dassault Neuron UCAV demonstrators in shape and size.
Demonstration flights of the U.S. Navy's Northrop X-47B carrier-capable unmanned combat aircraft will continue in 2014, as will flight tests of the Neuron and BAE Systems Taranis UCAV demonstrators. The only major new U.S. military UAS competition, for the Navy's Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike, is to be decided by early 2015.
In the commercial arena, the FAA estimates 7,500 civil UAS could be operational in the U.S. within five years, provided regulations enabling safe integration into national airspace are in place by the end of 2015 as planned. The majority will be small UAS weighing less than 55 lb., the first category for which airworthiness certification rules will be available. Law enforcement and precision agriculture will be the major initial markets.
Europe is ahead of the U.S. in civil UAS, with almost 1,000 in use, because individual nations can approve operations of systems weighing less than 330 lb. These rules are being harmonized and the European Aviation Safety Agency is developing regulations for UAS above 330 lb., to enable civil airspace integration beginning in 2016.
Tap the icon in the digital edition of AW&ST to see a video review of UAS develop-ments in 2013, or go to AviationWeek.com/aerospace2014


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Canine Hosting offers design, hosting, and maintenance for club, hobby, and business websites. We are full-time RVer's who are based in Oregon. Our winters are spent in the Southwest, primarily in Southern California.
Our parent company Applied Solutions, Inc. has been in business since 1982 specializing in accounting and inventory control systems for manufacturers and wholesale distributors.
We were actively involved in showing and occasionally breeding for many years. Since 1993 we have concentrated on Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
You can find my personal website "Travels with Cardi" at C-Myste.com .


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The people of Gradius are in trouble. The ameoboid Bacterions have launched an all out attack against the planet, and it's up to you to fly into battle and save them. Along the way you'll be able to power up your ship with hyper speed, force field (more...)
Published by: Konami, 1990 | Developed by: Sculptured Software
Genre: Golf | Licensed
Genre: Golf | Licensed
Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf is a 3-D golf simulation featuring an 18 Hole course created by Jack Nicklaus himself. Each of the 18 holes are from famous courses around the world and include number 8 at Pebble Beach, numb (more...)
In Jackal, the player(s) controls an armed jeep, which must venture through several enemy strongholds(要塞) to rescue comrades imprisoned by the enemy. In each of the six levels, the goal is to rescue prisoners of war from various buildings and then tra (more...)
Published by: Konami, 1992 | Developed by: Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Genre: Role Playing | Licensed
Genre: Role Playing | Licensed
The King of Daventry has a problem. One day, while he was away, his entire castle and his family was swept away by a mysterious and powerful cold wind. When he returns to his Kingdom, Sir Graham finds nothing but an empty plot of land and a wise owl. Luck (more...)
Laser Invasion is similar to the Top Gun series of NES games. Even the takeoff screen with the lifting gate and sound effects are the same as they appear on the Top Gun series. Of course, you're flying a helicopter in this one... but gameplay feels es (more...)
Life Force is a scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Konami in 1986 as the North American release of Salamander. Life Force in contrast is set in an organic setting where the player's mission is to eliminate a tumor within a gigant (more...)
The Lone Ranger is an NES video game that is based on the TV show of the same name. Actual names of towns in Texas are used and the player must solve the case in 8 different episodes in order to save the day. Along with Gilligan's Island, this game wa (more...)
Warlock sends out his henchmen, led by Spring Heeled Jack, Bigfoot, Kraken, Gremlin, and Medusa while Vampire and The Monster are watching TV in the Miles home. They must fight their way through the upstairs and kitchen of the home, the street and sewer, (more...)


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Feltech has appointed Marc Coleman as Sales Director working across all markets, based at the company headquarters in St Albans.
Having spent almost 16 years working the industry, Marc has experience providing international technical and operational AV solutions within the corporate and public sector.
Combining a strong technical background with a broad knowledge of collaborative technology and the business drivers behind it Marc has extensive experience in the industry and a formidable reputation for delivering high quality results.
As an established and successful sales professional, he has a complete understanding of the requirements of balancing the need for technical, creative and innovative solutions for clients, matching their expectations whilst adhering to exacting budgets.
Based primarily with the team in St Albans, he will build on the rapid expansion of the business over the last 5 years to further develop the company's solid reputation within the industry, explore new market opportunities and deliver growth across multiple sectors.
Managing Director Peter Fell said: "Marc has a unique skill set that will be a great asset to our team, further extending our commitment to total client satisfaction within the market".
Commenting on his new position Marc explained: "Feltech are one of the most trusted service providers in the industry and their reputation as a cutting edge systems integrator is second to none. I am very excited about becoming a part of this innovative and creative business and working with this knowledgeable and dedicated team to continue the impressive expansion of the business.
Feltech provides innovative, effective and efficient solutions to a wide range of clients, using integrated systems to enhance presentations, communications and workflow, increase productivity, inform and engage. Feltech offer a wide range of services in the audio visual, broadcast, systems design, installation and maintenance sector including provision of on-site technicians.
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