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April 2015
The Errante/Cho Trio features Richard Errante (violin), Lois Errante (cello) and Kyong Hee Cho (piano). Performing together since 2001, the Errante/Cho Trio is well known to Connecticut audiences for its committed music-making and creative programming. The day's program included Johannes Brahms' Trio in C Minor, Opus 101 and Franz Schubert's Trio in E Flat Major, Opus 100.


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Boasts of an organic vegan lifestyle didn't make Jason Stackhouse's (Ryan Kwanten) tree-hugging ex any less of a blood-thirsty psychopath. With an itch that could only be scratched by vampire blood (a powerful upper known simply as "V" in the twisted world of Charlaine Harris-authored fantasy), Amy Burley (sexy Lizzy Caplan) resorted to kidnapping and imprisoning an innocent vampire so that she could have her own fresh supply whenever she liked.
Helpfully suggesting that perhaps a sense of Stockholm syndrome would kick in, to appease her boyfriend's stress over the situation, Burley begins to feign niceness with her captive. It doesn't last long. Once her man takes a stand for their deceased new housemate, she loses her shit and stabs the vamp in the heart, resulting in a spewing of blood and guts all over Stackhouse's basement.


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For this residential project in Riyadh , the capital of Saudi Arabia, AIM Studio designed flowing organic volumes that will provide accommodation for an extended family. The designers used a parametric model to create an optimal spatial solution that responds to the harsh desert environment - which is expected to be uninhabitable by the end of the century.
The residence brings three different dwellings for all members of the family under the same roof. The design offers a modern interpretation of the way homes were traditionally built in desert areas. Optimal sun exposure, ventilation and generous views of the surroundings were some of the client's main imperatives.
Related: Four Houses Project Implements Traditional Islamic Features for a Contemporary Oasis in Saudi Arabia
The architects also created a central void that controls solar gain and facilitates cross ventilation, while concrete overhangs aid in controlling sun exposure. In terms of materials, there is a slight difference between interior and exterior finishings. Natural stone dominates the entire property and varies from sandy, dark colors to polished, warm tones.


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Fulton Elementary Reacts to School Fight
FULTON - Thursday marked one week since four fourth grade students returned to class at Bush Elementary after being suspended for fighting. Now, the principal, counselors, and teachers are working together to mediate the situation and prevent future fights.
The fight occurred in a bathroom when the boys were supposed to be in class. School officials are not sure how long the fight went on.
According to Superintendent Jacque Cowherd, older students now have less unsupervised activity. They have lost some flexibility to work in small groups and to leave the classroom for the restroom or library unsupervised. The school is also using a seating chart to resolve tension between students who don't work well together.
"They'll be on pace academically, but it's supervision, discipline, and structure," said Cowherd.
The district claims this was the first bullying incident at this school. School administrators are reacting with group counseling sessions Cowherd said are better described as class discussions.
"The counselor's have been working with these youngsters as far as their interactions with each other, their relationships, and consequences. It's very unfortunate all of this happened," said Cowherd.
A parent of one fourth grader said she's not worried.
"I've always felt safe with my son at Bush, and this doesn't change that," said Becky Schwinke.
But others knew very little about it.
"I didn't know anything about it until I read it in the paper," said Sarah Austin.
"My parents asked me about it. When I asked my kids, they just knew something had happened and some kids were in trouble," said Susan Case.
Cowherd said a fight like this one wouldn't have required theses measures in the past. Now, Missouri's Safe School's Act passed in 2005 requires district's to report third degree assault to law enforcement along with more serious crimes.


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Why should we be regulating natural stuff that grows out of the ground?
In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Caelainn Barr writes about the "Boom in Organic Farming Outpaces Regulators." The piece is an expose of the horrors of the failure in the USDA to adequately regulate and certify organic farmers and farm products. It describes in great detail certifying agents' failure to remain certified for farm inspections. The Journal reports,
The USDA said it requires certifiers to comply with numerous requirements, and the problems found by the Journal and the agency's internal report reflected "a very rigorous accreditation process that requires full compliance and correction of identified issues." Those that fall out of compliance, like the 23 cited this year, get the opportunity to correct the problem, but are at risk of being removed from the certification program if the problem isn't fixed.
The USDA added that its certifiers were in compliance with 97% of its regulations.
Organic goods can cost as much as double that of conventional produce, but other than labels, consumers have no way to gauge what is really organic. The public must rely on guarantees from companies and nonprofit groups that the food was grown within federal guidelines.
"The whole setup of the system needs to be revamped," said Chenglin Liu, a professor of law at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, who has studied the organic-certification system and has raised concerns about the thoroughness of certifying agents and the lack of frequent checks by the USDA of these certifiers. "That leaves a lot of room for mistakes."
I am sorry, but this whole idea of regulating organic food indicates to me that our regulatory mindset has run amuck. Are we really upset that we are inadequately regulating "natural?" What could be less objectionable than growing crops in the dirt with no chemicals for consumption by people?
[See also, "Teachable Moment: Whole Foods Wants to Sell to Poor People."]
The nation's borders are in a shambles. Crime is out of control in Ferguson. Our national budget is in such bad shape our grandchildren will be paying the national debt. Our schools are producing mindless robots to the state, and we want to regulate acorn squash that does not receive fertilization or pesticides. It is a sad state of affairs.
David Linton writes at the Blackstone Initiative.


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Let $L$ be a bounded linear operator on a Hilbert space. Without assuming finite dimensions, can we express the operator norm of $L$ in terms of the spectrum of the positive operator $L^{\dagger}L$?
More precisely, does the following hold.
$\sup \big\{ \| L\phi \| \,\big|\, \phi \in \mathcal{H} \land \|\phi\| = 1 \big\} = \sqrt{ \max \sigma(L^{\dagger} L)}$


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|Astral Projection
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If the Mark Ingram hype train was being driven only by the ESPNs and Peter Kings of the world, it would be easy to ignore. Since the gratuitous praise emanates from a wide variety of football sites, I feel it's worth addressing.
Footballguys does a great job of catering to the masses while maintaining its status as a serious football site. It's most compelling writer, Matt Waldman, also runs the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, an excellent scouting-oriented site that oozes legitimate football information.
I get a kick out of reading scouting reports for the same reason it can be mildly interesting to scroll through movie reviews. No matter how objective you attempt to be, you have no way to filter your biases – a gut feeling develops first and then the mind sets out to make a detailed list of supposedly objective observations that buttress what your instinct tells you.
Obviously many other people love Ingram as well. He's often compared to Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Despite such heavyweight references, I still think Ingram's value is inflated for a wide variety of reasons.
1. Ingram has a lot of competition.
Pierre Thomas made little impact in 2010 due to his high ankle sprain, but during the 2008 and 2009 seasons he was among the most efficient backs in football. Because he was undrafted and plays in a high powered offense, Thomas is mostly viewed as the product of the Saints' system. However, if you look at the effectiveness of other backs in the system, the idea holds no water. Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush were both ineffective out of the backfield in Payton's offense. Chris Ivory is the only one of the seemingly endless fill-ins who had any success. Thomas has great vision and impressive burst to the hole. He's tremendous in space and a good finisher around the goal line. He will never escape the mediocre talent label, but that doesn't make it any less untrue.
Darren Sproles is probably the best 3rd down back in the game.
2. Ingram won't catch many passes.
Ingram's college results suggest he could easily play on third downs and be effective out of the backfield. In a different situation he probably would. This is one of several reasons his fit with the Saints (for fantasy purposes) is overhyped. Thomas and Sproles are probably two of the best pass-catching backs in the game. Though used for different types of play calls, Thomas was far more efficient in the passing game than Reggie Bush. Sproles acumen as a receiver is unquestioned. It simply doesn't make much sense to use Ingram very heavily in the passing game. Without a decent number of receptions, Ingram has a low ceiling.
3. Rookie backs are not a good value related to their ADP.
Ingram's footballguys write-up suggests plenty of rookie runners have been fantasy stars. That is true. On the other hand, Ultimate Fantasy Football Strategy has very convincing numbers to show that rookie runners return less value relative to their ADP than veteran backs selected in the same area of drafts.
4. Ingram is unlikely to earn enough touches to justify ADP.
This may be the most debatable point, but I'd argue that Ingram's number of touches might actually end up being inversely correlated to his rookie year proficiency. NFL teams are overwhelming transitioning to a committee approach in order to protect their stars. The Chiefs elevated this to an art form by actually giving Thomas Jones more carries last year than Jamaal Charles.
If Mark Ingram turns out to be a star, you can pretty much guarantee he won't see a lot of touches a) in blowout wins, b) in blowout losses, c) on third downs. The Saints will also monitor his touches throughout close games so that he rarely exceeds 20 (studies show that 25+ touch games place a RB at a very high risk for injury). Many argue that the Saints haven't used a workhorse back because all their runners keep getting injured, but they'd love to use one guy as a stud if the situation presented itself. That's possible. (Trying to mind read an NFL coach is a losing proposition.) Conversely, after seeing Bush's career wrecked by injuries and the 2010 season torpedoed by one injury after another, the odds that they risk Ingram's health with heavy use seem virtually nil.
There's also this disconcerting formula for Ingram fans. If the 2011 season breaks positively for the Saints, they'll be way ahead for most of the second half of games. In such a scenario, I believe they'll rest Ingram and save him for close contests. If the 2011 season goes the way of 2007, 2008, and 2010 the Saints will be one of the most pass-heavy teams in the NFL (historically 65-35). In that scenario, there won't be enough attempts to go around.
5. There's a very real chance that Ingram is a mediocre talent.
Josh McDaniels and the vast majority of talent evaluators were very high on Knowshon Moreno coming out of college. Moreno's measurables were awful for someone taken that high in the draft, but he was supposed to have elite vision. Scouts projected him as a very versatile runner with the ability to run inside at the NFL level. It turns out that Moreno may well have great vision, but he lacks the explosiveness to get to the hole before it closes. Many backs still break out after two disappointing seasons, but Moreno's lack of elite athleticism renders it unlikely in his case.
Ingram is unanimously considered to be a superior prospect to Moreno, but the description of their positive attributes is strikingly similar. Ingram is slow, but he has great vision, presses the hole well, delivers a blow to defenders, and can be used effectively in the passing game. All of which would be awesome if NFL holes didn't close instantly and defensive lines weren't manned by hulking behemoths. The idea that the SEC simulates NFL play because of the glut of elite NFL prospects is laughable.
This is where I'm a scouting skeptic. Ingram might be the next Emmitt Smith, but that's a little like saying Christian Ponder might be the next Joe Montana. Players who lack star athleticism simply cannot be projected to the NFL based on their collegiate 'skills'. For every Tom Brady there are hundreds of guys with mediocre arm strength that wash out. The reason so many of the weak-armed stars come out of nowhere (Kurt Warner) is because their success is fundamentally unpredictable.
The same is true at running back. For every Emmitt Smith there are hundreds of Knowshon Morenos.
6. Ingram lacks star athleticism
Maybe Ingram was far less than full strength at the combine. If that's the case, I apologize. Otherwise, his numbers paint a bleak picture. Ingram ran a 4.61 in the 40. It doesn't matter how much you hate the 40 yard dash as a predictor of NFL success, that's a huge red flag. That's slower than Toby Gerhart (who, if we're relying on collegiate production as a barometer, was right with Ingram in the 2009 Heisman race).
The obvious answer is this: There's a lot more to being an athlete than running fast in a straight line.
100% true. Although it's not completely intuitive, short area explosiveness (ability to accelerate and deliver a blow at the line) can probably be measured more accurately by jumping metrics. At the Combine, Ingram finished 27th among participating runners in the vertical leap (31.5). He finished 13th in the Broad (118"). Both Mikel Leshoure and Ryan Williams – the two runners some scouts felt might be in the same general ballpark as Ingram – put up disappointing 40s, but they were far, far more explosive than Ingram in the jumping metrics.
Of course, the most important attribute for an NFL running back is the ability to cut without losing speed. Most studies show very little correlation between Combine quickness drills and NFL success, but it's still worth wondering if Ingram shows spectacularly in these lateral movement exercises. (Tim Tebow wasn't overly impressive in the 40, but his short shuttle time was otherworldly.)
Unfortunately, Ingram was even slower when asked to cut than he was in a straight line. Quite a number of the more athletic RBs chose not to do the 3 Cone Drill (Taiwan Jones, Bilal Powell, Daniel Thomas), but Mark Ingram finished 24th out of those who participated. Virtually every college scout loathes Roy Helu, so it must be mildly disconcerting to them that it took him almost half a second less to do this drill. Do you want to know how much half a second is in this type of drill? Put it this way: in order to find the offensive lineman who finished a half second slower than Ingram, you have to go down to the 16th ranked OL. (Indy's first round pick, Anthony Castonzo, was only a tenth slower than Ingram.)
But again, those drills tend to show little predictiveness to NFL success. You can easily slip or run slower out of a lack of familiarity. Perhaps Ingram was faster in the 20 Yard Shuttle.
You probably can sense the direction this is going. Ingram wasn't faster. In fact, he was the slowest RB at the Combine in the Short Shuttle and it wasn't particularly close. He finished .61 seconds slower than Roy Helu. That's in a drill that takes 4 seconds.
To add context, 8 OL and 33 DL ran faster. Really, the only possible explanation is that Ingram fell down (and I mean that in all seriousness; players do fall in this drill).
There's very little reason to believe bench press has anything to do with being a good NFL runner, but Ingram didn't distinguish himself in that area either (although he didn't embarrass himself like the aforementioned Helu).
Ingram simply isn't anywhere close to being the type of athlete as most of the fantasy stars. Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Darren McFadden, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Rashard Mendenhall are all far superior athletes. Arian Foster, Ray Rice, and LeSean McCoy are probably moderately more athletic. (Steven Jackson and Frank Gore were superior at one point, but the cumulative effect of injuries makes it hard to determine now.) Even a few players who haven't established themselves at the NFL level – Ryan Mathews, Jahvid Best, C.J. Spiller – sport athletic profiles with significantly greater upside.
In a best case scenario, Ingram fits in athletically around guys like Michael Turner, Ryan Grant, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Forte, and Shonn Greene. The problem with that, of course, is that most of those guys are already being drafted in the same range and don't have to deal with the learning curve of being a rookie.
7. Ingram struggled as a senior.
There's one obvious counterargument to Contention 6. Who cares how athletic Ingram is if he dominates on the field? Scouts are unanimous: he does.
Some advanced numbers beg to differ. Bill Connelly's article for Football Outsiders sees Ingram's 2010 season in a very unfavorable light. When correcting for opponent, Ingram didn't impress. His yardage gained over what would be expected when controlling for context was mediocre. Though old school football fans don't particularly like it, explosive runs at the college level tend to correlate well with NFL success. Ingram lacked those runs. Connelly's formula for projecting NFL success incorporates those two aspects along with FO's well publicized Speed Score. His conclusion doesn't bode well for Ingram.
8. Ingram is an injury risk.
By now this just feels like piling on, but it's an important note since much of the above can be wiped away simply by pointing to Ingram's 2010 knee injury. If he wasn't 100% during the season or at the Combine, then his results in those environments aren't very meaningful.
The injury cuts both ways. Running backs have the shortest shelf lives of NFL players because injuries affect them more than other positions. Every injury to a RB tends to lower his ceiling and shorten his career. Ingram may not be more of an injury risk than other runners as a rookie, but he might be. It's definitely a grave concern in projecting the athletic ceiling of a back who just isn't that athletic to start with.
I'm not saying Ingram is guaranteed to be a bust. Though it happens far less frequently than scouts would like to admit, sometimes the stats and the stopwatches are wrong. Sometimes the gut reaction of the fan in us is right. Sometimes the intricacies that only show up when a play is watched for the 17th time by a trained scout really do matter.
The beauty of fantasy football is that crazy things happen and players defy sound logic all the time. The worst player in your league can luck into a great draft in any given year. Which is good. It keeps everybody involved in one of the world's best guilty pleasures.
I am saying Ingram's profile features too many red flags to ignore. If even half of my concerns are valid, he possesses almost no upside and a ton of downside at his current ADP. You can't consistently win your league by drafting players with that type of profile.


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The Graces (The Graces #1)
By: Laure Eve
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: September 6th, 2016
Format: ARC
Everyone said the Graces were witches.
They moved through the corridors like sleek fish, ripples in their wake. Stares followed their backs and their hair.
They had friends, but they were just distractions. They were waiting for someone different.
All I had to do was show them that person was me.
Like everyone else in her town, River is obsessed with the Graces, attracted by their glamour and apparent ability to weave magic. But are they really what they seem? And are they more dangerous than they let on?
I was talking with a librarian about the treasure trove of ARCs that dearest Em brought back from BEA–and, to my surprise, she wasn't nearly as excited as I was. She told me, matter-of-fact and from a position of having been a onetime reviewer for the ALA journal, that there were going to be some duds in the mix. This may be one of them.
As duds go, this one is honestly not all bad. I mean, for one thing, it has a pretty cool cover. Another thing, I didn't totally regret having taken the time to read this book (although, confession time, I read Beautiful Creatures as a break from the Graces until I got the nerve up to finish). The premise was interesting, although I'm honestly not sure it could have been done with much more panache. Witches are always interesting, although only up to a point when done in a somewhat unoriginal way.
My biggest complaint about the Graces was the pace. The first part of the book dragged. And by dragged, I mean I seriously debated not finishing the damn thing–it took reading ANOTHER BOOK, plus taking a sneak-peek at the ending, to get me to plow through. There was so much exposition of high-school drama, and how much everyone loved the Graces, and how much River despised herself and her crappy home situation. Then, once I finally made it to the interesting parts, I found them to be chaotically shoved into the last third of the book, with what seemed like at least a four-month gap casually placed with no explanation somewhere in there. It seems like the author was too in love with the Graces herself to stop gushing, but then her editor forced her to throw some action in and finish the bloody book already.
I also disliked River as a character. She came off equal parts conniving, needy, desperate and standoffish. We're given only vague hints about her home situation for most of the book, enough to know that her dad isn't around and her mom is not the mom River wants her to be, and that for some reason River thinks both are her fault. Her adroit management of the high school pecking order is matched only by her rather pathetic crush on Fenrin. And, of course, there are near-constant hints as to River having some magical power as well, enough that everyone's denial of said hints was annoying. By the time River finally grew a pair and learned to stand up for herself, there was only one chapter left in the book–too little, way too late.
As much as I disliked River's character, I did (for the most part) enjoy her interactions with the Graces. She goes from totally worshipping them to acknowledging that there's good and bad in everyone, although we as the reader had to endure a bit much fawning over them first. I thought Wolf was a compelling character as well, and I wish he'd been more than just a throwaway character. I thought the love geometry was interesting–it juxtaposed the arranged marriages and dire curses of the 'witching set' with the chaos of puberty/high school relationships. But, there was an odd sort of simplicity to it. No real questions were raised over a loving mother's string of lovers or the odd, emotional/physical abuse dynamic going on with one sibling. I also think the gay relationship revealed was supposed to be far more of a shocker than it was for me. But Eve threw out certain phrases even early on in the book that made me think, 'he's gay'. And, *sigh*, of course one of the homosexual couple has to die because heterosexuals can't deal. As much as I appreciate the inclusion of homosexuality in YA, we also need to make sure they aren't there to make the love triangle more interesting, and then die.
Oh, and let's also take a minute and talk about mythology. It's my firm belief that an author has to know their mythology to be successful–just look at JK Rowling. And the amount of myths that Eve was mixing up made things deeply confusing. I mean, from the title, I expected something about Greek Mythology (DEFINITELY not helped by the fact that one of the Graces was named Thalia–unbelievable coincidence, or sloppy lack of research?). And then witches got involved. I'm also going to admit, it's a bit odd that most of the spells required endless fiddling with silly things OR getting drunk in the woods. Towards the end of the book I was almost reconciled with the odd mythology, and then the name Marcus DAGDA came up and sent me into crazed pondering–why would you torture me so, Laure Eve, unless you had no idea that you were naming a minor character after the primary god of Irish-Celtic mythology?
In three words: research is key.
Looking back, I'm struggling to find things I liked about this book–there were definitely more things I disliked or was puzzled by. The reason it has two stars here is this: I didn't totally hate it. But, sometimes, maybe that's enough. I am, however, growing very wary of Amulet Books.
If you like what you read above, please follow using one (or more) of the social media sites in the sidebar!
Disclaimer: The synopsis and cover picture were pulled from the book's Goodreads page. Neither belong to us.


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Assistant Professor Yimon Aye has won the ACS Chemical Research in Toxicology Young Investigator Award. This award, sponsored by the ACS Publications and the ACS Division of Chemical Toxicology, honors the contributions of an individual (who received his/her Ph.D. in the last 15 years and is below the age of 40) who has had a major impact on research in chemical toxicology or a related field.
For more information about the research in the Aye laboratory, please visit www.ayelab.org.


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Music Man Classic StingRay 4- & 5-string
If a non-bass-playing layperson were to look at the original 1976 Music Man StingRay and a single-humbucker-equipped 2010 'Ray 4-string, they'd struggle to notice any difference. Us bass geeks know better, though. The contemporary StingRay may look superficially similar to the original, but the changes are in fact numerous, ranging from subtle, like the updated headstock decal, to more substantial (no more string mutes or through-body stringing). Even though newer StingRays enjoy a fervent fan base, Music Man has long fielded requests to reissue a '70s-era-style bass.
The Classic Collection basses are Music Man's long awaited offering to players seeking a vintage-style StingRay. Rather than a note-for-note reproduction, though, the new 'Ray combines a few welcome modern innovations with much of the definitive characteristics of the original. Unlike its modern counterpart, the Classic StingRay has a slab ash body, through-body stringing, a 7 1/2" neck radius, 2-band EQ, string mutes, and a polyester-finished maple neck. Unlike the original, the Classic bass has Music Man's nifty truss rod adjustment wheel, 6-bolt neck, and is made from lighter wood. It's also available as a 5-string and in the smaller Sterling body size and a variety of classic-looking new colors.
Both of our test basses looked fantastic. I loved the 4-string's mint green and the 5's coral red finishes and their beautifully figured maple necks added to the basses' aesthetic impact. The Classic 5 was perhaps the most striking, if only because it's weird seeing a 5-string StingRay with the 4-stringstyle oval pickguard and string mutes. Each bass boasted excellent construction, with beefy well-installed hardware, excellent fretwork, and the overall solid and buzz-free feel characteristic of Music Man instruments.
The basses arrived with a slightly high setup that I easily lowered with my alltime favorite trussrod adjuster, Music Man's handy poke-and-twist wheel. Playability and ergonomics were excellent on each, and A/B'd against a current model, I didn't find myself missing the backside body contour. Even though Music Man touts the basses light weight compared to the vintage originals, they're still on the heavy side. Another observation: the 5- string's string spacing at the nut between the B and E strings was unusually narrow. Those that prefer more roominess between first position fretted notes on those two strings should be aware.
Whenever I spend quality time with a single- pickup StingRay, I'm struck by the variety of tone available from the lone humbucker. The Classic 'Rays 2-band EQ is a Baxandall-style circuit that offers highly interactive boost and cut over bass and treble frequencies and, when both are turned down, a relative boost in the midrange. The knobs have no center detents, and though this would usually bug me, I think the StingRay's imprecise onboard EQ is better thought of as an overall tone sculpting circuit rather than a pair of notch filters. Coupled with changes in hand position, the EQ's tone spectrum can range from big and boomy lows to aggressive and insistent upper mids. The overall StingRay personality is ever present, with the punchy texture and slightly scooped low mids that make it a quintessential slap and in-your-face pickstyle bass, but still, there's a remarkable array of tone within that general spectrum. The 5-string sounded much like the 4, but for the rich and throaty B and a subtly brighter attack, likely due to its finished maple fingerboard.
I was especially jazzed about the return of the nifty string mutes to the Classic StingRay. Muting is courtesy a series of foam-topped cantilevered springs held down with knurled thumbscrews. I love elegant and simple solutions to vexing problems, and the Music Man mutes are an excellent example. With the mutes engaged an entirely new thuddy sonic palette emerges, and it was cool being able to play muted fingerstyle passages without having to palm mute and compromise speed and precision.
The Classic StingRays were beautiful, with tons of vibe and archetypal tone. If you're just discovering the StingRay sound, they're an excellent new entry to the roots of a definitive instrument.
Street StingRay 4, $1,799; StingRay 5, $1,974
Pros Classic punchy StingRay sound; ultracool finished; solid and rugged construction
Cons Narrow spacing between B and E on the 5-string
The cool Music Man mutes return on the Classic StingRays.
Weight 4-string, 10.46 lbs.; 5-string, 10.48 lbs.
Made in U.S.A.
Warranty One year limited
Contact www.music-man.com


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Venting is an important, functioning component of all stovesAnd pellet, wood and gas stoves have different venting systems. Before or during the process of buying a new stove, it's good to understand how the various types of stoves vent to the outdoors. And since venting probably isn't something you deal with every day, you might have questions?
Let us help! The infographic below illustrates venting and how it works for various types of stoves.
You see, stove venting varies by the type of fuel being burned in the stove. For instance, wood-burning stoves will always be vented through the roof of your house, but pellet-burning stoves can be vented vertically through the roof, or horizontally through the wall to the outdoors. Same with gas stoves - venting can be routed in either direction - vertically or horizontally.
Now that you understand venting, perhaps it's time to consider your options for stoves? There are many styles of highly efficient wood-, gas- and pellet-burning stoves that will not only heat your home but beautifully complement your home's décor. Check them out here.
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New Britain, Conn. (March 17, 2017) - Sean Kelly, Jared Urban, and Vaughn Parker II all picked up multi-hit ball games but Mount St. Mary's was downed by Central Connecticut State 9-1 on Friday afternoon.
The Blue Devils jumped out to the early lead in the bottom of the first scoring three runs on three hits. Ryan Costello hit a two RBI single through the right side of the infield that plated Tyler Coleman and Franklin Jennings. Later in the inning, Dylan Maher grounded out to the second baseman that scored Dean Lockery to take a 3-0 lead after one inning.
The Mount tacked on their one run of the game in the top of the second inning on a RBI double from Kelly that drove in Tyler Post making it a 3-1 game. That would be all of the offense for the Mountaineers in the game as Central Connecticut proved to be too much to handle. The Blue Devils scored six unanswered runs to pull away from the Mount. Picked up one run in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings while they added three more in the eighth. CCSU was led by Costello who finished two-for-four with three RBI's.
Michael Collins picked up the loss for Mount St. Mary's pitching 5.1 innings allowing four earned runs while Brendan Smith picked up the win for Central Conecticut State pitching 9 innings allowing just one run.
These two teams are scheduled to play the second game of the series tomorrow, March 18 at 1:00 pm


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Property Location
When you stay at American Star Inn & Suites Atlantic City in Galloway, you'll be in the business district and convenient to Heritage Park and FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center. This motel is within close proximity of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center and Absecon Wildlife Management Area.
Make yourself at home in one of the 25 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. 40-inch LCD televisions with premium TV channels provide entertainment, while complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected. Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and irons/ironing boards.
Make use of convenient amenities such as complimentary wireless Internet access, wedding services, and a television in a common area.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a 24-hour front desk and multilingual staff. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free self parking is available onsite.


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Publication Date: May 1st, 1989
Format: Kindle Edition
RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars
Impassioned suffragette Grace O'Rourke made a startling first impression on golden-boy Rathe Bragg when she crashed a society party wielding a six-shooter and spouting feminist slogans from atop the grand piano. And from that moment the sparks between them never stopped flying.
Soon, the irrepressible Grace had outraged the entire town of Natchez with her radical ideas — infuriating Rathe most of all. Yet he was obsessed with taming the vibrant, stubborn, passionate lass … and making her his mistress. But despite her shocking attraction to the virile rogue, Grace firmly rejected his scandalous proposition. And for Rathe, of course, "no" was the ultimate challenge!
Book three of Bragg Saga is about the youngest of the Braggs. Rathe has been a mischief and a bundle of restless energy ever since he was a child. When he meets Grace O'Rourke, a tempestuous, opinionated, independent free-thinker, he was blown away by her courageous stance on a lot of things. Set at a time after the Emancipation Declaration was proclaimed, Grace has been fighting for the rights of the recently freed slaves; for their right to live and their education. She's also fighting for the rights of women. She finds trouble everywhere and Rathe has been fortunate enough to be there to save her each time.
Their attraction for each other is severe but a romance between a philandering scoundrel and a head strong feminist was just not in the cards – especially if Grace does not believe in the sanctity of marriage. Good thing Rathe doesn't either. Offering Grace to be his mistress seems to be the next logical choice, considering Grace has an ill mother back in New York and therefore could use some financial help. Rathe soon finds out that Grace would starve first before she accepts any help from a man.
This book tired me out. The never ending bickering and head butting between these two was exhausting. There's much to be said for having an opinion – and trust me, they're all good – but Grace's aspiration to change the world had gotten her into a milieu of trouble. She tackled a lot of social issues head on that she most often didn't think about consequences and how it would affect the people she took with her.
I love her independency at the time when women were objectified and left at home to mind the house and the kids. I love that she persistently fought for the slaves' education but what she didn't get was that, even if they were free it wouldn't take changes in the law to get the people doing the right thing. There would always be KKKs and corrupt, racist officials who'd uphold their own laws. I think that's what frustrated me more about her. She didn't get that it would take more than one person to fully change America. She caused troubles and upheavals that at a first glance seemed futile. She constantly thought bad about Rathe; misjudged him, called him names and was so blind about what's in front of her.
Her independence was contradictory as well. When push comes to shove, she'd rather worked at a place serving drinks dressed indecently rather than accept Rathe's offer. I get that with she'd rather sacrifice her beliefs over her heart but when you've been spewing all those things about how wrong it was for men to frequent the same establishment she found herself employed at, it just didn't make any sense. She was confusing and frankly, she lost a bit of her admirable character because of her stubbornness.
The history of women's civil rights in America was tackled in good conscience. It's just too bad Grace's methods overshadowed what could've been a very enlightening story arch.


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Loake, the classic English shoemaker, recently launched a new responsive site on Magento 2.1. The site was designed and developed by Screen Pages, a leading Magento Enterprise Solution Partner based in the UK.
Loake has been making traditional English shoes since 1880. Today, five generations and more than 130 years later, Loake continues to design and produce fine, handmade shoes. The company exports to more than 50 countries and has become a favourite with discerning customers worldwide.
The new website's capabilities include:
- Responsive Redesign on Magento 2.1
- Improved checkout with Credit Card, Amazon & PayPal payment options
- Two-factor authentication for security
- GEO-IP location for customers outside the UK
- Store locator
- Migration of Magento 1 data to Magento 2
- Rest of the World store with configurable e-commerce/account elements which can be enabled/disabled by Loake at the flick of a switch
- Rich content managed block functionality for the home and other CMS pages including video, product, newsletter signup blocks
- Comprehensively extended variant selection functionality to allow for backorder/out of stock handling
- Product specific order confirmation email content
- Integration with Prima ERP for stock, order & order status updates
- Coming soon feature
Since Loake launched their Magento 2 responsive site on the 21st of December 2016, conversion rates on mobile have increased by 96.05%, and transactions have increased 81.82% compared to the same period last year. Overall, across all devices, conversion rates have increased by 44.60%.
The Project was completed in less than four and a half months.
"Loake wanted to build a long-term relationship with an ecommerce agency with a professional approach and a track record with premium brands such as ours. Screen Pages' Management, Design and Technical Teams have been a pleasure to work with and we are very pleased with our new website."Andrew Loake, Managing Director at Loake
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Judges call lawyer's behaviour 'insulting', threaten sanctions.
Photo by:
Jacques Verges, co-defence lawyer for Khieu Samphan, at the ECCC in this file photo.
JUDGES at the Khmer Rouge tribunal Thursday issued a public warning to international defence lawyer Jacques Verges, threatening the French attorney with sanctions if he obstructs or abuses proceedings.
"From the first time that Mr Verges appeared before the pretrial chamber ... he has refused to participate meaningfully in the hearings," said the warning.
"The pretrial chamber hereby warns Mr Jacques Verges that were his conduct to remain offensive or otherwise abusive ... the chamber would impose sanctions."
Citing a number of incidents, including not showing up to a hearing in February and comments he made to judges over allegations of corruption at the court, judges called Verges "abusive and insulting", and his actions intolerable.
"The unsubstantiated allegations made by Mr Verges and the language he employed were abusive and insulting towards the pretrial chamber's judges.... They cannot be tolerated by the pretrial chamber," it said.
Judges being unfair: defence
The warning is the second issued to ECCC defence lawyers, and as such has prompted a fierce response from the chief of the defence section,
Richard Rogers, who claimed judges were failing to uphold fair standards.
"While accepting that lawyers need to act within certain boundaries ... this needs to be put into context. We are in a court in which there are widespread allegations of corruption pertaining to half of the court's staff. We are also in a court in which there are allegations that the Cambodian prosecutor is following political instructions rather than making decisions based on evidence," he told the Post.
"These are issues that go straight to the heart of the entire procedure, but yet the only people that have faced sanctions by judges are defence lawyers. We need to ask ourselves whether the judges are applying the same standards to everyone," Rogers said.
Verges, who is defending former Khmer Rouge head of state Khieu Samphan, has been given the name "devil's advocate" because of his penchant for defending the most notorious criminals.
More controversial than his clients, however, is his abrasive defence style, which has also gained notoriety as a rupturing technique.
"If ECCC judges do not have a legitimate argument [to threaten sanctions], it could be a menace and affect Khieu Samphan's defence," said Sok Som Oeun, director of the Cambodia Defenders Project.


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For those who believe "Earth Day is Everyday".
"We the people who protect",
Find out more at 'Great Lake Services of Wisconsin'
About "The People Who Protect"
We are not activists, treehuggers or politicians... we are EHS professionals who have thoroughly enjoyed everything this planet and its people have offered us and want to extend the quality of life for both. Our careers and actions are dedicated to this effort and lifelong goal.
EarthDay top 10 list.... So, what can you do?
Earth Day should reflect on the benefits we all can have on the environment we so enjoy.
Contributing to a clean environment should be everyone's responsibility, by working together to reduce pollution sources; we can limit the harmful effects on our children and families.
But traditionally Earth Day is utilized by finger pointing alarmists to scare the pants off the public with stories of impending disaster and eco destruction that are wrecking our fragile environment.
This constant doom and gloom information discourages many individuals to make even the slightest change, as they perceive that individually we can have no impact on this global problem.
That couldn't be further from the truth… The fact is that if just a third of US make better choices in our daily lives to conserve and preserve there is a good chance of eliminating these problems.
BELIEVE IT! If a third of us agree to stand against the gravest threat in human history, and do our part collectively we can make a huge impact.
What's more, many of the ideas that protect the environment also save us money. That helps the economy and dependence on outside energy sources.
So what can you do? Quite literally, YOU can stop "Ton's" of emissions and waste by entering the environment by following some good and practical ideas. I have included the list below of little things you can do today and everyday to make a difference.
Earth Day should be a celebration of our individual commitment to protect the environment and how each one of us continues to make a difference. Celebrate that releases of toxic chemicals dropped 42% from 1998 to 2003*!
Pass this email this on to anyone who cares to make that difference.
Thanks for caring,
Christopher Haase
1. Donate your old
HopeLine(SM) phone has recycled more than 600,000 phones since 2001. In 2005 alone, nearly 150,000 pounds of batteries were recycled through the national HopeLine(SM) service!
Possible tax benefits… http://www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline
2. Recycle, but don't donate your old computer?
According to the U.S. EPA, nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in
the next five years. As more companies, organizations, and individuals find
reasons to upgrade their computer equipment, the problem of disposing of old
equipment grows.
Out-of-date computer systems can be more of a burden than a blessing to schools
and nonprofits, as it can cost them up to $400 to bring a pre-Pentium computer
up to today's standards. Donate computers to a recycler or refurbisher, rather
than directly to these other groups.
There are approximately 400 nonprofit and school-based refurbishers in the U.S. A Large listing of non-commercial refurbishers in the country can be found at:
When your light bulb burns out swap it with a fluorescent or LED bulb ($3 to $6). If every U.S. household replaced a burned-out bulb with ENERGY STAR bulbs, the cumulative effect would prevent more than 13 billion pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – which is like taking more than a million cars off the road for an entire year. Other light saving conservation includes turning off unneeded lights, open the curtains and bring natural sunlight into your home when feasible.
4. Just driving differently and maintaining your car can save TON's!
Paying attention to fuel efficiency in your car may be the single best thing you can do to prevent pollution. All of things on this list save on gas (saving you money) and can provide near "hybrid" improvement during normal driving.:
5. Turn down refrigerator and air conditioning!
Your refrigerator and air conditioning may be responsible for 15-25 percent of your electric bill.
The other big users of energy in your household are your hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher. Each, in its own way, can be inefficient. Here are some things to try:
6. Plant a tree or plant in your backyard
Yes, it's the oldest trick in the book but trees clean air, break winds to save energy and add shade to lower cooling costs. While plants can also help, think of ways to use less water with them. And make sure you water your lawn sparingly. All of these will conserve water & energy.
Consider this… According to the "American Forests'" I would have to plant 60 trees to offset my family's negative impact on the environment. Find out what you can do using the CO2 calculator at: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/ccc/
7. Properly dispose of hazardous household waste
Every spring the average household has countless bottles, cans and other containers full of hazardous chemicals that can ALL be disposed of properly of even better recycled! Contact your trash collection service to find out where you community household waste drop off center is. Or visit: http://www.p2rx.org to find a collection spot in your area.
Here is a short list of hazardous household waste (Full list: http://www.neutralcleaning.com/Toxic%20Hazardous.htm)
8. Recycle batteries… free or even make $$$
There's little argument that lead is extremely toxic. Scientific studies show that long-term exposure to even tiny amounts of lead can cause brain and kidney damage, hearing impairment, and learning problems in children. But still more than 40,000 metric tons of lead is lost to landfills every year. According to the federal Toxic Release Inventory, another 70,000 metric tons are released in the lead mining and manufacturing process.
What can you do? Simple. Drop off used batteries for recycling.
Check out www.rbrc.org or call 1-(800) 822-8837 for a drop-off location near you.
The hazardous chemicals in common cleaners can not only be harmful to your family, but they can have detrimental consequences to indoor air quality, aquatic life and the environment. There are no excuses to use these traditional hazardous cleaners with a variety of safer cleaners available. (www.neuhomecare.com)
10. We have already made a difference...
*According to the EPA, the U.S. is already getting cleaner. Releases of toxic chemicals dropped 42% from 1998 to 2003, even though more chemicals are being counted. But, don't kid yourself we all see the looming global environmental problems, and need to continue change now before we reach the environmental point of "no return".
Quick Facts About Earth Day (From About.com)
Earth Day is a great day to spend with your kids and remind them about the environment and how important it is to celebrate Earth Day every day of the year.
Reason We Celebrate Earth Day: To
call attention to the environment and the "People
Who Protect" it.
History of Earth Day:
Observance of Earth Day:
" On
-American Heritage Magazine, October 1993
History of Earth Day
By Senator Gaylord Nelson,
Founder of Earth Day
I continued to speak on environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states. All across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation's political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not.
After President Kennedy's tour, I still hoped for some idea that would thrust the environment into the political mainstream. Six years would pass before the idea that became Earth Day occurred to me while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses all across the nation.
Suddenly, the idea occurred to me - why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?
I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try.
At a conference in
Five months before Earth Day, on
"Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam…a national day of observance of environmental problems…is being planned for next spring…when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'…coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned…."
It was obvious that we were
headed for a spectacular success on Earth Day. It was also obvious that
grassroots activities had ballooned beyond the capacity of my U.S. Senate
office staff to keep up with the telephone calls, paper work, inquiries, etc.
In mid-January, three months before Earth Day, John Gardner, Founder of Common
Cause, provided temporary space for a
Earth Day worked because of the
spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor
resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools
and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about
Earth Day. It organized itself.


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If security is a heavy duty chain, what's the weakest link? I'll give you a hint, it might be scribbled on a little yellow sticky note stuck on your monitor or stashed under your keyboard! That's right, passwords are the culprit! Brute force password guessing attacks are a favorite technique of malicious attackers everywhere. Whether the target is an SSH server, a financial web application, or a webmail application, as you read this sentence an attacker somewhere is launching a brute force password guessing attack. And before you finish this blog post, that attacker has likely cracked a password or two.
So what's the solution? Account lockout is widely regarded as an effective deterrent to brute force password guessing attacks. After a certain number of unsuccessful login attempts within a certain amount of time, the target user account is locked out for a certain amount of time. For example, after three unsuccessful login attempts within one hour, the target user account might be locked out for 15 minutes. Account lockout accomplishes two important goals. First, account lockout throttles how quickly attackers can guess passwords. In this example attackers can only 12 passwords per hour. A typical wordlist might contain thousands of potential passwords. Factor in substitution rules (for example substituting the "@" character for the "a" character) and suffix rules (for example appending a "1" to the password) and the number of required guesses could take a loooooooong time to process. Second, account lockout alerts administrators that an attack is currently under way. Savvy administrators could implement countermeasures such as implementing incrementing pauses between failed login attempts or even blocking the offending source IP address entirely.
So what's a shrewd attacker to do? As Olivia Newton-John once crooned, "there's nothing left to talk about unless it's horizontally!" Horizontal password guessing attacks eliminate both of the aforementioned nuisances and allow attackers to get the biggest bang for their buck. Instead of trying a long list of passwords against a single account (a vertical password guessing attack), a horizontal password guessing attack entails trying just a few common passwords against a long list of usernames. Account lockout is almost always enforced per username, not per password, so limiting the number of login attempts per username allows attackers to sidestep account lockout.
Let's step into the shoes of a malicious attacker and brainstorm a horizontal password guessing attack. Grab your Cheetos and Mountain Dew and let's get this party started. The first question is simple. What passwords should we guess? Every year SplashData compiles a list of the most common passwords identified as a result of security breaches. The 2012 list was compiled from security breaches at major sites including Yahoo, LinkedIn, and eHarmony. Here are the worst of the worst, the ten most common passwords in the wild:
1. password
2. 123456
3. 12345678
4. abc123
5. qwerty
6. monkey
7. letmein
8. dragon
9. 111111
10. baseball
That's our list of ten target passwords! In addition, to be even stealthier we can break this list into five groups, trying only two of the passwords each hour. This conservative timetable will allow us to fly under the radar and almost certainly evade account lockout. Like a ninja! Well that's great for passwords, but what about usernames? We'll tackle this question in the next blog post! Stay tuned!
Cross Posted from the Symantec Cyber Readiness and Response Blog


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Work for us
Can we change your perception on what's possible in a role in recruitment? Can you change ours?
We want to grow our business with the best people in our field so that together we can continue to change the industry for the better. In return we will offer the best environment in which to enjoy your working day:
ROWE – we run one of the first and only true Results Only Work Environments in AsiaPac. Our Founder and Group MD is a pioneer in this system and linked directly to the ROWE Founder, Cali Ressler. What are some of the key *take outs of ROWE:
- ROWE recognizes that life is an individual experience and that no two lives are identical — and leverages this to achieve better performance from each individual. ROWE is not Flextime. ROWE is not Telecommuting. ROWE is not Job‐Sharing. ROWE is not about allowing your people to work from home a couple of days per week.
- In a Results-Only company , employees can do whatever they want whenever they want, as long as the work gets done. No more pointless meetings, racing to get in at 9:00 am, or begging for permission to watch your kid play soccer. No more cramming errands into the weekend, or waiting until retirement to take up your hobbies again. You make the decisions about what you do and where you do it, every minute of every day.
- You control the clock and results are your responsibility.
- Healthier lifestyle – not overworked, less stress
- Autonomy & accountability
- Increase productivity & efficiency
- Environmentally friendly – save on the commute and work from home!
(*Source: ROWE website)
Laptops, Tablets and iPhones – we provide our staff with the latest cutting edge hardware to enable them to do their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible
Web based Systems – everything from our email, to our CRM and file server systems are in the Cloud. This means accessibility is a breeze and enables our staff to be just as efficient working from their garden as the office.
If you like our values, our philosophy and like the idea of working in a ROWE then that's a good start. Have a further look around at our solutions and who we are.
We need like-minded people that want to deliver value through excellence in what they do but with a much broader outlook that goes beyond just themselves. We want people who will disrupt the world of recruitment in a positive manner and help continuous progression in both their own development, 33 Talent and all those who interact with us.
If this sounds like you then contact us now and let's see where we can go together.


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English Teaching Volunteering Projects in Sri Lanka
- Placement locations: Coastal towns within 2 hours of Colombo
- Types of schools: Primary, Secondary, Temples, Community Centres
- Age of students: 3 - 16
- Class sizes: 15 - 40
- Role: Teacher or teaching assistant (English)
- Extra-curricular roles: Music, Sports
- Accommodation: Host families
- Price: From
- What's included? Food, accommodation, transfers to and from our specified airport, transport to and from work where required, insurance, personal webpage, induction and orientation, 24/7 support
- What's not included? Flights, visa costs, spending money
- Length of placement: From 4 weeks
- Start dates: Flexible
No Prior Teaching Experience Required
Sri Lanka's schools require volunteers to develop their students' conversational English abilities. You can help without any previous teaching experience and we don't ask you to do a TEFL course. You can volunteer with Projects Abroad during your gap year, career break or extended holiday, and you can be sure of having an important role to play, working alongside students and colleagues who value the time that you give to them.
Some Background on Sri Lanka
For schools in Sri Lanka, the increasing popularity of the country as a tourist destination over the last decade or so, combined with its economic progress, has made learning English a priority. English-speaking volunteers are very much in demand.
Teaching Placements in Sri Lanka
We work in schools outside Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, located in small towns along the western coast within a couple of hours drive from the capital. Some of the schools are close to the beach; some are even based in temples.
The temple setting offers a beautiful, tranquil environment where you will teach English to monks of all ages. Through working here you'll gain a fantastic insight into Buddhism, meditation and a totally different way of life.
Most volunteers teach students aged from about 10 to 14 years old and the majority speak Sinhalese as their first language. They will often be able to speak some English but your focus will be to develop their confidence and fluency. If a student is able to understand and speak confidently to their English teacher it is a real step forward, and your continued presence will also increase the local teacher's confidence in their own language abilities.
The Sri Lankan school day runs from 8am to 2pm, and is broken down into eight separate 40-minute periods. Those who volunteer in Sri Lanka as teachers are expected to teach for about 18 hours per week, so most volunteers teach around four periods per day, and spend the rest of the time marking and preparing for the next day's lessons.
Your responsibility will primarily be to encourage children to practise conversational English. Their English lessons will often have given them a good grounding in the basics of the language - the grammar and the vocabulary - so you may find that they make progress very rapidly. You will see the delight on their faces as they start to communicate more easily with you and this provides an immense satisfaction in the work you are doing.
Participate in Extracurricular Activities
If you have skills in other areas please let us know when you apply. Many schools are keen for volunteers to help with extracurricular activities, such as music lessons and football coaching.
Who knows - you may find yourself setting up a drama club for a group of eager students or helping older students with their maths studies. The more you can tell us about yourself when you apply, and in further conversations with our Sri Lankan staff, the better we can find the right placement for you.
If you have qualifications or experience in this field then we can make use of your skills. Read more about the opportunities for skilled volunteers in Sri Lanka.
Participate in Teaching Workshops
Our team in Sri Lanka organise regular workshops for all Teaching volunteers. The workshops will provide you with a greater insight into the educational system in Sri Lanka and the background of the placement where you're working. You will also receive advice and suggestions regarding activities to carry out at your placement.
Participate in Our IT Project
If you have an interest in IT then you could teach some basic computer skills on our IT Project in Sri Lanka.
You can read more detailed information about the aims of the project in our Sri Lanka Teaching Management Plan.
Interested in other volunteering opportunities? What about teaching in Thailand?


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In February 2012 a $13M Onamia School District-wide bond referendum and alternative facilities bonding project passed, providing for improvements to numerous and major interior renovations and infrastructure replacements to the district's existing 74,800 square foot high school. The project was completed prior to the fall of 2014 for the 2014/2015 school year.
Major project components included the following:
- Replacement of the existing auxiliary underground fuel oil tanks with new above ground LP fuel tanks to address the service interruption
- Replacement of the existing heating system (steam boilers, pumps and piping) with new energy efficient condensing boilers, variable frequency pumps, piping and insulation
- Replacement of the existing domestic water system with a new main service, water softeners, energy efficient water heaters, pumps, piping and insulation
- Replacement of the existing HVAC systems (air-handling equipment, hydronic piping and associated ductwork) as well as the existing pneumatic controls with new air-handling equipment, energy recovery units, hydronic piping, ductwork and insulation
- Installation of a new building automation system that controls and monitors the new boiler plant and HVAC equipment
- Replacement of the existing fluorescent lighting with building-wide LED lighting
- Replacement of the existing communications cabling throughout the building with new to provide for increased connectivity and use of technology
- Building renovation to provide for a new special education suite, high school administration offices, staff workroom, learning lab, fitness room, main entrance and lobby/student commons, enlarged band room, computer lab, "clean" lab, wood shop, locker rooms, stage and theatrical curtains and rigging, athletic entrance and district office
- New flooring, paint and ceilings throughout all other spaces that were not renovated
- Replacement of all classroom doors and new markerboard/tackboard walls between classrooms
- Newly configured parking lot to promote and increase safety
- Installation of a new building security system that included security cameras and card readers


text: 23.09.13 Panasonic launches portable projector AUTHOR: Inavate PROJECTION Panasonic has announced a new addition to its high brightness LCD portable projector lineup, VW340 Series. It features two models with wireless capability, PT-VW345N and PT-VX415N, and two non-wireless ready models, PT-VW340 and PT-VX410. These projectors are not typical LCD portable projectors as they ensure more brightness from a compact body and the wireless ready models offer high performance with the new leading-edge wireless features which are well suited in various types of applications for both education and corporate market.With an outstanding brightness of up to 4,200lm and WXGA resolution, the VW340 Series delivers high contrast ratio of 4,000:1. PROJECTION


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RF-STABILITY | Input
Product Feature
First of all, it is necessary to select a load case or combination whose axial forces are to be used in the stability analysis. It is possible to define another load case in order to consider initial prestress, for example.
Then, you can select the linear or non-linear analysis to be performed. Depending on the case of application, you can select a direct calculation method such as the Method by Lanczos, or the ICG iteration method. Members not integrated in surfaces are usually displayed as member elements with two FE nodes. These elements prevent from the determination of the local buckling for an individual member. Therefore, there is the option to divide members automatically.
Associated Products
Add-on Module
Stability analysis according to the eigenvalue method


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Sold Out $ 9.99
Our 30 oz cup handle also fits YETI Rambler ® Tumblers, Ozark Trail, Ibex, Rocky Mountain, Engel, BOSS, SIC Glacier, Polar Pad, Smart, ICONIQ, Magnum Steel, Kodiak Tundra, Zero Brand, Kryo and most other brands with a 4 inch opening. Does not fit Mossy Oak, Reduce, ORCA, New Rtic, or Stanley. Your satisfaction is guaranteed so get a grip with our tumbler handle today! PATENT PENDING.
I'm so glad I ordered directly from Thermik. Got the colors I wanted and the arrived really quick!
We are enjoying them. Much easier to drink out of them now. Thanks Thermik for creating these!!!
Excellent, fits my Yeti & is very comfortable in my hand
I really like my new handle. I only wish it came in a Golden Yellow color. The handle is very sturdy and very easy to hold onto.
My experience was great. I really like these handles Bought a couple last year and that's why I ordered for the rest of my cups.
Sold Out $ 15.00
Keeps your cold drinks colder and your hot drinks hotter!
Sliding lid for 30 oz. Stainless Steel Tumblers. Fits YETI ® Tumblers, and many other brands.
YETI ® and Rambler ® are registered trademarks of YETI Coolers, LLC. Thermik is not affiliated with YETI. YETI does not approve, endorse, or sponsor any of Thermik's products.View full product details
Sold Out
Designed specifically for our tumblers, this straw has a flange that keeps it beneath the lid. It also fits RTIC and many other brands of tumblers.
Note: This item does not fit the YETI ® Tumbler lid, but it does fit most aftermarket sliding lids.View full product details
Sold Out
Straw compatible Tritan copolyester lid for 30 oz tumblers. Replaces standard YETI Rambler ® lid for use with the Thermik straw and other similar brands as well.YETI ® and Rambler ® are registered trademarks of YETI Coolers, LLC. Thermik is not affiliated with YETI. YETI does not approve, endorse, or sponsor any of Thermik's products."
View full product details


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Arbor Gate's Picks of the Month
Voodoo Lily
July 14, 2017 Back to Picks >
What a show stopper! The unusual plant is a super hardy, tuberous aroid. It produces one large, palm-like leaf atop a 4-5′ tall stalk with unique, mottled patterns. When the plant reaches maturity, it will produce a 5′ flower prior to leaf emergence. The bloom is a beautiful purple, vase shaped spectacle. Plant will produce many off-sets.


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Traffic sucks, so why not start your morning off with some music? You provide the toast and we'll provide the jams.
My jam lately has been this funky, vaguely Michael Jackson-y tale of modern love. Boy meets girl, boy takes girl home, boy explains that his money is not to be fucked with under any circumstances.
Ain't love grand? Also, the musician's name is Penguin Prison, which is delightful.


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Are you struggling under a heavy workload and missing deadlines?
Do you need to be more organised in the workplace?
However large or small a task, it can quickly go wrong without effective project management. Ingenuity's Project Management blended learning programme can give you the tools and techniques to help you work more efficiently.
Project Management can be defined as 'the achievement of project objectives through people and involving the organisation's planning and control of resources assigned to the project.' (Harrison & Lock, 2004)
The aim of this programme is to allow you to free up valuable resources by developing your project management skills allowing you to work more efficiently
- Workshop learning supplemented by 1:1 mentoring from Ingenuity's experienced project managers;
- Learn skills relevant to your position that can be implemented in the workplace;
- Programme delivered by PRINCE 2 Qualified Practitioner*;
- ILM level 5 Unit in Project Management; and
- Added value to both you and your business through a practical work-based project with measurable Return on Investment.
Programme Content
Using techniques from project management and applying them to everyday working life, this programme is designed to help you manage your work more effectively. To do this we will cover:
- Understanding Project Management;
- Creating a robust Project Plan;
- Project budgeting and costing;
- Engaging Project Stakeholders;
- Managing the Project Team;
- Risk Management;
- Change Management; and
- Project Completion and Sign-off.
The programme will be delivered between late May 2016 and mid August 2016 and will include:
- 2 x half day workshops;
- 2 x half day online workshops;
- 2 hours 1:1 Mentoring;
- Access to online learning resources:
- Structured self-learning and reading; and
- A Project based assignment for the organisation.
Who will benefit from this programme?
Anyone who wants to add value to their business and improve personal performance through effective management of projects and tasks.
The cost of this programme is £550 per person plus VAT.
For further information or to book a place on this Programme contact us or download the flyer and application form below:


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Russell, Bruce [Artist] (1999) GMT : Glyphs, morphs and tropes. GMT : Glyphs, morphs and tropes. , 7-30 Oct 1999 , Beardsmore Gallery, 22-24 Prince of Wales Road, London NW5.
|Item Type:
|Event Title:
|GMT : Glyphs, morphs and tropes
|Additional Information:
|Solo exhibition of multi-panel paintings, all 12'' x 54''. Catalogue available: Russell, Bruce (2000) GMT : Glyphs, morphs and tropes, London: Art Books International in collaboration with Kingston University, ISBN: 1899999094. 60pp.
|Research Area:
|Art and design
|Faculty, School or Research Centre:
|Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (until 2017)
|Depositing User:
|Kim Forbes
|Date Deposited:
|16 Apr 2009 11:04
|Last Modified:
|16 Apr 2009 11:04
Actions (Repository Editors)
|Item Control Page


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We're lucky enough to have great customers who like to share how they use Drafts. This is a list of some reviews, resources, how-to's and references that might help you learn more about Drafts. Let us know about other resources you would like to see added here.
Getting Started
- Productivityist: Getting Into Drafts and Launch Center Pro
- iCopilot Video introduction to Drafts.
- Drafts Action Directory: Find ready to install actions for many popular apps and websites - as well as example actions for Dropbox/Evernote journaling and more.
- Going Paperless: Using the Drafts App to Quickly Add Common Notes to Evernote
- Geeks With Juniors: 10 Reasons to Love Drafts
- Gridwriter: Drafts for Non-Power Users
- Macworld: How to take meeting notes that really work
- Back to Work Podcast #113: Merlin Mann takes a "deep-dive" on some of the ways he uses Drafts.
- Mac Power Users #136: iOS Automation: David Sparks and Katie Floyd talk about iOS automation apps, with a big focus on Drafts.
- Lifehacker: How to Use Drafts to Speed Up Your Mobile Text Editing
- Automating iOS: A Comprehensive Guide to URL Schemes and Drafts Actions
- Bridging the Nerd Gap: The Fastest Way To Capture Stuff In Evernote (I Swear)…
- Cult of Mac: Roll Your Own Automatic Markdown Journal With IFTTT, Drafts, Instagram And Dropbox
In-Depth Reviews and Advanced Action Tips
- Macstories: Drafts 3 Review: Better iOS Automation and Workflows
- Geeks with Juniors: Drafts Action Directory
- The Axx: Drafts 3.0
- Dr. Drang: New flexible timestamps in Drafts
- Geeks With Juniors: Workflow: Create Multiple Events in Fantastical with Recursive Action in Drafts
- The Overthinker: Advanced Tips for Drafts


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Prestige Kew Gardens
Prestige Kew Gardens are beautifully developed apartments that offer its customers with maximum possible facilities. Ranging from quick access to major places, like schools, airports along with provision of all types of facilities for refreshment and entertainment, the apartments are well flourished coupled with having attractive design.Customers find here their every dreamed facility.
Prestige kew Gardens is nestled at a prime location on the old airport connecting road in Yemlur, Bangalore.
Price Specification
The prices charged by Prestige kew Gardens are always viewed as justified and reasonable. Some of their prices are mentioned as follows:
• 2BHK- 67.59 lakh per 1290 sqf
• 3BHK-82.53 lakh per 1575 sqf
• 4BHK-1.51cr per 2890 sqf
Prestige Kew Gardens
Prestige Kew Gardens


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I was pushed so hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my might; God has become my salvation… I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. (Psalm 118.13-14,17)
Today is a turning point, a chance to recalibrate our heading. The dastardly violence visited on the US and world at large on 9/11/01 came so unexpectedly we had no time to consider how best to respond. But we've been given 10 years—3,652 days—to wrestle with all the justified emotions and irrational behaviors the tragedy unleashed. While its memory will forever be stamped in our hearts and minds, it's time to let go the fear and ugliness it produced.
We've spent the last decade dying a slow death, knotted up in worst-case scenarios, shrinking in terror every time a lunatic whispers, "Boo!" and blaming whoever's handy for all that's gone wrong since that horrible day. We've turned from a hated people into a hateful one, and we insist on pretending we don't notice or care how far we've fallen. Plummeting in 9/11's spectral shadows has robbed us of the joy, hope, and trust in one another that warmed our days and stilled our nights.
We would do well to use this moment to embrace the Psalmist's declaration: "I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD." (Psalm 118.17)
It's a stunning vow, given the circumstances. The writer's rise to an enviable position of authority enraged his adversaries. He doesn't speculate what stoked their hostility. It may have been jealousy, ethnic hostility, or a strategically devised preemptive strike. The nature of the conflict is secondary. It's most important we understand the poet's been blind-sided. He tells us his foes engulfed him, swarmed him like bees, and blazed like burning thorns. Things got real ugly real fast. He countered the attack with decisive force. "In the name of the LORD, I cut them off!" he says—not once, but three times, as though he can't believe it. Then we discover why his reaction and success seem incredible to him.
"I was pushed so hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me," the psalmist confesses. (v13) Falling. The pressure sends him spiraling. He's losing his grip. Yet God mercifully catches him before he tumbles over the precipice. And rather than depend on his own abilities, he puts his trust in his Maker. "The LORD is my strength and my might; God has become my salvation," he exclaims in verse 14. [So convinced is he that God's faithfulness is the deciding factor that earlier in the poem he states, "With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?" (v6)] The psalmist's steadiness is not of his doing. God saves him. Acute awareness of God's mercy turns him around. While the people rejoice in his triumph, he triumphs in the realization he won't die. He will live. And he embraces a very specific reason for living: to "recount the deeds of the LORD."
Instead of falling, the poet soars.
The terrorists who conceived and executed 9/11 were a cunning, barbaric lot. Thugs they were—naïvely heartless people seduced by a jury-rigged promise of immortality. They brooked no concern about the unjust hatred and prejudice their deeds would heap on millions of upright people who shared their ethnic and faith heritage. They deluded themselves with the fantasy they were courageous avengers waging an undeclared holy war with no place or purpose in the modern world. They were simpletons.
I can't accept one of them was bright enough to say, "You know, when all is said and done, we will have bruised the American character past all recognition." Their medieval mindset proves they lacked the sophistication to foresee the impact their evil would have on our culture and politics. They wanted to make us afraid of them. But somehow, through none of their doing, we turned their malevolence inside out. We became afraid and suspicious of each other.
Nine-eleven launched a cold civil war with both sides rising up in alarm at every turn, convinced anyone unlike them was scheming to overthrow the nation. We've devoted an entire decade to calling one another Fascists, Anarchists, Socialists, Communists, Luddites, Militants, Opportunists, Racists, Misogynists, Homophobes, Atheists, Fanatics, Hypocrites—and, yes, Terrorists—as well as only God knows how many other vicious names, including many unfit for a faith-forward blog.
Not since Pearl Harbor had Americans united in such defiance of evil and selfless compassion for our wounded. Indeed, the extraordinary solidarity spilled from our shores and overflowed the world. From every corner of the planet cries went up: "We are all Americans!" Our venal enemies placed that magnificent gift right there, in the palm of our hand.
And we let it go.
Nobody says, "We're Americans!" these days—nobody who means it in the broadest sense, that is. "Extremists," another label frequently heard in the wake of 9/11, has also faded from use. And little wonder why. We're now a land overrun with extremists. The priceless middle ground on which our country rose has imploded. Moderates are wastes of space, unworthy of attention. Even the middle-class—the backbone of our economy and culture—is dwindling to dust. In an atmosphere that literally banks on overkill, anything less than reckless and ridiculous has no value. We'll defend blatant stupidity to the death if it's extreme. We'll tune in and listen to anyone, as long as what he says and how she says it are extreme.
We've got fat to the point of stupor on a non-stop diet of flagrant animosity and ignorance. The post-9/11 gallery of pop and political icons resembles a nuthouse run amok: haters, conspiracy theorists, ne'er-do-wells, self-aggrandizing analysts, and shameless enablers in every arena have captivated our attention. Flip from ""The Real Housewives" to cable news to a conspiracy theory "documentary." The subject and style vary, but the underlying message is the same: somebody wants to hurt me!
Just once, wouldn't it be refreshing for someone say, "Squabbling makes no sense. Let's compromise." Such a statement would open fascinating dialogue. But we're not interested in dialogue. We want to be entertained—provoked by and dragged into contrived dramas that invariably manifest themselves in emotional (in some cases, physical) violence. If it's not extreme, we're not buying.
And that's the problem with compromise and common sense. Neither is ever extreme. They don't hurt anyone beyond reason, nor do they help anyone beyond measure. In short, they neutralize the victim-and-villain charade—and that's what we're all about these days, feeling hurt and hurting feelings.
Is it remotely possible the terrorists foresaw we'd take a liking to victim mentality? If we went back to September 10, 2001, stopped any American on any street, and told him/her, "After tomorrow, you'll view yourself as a victim," we'd get cussed out.
In the immediate wake of 9/11, we ponied up like true American cowboys, vowing to hunt down the villains and bring them to justice. "Nobody messes with us and gets by with it!" Then it slowly dawned on us that we were dealing with something we didn't understand. "Where is Osama bin Laden?" turned into a punch line. And once we rounded up those we suspected of abetting his cause, justice became a joke. Retribution and punishment were the names of the game—one that permitted us to change the rules and invent new ones as we went.
Meanwhile, voluntary victimization surfaced in the Blame Game, the domestic version of our preoccupation with nefarious conspirators abroad. More things gone wrong gave us more people to blame. When the richest among us started whining about their mistreatment, the Blame Game ballooned into absurdist farce. In grand titan fashion, they deployed media henchmen to waft their high-end Eau de Victim through the media and—sure enough—tens of thousands struggling from paycheck to paycheck picked up the scent. The truly put-upon avidly defended the hardly put-upon for one reason: they both blamed the same people for their unhappiness. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, they say.
No nation backslides from its hard-won reputation as an industrious, prodigiously capable people to become a multitude of mewlers and malingerers without its consent.
There was a time Americans had to be warned, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." We were innovators, tinkerers, and renovators who couldn't leave well enough alone. We sauntered next door when we saw a neighbor working on his car, skipped an afternoon at the beach to make cupcakes for a charity bake sale, and knocked on a needy family's door with a bag of groceries to tide them over. We turned barn raising and harvests into festivals, moving days into parties. Offering help before you were asked was the American way.
We witnessed that spirit at its highest after 9/11. People quit their jobs to clean up the ruins and get New Yorkers and Washingtonians back on their feet. We've caught glimpses of it after devastating natural disasters. But it's rarely sighted in our political and community lives. Now we distance ourselves from opportunities to help until the needs grow too big to handle and we blame everyone else for not doing what we wouldn't be bothered with.
But how can you blame someone else for your sad estate when you've done nothing to prevent it? What convinced us that 9/11 freed us of all responsibilities for our actions? Why do we think blaming somebody else gets us off the hook and magically mitigates problems we actively or passively—mostly passively—allowed to escalate?
My partner, Walt, insists there are no victims, only volunteers. While I don't agree that's true across-the-board, the post-9/11 American character certainly fits the profile.
A few weeks ago, I turned on a local midday newscast just as the anchor tossed to commercial. The story slated after the break was about power outages due to a storm earlier that week. Residents were naturally frustrated that their lights weren't back on. "We'll tell you all about it," the anchor said, "and who's to blame."
And she smiled—not maliciously, as if she relished pinning down the slackers who left families in the dark. No, she smiled in that annoying, news anchor way, suggesting she didn't give the Blame Game a second thought. She might as well have said, "We'll tell you all about it, and then we'll play Duck-Duck-Goose." She was just that oblivious to how blaming anyone for the situation didn't remedy it. And who could blame her? She looked no older than 25. All she's known her entire adult life is confusing blame with justice and, worse yet, progress. I would have been furious had I not been thoroughly chilled.
That's the biggest calamity of 9/11's aftermath. We've invested ten years nurturing a woe-is-me, be-very-afraid culture with not the slightest concern an entire generation has come of age believing that self-pity, paranoia, and helplessness are the American way of life. If the 1980s were the "Me" Decade, the 2000s will be remembered as the "Them" Decade—as in, "It's their fault," "It's their duty," and "It's their neglect."
Whose fault is that?
In America, we pledge allegiance to "one nation under God." We tender currency emblazoned with our trust in God. Whether or not we're comfortable with how these and other legislated mentions of faith blur the lines between church and state, this is who we say we are and what we say we do. Yet we've permitted 9/11's impact to divide us and we've exploited God's name as a wedge that incites fear, the enemy of trust. God's mercy and goodness to us—the strength and might God placed in us, without which our greatness as a people seems unlikely at best—have no prominence in the national dialogue, neither overtly nor implicitly. As believers, however, we know God has been unduly merciful and good to us, before and after 9/11. To acknowledge that would require us to shut down the Blame Game. It would mean living, not dying—praising, not accusing.
We let one awful morning rewire our minds. We decided there's nothing good to say about or to one another. Consequently God's deeds have gone unreported. And as we've gone down this path of retaliation and rudeness, we've created fewer opportunities for gratitude. What you say is what you get.
Psalm 118 is a thanksgiving processional sung as priests approach the altar to offer sacrifices of praise. Its opening line invokes gratitude: "O give thanks to the LORD, for God is good; God's steadfast love endures forever!" (v1) All the angst and violence the poet recounts comes in the next two stanzas to remind worshipers how close to falling he came and how God's mercy caught him before he let go. The psalm peaks in verses 23-24: "This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
What do we make of this day? Will it end like the last 3,652, with fear's putrid tang on our tongues and blind suspicion terrorizing our hearts? Or will we redeem the lives lost on 9/11/01 by joining a long overdue thanksgiving procession, offering sacrifices of praise for God's goodness to us? Can we quit pointing fingers and recognize the marvelous things God has done? Will this be the day we finally open our eyes to see trust in God and one another is what transforms falling into soaring? Can we summon the clarity and courage to declare, "We shall not die. We shall live"?
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Lord, open our eyes. Amen.
Trusting God and one another transforms falling into soaring.


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Ready to purchase a new or used piece of equipment? Our knowledgeable sales team supports is here to support you in Kansas, Oklahoma and Western Missouri. To find your sales rep, simply enter your zip code below.
If you are looking for a used piece of equipment and are located outside of the territory, please email firstname.lastname@example.com, or contact us for more information.


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- Why can NiGHTS even Dualize? Like all Nightmaren, it was created by Wizeman... who, if I remember my series plot correctly, despises Visitors, and wants to make the Night Dimension into an endless nightmare where they will no longer be welcome. So... why would he even create a minion with the power to fuse with Visitors?
- 'Could be general dream physics. Everything might be able to, given realisation and willingness in both parties. S'my personal explanation anyway.
- NiGHTS possibly could have developed the power on hir own after s/he left Wizeman's side. After all, what better way to piss off one's creator and former master than to team up with the very beings you know he despises in order to beat him?
- Perhaps dualizing was originally used without consent to possess visitors, but after NiGHTS left Wizeman, NiGHTS decided never to possess visitors using dualizing again.
- There's several things that bug me about the comic, but the whole "NiGHTS and Elliot switches body" thing in #2 takes the cake. Ignoring that Dualizing doesn't work that way, the reason they do it is because they need to find Claris while Elliot takes care of the bad guys in the Dream World. Fine, except at the end of #1 Claris had already been found by NiGHTS. There was never any reason given why NiGHTS couldn't just un-Dualize to explain what was going on! Aside from "to let her carry the Idiot Ball", that is. Not to mention how NiGHTS seemly didn't have any plan on how to find her.
- Why didn't Reala just take the visitors ideya? He grabbed them several times and did no more than teleport them to some random place.
- The Idiot Ball is obviously in play to a degree later in JoD's story. It made sense the first couple times, since Nightmarens explicitly cannot touch Red Ideya if a Visitor is in possession of it, regardless of level. But who's to say he couldn't just strip Will and Helen of the others? It's not like it would break the rules of the 'verse, anyway.
Headscratchers / NiGHTS into Dreams...
Go To


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Texas Treats Pigs Better Than Prisoners
The state of Texas has been the subject of multiple lawsuits over its insistence on killing state prisoners with heat stroke as they sit in jails without air conditioning. It turns out that Texas would not even subject actual swine to the same conditions.
A new lawsuit from the mother of a Texas prisoner who overheated and died says that 14 Texas prisoners have died that way since 2007 in the dozens of state prisons that lack air conditioning in the prisoner housing areas. Summer temperatures routinely climb over 100 degrees indoors. Now, even prison guards are complaining. With good reason. The Wall Street Journal reports:
Union officials said corrections officers have complained to Texas prison officials that the heat index inside facilities is often as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit, but haven't been able to persuade them to make changes. They said they were driven to speak out after learning that the state spent $750,000 in June to buy six new barns with exhaust fans and misters to cool pigs raised for inmate consumption.
"We don't keep our animals in these type of conditions and that speaks volumes," said Lance Lowry, who worked as a corrections officer for 13 years and is now president of the Hunstville, Texas-based local of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Union, which represents many state prison workers.
Not okay.
[Photo: AP]