text:
You've probably heard the advice over and over again about how owning a home is one of the major milestones in achieving financial independence. It is certainly true that by owning a home you can take ownership in something that has the potential to build equity and provide you with the freedom you might not otherwise have by renting, but there is more to it than that.
If you recall last week I had mentioned that I would be doing a podcast series in partnership with Charles Schwab, and the first edition talks about buying a home. I am still waiting for the public link to the podcast so I can share it with everyone, but for whatever reason it is still delayed. So, while I had hoped to share that with you today, I can at least share a lead-in personal story that illustrates some of the true costs of ownership that many people overlook or don't prepare for.
When it Rains, It Pours
Doesn't that always seem to be the case? It almost always happens in a way that once something goes wrong, a bunch of other things pile on all at once. Well, that has been the case for us over the past few weeks, and it is quickly becoming quite costly.
Snow Removal
We moved in almost two years ago into our home, and after going through one rough winter, it became clear that we need a snow blower. Living in an area that receives frequent and heavy lake effect snow, it isn't uncommon to wake up in the morning to two feet of snow. I tried to stick to elbow grease last winter and shovel, but those efforts were futile. So, we have been planning to buy a snow blower this fall and we're just looking for a good deal. Estimated cost: $450-$750.
Water Softener
A few weeks ago we were getting ready to go out and buy a snow blower when something unexpected happened–our water softener broke. We have a well and live in an area with very hard water, so this is a tremendous inconvenience as well as a costly breakdown. For now we are just making due with hard water, but it is leaving rust stains in the shower, tastes awful to drink, and makes it feel impossible to get clean. The water softener itself is very old and it will cost nearly as much to try and repair it as getting a newer model. Estimated cost: $600-$2,000 parts and labor.
As if this wasn't bad enough, another problem reared its head just a few days ago. One of the toilets is leaking at the base. It probably just needs a new wax ring, which would be fairly inexpensive, but labor intensive. Not only that, the toilet itself is quite old with rusty hardware and probably needs more than just a wax ring to bring it up to like-new operating quality. Estimated cost: $150-$300 parts and labor.
You may think that our string of bad luck would be over, but you'd be wrong. On Friday morning I woke up and it sounded like the furnace was making a noise, so I go check it out. It is an electric ignition, and the ignition module had a blinking red light. That can't be good, so I dig out the manual to see what it means. Apparently it is a safety measure where the ignition locks itself out if it cannot ignite the burner after three attempts. No problem, so I cut power to it so that it can reset and attempt to start it back up. Again, it tries to ignite three times and locks itself out.
I spent the better half of the day on Saturday trying to get it working, but to no avail. So, today I am seeking quotes to have someone come out and check on it, and hopefully have it repaired ASAP since it is getting down to freezing at night and becoming uncomfortable by morning. A quick fix will be only a hundred or so, but any major replacement could become very costly. Estimated cost: $100-???
Think Before You Leap
While most people realize that there are maintenance costs associated with owning a home, they still tend to be an afterthought. What are the chances that a bunch of household appliances will break down at once? While that won't happen often, it can and does happen. The real problem is not being prepared. So, while buying a home has tremendous advantages, think about the true potential costs that come along with it. Just because they may not happen very often doesn't mean you should discount the financial impact they will have, and have some money or a plan put together to deal with the problems when they do occur.
What This Will Cost Me
This is a significant blow for us as we were really starting to make headway on debt and saving money for a bathroom remodel. Granted, the toilet can be an initial addition to that, but now the major improvements will have to wait. Even if everything comes in at the low end of the estimates, we're going to be out a good $1,400. If the problem with the furnace is more severe or we need to spend a little more on a water softener, we're looking at numbers well north of $3,000.
Final Thoughts
I wouldn't trade owning our home for anything, but issues like this can bring added stress and put a substantial dent in your wallet. I remember the years of apartment living where I'd wake up in the morning on a snowy day and find the whole parking lot and sidewalk was cleared and salted. When our hot water heater went out, a quick call to the landlord and they had it replaced in less than 24-hours. When the dishwasher and air conditioner broke, again they sent someone right out to repair it.
It can be easy to become complacent when you have had the luxury of not having to purchase and install expensive appliances when they break down. This serves as a good reminder on how important it is to prepare for these unexpected and unwanted problems.
Author: Jeremy Vohwinkle
My name is Jeremy Vohwinkle, and I've spent a number of years working in the finance industry providing financial advice to regular investors and those participating in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
home ownership is not all its cracked up to be anymore i lost 100 k value in my house if and whenever i get it back ill be renting til the day i die and live everyday like its the last . i think we have to rethink the formula, the more you make everything else goes up in parrallel so we're back to square one we need to redesign ideas whenever something was not working the founding fathers had inspiration to assess it and reconfigure. heres another idea why does mortgage lenders have to get back 3 times what they lend how about 2 times. We have to stop paying msrp on autos, start negotiating everything. All these experts tell you to do this and do that save save save and hence buy a house at 40 put all your income in 401k which will lose value and retire at 70 and die at 71 and be taxed like crazy again what a great life great life .
gotta love all these forums, but realistically who really lives like this i make 85k per year before taxes but after taxes is withdrawn i get my paycheck i have roughly lit above 1000 per week so $4000 per month times 25% = $1000 left for mortgage so where can i find a mortgage with taxes for $1000 per month in ny when the property taxes is $12000 per year. anywhere house is 1k per month guarantee i'm not gonna make 85k per year so hence to own something you have to get a spouse to help provide income then kids come along now one has to stay home poof and the dilema goes on as fuel, old home repairs and of course schools need newer stuff and politicians expenses and yada yada rise heres a start to my solution eliminate property taxes completely cut government spending on aid overseas and part of our already paid income taxes gets returned. and make transportation by public transportation free and im sure we could add more.
Generally it's a better to own than to rent. In some places rent is much much cheaper than owning. Biggest problem is for first time home buyers is to get in the market is a huge stretch. Very very few people have a 20-25% down payment on a house.
I've seen long discussions elsewhere about the merits or renting vs buying and generally regardless of numbers most people want to own. (myself included)
What puts me off of owning (at least in Canada US and UK) is property taxes upkeep etc. Generally in Europe property taxes are very very low.
Great comments, everyone. Just an update on the furnace, we were fortunate enough to end up only paying about $200 to fix it. The igniter cracked and wasn't sparking.
In addition to unexpected expenses, you have to keep in mind lost time spent on upkeep. I probably spend around 10 hours a week, improving, maintaining, and fixing little things around the house. I'm happy to own, but time = money.
Long term capital appreciation is all about planting as many seeds as you can, of which a house is one. Bonds, stocks, cash, your career are others. spread your money out, some will grow better than the rest but just like a garden you can't always know which area will bear the best fruit. hedge your bets and everything will work out.
oh, just don't go too crazy on the house. I see to many fellow GenXers in silicon valley buying way to big of a house. We bought smaller than we could have afforded, have still seen good appreciation and live with mortgage that wasn't all that much more than our rent (yes, all the rest of the stuff adds up but then again 50% of my rent didn't go back to me).
best chapter of whether to rent or buy is chapter one in "home buying for dummies"... read it and do the excercise on TCO about 30 pages in.
I think homes end up not being a good thing for a lot of people since they buy one before it makes financial sense to do so... Barely anyone buys a home with a 20% down payment anymore, and most people spending the maximum amount of money their lender will let them...leaving them little to no cash to take care of the things that just happen when you own a home.
@Bill - I disagree with your assessment regarding square footage. To rent the house I live in would cost me about $1300 a month. My house payments are $1050 (including taxes and insurance). If I had to buy the house again at the current value, it would wind up about $1250 a month. It's more expensive to rent in my area than it is to buy. And the rents are still going up.
On a square foot basis, it's always cheaper to rent than own.
As for investing, residential real estate has had a long-term return of only 1-2% above inflation, not much of a return compared to financial assets.
People own homes because they want the freedom to do things they can't do with a rental.
But understand owning a home is not inexpensive - typically you'll spend 1% of the home's value annually just on maintenance.
I am three months away from making the last mortgage payment. Thinking how I can save the money to increase my emergency fund. The furnace died, the plumbing started to leak, like wise the roof. To the tune of over $20,000. Which I don't have in savings and will need to borrow. Taxes have increased every year, insurance for the house has doubled in price since I bought the house 18 years ago.
When we rent don't we pay for all costs of ownership, plus a profit for the owner? 30 years later all we own is our rent receipts. Too, in most cases doesn't our rent go up, at least, on a yearly basis ? An apartment I lived in when I was 30 was $65.00 a month, now, that same apartment is over $500.00 a month and when I was there it took a stick of dynamite to get the landlord to do anything. Maybe your landlord is the "best in the world", and does whatever is necessary, quickly, but I would say, "YOU are paying for it"! --- john
I am a mortgage lender and have been for over 9 years. I see people "financially naked" when we make an application for a home loan.
My observation is that most people have no clue about finances other than making payments on homes, cars and consumer revolving accounts. That is sad.
Wealth, as defined by Robert Kyiosaki, is not having to go to work to pay the bills unless you want to. Getting out of the Rat Race means having alternate sources of income so you don't need to work, unless you want to, to pay your cost to live. (Personally, I love to work and add value to those around me).
If you can own a home with the idea of one day paying it off, then you can arrive at a point where, with wise personal spending, you can live an enjoyable life and have a pile of money in investments.
If you rent your abode, then it is like making a mortgage payment that is "interest only", never paying down the balance, and not getting any tax advantage either. Your rent payment is paying for taxes, insurance and maintenence but due to economies of scale, the cost of maintenence is lower per person. But the insurance and taxes remain the same per unit of value of the property.
I make home loans for a living. I believe a home loan is needed only because most people don't have financial resources to pay cash. Pay the mortgage off as soon as possible or pay it down as quickly as possible to save on the amount of interest you pay.
If you were one of the rare people who kept a home for 30 years, then you will pay for the home 3 times over. Why would you pay $600,000 for a $200,000 home - even with inflated dollars that is you giving twice your time/energy for the home.
To pay $1 in interest for the purpose of saving 15 to 38 cents in taxes doesn't seem to me to be a good deal either. Pay the average 25 cents to the taxes and keep the other 75 cents you were giving to the bank. Instead of paying interst to the bank, invest in the bank and let them pay you interest.
Is this 'practical'? It certainly takes some 'doing'.
People in other countries live with family members while saving money for a home and many own their homes with no debt. Rarely do they worry about money or debt obligations.
I refinanced my sister's home to a 15 year note at a low rate. She is making extra payments to pay it off in 7 years and while she is doing this, she has no car payment, lives close to work and rides a scooter, and invests money each month.
She is a single mom and works as a nursing assistant at a hospital. She also believes in working to her fullest at work, extra hours and making lots of friends.
I encourage people to own homes but ditch the mortgage as soon as you can.
When you have no to low cash outflow, you need less in flow and are not at the mercy of the job market, economic ups and downs and you don't need to hoard money out of fear of old age poverty.
I was once laid off from the high tech job I had; I had no mortgage or car payments at the time. I was quite relaxed about the whole layoff affair. The guy being walked out the back door next to me had 5 cars and an expensive mortgage. The guards had to help him stand as they walked him out as he was in such shock and fear - at the age of 55.
The (wo)man without money is at the mercy of the world.
Two rules for happiness (from a Chinese engineer I once knew):
1. Always be happy with what you have
2. Always have enough
Be happy and be at nobody's mercy.
I think your estimate on buying a snow blower is way low. I too live in a lake effect snow area and can tell you from long experience buy the biggest baddest most powerful beast of a snowblower that you can find. Make that with electronic ignition and one of those thingies that protects you from the wind and the blowing snow. You will never regret it I promise. Or just do like I do after I got to hating the snow in my face twice a day and hire it out.
have you considered getting a home warranty? when i owned a home i would pay $50 to have the stove, plumbing, etc fixed. there was an annual cost as well, around $400, but considering i was in a home over 40 years old that hadn't been very well maintained, i think it worked out very well for me. plus, when we sold it, we included the warranty in the sale, which was really attractive to the buyers.
"When you're renting and you spend $100 on getting the heater fixed, that's lost money."
Um, actually when you rent, you pay nothing to get the heater fixed. That is the whole point of this article.
So actually, your example puts the renter ahead. If the renter invests the $100 that he didn't have to spend on a heater and gets the stock market's historic average of ~10%, the renter will have a lot more money than the heater is worth later on down the road.
you're right - in some senses your home isn't an asset in the sense that it's something you spend money ON rather than something that produces income.
However, I urge you to really think about the value that you're getting when you do these repairs (something my dad told me when I was thinking about buying my first home). When you're renting and you spend $100 on getting the heater fixed, that's lost money. It's gone. You're going to have to chase down the landlord to get your money back.
When you're the homeowner and you spend $100 on getting the heater fixed, sure you can't get the money back, but what you DO have is a shiny new fixed heater that works, and it's YOUR heater. You're one heater's worth closer to financial independence because you won't have to get it fixed tomorrow.
Agree with INHABIT AUSTIN. "Home" does not always mean "house." In a condominium building, all the issues you mention, except for the toilet, would be association expenses. Yes, you still pay for those as a condo owner, but (1) the expenses are lower since they are shared by all owners, and (2) you pay a set amount in dues each month so maintenance is easy to budget for. Just be careful not to buy into a building that has insufficient reserves in case anything big comes up requiring a special assessment.
I always said that it really depends on what you want out of life as to whether you own a home or not. Being married with kids, the home has many advantages (in my mind) over renting, but it also comes with the need for a lot of elbow grease. One thing not mentioned, is that rents continue to climb, usually more than your property taxes and mortgage. Within five or six years of purchasing both my townhouse and then later on my single family home, the rent for two bedroom apartments (a minimum, and cramped size, for a family of five) in my area actually equaled my mortgage and escrow payments. At the same time for a three bedroom townhome rental, they exceeded my mortgage by more than enough to cover the extra I was putting away to take care of home maintenance. Granted, I was able to buy newer homes in each case which has definately helped with the lack of repair, but you still have to plan.
On the flip side, my single brother has significanlty lower expectations for his living space, and I could never approach what he can find living in a single efficiency appartment. I would never expect him to purchase house other than as a potential investment. As with most financial advise, you really need to look at how it applies for your situation.
Also, I plan on downsizing once the kids are out, since I don't think we'll need anything that large again, and as already posted, a condo sounds like it might be just the thing.
Excellent job in highlighting the true cost of home ownership. Having an emergency/maintenance fund in place is a great idea, especially if you're seeking the older home in a mature neighborhood.
I know a handful of people that have opted to purchase a condo rather than worrying about having to shovel snow and do a lot of home maintenance themselves. Could be the best of both worlds...depending on the condo association.
This is a valid post.. I wanted to buy my own place so bad for a while until I really thought it through. I don't want to:
1. get a mortgage
2. pay taxes
3. pay expensive HOA fees (my area)
4. expensive insurance (i'm close to the gulf of mexico)
5. and pay when things break
After all of those expenses, I decided it's just not worth it unless it's purely for an investment, in which a renter or a business pays the mortgage and everything.
I totally agree -- that home ownership is wonderful, but not necessarily a good investment.
People look at their equity and think, hey, what a great investment! But they forget about the interest on their mortgage, property taxes, insurance, repairs, maintenance, some improvements, and all the other costs that do not add to the equity of a home.
If you add it all up, for many people their home is not a good investment (especially with historic home appreciation at 4-5% per year), compared to other investments.
Elizabeth (financial planner)
Thanks for the tip, Nick. Actually that and a dirty sensor are two things I saw online as common problems. Unfortunately though, there is a big warning label on the furnace and in the manual that says the combustion compartment is pressurized, and if you access it you have to replace all of the gaskets.
I considered trying to track down the replacement gaskets and give it a go, but I'd rather not end up blowing my house up when I do something wrong :D
But someone is coming tomorrow to check on it, so if they can't seem to find a problem I'll mention it.
We had a similar problem with our furnace for most of last winter---it would not reliably ignite the gas. Sometimes it took two or three tries, or it would give up if it couldn't get it after four tries. We suspected the igniter was faulty, but that wouldn't explain why it lit sometimes.
Several furnace repairmen later, we finally got one who discovered and fixed the problem in minutes: clogged burners. The problem was that not enough gas was getting through to the igniter for it to ignite. Once the repairmen removed and carefully cleaned each burner, we haven't had a problem since.
It's still best to have someone come out and check the furnace, but be sure to raise this possibility with them since not every furnace repair outfit seems to know about it.


text:
magnetic separator iron ore 500 tph
made in china dry magnetic separator iron ore separation . dry ore ball mill iron ore magnetic separator iron ore crushing plant. … mineral »vibro screen
Welcome to Shanghai SME Mining and Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
mail to us : [email protected]
made in china dry magnetic separator iron ore separation . dry ore ball mill iron ore magnetic separator iron ore crushing plant. … mineral »vibro screen
ore stone crusher : mineral powder equipment : dry magnetic separator for powder ore; iron ore vibrating screen.
ihot sale !! wet and dry iron ore ball mills of wandayu mineral ore grinding ball mill dry and wet type of mballmill
dry screening for iron ore minerals; dry lubrication for conveyor belts; dry grinding iron ore; dry iron ore crusher for sale; dry dense medium separator for coal
optimization in iron ore grinding the sieving procedure consisted of dry screening for 20 minutes on 6 through 100 mesh, followed by wet screening for 8
irontrex mining crushing screen iron ore . iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. the ores are usually rich in .
these are used in ore crushing operations to reduce the ore to smaller sizes. dry processing of iron ore; full text of "minerals of colorado:
dry magnetic separator for powder ore; lgjmining.com looking for iron ore minerals here in the philippines? screening … iron ore mining equipments:
dry screening of iron ore fines . new iron ore washing plant from cde for maithan ispat. maithan ispat iron ore fines on evowash screen maithan ispat iron ore on
... screening, washing and images home > minerals & metallurgy > ore > iron ore dry beneficiation plantrefine search business typeagent iron ore dry
buy iron ore, hemaitite mineral, wet and dry screening, heavy-medium separa- tion, high frequency ultra fine vibrating screen - star trace iron ore,
wet v s dry screening iron ore. iron ore screening equipment from multotec is made from (magnetite) and metallic iron, the global minerals . pilot plant
... project details of iron ore dry iron ore processing,crushing screening,grinding for mineral handling. the crushing, screening,
... screening, washing, grinding we have livechat to answer you verti mill for dry fly ash grinding . lithium ore iron ore pellets and pelletizing
iron ore industry must look lizenithne.. guide. •. wet or dry product. copper ore, gold ore, iron ore and other mineral materials. the
... screening & washing; jigging; heavy media separation; dry magnetic cobbing; global minerals engineering team can market iron ore,
iron ore is a mineral which is used after extraction and processing for the mechanical crushing and screening phosphorus iron ore and to develop a low cost
the times of india goa news crushing service company online iron ore screening. have set up dry screening of the mineral in iron ore crushing screening
size reduction is essentially required in processing of iron ore minerals screen separator screen separators is a unique particle size gradable... mineral
... the crushed iron ore. the crushed iron ore stone will then transferred to vibrating screen for the minerals are conveyed to the permanent magnetic
dry screening of iron ore fines_crusher manufacturers all for beneficiation of iron ore, tenova mining minerals wet and dry,
allowable moisture in dry screening of iron ore . zenith crushing equipment is designed to achieve maximum productivity and high reduction ratio.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Our Business Center has been designed to support your event in every conceivable manner, making it easy to stay on top of things while you are away from the office.
18 flexible meeting rooms that can be divisible into smaller rooms to suit every occasion from a Facilities cocktail reception for up to 1,000 guests, banquet seating in the Grand Tutankhamun Ballroom for 2,000 and classroom-style meetings for up to 900 guests.
In addition to the elegant Chephren and Cheops are both divisible, making a total of five smaller rooms. The clubhouse is also an appealing venue for any number of gatherings or celebrations. Take A Live Tour Into Tutankhamun Ballroom
Six meeting rooms: Ahmos, Ramsis, Horus, Isis, Pharaohs and JW's Chairman Boardroom are located on level 1 with built - in Audio Visual HD Equipment, for the most professional meetings and are coupled with the attentive and professional service already in place at the property. ,in addition to three elegant JW Boardrooms with a capacity up to 15 persons each.


text:
Inc. (Transportation
and Warehouse Services, Inc.) is a family owned and
operated company, founded in 1990. TWS is a full service
logistics business providing all types of services
related to transportation and distribution, combining
integrity and honesty in meeting customer's needs,
having surpassed 25 years in business.
Our Mission:
Our customers are the most
important part of our business!
Our customers are not dependent on
us, we depend on them!
Customers are not an interruption
to our business, they are the purpose of it!
We are not doing a favor by
servicing our customers, our customers are doing us a
favor by giving us the opportunity to service them!
"Our Name Says It All"
We are located on the southeast
side of Indianapolis, Indiana., with close access to
I-70 and I-465. See our locator map on
the "Contact Us" page.
We are a small company with big company capabilities,
benefitting our customers with a concept of a
Stop Shop"
service provider with a personal touch.
We are a "Full Service" provider no need for any
staffing by the customer.
We have experience in international business, with
customers in the UK, Japan and Mexico.
We currently have space
in excess of 300,000 square feet for distribution. We would appreciate your
consideration when selecting a distribution facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Our rates and authority are available upon request and we always welcome an
opportunity for you to visit our facility.
copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved -
Design by IN Enabling Technologies
Questions? contact Webmaster


text:
Triamterene is a prescription drug used for the treatment of high blood pressure associated with liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, nephrotic syndrome as well as idiopathic and steroid-induced edema. Being a diuretic (water pill), here's how Triamterene works:
- the drug is in essence a combination of a thiazide diuretic and a potassium-sparing diuretic. It helps the kidney eliminate sodium (salt) and water from the body.
- the elimination of sodium from the kidney and water helps alleviate symptoms associated with edema (water retention) and high blood pressure. The second component of the drug helps minimize potassium loss.
It may be used alone or in combination with other drugs as long as there are no bad interactions.
Precautions before using Triamterene
When you order Triamterene online keep in mind that it's a prescription drug that should be used as instructed. Your medical history will be put to scrutiny so that if you have liver problems, kidney problems, mineral imbalances (like low sodium levels in blood or high levels potassium in blood), gout or any condition that causes low folic levels in blood then your case is treated different. The same applies to expectant women and those nursing infants. If you have high blood sugar then the pharmacist will have to adjust your medication. Do not use Triamterene medication if:
- you are allergic to its ingredients. Read the leaflet for list of all ingredients
- you have a severe kidney problem or high blood potassium levels or if you are unable to urinate
- you are taking another potassium sparing diuretic like spirinolactine or another drug containing Triamterene, a salt substitute or an aldosterone blocker. Your pharmacist will advise you on this.
- if you are planning for a baby or if you're pregnant or nursing a baby
All in all, schedule for an appointment with the doctor for proper dosage prescription.
The prescribed dose differs from one person to another. Under normal circumstances (the assumption here is that the drug is being used alone), a starting dose of 100mg taken twice a day will do. However, if another antihypertensive or diuretic drug is also being taken the dose is lowered then it's gradually increased to suit you. The daily dosage limit must not exceed 300mg.
How to use Triamterene
- stick to the recommended dose
- the drug may increase your trips to the bathroom so take it before 6 to avoid sleep disruption
- you can take Triamterene with food if it upsets your stomach if taken without
- if you miss your dose take it as soon as you remember unless its time for another dose.
Side effects
You may feel lightheaded,tired, feel a stomach upset or get diarrhea. These symptoms fade away fast but if they don't, tell your doctor. There are other rare but severe side effects that may also affect you. For instance: persistent vomiting, severe headaches, dark urine, yellowing of the eyes, kidney problems and signs of an infection like coughing, chills or seizures should be addressed immediately.
You can order Triamterene online at an affordable price. Just go to the drugs catalog. Select. Checkout and wait. Remember to take the medication as prescribed.


text:
Finding love this year may not be as difficult as you think, at least if a new list has any truth to it.
The Daily Beast created the "Best Cities to Find a Date in 2012" and San Francisco and San Jose both made the cut. SF came in at No. 8, while SJ was No. 25.
To come up with the rankings, the site said it used a combination of Census data, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and Google Trends.
It created four criteria to measure cities by.
- Percentage of singles. The Daily Beast used the census to determine the percentage of single men and women over the age of 15 in a city as well as the total number of singles in each city.
- Cost-of-living. Average salaries for singles and cost of living were compared to come up with how much money a single person has available for dating.
- Mental and Physical Health. The thinking is healthy people are more likely to hit the dating scene.
- Popularity of dating sites. The Daily Beast used Google Trends to figure out how popular the top dating websites were in each city.
That data made for an interesting top five cities:
- Atlanta, GA
- Gainesville, FL
- Lincoln, NE
- Austin, TX
- Minneapolis, MN
The other California city to make the list: San Diego. It came in at No. 15.


text:
"Coming into Brown, I wanted to be All-American by the time I graduated," said Dan Lowry '12.
It took him four years, but last Monday Lowry achieved his goal, placing 28th out of 252 runners at the 2011 NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Ind.
By finishing the 10-kilometer course in 29 minutes and 57.2 seconds, he placed among the race's first 40 finishers, qualifying him for All-American status.
"He ran really, really well," said Tim Springfield, head coach of the men's cross country team. "I couldn't have been happier with his race overall."
The field was led by Lawi Lalang of the University of Arizona, who finished the course in 28:44.1, averaging a pace of 4:37 per mile. The University of Wisconsin won the team competition with 97 points, beating second-place Oklahoma State University by 42 points.
Lowry said he started the race next to Lalang and had a fast start, but settled into a manageable pace for the first two kilometers of the race. Lowry said he was motivated when Ethan Shaw of Dartmouth passed him at five kilometers — at the 2011 Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, Shaw finished first, only 11 seconds ahead of Lowry.
"He put himself in the right spot and moved at the right time," Springfield said. "He also pushed when it got really hard."
At the two-kilometer mark, Lowry was in 55th place. From there, he worked his way up through the field.
"I focused on keeping the race in front of me and picking off the next person," Lowry said. "The last 1,000 meters, I was hanging on by a thread. Two people got me on the last straightaway, but other than that, I was moving up the entire race."
Springfield said Lowry did a good job of staying relaxed and focused, while at the same time maintaining a fast pace.
"He passed 30 people, and to do that when you're tired requires a lot of concentration and a lot of determination," Springfield said. "The last 1,000 meters was just a matter of being tough and finishing what he started, holding onto that spot."
Lowry said he fed off the energy of the race's large crowd — something he had never before experienced.
"The entire course was completely lined with spectators, and I've never seen that before," Lowry said. "Once I cracked the top 30, there was so much support from the spectators. It was really motivating."
Before the starting gun, Springfield said he told Lowry to be prepared for the race to feel different because of the competitive field.
"I reminded him that he was well-prepared and ready to do what he did because of the hard work that he put in," Springfield said.
Lowry's finish was the highest at the national championship in 23 years for a member of Brown men's cross country — in 1988, Greg Whiteley '89 finished 23rd for Bruno.
"I couldn't think of a better way to end my last season here," Lowry said.


text:
Sterling Silver - Turquoise Nugget - Bear Pendant
This hand crafted bear paw is sterling silver with a 10mm turquoise stone. This Bear Paw measures 1 -1/4 inch in length, including the bale, and is 1 inch in width.
*** Chain sold separately ***
Turquoise is perhaps the oldest stone in man's history, the talisman of kings, shamans, and warriors. It is a stone of protection, strong and opaque, yet soothing to the touch, healing to the eye, as if carved from an azure heaven and slipped to earth.
Native American tribes believe that it is the purpose of the bear to protect the forests. The animal spirit of Bear also is a birth totem to people born between August 22nd to September 22nd which is the time of the Harvest Moon. Mudjekeewis or Bear is also the Spirit Keeper of the West direction of the Medicine Wheel and is also considered to be the "Father of all the Winds" by many Native American traditions.


text:
Virginia Beach, Virginia: Michael B. Divaris, president of Divaris Real Estate Inc. (DRE), announced the signing of a lease with Burgess & Niple Inc. for 11,561 square feet of office space in Convergence Center I, located at 295 Bendix Road in Virginia Beach, Va.
Established in 1912, Burgess & Niple assess, plan, design and build the infrastructures that allow communities to grow and prosper. With nearly 100 years of quality work, the company serves thousands of clients in the United States and abroad, including government agencies, military organizations, colleges and universities, and a wide variety of private companies.
Michael Divaris and Vivian Turok, of DRE's Virginia Beach office, represented the tenant, Burgess & Niple Inc., in the lease negotiations with the landlord, Olympia Development Corp.
Divaris Real Estate Inc. is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va. with offices in Chesapeake, Newport News, and Richmond, Va.; Charlotte and Winston-Salem, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; and Rockville, Md. It is an international real estate brokerage and property management company that currently manages and/or leases in excess of 25 million square feet of prime office, retail and industrial space throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states.
Divaris Real Estate is a member of Realty Resources, a national group of independent retail property brokers and managers covering 91 major markets throughout the U.S. DRE is also the Virginia affiliate for The CORE Network, a national group of office and industrial brokers with affiliates throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Asia and Europe. These organizations represent corporate and institutional clients, as well as tenants and buyers in all aspects of leasing, development and managing properties, acquisitions and land sales. Gerald S. Divaris is chairman of the Board, and Michael B. Divaris is president of Divaris Real Estate Inc.


text:
The CIA's super-secret rendition program--to whisk terrorist suspects in the dark of night to CIA black sites for interrogation--has been further exposed to the light of day in rather humble fashion: a billing dispute in upstate New York.
The flight logs for a Gulfstream IV plane hired by a one-man Long Island firm are among the 1,700 pages of documentation in court records filed in conjunction with a 2007 breach-of-contract suit filed in Columbia County, New York. The records show, among other things, a curious itinerary for the plane over a four-day period in August 2003--northern Virginia's Dulles airport, Bangkok, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Tripoli, Ireland.
As the Washington Post's Peter Finn and Julie Tate report Wednesday: "The Gulfstream IV's itinerary, as well as the $339,228.05 price tag for the journey, are among the details about shadowy CIA flights that have emerged in a small Upstate New York courthouse in a billing dispute between contractors."
The two contractors involved in the litigation are Richmor Aviation, a Hudson, NY-based aviation services firm which leases out private aircraft and flight crews; and Sportsflight, based in Long Island, NY, which hired Richmor to conduct dozens of flights between 2002 and 2007. Richmor, in turn, was reportedly hired by defense contractor DynCorp, working at the behest of the CIA, the Associated Press reports.
Under the arrangement, one Richmor Gulfstream with the tail number N85VM "was identified publicly in 2005 after it was used in the rendition of Abu Omar," a Milan cleric kidnapped by the CIA and sent to Egypt in 2002, the Post report explains, leading to "negative publicity, hate mail and the loss of a management customer as a consequence," the company charged in a complaint. (You can see the tracking of other aircraft that may have been employed in the CIA rendition program here.)
In addition, "Richmor accused SportsFlight in 2007 of failing to pay more than $1.15 million for at least 55 missions flown by planes and crews chartered by DynCorp for government use," the AP writes.
So Richmor did what any company might do in the midst of a bitter billing dispute: It sued Sportsflight. And to the surprise of some of the lawyers involved in the case, no men in trench coats appeared to shut the trial down.
"I kept waiting for [the government] to contact me," an attorney for Richmor, William F. Ryan, told the Post's Finn and Tate. "I kept thinking, isn't someone going to come up here and talk to me?" But no one ever did.
And while the CIA hasn't sought to stymie the suit, the spy agency's fingerprints are pretty hard to miss in the paper trail. Among the hundreds of pages of documents filed at the courthouse during the litigation process are "logs of air-to-ground phone calls made from the plane ... [showing] multiple calls to CIA headquarters, to the cell and home phones of a senior CIA official involved in the rendition program, and to a government contractor, DynCorp ... that worked for the CIA," the Post's report continues.
Richmor won the initial judgment in Jan. 2010, and this past spring, "an appeals court affirmed the decision, cutting the judgment to $874,000," the AP reports.
Not surprisingly, CIA officials declined to comment for the story. "The CIA does not, as a rule, comment on litigation, especially that to which we are not a party," CIA spokeswoman Marie E. Harf told the paper.
As for the GulfStream's breakneck Dulles-Bangkok-Afghanistan-Sri Lanka-United Arab Emirates-Triploi-Ireland itinerary in August 2003? It coincided, the Post reports, with the U.S. apprehension of an Indonesian terrorism suspect, Riduan Isamuddin, who was detained in Thailand, and who spent the next three years in the CIA's secret black-site prison system. Isamuddin met in Malaysia with two of the 9/11 hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaz al-Hazmi, shortly before their arrival in California in January 2000.


text:
"Our Little Man" Mustaches & Bow Tie Mini Garden Gift Set
Personalized Boy Baby Shower Favors
- Each set includes 1 each of the following:
- mustache or bow tie shape with flower seeds (see details below for specifics on the seeds included)
- flower pot
- soil pellet (expands when water is added)
- gift box
- ribbon
- instructions
- card (attaches to the front of the box)
Assembled Size: 2"X2"X2"
We're now offering the option of DIY assembly so that we can pass along some extra savings to our customers.
SHIPPING: Most orders ship in 1-3 business days. Please let us know if you are in a rush so that we can discuss the options available for expediting your order.
Click HERE for more information on the flower seeds that are found inside the plantable shape.
Custom orders are our specialty, so please contact us if you would like a customized card for the front of the box that can feature your company brand or wedding logo. Additional fees may apply but we will do our best to accommodate within the price range you see here.


text:
PRINCE2® (PRojects IN Controlled Environments), is a widely used project management method that navigates you through all the essentials for running a successful project.
PRINCE2® is derived from an earlier method called PROMPTII and from PRINCE project management method, which was initially developed in 1989 by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) as a UK Government standard for information systems (IT) project management; however, it soon became regularly applied outside the purely IT environment. PRINCE2® was released in 1996 as a generic project management method. PRINCE2® has become increasingly popular and is now a de facto standard for project management in the UK
What's the current version?
The latest is PRINCE2®: 2009. The main difference between the 2009 version and earlier versions is that there are two manuals: 'Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2® – 2009 Edition' and 'Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2® – 2009 Edition'. Both the Foundation and Practitioner Examinations will be based on the new 'Managing Projects' manual and will not include material from the new 'Directing Successful Projects' book
How many levels?
There are three levels of training available in PRINCE2®.
[button link="http://eqsystems.in/prince2-learning-objects-and-exam-formats/" color="green"] PRINCE2® Learning Objects and Exam Formats[/button]
[button link="http://eqsystems.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/0.0-GE_PRINCE2_Pre_Course_Material_30th_Dec_2012.pdf" color="blue" newwindow="yes"] GE : PRINCE2® Pre-Course Material.pdf[/button]
Foundation Examination
The purpose of the foundation qualification is to confirm you have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the PRINCE2® method to be able to work effectively with, or as a member of, a project management team working within an environment supporting PRINCE2®. The foundation qualification is also a pre-requisite for the practitioner qualification.
- Multiple choice format
- 75 questions per paper
- 5 questions to be trial and not counted in scores
- 35 marks required (out of 70 available) to pass – 50%
- Closed book.
Practitioner Examination
The purpose of the practitioner qualification is to confirm you have achieved sufficient understanding of how to apply and tailor PRINCE2® in a scenario situation.
- Objective testing format
- 8 questions – 10 question items per question, each worth one mark
- 2.5 hours allowed (no reading time has been added)
- Open book exam (manual only)
- 44 marks or more required to pass (out of 80 available) – 55%.
PRINCE2® Professional
The PRINCE2® Professional qualification is the next step for PRINCE2® Practitioners looking to further demonstrate their expertise in the PRINCE2® method. This level will test your ability to manage a non-complex PRINCE2® project across all aspects of the project lifecycle.
- 2 ½ day residential Assessment Centre
- Group activities and exercises
- Based on a fictional project case study
- Assessment is against 19 individual performance criteria (there is no written examination).
How to enroll?
All interested individuals are requested to refer to the training calendar posted in CALENDAR link of the website to confirm the dates of training. You are recommended to register a week in advance of the scheduled dates
What's in IT?
The course covers the questions frequently asked by people involved in project management and support roles.
These questions include:
• What's expected of me?
• What does the Project Manager do?
• What do I do if things don't go to plan?
• What decisions I am expected to make?
• What information do I need or must I supply?
• Who should I look to for support & for direction?
• How can I tailor the use of PRINCE2® for my project?
PRINCE 2® Structure
Based on Seven (7) Principles there are seven (7) themes and Seven (7) Processes that entail in PRINCE2® Structure
|Seven Themes
|Seven Processes
|Business Case
|Starting up a Project
|Directing a Project
|Initiating a Project
|Controlling a Stage
|Managing a Stage Boundary
|Managing Product Delivery
|Closing a Project


text:
We use cookies on this site to improve your experience and help us provide you with a better website. An explanation of the cookies we use and their purpose can be found within our
Cookie Policy
. Your continued use of this site means you consent to the use of cookies.
Foreign exchange services, professionally delivered
020 7350 5470
Market rates
Insights and Analysis
About Halo
Contact us
Open Account
Protect your profits
Competitive advantage
Risk assessment
Security of client funds
Same or next day international payments
Forward trades
Automated orders
Free reports
Market rates
Insights and Analysis
Currency insights
About Halo
Refer a friend
Contact us
How to find us
November 2015
Daily Currency Insight
Published: Friday 13 November 2015
It's Friday 13
. Yay! That might seem an odd response for all the paraskevidekatriaphobics out there. Those who fear what is supposed to be an unlucky day in western culture are only reacting to some odd superstitions surrounding Christ's crucifixion and the number of guests that attended his last supper. Other than that, this huge mythology surrounding Fridays that just happen to fall on the 13
day of the calendar month in a calendar that is entirely fabricated by humans is pure hokum. And 13 is Taylor Swifts lucky number so it must be nonsense. Shake it off; that's what I say.
As the week draws to a close, the main stories today are the Eurozone trade balance & economic growth data and the US retail sales figures. On the European side of things, it is kind of inevitable that the weaker Euro would assist exporters but domestic demand is suffering at the hands of austerity measures and dire unemployment figures. Hence, we believe the trade surplus will have declined once again. The euro is unlikely to react significantly because it is widely expected but anything below 0.3% growth in the GDP data will hammer another nail into the Euro's coffin. By the way, the euro is already weak on the back of ECB comments suggesting further quantitative easing and/or lower interest rates are imminent.
On the US side of things, I have cover the technical levels in the section below but the expectation of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in December, which initially strengthened the US Dollar, has declined and the Dollar has slipped back accordingly. The other US data is the release of business inventories and the Fed watches that for signs of extra capacity in the economy. Expect volatility around 10.00am, 1.30 pm and 3pm (all UK times).
Other than these morsels, today isn't big on data but it is big on volatility in the equities markets and elsewhere. This follows comments from central bankers on both sides of the Atlantic and a shocking profit warning from Rolls Royce.
I'll leave you with a story of Karma. Councillor Jackie Burns of Hamilton in Scotland was part of a group that got rid of all the public toilets in the town. So how fitting is it that he has just been handed an on-the-spot fine for relieving himself in public after he was caught short whilst waiting for a taxi. Sometimes these stories just write themselves.
Have a great weekend.
This is a crucial level for the GBPUSD rate. Having broken below the uptrend earlier in the month, the GBPUSD rate has bounced and is sitting below that same line. This is either a point at which we will see the break confirmed, in which case the Pound will fall back again and make new lows or it could be the point at which Sterling breaks back above the resistance line; it becomes support and the next target (short term downtrend) is tested just below $1.54. Short term Dollar buyers who are risk averse should be thinking about trading here. Dollar sellers could have stop loss orders around $1.5250 to avoid being hit by a sudden push higher.
Men and women – the difference
Her Diary:
Tonight, I thought my boyfriend was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it. Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much. I asked him what was wrong. He said, 'Nothing.' I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it. On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly, and kept driving. I can't explain his behaviour. I don't know why he didn't say, 'I love you, too.' When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly, and watched TV. He continued to seem distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About 15 minutes later, he came to bed. But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep – I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.
His Diary:
Motorcycle won't start… can't figure out why.
For individuals
Register an individual account
Money transfer
Overseas property
Individual - login
For business
Register a business account
Protect your profits
Risk assessment
Competitive advantage
Corporate - login
For affiliates
Emigration partners
Property partners
Corporate partners
Refer a friend
Apply for a partnership
About us
Customer reviews
Free currency updates
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Office Opening Hours:
08:30-20:00, Fri
08:30-17:30, Sat/Sun Closed
Authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, FRN: 528727.
Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs MSB registration No. 12197454.
© 2019 Halo Financial Ltd. Registered in England No. 5155787.
Battersea Studios 2, 82 Silverthorne Road, London, SW8 3HE, United Kingdom


text:
Welcome to Siltint – Photonics & Opto-Electronic Solutions
Siltint Industries provides Thin Film Vacuum Coating processes for the precision optical and opto-electronic industries
Our customers value the services we provide which include
- Rapid Design & Development
- Prototyping
- Just-in-Time Production
Our facilities offer fast, efficient and affordable products for telecoms wafers, medical devices, optical fibre components, military and security applications, laser protection and fragile substrates.
About Us
Siltint is a leader in thin film vacuum coating for photonics applications. Established in 1972 ….read more
Thin Film Vacuum Coating
Siltint provides a full range of Thin Film Vacuum Coating services ….read more
Just-in-time Production
Siltint understands the time pressures that companies face today and can offer .…read more


text:
FC: Adventures Through Time
1: Hello friends, I would like to dedicate this book to cat Mittens. He is an amazing cat and I love him very much. Enjoy!
2: Five boys are walking out of school, talking about their plans for the weekend. Hunter and Alan are talking about the baseball game coming up, they are excited because they play and hope that they can take their team to the finals. John is happy with his running team and how well they did at practice. Ian and Tucker were talking abut how happy they were to just be out of school. All of a sudden they where stopped by Jeremy, an 8th grade bully that all the other 6th graders feared.
3: "Hey twerps!" shouts Jeremy, "Going home to your mommies?" "Be quiet", says Hunter. "Oh stop acting tough.", chuckles Jeremy. "There are 5 of us and 1 of you." chimed Tucker "We are tough enough to beat you." "The only way I would believe you were tough is if you were to stay a night in the abandoned museum on Maple Street." "But that place is haunted", exclaimed Alan. "We'll all die," shouted Ian. Jeremy piped in, "Well its up to you, you can be babies or stay a night in the museum, its your choice." "Guys, we can do this!" said John, "I bet its not even really haunted." "Fine, we'll do it", moaned Alan "But as soon as I see a single ghost I'm leaving." So it was settled the boys would brave a night in the abandoned museum.
4: Mesopotamia | The kids landed in a boat on the Tigris river, we were up north in the north east central part of Mesopotamia. it was very vast and flat part of the Mesopotamia area. Mesopotamia is located in present day middle east. We met up with a villager and he tells us that we are part of a trading caravan and they went to visit the Hammurabi statue, under that was a Slab with the title, Hammurabi's Code written on it.
5: "hmm what an interesting piece of craftsmanship this boat is" Exclaimed tTucker "We just have to get to shore, so grab an oar everybody" said John When the kids got to shore, they went to the center of the city, there, there was this big slab statue, under that was a slab with the title, Hammurabi's Code written on it. "whoa" exclaimed Hunter. "this is the Hammurabi's code, a law system that we use here in Mesopotamia"Said a villager "This law system is what we have used for a very long time" Villager " How does this law system work?" asked Ian. "well, kid if you were to stab hunter's eye out, then your eye would be removed"Villager "Hmmm fascinating law system you guys got going here" said John " Is this Hammurabi dude still alive"Said Alan "No, he was are ruler many years back" said the Villager
6: "OK that's cool, MOVING ON" impatiently said Hunter "Lets get home, I'm hungry." said Hunter. After the kids went back to there trading caravan to get to the next portal to get home, on there way there they pass the ziggurats. "Whats that" asked Alan. "that is a ziggurat" said the Villager "What is a ziggurat" asked Tucker "A Ziggurat is kinda like a pyramid that is used for religious ceremony's" Said the Villager "Ooh" They all exclaimed! Just as the boys pasted the last ziggurat a portal appeared in the road and sucked the five boys into the portal to the next civilization!
7: India | The five adventurers travel to Ancient India when they open the next door. They are teleported into a small ancient Indian village on the banks of the Indus river right during a Hindu Holiday called The Festival of Lights. There the hero's learn about Hinduism and the caste system. From there the hero's go east on a trade boat that is going to another ancient Indian city. When they reach the city there are directed by some inhabitants to go and talk to a wise am holy man named Asoka because only he can knows how the 5 adventurers can get back to there time.
8: "Really really this is the second time we have landed in water." said Hunter. "Better than being in another desert." said John. "Hey look over there there is a town on the other side of the river." said Ian. "Looks like there having a party or something." said Tucker. "OK lets go there and find out were we are." said Ian. As the boys swam closer the the town they realized that it was not an ordinary celebration that was going on in the village. "They most be having some sort of festival for harvest time or a ritual to the gods." said Alan. "It seems really important what they are doing" said Tucker. "I think were in India." said Ian. "How do you know that?" asked Tucker. Without saying a word Ian pointed to a statue near the center of the village were stood a 6 foot tall bronze and brass statue of a women with 6 arms sitting down as if she was praying.
9: "What's that?" asked Hunter. "That's Shiva 6 armed Hindu goddess." said Alan. "Okay cool, I want to get back to the museum this place seems boring." said Hunter. "First I want to find out what they are doing." said Ian. "Me too." said John. "When in Rome." said Tucker. The four boys started running to the festival leaving Hunter wondering if he should go too. "O.k. fine. we'll check this place out for a little while but I don't want to stay here to long." said John.The boys settled themselves on some seats near the center of the festival. "I wonder who is hosting this party." said Hunter. "I already said this isn't a party this is a festival." Said Alan. "Well everyone is dancing, there is food and everything is light up and there is music. I am pretty sure that this could be described as a party." said Tucker.
10: Then Hunter turned his attention from the party to a middle age man who was sitting near them chanting some ancient song. "You there who are you and who is hosting this cool party?" asked Hunter. "Greetings strangers I am Aamod son of Bhandu and this is no party this is the Festival of Lights." "Whats that?" asked Tucker. " It is when the water spirits who have enveloped the heaven's since the beginning of the rainy season stop their magic and return the light back to the world." said Aamod.
11: "We celebrate this holy day by prayer and lighting the holy sights and are houses with clay candles in honor of the coming days of light." emphasized Aamod. "Who do you pray to?" asked Ian. "Is it that six armed goddess lady over there." "You mean The Great Destroyer Shiva. Yes we pray to her and the other 2 higher powers Vishnu the Preserver, and Brahma the Creator." "O so you believe in Hinduism." said Alan. "Yes many of the people in this part of the world are Hindu. In fact it has been around for longer than most elders can even recall."said Aamod. "What's Hinduism?" asked Hunter. "Hinduism is a religion Hunter." said Alan. "Our religion believes in reincarnation or the process by which a soul is reborn continuously until the person achieves perfect understanding." said Aamod. "When this soul achieves perfect understanding it is called Moksha." continued Aamod.
12: "Oh cool. What else can you tell us about your religion?" asked Hunter "Well, we devote are lives to try and fulfill Dharma and with good Karma." said Aamod. "Karma that sounds familiar but whats Dharma?" asked Tucker. "Dharma is the religious and moral duties for Hindus." said Aamod. "Karma are the effects of a person's life long actions that determine his or her destiny in his or her next life." said Aamod. "How do you know what the rules are for a perfect life?" asked Ian. "Yes we have two main sacred texts they are called the Vedas and the Upadishads." anwserd Aamod. "Do you have monks and temples and stuff?" said Hunter. "That's China Hunter." Alan harshly exclaimed. "Oh, right sorry all I can remember is Bruce Lee movies." said Hunter "Yes we have temples that we pray and sometimes we go to holy sights like the Gangus river and temples." We also have high priests called Brahmins they are closest to Moksha in the cast system." Said Aamod.
13: "Whats the caste system." asked Ian. "The cast system is a social class system were the Brhamin Hindu priests are next in line for Moksha if they have good Karma and Dharma they will only reincarnate once." said Aamod. "Then the warriors are next if they go by good karma and Dharma they will only have to reincarnate twice." Then the skilled craftsmen and merchants who if had a good life would have to reincarnate three times." said Aamod. "Then the next in line are the peasant farmers who have to reincarnate four times to achieve Moksha ."said Aamod. "Are the peasant farmers at the bottom the the caste system." asked John. "No they are not." said Aamod. "At the bottom of the list are the untouchables." said Aamod "Who are they." asked Ian. "They clean up the waste and prepare dead bodies for burial." said Aamod. "So were is your capital of your civilization here in India?" asked Hunter.
14: Aamod gazed at the boys with a strange look then explained his curiosity. "There are many united kingdom's in the area you can India my homeland. Many cities have small centralized governments." said Aamod. "Are there any smart Brahmin priests that will be able to tell us w to get back home." Asked Ian. "I do not know any high priests that would have an idea of how you would get home."Said Aamod. "But i can tell you there is a very wise leader that might know how you five can get home." said Aamod "What is his name." asked John. "His name is Asoka. If there is anyone who can help you get home he can." replied Aamod. "Were can we find him."asked Alan. "You can find him to the east of the city he lives in the palace. Tell them you wish to talk to the wise Asoka and they will let you by." said Aamod. "Okay cool, and thank you Aamod we can never repay you for you help." said Hunter. "No matter." said Aamod "Glad to help. Good luck travelers." said Aamod turning around and walking back to the festival.
15: The boys made there way to the center of the city as Aamod had said. When they got to the palace they were stopped by guards and servants of the high priests and rulers of the city. "Please we mean no harm we want to speak words with the wise man called Asoka." said Ian. The boys were then directed down a long corridor within the palace which led to a great throne room. As they entered they were greeted by a humble but inquisitive voice. "They tell me you are travelers from distant times who have come to talk to me." said Asoka. "Yes we have come to talk to you great Asoka." said John. "Speak what it is that you must say travelers." said Asoka. "Great Asoka we need to get back home to our time can you help us. Do you know of a way that we can get back?" asked Ian. "To get home you must answer a riddle 'What destroys but we can not stop it. What heals and we can't help it. Finally what gives that we can not take.' You have a few minutes to think about it." "O.k o.k. guys what the heck is he talking about." said Hunter "I think it has to do with the caste system" said Ian. "How would it have to do with that. It clearly has to do with something other than that." said Tucker.
16: "Guys be quiet lets just think about this for a while." said Alan. "What about the Hindu gods." Said John. "Yes that's what I was thinking but what were there names again." Said Alan. "I remember one of them. Was one of them called Shiva the Destroyer. That's what I thought Aamod said right." said Hunter. "Ya and the other two I think it was Vishnu the Preserver and Brahma the Creator." said Ian. "Great Asoka is what we have said the true answer to your riddles." said John "Yes. Now leave through those doors and get out of my sight. With a whisk of his hand the five adventurers were thrown from the grounds of the palace back to the museums marble floor.
17: "Were are we?" asked Hunter. "I think we're in another desert?" Tucker said. "Yeah, I can figure that one out" Hunter sarcastically exclaimed. "I don't think we are in the middle east anymore" Alan observed."The air is dry and hot here, and there are no mountains. | I don't think we are in the same desert anymore." Said John."We could be in the Gobi desert" stated Alan. "Or somewhere in Africa" said Ian."What about Egypt" said Hunter. "I mean this could be Egypt" Hunter said. "We could, but it doesn't matter, a desert is a desert. If we don't find civilization we won't live long out here!" said John "Well how are we going to find civilization or a town or something if we don't even know what direction we are going." said Hunter. "See where the sun is and how it is really high up now. It is only high up like that at noon." said John. "Ya so, we already knew that. How does that help" Hunter complained. "Well the sun rises in the east and sets in the west." stated John. | Egypt
18: "So that means that behind us it south and in-front of us is north. If we travel north we will find the coast. Then we can find the nile river and travel down it until we find an Egyptian town." "Good thinking, let's go" insisted Tucker. A couple hours later the boys come to a village filled with people. Just then it started to get chaotic, people running, grabbing children and running, running fast like a herd of elephants. behind them were men. dressed in what looked like war clothes with weapons. chasing the people. "Run!" yelled Ian. Everyone started to run to the coastline. The boys got to the edge of what they realized was the Red Sea and just then the sea split. When everybody got across, the sea was put together. "YAY!" all the boys yelled. "Now lets get to the next portal." exclaimed Tucker "And get this journey underway." claimed John After that the kids joined all the other Jewish people they started talking to some of them and learned about there life.
19: "Hi, My name is Hunter, whats yours?" asked Hunter . "My name is Mark." said the traveller. "How long have you been living with those people?" asked Ian. "I have been living in that village all my life." stated Mark. He continued to explain how he lived there, and how he work all day. The kids realized that Mark was really talkative. "Us Jewish people live under the example of the golden rule." added Mark. "What is the golden rule" politely asked John. "The golden rule is that you don't hold grudge on someone" said Mark. "We also follow the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are kinda like a honor code, listing things you do and what you are forbidden to do" stated Mark. "Interesting!" exclaimed Tucker "Look guys!" Hunter exclaimed. Behind a pyramid was a old guy flagging the boys over. When the boys ran over the old man magically made the teleporter appear to bring them to the next civilization. They were sucked in never to see Mark again.
20: China | By the time they had arrived back to the museum everyone was tired. There was too much time to just stand there and their curiosities were brimming. The trip to India was amazing. "Why don't we keep going. There are only 2 doors left." Ian persisted. "Yeah, we got time it's not even 10 o'clock yet." John said. It didn't matter about opinions Alan once again whisked back in time. The band of friends went hurdling through and immediately noticed that the geography of the land was very diverse. On their left was desert, in front of them were mountains, behind them were plains, and to the right looked like hilly farmland. John thought aloud "I read a book on ancient China and it described this very landscape of mountains, desert, plains, and farmland all hurdled into one large country." It was decided. The land they were in must be ancient china. The boys peered off into the distance searching for some form of civilization. Bingo, they saw smoke off to the east in the farmlands. "That must be a town off in the distance" declared Ian. "We must go to the town." exclaimed Hunter
21: Surprisingly the journey to the town took far less time then the boys had imagined, since the village looked to be at least 20 miles away, but somehow the trip took no more then an hour or so. But when the boys arrived at the village, the sight was not as they had expected. | The smoke was not coming from a hearth or a household fire, but half of the city was in flames fighting against an entire army. Tucker quickly decided that the group travel to the back side of the city where there was no fighting going on. "What is going on here" shrieked Hunter. "I have no idea this looks like the ancient doomsday." cried Alan.Hiding in the shadows of the surviving houses, men rushed passed them with spears and swords. This was no place to be for 6th graders.
22: Turmoil broke loose here and there and everyone was running in a panic. The occasional glint of steel told them that hiding was better then revealing themselves. "That's a funny hat your wearing." chuckled Ian. "This is a Chinese bamboo sun hat." said Tucker. "Oh no, we are in China. This must be the Warring Era!" "Smooth Hunter, way to open the door." said Alan. "Me! Your the one who opened the door!" insisted Hunter. "Can you guys be quiet. They will hear us out there!" said John. Nightfall descended onto the city but the fires remained bright and lit up the entire valley. The battling had appeared to die down so Alan decided it was safe for the group to come out. They went into a temple to try to find some peace and rest for the night when they came upon an old warrior who motioned for them to come over. They sat beside him next to a shrine
23: "You are not from here, why have you come into a time of much discomfort stress and war?" said the sage. "Your right, we are not from here, we have journeyed from the future and are trying to find a way back. By the way what is going on here?" asked Ian. " For many years the states of china have been fighting to rule the kingdom, but everyone claims to have the mandate of heaven, or "the son of god". As for government the Zhou dynasty has been ruling for hundreds of years but over the past few years a new dynasty has been overtaking, the Qin. They are the very people in which are taking over the city walls as we speak." said the sage. "But what about Confucius, Lao Tze Ching, and the leader of legalism? where do those play into the picture?" said john. " As of now, legalism is greatly needed to bring order to this chaos, but down the road Confucianism is said to be the favorite of the 3 schools of thought." said the warrior. "Ahhhhh yes." said John, "But can you tell us how to get home?" "Well you must wait for the city to fall tomorrow and when this very temple collapses a portal to your world will appear. When it does, hop in before anyone can see you." said the sage.
24: "Look the portal is here!" and he was right the portal was right on time as expected. Though the boys were rather sad at the surrounding landscape and everything was pillaged, but they had to go back home so unwillingly they went through the portal and were thrust upon the museum floor. The next morning boys did as they were told and waited in a building next door until the fighting stopped at nightfall again. Tucker peeked his head out. "Look the portal is here!" and he was right the portal was right on time as expected. Though the boys were rather sad at the surrounding landscape and everything was pillaged, but they had to go back home so unwillingly they went through the portal and were thrust upon the museum floor.
25: "Let's just stay where we are so nothing else happens", argued Hunter. It was too late though because someone had their hand on the handle and with a sharp turn and a pull. Tucker sent them hurdling towards their next adventure. | As we arrived back to the museum we each had our full share of adventure. We visited almost all of the odd doors except one. We had two hours left before that rotten teenager would leave us alone and know that we were not little kids anymore. "I'm so tired right now we should just sleep until the two hours are up" said Hunter with a sigh, "I just wish this night can be over with". "With one door left and two hours remaining what could go wrong", said Ian. "I'm with Hunter", exclaimed John. He laid down on the floor and tried to fall asleep. "I think we should open this next door", said Alan.
26: After arriving into the next door they found themselves on a rocky shoreline. They weren't exactly sure where they were but by the clothes they were wearing they knew the time they were now in was once again back in time. Everyone found themselves in old clothes and sandals. | Greece
27: "Why are we wearing these bedsheets?" Hunter questioned. "These aren't even comfortable." He was right The scratchy clothing was almost unbearable. They were coarse and color was a yellowy white. Ian looked at his clothes puzzled "Where are we?" I eon'5 know. We could be in Egypt again, but this isn't a desert." examined John. "I know where we are" said Alan. "This has got to be Greece. The rocky mountains, the rocky shore its like one big rocky.....thing. Plus there are not any ghosts here." Hiking through the Greek countryside was hard and the sandals offered limited protection against the prickly shrubs. They stayed against the shoreline so the five adventurers would not have to cross the high peaks looming next to them.. They walked for what seemed
28: like hours, but where they were in a different time not everything was what it seemed. They had all agreed that somewhere along the way they must come along a small fishing village. As the moon rose and fell the homeward bound friends were walking, hoping that they would find something. Greek signs lined the path showing little information to people that don't speak Greek. Coming to a cliff it seemed useless and that the 5 kids would never return home. "Look!" Alan exclaimed. Out onto the seemingly endless plain laid a small town. Walking the road was tough but walking down the cliff was tougher. Scrapes and bruises now lined their bodies. They found themselves int the middle of Athens. There was a problem though. Id did not look like the huge city that they had learned about in Social Studies it was a small town with barely anybody in it. Empty houses, creaky boats, and load gulls made this town look like a ghost town. It was a pitiful sight. "Well it's civilization at least ....sort of" stammered Tucker "With civilization comes people" Everyone spoke Greek but by the panic of the people and the flailing of hands something was wrong.
29: "It is the Romans" said a stranger. "Who are you and how do you speak English?" questioned Ian "I am a peaceful traveler my name is not important just call me Avius" Avius said. "Okay Avius we need to get .... What are the Romans doing?" questioned John. "They are coming to take over. In a few days this land will be overrun by the Romans." ?Avius stated. "What can we do to stop this?" asked Alan. "You must learn why we are peaceful and stop the Romans from invading." pleased Avius. With a swift motion of his hand the five travelers were whisked to a different part of Greece."What do we have to do? Tell the Romans that Greece is a great place?" asked Ian. "I guess so" said Hunter When they turned around Athens was no longer a small town but a huge city with white walls and magnificent statues. Confused in a confusing world the boys marched through the gates. Where a hovel stood seconds ago now was a mansion.
30: "The Romans are going to invade and we have to stop it." said Tucker. "This is going to take forever." Walking through Athens was a magnificent journey. The people their was wealthy and the buildings there were fascinating. The rickety docks now were rock solid and boats filled with goods and supplies were being loaded and unloaded. "Greece was a huge sea trading country." said John. "Yeah, where do you think their going?" asked Ian. "Probably to another city-state." answered John. Ian looked confused. "Ha ha ha, a city-state is part of the same country but has a different government." John said. "Maybe that's one of the important things about Greece!" exclaimed Alan. As the boys continued their walk through Greece they saw elections being made, shows being preformed, and watched a keystone being placed in an arch. "How do they build those arches so well?" asked Ian. "It's pi, you know 3.14 and ummm some other numbers." said Alan. "I though it was going to be apple pie." sighed Hunter. "Philosophers create these theories that help people in every day life." continued Alan. "Plato and Socrates are the most important and i personally......" The walk through Athens took a drastic change for the boring as Alan went on about government.
31: "The Greeks are most accredited for the creation of Democracy." "We get it Alan, thanks." said John. "Hello again." came a voice. "Hey mister whats going on here!" questioned Tucker. "You are learning about my people very well. Now come with me." said Avius. The boys felt a deep blackness cover them. They awoke in a field with men wrestling and throwing stones. "What is this?" asked Ian. "This is the very first Olympic game." stated Avius. "Cool i always wanted to be in the Olympics for running" exclaimed John. "Good so you all know what the Olympics are?" asked Avius. Everyone nodded. "It's when the best competitors come together and compete to see who is the best." said Hunter. "Yes, now go to Rome and learn it's ways. You will see that we are not that different. When you do and only then will you be allowed home." With another swish of his hands the five kids were whisked away to Rome.
32: Rome | Hey where is Ian" asked Alan. It was true he was nowhere in sight. The remaining boys searched but in finding a single person in Rome is like trying to find someone in New York City. Nobody knew where Ian was. "Okay what do we have to do? Maybe if we find how Rome is similar to Greece we can find Ian and get home." said Hunter. | Rome was just like Athens with it's white walls and fancy houses. There was only one difference and that was the huge stadium in almost the center of the town. The Coliseum was large and had the arches just like the Greeks did.
33: It was agreed the city of Athens. ships being loaded and unloaded, people doing debates and soldiers marching."There are arches just like the ones in Greece" said Tucker."Yeah but I don't think that the Olympics take place here." said Alan. The roads were large and expansive. Probably the best in the world the boys examined. "The senate probably decide to put these roads in." said Hunter. "They make most of the decisions in Rome." "It seems so peaceful here." said Alan. "I bet it's the Pax Romana." "What?" asked Tucker. "It means Roman Peace." said Alan. "I don't think you want to hear about the.." "No!" shouted Hunter. "We're fine thanks" said John. At last they came to the coliseum. "Maybe they play sports here." suggested Alan. Unfortunately he was wrong. The Coliseum had a fight going on. And in the center of it was Ian. "Great now we are gonna have to get involved in fighting." said John."Well if we don't, who will?" asked Alan. "You of course." said a voice. The boys rushed down next to Ian like a whirlwind. "That Avius is getting on my nerves." said Tucker. As the five boys stood there arguing, they did not notice the men circling around them.
34: "Ummm, guys were in trouble here." said Ian. "Who are they?" asked Hunter. He pointed to the large group of men now surrounding them. "I don't know." said Ian. "But they don't look happy." "SO Rome and Greece are similar but I guarantee Romans aren't as peaceful as the Greeks." said Alan. The boys minds became clouded. Almost as if in a trance they headed for the battle's exit. Walking through the door back into the museum the trance ended and they fell onto the floor and slept.
35: The five boys had finally adventured to all of the ancient time and made it back safely. By the time they opened the last door and returned into the abandoned museum the sun was beginning to rise and the birds were chirping. They could smell the fresh dew on the grass and feel the cool breeze flowing on from the shattered windows. They couldn't wait to tell their friends, especially Jeremy. They knew he wouldn't believe them but it didn't matter. They had just experienced something nobody has. The five boys had been around the world and through history in a single night, the greatest night of their lives. | Returning Home
37: Citations: 500 333 - Roman Coliseum. Inside of the Roman Coliseum 800 534 - Keywords: acropolis athens greece 800 531 - The Baltimore Museum of Art's most notable collection is the Cone 1200 900 - Tower of Buddhist Virtue & Wisdom Sea 375 500 - One of a few hundred statues of Hindu Gods, you will 1512 1080 - Ziggurat of Ur — Fotopedia


text:
OAKLAND — With Golden State off to its best start in franchise history, everyone is wondering: Can the Warriors keep this up?
The list of accolades, accomplishments and franchise records is a long one.
Golden State is on the longest active winning streak in the league (14), which is the longest winning streak in Warriors history and a part of the Warriors franchise best start of 19-2 — currently the best record in the NBA.
That's not all. Golden State swept its long five-game road trip and have the best road winning streak in franchise history. Multiple players have had career nights in the infant season as well as Player of the Week honors being handed to Klay Thompson in the first week of the season, and Stephen Curry the second week.
The NBA also named Curry Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in October and November.
The Warriors' only losses came against Western Conference teams, one on the tail-end of a road back-to-back against Phoenix and one against the NBA Champion Spurs.
But the Warriors have yet to be tested at a truly high level, and they've had games they just barely made it through. The most interesting and challenging matchups promise to be more telling than the first six weeks of the season, and they won't be games the Warriors can win with just a fourth-quarter surge.
Warriors @ Grizzlies
Tuesday the Warriors will be in Memphis for their third game in four days on the road, just one day removed from a back-to-back. The Grizzlies (17-4, second in the West) are playing at their highest level ever and Marc Gasol's performance thus far has thrust him into MVP candidate conversations.
With Andrew Bogut nursing tendinitis in his right knee and a return date still unsure for David Lee, the Grizzlies size and strength pose a huge threat to the Warriors winning ways.
Thunder vs. Warriors
The Warriors will be back at home and already have a win against OKC in the books. But the Thunder that Golden State played in Oklahoma City on Nov. 23 are not the real Thunder.
Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook are back with a vengeance and would relish in a victory at Oracle Arena. The Thunder will be be on Warriors ground Thursday and return again Jan. 5 for their final meeting of the season. Both of which will be must see Western Conference showdowns.
Warriors @ Clippers
Nobody wants to lose at home on Christmas Day. The Clippers, currently on a nine-game winning streak, will surely put up a fight during the nationally televised final game of the day.
The rivalry between these teams has grown and almost always promises drama and physicality, and after the Warriors trampled Los Angeles on Nov. 5, the Clippers will be looking to even the score.
Raptors vs. Warriors
The Raptors are another team that is off to its best start in franchise history and lead the Eastern Conference. Although Toronto is playing without Demar Derozan (torn tendon in left thigh/groin) they have plenty of other weapons and won't back down easy.
Lou Williams and Kyle Lowry have both received Player of the Week nods from the NBA this season. This matchup will be a good test for both teams.
Cavaliers vs. Warriors
Anytime you take on the King, you better be ready. LeBron James and company — including the guy the Warriors passed on in the off season, Kevin Love — will be in the Bay to cap off a Golden State six-game home stand on Jan. 9.
After a rocky start, Cleveland has found a rhythm and is on an eight-game winning streak of their own and will be looking to take down Western teams to prove their strength.
Follow @SFBay and @NBASarah on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of the Golden State Warriors.


text:
Friday, January 09, 2009
Look what I just bought!
WOOOO! *passes out*
Although I am still a little miffed at B.O. for the Rev. Warren pick for the innaguration.
9 comments:
You paid money for that?
Phil Jimenez is an excellent artist. Too bad he only did the cover, which is the picture you should have posted. The hacks who drew the picture you posted deserve to go back to the livejournal hell they came from and return to drawing slashfiction and furry pr0n.
Seriously. I know for a fact my son can draw a better spiderman then that, and I bet if I asked him he could draw a better O*d*B (sic) if I asked him.
What the fuck. Did Doc Ock squash Spideys head when he was a baby? Did I miss some crazy RetCon?
And I am pretty sure thats not Obama. That is Black Skeletor!
Oh wait.ReplyDelete
Judging by the ridge on his forehead, Peter Parker is no longer spiderman.
It is now Worf.
I'm sorry. I take back that last comment, its obviously the love child of Worf and Bruce Campbell.ReplyDelete
Either that his face is splitting in two in revolt of how awfully he was drawn.
ARgh, bad spidey art makes jon angry! Jon smash!
Wtf is up with his shoulder? Is he wearing shoulder pads now?
New years resolution be damned!ReplyDelete
OK. So the offending "artist" is Todd Nauck.
He is one multi-talented son of a bitch,
Here are his Modded Lego minifigs
I think this Thing is my favorite
His work on Teen Titan's isn't horrible. Derivative, but not horrible.
Upon further contemplation, I ask myself, What the fuck is wrong with his fingers?ReplyDelete
LOL! Wow. Jon has Spiderman Tourettes.ReplyDelete
Sweet fancy moses joel, did you look at the lego shit?ReplyDelete
HAHAHA! Yeah I love those! Man it's great that my kids are so into legos, I'm reliving my youth again.ReplyDelete
Oh yeah, my boy is huge into legos. He got the giant Indiana Jones set for Christmas from my mom, and he put the whole thing together by himself within a day.ReplyDelete


text:
|Publication Date
|A Cool Choice.
|Explains the properties and benefits of cool roofs, including products currently used to build them. Advice for selecting a roof system is provided.
|A Guide to Designing Sustainable, Environmental Systems.
|This enumerates 21 tenets of sustainable roofing, and provides as a case study the Highland Park, Illinois High School science classroom roof system design solution.
|A Lasting Relationship.
|Offers basic planning principles needed to ensure long-term roofing system performance for schools and universities. Discusses decision making tips for selecting a quality manufacturer and other...
|A Sustainable Approach.
|Describes elements of sustainable school design in the areas of HVAC efficiency, windows, insulation, roofing, landscaping, and recycling.
|A Timeline for Reroofing Success.
|Explains the best time during the four seasons to perform the various activities necessary for an efficient roofing project. Defines the major activities: planning, specifications, construction...
|Advance Preparation.
|Explores the key stages required to develop a successful roofing system for educational facilities. Advice provided includes selecting consultants and contractors, bid evaluation, points to cover...
|Applying Green Roofs to Schools.
|Article discusses how green roofs, elevated roof surfaces covered entirely by a thin soil and vegetation layer, can provide benefits to schools. First, green roofs improve the built environment by...
|Applying the Right Roof Coating to the Right Roof
|Discusses when to repair a roof versus when to replace a roof; selecting the right roof coating; the features and benefits of various roof coatings.
|Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association
|A trade association representing the majority of the asphalt roofing industry's manufacturing companies and their raw material suppliers. This web page provides information from 'Roofing Basics...
|At Home with Cool-Colored Roofs.
|Describes reflective dark-colored roofs that reflect more sunlight that typical dark roofs, thus reducing heat gain. A typical light-colored roof has 70% reflectivity, while a typical dark- colored...
|Beat the Heat with a Cool Roof.
|Advocates for light-colored, cool roofs, which are easily installed and can significantly reduce roof temperature during the Summer. Selection criteria, categories of cool roofs, and benefits to the...
|Beyond Cool.
|Discusses solar reflectivity and thermal emittance of cool roofs. EnergyStar, GreenGlbes, and LEED ratings are also addressed. Cautions against installing cool roofs in cool climates are voiced, as...
|Black vs. White Roofing.
|Discusses three reasons why white roofs may not always be the best selection. These are: 1) White membranes are not necessarily as durable in all climates. 2) In colder climates, the warming benefit...
|Building Codes for Roofs.
|Explains how building codes developed and what they say about low-sloped commercial roofing systems.
|Building Codes Illustrated for Elementary and Secondary Schools.
|Analyzes and illustrates the intent and potential interpretations of the 2006 International Building Code (IBC) as it applies to educational facilities. The book discusses how the Code was developed...
|Choosing the Right Roof.
|Offers tips for selecting roofing products for new or renovated buildings. Various site specific design parameters are examined such as building life, climatic exposure, water drainage, traffic...
|Cool Roof Concepts: The Top 10 for FMs.
|Describes ten properties of a cool roof that facility managers should consider when selecting a roofing system.
|Cool Roofing a Hot Topic.
|Discusses the solar reflectance and thermal emittance properties of various roofing materials, with an emphasis on those that offer high values in these area and lower heating and cooling costs. Also...
|Cool Roofing: Hot Button Issues.
|Discusses the properties of cool roofs in terms of reflectance and thermal emittance. A high degree of both are required for a roof to remain cool. Exact savings that can be realized from a cool roof...
|Cool Roofs: A Hot Idea.
|Describes impact of installing cool roofs on not only the environment but also on the HVAC costs. An additional description of vegatative roofs is included.
|Cool Shelter.
|Discusses the benefits of cool metal roofing on schools, largely in the area of energy savings, but also in their recycled content and applicability to existing roof systems. The method and materials...
|Cost-benefit analysis of a Building Integrated Photovoltaic Roofing System for a School Located in Blacksburg, Virginia.
|Analyzes how solar radiation, temperature, solar altitude, and solar azimuth affect the power produced by a new thin film photovoltaic panel. Through the application of multiple linear regression,...
|Decisions, Decisions: Your School's Roof.
|Discusses the difficulty of choosing appropriate roofing materials. Explores factors that influence roofing material choices. Examines material selection based on roof slope, aesthetics, fire codes,...
|Demonstration of Cooling Savings of Light Colored Roof Surfacing in Florida Commercial Buildings: Our Savior's School.
|A 2-year Florida study attempted to quantify air conditioning cost savings when buildings have a white reflective roof. A 10,000 square foot elementary school with a gray modified bitumen roof over...
|Dome Field Advantage
|Following a windstorm, the University of Northern Iowa replaced the storm-damaged domed roof on the multi-purpose sports and recreation facility with PVC.


text:
mUmBRELLA: IAB launches Video Advertising Council to push awareness
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)has launched a Video Advertising Council (VAC) in an effort to push industry debate and discussion around the video offerings and products in the industry, Mumbrella can reveal.
The VAC's founding members include Adaptv, Foxtel, Google, MCM, MCN, VENA, SpotXchange, SBS, TEN, Tubemogul, Videology, and Yahoo!7, with more organisations expected to join in the coming months, and is part of an attempt by the IAB to broaden its membership beyond the traditional major publishers.
IAB Australia CEO Alice Manners said video was one of the fastest growing areas of digital advertising and the group was needed to help drive discussions in the video ad space.
"The potential growth of the digital video market in Australia is indisputable and the Video Advertising Council will be actively focusing on making video ad trading easier and more effective," said Manners.
The VAC will also work closely with the Brand Safety Council which, as Mumbrella revealed earlier this month, was created to address the issue of ad fraud in digital after multiple instances of the practice were exposed.
The initial areas of focus for the VAC will include reviewing technical specifications and guidelines; providing market guidance for viewable impressions for video ad units and audience and campaign measurement across screens for video content.
Follow the link below to read more.


text:
Our team strives to go above and beyond the call of duty. Hosting websites like yours is our business, and it is our goal to see your site succeed online. We have the resources available to scale your website without downtime. And we stand ready to support you 24x7.
Unlike most hosting providers, support is handled directly by battle-scarred web hosting engineers. Have an emergency? No problem, live phone support is avaliable 24x7 to assist you. Sick of dealing with incompetent support? In our business, there is no such thing as support tiers or endless on-holds. While it's impossible to promise instant fixes, we empower each of our support staff with the knowledge they need to get the job done right the first time.
Sliqua started hosting websites for a select group of customers in 2002, and their success was our lifeblood until we opened our doors to the public in 2006. We put a lot of time and resources into helping our customers become successful online, because we realize that our success is dependent on theirs.
We are consistent and adamantly dedicated to customer service. Our operations are very transparent, and our customers are welcome to follow our President/CEO and Executive Vice President on Twitter, or give them a call directly. We don't believe in hiding the "important" people in the back room. In fact, our entire board of directors works side-by-side with our Technical Support representatives to ensure a consistent customer experience.
Utilize one of the most stable shared hosting packages on the market, the InterWorx Cluster Panel. This system was built from the ground up with scalability in mind, and has the ability to do load-balanced clustering
In addition to the packages provided by the InterWorx team, we have created our own set of packages which have been fine-tuned based on our customers' needs. This includes everything from Hardened PHP to security packages such as ModSecurity, suPHP, and Suhosin. We also perform quarterly vulnerability assessments of our servers and network to ensure our customers are protected from malicious attacks.
Our Domain Name System (DNS) is hosted on a global Anycast-enabled network. This means that websites load quickly worldwide, and domains continue to resolve critical services such as e-mail (MX) records even in the event of our servers or facility going down.
Our Clustered Mail platform replicates critical email data across three datacenters to ensure constant avaliability. Off-site backups are also performed with a two week data retention, so you'll never loose that important message.
We're performance freaks. Most people think in minutes, seconds, or even hours - we think in mille-seconds. And to that end, we utilize many performance monitoring tools.
Through a strategic partnership with the Panopta Monitoring Network, we are able to monitor every service on our network remotely at a 60 second interval from over 30 locations worldwide. This means we know about even the smallest server or network outage and can respond immediately. Our techs receive an e-mail within a minute, and if the issue is not resolved within 10 minutes, our lead technicians are called.
Despite popular belief, most hackers are honest and hard-working people. In fact, the majority of the software tools we use for hosting websites are created by hackers working on open source projects such as PHP, Apache, MySQL, etc.
We are very strong supporters of Open Source. Sliqua has sponsored Oceanius, a community of IT Professionals, since we were founded in 2002. In addition, we have sponsored projects such as Radio Statler!, a live stream from 2600's Hackers on Planet Earth conference in NYC.
Does your Open Source project need assistance? Contact us today and we will do our best to help.


text:
What's a whistle worth to you?
Falling Whistles is an organization that sells whistles as a symbol for peace in the Congo and more importantly to raise money to rehabilitate, educate, disseminate, congregate, advocate for the people affected by the war in the Congo, known as the deadliest war in Africa's history and it continues today.
Why whistles? On his trip to Congo in 2008, Sean Carasso, founder of Falling Whistles met a group of former child soldiers who told him that some children who were too young to carry weapons were sent into battle armed with only whistles, as a way to distract the enemy. If you're going to wear a statement accessory, wear one that really makes a statement.
More info: