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Created for an effortless and precise cut, the BaByliss Pro X2 Volare Clipper has a super lightweight design and an innovative MaxLife PRO engine which works at a high speed and super low vibration. The included 8 comb guides give 8 different lengths of cut, and the LED battery display boasts 3 stages so you know exactly where your battery's at. Complete with lubricating oil and a cleaning brush, the clipper is designed for cord or cordless use and features a long lasting lithium polymer battery. K.D.
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Farce of Paid Publications
The importance of creating a portfolio of publishable academic writing as the foundation of a career in legal academia, cannot be undermined. A good research paper published in a reputed journal not only displays possession of refined research skills but also the ability of nuanced writing. It offers instant credibility to prospective recruiters, scholarship committees, clerkship positions and sets you a notch higher to being a 'desired candidate'.
It is in this attempt to increase one's credibility that a student often opts for a paid publication. A paid publication is the publication of a research paper funded by the author. Now, while some paid publications are genuine and charge a legitimate processing fee, most of them are in essence 'predatory journals'.
Predatory journals are journals which flout editorial and publishing policies laid down by the UGC and publish articles on payment, with little or no peer review. While predatory publishers may argue that the fee charged is mostly post the selection of a paper, the credibility of the publication is compromised, as the yardsticks of adjudging the quality of a submission are automatically reduced, being tied to monetary gains.
To corroborate, an independent investigation carried out by the Indian Express, revealed that the UGC as on May 2nd, 2018 removed 4,305 journals from the list, saying they were of "questionable" nature or lacked mandatory information on their websites.
Flexible submission guidelines coupled with the implied assurance of a successful publication often lure learners to opt for them. Rather, as per this article, India tops submission in predatory journals.
We at Jus Dicere, understand how daunting the process of writing and subsequent publication of a research paper, might be for a student who lacks the necessary skill set. To cater to your dilemma and prevent you from falling a prey to predatory malpractices, we offer you our 'research assistance service', to assist you in your dream of achieving publishable academic writing.
Our service is structured to assist you in the following ways:
- Selection of a topic, where we assist in providing an array of contemporary legal issues matching your interest and narrowing down on an appropriate fit.
- Providing reading material, where we provide a list of mandatory and complementary readings to be skimmed through before attempting to write.
- Constructing the paper, where we help structure and compartmentalize the paper into relevant segments.
- Suggesting appropriate journals, to send one's paper for a higher possibility of a successful publication.
Our assistance is prompt and efficient and comes at a price starting only ₹899 which is less than half of what a student usually pays for a paid publication ( anywhere between ₹ 1500 for a single-authored paper to ₹ 2000 for a co-authored paper), while simultaneously running the risk of submitting to predatory journals.
Invest wisely. And let us help you make the right choice.
To directly sign up for our assistance, click here.
To know more about our assistance, click here.
For any further queries, connect with us at [email protected] or give us a ring at +91 8448449531

subset: commoncrawl


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Former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun won Senate confirmation as ambassador to New Zealand today on a 96-2 vote, easily triumphing over a mostly token challenge from her old adversary, Sen. Jesse Helms. Helms (R-N.C.) and Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.), who defeated Moseley-Braun in her 1998 re-election bid, cast the only negative votes. Moseley-Braun, the only black woman ever to serve in the Senate, also will be ambassador to the tiny South Pacific state of Samoa, previously known as Western Samoa. Helms, the Foreign Relations Committee chairman who had clashed with the Illinois Democrat during her single 1993-1999 term, accused her of ethical misconduct and at first threatened to delay her consideration, but then relented. Moseley-Braun strongly denied the allegations.
Two guards with rapper Juice Wrld arrested on gun charges after he suffered cardiac arrest at Midway
Should the city of Chicago have to pay $44 million for a shooting involving an off-duty police officer? Federal judges set to rule
'Survivor' boots contestant Dan Spilo following off-camera incident
Copyright © 2019, Chicago Tribune


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(Reuters) - Private equity firms Blackstone Group and Bain Capital will lead a bid for the whole of Yahoo Inc after agreeing to team up with Alibaba Group, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
The two buyout houses are eager to acquire Yahoo's core U.S. operations, one of these people said, adding that the composition of the consortium, which will also involve Japan's Softbank Corp, has not yet been formalized.
Alibaba and Blackstone declined to comment, while a Bain spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Nadia Damouni, Greg Roumeliotis and Soyoung Kim in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky


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Dog Vomit?
(Column ~ 06/16/08)
Summer is a time of beauty with flower gardens exhibiting all shades of color and texture. Even the various bark mulches that are used to shade the soil and retain moisture add greatly to this beauty. Occasionally during the summer gardeners notice a growth on their bark mulch which closely resembles - should I say it - Dog Vomit and even in some cases scrambled eggs. ...
Euro 2008 capsules
(Professional Sports ~ 06/16/08)
By The Associated Press AP Sports Writer VIENNA, Austria -- Germany captain Michael Ballack scored on a wicked second-half free kick Monday for a 1-0 win over Austria and a place in the quarterfinals of the European Championship. In a game marked by the ejection of both coaches before halftime, Ballack sent in a 25-yard shot in the 49th minute to advance Germany and end the hopes of its smaller neighbor...
Mariners fire head coach
(Professional Sports ~ 06/16/08)
By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE _ The Seattle Mariners fired general manager Bill Bavasi on Monday, as the team lags with the worst record in baseball after starting the season with playoff hopes. Vice president/associate general manager Lee Pelekoudas will take over in his place...
Former Purdue, Broad Ripple star headed to Texans
(Professional Sports ~ 06/16/08)
By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON -- Free agent linebacker Rosevelt Colvin signed with the Houston Texans on Monday, giving the team another pass rusher to pair with 2006 No. 1 draft pick Mario Williams. Colvin spent five years with the Patriots and was a member of two Super Bowl winning teams, but was released by New England in February. He missed the last five regular season games and the playoffs with a foot injury...
Woods outlasts Mediate for third Open title
(Professional Sports ~ 06/16/08)
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer SAN DIEGO -- Tiger Woods cradled the silver U.S. Open trophy in his right hand and limped toward the edge of the Pacific bluffs, each step as much a burden as the 91 holes he played at Torrey Pines for a major that might have been his most amazing yet...
Reds' Bailey's future uncertain after rough start
(Professional Sports ~ 06/16/08)
By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI -- What do the Cincinnati Reds do with Homer Bailey? The 22-year-old pitcher got knocked around again on Sunday, leaving him 0-3 in three starts this season. The former first-round draft pick seems to be caught in a rut with no clear idea of how to get himself turned around...
Bedford Henderson White
(Obituary ~ 06/16/08)
Bedford Henderson White, 83, Putnam County, beloved dad, grandpa, and great-grandpa, entered eternal peace Sunday, June 15, 2008, following an extended illness. He was born in Moss, Tenn., Aug. 8, 1924, to Irvin and Roxie (Ethridge) White. Mr. White served his country in the United States Army during World War II, where he earned several awards: A.P. Theatre Ribbon, Expert Rifleman, World War II Victory Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal and the American Theater Ribbon...
Anna L. Allsup
(Obituary ~ 06/16/08)
Anna L. Allsup, 65, Staunton, passed away at St. Vincent Clay Hospital, Sunday, June 15, 2008, following an extended illness. She was born Nov. 16, 1942, in Brazil, to Elmer and Mary DeCamp Kieffer. Mrs. Allsup graduated from Brazil High School. Anna married Donald Allsup on Oct. 20, 1978. She worked as a "Lead Lady" for Columbia House for 16 years and as a file clerk for Hulman and Company for 18 years...
Concert band set for weekend performances
(Local News ~ 06/16/08)
The Brazil Concert Band, under the direction of Matthew S. Huber, will continue its Sesquicentennial Celebration this weekend with a doubleheader. The band will perform in Gosport at noon, during the annual Story and Concert Day. On Sunday, at 8 p.m., the BCB will be back at Forest Park, rain or shine, with guest artist Kendra Kirby, music director at World Gospel Church, Terre Haute. Her performance was postponed earlier this year due to flooding...
I-70 accident sends one to St. Vincent Clay
(Local News ~ 06/16/08)
Avoiding a collision on Interstate-70 sent a man from Pennsylvania to the hospital. Shortly after 7 p.m., members of the Clay County Sheriff's Department, Jackson and Posey Township volunteer fire departments and Clay County Search and Rescue responded to an accident scene a half-mile west of the westbound I-70 onramp...
NHS student wins Great Dane scholarship
(Local News ~ 06/16/08)
A recent Northview High School graduate is one of four children of Great Dane employees across the nation who was recently named as recipients of the 2008 Great Dane College Scholarships. The scholarship is available only to the children of Great Dane's corporate, branch, and manufacturing plant employees. One four-year scholarship and three two-year scholarships are awarded annually to recognize these students of their outstanding academic achievements...
Disaster relief underway; FEMA reps in area
(Local News ~ 06/16/08)
Help is on the way for flood victims in Clay County, but people need to apply for it. "Two Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) representatives are assigned to our area, and they will be contacting victims who have already applied for assistance," Clay County Emergency Management Director Bryan Husband told The Brazil Times Monday. ...
Stories from Monday, June 16, 2008
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Harley Style 6V Battery Operated Kids Motorcycle (Black)
by Vroom Rider
by Vroom Rider
This bike will bring excitement to every kids play time, while taking kids on a thrilling adventure! There is a forward and backward switch. Switch it to the "forward" position and press the foot pedal to move the vehicle forward (switch it to the "backward" position for reverse).
- Color: Black
- Easy to put together.
- Comes with battery and charger.
- Sharp colorful decorations
- Musical sound button
- Battery operated motorcycle
- Body size: 33.5" x 19.7" x 24.8"
- Battery: 6v 4 Ah
- Speed: Max 1.24 mph
- Charge time: 8-12 hours
- Ages: 2-5 years
- Up to 55 lbs
33.5"L x 19.7"W x 24.8"
Questions & Answers
Have a Question?Ask a Question
Be the first to ask a question about this.


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Houston vocalist Kristine Mills was at a cocktail party when she bumped into artist/curator Wade Wilson. In between chitchat and mixed drinks, the two came up with Wade Wilson Art's Second Anniversary Party, a combo art exhibit/jazz concert benefiting Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Center for Photography. Joining Mills will be members of the famed Duke Ellington Orchestra. It's a little pricey, but hey, cough it up – it's for a good cause. 7 p.m. Today. 4411 Montrose. For information, call 713-521-2977 or visitwww.wadewilsonart.com
. $100 to $500. --Olivia Flores Alvarez
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To listen to an interview with Kristine Mills and Houston Press Night & Day Editor Olivia Flores Alvarez , click the button below.
And here are a few more tunes from Kristine's newest album.


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1 day ago
Apparently it goes way back as well.
I never thought they were doing it for that long.
This is supposed to be a social commentary about fashionable activities. The original pic (which did not contain the bike) dealt with kids everywhere starting skateboarding because it was fashionable. Now fixie bikes seem to be replacing skateboards among the 15+ teenage crowd.
It is all good until you start seeing 24" fixed gear kiddie bikes.
To ASB:
I actually took that more of comment on cycling in general than just on fixed gear bikes, but I admit I didn't know about the history of the pic.
kaverin dekistä muutama vuosi takaperin..


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• Custom made galvanised steel deck frame
• Slip-resistant PolyDek decking panel
• Designed to BS EN 1176
Our specialised quote builder makes it easy to build your playground to budget. Simply explore our product categories and add the products to your quote. You can view your quote at any time from the top navigation bar where you can then send to us to arrange discussion. Happy shopping!


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This week a group art exhibition called DIRE will open at the South Coast Regional Art Centre in Goolwa, South Australia. The exhibition has been coordinated by the not-for-profit Centre for Culture, Land and Sea (CCLS) and is actually the fourth in an annual* series of similarly themed but variously located and presented shows. In 2012 and 2013, the exhibition was presented by the Save Our Gulfs Coalition, which is a minor sponsor of Cuttlefish Country. In 2014, it was presented by the Marine Life Society of South Australia, after which it skipped a year before being adopted by the Centre for Culture, Land and Sea. The exhibition's continuity and longevity has been secured through the vision and commitment of Corrie Vanderhoek and Ruth Trigg, both of whom are South Australian coastal residents and keen environmentalists.
The exhibition DIRE invited artists to interpret both threats to, and the beauty of, South Australian coastlines and waterways. The Centre for Culture, Land and Sea describes its purpose as "to encourage people to challenge dominant thinking and practices that threaten the living earth and oceans." The gallery showing the work is located at 1 Goolwa Terrace, in the old Goolwa police station building. Many artists' works will be displayed, and will remain on show from 23 June until 24 July 2016. The gallery is closed on Mondays and Tuesday, and special floor talks will be held on Saturdays between 2 and 3pm by a range of artists, farmers, scientists and environmentalists. The exhibition launch event is at 5:30pm, Friday 24 June 2016.
In past exhibitions, Emma and I have exhibited photo prints, a photo sculpture, Naturescope videos, an animated LED sign and even an installation featuring a customised dart board. The artworks have been generated in parallel with our development of this film, and have reflected many of its subjects and themes. This year's inclusion is a digital print on canvas, which reflects the setting of our film. The artwork, entitled Hard lines and gentle curves, is a painstakingly constructed digital portrait of Spencer Gulf itself. The version on display is printed on canvas, measuring 50 cm by 58 cm. The image is also available to purchase as prints on paper, apparel (including shirts and a dress) and a number of other products, via our Redbubble store.
The artist statement accompanying the work is reproduced below:
This artwork depicts the bathymetry of northern and central Spencer Gulf, redrawn using multiple nautical charts as guides. Its waters are bound by Eyre Peninsula to the west and Yorke Peninsula and the Mid North to the east. As their familiar landforms and settlements recede into darkness, the contours of the seabed are highlighted in tones of blue. The pale shallows are less than 2 metres deep and the darkest shade reaches below 30 metres.
The gulf's naturally narrow central channel serves the ports of Whyalla and Port Bonython, where bulk carriers and tankers carry cargoes of iron ore, diesel and LPG. Fully laden, they must wait for high tide before surfing over the channel's sandy shoals. The sweeping curve of False Bay in the north west is interrupted by land reclaimed by the Whyalla steelworks. The reluctant harbor of Port Pirie is pierced by a narrow, mechanically dredged channel. Cooling water channels are carved out of samphire flats south of Port Augusta- a relic of the coal-fired power station which closed permanently in 2016.
Each of these hard, angular marks is a testament to the determination of early industrialists to bend nature to their will. Are South Australians now ready to listen to the gulf's rhythms or will they continue to march to the drumbeat of 20thcentury progress?
Exhibition launch is at 5:30pm, Friday 24 June 2016
Launch speakers:
Dr Ian Dyson
Lesley Fischer
Goolwa Primary School students
Floor talks by artists, farmers, scinetists or environmentalists each Saturday, 2 - 3pm
South Coast Regional Arts Centre (The old Goolwa Police Station),
1 Goolwa Terrace, Goolwa
Gallery opening hours:
Wednesday - Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday & Sunday 10am - 4pm
Phone: 08 8555 7289


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Lee and Cheryl welcome you all to their cask marque and finest cask award winning public house with pub food how it should be.
We offer a quaint, cosy and homely experience away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
Whether popping in for a quiet drink and a read of the daily newspapers, or sampling the delights of our generous menus, you will always be made to feel welcome here at The Black Lake Inn.
Come and join us every Tuesday evening for a selection of pies, served with hand cut chunky chips, peas and gravy. Only £5.99
Fancy adding some sparkle? A single serve 20cl bottle of Spumante Prosecco £3.99
Coming for our quiz night? Why not come earlier and feast on a juicy and succulent premium steak.
Starts at 5pm — every Thursday.
Join in our weekly, free-to-enter quiz with quiz masters Ian and Claire to win a gallon of beer.
Quiz starts at 9pm sharp every Thursday.


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Many vitamin, mineral, and amino supplements are not well absorbed by the body when taken orally. For some people, barriers exist in the gastrointestinal tract to allow for adequate absorption. Administering an injection or IV allows for much higher doses of these nutrients to be infused directly into the body. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and certain other nutrients can have an incredibly potent drug-like effect when injected, but without the side effects often seen with prescription medications. All of the nutrients we use are natural and safe to be administered by injection or IV.
Scientific research has demonstrated that a variety of conditions can benefit from the use of IV and injectable nutrition. A few of the conditions that may be helped using these techniques include; Anxiety, Depression, immune disorders, hypertension, COPD, asthma, fibromyalgia, fatigue, diabetes, hepatitis, viral infections like the common cold, HIV, body fat accumulation, and cancer
Formulas can be customized to ;
Improve athletic performance, Alleviate symptoms of alcohol hangover, Effectively combat viral and bacterial illness such as the common cold, Increase your energy and endurance, Replenish and Restore your health
All of the nutrient formulas used at Defy Medical have been thoroughly researched and have been shown to be effective in the treatment of certain conditions. All nutrients and substances used in our infusions have been compounded by a licensed US Pharmacy. For the safety of our patients, the pharmacy we use for our injectable nutrients has been personally visited by our medical director to confirm they have a proper "clean-room" for compounding sterile injections. Each batch is sent to an independent lab for testing to confirm sterility, potency, and shelf-life. These reports are available upon request or by contacting the pharmacy ( [email protected]).
We offer a select menu of affordable injectable nutrients which can be administered in our office by Intravenous Infusion. Additional formulas are available for self-administered injections using a small-gauge needle and can be shipped directly from our pharmacy to your home along with proper instructions. Please click the link below.


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Overweight Teens and Kids: Advice for parents
The percentage of American children who are overweight continues to climb. It's due to lifestyle habits: The popularity of electronic media means children these days spend more time sitting, and snacking, than previous generations who were more physically active. And while they're watching TV our kids are being constantly being sold on the idea of fast food and junk food.
So what can parents do to get their children on the right nutritional track and give them the tools to build a healthy lifestyle? Read on for some good advice.
Taking the lead
If you're a parent, your best chance of influencing your children toward a healthy lifestyle is by setting a good example with your own eating and exercise habits.
Credit:gbh007 iStock
According to Mayo Clinic studies, "children of parents who both exercise are about six times more likely to be active than are children whose parents are sedentary." The studies also show that a child has a 50 percent chance of obesity if one parent is obese and 80 percent if both are.
Credit:michaeljung iStock
If you know your household could do with some healthy changes, start small by introducing healthy snacks and replacing some TV time with outdoor recreational activities – even something as simple as a walk to the park or some time throwing a ball around can set the pace for a better lifestyle.
Always be available and encouraging yourself, and remember to play fair. For instance, when you limit your kids' TV time, limit your own as well. Parents set the bar, and kids will notice if they chin up to it!
Getting active
Credit:goldenKB iStock
Children – and sometimes their parents as well – need to learn that "exercise" is not equivalent to corporal punishment!
To get your family more active, plan fun activities that can involve everyone. If hiking, biking, swimming and rollerblading are too far afield from the family's established TV-watching patterns, more subtle changes can effectively give those sofa cushions a break. For example, get into the habit of an after-dinner walk or bike ride. And playing with the kids can be great fun! Tag, hopscotch, jump rope, or any game that involves some running around can give everyone a workout. Got a hoop over the garage? Why not find the basketball that goes with it and start bouncing. A family garden is another great way to get everyone outside – and eating more fresh vegetables.
Of course, children always outgrow playing with Mom and Dad. For the sedentary teen who is, or is becoming, obese, pushing the exercise issue may be counter-productive. Get them active in things that already interest them; sports, martial arts, skateboarding, dance and gymnastics all exist outside of TV and video games. Encourage them to try the real thing!
Creating a healthy eating environment
Credit:samael334 iStock
Everyone knows that meals in a busy household are mostly quick and easy. "Quick and easy", however, does not require Ronald and the Colonel to be the in-house cooks! If your household's current routine is primarily one of scattered schedules and haphazard mealtimes, try some of these tips for a change:
- Stock your home with fresh vegetables, whole-grain based products, and meats that are low in fat. Having more nutritious foods at hand prevents that last-minute dash for take-out.
- Avoid the temptation of high-fat and sugary snack foods by not having them in the house. Remember that fruit is the original fast-food! Serve snacks of bananas, strawberries, tomatoes and carrots; add some low-fat vegetable dip for interest.
- Make cooking a part of your whole family's routine. Get the kids involved in preparation, and have them learn to put together healthy school lunches and snacks.
- Make water the beverage of choice in your household. Sodas and most juices only provide "empty calories" which do nothing but add weight. Low-calorie sodas are an OK choice, but still need to be limited.
- Encourage your kids to eat breakfast. A quick calorie-controlled cereal with low-fat milk and fruit will help morning concentration at school. Not eating breakfast usually results in high-calorie snacks at break-times and lunch.
- Avoid desserts which are high in fat and/or sugar. Fresh fruit is an ideal way to finish the meal; or try some low-fat desserts from the CalorieKing recipe pages.
- If your child is not hungry then don't try to force-feed or eating will soon lose its pleasure. Your efforts to prepare a meal can still be appreciated despite an unfinished meal. If a very small amount of food is eaten, ensure that desserts and snacks are not available.
- Avoid using food as a reward tactic, or withholding it as a punishment. Specifically depriving your child of certain foods can result in his/her overeating whenever there's a chance.
- And No TV during meals!
Support at home
Credit:vadimguzhva iStock
The teasing, name-calling, and isolation overweight kids endure outside the home are difficult and painful. Home, to borrow the words of the inimitable Dr. Phil, should be "a soft place to fall." As a parent, it can be hard to figure out how to communicate sensitively, yet still help deal with the social and emotional concerns of being overweight. Here are a few good guidelines:
- Let your child know that he or she is loved, regardless of his or her weight. When children feel appreciated and good about themselves, they're more likely to make healthy choices for themselves.
Credit:neskez iStock
- Applaud your child's strengths and abilities, and encourage activities that bring them out.
- Stay supportive. An overweight child doesn't need a parent who is confrontational or derogatory. They need to know and feel that you are on their side.
- Set positive, realistic goals. An appropriate goal is for a child to maintain their current weight while growing normally in height.
Credit:marekuliasz iStock
- Instead of focusing specifically on dropping a certain number of pounds, or not adding any more, set goals such as riding a bike or swimming for 20 minutes a day.
- Express a healthy attitude about your own body (even though you may have your own issues). When your child sees you enjoying physical activity and eating wisely, he or she is more likely to pick up on the life lesson.
- Do not prepare separate meals for an overweight child. This will only enhance the feeling of being different and might also be seen as a type of punishment. Healthy meals should be enjoyed by the entire family. It is only necessary to control the quantities eaten by an overweight child.


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I'm going to buy a bike this summer. It's time to enjoy this city. But as most of you guys probably know, everything is better with music! This iPhone bicycle mount/passive amplifier will give the soundtrack to my rides.
There's no way I'm plugging in earphones when I ride around, have you seen people drive in New York? I need to be alert. And just the other day, I saw someone hook up a boombox to their bicycle, it was terribly obnoxious (like the people who add bass and bass and bass to their car audio system). I want to enjoy my music. I want something more natural, like this Ozaki iCarry Bike L that'll mount to my bike's handlebars and passively amplifies my iPhone's volume. It'll give me the perfect soundtrack to pretend like I'm in my own music video. $50 [Ozaki via OhGizmo!]


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In a hurry? Let us know where to send you information.
I just wanted to shoot you an email and say thank you again!
You knocked it out of the park at our wedding and I can't thank you enough! The lighting transformed that barn in to such a magical setting for our reception. The barn is beautiful on its own but the lighting sent it over the top. It was an absolute dream!
Thank you so much for keeping the party going and doing such a great job emceeing. Megan said you're the best in the business and she is 100% correct. You made our wedding such a fun night!
It was great getting to work with you and I will definitely be referring engaged friends to you in the future! Thanks again for everything!
-Shea & Donny
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This week has been quite busy at work with finishing report cards and all the end of the year assemblies and activities. Just 4 teaching days and 1 PA day to go.
On to my CCOW activities this week.
Cumulative Activity: Games: In this week's "big project", you'll develop a game — a Scratch project that includes interactions between sprites, score, and levels.
I was quite excited to try coding a classic pattern game like Simon. I also wanted it to be a bit of a musical primer so I based the tones on a pentatonic scale. The game does not have overt scores or levels but it does change in difficulty and speed as the pattern gets longer and longer. This game is a classic. Simple enough to need no instructions other than "Follow My Song", but difficult enough to keep people wanting to play it more.
My imagination kept introducing `feature creep' with ideas like making alternate costumes for the sprites like piano keys, guitar frets and flute and trumpet fingerings, and making a standard set of variables so that I could code a kind of framework or API to make music games using scratch. In the end, it was enough of a challenge just to try to make compact, simple code to show the sprites, change their colors, and detect key presses and see if they match a pre determined pattern. I ended up making 8 almost identical sprites (one for each note in a major scale). I am pretty sure I could have done this using lists, multiple clones of one sprite, and variables to change the color and tone of each sprite. In the end it was just easier to duplicate 1 sprite 8 times and change the code for each individual note.
Somewhere between the keypress and my broadcast to check it against the random list of the computer's pattern, a glitch appeared in that it does not call game over until one press after you make a mistake. Thus if you make a mistake on the last note of a pattern, you get to go to the next level. I have not figured out how to solve it because I can't find the error in my reasoning or in my code to check the pattern.
One of my third grade students told me that I should just say that this is part of the game, because it is fair to give people 2 chances. I think I'll stick with her answer, although the glitch is still bugging me.
Readings: Illich, I. (1971). Deschooling society (Chapter 6). New York, NY: Harper & Row.
I have not had alot of time to flesh out my thoughts, but I've been thinking about how much Illych's article on education webs foretold what we are doing here. We have a MOOC with over 1900 members, from all over the world. We are the self selected peer group, the facilitators are expert support. We have wikipedia, coursera, and quick access to almost all academic literature, books, and media throughout history at our fingertips. I think Illych would have quickly grasped the possibilities of the Internet for self-directed learning. How else does our experience in this course resemble what Illych was describing?
- I made a post with this week's Debug it activities on Sunday.
- Levels— I read through this activity and but did not do the assignment of looking for different ways people code levels using scratch. I think I have a good handle on different ways to have levels in games with increasing speed, increasing difficulty, a change of scene or more adversaries with greater skills.
- Score: In this activity, we needed to remix Fish Chomp by adding a score using variables. Here is mine:
I added a countdown timer to make the game last for 60 seconds, and gave one point for each fish caught. I also added a global High Score Variable stored in the cloud. That means that you can compete against other scratchers for world bragging rights.
I added a Start Game broadcast for the purple fish because for some reason I had to press the green flag twice to get them to move and react with the yellow fish. It didn't do that in the sample code, so I think it was something to do with my timer code or my if-then-else blocks.
Questions: What is a variable? A variable is a letter or name that can have a "variety" of values. Its value can vary.
How would you explain variables to young learners? I think that giving variables literal names like 'score' and 'time-left' can help them to make the connection between what is going on in the game and the idea of variables in math class. I think the first time the concept of variables really clicked for me was when I was 12 or 13 and learning to program simple games in BASIC. I think the same thing could happen using SCRATCH with young children.
4. Interactions: In this activity, we were given 9 specific tasks to try to code. Here are my Interactions:
- Questions: Which puzzles did you work on?, What was your strategy for solving the puzzles? Which puzzles, if any, helped you think about your game project?
I got cute and tried to do them all in one project. This was actually more difficult because some of the activities interacted with the others, creating more complexity. After about 2-1/2 hours, I stopped with about 6 of them done. Below each task I reflect on how I did it and answer the questions.
- Whenever you press the B key, the sprite gets a little bigger. Whenever you press the S key, the sprite gets a little smaller. This was pretty straightforward. I programmed the cat to grow and shrink with these keys, and made it move with the arrow keys.
- Whenever the sprite hears a loud sound, it changes color. I did not do this one, but I have a pretty good idea how I would do it with the sensing blocks.
- Whenever the sprite is in the top 25% of the screen, it says "I like it up here."
I made a sloping background and had the cat say this above about y 100. The hardest part of coding this was the code to make sure the characters could not walk into the sky. I did this with a `not touching green statement` so that it would also not walk through other sprites.
- When the sprite touches something blue, it plays a high note. When the sprite touches something red, it plays a low note.
I did not code this one either.
- Whenever two sprites collide, one of them says: "Excuse me."
- Whenever the cat sprite gets near the dog sprite, the dog turns and runs from the cat.
I had the dog move towards the cat then turn a 180 and move back 50 steps. It fulfils the task but makes for a yo-yo frenetic effect.
- Whenever you click on the background, a flower appears at that spot.
I used clones of one flower sprite. When the stage is clicked it chooses a random color and size. I also had a random location, then changed it to the position of the mouse pointer as per then instructions.
- Whenever you click on a sprite, all other sprites do a dance.
I did not do this, but I think I was going to do a loop with the whirl effect forward and back on the flowers. I did end up using this technique with a looks block in my `Follow my song` game the next day so thinking about this challenge helped.
- Whenever you move the mouse-pointer, the sprite follows but doesn't touch the mouse-pointer. At first I had the cat then the dog follow the mouse pointer, then I added the butterfly because it was tricky to add this code along with the other things I had the cat and dog doing.
Random Coding Fun
Last week, the facilitators introduced a change to the process of submitting and reviewing design notebooks. Now we just need to submit the link to our design notebook (or noteblog), then choose peer notebooks ourselves from a numbered list of all the submitted notebooks for the week. One of the participants on the forums requested a way to choose a random notebook on the forums. kb8ywp used SCRATCH to code a perfectly useful, but visually plain Random Notebook Number Generator
On a whim, I remixed it to add a bunch of randomly placed notebooks, and included a cloud variable which remembers when someone enters the number of notebooks for the week, so you only need to re-enter that number if it has changed. My changes were mostly cosmetic, and not needed, but it made for a fancier Random Notebook Number Generator remix.
Here it is nearly midnight on a Friday night. I think my CCOW week 3 is finished. I`m looking forward to the next three weeks and my self-directed project, but I still have no idea what that might be. I`m sure something will come to me. And only one more week of doing both schoolwork and workshop work. Yipee.


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Celebratory hip-hop is the new stoned, navel-gazing hip-hop
As much as I like The Weeknd and Drake, they have a tendency to wallow in their privileged misery, the poor lambs. So it's a relief to see some hip-hop artists rediscover positivity in their music.
You could argue it started with Chance The Rapper's joyous, thankful Coloring Book (he means Colouring Book) mixtape a couple of weeks ago. Now Joey Bada$$ and Wiz Khalifa are joining in, with two life-affirming tracks about overcoming hardship.
21-year-old Joey Bada$$ is first out of the gates with Devastated, a song that follows the death of his high-school friend and rap contemporary Captain Steez, who took his own life.
"I used to feel so devastated / At times I thought we'd never make it / But now we on the path to greatness / And all it ever took was patience," he sings, on what sounds to me like a massive crossover track.
Wiz Khalifa's doubles down on that message on Celebrate, with a refrain that declares: "I could've been dead / I could've been in prison / So I want to celebrate."
It debuted on his sixth album, Khalifa, last week and now comes with a eye-straining video.
The positivity is even spreading to the UK, where Makola has gone against the grain of grime with the carnival vibes of This Is London. A love letter to his home town, it's like an Afrobeat version of Lily Allen's LDN. In other words, it's very good indeed.
And that hasn't lifted your spirits, here's Chance The Rapper performing Show Me Love on national television in a cuddly teddy bear sweater.
With new records from De La Soul and Jurassic 5 also on the way, would it be too far-fetched to say The Second Daisy Age starts here?
Labels: audio, chance the rapper, joey bada$$, makola, Music, video, wiz khalifa


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This week's post is a little later than I'd hoped, and will likely be briefer, too!
October's a busy month for most, and for me, it has been out of control! I've been crafting and creating whenever I get a moment, but those moments have been few and far between, as much of my time has been spent preparing for other things. (Today's big event was Steampunkesque in Mulvane, KS!)
So, the upshot is this: the "Grand Opening" of the online shop will be moved back a little further than I had originally intended, to October 31! The giveaway will begin then as well, so look out!
Currently I have custom-made bloomers and a couple skirts listed, but during the Grand Opening, expect to see textile jewelry, woven scarves, and more…I'll also feature more artists here on the blog. I'm excited and hope you are, too!


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|By Keith Mayer
Article Rating:
|February 16, 2015 11:42 AM EST
In recent articles, we've walked through automated provisioning for an Azure VM environment using Azure Automation and PowerShell DSC. We've also explored leveraging the Azure Cross-Platform CLI for automated provisioning of Linux workloads on Azure. After provisioning our workloads, we've even automated the configuration of ongoing health monitoring and alerting.
What's next?
Let's automate the configuration of Azure Autoscale for our cloud workloads!
What is Azure Autoscale?
Azure Autoscale helps us align utilization of active cloud services to the volume of users and requests currently hitting an application. As such, Autoscale helps us avoid overprovisioned scenarios where we'd otherwise be paying for excess resources that may not be needed all the time.
When using Autoscale, the Azure cloud platform can dynamically scale-out/scale-in application instances based on defined schedules or in response to CPU utilization or volume of requests waiting on an Azure Queue, which is useful when designing an application that leverages a Queue-centric Work Pattern. As part of the Autoscale configuration, you can customize minimum instances, maximum instances, scheduled times and thresholds to optimize scaling behavior for your unique application load patterns.
Learn more! Watch Module 4, Virtual Machines in this MVA Hybrid Cloud Jump Start course
Configuring Azure Autoscale using the Azure Management Portal
We can manually configure Azure Autoscale using the Azure Management Portal, but in this article we'll walk through automating our Autoscale configuration as part of an overall scripted process for provisioning new workloads on the Azure cloud platform.
Automating Azure Autoscale Configuration
The Azure PowerShell module doesn't yet support direct configuration of Azure Autoscale properties, so we'll want to leverage a combination of Azure PowerShell and the Azure Service Management REST API operations for Autoscaling. The REST API provides operations for adding, deleting, updating and retrieving Autoscale configurations.
Authenticate to Azure Active Directory
When using Azure PowerShell and the Azure Service Management REST API, we'll first need to authenticate with credentials that provide administrator access to our Azure subscription. We can authenticate to Azure using either certificate-based authentication or Azure Active Directory authentication.
In prior articles, I've provided examples using both approaches. Be sure to check them out for more specific steps in each authentication process.
- Read it! Leverage Azure Service Management REST API with Certificate-based authentication
- Read it! Leverage Azure Service Management REST API with Azure AD
Azure AD authentication is the preferred authentication approach going forward, so in this article, we'll use Azure AD to authenticate to the REST API with a valid administrator account from within our PowerShell script.
# Load ADAL Assemblies
$adal = "${env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\Microsoft SDKs\Azure\PowerShell\
$adalforms = "${env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\Microsoft SDKs\Azure\PowerShell\
# Set Azure AD Tenant name
$adTenant = "contoso.onmicrosoft.com"
# Set well-known client ID for AzurePowerShell
$clientId = "1950a258-227b-4e31-a9cf-717495945fc2"
# Set redirect URI for Azure PowerShell
$redirectUri = "urn:ietf:wg:oauth:2.0:oob"
# Set Resource URI to Azure Service Management API
$resourceAppIdURI = "https://management.core.windows.net/"
# Set Authority to Azure AD Tenant
$authority = "https://login.windows.net/$adTenant"
# Create Authentication Context tied to Azure AD Tenant
$authContext = New-Object "Microsoft.IdentityModel.Clients.
ActiveDirectory.AuthenticationContext" -ArgumentList $authority
# Acquire token
$authResult = $authContext.AcquireToken($resourceAppIdURI, $clientId,
$redirectUri, "Auto")
PowerShell Snippet - Authenticating to Azure Active Directory
Specify Azure Subscription, Cloud Service and Autoscale Values
Now that we've authenticated to Azure AD as an Azure subscription administrator or co-administrator, we can specify the Subscription ID and Cloud Service. In addition, we'll also specify # of instances and CPU thresholds for autoscaling.
# Set Azure subscription ID
$subscriptionId = "XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXX"
# Set Azure deployment values
$cloudServiceName = "demoapp"
$availabilitySetName = "demoapp-as"
# Set Azure autoscale values
$minInstances = "2"
$maxInstances = "10"
$defaultInstances = "2"
$cpuScaleOut = "80"
$cpuScaleIn = "60"
PowerShell Snippet - Specify Azure Subscription, Cloud Service and Autoscale Values
Build Autoscale REST API Web Request
Next, we'll build the JSON web request that we'll submit to the Azure Service Management REST API to configure our desired Autoscale settings.
# Build JSON web request
$jsonBody = @"
"Profiles": [
"Name": "Week Day",
"Capacity": {
"Minimum": "$minInstances",
"Maximum": "$maxInstances",
"Default": "$defaultInstances"
"Rules": [
"MetricTrigger": {
"MetricName": "Percentage CPU",
"MetricNamespace": "",
"MetricSource": "/VirtualMachinesAvailabilitySet/
"TimeGrain": "PT5M",
"Statistic": "Average",
"TimeWindow": "PT45M",
"TimeAggregation": "Average",
"Operator": "GreaterThanOrEqual",
"Threshold": "$cpuScaleOut"
"ScaleAction": {
"Direction": "Increase",
"Type": "ChangeCount",
"Value": "1",
"Cooldown": "PT20M"
"MetricTrigger": {
"MetricName": "Percentage CPU",
"MetricNamespace": "",
"MetricSource": "/VirtualMachinesAvailabilitySet/
"TimeGrain": "PT5M",
"Statistic": "Average",
"TimeWindow": "PT45M",
"TimeAggregation": "Average",
"Operator": "LessThanOrEqual",
"Threshold": "$cpuScaleIn"
"ScaleAction": {
"Direction": "Decrease",
"Type": "ChangeCount",
"Value": "1",
"Cooldown": "PT20M"
"Recurrence": {
"Frequency": "Week",
"Schedule": {
"TimeZone": "Eastern Standard Time",
"Days": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday",
"Thursday" ,"Friday" ],
"Hours": [ 8 ],
"Minutes": [ 0 ]
"Name": "Week Night",
"Capacity": {
"Minimum": "$defaultInstances",
"Maximum": "$defaultInstances",
"Default": "$defaultInstances"
"Rules": [ ],
"Recurrence": {
"Frequency": "Week",
"Schedule": {
"TimeZone": "Eastern Standard Time",
"Days": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday",
"Thursday" ],
"Hours": [ 20 ],
"Minutes": [ 0 ]
"Name": "Week End",
"Capacity": {
"Minimum": "$defaultInstances",
"Maximum": "$defaultInstances",
"Default": "$defaultInstances"
"Rules": [ ],
"Recurrence": {
"Frequency": "Week",
"Schedule": {
"TimeZone": "Eastern Standard Time",
"Days": [ "Friday" ],
"Hours": [ 20 ],
"Minutes": [ 0 ]
"Enabled": true
PowerShell Snippet - Build Autoscale Web Request
Calling the REST API
We're ready to call the Azure Service Management REST API and pass it our Autoscale configuration request. To do so, we'll first need to create an authorization header with our access token and then encode the web request body that we've built above. After we've done that, we can submit the request to the REST API using the Invoke-RestMethod PowerShell cmdlet.
# Create Authorization Header
$authHeader = $authResult.CreateAuthorizationHeader()
# Set HTTP request headers to include Authorization header
$requestHeader = @{"x-ms-version" = "2013-10-01";
"Authorization" = $authHeader}
# Encode the JSON web request body
[byte[]]$requestBody =
$contentType = "application/json;charset=utf-8"
# Call Azure Service Management REST API to add Autoscale settings
$azureMgmtUri = "https://management.core.windows.net/
$response = Invoke-RestMethod `
-Uri $azureMgmtUri `
-Method Put `
-Headers $requestHeader `
-Body $requestBody `
-ContentType $contentType
PowerShell Snippet - Add Autoscale Rules via Azure Service Management REST API
Confirming the Results
We've submitted our request to configure new Autoscale settings for our Azure cloud application, but how do we know that they really are in place? Easy! We can call the same REST API again with a Get method.
# Call Azure Service Management REST API to get current Autoscale settings
$response = Invoke-RestMethod
-Uri $azureMgmtUri `
-Method Get `
-Headers $requestHeader
$response | ConvertTo-Json
$response.Profiles |
ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10 |
Out-File json.txt
PowerShell Snippet - Confirm Autoscale Rules via Azure Service Management REST API
What do you want to Automate?
In this article, we've stepped through the process for automating the configuration of Autoscale rules as part of a scripted approach to workload provisioning on the Azure cloud platform.
What are you looking to automate next as you provision and manage cloud workloads?
Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments below, and we'll be sure to consider them for a future article!
See you in the Clouds!
- Keith
Read the original blog entry...
- Step-by-Step: Build a SharePoint 2013 Lab in the Cloud on Windows Azure
- At-a-Glance: Comparing VMware vSphere 5.5 & Windows Server 2012 R2 Hyper-V
- Office 365 - Installing and Configuring ADFS 2.0 for Single Sign-on
- Step-by-Step: Build Linux VMs in the Cloud with Windows Azure
- Right-Size IT Budgets with Windows Server 2012 "Storage Spaces"
- 12 Steps to NTFS Shared Folders in Windows Server 2012
- Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Essentials Release Candidate Available
- Safely Cloning Virtualized Domain Controllers with Windows Server 2012
- Getting Started with Hyper-V Server 2012
- Use PowerShell to Add New Managed Servers in Windows Server 2012


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Antitrust Case Filings
Antitrust Case Filings
To filter the list of cases, select desired options from the left navigation pane.
View the list of NAICS and SIC industry codes used by the Division. To view all industry codes, visit Census.gov.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 33
|Case Open Date
|Incident Date
|Case Type
|Federal Court
|Industry Code
|U.S. v. Ixtlera de Santa Catarina S.A. de C.V. and MFC [Civil Action]
|September 26, 1996
|Civil Non-Merger
|Pennsylvania, Eastern District
|Farm-Product Raw Materials, NEC, Other Farm Product Raw Material Wholesalers
|U.S. v. Brush Fibers, Inc.
|August 29, 1996
|Civil Non-Merger
|Pennsylvania, Eastern District
|Farm-Product Raw Materials, NEC
|U.S. v. American National Can Co. and KMK Maschinen AG
|June 25, 1996
|Civil Non-Merger
|District of Columbia, District of
|Laminated Plastic Plate, Sheet, and Profile Shapes, Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet, and Shape Manufacturing
|U.S. v. AnchorShade, Inc.
|June 20, 1996
|Civil Non-Merger
|Florida, Southern District
|Boat Dealers, Boat Dealers
|U.S. v. A&L Mayer Associates, Inc., et al.
|May 30, 1996
|Civil Non-Merger
|Pennsylvania, Eastern District
|Farm-Product Raw Materials, NEC
|U.S. v. Mack Trucks Inc., et al.
|January 12, 1981
|Civil Non-Merger
|Pennsylvania, Eastern District
|Motor Vehicles and Car Bodies
|U.S. v. Union Carbide Corporation
|September 16, 1977
|Civil Non-Merger
|California, Northern District
|Agricultural Chemicals, NEC, Industrial Organic Chemicals, NEC, Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
|U.S. v. American Service Corporation, et al.
|January 27, 1976
|January 27, 1976
|Civil Non-Merger
|Florida, Southern District
|Linen Supply
|U.S. v. DeBeers Industrial Diamond Division Limited, et al.
|December 10, 1974
|Civil Non-Merger
|New York, Southern District
|Abrasive Products
|U.S. v. American Building Maintenance Corp., et al.
|May 16, 1974
|Civil Non-Merger
|New Jersey, District of
|Commercial and Institutional Building Construction


text:
June 19th is coming up fast—Father's Day—and the first thing that comes to mind is my next book, the second in the Pinnacle Trilogy, and the meaning of fatherhood.
What better opportunity to give my loyal readers a sneak peek into book two?
My second book in the Pinnacle series picks up where Leigh's story leaves off in book one. However, it still can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Eighteen-year-old New Yorker, Leigh, arrives at a Tel Aviv hospital anxious to know if her father, Dr. Sloan, survived his cardiac arrest. She stands next to his bed and watches him.
"I wondered if that man in the CCU bed would ever open his eyes and see me again. Would he ever answer my questions and take responsibility for the sperm he deposited in my mother? Would I ever call him father or would he remain a stranger to me for the rest of my life? Would he ask me for forgiveness or would he justify his selfish actions from the past?"
While these two have a long list of issues to work through, and a relationship to build or deny, Leigh's heartbreaking journey brings her mother's past into focus once more—and all with the price of nasty judgments and insecurities.
As Leigh interacts with the medical staff, she develops an unusual relationship with one of her father's treating physicians, who discloses information that could change her life. Once she learns about his past relationship with her mother, she starts to believe that Dr. Sloan might not be her father. Though she dismisses the idea, it nags her over time.
The next Father's Day might have a different meaning to Leigh… Will she ever celebrate Father's Day again... and with whom—her biological father or the man who raised her?
Father's Day has different meanings for different people—don't take anything for granted. What does it truly mean to be a father? And what does a child really see in a father?
Find out more about Leigh's journey and dilemmas as she struggles to balance reality with the lies she's been told and discover how an eighteen year old fights the unaccepted truth.
Follow Leigh as she navigates a crime scene and switches from complainant to suspect, as she finds the answers in the exciting second book in the Pinnacle Trilogy.
Happy Father's Day.
Mary dottlinger
6/15/2016 01:15:33 am
Oh my gosh. How much more is there? I love your mysterious openings
Leave a Reply.
August 2018


text:
Fascinated by the notions of structure and arbitrariness, and how they relate to each other, Carine Weve dedicates herself to creating pencil drawings, submitting them to simple, strict rules that result in strong mathematical images. They are the outcome of a creative process characterized by monotonic performance, repetition and concentration. The feel of handwork and the precision of execution give the drawings a delicate and poetic quality.
Characteristic for the working process is the build-up from the centre, circling clockwise so that the image expands evenly, starting from the middle. Essentially, every drawing is a possible centre of an expanding surface that takes on unimaginable dimensions. If Weve were to complete the drawings according to her own set of rules, they would indivertibly grow to literally immeasurable surfaces defined in terms of square lightyears.
The drawings shown at This Art Fair are the result of her investigation into how structure can escape from itself. Not despite, but because of itself.www.carine-weve.nl


text:
Isaiah 2 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
2 This is the word that Yesha'yahu the son of Amotz saw concerning Y'hudah and Yerushalayim:
2 In the acharit-hayamim
5 Descendants of Ya'akov, come!
10 Come into the rock, hide in the dust
12 Yes, Adonai-Tzva'ot has a day in store
20 On that day a man will take hold
22 Stop relying on man,
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
You'll get this book and many others when you join Bible Gateway Plus. Learn more


text:
The strikingly bold design and innovative features of the BMW F650CS should attract a generation of younger riders. Kevin Ash reports
To say that BMW's motorcycle division is on a roll at the moment has short-term implications which really aren't appropriate - 2000 was the company's eighth consecutive record year, with almost 75,000 machines sold, and the signs are that 2001 will continue that trend.
It's a success that has been design-led, not just in terms of much bolder, braver styling but also in the expansion into new types of machine, beyond the traditional touring bikes with which BMW was most closely associated.
The plan has been not just to reach into new niches but to attract younger buyers to what had become something of an old man's brand, and with its latest F650CS BMW is hoping to pull in its most youthful audience yet. The striking looks of the bike might well help in this respect, but the machine is just one part of a whole package that is likely to appeal to younger riders and older ones too.
With its attractive price of £5,400 on the road, the bike's showroom appeal is already strong, but there is a range of innovative options that will help the bike pull in more buyers (and add to BMW's income in the process). For many, one of the biggest obstructions to motorcycle ownership is the cost of insurance, and here BMW has taken a cue from the scooter world by offering a simple, low-price option. For riders older than 26, BMW offers a straight premium of £200, while younger riders can be insured by BMW for £400.
Paying for the bike has been made painless, too - BMW has come up with a personal contract scheme whereby a deposit of £270 secures a new bike, followed by monthly payments of £150, with a guaranteed exchange value of about £4,300 against a new BMW, or you can buy the bike for approximately £4,000. Compare that with a railway season ticket that costs a lot more per month and has the exchange value of an old piece of cardboard...
There's another break with convention in the bike's colour schemes. As well as the eggshell blue and metallic blue or gold body colours, the buyer can specify fairing side covers in any body colour or aluminium, and choose either a dark blue or brown seat unit. There are 24 variations.
One of the most useful features is a helmet fastening strap arrangement that clamps and locks your crash hat onto the top of the fuel tank (or what looks like the fuel tank - the real one is sited beneath the seat).
There's also a very useful storage space in this dummy tank, containing a removable soft bag, which comes in an optional larger size and may be easily removed and carried by a shoulder strap. Alternatively, a hard plastic case is available which fits into the space, and this can be supplied with an integrated audio system which uses a portable CD player.
For extra storage, large soft bags are available that can be attached to the rear luggage rack, and they may be expanded to rest on the passenger seat too.
None of this is rocket science, but it all adds up to a much more complete package than any other manufacturer is offering, and although this was not the original intention, it does line up the CS against bigger capacity scooters, as well as other motorcycles. Indeed, it's substantially cheaper than Yamaha and Honda's superscooters, which adds to the BMW's advantage.
In which case, it also needs to be easy and unintimidating to ride, and that's mostly how it comes across. Sit astride the bike and you notice immediately the very low seat height, but if this is still too high there's an even lower seat to add to the options list. Taller riders will find this means the footrests feel rather high, which can cause some knee discomfort after a long ride, but you do settle down into a cosy, in-the-bike position, rather than feeling perched on top.
Cramped leg joints aside, comfort overall is very good, the small Apple iMac-inspired transparent screen deflecting wind up to shoulder level, allowing constant cruising well beyond British road speeds. The seat is plush (and roomy enough for two), while the soft suspension helps isolate the rider from road harshness.
Damping control is also good, though, so when the bike is pushed harder it doesn't wallow too much - flick the bike hard from side to side at high speeds and it can become unsettled, but that's about it, and the general feeling of agility matched to stability allows a good amount of fun without getting too scared in the process.
Experienced riders will want more power and sharpness than the front brake offers, but for its intended role the stopper is adequate - it works predictably without intimidating the rider. The ABS brake option costs £345, making the F650CS by far the cheapest machine on which this is available.
If it has any limitations as a town bike, they come from the one element many people consider ideal for this sort of machine: its single-cylinder engine. Among singles, the F650CS has one of the best, offering reasonable smoothness and enough power for decent performance.
Keep the fuel-injected unit spinning between 4,000rpm and 6,000rpm and you can call it fast, but trickle it through heavy traffic and you need to work a little at maintaining the revs to prevent the transmission snatching uncomfortably - 2,000rpm is the absolute lower limit.
As a single the F650CS is extremely good, but it doesn't match a lot of twins, let alone fours, in low-revs usability. There's also a very small hesitation in opening the throttle at higher revs, which is a minor irritant. However, the final drive is by an inverted tooth belt, which is noticably smoother than a chain as well as being cleaner and easier to maintain. It also reduces transmission backlash.
This is an impressive bike in the way it addresses its target buyer, but it also has a much broader appeal - it's comfortable and capable enough for touring riders as well as commuters, and looks stylish enough to persuade younger riders, finally, that the BMW badge can be as aspirational on a bike as it is on a car.
BMW F650CS [tech/spec]
Price/availability: £5,400. On sale today.
Engine/transmission: 652cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected single-cylinder with four valves; 50bhp at 6,800rpm, 46lb ft of torque at 5,500rpm. Five-speed gearbox, belt final drive.
Performance: Top speed 110mph, average fuel consumption 52mpg.
Worth considering: Aprilia Pegaso 3, £4,674. Ducati M750 Monster, £5,890. Honda CB500S, £4,350. Kawasaki GPZ500S, £4,120. Yamaha FZS600 Fazer, £5,239.


text:
Photographer's Note
Malaysia being a multicultural country, you can see different worship places around the country.This photo was taken in Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur. A Chinese temple in a hilltop near Seputeh area. It is located on a 1.67 acres of land atop Robson Heights overlooking Federal Highway. It was completed in 1987 and officially opened in 1989. This temple, built by the Hainanese community is dedicated to Goddess Tian Hou (The Heavenly Mother).
This is one of the tourist attractions as busload of visitors coming here every half an hour. I was taking my auntie here and I took the opportunity to snap photos.
I found this rooftop shot on the top floor. It is colourful and decorated well.
I did fillplash, resize, adjust saturation, cropping and sharpening in the photo.
At first I thought of doing a major cropping of up to the red line below the blue support to give it a wide perspective, but later decided to keep the actual view.
Do give your critiques and constructive comments on how to make the photo looks better.
Critiques | Translate
kclai (2267) 2005-04-25 2:53
Hi Chai
Welcome back. A very artistic shot angle and colourful indeed. Your cropping work is good and the minor adjustment is good your shot.
Well done.
Eric Lai
PixelTerror (0) 2005-04-25 3:56
Selamat Pagi Chai,
I missed that one while in Malaysia but I can easily understand why the busloads of tourists, it looks like a very attractive place, and I like your photo of these details, it has a nice subject , perspective, brilliant colors and is well framed. A minor point is that the first dragon is slightly off focus.
Have a nice day,
aloyho (6798) 2005-05-09 2:53
Hi Chai,
Very nice contrasting colours but with good harmony. You have taken the right amount of red to make it interesting. Nice use of the perspective and repetition too. Well done! Thanks and regards.
simonekarl (404) 2005-05-21 3:10
Very vibrant, the colours really draw you in, but without making it too gaudy. I guess the Heavenly Mother is a vibrant person too. : )
I think you were right in with decision not crop to the red line.
zbjernak (43) 2005-07-12 2:07
wow....the lines are great....
lovve this shot...went to tean hou temple as well..but never get any good picture...
u r great
sarpedon (352) 2005-07-14 4:08
Wow, what a colorful photo is that and the lines into the picture. Well done.
nbournas (3229) 2005-10-18 10:57
Nice colors and perspective. I would prefer the aperture to be smaller in order to inprove the DOF. Still a nice shot. TFS.
thaprem (2558) 2006-06-20 6:09
What an array of colours!!!...
Your Idea of arraying it in a diagonal really works..Only that I would have used a smaller apperture to shoot of the shallow DOF at teh extremes to make it without any OOF Objects...
Great job.
Photo Information
- Copyright: chai TY (chaity) (1539)
- Genre: Τοποθεσίες
- Medium: Έγχρωμο
- Date Taken: 2005-04-21
- Categories: Αρχιτεκτονική
- Camera: Canon Eos Rebel 300 D, 50 mm 1.8
- Έκθεση: f/5.0, 1/400 δευτερόλεπτα
- Έκδοση φωτογραφίας: Πρωτότυπη έκδοση
- Θέμα(τα): Thean Hou Temple [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2005-04-25 0:44


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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - Weather forced three UW-Eau Claire Athletics teams to have their events cancelled today. Women's golf was able to play early Sunday to finish a suspended first round from Saturday, while men's golf and softball saw their contests cancelled.
Men's Golf
Saint John's Spring Invitational - T-1st of 18
The men's golf team tied for first place out of 18 teams after just one round of competition at the Saint John's University (Minn.) Spring Invitational. The opening round was played Saturday and Sunday's final round was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. The Blugolds tied Saint John's and St. Cloud State University (Minn.) for the top spot with 296 strokes. Brady Hanson led the Blugolds, tying for third place with 71 strokes (-1).
Women's Golf
Carleton College Invitational
After one round of competition, Kate Engler won the Carleton College Invitational, while the women's golf team finished in fourth place out of seven teams at Northfield Golf Club. Saturday's opening round was suspended because of lightening but the round was completed Sunday morning before the second round was cancelled due to weather.
UW-Eau Claire vs. UW-Whitewater - Cancelled
UW-Eau Claire vs. UW-Whitewater - Cancelled
Due to rain Sunday and expected poor weather for the next few days, the softball team's regular season finale against UW-Whitewater has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.


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By having the combination of the three Seaweeds Sweet Kelp, Dillisk and Kombu Kelp you are getting from Kombu Kelp:Iodine, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Folate (Vitamin B9) and Magnesium.
From the Sweet Kelp you get all of the above minerals plus Vitamin C and E. Our Dillisk contributes 10 / 20% protein plus Calcium, Magnesium and Beta Carotene. In all a well balanced nutritional blend which delivers a very Healthy addition to any dish.
The Uses
- Seaweed Seasoning is a very versatile product which can be used in many different ways. It can be used as a table seasoning or incorporated into your cooking and baking. It can also be used to season Fish, Chicken or Meat before or after cooking.
- As it is a lower sodium option it can be used as an alternative to salt and all food preparations.
- Delicious in your bread, scones, muffins, brownies and biscuits, therefore making it suitable for use in both sweet and savoury foods. When used in soups, stews, chowder, stir frys or any everyday dish it enhances the flavour whilst delivering many health benefits.
- Because of its unique UMAMI flavour it is a perfect addition to smoked salmon, salad, shellfish or just on your regular sandwich.
- This product is available in 50 grams and also available with added salt.


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Facebook: Marine Corps Emblem Violates Community Standards?
Rumor: A Facebook page was suspended because the Marine Corps emblem violates the network's community standards?
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It's been a crazy summer filled with travel in the US, Europe and Japan. I'm finally back home, where I have a few moments to catch my breath and reflect on everything that happened this summer.
I started in Japan, from where I flew august 6th to Redmond, Oregon for an advanced pickleball boot camp. From there I flew to a still intact Houston, where I did clinics, lessons and played some of the most fun (and drunk) pickleball ever in Victor and Natalie's backyard. I also ate entirely too much Vietnamese food and survived Chinese torture – I mean massage – with Joe and Agatha. From there it was off to Vail, Colorado for more camps and clinics. Jerry Stevens and the Vail pickleball club put me up in an awesome condo and hosted me so well. Back in Colorado Springs, my Japanese friends Makoto Sato and Tomoko Takami visited for a few days, before competing in the Tournament of Champions, helping at another bootcamp in Colorado Springs, and going onto Europe.
My first stop in Europe was London, but it took me two days to get there because of a cancelled Aer Lingus flight (this is going to be a reocurring theme). So after nights in Chicago and Dublin Airport, I arrived in London, beleaguered but grateful to Louise Stephens for picking me up. An afternoon of sightseeing, evening pickleball session with the Slappers (South London Area Pickleball) and fun pub party later, I was off the Nice, France the following morning. Southern France, where it never rains, had an epic downpour so heavy that our flight diverted from Nice to Marseille. Eventually we arrived though and were treated to two great days with Pierre and Cyril of Pickleball France. A big thank you to my sponsor Paddletek for sending us over to London and Nice. From there it was off to Madrid (after another delayed flight) for the first ever Spain Pickleball Trip and third annual Spanish Open Pickleball Championships.
The tour to Spain was not without its hiccups but everyone was accommodating and we had a great time. The tournament too was not without its scheduling issues, but the multinational participants created great energy nonetheless. I met players from the US, Canada, Mexico, England, Italy, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland and Finland. There were probably even more countries represented. The Bainbridge Cup featuring North America VS. Europe proved a huge success and I was fortunate enough to win the men's open doubles with Marci Rozpedski. After the tournament, it was off the beautiful Toledo and Barcelona for touring around the country and learning Spanish history. A demonstration outside our hotel in Barcelona for Catalonian independence provided some added unexpected excitement. I should say at this point that we are planning the next Spain Pickleball Trip for September 2018 and would love to see you on the trip!
The Spain Pickleball Tour ended in Barcelona where we went our separate ways, myself to Japan via Singapore. After of course another delayed flight that caused me to miss my connection, I arrived in Tokyo, traveled home to Nagano, and back to Tokyo the next morning to start the 3rd annual Japan Pickleball Trip. We traveled around Nagano, Tokyo and Osaka visiting pickleball clubs, being hosted at wild karaoke parties, playing pickleball with local players, staying in traditional Japanese inns and eating too much food, among other activities. I was happy how the trip came together and am looking forward to the next edition in May, 2018. It's so cool to see how pickleball has grown in the 3 years we have been doing this trip and how it has contributed to the development of the sport in Japan. There is excitement for pickleball around the world and Japanese players are starting to talk about traveling to the US to compete. It is an exciting time and I'm lucky to be at the cusp.
From now, I have a month in Japan where I do a couple of walking tours, planning for next year, and time off before heading to nationals at the end of October, followed by our Pickleball Trip to St. Croix. There is a possibility of me going to Shenzhen, China at the end of October to help a local club there first so we will see. It's been crazy and I'm glad for a break this month but please stay tuned for more information about upcoming trips and events at pickleballtrips.com!


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Plasmagen Nitrate Description from APS
Gym enthusiasts and fighters can't live without Plasmagen!Now you can have the FULL-BLOWN POWER of a pre-workout powder in the convenience of a capsule.Plasmagen Nitrate delivers a perfect synergy of ingredients that allows its user to achieve these essential results.-Skin-splitting pumps-Roadmap vascularity/vasodialation-Insane VO2 max (aerobic capacity) and endurance-Explosive strength and power-Increased aerobic and anaerobic capacity-Eliminates lactic acid, ammonia and other workout related toxins-Improved recovery ratesWith results you can see and feel in just a few short workouts, Plasmagen Nitrate is the perfect compliment to your current and future supplement protocol. Get yours today and see for yourself why so many have been completely amazed by the unrivaled results of this incredible product.
Other ingredients: gelatin, titanium dioxide, FD&C red 40, FD&C blue 1.
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On workout days take between 6-10 capsules 40 minutes before workout, on an empty stomach. On non-workout days take 4 capsules.
Manufacturer's Disclaimer
Keep out of the reach of children. This product is not intended for anyone under the age of 18, pregnant or nursing. Consult your physician before using this or any other dietary supplement. Do not take this product if you have any medical condition.
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King George Palace | Athens
Recipient of the highest score in the 2009 Guest Recognition Award of Excellence from members of the Leaders Club, the King George Palace was created for people who recognize quality and demand excellence in all they do. It combines the grace and stature of a historic landmark with ultra-modern amenities and personal service that puts guests' comfort above all. A total renovation has recently restored the King George to its original glamour, while the experienced hotel personnel offer discreet and competent service around the clock.


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The male reflexes
The male reflexes
The male reflexes occupy the same positions as those of the female, thus the penis reflex is in the same position as that for the uterus and the testes is the same as the ovaries. The prostate gland reflexes are situated with the penis reflex and also at the back of the leg/foot, above the heel, .
There are also reflex points on the head for the gonads . As well as working the various reflexes for the reproductive system, it is beneficial to pay attention to the endocrine gland reflexes as they have considerable control over the gonads. In particular, the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands and their hormonal secretions have a large influence on the reproductive system. All these points should be massaged to stimulate activity and ensure that hormone secretion is balanced and gonad activity is normal. The body reflexes can also be used to this end by pressing each point for a few seconds and repeating several times for all endocrine and sex glands.
If any of the endocrine glands are tender, it may be indicating a problem with the sex glands. By working the various reflex points, it is possible to ensure a healthy reproductive system. There are a number of reflexes to the penis and testes that can help in this respect. The sex reflex below the navel should be pressed with fingers or thumb and massaged for a few seconds. Additional reflex points on the legs, about 15 cm above the ankle on the inside of the leg, should also be massaged. Initially, massage here should be for half a minute or so, because any problems will make it tender. However, with further attention it will be possible to work out the soreness. A further point on the leg lies above the knee, in the soft area on the outer edge, above the kneecap. All these reflexes, if worked in turn, will contribute to a healthy system and lead to fewer problems, such as impotence.
Impotence itself can, however, be treated. In addition to undertaking the massage of reflex points and areas mentioned above, there are further techniques that may help. There is a particularly sensitive ans stimulating area between the anus and scrotum, which should be pressed gently a number of times. It is also said that if gentle on-off pressure is applied to the scrotum, this will help.
Another problem faced by many men involves the prostate gland.
This gland is situated below the bladder and opens into the urethra, which is the duct carrying urine out of the body and which also forms the ejaculatory duct. On ejaculation, the gland secretes and alkaline fluid into the sperm to help sperm motility. In older men particularly, the prostate gland may have become enlarged, causing problems with urination. Working the appropriate reflexes may help this situation as may massaging the base of the penis. However, it is advisable to check with a medical doctor to ensure that there is no other condition present.


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Developing talents; achieving goals
Petrie boasts a quiet bush setting. Our grounds are leafy and sprawling, with plenty of trees and shade, and frequent koala visitors. We have multiple play areas, including 4 areas with climbing and adventure play structures. There are two ovals which are used for sporting and athletic activities. We also have a multipurpose court that can be used as a basketball or tennis court.
© The State of Queensland (Department of Education) 2019


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Happy Valentines Day to everyone ! This day of universal love and compassion inspires us to do what we are doing with the same vigor and determination. It was Feb 16th 2015 when we made switch to #OnlyWholeWheat restaurant. Last year we shared 7 steps to #EatRight. This year we decided that 7 steps are too many, how about just 2 now.
Last week we have had a 2-star Yelp review about how Nirmal cafe in Ypsilanti, MI don't have a Soda fountain and the water filter looks so awkward. She had other complaints too though not sure how much role the absence of soda fountain played in 2-star. I don't blame her because we may be the only #SodaFree restaurant in Michigan or even in the US. So when we transformed ourselves into Nirmal in 2013, a self-service cafe practicing 'Disruptive Eating' from a full service full Bar restaurant, first thing we did was to call Coke and asked to dismantle the soda fountain. But we continued to serve soda cans for the next 4-5 months as we wanted to go for smooth transition.
Before I dwell on why Soda free was our first agenda, I hereby mention that the lady with review admitted to our public response that she understands and appreciates our fight against obesity and how being #SodaFree makes sense. Only I wish she could have done it publicly.
Soda is bad for our health, period. Is there an adult anywhere who does not know? Kids know better than us but I am not including them here. I see big fight here for #SodaTax and how Philadelphia became the first big city to impose it in June 2016, only second city in the US after Berkley, CA. Does that surprise you? Me not. Like I come across people all the time who do not eat even potato, are not going to touch soda with a barge-pole. Then who drinks it? The low income populace or non-college educated ? The obesity and overweight prevalence is highest among the low income populace. Do you see a correlation?
In India too, there was a big fight against Cola companies and it was led by Baba Ramdev, who is credited with bringing Yoga to 200 millions or more people. Before him, Yoga was an elite thing almost same as in the US, he took it to all sections of society. He commands considerable political influence too in India. So he persuaded top Bollywood stars to not endorse Colas. Let me share one link below which and other similar links would give you an idea of anti-cola feeling in India.
Is the #SodaTax big enough to dent the cola companies here, NO? I don't know how many of us would notice 10 cents rise in 2-liter Cola price. In Mexico, they are doing it for last 2-3 years with very little impact. One thing for sure, the Soda tax won't do much to the damage what soda is inflicting on hapless people.
Let me share my take. Most of people know Soda is a sugary drink and we should avoid sugar or minimize its consumption. So Cola companies are smart and they offered Diet. But I don't see mention of Soda being most acidic drink with pH of 2.5, no kidding. See the link below.
For us, discarding Soda was easy if you see our 2nd 75:25 rule - eat 75% alkaline and 25% acidic food. If you see the chart of alkaline vs acidic foods, you would find it no-brainer. These are the food items which take us to 'Prevention is better than Cure' mode.
But the majority of soda is still sugary with high glycemic index (GI) of 90-95. So when we see something sugary, we can't control ourselves as it gives our blood sugar high spikes and instant satisfaction. Its another matter you feel again hungry in 2-3 hours and end up eating more junk foods in the form of chips and soda again.
So when we talk of 'Disruptive Eating' and how Indian Curry makes it easier and tastier as we eat more whole grain - whole wheat bread or Parboiled rice, lentils are our staple food, all these items have GI in the range of 25-50 which we should aim for. Zero GI of meat items is equally dangerous as it makes you fill your stomach physically not with blood sugar spikes and you end up eating far more specially meat.
So when people enter Nirmal cafe in Ypsilanti, MI, they don't see a soda fountain, the first jolt. Then they see our menu, still soda is missing. But then they see plenty of other Indian drinks from Chai tea to Lassi (yogurt drink) to Cumin drink to fresh lemon water, you won't find all these even at other Indian restaurants. Like lemon water would be the most alkaline drink to contrast with soda.But what we have done extra is to offer all these drinks including juices, 2% milk in 8 Oz for $1, same as soda drinks. Again may be few restaurant have such options. So if you don't drink soda, you end up coughing up $2 for smoothies or other drinks. In our earlier fine dining avatar, we used to have 16 Oz mango lassi for $2.
But yes soda drinks may account for 10-15% of a restaurant' sales and it has high margin of 80% as compared to 35-40% for food. Or other drinks may have 50% margin at most. So why restaurant owners would go for #SodaFree. 2-3 reasons I can think of.
- First, as a restaurant owner, we are serving the same community in which we live. We don't get customers from Ohio or Grand rapids, MI at Nirmal. So if we know by serving soda, we are harming the innocents, that could be the major influencer.
- The City can do its own part. How about subsidizing the license fee for #SodaFree restaurants or the Utility providers like DTE giving 15%-20% off in their monthly bills or the local banks coming up with interest free loan to cushion the initial revenue loss.
#OnlyWholeWheat restaurant is equally important and it is easier to achieve. It does not entail any revenue loss on the part of restaurant. I do mention all the time in my blog posts why we should go for Whole wheat. The heart disease is No1 killer in the US and just switching to whole wheat reduces the heart disease risk by 20% as per the research of University of Washington and Harvard's on the similar lines.
One more thing if you don't know. Sugar or the white breads are used to calculate the Glycemic index (GI). Yes the white breads are that bad. We struggled a lot to discard the Naan white bread at Nirmal and it took us almost a year. Naan may be the most popular item in Indian cuisine and it is made in special oven called Tandoor. See our earlier post 'Why whole wheat.'
Once majority of restaurants start serving only 'whole wheat bread', its price would go down. Or restaurants may keep option of white breads if someone asks. Because the whole wheat breads does not have much processing, hence it should be cheaper than the white breads which goes through whole lot of processing. But because majority of us don't care about it, we pay more for healthy eating - whole wheat bread.
Healthy people make a city great, not only jobs and businesses. We have long taken refuge in #FreedomOfPersonalChoice and the small governments. If 5% of world population would continue eating 52% of world medicines as we do here, basically we are letting more government in our life in the form of subsidy in the health insurance, or food stamps as our health does not permit a stable job or kids losing the school hours often resulting in the school closures here in Michigan.
All of us can do our part - ask your cities to promote such cafes and restaurants and you do it by discarding Soda and white breads at all costs. We owe this to our community, country, the planet and our future generations.


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Crunch Report | Comma.ai Launches Panda
Comma.ai launches an $88 universal car interface called Panda Tesla will build worlds largest battery storage facility for Australian wind farm Credits Written by: Tito Hamze, John MannesHosted by: Tito HamzeFilmed by:Joe ZolnoskiEdited by: Chris Gates Notes: I dont know what to wear on Crunch Report (Its a hard decision and I suck at dressing myself). If you are a startup andwant to me to wear something mail me an XL T-shirt and Ill wear it in an episode. Im not going to mention the company on the shirt in…Read More


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Design: This cocoon-like shape opens up to reveal a spacious compartment. Internally, this Timsah features two main compartments, a light grey lining and a padded laptop pocket. In addition, this backpack has a black MemoryTech hood that can be stowed away neatly when not in use.
Material: The surface of this tactile grey fabric has a slight sheen and creates satisfying folds, inviting the visual association of the potential of fresh, malleable clay - ready to be molded to any form.
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I was just looking at some pictures from my trip to Ireland in 2009 when I remembered tomorrow is St. Patrick's day! Hope everyone enjoys the day and the weekend :)
This song always, always makes me smile and this version on YouTube has such beautiful landscape shots: {Somewhere over the rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo´ole }
I've always liked ducks, but I have become a much bigger fan recently. I'm happy to see that Mallards are very, very far from being endangered. Here's one of my little friends below. This is an Irish Mallard (because I saw him in Dublin) :)


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The Microtek ScanMaker 6800 ($400) is the most expensive product in our roundup. But if you need to scan scratched or dirty prints, this is the model to buy. That's because the 6800 is the first flatbed print scanner equipped with Applied Science Fiction's fabulous Digital ice technology, which appeared in film scanners a few years ago and makes its debut here for print scanners.
The 6800 has five one-touch buttons (scan, copy, e-mail, ocr, and scan-to-Web) and a built-in transparency adapter. Instead of carriers, the adapter has a 4-by-6 translucent window and a one-piece, flexible template for masking negatives and transparencies. Unfortunately, it cannot hold 35-mm negative strips straight or flat.
The 6800 comes equipped with both usb 2.0 and FireWire interfaces, and the unit ships with a FireWire board and cable as well as a usb cable. Also bundled with the scanner is Microtek's scanning utility, ScanWizard 5, Adobe Photoshop Elements 1.1, and Ulead's Photo Explorer 7.0, plus trial versions of Applied Science Fiction's Digital roc and Digital sho Photoshop plug-ins.
ScanWizard's standard control panel, designed for novices, is easy, intuitive, and direct. And its advanced control panel, for experienced users, is complex and comprehensive, with all the tools any pro could want.
The most notable physical feature on the 6800 is its two lamps, which are needed to produce the 3-D scans that Digital ice requires. In our testing, we scanned several scratched and dirty prints and were pleasantly surprised with the results. Dirt and surface scratches were effectively removed, while deep gouges that penetrated the paper were diminished. Digital ice does increase brightness, and in images that were originally overexposed, it tended to pick up a slight green shift. Also, Microtek's implementation of Digital ice works only with prints, as the 6800 is not equipped with the infrared light source needed for scanning film.
Because Digital ice requires two passes to work its magic, the 6800 showed slow performance. Our 5-by-7 test print took well over 5 minutes. But without Digital ice enabled, the 6800 posted respectable performance times. It calibrated and initialized in less than 6 seconds and scanned a preview in about 13 seconds. The 6800 took 16 seconds to scan our test photo.
As we've come to expect from Microtek, our test scans were sharper with the 6800 than with the other models we reviewed. The test scans also exhibited excellent color, though with some clipping in the highlights. All in all, the 6800 is an excellent photo scanner, especially when you consider Digital ice's ability to restore old, dirty, or scratched prints.


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#MayWeRead Book that Made You Cry
Allegiant (Veronica Roth) (And no, I still haven't forgiven her for it...)
J.M. Hackman
Cora and the Nurse Dragon by H.L. Burke.
Bethany A. Jennings
Halayda by Sarah Delena White
Laura A. Grace
I ugly cry every single time I read the scene where Beth dies in Little Women. It's so beautifully written, and poor Beth! Who wouldn't cry over her?
Pam Halter
Jenny of the Grand Tetons was the first book I remember reading and sobbing over.
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. This was the first book to ever make me cry. I challenge anyone to make it through THAT PART (you know the one) without bawling your eyes out.
A. K. R. Scott
Phantom Story of His Life
Khiatons-Cathy Smith
Sage by Jamie Foley - All. The. Feels.
Laurie Lucking
Schindler's List. It was an A-Level text I studied, and it was the first book to do so.
Lauren H Salisbury
The Student and the Slave by Annie Douglass Lima has one of the most powerfully written scenes I've ever read, about a man sold into slavery. The whole series is full of tearful episodes, though!
Katy Huth Jones
Two books which have made me cry even after reading them more than once are White Wolf and the Ash Princess by Tammy Lash and So Sang the Dawn by Annie Pavese. These are both gritty stories with some truly sob-worthy scenes...and the endings are filled with so much beauty and hope you don't mind the agonies you had to endure to get to the ending.
Savannah Jezowski
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Fantastic Writes!
A blog about all things fantasy from the elements we all love to how to write it. Posts are from our very own Fellowship of Fantasy authors.
November 2019


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Today I'm going to share an experience I had with troubleshooting random Metro application crashes on my Windows 8. My friend had just installed Windows 8 RC on his laptop, on a new partition – so it was a fresh install and not an upgrade. The reason why I asked him to do this, is because many a times,, upgrades may cause issues like random freezes and crashes, for no apparent reason. I've seen a lot of cases with Windows XP or Windows Vista upgraded to Windows 7 – so I always recommend users to perform a clean install rather than an upgrade.
Windows Store App Crashes
In spite of a clean install, Windows 8 apps were crashing. So my first hunch was to disable all security software that were running on the machine, since it tend to sometimes interfere with Windows 8 applications that are trying to connect to the Internet. This may lead to freezing and crashes of such Metro applications. Sometime just disabling Internet security software will not fix the problem. We may need to disable it from Startup and stop all the related services and reboot to complete rule out that problem. Sadly that had no affect on the problem.
So my next step was to perform a Clean Boot i.e. disable all non-Microsoft related startup items and reboot the system. This can rule out if any other application is interfering with the Windows 8 applications. I used the method described in this post on how To Manage Startup Items In Windows 8 to do so. Sadly this didn't help much. But when you're troubleshooting App crashes this is an important step to try, even if Clean Boot did not help in this case.
My next step was to run the system file checker to see if any operating system files had been corrupted. Sometime users tend to use tweaking software or system file patches that could corrupt the core windows files, which can lead to stability issues on Windows. The SFC scan reported that there weren't any problems found. But even if the result said so I had to check the logs to conform it. I have seen cases where SFC reports that there is no issues found, and still we get to see corrupted files or registry entries in the log files, which we need to manually fix. So I followed the steps provided in this post on how to analyze SFC logs in Windows 7, but strangely the logs seemed to be clean.
Then I had to go back to the basics. There are few other things that could cause the Windows apps to not work. I followed this post on how to fix Metro Tiles are not responding in Windows 8 and checked if UAC was disabled, Screen resolution of the Monitor, New Windows user account, etc. Nothing helped. I know, as a last resort I may need to have him reinstall his Windows. But I couldn't give up so easier I never considered reinstallation of Windows as a good troubleshooting step, there is nothing like troubleshooting a complicated issue and exhausting all the available resources.
Operating System 5 errors
So I researched over all Internet, started reading all the Event logs and app crash dump files. I found something interesting, there are few Operating System 5 errors; which means that there are some permission issues going on. Seems like the user had messed up the C drive permissions. I can't remember how may times I have advised users not to change the permission or any attributes of the root C folder; because that's where all the boot related files and all the system files are located. If you want to change the permission, change a specific folder or file and not the whole C drive. Anyway, I searched online for the appropriate permission required for the Windows 8 application to run properly. Luckily I found a TechNet article about Managing Client Access to the Windows Store. In that article it's mentioned that
While configuring the access permissions on any of these resources, it is important to identify which of these resources grants access to all Metro style apps and ensure that the new effective permissions do not remove that access. When supplying the permissions in SDDL form, the security identifier (SID) for ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES is S-1-15-2-1.
So I went and gave "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES" permission to root C folder and rebooted the system. Voilà no more crashes it worked just fine!
This is one of the most interesting and challenging troubleshooting case I have done in quite some time. It feels really good when you do so successfully.
More links to help you:
- Error 0x80073cf9 While Installing Apps From Windows Store In Windows 8
- Reset Windows Store Cache
- Unable to Install Apps from Windows 8 Store
- Error Code 0x8024600e When Trying To Install Or Update Windows Store Apps
- Unable to update Windows Store applications on Windows 8
- Random Windows 8 Metro App Crashes & Freezes
- Fix: Windows Store apps crashing in Windows 8, by performing Clean Uninstall using PowerShell
- Windows 8 Apps Troubleshooter
- Repair Windows 8 Apps.
Well, I hope you guys get some tips from this article. In case you encounter any problem, do let us know.