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Google and its MapReduce framework may rule the roost when it comes to massive-scale data processing, but there's still plenty of that goodness to go around. This article gets you started with Hadoop, the open source MapReduce implementation for processing large data sets. Authors Ravi Shankar and Govindu Narendra first demonstrate the powerful combination of
map and
reduce in a simple Java program, then walk you through a more complex data-processing application based on Hadoop. Finally, they show you how to install and deploy your application in both standalone mode and clustering mode.
Are you amazed by the fast response you get while searching the Web with Google or Yahoo? Have you ever wondered how these services manage to search millions of pages and return your results in milliseconds or less? The algorithms that drive both of these major-league search services originated with Google's MapReduce framework. While MapReduce is proprietary technology, the Apache Foundation has implemented its own open source map-reduce framework, called Hadoop. Hadoop is used by Yahoo and many other services whose success is based on processing massive amounts of data. In this article we'll help you discover whether it might also be a good solution for your distributed data processing needs.
We'll start with an overview of MapReduce, followed by a couple of Java programs that demonstrate the simplicity and power of the framework. We'll then introduce you to Hadoop's MapReduce implementation and walk through a complex application that searches a huge log file for a specific string. Finally, we'll show you how to install Hadoop in a Microsoft Windows environment and deploy the application -- first as a standalone application and then in clustering mode.
You won't be an expert in all things Hadoop when you're done reading this article, but you will have enough material to explore and possibly implement Hadoop for your own large-scale data-processing requirements.
About MapReduce
MapReduce is a programming model specifically implemented for processing large data sets. The model was developed by Jeffrey Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat at Google (see "MapReduce: Simplified data processing on large clusters"). At its core, MapReduce is a combination of two functions --
map() and
reduce(), as its name would suggest.
A quick look at a sample Java program will help you get your bearings in MapReduce. This application implements a very simple version of the MapReduce framework, but isn't built on Hadoop. The simple, abstracted program will illustrate the core parts of the MapReduce framework and the terminology associated with it. The application creates some strings, counts the number of characters in each string, and finally sums them up to show the total number of characters altogether. Listing 1 contains the program's
Main class.
Listing 1. Main class for a simple MapReduce Java app
public class Main
public static void main(String[] args)
MyMapReduce my = new MyMapReduce();
Listing 1 just instantiates a class called
MyMapReduce, which is shown in Listing 2.
Listing 2. MyMapReduce.java
import java.util.*;
public class MyMapReduce
As you see, the crux of the class lies in just four functions:
- The
init()method creates some dummy data (just 30 strings). This data serves as the input data for the program. Note that in the real world, this input could be gigabytes, terabytes, or petabytes of data!
step1ConvertIntoBuckets()method segments the input data. In this example, the data is divided into six smaller chunks and put inside an
buckets. You can see that the method takes a list, which contains all of the input data, and another
numberOfBuckets. This value has been hardcoded to five; if you divide 30 strings into five buckets, each bucket will have six strings each. Each bucket in turn is represented as an
ArrayList. These array lists are put finally into another list and returned. So, at the end of the function, you have an array list with five buckets (array lists) of six strings each.
These buckets can be put in memory (as in this case), saved to disk, or put onto different nodes in a cluster!
step2RunMapFunctionForAllBuckets()is the next method invoked from
init(). This method internally creates five threads (because there are five buckets -- the idea is to start a thread for each bucket). The class responsible for threading is
StartThread, which is implemented as an inner class. Each thread processes each bucket and puts the individual result in another array list named
intermediateresults. All the computation and threading takes place within the same JVM, and the whole process runs on a single machine.
If the buckets were on different machines, a master should be monitoring them to know when the computation is over, if there are any failures in processing in any of the nodes, and so on. It would be great if the master could perform the computations on different nodes, rather than bringing the data from all nodes to the master itself and executing it.
step3RunReduceFunctionForAllBuckets()method collates the results from
intermediateresults, sums it up, and gives you the final output.
Note that
needs to combine the results from the parallel processing explained in the previous bullet point. The exciting part is that this process also can happen concurrently!


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Easy At Home Nail Art 15 - Half Moon with Polka DotsHi ladies, this simple nail art is again for the 30 Day Nail Art Challenge and the theme for today is Polka Dots. Its a very simple yet an ageless design. I have not come across a girl who doesn't go "Awwwww" after seeing polka dots. My last polka dots design Retro With Polka Dot Nail Art made me realize that. And I have never been away from my dotting tool since then. Its like some super natural power drawing my shaking hands towards the dotting tool every time I indulge in a nail art, like its assuring me that "Pick Me, I will never go wrong" :). Trust me, its only off late, after I my Chained in Pink Nail Art did I decide to make an attempt to stay away for overtly feminine and dotty nail arts :). Just for a change and some unexplored adventure :)
Anyways, following what I decided for my self, I am trying to refrain from using dots. Even for this polka dot challenge, I have tried in going for a non-feminine or cute kind of nail art. Lets see how much I succeeded.
Items Used
- Avon Cranberry Nail paint
- White Acrylic Paint/ Nail Paint
- Dotting Tool/ Tooth Pick
- Top Coat and Base Coat
How to get the Half Moon
- Clean, cut and file your nails. Do the top coat and allow them to dry.
- Paint all your nails with the Avon Cranberry Nail paint.
- Take up the white paint on your dotting tool and start drawing the half moon. You could get the half moon on any side of your nail, they would all look equally beautiful.
- Finish it with the top coat.
Well, didn't I say this nail art was very simple and easy? It took like a two minutes to finish both hands :). I think this is a classy nail art and very wearable to work. One could use a lighter color or beige to tone down. I am not sure how you feel about this nail art but I hope you would appreciate the non cute and feminine version of polka dots.
I have also included another version of this nail art. I just tried to go little far in the experiment. The half moon was good and complete in itself , I do not why did I attempt to do this. Well, I am not sure if this was good, but I got the entire thing off my nails. I did not like it.

subset: commoncrawl


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( By J.-J. Guilbert )
Pages: Index | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
Chapter 1: Priority health problems and educational objectives - The road to relevance
Mapping reality
Mapping reality means identifying the factors that have an impact on the health of the community; in other words, getting on the road to relevance.
Identifying the health problems of the community
Identifying the overall goals of national health policy
Identifying support systems
Identifying institutional goals
Identifying the players in activities relating to health
Personal notes
What is meant by relevance?
The most important quality in an educational programme is its relevance. Training programmes for health personnel must enable the graduates to cope effectively with the problems they will encounter in the context of their work.
The first step is therefore to identify and analyse the health problems of the community so as to be able to define the community's health needs. These elements will serve as the starting point for the design of an educational programme.
A first comprehensive assessment of health problems will bring to light so many complex problems that it would be impossible (and probably futile) to include them all in an analysis of the health situation. It will therefore be necessary to define priorities and select those that are regarded as most important for an educational programme.
These factors should then be examined to see how they interact, or in other words, to make a causal analysis.
Rank (in order of priority1) the health problems in your own community.
1 Use criteria 1, 2 and 3 given at the top of page 3.52.
High-priority community health problems
Make a causal analysis of the priority health problems you have identified.
You may now wish to reconsider the order of priority you had established.
Identifying health policy orientation
Most countries have developed some sort of policy orientation to address health problems. But they may not have formulated any explicit goals. If your country has not set itself any health goals, it would be useful to review existing national plans in areas with some relation to health, such as nutrition, agriculture or education, in order to derive an idea of the country's general goals for health.
You should now obtain copies of your country's relevant documents on these questions.
On the basis of your country's plans, identify the general national goals that relate to the health situation. Compare them with the health problems you have already identified (page 1.09)
General national goals for health


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"shows every other band out there what's possible with the right attitude and spirit of independence."
– Kerrang! (KKKK)
"Simply colossal" – NME (4* – Album of The Week)
"It looks like this scene might finally have a band to believe in." – Metal Hammer (8/10)
"massive, slamming riffs lurking around every corner." – Rock Sound (8/10)
April 21, 2017 – Los Angeles, CA – While She Sleeps' third album You Are We has been released direct from the band to their fans today as they kick off an extensive tour of the UK – many of the shows are already sold out. Fans can purchase the album now at http://smarturl.it/YouAreWeST .
With the help of their loyal fanbase, the band have funded the album project through Pledge Music and achieved well over 200% of their initial goal.
Latest single 'Silence Speaks' (feat Oli Sykes) has received big support at BBC Radio 1 and is still climbing high in the Kerrang! Rock Chart.
Made with Carl Bown, who also produced Brainwashed, the songs that comprise You Are We are full of as much force, focus and determination as ever. This new and vital body of work will continue the band's trajectory as one of the most inspiring, riotous and important voices in British music today, demonstrating both their continued musical evolution and their incisive social conscience. Yet while these are brutal anthems that paint a vivid picture of a post-Brexit Britain, they stand as both the most universal and most personal songs of the band's career.


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Main Content
About the Secretary
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson
Connie Lawson is Indiana's 61st Secretary of State. As Indiana's Chief Elections Officer, she is focused on ensuring the integrity and security of our state's elections. Since taking office, Secretary Lawson has championed sweeping election reforms, and has led the effort to clean Indiana's voter rolls. A tireless advocate for increasing Indiana's financial literacy and protecting Indiana investors, Secretary Lawson educates Hoosiers about smart money decisions and fights for stringent penalties for white collar criminals. She is also directing substantial innovation and leveraging cutting edge technology to improve how businesses interact with government by leading the charge on the state's business one-stop portal.
Secretary Lawson is not just an advocate for election security. She is also working to modernize elections through vote centers. As a state Senator, Secretary Lawson authored legislation allowing any county in the state to move to the vote center model and no-excuse early voting for all. As Secretary of State, she works to educate voters and elected officials on the cost saving benefits and convenience of the vote center model, which allows voters to vote anywhere in their county and requires extra early voting locations. Thirty-five counties and counting have since made the decision to adopt vote centers.
She is committed to putting financial criminals behind bars, and believes that stronger financial literacy is the best way to protect Hoosiers from falling prey to scams. Hoosiers' financial education is often overlooked, but Secretary Lawson is working to end this cycle by covering the taboo topic of money and providing free financial courses in high schools statewide.
She's also working to modernize the way the state does business by creating INBiz, a nationally recognized one-stop business portal that serves as businesses' single point of contact for registration, filing, reporting and making payments across state agencies.
Secretary Lawson lends her substantial leadership experience to help great organizations. She serves as Past President of the National Association of Secretaries of State, an honorary governor of the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series, the honorary chairwoman of the Lupus Foundation of Indiana, and a co-chair of the Hendricks County United Way.
Prior to serving as Secretary of State, Lawson served in the Indiana Senate for sixteen years, where she accomplished significant legislative success. Respected across the aisle, she quickly earned the admiration of her colleagues and made history in 2006 when she was selected as the first woman to serve as Majority Floor Leader in the Indiana Senate.
Before joining the Indiana Senate, Lawson served as Clerk of the Hendricks County Circuit Court for eight years. During her tenure, she was named elections administrator of the year by the Indiana State Election Board and clerk of the year by the Indiana Clerk's Association, both in 1993.
As a public servant, Lawson has been a true inspiration to women in government, an agent of change for Indiana counties and a determined advocate for the prevention of diseases that would rob us of our loved ones. In addition to her public work, she and her husband Jack own Lawson & Company, an auctioneer and real estate company.
Contact information:
Download high resolution image of Secretary Lawson here.
Online Services
- Form a New Business
- File a Supplemental Business Filing
- File Entity Report
- File UCC
- File a Securities Complaint
- Search Securities Registrations
- Precious Metal Dealer Registration
- View Election Results
- Search list of valid auto dealers
- Forms.IN.gov
- More IN.gov Online Services
- IN.gov Subscriber Center


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Commercial Solar
The business community at large emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Solar is a commercially viable and 100% clean solution that not only saves you money and reduces your carbon footprint, but also positions your business as the environmental leader in your industry.
As an industry leader, Modern is the trusted and respected supplier of solar power systems for business and home solar power systems across Australia. At Modern, our expertise is drawn from over 35 years of experience in the home improvements sector.
Our national network of accredited solar panel installers and technicians guarantees that responsive and expert technical support is always at hand. We stock the highest quality solar panels and components including inverters, mounting racks and brackets, batteries, wiring and fittings so when it comes to having your system designed, we provide the whole package.
Tax exemption on commercial solar has never been easier. With any business expense up to $20,000 for small business now being 100% tax deductable – Now is the best time for small business to consider solar.
Save up to thousands per year off power bills. $20,000 is generally more than enough for a small business to install an effective solar system.
Considering taking advantage of the new tax cuts for a solar system?We have over 35 years industry experience installing high quality solar systems across Australia. Get in touch with us today to book a consultation with one of our commercial solar experts to discuss options on a new tax-exempt solar system.
Our Pannel
Modern's commercial solar panel range allow you to harness the powerful Australian sun to generate solar energy – the cleanest, greenest and most viable form of renewable energy available for powering your home, business or community organisation.
The benefits of installing solar panels are significant; as well as dramatically cutting your energy bills, by switching to solar power you can help reduce the impact of climate change and lead the way to a sustainable Australia.
What's more, any surplus power you generate from solar panels can be sold back to the main grid. And thanks to the commercial solar rebate schemes and other government incentives, investing in solar panels is more affordable than ever for your business.
By installing Modern Solar Panels, you can:
- Reduce – or even eliminate – your power bills
- Avoid future energy price hikes
- Increase the value of your property
- Sell electricity back to the grid
- Cut your carbon footprint
- Lead by example in your community
Our business solar grid-tie systems are custom designed with your needs and budget in mind by our qualified engineers, so you can add more to your bottom line with solar energy.
Give your business the competitive edge with Solar Power!
A Modern Solar Commercial Solar Power System offers a perfect solution for your company's energy needs. We work hard to maximise the return on your solar investment and ensure that our business solar systems are the best option for you and your company.
Benefits to your business
Financial Benefits of Commercial Solar
Businesses in Australia can save thousands of dollars each year with a commercial solar power system from Modern Solar.
- Sell your solar power with Feed-In Tariffs
State feed-in tariffs allow producers of renewable energy to sell the power they generate back to the grid for a price many times that for which they buy it, opening up an additional revenue stream. The more power you generate, the greater the rewards.
- Small Scale Technology Certificates (STCs)
Small scale technology certificates are created with the installation of your solar power systems and these STCs can be traded at the market price. You can even assign them to us at a premium rate to lower your initial investment and improve your ROI.
Protection from future price hikes
Solar power for business is a secure investment that reduces your exposure to the continuing rising costs of energy. Protect your business against these long term trends as well as insulate it against short term volatility with our predictable green energy solution.
- No Ongoing hassles or expenses
Modern's range of reliable solar power systems have no moving parts and require virtually no maintenance, saving you from recurring costs. We back all our commercial solar systems with a 25 year guarantee and they have a life expectancy of much more. We are Australia's largest home improvement company with a rock solid 30 year track record for unparalleled customer service and post installation support.
- The asset that keeps on giving
Investing in solar is a long-term capital asset for your business and adds immeasurable value to your commercial property.
Environmental Benefits of Commercial Solar
- Reduce your carbon footprint
Your Modern commercial solar power system will significantly reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gas emissions resulting from your day-to-day business energy use. In fact, a 10-kilowatt system over its lifetime will prevent over 200 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the air we breathe.By installing a business solar power system, you are investing in the sustainability of your business and the environment for generations to come. Solar electricity is the clean and silent energy alternative and as a forward thinking company you also signal to the market that you are taking an active role for your community.
- Sustainable competitive advantage
Differentiate your business from competitors today and improve your positioning within the marketplace. Improve stakeholder relations by attracting environmentally conscious customers and staff who believe in your sustainable business.
Modern can offer your business an expert feasibility assessment and site review. After gathering the necessary data, we will give you an understanding of the investment required if we believe that solar power is the practical solution. Once we're on the same page, we'll design the system and provide everything you need for you to make an intelligent decision.
Why partner with modern?
In recent years, the many benefits of commercial solar power have compelled government institutions, public organisations and private entities to take notice and to take action.
At Modern we are uniquely positioned to be your trustworthy and reliable solar partner for now and years to come. In addition to our strong growth in the commercial solar market, our value proposition is unique in that we are also the largest installer of home solar power panels.
Our business model allows us to leverage our continuing success in the residential market to benefit our small – medium enterprise clients through improved purchasing power and decreased risk as a long term partner.
With thousands of home and business solar panel installations, all approved by Australian standards, our experience is second to none so you can be sure that your solar photovoltaic system will be installed to the highest of professional standards.
The strength provided by our ever growing local residential customers allows us the resources to provide accredited and licensed solar panel installers and technicians in every state, so expert support will always be quickly at hand. Most of our clients get started with an entry level system to begin enjoying all the benefits of commercial solar power and then build on it over time. So whether it is advice or an upgrade you are after, we'll be able to promptly plan and provide it.
Partnering with Modern for business solar helps create for you a competitive advantage and demonstrates your commitment to environmental leadership. Investing in a Modern Solar commercial solar power system also establishes a visible and marketable point of difference for your company, now and in the future.
At Modern we are very passionate about the environment and protecting the planet for future generations through the use of renewable energy. By helping you to reduce your carbon emissions, Modern is contributing to a bigger world picture and fulfilling our mission.
Our Process
1. Free Onsite Energy Analysis
Modern offer a free and thorough analysis of your energy expenses and consumption to help evaluate what business solar system would benefit your business most. Initially we collect some basic information such as the suitable area available for use, eligibility for government incentives, solar rebates and monthly power consumption information. We also take into account environmental considerations such as climate and sun exposure variables together with building characteristics.
2. Consultation and Feasibility Study
To help assess your needs and the right size entry level system for your business, Modern Solar will discuss your financial and environmental goals for the project. We conduct a comprehensive investment analysis using all the information gathered so far and develop forecasting models so you get an accurate overview of the level of cost savings to expect in the coming decades.
3. System Design
Modern accredited and certified engineers will design a solar power system tailored to your business needs. We will undertake a thorough site inspection to capture exact measurements and process any relevant building engineering information. This precise system design is customised specifically for your organisation's objectives, site and budget to ensure the optimal outcome.
4. Government Applications
We undertake all subsidy and solar rebate applications on your behalf, whether local, state or federal, so you have a hassle free transition from design through to installation. Our extensive experience in this area ensures that you receive the maximum possible benefits from government solar credits, solar rebates and tax incentives. We can also credit the RECs generated by your system up front so you only need to invest the net amount while we wait for reimbursement by the government.
5. Installation and Integration
A Modern site project manager will be your point of contact and will be responsible for managing our local team of installers, engineers and technicians, manage all aspects of installation, from site preparation and logistics to roof panel mounting and system integration. Using world class best practices and our market leading experience, we will complete your system installation and connection with the utility grid on time and to our highest of standards.
6. Promotion and Publicity
Our in-house marketing team will work very closely with you on all areas of public relations. From planning the initial launch and promotion of your renewable energy solution, to ongoing efforts in communicating your environmental leadership to your customers, suppliers, staff or even getting the local community involved and aware. Our commercial solar systems not only reduce your electricity expenses and lower your business' carbon footprint, but also earn you the exciting new publicity opportunities that you deserve.
7. Project Follow Up and Support
Modern will regularly follow up to ensure that your system is performing as designed and providing the cost savings you expected. If required, technical support or upgrade requests will be promptly addressed and fulfilled by our extensive network of accredited installers, technicians and engineers across the country.
Commercial Solar Projects
With over 35 years' experience in the home improvement industry, you can't go past Modern for your commercial solar needs. Modern truly believe in commercial solar, and we have seen first-hand the enormous economic and environmental impact a commercial solar system can have. Commercial solar also improves your corporate image and will increase your brand's favourability in the eyes of consumers.
At Modern we have an all-inclusive commercial solar energy offering:
- Specialised and tailored solutions for each individual business
- Affordable packages which ensure excellent ROI
- The highest quality panels and installation methods
- A friendly and extremely responsive service team
- Vast amount of experience having installed over 15,000 residential, commercial and not-for-profit solar projects
- Flexible lease options ensuring low payback period and high yield


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Please visit our email support portal at http://help.zgraph.com/ and login with your email and password.
Please submit a ticket on our support portal: support.zgraph.com
or call us at 386-255-5556
We are available Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm Eastern Standard Time.
If you need assistance after hours, please submit a ticket at https://support.zgraph.com/ and we'll get back with you as soon as possible.
Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce


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Halloween is fast approaching and, for hundreds gathering in Cromwell this weekend, that means getting dressed up in costumes and participating in shenanigans. Sounds normal, right?
The difference here is that these are adults in full-body costumes.
Picture Big Bird gathering with the cast of Eureka's Castle and Timmy the Tooth to party in the name of Halloween, costumes and charity.
The event is FurFright, a Halloween-themed anthropomorphic convention.
Anthropomorphism, according to the FurFright website, is "the attribution of uniquely human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings."
In layman's terms, when Tex Avery created Bugs Bunny, he was practicing a form of anthropomorphism. Feel free to use "anthropomorphic" the next time you play Scrabble. Your friends will be impressed.
Essentially, FurFright is a three-day event similar to ComiCon, where a bunch of somewhat eccentric people dress up in Halloween costumes or mascot suits and enjoy as art contests, dances and, of course, a costume contest.
FurFright supporters are pretty much exactly how one expects: down to earth, a bit crass and with no-nonsense attitudes.
But they all have big hearts and a commitment to donating to charities. Your grandmother might not like them, but they're harmless; just different.
Each day is jam-packed with fun events for all ages from dawn till dusk, including organized trick-or-treating within the hotel.
There's even a daily "newspaper" to highlight the events and recap what's happened.
Their "Code of Conduct" lays down a strict policy on alcohol and drug consumption, as well as general public behavior.
In addition to the charitable donation, FurFright brings hundreds (over 950 in 2009) of "outsiders" to Cromwell.
The 8th annual event happens at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell from Oct. 29 to the 31.


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Look in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Superman! Have you heard that popular phrase before? Superheroes are incredibly popular in today's society. With new comics, movies and TV shows coming out each week, the world has become captured by these amazing tales. They have incredible powers that defeat evil in miraculous ways.
However, these are just fun fictional characters that can't really save us. Christians, thought, understand that they do have a real-life superhero. They have someone that is always looking out for them and keeping them safe. They know they have a superhero with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the most powerful being in this universe, and nothing can stop Him. He is the world's ultimate superhero, because there are no weaknesses or limitations that make Him imperfect. Jesus has everything we need in a superhero and more, and here are 20 reasons why.
No Mistakes
No Mistakes
Most superheroes have caused problems at one point, due to a careless mistake. However, Jesus has never made a mistake. He knows all things, created all things and has authority and power over all things. He has plans for the future for each and every single one of us, and there was no mistake in how He created us. Jesus has never needed to apologize for something that has happened in the universe, because He knew it would happen before we did. Everything plays out like it does because it's a part of His bigger, grander plan. What a great power to have.
Even the strongest superheroes we read about have been scared at one point or another, weather they were afraid they were going to lose a loved one or nervous to fight someone bigger than them. Jesus has never possessed a spirit of fear. His faith in His Father, Our Lord, is so strong that it allowed Jesus to willfully submit to the greater plan. No matter what obstacle Jesus had to face through His life, He was able to stay confident. He knew fear would only hold Him back and wasn't a necessary burden to hold. He leaned on God and remained fearless.
Almost all villains in superhero movies have some type of anger issues, and sometimes the superheroes themselves do too. Jesus, however, never displayed anger in a negative way. Though He displayed righteous anger for the misuse of God's house in John 2:17, He never possessed selfish-fleshly anger. Here, His anger was pure and completely justified because at its root was concern for God's holiness and worship. Jesus never shouted out in spite, maliciousness or the like. His anger always had appropriate motivation, duration, focus and control, which is something that is very rare to find in a superhero. He taught us that we should keep our anger in check.
No Kryptonite
No Kryptonite
Even Superman has a famous kryptonite, or something that is the ultimate weakness for a superhero. Jesus, however, has no kryptonite. There is no person or substance in this galaxy that could make His powers weaken or sicken Him. When Satan tried his hardest to take Jesus down, he failed miserably and fled (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus, despite having been hungry after fasting for forty days and nights, was able to resist the temptation of the devil. He continued to power through as He always does. There is nothing that will cause Jesus to waver. There is no place in Him that is open to vulnerability.
Powerful Words
Powerful Words
Superheroes are known to give hope and inspiration to the people they come in contact with. Jesus is no different. When Jesus walked the earth, His words brought people together and transformed their lives. Today, His very words still cause people's heart to change toward allegiance with the Kingdom of God. Jesus has an incredible ability to say the right thing that will lead people to Christianity. He knows exactly what a person is going through, so He can tailor His words to resonate with each individual. While you might not hear the words of Jesus immediately, He works in mysterious ways and whispers to you when you need it the most.
Scared Demons
Scared Demons
There is a wicked force of evil spirits that roam the world called demons. These were once God's holy angels, however they fell victim to the sins of pride and rebellion. They were kicked out of heaven, and are have no chance at redemption. They know that God will not accept them back, and fear Jesus' power. Demons know Jesus and know Him well, and shutter in fear when they hear His name. As Christians, we cause demons to cower in fear as well, because they know we have Christ on our side. Jesus can cast out evil and overcome it, keeping you protected.
No Pride Issues
No Pride Issues
With all the power that comes with being a superhero, it's no surprise that many heroes let that power go to their head. Jesus never had issues with pride. Unlike Satan, Jesus accepted His power humbly and respectfully. Jesus is so secure with who He is as the Son of God, that He never felt He needed more. Jesus understood His role and accepted His identity without question. Furthermore, He didn't need material goods or a flashy life to know He had immense purpose. He was content with what He was given and knew God would provide Him with anything else.
Couldn't Be Outsmarted
Couldn't Be Outsmarted
Superheroes, while strong, sometimes are tricked by villains due to their pride, negligence or lack of knowledge. Jesus, however, has never been outsmarted by anyone or anything. For example, the Pharisees tried hard to bring Jesus down and even used the Word of God to do so. The trap failed, because Jesus is "word made flesh." He cannot be outsmarted, trapped or tricked because He already is all knowing. In one instance Jesus made the Pharisees look so foolish that they had to stop arguing with Him (Matthew 22:23-46). No matter how smart you think you might be, Jesus simply is smarter.
Didn't Wear a Mask
Didn't Wear a Mask
Most superheroes wear costumes with masks to hide their true identity from the world. Jesus is the opposite, and has always been open and honest about who He was. He didn't need a mask, a created identity or a double-lifestyle. He wanted people to know the truth, so that they could begin to see and understand who God was. Jesus knew that He would reach more people if He was open, vulnerable and honest about His identity. His followers responded to this positively, and felt comfortable getting to know Jesus. If Jesus chose to hide behind a mask, many would not have gotten to know the Lord.
Was Never in Danger
Was Never in Danger
No matter what obstacle Jesus faced in life, He was never in any true danger. There were many times that people tried to kill Jesus, including try to throw Him off the edge of a cliff (Luke 4:29). All these people failed, because Jesus is in control of the timing of everything including His death. God had the life of Jesus already planned out, and Jesus knew this plan well in advance. Even when Jesus hung on the cross, He knew He was safe because the Lord would have Him rise again. There was nothing Jesus faced that required Him to be afraid.
Connected With People
Connected With People
Jesus didn't need a batcave to hide away from the world. Jesus was the opposite – a huge extrovert and people person. He appreciated being with others and sharing the Word of God with them. He would praise God with His followers and teach them how to bring others to Christianity. Even today, Jesus is able to connect with people on a huge scale. Through His word in the Bible and the miracles He continually performs, more and more people get to know Jesus. He works hard to build meaningful, sustainable relationships with Christians like a good superhero should.
Both God and Man
Both God and Man
Jesus is not just supernatural, He is so much more. Christians articulated a definition of who Jesus is based on the Bible back in 451 A.D. That definition is still held today: Jesus is fully God and fully man. He has two natures that are united, never confused, and never divided. Understanding how Jesus can be both might be confusing at first, but God has graciously revealed enough that we can understand the essence of who Jesus is. He can understand both what humans are going through on earth, while still being the ultimate Son of God. Other superheroes don't have this type of insight.
Died to Save His Enemies
Died to Save His Enemies
Most superheroes are motivated by saving innocent people and destroying their enemies. Jesus, however, died on the cross for all people on earth, even those that didn't follow Him, believe in Him, or respect Him. What superhero would do something like this? Only Jesus would die to save the people who wanted Him dead. Jesus knew that His sacrifice was necessary to give everyone the chance to apologize for their sins. He was gracious enough to make that available to all people, no matter what sins they had already committed. His ability to forgive even the worst enemy is a supernatural power.
Never Sinned
Never Sinned
No human, or superhero, has been able to live a life without sin. Yet Jesus was able to live a sinless life that was in accordance with the Word of God. Jesus was able to proudly live a blameless, spotless life that made Him worthy to be God's Son. Despite being man, Jesus wasn't tempted by the evil of the world. Several verses in the Bible back up this claim, for example 1 Peter 2:22 says "He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth." Furthermore when the Pharisees tried to accuse Jesus of sin they realized they couldn't, because there were no charges that could be brought against Him.
Controlled the Elements
Controlled the Elements
Some superheroes may be able to fight in the midst of a storm, but only one could simply tell the storm to calm down and have it obey. Jesus is able to control everything, including the elements. In Luke 8:22-25, Jesus and His disciples were on a boat when a giant gust of wind descended on the lake. The disciples panicked and asked Jesus to help. Jesus got up and stopped the wind and surging waves, and made the sky peaceful and calm. The power that Jesus has surpasses our understanding, and certainly beats out any power that fictional superheroes may have.
Universal Authority
Universal Authority
Jesus has been given authority over heaven and earth. He knows everything that will happen on earth and controls the bigger plan. As His Christian followers, Jesus has transferred some of that authority to us to act on His behalf on earth. He has instructed us to share the faith with others, celebrate God's Word, and help fight injustice. Other superheroes, though they might think they run the world, will never be able to do so in the way that Jesus does. Jesus' authority allows Him to make whatever changes He sees necessary.
No Technology
No Technology
In today's modern society, technology is something most of us cannot live without. It's featured everywhere in popular superhero shows, such as the Batmobile in Batman. While these are fun gadgets we wish we had, Jesus didn't need any technology to be successful. Jesus relied only on the Holy Spirit aiding and guiding Him on the journey that God willed for His life. He didn't need an invisibility cloak or flying exosuit to complete His mission. With just the power of the Lord, Jesus was able to save the world. What a true, powerful superhero.
Walked on Water
Walked on Water
There are many examples of miracles from Jesus throughout the Bible, but one of the most well-known is Jesus walking on water. This action was no big deal for Jesus, but rather just another logical means of transportation. By walking on water, Jesus again showed Himself as the Creator. What normal person would be able to do such a thing? This was such a marvelous sight, that the disciples who were present during this miracle thought Jesus was a ghost at first. They cried out in fear upon seeing Him, but had their anxiety calmed when Jesus announced His presence (Matthew 14:22-23).
Weapons Not Necessary
Weapons Not Necessary
Many superheroes use some type of weapon – such as a gun, hammer or knife – in order to beat up the villains. Jesus never needed a weapon to fight off His enemies, and instead was able to solve problems with peace. He understood He was already God's ultimate weapon against the enemy. He encouraged others to adopt this view, and to leave the violent items behind. For example, when Peter resorted to violence in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus corrected Him. Peter had taken out a sword and attacked a soldier, cutting off his ear. Jesus responded with "Put back your sword, for those who take up the sword will surely perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).
Defeated Death
Defeated Death
Jesus defeated the one nemesis that all other heroes are subject to, death. Jesus hung on a cross for hours suffering from tremendous torture, until He ultimately was gone. Three days later, the Lord commanded life to come back into His body. Jesus was able to resurrect Himself…now that's superpower! That same resurrection power is available to all. Through following Jesus and confessing our sins, we are able to be born again and find an eternal life in heaven. It allows us to imitate Him and be superheroes for the Kingdom of God.
Superheroes are fun characters we can follow, but no fictional character will ever be able to replace the world's one true superhero – Jesus. Jesus has proven time and time again that He has the power, strength and knowledge to transform the world. He is able to overcome evil and keep us protected, like the ultimate superhero should. Praise Jesus for His selfless care of each and every one of us!


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Mark Weisbrot
The Guardian Unlimited, July 8, 2013
See article on original website
In the case of Snowden and the abuses that he exposed, it's us against them. But who is "us" and who is "them?" It started out as a story of secret government spying programs exposed by a daring whistle-blower, akin to the famous Pentagon Papers of 1971. It was "us," the citizens and residents of the United States against "them," an abusive, unaccountable government violating our rights and our constitution in secret. The citizens of other countries who had their rights violated by NSA spying, such as in Europe and now Brazil, were also part of "us."
But over the last few weeks powerful media outlets, mirroring the efforts of the U.S. government, have shifted the narrative to more convenient terrain. "Us" is "America," led by our national security state, which – if possibly overzealous sometimes – is trying to protect "us." "Them" is our adversaries – terrorists of course, but also any government that is independent enough to be branded as "anti-American." And Edward Snowden – the "fugitive leaker" at best or traitorous spy at worst -- has in some unexplained manner helped "them," and seems to be getting help from "them." In this case governments that are "anti-American," i.e. independent of Washington.
Nevermind that even Russia didn't want to get involved in the whole thing, and insisted that Snowden could only stay there if he would "cease his work aimed at damaging our American partners." The Cold War rhetoric is too irresistible for journalists steeped in its patriotic fervor. Like Mike Meyers' Austin Powers, who woke up after a decades' long nap and didn't know that the Cold War was over, they are ready to do battle with America's "enemies."
One of the most influential human rights organizations in the world, Amnesty International, didn't buy the mass media narrative. Last Tuesday it accused the U.S. government of "gross violations of [Snowden's] human rights," for trying to block him from applying for political asylum. Amnesty declared:
"It appears he is being charged by the US government primarily for revealing its - and other governments' - unlawful actions that violate human rights …
"No one should be charged under any law for disclosing information of human rights violations. . . Snowden is a whistleblower. He has disclosed issues of enormous public interest in the US and around the world."
The largest media outlets virtually ignored this voice and the legal issues that it raised.
The mass media can often determine what most people think on most issues, if given enough time and insufficient opposition. So it is not surprising that the number of people who thought that Snowden "did the right thing" has fallen over the past few weeks.
At this point, there is only one person who can turn this around: That is Edward Snowden himself. He has recorded only one interview, the one with Glenn Greenwald when he took responsibility for the disclosures. But it was a brilliant interview. He was crystal clear – morally, politically, and rhetorically:
"I'm no different from anybody else. I don't have special skills. I'm just another guy who sits there day to day in the office, watches what's happening and goes, 'This is something that's not our place to decide, the public needs to decide whether these programs and policies are right or wrong.'
The sincerity of his appeal convinced millions that he was "us" and that the people who now want to put him behind bars for life are "them."
It is understandable why he hasn't given any media interviews since then. He didn't expose these programs, despite some ridiculous punditry to the contrary, to promote himself. He wants the focus to be on the crimes committed in secret by the government, not on him. But sometimes there is no avoiding center stage. Snowden is the only person right now who can reach hundreds of millions of people with a truthful message. The media is currently hungry for his words; they are eager to ignore most of the other truth-tellers, like Amnesty International; or to disparage them. They have demonized Julian Assange, who has yet to be even charged with a single crime, not even a misdemeanor. They will eventually destroy Snowden if he does not forcefully speak out and defend himself.
This has practical as well as political consequences. On Friday Venezuela and Nicaragua offered asylum to Snowden, followed by Bolivia on Saturday. And there are an unknown number of other countries – including Ecuador – that would almost certainly grant him asylum if he showed up there. There are a number of ways for him to fly to these places without passing over any country that takes orders from Washington. But will the U.S. government violate international law again, and risk innocent lives, by trying to force down a plane in international air space?
This decision may depend on the Obama team's forecast of how the media would portray such a crime – in both the case of a safe capture or a disastrous plane crash. If Snowden explains to the world why his actions were a legitimate and eminently justifiable exposure of government criminality, Obama may think twice about further illegal and/or violent efforts to block Snowden's right to political asylum.
The Obama team did not comment on the offers of asylum. This was very smart, since it was a safe bet that the media would respond for them, framing the issue not as one of independent governments exercising their right and obligation to offer political asylum to a whistleblower, but rather "them" trying to poke a finger in the eye of the United States.
But there are millions of Americans, and many more throughout the world, who can see through this crusty Cold War retread. Snowden can reach many millions more with the truth. He needs to speak not only to save himself but future whistle-blowers whom the Obama administration wants to silence by punishing him. And for the cause of human rights, especially the right to asylum, so that it triumphs over the intimidation from those who believe that raw power is all that matters.


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If you have not already taken advantage of early voting or absentee voting, make time to get to the polls. It is your last chance to exercise your constitutional right to cast your vote in this election.
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So this morning I had a friend around for coffee. It actually turned into a baby free coffee as she left her one year old at home with her husband and my baby went to sleep just before she got here and woke up as she was leaving. We had a great chat, and it reminded me again how we all (us mama's, parents, family etc) all need to be supportive and open with each other.
She is a first time mama, as are a number of my friends within the last twelve to eighteen months. I also have a few second time mama's and a few more third time mama's within my little circles. We were and are all different, in our expectations before the baby arrived, and when the baby arrived to now. Its very interesting how we all feel and think about this whole parenting thing, and how not one of our expectations turned out to be reality.
When I was expecting my second child, I was petrified. I had a wonderful little girl who was three and a half years old, and was so clever, active and independent and I couldn't work out how I was going to manage with a baby again, how I would handle two children. Well along came no. 2, and it was fine, I was fine. Everything worked out, and I managed. Now on that point, I must point out that my other half did all the night feeds (I don't manage well without sleep!) and my sister-in-law called to me most days and helped out with the baby and the housework, both of which made such a huge difference. I did have a bad "not coping" period that began within the first year of my little boy, but thats a story for another day.
On my third pregnancy, I was completely fine, I now had a busy household with two wonderful, relatively well behaved, mannerly, lovely and "good" children, seven years old and almost four years old. I had the attitude of "ah sure the baby will just have to fit in to the household". And then when the baby arrived, I basically freaked out and wasn't ready for her. Literally wasn't ready – I didn't really have somewhere for the baby to sleep. But of course, here we are seven months on and she is just fitting in. But I found the first few months much harder, I was much more anxious on her, I wouldn't leave her with anyone, not even the people who had my other two children from a few weeks old.
I talk about these things, and these experiences. And the fact that I lose my temper, and my mind, a lot of the time. That I get upset with myself for losing my temper. That I feel guilty at the end of some days with what I did, or did not do with my children that day. That I have days that I feel like a bad mother. That sometimes my relationship with my other half suffers sometimes, because I sometimes take things out on him when I'm tired or annoyed with myself over something. That I sometimes feel that I have disappeared, that I am just a mama now.
I talk about these things because they are things that we all experience, to different degrees. And when no one talks about them, and you are going through them, you think that you are the only one going through them. You think you are the only one who is struggling in this role. And within the past two weeks I have had four different mums tell me that they're finding things harder than they expected right now. It just goes to show that every one of us will have good days and bad days, but that if you can tell someone you're having a bad day or week or month, and they can turn around and say oh I understand because I'm going through it or have gone through it too, then you are no longer alone. And when you're no longer alone, it's no longer as bad. Because you don't have to beat yourself up that you're the only one not able to cope with certain things, not the only one who wonders is this my life now, not the only one struggles to keep on top of everything and you're not the only one looking around wondering how does everyone else seem to manage to do it all. We are all in this boat together. You are not alone.


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Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
After an eight year hiatus, Sony's sneaky, anthropomorphic PS2-era mascot is back and pilfering his way onto the PS3 and PS Vita. Sucker Punch Productions, the series' previous developer, is out (and busy whipping together another inFamous title for PS4) and Sanzaru Games is in (after a bang up job bringing The Sly Collection to the PS3). The handheld version of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time holds some of the same charm found in previous entries in the series, but notable issues keep Sly and company from having the same impact that they had under Sucker Punch's direction nearly a decade ago.
Despite the significant gap between releases, Thieves in Time takes place immediately after the events of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. Our pointy-eared burglar has turned over a new leaf and is settling into a fresh, crime-free life with inspector Carmelita Fox (no relation to Megan). As you might expect, a few minutes into the game's opening cutscene, Sly is forced to abandon his attempt at an honest life, don his trademark bandit mask and get back to thieving. A few Saturday morning cartoon-style plot developments later and Sly's band of merry animal-men find themselves launching back through time to discover why pages from the Thievius Raccoonis are going missing.
Granted, a free-wheeling romp through time is about as hackneyed as plot developments go (sorry Bill and Ted), but it does allow for the existence of some varied and colorful hub worlds (you'll visit everywhere from feudal Japan to the wild west), which are well-designed and rewarding to explore. In fact, scouring these hub areas for collectibles just might be the main highlight of the game, despite some wonky control issues that keep you from feeling as empowered and acrobatic as other rooftop-leaping game protagonists (Sly could learn a thing or two from Mr. Auditore da Firenze).
The issue holding the hub exploration part of the game back stems from Sly's limited interactions with his surroundings. There's no scrambling up walls, no scaling windowsills like ladders. Sly can only attach to the environment where the game allows you to (indicated by a cluster of blue sparkles) and, sadly, that's not in nearly enough places. Even so, once you dial down your expectations as to how fluidly Sly is able to maneuver through the game world, the allure of sniffing out hidden and hard-to-reach trinkets becomes tough to resist, and it's easy to find yourself spending a good hour "wasting time" in the hub worlds, just poking around for goodies.
You'll also feel compelled to stick around in the hub worlds just to avoid incurring any of the game's frequent and lengthy load times. A simple act like transitioning from hideout to hub world often takes 45 or so seconds, and rushing to your mission entry point (which may only take ten seconds) may prompt another load of nearly a minute. This is a tough blow to gamers who are looking to enjoy Thieves on the go (that is the point of owning a portable game system, isn't it?) and there's no install option to alleviate the problem.
Once the game does transition from hub section to mission area, you'll generally find yourself on a linear track with the path to the level's objectives spelled out beforehand (usually by Sly's high tech turtle buddy, Bentley). This makes for fairly stress-free mission segments, but the lack of challenge or potential for those "aha!" moments does sap some of the fun from the experience. Various mini games are judiciously sprinkled throughout, but they are hit (Bentley's twin stick shmup hacking segments) and miss (any that use the Vita's tilt functionality) and, again, none are particularly challenging.
Thankfully, the game's cast of characters pull off that Saturday morning cartoon charm and are quite quirky and likeable. Murray's super excited animation when you move the cursor over him, Sly's confident staff twirl, Bentley's wobbling wheelchair – the combination of all of these subtle details, solid writing and great voice acting gives Thieves a lot of heart. One gets the feeling that if Sony opted to expand the Sly property outside of games, there just might be a market for it, if only due to the appeal of the game's art style, theme and characters.
In terms of visual presentation, the game looks good on the PS Vita, but a large concession was made regarding the series' trademark cel shading style – it has been completely removed. Gone are the bold black lines and large cartoon-style swaths of color, replaced by a traditional look that lacks the unique charm of previous series entries (and the PS3 version of this entry). Clearly the concession was made due to hardware limitations inherent to the Vita, but it's still disappointing that such a big part of the series' visual appeal was axed completely. That's not to say the game looks bad; Thieves runs at a consistently smooth framerate (some Vita games suffer in this area) and both environments and characters still look suitably sharp and colorful.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time for the PS Vita is a strange beast. On one hand, it's a fun, colorful, hearty little game that employs throwback platforming and collect-a-thon elements to good effect. On the other hand, it features a jarring mishmash of gameplay styles, lacks challenge and suffers from enthusiasm-sapping load times. In the end, if you enjoyed Sly's escapades on PS2, you'll likely feel comfortable with what Sanzaru has done with the series, just don't expect it to be Sly's best outing or you'll likely be disappointed.


text: MrOcto Posted February 18, 2018 On 1/9/2018 at 10:59 AM, Van Darkholme said: I capped my FPS to 60 FPS (I use a Dell U2711), I'm likely getting somewhere in the 70-100 range, never noticed anything below 60, at least. Playing on Ultra/Epic at 2560x1440, no super-sampling or pre-loading all textures. Intel i5-760 OC'd to 4GHz (on a stock cooler, and running at great temps!) Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UDH5 G.Skill Ripjaws 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600MHz 250GB Samsung Evo 850 SSD Gigabyte GTX 1080ti Gaming OC 11G The 1080ti is truly a beast of a card, I got it from a friend at a (very) low price. Prior to that, I had a GTX 470 and then was gifted a GTX 660, and could only play Squad on minimum settings at 1280x720. In terms of raw FPS, my CPU is likely bottle-necking the card a bit (although from similar builds, it's not too bad), however seeing as my monitor is really the ultimate bottleneck, it doesn't really matter to me. My friend, it's impossible you're using a i5 760 with that board. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Privacy Policy
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Effective Date: May 8, 2018
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Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Privacy Policy, RetailMeNot will, and will require Empyr, Inc. to use Transaction Information collected in connection with the Program ("Transaction Data") solely as follows:
- Use Transaction Data to confirm a qualifying purchase or return to match transactions to confirm whether you qualify for a statement credit or an offer;
- Share Transaction Data with the participating merchant where a transaction occurred as needed for the merchant to confirm a specific transaction occurred or a cash back reward should be awarded; for example, the date and amount of your purchase and the last 4 digits of your card number so the merchant can verify your purchase with its records if there is a missing or disputed transaction;
- Provide participating merchants and service providers aggregated and anonymized information relating specifically to registered card activity solely to allow participating merchants and service providers to assess the results of their campaigns;
- Create a record of Transaction Data and thereafter maintain and use Transaction Data in connection with operating the Program;
- Provide targeted offers that may be of interest to you;
- Conducting analysis for the improvement and optimization of the Program;
- Communicate with you concerning transactions and provide general customer service and respond to your inquiries; and
- Provide information in order to respond to legal, regulatory and audit requests, including, without limitation, those from a government authority or a payment organization involved in a transaction with you or a merchant, and to resolve disputes and defend claims against or by RetailMeNot concerning the Program.
You authorize the sharing, exchange and use of Transaction Data by and among RetailMeNot, RetailMeNot's service providers, applicable payment card networks (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, Amex) and applicable participating merchants. You may opt-out of RetailMeNot Card-Linked Cash Back Rewards at any time by tapping "Linked Cards" in your profile, swiping left on your card(s) and tapping "Delete."
When and Why RetailMeNot Discloses Personal Information
We may share your Personal Information as described below:
- With affiliated legal entities within the RetailMeNot family of companies, including subsidiaries and other companies owned or controlled by, under common ownership or control with, RetailMeNot, for uses that are consistent with this Privacy Policy;
- With third party service providers that complete transactions or provide services for us or for your benefit, or to assist us in carrying out the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, such as sending emails, push notifications, or SMS messages on our behalf, assessing potential fraud and conducting surveys or sweepstakes on our behalf. For example, we engage third party service providers, such as Gimbal, Inc., that enable certain geo-location features of our Applications. Such third party service providers and their affiliates collect, store, and process, on RetailMeNot's behalf, certain Location Information and related data. Our service providers are only allowed to use the Personal Information in accordance with the terms of our service agreements with them or as required by law. Some of our service providers may use the Personal Information that we provide them for the purpose of improving their own services;
- Merchants, but only to the extent you have redeemed a Product offered by the merchant, or participated in an offer, contest or other activity sponsored or offered through RetailMeNot on behalf of the merchant;
- RetailMeNot business partners, service providers, and advertisers, for the purposes of administering our services, programs and rewards, or as part of an offer, contest, or other activity that is provided by or in conjunction with RetailMeNot and its business partners. For example, if you are referred to RetailMeNot from a business partner's website or through an invitation facilitated by or in conjunction with a RetailMeNot business partner, RetailMeNot may provide that business partner with Contact Information and Transaction Information to validate the referral and to support the terms of the relationship between RetailMeNot and the business partner, which may allow such business partner to contact you directly and to advertise to you;
- To effect a corporate business transaction, such as a merger, acquisition, sale or transfer of business assets, joint venture or financing, and your Personal Information could be transferred to a third party as one of the business assets in such transaction; if RetailMeNot is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, you will be notified via email or prominent notice on one or more of our Services of any change in ownership or uses of your Personal Information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your Personal Information;
- To enforce our rights or protect our property; to protect the rights, property or safety of others, investigate fraud, respond to a government request; or as needed to support auditing, compliance, and corporate governance functions;
- To defend ourselves in litigation or a regulatory action, and when required or advised to do so by law, such as in response to a subpoena, a reporting requirement or similar legal process, including to law enforcement agencies, regulators, and courts in the United States and other countries where we operate; or
- Otherwise with your consent.
The use of your Personal Information by third parties is governed by the privacy policies of such third parties and is not subject to our control. When you choose to interact with a RetailMeNot merchant or business partner, we encourage you to read any privacy policy they may have posted on their website.
We may disclose information about you that is not personally identifiable. For example, we may provide merchants, business partners, or other third parties with reports that contain aggregated and statistical data about our users.
Cookies and Related Technologies
When you use our Services, we collect certain information by automated or electronic means, using various technologies, such as cookies, pixel tags, web beacons, browser analysis tools, and web server logs. As you use our Services, your browser and devices communicate with servers operated by us, our business partners and services providers to coordinate and record the interactivity and fill your requests for services and information. Additional information on how to opt-out of certain tracking features is set forth in Section 7 (Your Choices) below.
The information from cookies and related technology is stored in web server logs and also in web cookies kept on your computers or mobile devices, which are then transmitted back to our Services by your computers or mobile devices. These servers are operated and the cookies managed by us, our business partners or our service providers.
For example, when you access our Services, RetailMeNot and our service providers may place cookies on your computers or mobile devices. These cookies may include means for tracking Personal Information and may include tracking technology from third-party affiliate-network operators. Cookies allow us to recognize you when you return, and track and target your interests in order to provide a customized experience. They also help us detect certain kinds of fraud.
A "cookie" is a small amount of information that a web server sends to your browser that stores information about your account, your preferences, and your use of the Services. Some cookies contain serial numbers that allow us to connect your activity with the Services with other information we store about you in your profile.
Some cookies are temporary, whereas others may be configured to last longer."Session" cookies are temporary cookies used for various reasons, such as to manage page views. Your browser usually erases Session cookies once you exit your browser. "Persistent" cookies are more permanent cookies that are stored on your computers or mobile devices even beyond when you exit your browser. We use Persistent cookies for a number of purposes, such as retrieving certain information you have previously provided (such as your user id if you asked to be remembered), and storing your preferences.
Pixel tags and web beacons are tiny graphic images placed on website pages or in our emails that allow us to determine whether you have performed specific actions. When you access these pages or open email messages, the pixel tags and web beacons generate a notice of that action to us, or our service providers. These tools allow us to measure response to our communications and improve our web pages and promotions.
We collect many different types of information from cookies and other technologies. For example, we may collect information from the devices you use to access our Services, your operating system type or mobile device model, browser type, domain, and other system settings, as well as the language your system uses and the country and time zone of your device. Browsers routinely send these types of information to web servers. Our server logs also record the IP addresses of the devices you use to interact with the Services. We may also collect information about the website you were visiting before you came to our Services and the website you visit after you leave our Services, if this information is supplied to us by your browser.
In many cases, the information we collect using cookies and other tools is used in non-identifiable ways, without any reference to Personal Information. For example, we use information we collect about users to optimize our Services and understand its traffic and usage patterns. In other cases, we associate the information we collect using cookies and related technologies with Personal Information. In that case, this Privacy Policy governs how we use that information.
Additionally, if you have visited one of our mobile websites or activated one of our mobile-device applications, and if the settings on your location-aware device allow us to receive Location Information, we will collect that automatically. If we associate Location Information with other Personal Information, this Privacy Policy governs how we would use that information too.
We may allow third parties to use tracking devices through the Services to collect the same type of information for the same purposes as RetailMeNot does for itself. For example, RetailMeNot has relationships with third party advertising technology and analytics companies, such as Google Analytics, BlueKai, and Adometry, to perform tracking and reporting functions for certain Services and, in some cases, to help us place targeted advertisements via the Services or third-party websites. Additionally, we may share non-personally identifiable information from or about you, such as location data, advertising identifiers, or a cryptographic hash of a common account identifier (such as an email address) with third parties to facilitate the display of targeted advertising. Third parties may be able to associate the information they collect with other information they have about you from other sources. We do not control the tracking devices used by third parties, but you may be able to opt out of some advertising practices. Please see Section 7 (Opting Out of Tracking) below.
Your Choices
We think that you benefit from a more personalized experience when we know more about you and your preferences. However, you can limit the information you provide to RetailMeNot, and you can limit the communications that RetailMeNot sends to you.
RxSaver Email Newsletter
For the RxSaver Email Newsletter, you can manage your email preferences by following subscription management instructions contained in the commercial messages that we send you. You may choose to subscribe to some types of messages, and may choose to unsubscribe from others. You may also update your subscription preferences from time to time. If you wish to opt out of receiving offers directly from us, merchants or business partners, you can follow the opt-out instructions in the emails that they send you.
Opting Out of Tracking
Currently, our Services do not recognize browser "do-not-track" signals. However, you may manage how your browser handles cookies and related technologies by adjusting your browser privacy and security settings. Please refer to your browser instructions to learn about cookie-related and other privacy and security settings that may be available. Additionally, you can opt-out of targeted advertising by certain third party advertising companies by visiting the following links: Network Advertising Initiative, Omniture, Digital Advertising Alliance, Google Analytics, MobileApp Tracking, and BlueKai.
Mobile App
If you access any of our Services through one of our Applications, you may manage how your Personal Information is shared with RetailMeNot. You may adjust the settings on your mobile device to allow or restrict the sharing of Location Information. Please refer to your mobile device's instructions to learn about the various ways you can disable sharing your Location Information. Often, user permissions on your mobile device will allow you to elect whether and to what extent you share Location Information with certain applications (for example, sharing only while you are using the application, sharing Location Information even while you are not using the application, or never sharing Location Information with the application). Your mobile device may also allow you to disable Bluetooth to prevent the sharing of Location Information collected via nearby Bluetooth® proximity beacons. In the event that you prevent the sharing of Location Information, we may still estimate your general location based on the IP address you use to access our Services. If you elect to not share your Location Information, you may be unable to access certain features of our Services.
You may also manage how your mobile device handles ad-related tracking technologies by adjusting your mobile device's privacy settings. For example, the "Privacy" settings of an iOS device will allow you to "Limit Ad Tracking" and reset your mobile device's "Advertising Identifier." Please refer to your mobile device's instructions to learn how to limit ad tracking on your mobile device.
You may also manage how your mobile device handles receiving notifications and alerts by adjusting your mobile device's settings.
Connecting through Social Networks
You may manage the sharing of certain Personal Information when you register with us through a social media platform or application. Please refer to the privacy settings of the social media platform or application to determine how you may adjust permissions and manage the interactivity between RetailMeNot and your social media account. By registering with RetailMeNot through a social media platform, you grant RetailMeNot permission to access all elements and information on your social network profile that you have made available to be shared and to use it in accordance with the social network's terms of use and this Privacy Policy.
Text-to-Phone Feature
With certain Product offers available on our websites, you may be presented with an option to send yourself an SMS message containing a link. The link will allow you to access such Product from your mobile device.
By requesting RetailMeNot to send a Product offer to your mobile device, you authorize RetailMeNot to use an automatic telephone dialing system to send you a text message that contains a link to the Product you have selected. Your agreement to receive this text is not a condition of purchase. However, message and data rates may apply. Check your service carrier plan for your standard text messaging fees. You represent and warrant that any phone number you enter belongs to you and is associated with a mobile device in your possession. You can opt out of receiving texts from RetailMeNot at any time by Contacting Us or by texting STOP to 42767 from your mobile device.
Accessing and Correcting Personal Information
Keeping Personal Information about you current helps ensure that we offer you the best Products available. You can update your Personal Information in several ways:
- For RetailMeNot.com, you can access, update and delete your Contact Information and the other information you provided us to use in your profile by logging into the Services via a desktop computer and clicking on the "Profile" link.
- If you want to close your account or have other questions or requests, or if you would like to access or request a correction to any other Personal Information we hold regarding you, please contact us as provided in Section 1 (Consent to Privacy Policy). Should you choose to close your account, we will cancel or remove your information but may retain and use copies of your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
We will retain your information for as long as your account is active or as is reasonably useful for commercial purposes. We will retain and use your Personal Information as necessary to comply with our obligations or data retention policies, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
Security of Personal Information
RetailMeNot follows generally accepted industry standards to protect the Personal Information that you provide. For example, we regularly monitor our system for possible vulnerabilities and attacks, and we use a secured-access data center. No method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is one hundred percent secure, however. For this reason, there is no guarantee that information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial safeguards.
Notice to Residents of Countries outside the United States of America
RetailMeNot is headquartered in the United States of America. Personal Information may be accessed by us or transferred to us in the United States, or to our affiliates, business partners, merchants, or service providers elsewhere in the world, which may not guarantee the same level of protection of Personal Information as the country in which you reside. Your Personal Information may also be subject to access requests from governments, courts, law enforcement officials, and national security authorities in the United States in accordance with United States laws. We will protect the privacy and security of Personal Information collected through the Services according to this Privacy Policy, regardless of where such information is processed or stored.
To ensure adequate protection of personal data of the European Economic Area (the"EEA"), any transfers of such data outside of the EEA will be pursuant to the Model Clauses approved by the European Commission. RetailMeNot commits to resolve complaints about your privacy and our collection or use of your personal information. We encourage anyone with inquiries or complaints regarding this privacy policy should first Contact Us.
Privacy Practices of Third Parties
This Privacy Policy only addresses the use and disclosure of information by RetailMeNot through your interaction with the Services. Other websites that may be accessible through links from our Services may have their own privacy statements and personal information collection, use, and disclosure practices. Merchants and business partners may have their own privacy statements, too. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the privacy statements provided by these other parties prior to providing them with information or taking advantage of an offer or promotion.
Our Services contain communities and other areas where you may be able to publicly post information, communicate with others (such as via discussion boards or blogs), review Products and merchants, and submit media content ("Communities"). All the information you post will be publicly available and accessible to anyone with Internet access, and any Personal Information you include in your posting may be read, collected, and used by others in a manner we cannot control. For example, if you post your email address along with a comment about a Product, you may receive unsolicited messages from third parties. We are not able to control any third party's use of your Personal Information that you post publicly. Please avoid publicly posting Personal Information.
Children's Privacy
RetailMeNot does not intend that any portion of the Services will be accessed or used by children under the age of thirteen, and such use is prohibited. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least thirteen years old and understand that you must be at least thirteen years old in order to create an account and purchase the goods or services advertised through the Services. We will promptly delete information associated with any account for which we obtain actual knowledge that the registered user associated with the account is not at least thirteen years old.
California Privacy Rights
Pursuant to Section 1798.83 of the California Civil Code, residents of California can obtain certain information about the types of Personal Information that companies with whom they have an established business relationship have shared with third parties for direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year. In particular, the law provides that companies must inform consumers about the categories of Personal Information that have been shared with third parties, the names and addresses of those third parties, and examples of the types of services or products marketed by those third parties. To request a copy of the information disclosure provided by RetailMeNot pursuant to Section 1798.83 of the California Civil Code, please contact us as follows:RxSaver by RetailMeNot Attn: Legal Department 301 Congress Ave, Suite 700 Austin, TX 78701 512-777-2970
Please allow 30 days for a response.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or comments about our privacy practices or this Privacy Policy, please contact us via our contact form or at the following address:RxSaver by RetailMeNot Attn: Legal Department 301 Congress Ave, Suite 700 Austin, TX 78701 512-777-2970


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CMS staged a late inning rally to win at Chapman, ranked second nationally, 3-1 on Tuesday evening. The Stags (2-4) had lost 17 straight to the Panthers (4-2).
CMS fell behind 1-0 in the third inning when Chapman collected three of their four hits in the game off starter Brett Watanabe (pictured). Panther starter Travis McGee allowed just two baserunners and did not give up a hit until the seventh, but the Stags finally got on the board in the eighth. Watanabe led off the inning with a single. After being sacrificed to second, he advanced to third and scored on two passed balls to tie the game at one.
An error on the Panther third baseman allowed Watanabe to come up with two outs and two runners on in the ninth and he delivered with a game-winning two-run double. The Panthers attempted to rally in the bottom of the inning and loaded the bases with two walks and an error, but Stag reliever Michael Erb struck out the final batter to pick up the win.
CMS will travel to Arizona this weekend for the Arizona Desert Classic. They will play Linfield College and George Fox University on Friday, University of Texas-Dallas on Saturday and McMurry University on Sunday.