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Freedom in the World
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United States
2008 Scores
Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Liberties (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Intense campaigning for the 2008 presidential election began in 2007, with a special focus on the emergence of Barack Obama, an African American first-term senator, as a major contender for the Democratic Party nomination. The campaign overshadowed an ongoing struggle between the newly elected Democratic majorities in Congress and the Republican administration of President George W. Bush. Debate over the country's immigration policies continued, with no sign of a resolution before the election of a new president. There was also continuing controversy over the administration's counterterrorism policies, particularly the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military base and interrogation policies that some said amounted to torture.
The independence of the United States of America was declared in 1776 during a revolution against British colonial rule. The current system of government began functioning in 1789, following the ratification of the country's constitution. Because the founders of the United States distrusted concentrated government authority, they set up a system in which the federal government has three coequal branches—executive, legislative, and judicial—and left many powers with state governments and the citizenry.
For most of the country's history, power has alternated between the Democratic and Republican parties. President George W. Bush of the Republicans was reelected for a second four-year term in 2004, but he subsequently suffered from major policy setbacks and declining public approval ratings. In the 2006 midterm elections, the Democrats won control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994, adding pressure to the Republicans' effort to find a viable presidential candidate for the 2008 contest.
As with other recent elections, campaigns for the party presidential nominations got under way well in advance of the election itself, in early 2007. Numerous candidates, serious and otherwise, entered the competition in both parties, but the races quickly narrowed to a few leading contenders. In the Republican Party, the most prominent figures were Senator John McCain of Arizona, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. In the Democratic Party, three candidates emerged from a crowded pack: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, the former first lady; Senator Barack Obama of Illinois; and former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, the party's vice presidential candidate in 2004. Obama, with his biracial background and charismatic campaign style, received much attention. Although several African Americans had sought the presidency in the past, Obama was the first black presidential candidate to be widely regarded as a serious contender.
The early months of the presidential campaign took place during a time of political gridlock between Congress and the White House. The Democrats had seized clear control of the House of Representatives in the 2006 elections, but their Senate victory was narrow, and neither the Democratic leadership nor the administration was able to enact significant parts of their respective agendas.
The debate over the country's policies toward undocumented immigrants continued during the year, with no resolution in sight. Although the controversy was partly driven by security concerns, the major issues stemmed from apprehension over the effects of record numbers of undocumented migrants on the American economy and culture. Opinion polls indicated that Americans were ambivalent about illegal immigrants. Many were concerned that an influx of millions of undocumented workers would strain educational and social services and depress wages. Others saw undocumented workers as an economic boon due to their willingness to work in menial yet essential jobs that citizens would not accept. An attempt to forge a bipartisan approach to immigration policy collapsed when Congress rejected a bill supported by Bush and a number of leading Democrats that would have combined border-control measures with a route to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the United States and a guest-worker program targeting specific economic sectors. Another bill, which would have offered a path toward legal status for children of undocumented immigrants in exchange for their enrollment in college or the military, failed to win sufficient support in the Senate. The defeat of this legislation, combined with the enactment of a measure providing for the construction of a barrier along large sections of the border, led some to claim that the United States had opted for an "enforcement first" policy on immigration. The decision to build a border fence came on the heels of stepped-up federal efforts to deport illegal immigrants through worksite raids.
Also in 2007, controversy continued over certain features of the administration's counterterrorism policies. In one development that administration critics praised, President Bush issued an executive order banning the use of torture against prisoners held in the CIA's interrogation program. It remained unclear, however, whether the order would eliminate the use of the technique known as waterboarding, in which detainees were subjected to simulated drowning.
At the same time, little progress was made toward a resolution of the status or fate of prisoners detained at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. One major unsettled issue was the detainees' habeas corpus rights to challenge their imprisonment in the federal court system. On two occasions, the Supreme Court had ruled that federal law enabled the prisoners to petition courts regarding their status. In 2006, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, which stripped courts of the power to review challenges to the status of foreign detainees at Guantanamo. In February 2007, a federal court upheld the Military Commissions Act, setting the stage for another appeal to the Supreme Court. Separately, a federal judge barred the Bush administration from sending a Guantanamo inmate to his home country, Tunisia, on the grounds that he risked torture there. Meanwhile, the administration announced that it was considering a new round of hearings to determine the status of the 330 men still held at Guantanamo. The hearings would determine whether the detainees would be treated as "enemy combatants," a status that did not afford prisoner-of-war rights under international law. The American Bar Association announced that it was backing out of an agreement to provide lawyers for the detainees because it did not want to lend credibility to proceedings that it found to offer inadequate legal protections. In another case related to the war on terrorism, it was revealed that the CIA had destroyed several videotapes showing the interrogation of terrorism suspects. According to news reports, the intelligence agency destroyed the tapes partly due to concerns that the harsh techniques captured on video might put agency officials in legal jeopardy. At year's end, the Justice Department was conducting an investigation to determine whether criminal laws were violated by the destruction of the tapes.
The United States is an electoral democracy with a bicameral federal legislature. The upper chamber, the Senate, consists of 100 members—two from each of the 50 states—serving six-year terms, with one-third coming up for election every two years. The lower chamber, the House of Representatives, consists of 435 members serving two-year terms. As a result of the 2006 elections, Democrats control the House, 233–202. In the Senate, the Democrats and Republicans each hold 49 seats, but two independents are aligned with the Democratic caucus, ensuring the party's control of that body. All national legislators are elected directly by voters in the districts or states they represent. The president and vice president are elected to four-year terms. Under a 1951 constitutional amendment, the president is limited to two terms in office.
In the U.S. political system, a great deal of government responsibility rests with the 50 states. Most law enforcement matters are dealt with at the state level, as are education, family matters, and many land-use decisions. States also have the power to raise revenues through various forms of taxation. In some states, citizens have a wide-ranging ability to influence legislation through institutions of direct democracy, such as referendums, which have been conducted on issues including gay marriage, tax rates, affirmative action, and immigrant rights. Although hailed by some as a reflection of the openness of the U.S. system, direct democracy has come under criticism by others, who contend that making government policy by referendum or recalling democratically elected officeholders in the middle of their terms weakens the party system and the institutions of representative democracy.
For presidential elections, the United States has a unique system combining a popular vote with ballots cast by an electoral college. The Electoral College apportions votes to each state based on the size of its congressional representation. In most cases, all of the electors in a particular state then cast their ballots for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state, regardless of the margin. Two states, Maine and Nebraska, have chosen to apportion their electoral votes between the candidates according to the percentage of the state's votes each receives, and other states are now considering similar systems. The Electoral College vote determines the winner of the election. Thus it is possible for a candidate to win the presidency while losing the national popular vote.
The United States has an intensely competitive political environment dominated by two major parties, the Republicans and the Democrats. The country's "first past the post" or majoritarian electoral system tends to discourage the emergence of additional parties, as do a number of specific legal and other hurdles. However, on occasion, independent or third-party candidates have significantly influenced politics at the presidential and state level, and a number of newer parties, such as the Green Party, have modestly affected politics in certain municipalities in recent years.
Presidential election campaigns in the United States are long and expensive. Candidates often begin campaigning two years prior to the election. Because of the high costs involved, serious candidates frequently find themselves in what has been called a "permanent campaign," with a never-ending process of fundraising. In 2001, Congress passed the McCain-Feingold bill, intended to limit the effect of moneyed interests on national politics. Nevertheless, the two parties and the constituency and interest groups that support them have used various methods to circumvent the legislation's restrictions. Furthermore, the Supreme Court on several occasions has struck down controls on campaign spending on the grounds that they violated free speech rights. The 2006 congressional race was the costliest ever, with a total expenditure of $2.6 billion, much of which was spent by advocacy groups that effectively supported or opposed the major candidates, rather than by the parties or candidates themselves. Spending for the 2008 presidential race is expected to easily surpass that of previous elections.
A serious and growing problem for American democracy is the widespread practice of redrawing districts for the House of Representatives and state legislatures to maximize the success of a particular party or protect incumbent legislators of either party. The practice, known as gerrymandering, has been a part of the American system since its inception. Recently, however, sophisticated computer techniques have strengthened the ability of the dominant party in a given state to carve out districts that considerably limit the competitive nature of legislative elections.
Corruption is a complex phenomenon in the United States. American society has a tradition of intolerance toward corrupt acts by government officials, corporate executives, or labor leaders. In recent years, executives from a number of large corporations have received lengthy prison sentences for various financial crimes, and officials at the local, state, and federal levels are regularly prosecuted for corruption. There are a variety of measures in place to reduce private-sector corruption. The most recent corporate-governance legislation, the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, was passed in the wake of a series of scandals involving inflated earnings reports by major corporations. The U.S. media are aggressive in reporting on cases of corporate and official corruption; newspapers often publish investigative articles that delve into questions of private or public malfeasance. At the same time, however, the expanding influence of interest groups and lobbyists on the legislative and policy-making process, combined with their crucial role in campaign fund-raising, has given rise to public perceptions of enhanced corruption in Washington. Some civil libertarians have raised concerns about prosecutors' overzealous tactics in corruption cases and the use of organized-crime legislation to punish political or corporate misconduct. The United States was ranked 20out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index.
The federal government has a high degree of transparency. A substantial number of auditing and investigative agencies function independently of political influence. Such bodies are often spurred to action by the investigative work of journalists. Federal agencies regularly place information relevant to their mandate on websites to broaden public access.
The United States has a free, diverse, and constitutionally protected press. In recent years, though, a debate has arisen over the impact of ownership consolidation, either by sprawling media companies with outlets in many states and formats or by corporate conglomerates with little or no previous interest in journalism. At the same time, internet journalists and bloggers play a growing role in the coverage of political news, and internet access is widespread in the country.
Controversy has also arisen over attempts by federal prosecutors to compel journalists to divulge the names of confidential sources. In 2007, a federal judge threatened two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle with imprisonment for refusing to reveal the source of information leaked from a grand jury investigating steroid use by professional athletes. The case was resolved when the attorney responsible for the leak acknowledged his role. A bill to provide limited protection from demands for information about confidential sources in federal cases has passed the House. Such press shield laws already exist in 37 states.
The United States has a long tradition of religious freedom. Adherents of practically every major religious denomination, as well as many smaller groupings, can be found throughout the country; rates of both religious belief and religious service attendance are high. The debate over the role of religion in public life is ongoing, however, and often centers on the question of whether government subsidies to schools sponsored by religious denominations conform with constitutional rules requiring the separation of church and state. Issues such as gay marriage and abortion, as well as the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, are heavily loaded with religious implications and tend to mobilize political action by Evangelical Christians. Predominantly African American churches are also intensely involved in political affairs at both the local and national levels. There are no direct government subsidies to houses of worship.
Although a contentious debate has emerged over the university's role in society, the academic sphere enjoys a healthy level of intellectual freedom. There are regular discussions on university campuses over such issues as the war in Iraq, the global economy, and the alleged politicization of curriculums on Middle Eastern affairs.
In general, officials respect the right to public protest. Protest demonstrations directed at government policies are frequently held in Washington, New York, and other major cities. The United States gives wide freedom to trade associations, nongovernmental organizations, and issue-oriented pressure groups to organize and argue their cases through the political process.
Federal law guarantees trade unions the right to organize workers and engage in collective bargaining with employers. The right to strike is also guaranteed. Over the years, however, the strength of organized labor has declined, so that less than 8 percent of the private workforce is currently represented by unions, one of the lowest figures among economically advanced democracies. An important factor in organized labor's decline is the country's labor code, which is regarded as an impediment to organizing efforts. Decisions by the National Labor Relations Board, which adjudicates labor-management disputes, have also circumscribed unions' ability to effectively organize and represent workers. In 2006, the board dealt unions a serious blow by greatly expanding the pool of workers deemed to have management responsibility, making them ineligible for union representation. Union organizing efforts are also impeded by strong resistance from employers and the federal government's failure to strictly punish labor code violators. Several attempts to modify core labor laws have been defeated in Congress over the years. Despite its institutional decline, however, organized labor continues to play a vigorous role in electoral politics. Unions are expected to spend millions of dollars toward the election of Democratic candidates for president and Congress in 2008.
Judicial independence is respected. Although there has been occasional criticism of the judiciary for allegedly extending its powers into areas of governance that are best left to the legislative branch, most observers regard the judiciary as a linchpin of the American democratic system. The courts have played an especially important role in disputes over President George W. Bush's counterterrorism policies.
While the United States has a strong rule-of-law tradition, the criminal justice system's treatment of minority groups has long been a controversial issue. African Americans and Hispanics constitute a disproportionately large percentage of defendants in criminal cases involving murder, rape, assault, and robbery.
Civil liberties organizations and other groups have advanced a broad critique of the criminal justice system, arguing that there are too many Americans (especially members of minority groups) in prison, that prison sentences are often excessive, and that too many people are prosecuted for minor drug offenses. Over two million Americans are serving time in federal and state prisons and local jails at any given time, producing the highest national incarceration rate in the world. The number of incarcerated Americans has continued to increase even as the national rate of violent crime has declined in recent years. There is also a disturbing number of juveniles serving lengthy prison terms in adult penitentiaries. Some observers have criticized "three strikes and you're out" laws, under which criminal defendants receive life sentences after conviction on a third felony, even for relatively minor offenses. Concerns have been raised about prison conditions, especially the unsettling levels of violence and rape. Meanwhile, the United States has the highest rate of legal executions in the democratic world. Reflecting growing doubts about the death penalty, several states have announced a moratorium on capital punishment pending studies on the practice's fairness. In 2007, New Jersey became the first state in decades to abolish capital punishment. Of particular importance in the campaign against the death penalty has been the exoneration of some death-row inmates based on new DNA testing. There have also been regular legal challenges aimed at the methods of execution, most recently the prevalent form of lethal injection, which allegedly places convicts at risk of severe pain and suffering before death.
The United States is one of the world's most racially and ethnically diverse societies. In recent years, the country's demographics have shifted in important ways as residents and citizens of Latin American ancestry have replaced African Americans as the largest minority group, and the percentage of whites in the population has declined somewhat. An array of policies and programs are designed to protect the rights of minorities, including laws to prevent workplace discrimination, affirmative action plans for university admissions, quotas to guarantee representation in the internal affairs of some political parties, and policies to ensure that minorities are not treated unfairly in the distribution of government assistance. African Americans, however, continue to lag in economic standing, educational attainment, and other social indicators. They are more likely to live in poverty, less likely to own businesses, less likely to hold a university degree, and much more likely to have served time in prison than members of other groups, including many recent immigrant groups. Affirmative action in employment and university admissions remains a contentious issue. The Supreme Court has given approval to the use of race or ethnicity as a factor in university admissions under certain narrow conditions. However, affirmative action has been banned, in whole or in part, through referendums in four states, and several additional states will hold referendums on affirmative action in 2008.
Since its immigration laws underwent major changes during the 1960s, the United States has generally maintained liberal immigration policies. In recent years, there has been a major debate over the degree to which new immigrants are assimilating into American society. Most observers, however, believe that the country has struck a balance that both encourages assimilation and permits new legal immigrants to maintain their religious and cultural customs.
Citizens of the United States enjoy a high level of personal autonomy. The right to own property is protected by law and is jealously guarded as part of the American way of life. Business entrepreneurship is encouraged as a matter of government policy.
The United States prides itself as a society that offers wide access to economic and social advancement and favors government policies that enhance equality of opportunity. Historically, the opportunities for economic advancement have played a key role in the successful assimilation of new immigrants. Recently, however, studies have shown a widening inequality in wealth and a narrowing of access to upward mobility. Among the world's prosperous, stable democracies, the United States is unique in having a large underclass of poor people who have at best a marginal role in economic life.
Women have made important strides toward equality over the past several decades. Women are heavily represented in the legal profession, medicine, and journalism, and they predominate in university programs that train students for these careers. Although the average compensation for female workers is 80 percent of that for male workers, women with recent university degrees have effectively attained parity with men. Nonetheless, there remain many female-headed families that live in conditions of chronic poverty.
The issue of gay rights is highly contentious. Federal law does not include homosexuals as a protected class under antidiscrimination legislation, though many states have enacted civil rights protections. An intense controversy erupted over gay marriage after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2003 that homosexual couples had the same right to marry as heterosexual couples under the state constitution. Since the ruling, many states have passed laws or constitutional amendments explicitly banning same-sex marriage, though an increasing number of states permit civil unions or other legal arrangements for gays that guarantee economic and family rights similar to those enjoyed by married couples.


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Markets opened strong Thursday morning, coming off the heels of President Donald Trump's tax reform proposal Wednesday afternoon.
The NASDAQ composite index was trading in historic territory, sitting at 6,044 Thursday morning. The index broke the 6,000 milestone for the first time ever in its 46-year history Tuesday morning. The Dow and the S&P 500 were also tracking in the green. (RELATED: NASDAQ Tops 6K For First Time In History)
The market closed at a net-loss Wednesday after Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and National Economic Economic Council Director Gary Cohn debuted the proposal.
The bill, which marks the first attempt to overhaul the U.S. tax code since former President Ronald Reagan in 1986, includes features the president floated on the campaign trail. It contains an increase in the standard deduction rate for individuals and a massive cut to the U.S. corporate tax rate. (RELATED: Which Candidate Is Better For Your Bottom-Line: Trump Or Clinton?)
Financial experts warned hours before the release that if Trump's proposal failed to address the corporate tax rate the market would be in for a major correction.
"Investors have put a lot of stock behind today's announcement, and if Trump fails to provide the specifics of his plan or explain how he intends to pay for it, then a pullback below 20,850 points for the Dow Jones and 2,375 points on the S&P 500 wouldn't surprise us," Head of Research at ADS Securities Konstantinos Anthis told reporters.
Market strategists believe the market's reaction wasn't as volatile as originally anticipated, because the plan largely reflected the proposal Trump put forth on the campaign trail. As a result, a great deal of plan was already incorporated into the market's current evaluation, MarketWatch reports.
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I is an award winning, Kent-based, self-employed horticulturist.
With over 20 years of experience within UK horticulture, Mercy has worked as a horticulturist for RBG Kew at Wakehurst Place, in garden retail, as a writer and in plant conservation.
She is a Fellow of the Linnean Society and was awarded the first John Spedan Lewis Medal for a significant and innovative contribution to the field of conservation. She also achieved the Master of Horticulture (RHS) in 2011 and an MSc in Ethnobotany at the University of Kent in 2016.
She worked for over eight years with Plant Heritage as Plant Conservation Officer and Conservation Manager, administering the National Plant Collections and overseeing the conservation work of the charity. She currently volunteers for the Plant Heritage Kent group, designing and running the website and coordinating social media.
Articles (snippets of past articles, all copyright to the publication in question)
Nagoya Protocol snippet- PHJ Autumn 2015
EU PRM snippet PHJ Autumn 2013
Plant Heritage and the NPCs Indian Rose Journal 2014
Prioritisation for the..Sibbaldia snippet
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Lavandin, lavender and linalool
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HomePlants started while I was studying for an MSc in Ethnobotany.I needed a creative outlet, as well as extra income.I have always grown a lot of houseplants, and my master's dissertation concerned why people grow them. The natural thing was to sell the overflow from my own plants, and to sell Tillandsia by mail. When I left my full-time role, I added a garden maintenance service, & house plant sales at markets.
E.O.Wilson defines biophilia as the 'urge to affiliate with other forms of life'. Creating a biophilic space in our living places is important to our health and that of the wider environment.


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Restocking my cabinet.
I have been thinking a lot lately about something very, very sad: my liquor cabinet. I have fallen into a rut, and it's been a few weeks since I've made some hefty purchases to keep myself in good spirits [tee hee!] back at the ol' apartment. Now, I know that I spend most of my days in the world's best walk-in wine cave [aka 1257 South Halsted], but when I need a glass of Nero d'Avola at two in the morning, I can't full well come to LUSH and get my fix. Not without getting stopped by the police for trespassing, anyway.
The other day was payday, which necessarily means that I get that gleam in my eye: spend spend spend! There are a few bottles I've been eyeing here at the shop that I want to take home, but I also love having a few 'every day' bottles around for when I don't want to wait an hour for my wine to decant or get too cerebral on a weeknight. I'm all set on the beer front, with some Rodenbach, some of the very rare Flossmoor Station 'Killer Kapowski', and some other stuff I've been cellaring.
Spirits are fine, too, with bourbon, rye, AND Scotch on my booze shelf; even my fortified wine section is hale and hearty, with both Madeira and a delicious Pedro Ximenez hanging out on the shelf, calling to me whenever I eat dessert. Or drink dessert.
But what about wine? What should my strategy be? Quantity? Quality? A heady mix of both? I am lost here, guys. My body is yearning for spring and grüner veltliner and rosé, but the still-freezing temperatures make me crave rich Italians, like the Solyss Negroamaro, an under-fifteen-dollar stunner that is rich, dark with cocoa and fig notes and has a lingering finish. I'm also a sucker for rosé sparklers, and the last bottle of the Barth Pinot Noir is beckoning to me to take it home. But what about my last-minute guests? What if I need to eat Asian food? I do love being a hospitable hostess, and in my house, offering a drink is as automatic as offering a chair to my guests.
I guess I need some advice. What are the must-have items you, dear reader, keep stocked for emergency moments like these?
4 Comments
Tatiana Abramova said,
Erin, no one spendsmore time and resources restocking than me, as you I am sure know by now. I do, however, try to keep some things on hand for when I have company. My best advice for you would be: consider the company.
I tend to hang with fellow cork dorks quite a lot, and any bottle I have generally is a conversation starter for these folks. However, I always try to have a bottle of yummy and inexpensive bubbly in the fridge: Zardetto Brut is great as of late, and that delicious prosecco with the silver foil neck, you know the one. This is great for any occasion, because bubbles go with everything and everyone, but particularly it is great to have for girls night.
I also stock a few whites, roses, and reds from the beloved ten-dollar cart, yay! Everyday drinking has never had it so good! I like the SkinFlint rose (you know my addiction to zippy and minerally roses). The Laurent Miguel rose is yummo, to quote Rachel Ray. His chard/viognier is very friendly, and can please a variety of palates. Chenin blancs, when done right, are great for parties.
Go-to reds change. But generally, I err on the side of juicy, full-bodied wines because they appeal to a wider spectrum of folks, and even to those who subdivide all wine into "white" and "red". I also found, that you can convince a beer drinker to try the big reds, and they tend to like them. More austere or very tannic wines can be challenging for a group, they tend to be more cerebral.
But really, what do I know? Cheers to your cabinet, lovely!
Erin said,
Thanks for all the input guys … especially from you, Chris! I'll make it out to Boston some day. Come to Chicago and see my shop. Weeeee!
I'll write a post next week on what I decided to take home. Yum, wine.


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Adult Film Industry Clinic Investigating Possible Breach
The Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation Clinic, now known as AIM Medical Associates, is investigating a possible breach of its medical record database following the posting of private patient information on a website. Jeffrey Douglas, an attorney for AIM, said clinic officials have ramped up security measures to guard the personal information of performers. Douglas did not specify whether the clinic has referred the breach allegations to law enforcement.
- "San Fernando Valley Clinic Investigates Possible Leaks of Porn Performers' Patient Information" (Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times, 4/4).


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BACK TO SCHOOL: Burleson Nissan and Burleson Honda offer free cars for perfect attendance in Burleson high schools.
BURLESON – Perfect attendance in high school school is, of course, its own reward. Everyone knows that.
But what if you could add a free car to that equation?
Well, now BISD students can, courtesy of Burleson Nissan and Burleson Honda. One sweet pair of wheels is a potential perk this year for two deserving Burleson ISD students – one from Centennial High School and one from Burleson High School.
"Every year, this car goes to a really, really driven young person," Crain said. "This is the good story of a good kid whose family really needs it and worked hard to be part of it."
Attendance has a direct affect on academic performance and this innovative effort is the brainchild of Burleson Nissan, Burleson Honda and General Manager Justin Crain, who have teamed up with "Strive to Drive Tx" to help educate students and parents on the importance of being in class.
The "Strive To Drive Tx" initiative has been in effect for well over half a decade, Crain said.
"Ten high school students with perfect attendance will be selected [through a drawing] at the end of the school year and we give will each of them a key to the car," Crain explained. "Of those keys, only one will actually start the car and the student holding that key wins the car. It is our gift to them: No taxes and they get to keep it forever. It is our gift to them for their perfect attendance and for succeeding in school."
In a previous interview, Burleson ISD Superintendent Dr. Bret Jimerson expressed extreme gratitude to continue partnership with Burleson Nissan.
"Attendance is a vital factor in student success, and while we work to keep lessons relevant, this program will further incentivize coming to class," he said.
Research conducted at the Bureau of Educational Research in Illinois, shows that consistent school attendance is directly linked to positive behavior, increased participation in extracurricular activities, higher grades and higher overall educational outcomes.
Students must be enrolled for the entire six-week grading period to participate in the drawing for the 10 keys. Ways to earn tickets include:
• One ticket each 6 weeks for perfect attendance
• Five extra tickets per semester for perfect attendance (Fall & Spring)
• Ten extra tickets for no days missed all year
Those who wish to obtain more information on the student attendance initiative, should visit www.burlesonisd.net.
Those wanting to contact Burleson Nissan and Burleson Honda about the program, can contact Belinda Kelley at 940-206-4039 or email@example.com.


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sermons | shofar institute resources
There are many resources, including sermons, training material and videos available to watch and download online. Visit the congregation pages for downloads from your local church.
sermon audio & video
Our online TV channel also hosts video sermons from some congregations. For sermon audio please visit the shofarsermons.org or the home page of any of our congregations.
shofar institute resources
The following websites contain resources related to apologetics, Bible study, devotion and theology. By listing these websites Shofar Institute does not claim to endorse every claim made by their authors. Generally speaking, they do however contain content that we have found useful in our pursuit of faith. Eat the meat, spit out the bones.
Blogs and resources
- Shofar Christian Church's official blog.
- WalklikeJesus.net is a devotional blog by Ross van Niekerk aimed at assisting Christians to put their faith into practice as they evaluate their lives, attitudes and beliefs against biblical truth.
- The Gospel Coalition is a resource blog started by Don Carson and Tim Keller which aims to encourage and educate next-generation leaders by advocating Gospel-centred principles and practices.
- The Bible and Mission blog, written by Dr Rollin Grams, explores the interface between Scripture and the Church's mission.
- The Desiring God blog was founded by John Piper and contains rich devotional content put together by a diverse group of contributors.
- The Timothy Keller blog is the official blog of this dynamic, New York based, pastor, author and leader in Christian thought. Timothy Keller is currently the senior pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
- Think Theology is a resource blog where various contributors wrestle with theological questions and engage with other thinkers. Topics covered include hermeneutics, apologetics and church history.
- Be Thinking is a resource blog which primarily focuses on basic apologetic questions related to the Christian faith.
- The Centre for Public Christianity is a not-for-profit media company that offers a Christian perspective on contemporary life. They seek to promote the public understanding of the Christian faith by engaging mainstream media and the general public with high quality and well-researched print, video and audio material about the relevance of Christianity in the 21st century.
- Apologetics 315 provides educational resources for the defence of the Christian faith, with the goal of strengthening the faith of believers and engaging the questions and challenges of other worldviews.
- The Poached Egg Christian Worldview and Apologetics Journal aims to provide resources which contain an adequate and reasonable defence of the Christian faith. It contains a continually expanding virtual library of articles and essays compiled by noted apologists, biblical scholars, philosophers, scientists, historians, students and laymen.
- BreakPoint is a resource website focused on equipping and training modern Christians to engage in culture-shaping work by bringing the Christian worldview to bear in all areas of life.
- Relevant Magazine focuses on reaching Christian twenty- and thirtysomethings. Covering faith, culture and intentional living, RELEVANT aims to tell stories that are at the intersection of where a Christ-centred life is really lived. Their purpose is not to "be relevant" but to show that God is relevant to every aspect of our lives.
Theological websites
- Biblical Studies is an Internet resource for studying the Bible. It contains free courses on a range of theological topics presented by leading theologians.
- Resource pages for biblical studies, focusing on the early Christian writings and their social world.
- The Cooley Centre, a resource centre for the study of early Christianity at Gordon Conwell Seminary.
- The New Testament Gateway contains annotated links on everything connected with the academic study of the New Testament and Christian origins.
- The Paul Page, a web-based resource dedicated to exploring recent trends in Pauline studies.
- The Tyndale House website offers a wide range of resources for biblical and theological studies.
- The Text This Week provides a virtual study desk for students, teachers, and preachers.
- SonicLight.com is a site that hosts Bible study notes from a seminary professor named Dr Thomas Constable and a Bible teacher named James van Dine. There are also audio recordings of Bible study lessons.
- Crosswalk.com is a site that has public domain Bible translations, commentaries, dictionaries, etc., that are free to access and use.
Buy Online
Can't find what you're looking for? To order Christian media within South Africa, try:


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Du er 1 500 kroner unna å få FRI FRAKT!
Adidas Busenitz Pure Boost Prime Knit Shoes
Busenitz' velkjente signaturmodell. Skoen er laget i Prime Knit og har Adidas' fantastiske Boost-såle som rett og slett er nydelig å gå på.
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Hey guys, i have recently aqqired an ngage for my birthday, and am sick of paying for GPRS with tmobile so ive decided to do as somebody advises me and think about getting a usb bluetooth dongle for the pc. I was looking@ this one:
Ok so i have two questions:
1. Will this adaptor be compatible with ngage?
2. Does the pc have to be on for it to work, or can the cable modem just be on and then it will act as like a wireless connection between the ngage and then cable modem?
and finally a question 3 just for luck
3. The range is 10m, is that likely to be enough to cover my entire two floor house? Its not the biggest house in the world....


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Waterford Nostalgic Plaid Heart 2017Blown Glass Christmas Ornament by Waterford
List Price $70.00
Our Price $54.95
The 2017 Nostalgic Plaid Heart by Waterford is a delicate hand painted glass Christmas ornament. This heart ornament is not dated and arrives gift boxed with a red ribbon for hanging.
Personalize this ornament with an engraving tag for $12.75. Simply add the ornament to your Shopping Cart, and click on the engraving option listed below the item.
Have your item engraved for only $7.75!
(Regularly $17.95)
All engraving will be sized appropriately to fit your items, and the price includes however many letters and numbers we can fit on one side of both the Knife and Server. Please allow 2-3 business days for engraving, or please call us to order if you need an item engraved within 24 business hours.
To add engraving to an item, simply add it to your Shopping Cart, and click on the engraving option listed below the item.
Click on any style to see the complete alphabet!
Style 22
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Greek Letters
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Flash sale
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SALE ZAFUL Crisscross Dinosaur Print One-piece Swimsuit - White Xl
Reviews (80)
it's Super cute the colors look just like the picture. Fits well especially for a gal who is tall but who doesn't have I lot of meat is hard for me to find well fitting ones. The material feel great just like any other swimsuit that I can find in a mall. Definitely recommend it to others. :)
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I love the pattern. it is a bit showy in the chest area but if you've got something to show then this bathing suit would be good for you! other than that, it fits good everywhere else.Love it
Jul. 18, 2019 at 17:02:59 PM
Súper lindo la tela es de buena calidad y la talla es perfecta
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The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has not announced a commercial fishing period for today nor will one occur over the next two days.
Although the Kuskokwim Salmon Management Working Group did not have a quorum, many people, especially in the middle and upper river did not feel one was justified at this time (the Dept. had considered having one today – Friday); especially since so many sacrificed to get as many king salmon as possible up to the spawning grounds.
Although the catch-per-unit effort for king salmon in the Bethel Test Fishery has mostly been in the single digits, some kings would have been incidentally caught.
Middle River folks also expressed their concerns that the chums are not doing as well as the Bethel Test Fishery has indicated. Some fishers are catching good numbers of chums per drift, others are not.
See a related KYUK news article on http://kyuk.org/first-kuskokwim-commercial-fishing-opening-delayed/?fb_action_ids=1452986504952573&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=AL2FB


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Introduction Best Shopping Cart Programs
Over the last year or so, I have been visiting SamCart everywhere. Best Shopping Cart Programs
As an online entrepreneur, now I pay extra close attention to the shopping carts that people are using and I started noticing more people using SamCart.
Then I started seeing advertisements from SamCart, so that I signed up for their email list. I received a couple of emails from their service being hyped by them, therefore I decided to give it a shot.
So, did it live it up into the hype? Here is my SamCart review.
What Is SamCart?
SamCart is a web-based checkout platform Includes conversion-optimized checkout templates together with upsell, order subscription, bump and payment strategy capacities which are designed to maximize profits.
How SamCart Works
Here are the exact steps that SamCart walks You to help you market your products online:
Insert a new product (digital or physical)
Select the payment arrangement you want (either a one-time payment, payment program, or subscription)
Select the checkout page template you want (SamCart's templates are all amazing and they have been proven to convert)
Customize the checkout pages to match your own site and manufacturer
Insert upsells, create coupons, split-tests, etc..
If you are someone that wishes to establish a shopping cart quickly and easily, SamCart is for you. You are able to get up and running in under thirty minutes. I put up of my things but that is probably because I watched a YouTube videos about it ahead.
Click here to begin your SamCart free trial.
SamCart Characteristics
The reason that SamCart has been able to Grow is because they offer numerous features that assist online retailers make more cash. Whether youselling information products or're running an e-commerce shop, these features can help you make more money and have SamCart pay for itself rather quickly.
Affiliate Center
One of the best things about selling goods on the internet is that you could enlist an whole army of affiliates to promote your stuff. You don't have to spend time promoting your products, nor do you need to spend a dime. You simply pay them if they produce a purchase for you if you're able to get affiliates to spread the term. Best Shopping Cart Programs
SamCart lets you make your own personal army of affiliates that will sell your goods for you together with the Affiliate Center. SamCart automatically generates an Affiliate Signup page for you – that is where others may apply to advertise your merchandise.
You're going to find a URL for this page, so that you can send it out to prospective affiliates, post it on your website, or send it out to your email list. Whenever my subscribers go months without buying anything from me, I encourage them to become affiliates. Hey, if they are not buying anything, it's still a way for me to gain from them.
Every time a possible affiliate fills out your application, they will be shown a message which their accounts is"pending approval". You'll find a notification that they implemented via email when that occurs. It will also have buttons to approve or deny the individual's application. If you'd like, you can set this up to automatically accept affiliates.
SamCart's default affiliate commission is 50 percent. However, this payout to can be customized by you. You can pay your affiliates a flat rate commission (a set dollar amount per purchase ) or a proportion. I've had a great deal of success by increasing the affiliate for top-performing affiliates to give them an incentive to sell even more.
Checkout Pages
Among the coolest things about SamCart is that they have 18 professionally designed templates that are demonstrated to convert. Honestly, I really don't think all the templates will be good, but I really do love almost all of them. My favorite is the traditional template.
The apparent huge advantage here is that the templates have been used by other proven marketers, so you can avoid the countless hours of designing and analyzing your own pages.
All the templates have trust elements like reviews, warranties, and safety reassurances that give your clients the reassurance they need to boost your conversions.
Once you choose your checkout page, you can easily customize it by changing the colors of the header, footer, buttons, etc.. You can even choose the fields you would like to include and you can add custom bullet points to describe the product your customer is purchasing (I've found bullet points to be especially useful, and that's the reason why you see them all of my earnings pages).
All the pages are cellular responsive, and it is super important in our ever-increasingly mobile world. One of the reasons I changed over to SamCart was because my checkout page supplier was not as responsive as I desired it to be. Best Shopping Cart Programs
I do a lot of advertising on Google AdWords, in which most of my traffic comes from cellular. I discovered that with my cart, people abandoned at a speed, which meant I flushed my advertisement spend down the toilet. SamCart helped my boost my conversions.
Plusthey have a cool"sandbox" mode, which allows you make sure everything is working before going live with your product. With my shopping cart that is previous, I really had to print everything and test it. I hated doing that. Together with SamCart, I can test payments without going live and without charging your credit card (and messing up your stats).
One Click Upsells
Once I told my friends I was writing a SamCart review, they explained I must stress how amazing their one click upsells are, and I concur.
If you are selling online and you are not offering upsells, you're leaving a great deal of money on the table. In fact, back in 2006, Amazon reported that 35% of its earnings were from its own upselling efforts. Do not you think that it deserves your consideration, if Amazon is making that much money from it?
An upsell is a technique that helps you increase your average order value. You don't even understand it and likely upsells all of the time. It is there as an upsell for people that do not wish to worry about maintenance, although you don't HAVE to get the elongated warranty for your car. Restaurants like to provide it, although you don't need to get dessert after dinner.
Continuing with the dessert example, those small $8 cakes are not a huge sum of money, however if you are the restaurant selling tons of them every night, the money adds up.
SamCart causes this process seamless by providing upsells where all of the client has to do is click one single button and purchase your offer. In accordance with them, SamCart users that use one click upsells normally increase their normal client value by a whopping 68.1%. Best Shopping Cart Programs
Click here to start your SamCart free trial.
One Page Checkout
This attribute is unique because it provides you the capability to add several different payment options onto a single checkout page. For my $997 online course, I use Teachable, and even they do not offer this feature. If a customer wants the payment program I must have different checkout pages. I WISH I could use SamCart because of that.
The 1 page voucher takes multiple payments into a completely new level because it keeps visitors on the webpage while they determine how to cover. If you've ever sold anything on the internet, you realize how important it's to keep your visitors.
Cross Selling Bumps
Cross-selling is a way to market products which are related to the one the customer already owns. If a customer purchases a vehicle from you, a cross-sell will be car insurance or gas.
You may be familiar with this as bundling. When you bundle auxiliary products and the principal product you are able to raise your profits on each sale. McDonald's does this well by purchasing drinks and fries with their burgers.
Subscription Saver
When I first started selling subscription merchandise online, I had been naive enough to believe everyone would pay in time, every time. I figured that if I was good enough to cover my bills and honor my obligations, so would everyone else.
Boy, was I naive. Turns out that there are some winners on the internet. People who decline cancel credit cards to get out of making payments or charges. Your subscription income is gone usually once this occurs. Barring any legal action (like sending a demand letter… in case you have the customer's address) you can not receive your money. Sad.
But today with SamCart, your subscriptions are being safeguarded from diminished obligations and expired credit cards. A payment fails, SamCart sends your customer an email on your behalf – that the email has a link where customers can upgrade the payment they have on file, directly . That means you don't have to waste your precious time hounding your customers.
When a customer fails to upgrade the payment information after several attempts, SamCart automatically cancels the subscription. SamCart marks them as"delinquent" in your accounts so that you understand who they are and so you've got the chance to reach out to those clients. Best Shopping Cart Programs
A/B Testing
Isn't it weird that people talk about split examining their revenue pages, their opt-in pages, their email subject lines, and much more… but they don't ever talk about testing their homepage?
It seems mad, right?
If you figure that a large part of your potential clients are abandoning your checkout page, don't you believe a half-decent split evaluation might let you get one more customer??
I do also.
Fortunately, SamCart offers the capacity to run live split tests. This is AMAZING. You may double your earnings In case you have your split-testing snags you just ONE client along with a 90% abandonment rate. Yes, DOUBLE YOUR SALES. Much like that.
SamCart lets you change almost any setting you want, so it is possible to test any variant which tickles your fancy. It's possible to change the template, try out a different guarantee (I have found the longer, the greater ), eliminate some areas (I have found the less, the greater ), and more.
As soon as you've got your variants created, SamCart automatically tests between your variations. You do not have to do anything except watch the results roll in. You can head over to the"AB Test" section from the product's settings to see how the variations do. As soon as you locate a winner, SamCart allows you to disable the failure.
The one thing you can't split-test with SamCart is your product's cost. You'll have to create two different goods and conduct a test between those two products, if you would like to do that.
Once it comes to A/B testing, experience tells me that you ought to test the major stuff first (like completely different templates) and then work your way down to the minute details. Oh, and always wait till you've got a statistically significant sample size until you call it.
Why Many Checkout Pages Suck
Based on what study you read, 80 percent of individuals Which"add to cart" on your website will abandon that cart. You may add a substantial quantity of cash to your bottom line if it is possible to get a small amount of those people to convert.
SamCart will assist you to boost conversions. Best Shopping Cart Programs
SamCart's entire value proposition is their checkout site templates are analyzed to the gills and they've been demonstrated to convert better than their competitors. You ought to ensure you're maximizing your conversions if you sell things online, and SamCart will help you do so.
Plus, many checkout pages aren't built to maximize the amount of profit that you get from every sell. Matters like order bumps and upsells enable you to include more profit.
For instance, I sell a $97 PDF on my site. I would not be able to bring an upsell, When I used a voucher form. Because I provide an upsell, my supply is taken by roughly one out of every 3 individuals .
Because of the one simple attribute, I am adding an average of $20 to each and every purchase of the item. That is like giving myself over a increase simply by having that attribute. Which means that I can spend an extra $20 on advertising grow my business even quicker and to acquire a customer.
My Favorite SamCart Feature
My favorite SamCart feature is hands-down the Client and training support they provide. They have tons of videos in what's known as their"Knowledge Base" that shows you how you can use their applications (although it's already fairly easy) and they supply a lot of instruction about the best way to make more money if you're selling online.
They have an entire library of product info, tutorials, webinars, and much more. The education alone is worth the cost. I needed to include this fact in my SamCart review.
SamCart Integrations
I didn't have a Opportunity to incorporate SamCart with a Lot of resources, simply because I don't use that many. I use utilize PayPal, Drip, OptinMonster and Stripe.
Interested in learning more about OptinMonster? Have a look at my review . If you are interested in learning more about Drip, I wrote an overview of that too.
SamCart allows you to seamlessly sync with a bunch of tools, including email, marketing automation, registration, and payment processing. It was easy for me to incorporate my entire system together with SamCart and I envision it would be the exact same for nearly all individuals out there.
I've been reading on different forums how easy it was for people to incorporate Kajabi, Infusionsoft, Hubspot, MailChimp, Aweber, and more. My motto is rather straightforward, so I can not discuss this in depth in my SamCart review. Best Shopping Cart Programs
How Much Can SamCart Cost?
SamCart has three plans:
Basic ($19 per month)
Pro ($99 per month)
Premium ($199 per month)
Even at the Premium level, SamCart is an absolute steal with the features they provide you. But, I've found that the Basic is great for many internet entrepreneurs, however if you are doing a lot of business online, you wish to get the Pro plan.
Also remember that if you are looking to save some cash, they give you a discount if you pay annually. I recommend that you take advantage of the free trial (to make sure that it's definitely right for you) and then paying yearly to save money. If you pay yearly, the Pro plan is $888 per year (that saves you $300) and the Premium program is $1,788 per year (which saves you $600).
SamCart Supplies a 14-Day Free Trial (and Money-Back Gurantee)
If you're on the fence about trying SamCart, they Provide a free 14-day trial.
This usually means that you can test them out absolutely free, and if they don't make you more money than your previous cart (or you just hate it for some reason) then it's possible to fire them. You can cancel and walk off.
Plus, they have a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee anyhow, further lowering the risk.
According to SamCart, the average SamCart seller makes up to 5X more than the ordinary seller on other platforms. What do you need to lose? Begin now. Best Shopping Cart Programs
Click here to begin your SamCart free trial.


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Philadelphia is buckling under the weight of the opioid crisis. No big city has as many opioid deaths per capita as this city. About 1,200 Philadelphians died of an drug overdose last year. That was a 30 percent jump over 2016; more are expected in 2018.
The city estimates that 140,000 residents are addicts but only 10 percent of them are in treatment. Officials worry that more people could become addicts because about a third of the city's adults have been prescribed highly addictive painkillers in the last year, according to the city's health commissioner, Thomas Farley. Add to that the thousands of addicts from around the region who come to the city to buy drugs and inevitably overdose.
The city didn't make this mess, and it shouldn't have to clean it up alone. The cost in human suffering and the millions of tax dollars Philadelphia has spent fighting this epidemic are compelling reasons the city this week rightly joined the growing list of communities suing five drug manufacturers — including Allergan/Actavis; Cephalon and Teva; Endo; Janssen and Johnson & Johnson; and Purdue — for their roles in the crisis. Very significantly, the city is not just seeking monetary damages but also is seeking to stop the companies' aggressive marketing of drugs.
This lawsuit may seem long overdue, but consider that this crisis knocked communities off their feet and they are only now getting up and fighting the root causes.
For decades, drug companies used misleading pitches — on the drugs' safety and dosages — to persuade physicians to prescribe painkillers for managing even minor back pain. They downplayed the drugs' addictive properties. Famously, some cited the well-regarded New England Journal of Medicine as proof that opioids weren't dangerous. But the magazine only published a letter to the editor decades ago that said there were few hospital inpatient cases of addiction. It wasn't a full study or article, which would have required real research, fact-checking and perspective. For the record: Opioids are highly addictive. According to a real study, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last March, one out of five people prescribed opioids for over 10 days is susceptible to addiction.
This is a deadly problem that starts but is not limited to prescription drugs; when access to those drugs is no longer possible, many turn to street drugs, including heroin.
Communities have put enormous stress on their resources to deal with the consequences. Philadelphia treats roughly 14,000 addicts a year. There aren't enough ambulances to take dying addicts to hospitals, so Fire Department equipment is used. In just one year, Philadelphia spent $370,000 to administer naloxone, the life-saving opioid antidote, to 10,000 addicts. The cost of fighting drug-related crimes is up to $40 million a year when factoring in costs for the police, the district attorney, public defender, the courts and prisons.
Drug companies have to help pay for the problem they played such a major role in creating. They're not alone, of course. The doctors who didn't bother to check out the research and overprescribed these dangerous substances should pay, too. But the victims, their loved ones, and the taxpayers have already paid enough.


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Currently Reviewing: Welcome to the NHK
What We've Said Recently
- Episode 23: Welcome to Misaki and Episode 24: Welcome to the NHK July 1, 2017
- Vinyl – Hipster Affectation, Archival Format, Late Stage Capitalism Freak Out January 16, 2017
- Federale – They can Even do it Live January 15, 2017
- Episode 21: Welcome to the Reset and Episode 22: Welcome to God! January 14, 2017
- Lazy Friday Videos (warning:drumsolos) January 13, 2017
- Federale – All the Colours of the Dark January 12, 2017
- More Bowie, All the Time… Sometimes January 11, 2017
- When I Met You – David Bowie January 10, 2017
- Emerson, Lake, and remembering January 9, 2017
- A Traitor's Self-Indulgence – My work for Cinema Sentries in 2016 January 8, 2017
Random Goat Reviews
Enjoy Ads!
What came before:
Mainpage Archive
Let There Be Light: The Odyssey of Dark StarPosted on January 7, 2017 | No CommentsDark Star launched the John Carpenter orbit… but only by accident. It was the little film that shouldn't have worked, was shot on less than a shoestring over three strenuous […]
Episode 19: Welcome to the Blue Bird! and Episode 20: Welcome to Winter Days!Posted on January 6, 2017 | No CommentsLifelines get threatened, and truths are revealed, while the desperate show their desperation plain. In Welcome to the Blue Bird, the tragedy of Megumi's brother Yuichi is brought to full […]
5 great albums from 2016Posted on January 5, 2017 | No CommentsPerturbator – Uncanny Valley Gost – Non Paradisi S U R V I V E – RR7349 Babymetal – Metal Resistance Slasher Dave – Exorcisms
Lazy Post Wednesday – 5 Vids – DB to Pixies and BEYOND!Posted on January 4, 2017 | No CommentsBassist Gail Ann Dorsey is cute. And, of course, a hell of a bassist. Jack and I saw her play with Bowie in 97. Kim Deal does the vocals […]
Epsiode 17: Welcome to Happiness! and Episode 18: Welcome to No Future!Posted on January 3, 2017 | No CommentsSato's problem, as a character, is that he isn't that bad a NEET. He can talk to people, and discuss his issues and while he has neither motivation nor the […]
Episode 15: Welcome to the Fantasy! & Episode 16: Welcome to the Game Over!Posted on January 2, 2017 | No CommentsHaving just re-embraced life, Sato find a way to re-engage with lifeliseness in Welcome to the Fantasy! and Welcome to Game Over! After a devastating phone call from his mother […]
2016 of KentPosted on January 1, 2017 | No CommentsMovie watched: 111 In theaters: 2 From 2016: 4 Books read (not counting graphic novels): 32 On audiobook: 27 (I've forgotten how to read) Albums bought: too many (vinyl addict) […]
Jack's 2016Posted on January 1, 2017 | No CommentsAccomplishment: I went back to school to get a Computer Science degree. Albums: I streamed 152. Here are the top 10, with my favorite in bold. Best of Luna (Luna) […]
World on a WirePosted on December 3, 2016 | No CommentsI am of two minds when it comes to Rainer Werner Fassbinder's sole trek into "sci-fi." Throughout, his touch–stylized but never over the top–is assured. He shot the film, originally a […]
Trampled Under Foot – Led ZeppelinPosted on December 3, 2016 | No CommentsAuto-body music from the varied, at times maddening Physical Graffiti. The track reeks of diesel, coke, and funk, and is one of the heaviest numbers in a very heavy catalog. The […]


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You are hereHome ›
New Brighton OKs Pike Lake Kindergarten construction
Many New Brighton school-aged residents are funneled into the growing Mounds View School District.
District enrollment numbers reached a 16-year high last year with 11,190 students, up from 9,652 in 2010, according to the school district.
The district's projected total enrollment for 2024 is 12,740.
In order to keep pace with the space needed for so many more students, a $165 million building bond referendum was put to a vote last November. It passed with overwhelming support that eclipsed 70 percent of the vote.
With funding in place, design work and construction on the 12 facilities set for improvement is being broken into three phases.
Pike Lake Kindergarten Center, Island Lake Elementary School, and Edgewood and Highview middle schools are in the first phase.
At the New Brighton City Council's July 24 meeting, the council approved a special use permit for construction at Pike Lake, located at 2101 14th Street in New Brighton, which entails an addition to be added to the back of the school.
The addition, which is more than 3,000 square feet, will provide two new classrooms, an influx of much-needed space.
Paul Aplikowski of Wold Architects, the St. Paul firm that is handling all of the construction for the school district, said at the council meeting that construction should begin this fall and run through this next school year. Construction is set to be finished next summer, in time for the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.
In a presentation to the council at the meeting, New Brighton city staffers recommended approving the project and explained that some trees cleared for construction need to be replaced, in accordance with city code; 10 shrubs will also need replacing.
Pike Lake construction is planned for the back of the building. Next to the construction area is the parking lot, a skatepark, school playground and Freedom Park.
Mayor Val Johnson expressed concern for "walkers" — children who hoof it to school — and for parents who routinely pick up their kids in that back parking lot after class. Council member Emily Dunsworth expressed a similar concern for how the construction may interfere with people at Freedom Park or the skatepark — and for how both parks may interfere with construction.
Aplikowski said the architect and construction teams will work to ensure the construction area is closed off and that safe paths are provided.
— Solomon Gustavo


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As Hurricane Arthur makes his way across Nova Scotia, what better day to make this delicious dish!
This recipe is so simple and will cook while you are at work or on the go! With so many flavours it is one of my favorites!
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 can diced tomatoes with onions and celery
- 2 cups Chunky Salsa
- 1 Can Black Beans (rinsed ad drained)
- 1 can or 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 Onion
- 2 cans or 1 box chicken broth
- 1-2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp chilli powder
- 1 large tin of mixed beans
- 1 pkg Taco Mix
- Combine ALL ingredients in Crock Pot
- Cook on high for 5-7 hours or low for 8-9 hours
- When ready to serve break apart chicken pieces
- Add cheese or nacho chips to the top and serve


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I am fortunate to write a weekly training tip and weekly Q&A for Nike Running.
I normally don't post any of the content from Nike but I thought this post applies to everyone that reads this blog. So here it is, why you should consider Training Like a Toddler.
I'm the father of a toddler and I've come to realize that her approach to life (and the big world around here) is often the approach athletes should take with their running.
Want an example?
Last week she fell and scraped her little nose on the concrete sidewalk in front of our home. There was a decent amount of blood, but not too many tears, and within 10 minutes it was as if nothing had happened. She slept well that night yet the next day she definitely had a runny nose, but on the whole had a good day. That night, however, she had one of the worst nights since she was an infant; up three different times, crying much of the time and just plain upset. Very, very rough night and roughly 36 hours following the scrapped nose incident. The next day she had a fairly normal day and night, but the following day she set a person record…for her morning nap. Three hours. She always takes a morning nap, but it's usually 75-100 minutes; 180 minutes a record by almost an hour.
So what's my point? Two points actually.
First is that my daughter's body, following the scraped nose incident, her runny nose and a bad night's sleep, eventually made up for the stress with a record long nap. When the body is stressed you often see the stress manifest itself 36-48 hours later; that rhythm underlies this story and is probably why she slept fine the night after the scrape, but then sleep so poorly the second night. So the first take home message is "be mindful of 48 hours post-workout" or 48 hours post-"life stress."
Second, because a toddler just goes with the flow of life she was out for 3 hours one morning. She was tired and her body was recovering from, in the past 4 days, a tumble, a runny nose and a horrible night of (little) sleep. So she rested more. Obviously adults struggle to find time to train, let alone rest, yet if you trained like a toddler you'd give yourself plenty of rest and recovery to absorb the training from hard days.


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This family owned and operated restaurant is celebrating 3 years in business. Fresh steaks, pasta, chicken, sweet desserts and more are served daily. One of the most popular dishes, the Chicken Riggies, is absolutely delicious! The full-service bar has all your favorites like pizza, wings and burgers.
Siena is family-friendly, and can cater at their place or yours. A private banquet room is available for all large and small occasions.
When new offers are available from this business.


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Two GIANT DDoS Attacks in Less Than a Week
In a post on its engineering blog, Github said, "The attack originated from over a thousand
different autonomous systems (ASNs) across tens of thousands of unique endpoints. It was an
amplification attack using the memcached-based approach that peaked at 1.35Tbps via 126.9
million packets per second." Then, yesterday, Arbor Networks announced that record had been broken by a 1.7 TB attack!
Here is a TWiT Netcast discussing the attacks:
Site Search
- Facebook's Decline of 2017 is Coming to Light 2019-02-18
- AI in 2019 (video) 2019-01-03
- Designing For Accessibility And Inclusion 2018-11-26


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Some of Australia's leading economic minds have come together at the 2015 NATSEM/IGPA Budget Breakfast to give their interpretation of the 2015 Federal Budget and unanimously agreed it is shaping up better than last year.
The University of Canberra's Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis (IGPA)'s National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) gathered political and economic experts to dissect the recently announced Budget.
The panel included Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh, former Assistant Treasurer Senator Arthur Sinodinos, Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Saul Eslake and the University of Canberra's professorial fellow Michelle Grattan and NATSEM's principal research fellow Ben Phillips.
Mr Phillips said the presenters had all considered the impacts of the Federal Budget and provided interesting perspectives on the Federal Government's agenda.
"Among the issues discussed, were the new families' package and pension reforms, and how they affect Australian families," Mr Phillips said.
Senator Sinodinos highlighted the Government's focus on small business and consumer confidence.
He admitted there had been challenges in the 2014 Budget, but this year, the focus was firmly on improving workforce participation and building strength within Australia's small businesses.
Far from a party political debate, Dr Leigh commenced his presentation listing the aspects of the budget that he welcomed and supported in principle.
Among that list was a funding commitment to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, an investment in the Australian Bureau of Statistics for new IT and the small business instant asset write-off.
Economist Saul Eslake delved into some of the finer details of the Budget, calling into question some of the assumptions around forward projections of Australia's economic growth being set at 3.5 per cent for a five year period from 2017.
Mr Eslake was also critical of tax concessions for small business, questioning "why should one business of a certain size pay a different tax rate than another business of a differing size?"
Political commentator Michelle Grattan examined the political implications of the budget, noting the Government had received a relative bounce in polling since the budget was laid out.
She was dismissive of suggestions the Abbott Government would seek an early election on the back of the result, reflecting that a return to the polls is unlikely until at least early 2016.
The NATSEM/IGPA Budget Breakfast is an annual event held mid to late-May.
This post first appeared on the UC Monitor Online.Back to News


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Former Police Offices & Barracks:
Completed in 1895, this large ashlar masonary building was a public works design by the city architect Alexander Beith McDonald (1847-1915). The large building was originally Police offices and barracks as can be ascertained from the Semper Vigilo - always vigilant mottowith the thistle detail over the Oxford Street doorway. Latterly the Strathclyde Police Training College, the building is currently occupied by a variety of users in cluding the Salvation Army. The entire building has been painted a garish pink except for the small bell tower (see photos below), and the building as a whole is in a somewhat tired condition. Grade B listing.
street address: 71 Oxford Street, Glasgow, G5 9EP
Latitude / Longitude: 55.852996,-4.255383 (sourced using Google Maps)
north front facade on Oxford Street to the left with 4 window bays to each side of the 5 window bay central entrance, and the west facade to the right on Oxford Lane
central entrance on the north facade with numerous carved elements
crest and 'semper vigilo' motto above the central element of the north facade
carving above the doorway
further carving on the north facade
view of the east and north elevations
north end of the east elevation with another doorwayonto Nicholson Street
balcony over the east elevation door, and the heavily flaked paint
view looking north along the east facade
view through a window on the east elevation looking through the building of the internal open courtyard
south end of the east elevation
south-west corner of the building with its plain brickwork instead of ashlar
bell tower atop the building, one of the few parts not painted pink
view north along the west elevation up Nicholson Lane
north end of the west elevation
back to top
- home - building index - about - web links - contact -
www.architectureglasgow.co.uk www.derelictglasgow.co.uk


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MailChimp is an email marketing software developed and launched by the Rocket Science Group in 2001. Initially, this software was launched as a paid service but later on, the free version was also introduced.
MailChimp, one of the best free and open source email marketing software, provides email services that can be incorporated into small and medium companies for marketing their services. This email service provider allows to send a maximum of 12,000 emails in a month but limited up to 2000 subscribers.
However, it provides very few basic templates and your account might also get suspended if there are too many unsubscriptions. In order to overcome these difficulties, there are some alternatives to MailChimp that can be tried for gaining better email services.
Emma delivers a flexible email marketing service and allows to create well-established email campaigns. Users can make use of the range of default templates and can design efficient mobile emails. This software is made with an easy user interface and provides real-time analytics feature.
Emma is a paid software that can be integrated with famous e-commerce and CRM platforms. This software is available in three versions namely Pro, Plus and Enterprise and the cost varies based on the features offered.
Constant Contact is a marketing application software that has an experience of over 15 years and has a loyal customer base of around 650,000 across the globe. The software is equipped with collective templates and allows to upload contacts in multiple ways.
With Constant Contact, contacts from multiple databases can be gathered together as a single unified list. It allows the user to enable mobile email marketing and also has an image library along with list-building tools, which is an added advantage for the users. Customers can make use of the free trial version which is available for a period of 60 days in order to get a good idea.
GetResponse is a simplified email marketing application by which you can create professional emails in a simpler way. Email intelligence is one of the best feature available in GetResponse and it can help you enhance the impact on campaigns.
Moreover, this software allows you to track your efforts by which performance can be measured. GetResponse can be integrated with third-party solutions such as Google and Zendesk in order to provide subscribers list. There are four versions available for GetResponse such as Email, Pro, Max, and Enterprise, based on your estimated email contacts, you can choose one among these versions.
iContact Pro is an advanced and automated marketing suite that makes your email marketing much more effective. This is a cloud-based software that integrates social media management and provides automated marketing along with robust analytics. Email campaigns can be easily managed by deploying iContact Pro.
Moreover, this software can be integrated with SalesForce by which sales processes can be managed efficiently. On the other hand, robust analytics allows the user to make effective strategic planning by which resource allocation for marketing can be decided. Depending on the number of subscribers, it offers three plans such as Email Marketing, Pro Automation and Premiere and offers better service in comparison to MailChimp.
AWeber is an email marketing solution which delivers personalized emails to your customers and is very much suitable for small businesses. The software also lets you integrate with platforms such as WordPress, Magento and much more.
The Autoresponder feature in Aweber makes customer interaction easier and allows the user to create personalized messages. Moreover, the software allows subscribers segmentation by which subscribers can be listed and grouped together in a database. Based on the number of subscribers, you can select any one the available plans and make use of Aweber to improve your email marketing programme.
All of these software are cost-efficient and highly reliable with a bundle of additional features available with them. When compared to MailChimp, some of them provide you with more built-in templates and allow you to develop a more effective professional marketing strategy.


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Be it a pain on shoulder or knees or spine issues, a pain will be apian on the head until it is getting resolved. Do you have any of these issues? Well, then, get it resolved as soon as possible by contacting surgivisor.com. Today we are going to discuss the total knee replacement surgery, its type, risks, and aftermath.
Explain A Total Knee Replacement
A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure in which the ruptured or unstable knee joint is replaced with artificial material, known as the prosthesis. And why it is replaced? As we all know that the knee is a hinge joint which provides to and fro motion to your legs and also a joint of your thighs and lower legs.
During the procedure, the end of the femur thigh bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The lower leg bone is also removed and replaced with a channelled plastic piece with the help of a metal stem. These artificial components are known as the prosthesis. The ligaments join the bones and the posterior ligament normally helps to stabilise each side of the knee joint which prohibits the lower leg go backwards. During the procedure, this ligament is either sacrificed or substituted by a polyethylene post. There are other alternatives as well carrying their own advantages and risks. To carry such a procedure is a critical thing and to maintain a good health after the surgery becomes also quintessential.
Some Important Notes For Patients
The tearing or severe damage occurs at the knee ligaments due to progressive arthritis, trauma, or other rare destructive diseases of the joint. And the most common reason behind this is severe osteoarthritis of the knees.
Be it any reason, the symptom can gradually increase over the period of time resulting severe pain, stiffness near around the joints and problem with mobility. Due to such issues, suggest best knee replacement surgeon in Delhi NCR as the better key to resolving the issues. The time and date of the surgery are not so easy to decide as these matters revolve around the health of the patient. He or she must understand the risks as well before opting for the surgery.
Risks Involved
Total knee replacement is not an exception when you talk about risks involved in surgeries. But you should know some of the common complication that revolved around the procedure:
Blood clots around the part or lungs
Loosening of the parts or wearing out of the prosthesis
Still pain or body part stiffness
Most of the cases it has been seen the loosening of the parts but this occurs due to mismanagement of the patient or doctor. This happens if the doctor has done this hurriedly or if the patient would not have taken care of his new parts. The area can become loose or dislodged, or may interfere with the normal mobility of the patient. If the same continues then the surgeon may consider another joint replacement in the future.
Nerves or blood vessels in the area of surgery may be injured, resulting in weakness or numbness. The joint pain may not be relieved by surgery.
There may be other risks depending on your specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your doctor prior to the procedure.
Opt for the best knee replacement surgeon and for that contact at Surgivisor.com where are specialists will directly get in touch with you.


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The Malnad of Karnataka can be culturally can be clearly divided as south Malnad comprising Northern Somawarpete in North Kodagu, Sakaleshapura, Mudigere, southern part of Chikmagalur Taluk and western part of Belur and Alur taluks in Hassan. Central Malnad comprising of Chikmagalur, Koppa, Malnad region of Shimoga, and Western Ghat regions of Uttara Kannada.
Although many refer to the Malnad cuisine as an amalgamation of Coorgi and Mangalorean cuisine, it has its own distinct style. And moreover Malnad people are considered to be natives to these part of Karnataka when compared with Coorgies and Bunts and Shettys. So rather Malnad cuisine has traveled to the kitchens of Kodavas and Bunts would be a sensible line.
The cuisine is heavily influenced by the variety of fruits and vegetables available in the rich forests of western ghats. The ingredients like tender bamboo shoots, colocassia leaves, turmeric leaves, raw jackfruit are easily found in the Sahyadri ranges. Steaming is a favored method of cooking in Malnad. More often than not there is minimal use of oils in Malnad cuisine.


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The Driving Forces Disrupting the Energy Incumbency
The electric power industry is rapidly and fundamentally changing on a number of dimensions including generation, transmission, distribution and most important on the customer end. The convergent effects of technological advances, policy measures, the growth of distributed generation, new forms of competition and changes in customer behaviour are having a transformative impact on power markets. Utilities now face, or will soon face, unprecedented challenges as our entire notion of how electricity should be generated and natural gas produced, delivered, and paid for is changing.
A number of forces have come together to accelerate these changes. Climate-change rules are ruling out dirty old power plants with astonishing speed. Since March alone, four coal-fired stations capable of powering 8m homes in Britain have shut. At the same time, plunging fossil fuel prices have led to sharp cuts in energy bills, hollowing out the balance sheets of the incumbents. And some renewable technologies, for years reliant on government subsidies, have become so cheap they can be built with little or no support. Solar panel costs have plunged 70% in five years. The result has been an explosion of what the industry calls "distributed generation". In place of the few dozen giant power plants that were controlled by the top suppliers, hundreds of thousands of wind turbines and solar panels are springing up.
The key trends affecting utilities business models are as follows –
Distributed Generation
While the pace of change has accelerated along the industry's entire long value chain, it is most pronounced in distributed energy resources or DERs – which includes energy efficiency improvements plus distributed generation, particularly from rooftop solar PVs. The former allows consumers to use less; the latter allows them to generate more of what they need. Combined, they are turning an increasing number of consumers into prosumers, eroding utility sales and revenues and threatening the historical business model, which was traditionally based on fixed tariffs applied to volumetric consumption.
Distributed generation is often cited as the biggest threat to the traditional vertically integrated IOU model. Many business and residential customers are taking their energy needs into their own hands and generating their own power. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal cites the example of Arizona-based Sherry Pfister, who leased solar panels for her home, cutting her utility bill by a third. Unless utilities are able to assist customers in managing energy use and provide other value-added services, customers are increasingly going to shift toward the do it yourself energy model.
Complimentary technologies such as storage and electric vehicles will speed up the transition – the costs of battery technology are headed nowhere but down. A number of recent studies by top analysts at HSBC and UBS projected that by 2020, small-scale solar-plus-storage power generation will become economic enough for individual homeowners in Europe that there simply won't be any market incentive for building more fossil fuel power plants on the Continent. In America, Tesla thinks the costs of battery storage could fall to $100 per kilowatt-hour by the end of the decade. That would drop the combined cost of a home solar array and a home battery to well below the average household currently spends on electricity from the grid.
For decades electricity storage has been a holy grail for the industry. Power is a fleeting commodity. You can't put in a barrel and stash it underground. For intermittent sources such as wind, this has been an Achilles heel. If the breeze is blowing at times of particularly low demand, National Grid pays turbine owners to turn them off because it has nowhere to send the power.
The dawn of cheap lithium batteries that fill up at peak supply times and discharge when demand spikes means that "spotty" renewables become far more reliable. Whitehall is slowly awakening to the implications. Former energy secretary Amber Rudd said: "Storage could help maximise the benefits and minimise the costs of secure, affordable and clean energy in the UK. I want to see the development of a viable and sustainable storage market at all levels, including in people's homes".
Driven by the electric car industry, which has ploughed billions into research and new manufacturing plants, the cost of lithium batteries has halved in three years and is set to continue dropping. At between £2,000 and £4,000, household models are still too expensive for most. Yet upstarts have begun devising solar and storage deals that require no subsidy or upfront investment, the way mobile companies offer free iPhones in exchange for a long-term service contract. This presents a significant challenge for the conventional power generators. They have to find a way to make money by selling a lot less of the product they produce.
Competition from New Market Entrants
New market entrants are another major challenge promising to disrupt the energy IOU industry. There are a number of new entrants making inroads into the sector, from the assumed to the unexpected, including those focused on generating electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass, as well as energy management technologies that allow consumers and businesses to reduce their energy consumption, even tech giants like Google, which acquired Nest Labs in January 2014. With its acquisition of Nest, Google also acquired its signature product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, the world's first "smart thermometer" that programs itself and saves energy. Through the Nest Learning Thermostat, Google now potentially has access to any utility customer with one of these devices installed, and is rumoured to be extending its reach even further into the utility sector, recognising the significant market opportunity it presents. Google is not the only company from another industry encroaching on energy utilities' territory with new technologies; a whole ecosystem of smart home technology providers has sprung up that allows consumers to monitor and manage their energy consumption. Companies span the technology, cable, and communication sectors – and they have figured out how to do the one thing IOUs have not done or chosen not to do: get beyond the meter and into the home.
In the UK web-savvy supply companies are luring away their customers with cheaper deals and customer service that isn't terrible. In 2012, less than 1% of British homes were supplied by non-big six companies. That figure is now close to 15%, and rising. More than 40 companies are fighting it out for a share of the household market.
Consumers Relationship with Power
Consumers relationship with power is being transformed – given the changes taking place in the industry, power will no longer be something that is exclusively produced by huge, centralised units owned by large utilities. Power will no longer be something that is consumed in a dumb way. The "we have done it like this for a century" value chain in developed electricity markets will be turned upside down within the next 10-20 years, driven by solar, batteries and in general, changing customer behaviour. In the age of transparency, consumers want a highly personalised and fully automated service and they want the ability to choose how their power is generated and by whom. What is now changing perhaps more rapidly than anyone could have imagined even a few years ago is the nature of the relationship between these energy services and the primary energy upon which they rely.