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Please visit the Economics Sakai website for current course syllabi. Please use the provided link: https://sakai.stlawu.edu/portal/site/economics
100. Introduction to Economics.
A general introduction to the discipline of economics, including both microeconomics and macroeconomics. The course is designed to develop an understanding of how economic principles and analysis can be used to study social problems and issues. Topics include supply and demand, comparative advantage, inflation, unemployment, economic growth, money and the banking system. Applications and issues vary by section. Also offered through Peace Studies.
108. Economics for Environmentalists.
An introduction to the basic concepts, tools and theories of microeconomics that are applied to problems typically associated with the use of the environment. The course begins with basic microeconomic principles, advances to important economic theories that are commonly used to describe environmental resource allocation problems and concludes with an examination of case studies such as air pollution and acid rain, destruction of rainforests, climate change, alternative sources of energy and waste disposal. This course does not count toward the major or minor in economics or economics-environmental studies and is not open to first-year students or students who have received credit for Economics 100, 101, or 102. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 101 or permission of the instructor. Also offered as Environmental Studies 108.
115. Economics, Law and Government.
This course examines the influence of government on markets and individuals' economic decisions, focusing on how the U.S. Constitution and federal and state governments' actions affect market outcomes. Alternative views of the appropriate roles of government in the economy are discussed. Economic perspectives and models are studied in the context of real-world events; topics and applications vary by semester. Past topics have included crime and punishment, regulation of monopoly, poverty and inequality, economics of free speech, and the government role in stimulating the economy. This course does not count toward the major or minor in economics or any combined major with economics.
200. Quantitative Methods in Economics.
An introduction to mathematical and statistical techniques used in economic analysis. Topics include the representation of economic hypotheses, sources and uses of economic data, probability, hypothesis testing and regression analysis. Emphasis is on the application of statistical techniques to economic problems. Prerequisite: Economics 100 and Statistics 113.
209. The Economics of Gender.
This course examines ways basic economic theory has been applied to questions of gender. It explores a variety of empirical and historical evidence about the economic status of women, the division of labor in the household, contemporary changes in labor markets, the economic forces affecting the ongoing evolution of the American family and the effects of government policy on all these. The course may also discuss the role of economics, as well as its limits, in understanding social phenomena. Prerequisite: Economics 100.
215. A Novel View of American Economic History.
New York State was center stage in the 19th-century transformation of the American economy and a surprising number of the cast of characters were from northern New York. This course seeks a deeper understanding of American economic development by studying the "North Country" perspective. Novels by Gore Vidal, Irving Bacheller, Samuel Hopkins Adams and Carl Carmer and biographies of Silas Wright, David Parish and John Brown are included in the reading. Seminar format emphasizes discussion and writing. Prerequisite: Economics 100.
228. African Economies.
An overview of sub-Saharan African economies with emphasis on basic economic principles, problems and indigenous institutions within an African context. Current development and structural adjustment issues are analyzed as well. Contrasts and comparisons with North American counterparts are made. Special emphasis is placed on exploring how cultural differences affect economic activities and institutions. Students learn of the diversity and complexity of economic relationships in African societies and increase their understanding of economics in their own society. Prerequisite: Economics 100. Also offered through African Studies.
234. Comparative Economic Institutions.
This course offers a broad perspective on the history of the economies of the U.S./Western Europe, the former Soviet Union and the developing world by comparing the economic and political institutions in each. A historical look at the economic arguments for markets and planning provides theoretical framework for detailed exploration of the evolution of capitalism, the rise and fall of socialism and current attempts at reform in Russia and other countries, and the influence that both systems, along with colonialism, have had on the economic development of the rest of the world. The focus is on relationships among institutions societies adopt, the processes by which those institutions emerge, and the economic consequences that follow. Majors in other social sciences or area studies programs are encouraged to enroll. Prerequisite: Economics 100. Also offered through Global Studies and Peace Studies.
236. Globalization Issues: Equity, the Environment and Economic Growth.
Do globalization and economic growth contribute to increased inequality within countries and among them? Under what circumstances do global market forces contribute to the impoverishment of already disadvantaged nations and to the benefit of the already advantaged? What is the relationship between economic growth and damage to environmental resources? Under what circumstances do global market forces contribute to the degradation of the environment? This course endeavors to answer these questions and more, beginning with a study of recent literature by professional economists as well as by examining other data and evidence. Prerequisite: Economics 100. Also offered through Peace Studies.
Past syllabi:
251. Intermediate Microeconomic Theory.
Expands upon basic models of supply and demand, consumer theory, the theory of the firm and production, and theories of market behavior learned in Introduction to Economics. Examines the role of prices in the allocation of resources and examines the effects of changes in policy on economic choices. Prerequisite: Economics 100
252. Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory.
A study of economic aggregates, including the determination of national income, employment and the price level, the topics covered include inflation, unemployment, economic growth, international macroeconomics and the appropriateness and effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policies. Prerequisite: Economics 100.
289, 290. Independent Project.
Individual study of a topic under the supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisites: GPA of at least 3.0 in economics and permission of instructor.
305. Industrial Organization and Public Policy.
A theoretical and empirical analysis of the structure, conduct and performance of American industry. Emphasis is placed on the use of microeconomic theory to analyze the effects of public policies on market incentives and resource allocation. Topics include theories of the firm, monopolization, mergers, antitrust law, price fixing, price discrimination and other contemporary problems. Prerequisite: Economics 200 and 251.
307. Law and Economics.
This course analyzes the law using economic principles. In particular, it employs the techniques of microeconomic theory in the study of policy issues and legal rules. Topics such as property rights, externalities, contract law, tort law (accidents), product liability and criminal adjudication are critiqued in terms of how different incentive structures motivate economic actors. The course includes the study of how economic goals conflict with and complement other goals of the law, such as justice and fairness. Prerequisite: Economics 251.
308. Environmental Economics.
An analysis of deficiencies of the market system and existing property rights structure that generates pollution problems in industrial society. Alternative policy options are considered, including incentive based approaches and cost-benefit analysis. Prerequisite: Economics 251. Also offered as Environmental Studies 308.
309. Labor Economics.
A study of labor markets and the role they play in the determination of wages, employment and working conditions. The demand for labor by employers, leisure-labor supply decisions by households, investment in human capital, distribution of earnings among individuals and the effects of labor unions are discussed. Topics covered may include analysis of the role of government policy in the areas of income maintenance, unemployment, education, and occupational health and safety. Prerequisites: Economics 200 and 251.
311. Banking and Monetary Policy.
This course explores the roles of money, banks and government policy in promoting economic growth and stability in a modern economy. In particular, the course investigates the operational principles of modern banks and the Federal Reserve System and compares their strengths and weaknesses to other historical and theoretical banking systems. The course focuses on the effects of monetary institutions and policy on macroeconomic stability, including inflation and business cycles. Other topics may include the history of American banking, current issues in bank regulation, electronic money, the role of financial markets and international monetary economics. Prerequisite: Economics 252.
313. Financial Economics.
This course is a standard course in investments. Among the subjects to be covered are the role of financial intermediaries and financial instruments, the time value of money, bond valuation, stock valuation, risk and return, market efficiency and investment companies. Special attention is devoted to hedge funds, options and futures. Prerequisites: Economics 251 and 252.
315. Public Sector Economics.
This course uses microeconomic tools and theory to examine the efficiency of markets and to enumerate potential roles for government when markets fail. The efficiency and equity of government expenditures and tax policies are examined by looking at their impact on individual behavior and the distribution of income. Current policies of state, local and federal governments are examined to see how real-world complications (like politics and information problems) can lead to outcomes that are very different from economic prescriptions. Prerequisite: Economics 200 and 251.
322. International Economics.
This course focuses on the theory of international trade and finance and its application to current policy problems such as protection, intervention in foreign exchange markets, international debt and foreign investment. Prerequisites: Economics 251 and 252 or permission of instructor. Also offered through European Studies.
330. History of Economic Thought.
Analysis of the development of major economic concepts. Ideas are examined for their relevance both to their own time and to ours. Coverage extends from the ancient philosophers into the 20th century, with special emphasis on the original writings of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Prerequisites: Economics 251 and 252 or permission of instructor. Also offered through European Studies.
333. Austrian Economics
An introduction to the body of ideas known as the Austrian School of economics, which is associated with the work of Ludwig von Mises and F. A. Hayek. Once a prominent school of thought, the Austrians nearly disappeared after the rise of general equilibrium theory and Keynesianism in the 1940s. Since the mid-70s, the Austrians have experienced a significant revival. In this course we will explore the history of the school and how its approach to economics compares with the neoclassical orthodoxy. We will cover topics such as: the nature of human action, the role of knowledge in the market, the process of economic calculation, competition as a discovery process, the Austrian theory of the business cycle and its applications to the current recession, the problems of socialism and regulation, and the Hayekian critique of social justice. Prerequisites: Economics 251 and 252.
336. Economic Development.
This course examines the problems of economic growth and development in the less developed countries (LDCs) of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Although a variety of approaches to development economics are studied, the analysis of new institutionalist economics is emphasized. By the end of the semester, participants should be able to understand (1) the economic diversity, as well as the diversity of development problems, among LDCs, (2) the conditions necessary or conducive to economic growth and the institutional hindrances to growth, and (3) the economic implications of alternative development strategies and policies. Prerequisites: Economics 200, 251 and 252. Also offered through African Studies and Global Studies.
342. Econometrics.
A study of statistical techniques economists have found useful in analyzing economic data, estimating relationships among economic variables and testing economic theories. Topics include multiple regression, probit and logit analysis, heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation and simultaneous equations models. Prerequisites: Economics 200, 251 and 252. Also offered through Statistics
344. Mathematical Economics.
A systematic study of the mathematical structure of economic theory, with emphasis on the application of calculus and linear algebra to economic analysis. Topics include optimization theory, comparative statistics analysis of market and macroeconomic models, general equilibrium analysis and game theory. Prerequisites: Economics 251, 252, Mathematics 205 and 217.
362. Topics in American Economic History.
This course offers an overview of the economic development of America from the colonial period to the present and examines in detail several of the classic controversies of the new economic history including the economic causes of the American Revolution, the evolution of financial markets, the economics of slavery and Reconstruction, the Populist movement and the Great Depression. Emphasis is placed on the role economic theory can play in understanding pivotal events of the American experience. Prerequisites: Economics 251 and 252. Also offered as History 362.
371. Behavioral Economics and Economic Psychology.
This reading-intensive seminar on behavioral economics examines the ways in which decisions deviate from predictions of standard economic models, and considers its sister discipline, economic psychology, which tries to explain why people do not behave as economic models predict. Discussions involve whether market forces, learning and evolution can eliminate these human qualities and lead to rational behavior. We examine anomalies, or the ways in which people deviate from the standard models, and explore how behavioral concepts can be incorporated into those models and applied to a particular field (e.g. consumer economics, public economics, economic development or organization economics). Prerequisite: Economics 251.
376. Experimental Economics
Experimental economics is the study of how various kinds of experiments help economists improve their models. The course explores, and involves participation in, a wide variety of experiments that have contributed to our understanding of how markets clear, the effects of various public policies, and issues in human decision making in the field of behavioral economics. The emphasis is on learning research methods; each student will prepare and run at least one in-class experiment as well as writing an original proposal to study a topic of their choosing. This course provides excellent preparation for students interested in using the economics lab for summer research or senior projects. Prerequisites: Economics 200 and 251.
384. Natural Resource Economics.
This course complements Economics 308 (Environmental Economics). Standard economic approaches to problems of natural resources are presented and criticized from a variety of different perspectives to give students a deeper appreciation of the role of economic analysis in coping with natural resource scarcity. Specific topics include economics and population growth, economics and environmental ethics, ecological economics and sustainability, biodiversity and water resources. Prerequisites: Economics 200 and 251. Also offered as Environmental Studies 384.
389, 390. Independent Project.
Individual study of a topic under the supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisites: GPA of at least 3.0 in economics and approval by the department.
450. SYE: Senior Seminar.
The purpose of the seminar is to provide an integrative experience for senior majors that will allow them to use what they have learned in previous courses to study a particular issue in economics. Writing, speaking and research skills are emphasized. The issues and topics that form the basis of the seminar vary by semester and instructor. Prerequisites: Economics 200, 251 and 252, and senior standing. Course description will be provided in the Class Schedule.
489,490. SYE: Senior Independent Research.
Individual study, under the supervision of a faculty member, that provides an integrative experience for senior majors, allowing them to use what they have learned in previous courses to study a particular topic in economics. Prerequisites: Economics 200, 251, 252, senior standing, GPA of at least 3.0 in economics and approval of the department prior to the semester the project begins.
495. Senior Research Seminar.
Designed to prepare senior majors who are eligible for departmental honors, this seminar is focused on enhancing capabilities in conducting scholarly work in economics. The seminar is offered in the fall of each academic year and it is presumed that students enrolled plan to complete an honors thesis during the spring semester. Prerequisites: GPA of at least 3.5 in economics and approval of the department chair.498-499.
SYE: Honors.
These courses are for senior majors who are eligible for department honors. Each student plans and writes an honors thesis under the guidance and supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisites: GPA of at least 3.5 in economics and approval of the department.


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Angie Harmon Gossip
Angie Harmon gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
SAG let this be the last time: Angie Harmon
Are you done with this dress and all its interpretations? Penelope Cruz did it one year at the Oscars, and repeated herself a few times after that, and every other designer decided to copy that big full feather/bubble/cotton ball skirt… to the point that now, without fail, it shows up at every goddamn awards show like a thing that just. Full Story
Angie Genetics
Bad day to be having a fat'n'ugly day – look at all these beautiful bitches! Angie Harmon at the Stuart House Benefit yesterday with virtually no makeup and still… kicking Lindsay Lohan's orange, blotch-skinned ass. And she's 17 years older. Love Angie Harmon. Still undecided about Women's Murder Club. Full Story
The Other Angie
Harmon, of course. Angie Harmon is flawless. LOVE her dark, dark hair. And the warm brown eyes. And the classic bone structure. And her voice. The best voice. But also the style. Timeless style. Check it out – Angie the perfect package last night at Saks for a cancer benefit with her husband Jason Sehorn. Full Story
Bad, Better, and Missing Abbie Carmichael
Haven't watched Law & Order since Angie Harmon left the show. Love Angie Harmon. Angie Harmon is flawless. And after all these years she looks exactly the same. Here she is today at the 7th Annual Diamond Fashion Show preview in Beverly Hills. Not so flawless? Debra Messing who, I'm sorry, just hasn't made a good red carpet decision since having her baby. Full Story

subset: commoncrawl


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We found 1 items that match your search.
Student Week of Action in Defense of Education
Occupy CUNY circulated this informational leaflet for a "Student Week of Actions" (November 14-21, 2011) in defense of education, and in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. The schedule of Graduate Center Events included a student strike, a [...]
Item Type: Text (Flier / Leaflet (1 or 2 page handout))
Time Period: 2010-Present OWS and Beyond
Subjects: Activism, Austerity, Board of Trustees, Diversity, Gender, Immigration, Pedagogy, Politics, Relationships with Communities, Student Organizations


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Zwall needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 84 designs submitted by 35 freelance designers.
This logo needs to be modern and include the basic colors green, red and a brownish gold earth tone as well. All logos need to have some abstract or detailed example of "three angels" in it.
Three Angels Herald
Desired Color Scheme:
green, red, brownish gold
Desired Style:
Modern, web2.0, religious
Accepted File Formats:
Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)
This logo is for a religious web site that I'm working on. The design on this logo is extrememly important. It needs to look professional and modern. I'll probably close the contest early if I get a logo that fits my needs for this client.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Gender Equality
Creating a culture of equality in the workplace
At Accenture, our goal is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels like they belong…and experiences equal opportunities.
Gender Equality
At Accenture, our goal is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels like they belong…and experiences equal opportunities.
Accenture leaders discuss achieving equality.
Advice from Reshma Saujani, CEO-Girls Who Code.
A conversation with Ajay Banga, CEO-Mastercard.
Goals achieved, lessons learned.
Women in tech share views.
Diverse teams building future tech.
Leaders discuss the value of equality.
A conversation with Lynn Good, CEO-Duke Energy.
Accenture leadership weighs in.
Mental health programs impact everybody.
Chatbot assists LGBT community.
Fostering a sense of belonging.
Accenture Labs at the forefront of change.
Accenture is committed to accelerating equality for all.
We marked our 15th annual celebration of International Women's Day with leadership conversations and inspirational stories that explore how a culture of equality drives innovation.
Watch them here.
Guest speakers:
Reshma Saujani
Chief Executive Officer
Girls Who Code
Ajay Banga
President and Chief Executive Officer
Rosanna Durruthy
Head of Global Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
Lynn Good
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Duke Energy
Ramy Inocencio
Anchor and Correspondent, "Bloomberg Daybreak Asia"
Accenture speakers:
Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Managing Director, Inclusion & Diversity Lead – North America
Ellyn J. Shook
Chief Leadership & Human Resources Officer
Julie Sweet
Chief Executive Officer
We believe the future workforce is an equal one and have set bold goals to accelerate gender equality. 30 percent of our company leaders are women and 40 percent of the external members of our board of directors are women, including our non-executive chair.
of our new hires are women
of our global workforce are women
of our promotions are women
of our revenue-producing roles are held by women
of our IT and engineering workforce are women
of our new promoted managing directors are women
By 2025, we will achieve a gender balanced workforce–and by 2020, women will account for 25 percent of managing directors worldwide.
Our employees can set their start and finish times or work more hours over fewer days. They can telecommute, and we offer part-time arrangements.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) support our women and help them build networks through the Accenture Women's Network–a global online platform.
Employees have a mentor and a personalized training program. Women comprise 41 percent of total participants in mentoring and development programs.
2018 Getting to Equal research identifies 40 factors that help drive equality. Read more.
Findings reveal that creating a culture of equality helps LGBT professionals thrive. Read more.
Creating a culture of equality enables young women and men to advance and thrive. Read more.
Findings reveal how organizations can close the gender pay gap and drive equality. Read more.
Ambition is thriving for working mothers—and digital plays a key role. Read more.
Fast-track strategies can act as a road map to develop your career more effectively. Read more.
Digital fluency, embracing digital technologies, helps close the gender gap. Read more.


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Charlie wrote: . . . It all feels very cumbersome and I have no sense of discovering anything wonderful as a way of listening. But then I also find iTunes a horrible-looking mess.
Welcome to C21 music listening! I generally share Charlie's reactions. Not that I can use Spotify myself in the US, but various supposed digital improvements in musical exploration have usually left me cold after some initial excitement.
So far, the one to beat for me is eMusic. $20 a month, 90 tracks to download, decent selection although far from everything. Rhapsody not too bad, but hasn't grabbed my heart. Mondomix on the right track, but again doesn't wow me enough. iTunes always refusing to let me get stuff 'cos I'm out of territory. MySpace is just too much work! Pandora gets boring fast and very limited on music I'm interested in. Amazon is improving slowly — sorry about that to those with issues over Amazon. Part of the problem is that digital searching etc. has its limitations — things get tagged wrong or inadequately, and also when you're really looking for the obscure, you're reliant on someone else in the network supplying something that may truly be rare, just 'cos it ain't there doesn't mean it doesn't exist and so as a library, even only as a library catalog, it's not entirely reliable as a guide to "all" music.
I'm waiting for the revival of good old record stores — give me the Berkeley Amoeba in the late '90s! I like the physical world and don't find it as lacking as some do. Especially if there's a pub around the corner.


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17 months ago I abandoned my iPhone and embraced Android. At the time, iOS was a much different operating system than it is today, and I had grown increasingly frustrated with its limitations. Now, I might be ready to move back to an iPhone. Should I?
Why I Switched From iOS to Android
The primary reason that I made the switch from Android to iOS had to do with the limitations of iOS. Those limitations fell into two camps:
Apple-imposed App Limitations
First, I was very frustrated with Apple's erratic behavior when it came to approving apps. I wanted an official Google Voice app on my iPhone, and, at the time, couldn't get it because Apple had rejected it. I also wanted a good podcasting client, but the pickings were slim because Apple was rejecting apps that supposedly duplicated the functionality of apps that came with the iPhone.
When I switched to Android, I was happy to be able to install whatever apps I wanted on my phone. Carriers sometimes try to limit access to apps, by making them not appear in Google Play (formerly the Android Market). To get around that, all you need to do is remove your SIM card, and connect to Google Play via WiFi.
Apple's tighter control over the App Store does give it one huge advantage over Android. Security isn't as tight in Google Play as it is in the App Store, but most advanced users can live with that.
Sandboxing and Lack of a File System
The limited way that iOS apps can talk to each still makes me bash my head against the wall when using my iPhone. Apple introduced iCloud as a file system of sorts, and many app developers use Dropbox in the same way, but these are incomplete solutions.
I understand Apple's reasons for not including a file system. It keeps iOS simple, which is what most users want. But for power users, being stuck on an island when using an app can be maddening. If an app doesn't support Dropbox, good luck trying to work on a document in one app, and continue it in another. Yes, there are workarounds, but they're just that – workarounds.
Working with files you want to bring into iOS is equaly maddening. Check out the article I've written concerning how to get video onto the iPad, if it isn't named exactly the way that iOS wants it to be named, as well as the other ways to get video or photos onto the iPad.
Android makes it much easier to perform many tasks, thanks to the existence of a user-accessible file system, and thanks to the lack of strict sandboxing. That does bring with it more security concerns, but it is a price that most advanced users are willing to pay.
The most obvious example of Android's superiority in this regard can be seen in the Share menu. Any app can tie into that. This means, for example, that you don't have to wait for an app developer to tie its app into Evernote or Instapaper. Actions for Evernote and Instapaper are in the Share menu once those two apps are installed, meaning that other apps can readily access them.
Getting files into Android is easier, too. Plug your Android device into your computer, and drag the file to the desired location on your phone. I spent an entire Saturday morning trying to get certain video files to show up in my iPad Camera Roll, instead of in the video app. I had to do this because iMovie on the iPad can only access video files located in the Camera Roll. Yet another limitation brought about by the lack of a file system.
Why I Might Switch Back to iOS
If it sounds like I'm venting against iOS, you're right. There are parts of it that still feel like a Fisher-Price toy. But I'm also not blinded by some strange allegiance to one platform or the other. I've never understood the rabid cheerleading for both iOS and Android, and the way that some writers seem blinded by their love of either a platform or a company. A phone is a tool. It's not part of some holy war. Both Android and iOS have strengths and weaknesses. I just need to decide how the scale tips for me. Here are some reasons I am considering making the switch back, notwithstanding an iPhone's many limitations.
Apple Ecosystem
I can hear some of you cringing already at the words "Apple ecosystem." It does feel sort of like a deal with the devil, but Apple has made a compelling interplay between its devices. I have an iMac, MacBook Air, and iPad, so I've been able to see this interplay at work. My Android phone feels like the odd man out.
iCloud keeps certain documents in sync between iOS and OS X devices, and Photo Stream is a great way to have your photographs automatically sync to all of your devices, without any thought. Many apps also provide syncing of data and settings between iOS devices, such as TweetBot's use of iCloud to sync your reading position in your Twitter stream (I've tried using the TweetMarker integration to sync to my Android phone, and it just doesn't work reliabily).
More important than Apple's contribution to the ecosystem, though, is the contribution of developers. It seems like many iOS developers develop companion apps only for the Mac. OmniFocus is a classic example. Although OmniFocus isn't available on Windows (which I use at the office), it is such a great app that I use it as my main productivity tool. There's an iOS app and a Mac app that can sync with one another, but no Windows or Android app.
I also use EyeTV, a television app, on my iMac. My EyeTV HD device hooks into my cable box, and gives me television on my iMac via the eyeTV program. I also can stream shows and recordings to the eyeTV app on my iPad, but not to my Android phone. There is no reliable eyeTV option on Android. If I had an iPhone, I'd always have television with me. (I did have a Slingbox at one time,but that died after a year, and research online showed that not to be an uncommon occurrence, so I was in no hurry to rush out and buy another).
If I still used Windows as my main platform, the ecosystem would be less of a concern. But iOS and its apps just work better with a Mac.
Apple's Loosenign of Restrictions on App Store Apps
As discussed above, Apple had a habit of putting its own interests against the interests of its users in the early days of the App Store. Apple has loosened the reigns since then. There is now a Google Voice app in the App Store, and there are now some excellent podcasting apps on iOS (I do have an iPad, so I try out apps there). The situation isn't nearly as open as Android, but it has improved.
Decisions, Decisions
I still have several months to decide between and iPhone or another Android phone, since my firm's contract doesn't expire in the immediate future. I still feel that in many cases the iPhone is for the majority of users who just want something simple, while Android is for the power user. I consider myself a power user, but it's a close enough call that I'll have a tough decision.
What would you do?


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Much has been written about the elusive data scientist, about how difficult finding highly skilled data scientists has become. Many organizations are taking creative approaches, like creating data science teams.
However, Kaggle has an even more creative approach: Crowdsource the problem to some 65,000 data scientists, using open (or closed) data-mining competitions. Kaggle has hosted 150 such competitions, some on behalf of customers like Allstate Insurance (conducted to help in predicting insurance claims), according to Kaggle's CEO Anthony Goldbloom, who was a recent guest on InformationWeek's Valley View (a live, monthly Web TV show).
You can watch Goldbloom's elevator pitch, and see what our judges thought in the video above.


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Mukasir-o-Dawatil-Haqqil-Mubeen Syedi wa Maulaya Husain Bhaisaheb Burhanuddin AAB presided over Milad Khushi Majlis of Imam-uz-Zaman SA in 1440H and explained to Mumineen in beautiful detail the significance of this day and the Imam's fundamental part of our identity. Click here to view the bayan.
Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS delivered Bayan Mubarak on the Milad night on 26th Rabiul Aakhar 1440H (2nd January 2019) at Darus Sakina, Mumbai. Click here to view the bayan.
Shz Dr. Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin delivered a forceful and enlightening speech on Syedna Mohammed Burhannudin's Milad. Drawing from Syedna Abdeali Saifuddin's words of naseehat and wisdom, he said that today is a day for mumieen to do shukur of countless ihsanaat and bounties of Syedna Burhanuddin, and ended the speech with Imam Husain's AS shahadat. Click here to view the speech.
On 4th of Rabiul Aakhar 524H, the 21st Imam, Imam Tayyib Abul Qasim SA was born. The 20th Imam, Imam Aamir sent the good tidings (bishaarat/bushra) of the birth of his noble son to his Hujjat Maultuna Hurratul Malika in Yemen in an iconic Sijill (epistle/letter) which is famously known as the Sijill-ul-Bisharat (the Epistle of Good Tidings). Click here to read more and a translation of the sijill.
Al-Dail al-Ajall al-Fatemi Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS succeeded our most beloved and forever remembered Muqaddas Maula Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA as the 54th Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community. Click here to read further of the sincere khidmat of Syedna Fakhruddin in the eras of Syedna Burhanuddin RA and Syedna Qutbuddin RA
The month of Rabiul Aakhar is indeed the month of Milads: the Milad of Imam-uz-Zaman on the 4th and the Milad of three Dais, the 52nd, 53rd and 54th Dai-z-zaman TUS (20th, 29th and 26th Rabiul Aakhar respectively). Click here to read about the auspiciousness of this month and the significant miqaats it contains by Shehzada Dr Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin.
Bihamdillah Imamat namaz and majalis are conducted all over the world by the raza mubarak of Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS. To find out more about majalis and events near you, and to connect with your local mas'ul and other mumineen click here.
Recognising the unique challenges of the time where Mumineen cannot always travel to be with Syedna Fakhruddin TUS personally, bethak via videoconferencing will be arranged on a weekly basis for Mumineen who wish to have an audience with Syedna TUS. For further details, click here.
Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin RA was a beacon of light. It is befitting that Syedna Qutbuddin's roza, as Syedna Fakhruddin TUS said, "shines for the people of the sky as the stars shine for those on earth." To contribute, please click here. Mumineen participate in the khidmat of niyaaz and also contribute regularly to join in the sawaab of Mazaar-e-Qutbi Niyaaz. If you would like to participate, click here.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Syedna Khuzaima Qutbuddin TUS strongly condemns the inhumane and horrific attacks on innocent children and teachers in Peshawar, Pakistan. We call upon all Muslims to unite against those who hijack the name of Islam to commit such atrocities. We strongly condemn this act and all acts of terrorism in which innocent lives are lost. Syedna Qutbuddin TUS sends prayers for strength to the the victims' familiesand to the mourning nation of Pakistan.


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Kubota Artistic Tools V2 Photoshop Actions
The "Modern Chic" pak includes over 50 image enhancing Photoshop actions. Included are effects such as: Digital Fill Flash brush for lightening areas of an image, Smokeless Burn brush for darkening areas, and effects that give you the look of the movie The Lord of the Rings, vignetting, general color pop, soft glows, and some beautiful black & whites and sepia tones.
Many customers tell us there are several in this pak they use on every image they take. This Hot One award-winner has by far been our most popular set of effects, proving itself to be a "must have" for any studio.
- Adobe Photoshop
- Windows
- Mac OS
This pak includes 55 actions for Photoshop ( file format: .atn ).
In addition, there are no duplicate effects throughout our Photoshop Artistic Tools paks. Each pak is its own unique set containing a variety of enhancements not limited to one genre.
As with all Kubota effects, when applied, they maintain full Photoshop layers for user adjustment, flexibility and customization.
Modern Antique 1
Is it black and white, or is it color? It is a soft, lightly colored effect that gives an old, timeless feel to your image.
Modern Antique 1 with Glow
Like Modern Antique 1, but with a romantic glow. Very old world feeling.
ToneTime Blue 1
Cool blue monochromatic toning.
ToneTime Blue 2
A more saturated blue toning.
ToneTime Red 1
You guessed it, red toning.
ToneTime Red 2
More red.
ToneTime Green 1
Green with envy?
ToneTime Green 2
The color of money. Hey, what about doing a cool 4-up panel with each of the color tones — sorta Warhol-esque.
Split Tone Warm and Blue
Classic split toning with warmth in the shadows and cool blue in the highlights.
Split Tone Blue and Warm
The opposite of the above — with blue in the shadows and warmth in the highlights.
Sing the Blues
Rich blue toning similar to Hot Fudge 1 — but in the shadows primarily. A very rich look.
Deep Red
Red in the shadows only.
Deep Green
Green in the shadows.
Deep Purple
Ahh, classic rock.
Select A Toner
Overall monochromatic toning where you select any color you want on the fly.
Shadow Select A Toner Subtle
Similar to Select A Toner, but applies tone to the shadows primarily.
Shadow Select A Toner Heavier
More colorful version of above.
Hot Fudge 1
Yum. Love this. Nearly black and white, but with a richness that can only be compared to hot fudge.
Hot Fudgier
When you really need a sugar fix. Warmer, fudgier.
Hot Fudge with a Cherry
Not for the faint at heart, or those on a diet. This is similar to modern antique, but combines warm fudge tones with some enhanced color from the original color image.
Mocha BW
Very close to a true black and white, but with deep rich shadows. Not noticeably brown, just rich.
The NEW BW
The closest thing to straight black and white you will find here. For those who want more of a traditional black and white look.
The NEW BW midbright
Same as The NEW BW, but with lightening in the midtones. Helps to brighten skin.
Daily Multi Vitamin
This is a subtle, but effective action for adding "Life" to everyday color images. Especially for digital images, it adds a localized contrast boost, overall color punch, and deepens blue skies. You may want to use it on all your images.
Lord of the Rings EVERYDAY
The Lord of the Rings series of actions is a popular creation that aims to mimic the deep, romantic feel of the movie. It adds color richness, a soft glowing effect, and contrast. This EVERYDAY version is light enough to use, well, everyday. A subtler version of the originals below.
Lord of the Rings 2
This is the standard version of the Lord of the Rings actions. A classic, if I do say so myself.
LOTR Return of the King
You want deep, rich, and mysterious? This is the king.
LOTR Highlight Controller
Helps to reduce highlight burnout in LOTR actions. Although the soft, glowing highlights are part of the effect of the actions, sometimes the highlights might get too hot for your taste. Use this after running one of the LOTR actions to bring the highlights back down a bit.
Hawaiian Punch
Bold, vivid, but no coconuts. This lively action will pop color and add a vivid tropical life to images. Try it on scenic images or environmental portraits.
Radiant People
Based on our Radiance technique, this adds punch but is tuned to reduce over saturation of skin tones.
Radiance Landscape 1
One of our favorites for landscape or fine art images. Color boosting and vividness, without softening or glows.
Radiance Landscape 2
A stronger version of the above.
Angel Glow
Ahh, the heavenly light glows the highlights only, to create an ethereal feel. Beautiful on brightly lit sunny days with lots of specular highlights.
StarBurst Vignette
This might sound cheesy, but really it is not. Sometimes you want the look of darkened edges via vignette, but don't want a predictable even circle shape. This creates a harder to detect star shape around the subject before darkening the edges. You cannot see the star shape in the final effect, but it is more natural looking than a circular vignette.
Edge Burner
Darkens just the edges evenly around the frame of the picture.
Edge Blur Modified
A cool effect with a gradual motion-like blur around the subject. It gently fades from clear at the subject center to blurred at the edges.
Edge Blur More
A stronger version of the above.
8 Then 16 Then 8
This action will help to minimize or eliminate posterization problems in highly processed images. It is especially useful on JPG images, but also helpful to use on RAW files after they have had actions run on them. The basic concept is that it uses 16 bit mode (much wider color palette) to apply all your adjustments, while keeping the original image and the final image in standard 8 bit mode. Use it as a final step just before sending an image to the lab or your printer. Assign a hot key and use it on everything if you want - it will not hurt, but helps quite often!
Digital Fill Flash
This is another handy, everyday tool. Use it to lighten key areas of your image without washing out the shadows or blowing highlights. Simply run the action, then paint where you need light. Great for bringing attention to faces, lightening shadows on faces, or add depth to otherwise flatly lit images. You will wonder how you ever lived without it!
Smokeless Burn
The opposite of Digital Fill, Smokeless Burn darkens areas where you paint. Great to add dramatic shadowing to sides of the face, minimizing unimportant details. Burn down edges of the photo to add depth and emphasis to the main subject.
Open up the midtones of an image without changing shadow or highlight information. Good to reveal mid-shadow detail or soften shadows around a face.
Amazing Detail Finder When all else fails, this will help to bring apparent sharpness back to your image. Even helps with out of focus images! While nothing can create detail where there is none, this will create a darn good illusion of sharpness. After running the action, you will need to paint where you want the sharpness to appear. The effect builds up slowly, and can look edgy if taken too far. Paint a few strokes and look at it before painting more. Be sure you have loaded our included custom brushes before running this action.
Amazing Detail Finder 2
A stronger version of the above.
Smarter Sharp with edge mask 1
Smart Sharp was a nice new tool in CS2, but it was missing one important control - threshold. This would allow you to NOT sharpen areas that shouldn't be sharpened - like skin or smooth skies. By itself, Smart Sharpen works on everything - often enhancing the noise and texture in skin while sharpening details. Not good. Smarter Sharp makes a complex selection of the edges of your image first, thus allowing this cool sharpening tool to avoid enhancing noise and skin texture.
Reduces noise and grain in an image. Smooths things out subtly overall.
Makeup Artist
Works only on skin tones. Creates a smooth, porcelain like skin texture.
Mid Puller
Similar to mid bright, but slightly different. This one has a smoother tone transition from shadow to mids to highlight. It is hard to explain, so just try it!
4x6 with White Borders
Great for those who print proofs. Creates a 4x6 image at 300 dpi with a white border all around. Keep in mind that a full-frame 35mm proportioned image cannot be framed in a 4x6 with even borders - and no cropping. So, the border is heavier on the short ends. If you want even borders all around, use the EVEN noted actions below.
4x6 with Black Borders
Same, but with a black border.
4x6 with White Borders & Black Keyline
White borders and a thin black keyline around the image area.
4x6 with Black Borders & White Keyline
Black borders and a thin white keyline around the image area.
4x6 with EVEN White Borders
Even borders all around. Note, however, that some cropping of the image on the long side is necessary to create even borders. It will crop automatically.
4x6 with EVEN Black Borders
Same as above with black borders.
4x6 with EVEN White Borders & Black Keyline
Self-explanatory, don't ya think?
4x6 with EVEN Black Borders & White Keyline
You get the idea.
Current DASHBOARD users can purchase this bundle HERE for immediate access in your DASHBOARD.
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It's never too early or too late to start sharing rhymes, songs, and books with your child! Visit your local library and talk with the children's librarian for more information.
Yoga Storytime at Park Branch
Baby Rhyme Time at Mission Branch
Storytime happiness
Baby Rhyme and Playtime at Sunset Branch
Baby Rhyme Time at Sunset
Dads love storytimes, too!
Early reader at Sunset Branch
Families enjoy music together
Letter play at Park Branch
New parents love storytimes!


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If you aren't able to complete your federal tax return by the April deadline, find out how and when to file for an IRS extension with these tips from TurboTax.
Need more time to file your 2018 tax return?
Before filing for an IRS tax extension, make sure it's right for you. Here are a few common reasons why you may need to push your deadline back:
- More time needed to track down missing tax documents
- Unexpected life event
- Life's been too busy
If you find yourself unable to complete your 2019 federal tax return by the April deadline (April 15 in 2020 for filing 2019 taxes), you'll first need to file an extension with the IRS to avoid any potential late-filing or late payment penalties. Filing an extension will allow you to push your deadline back six months to October 15, 2020.
It's important to keep in mind an extension only pushes back the due date for the filing of your tax documents. It does not give you extra time to pay on any taxes you may owe. If you believe you will owe money this year, you'll need to estimate the amount after filing for an extension and make a payment by the April deadline.
Easy options for filing an extension
Option 1: E-file your federal tax extension in minutes with TurboTax Easy Extension
Using TurboTax Easy Extension, you can:
- E-file your federal extension
- Make a payment of any tax due directly from your checking or savings account
- Print a PDF copy of your e-filed extension
- Receive notifications when your extension has been accepted by the IRS
- Get easy instructions on how to file a state extension by mail
Note: Once your extension is approved, you'll have until October 15, 2020 to file your return. If you're expecting a refund, it will not be processed until once you have completed your tax filing. If you think you owe, all estimated taxes will need to be paid to the IRS by April 15, 2020.
Option 2: Print and mail your completed IRS extension form
If you'd rather mail your extension directly to the IRS, simply refer to IRS Form 4868: Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, complete and print the form, and send it to the IRS address for your state.
If you owe federal taxes, include your estimated payment with your Form 4868 and mail it—postmarked by April 15, 2020 to avoid any penalties or interest. Then complete and file your return on or before October 15, 2020.
Do you need to request a state tax extension?
State tax extension guidelines vary. To see detailed information about state extension filing deadlines and mailing addresses, select your state of interest from this state tax authority's website.
Remember, TurboTax Easy Extension can help you access the tax forms you need to file your state extension by mail.
Need to use a credit card to pay taxes owed?
If you've e-filed or mailed Form 4868 and need to pay by credit card, you can use one of several IRS approved Electronic Payment Methods. You can pay with your credit card online or by phone. File your complete return by October 15, 2020.
- If the IRS thinks your estimate of the amount of tax you owe is unreasonable, it may disallow your extension and assess a late-filing penalty.
- If you underestimate the amount of tax you owe, you'll have to pay interest on whatever amount you fail to pay by the April deadline (April 15 in 2020 for filing 2019 taxes).
- If you pay less than 90% of the tax you owe, you'll end up owing a penalty of 0.5% of the underpayment every month until you pay the remaining balance. For example, if you pay $600 on April 15, 2020, but discover when you complete your return that you really owe $1,000, you will owe 0.5% per month on the $400 that is overdue, or about $2 a month, until you pay the full amount owed.
If you live outside the United States
If you live outside the United States, you may be able to get an extension by filing IRS Form 2350: Application for Extension of Time to File U.S. Income Tax Return if you believe you will qualify for special tax treatment. See IRS Publication 54: Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad to confirm if this form might help you.
Get every deduction
you deserve
TurboTax Deluxe searches more than 350 tax deductions and credits so you get your maximum refund, guaranteed.


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It's intended mainly for keeping track of changes to California-related articles via the "Related changes" button in the side bar. Click it (/w/wiki.phtml?title=Special:Recentchangeslinked&target=Wikipedia:Topic_index_California)!
It is roughly sorted by category to aid in recognizing the existing articles that are missing. Note that not-yet-existent articles should be listed here too, since they will eventually come into existence.
Stuff to be put into categories:
Points of Interest in California
Computer industry:
List of colleges and universities in California
Search Encyclopedia
Featured Article


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End Police Violence campaigned to
George Zimmerman is a dangerous, violent person and should NOT be licensed to carry a weapon.
#Justice4Trayvon George Zimmerman must NOT be licensed to carry a concealed weapon. He is a dangerous, violent person, accused of assaulting three people in addition to killing Trayvon Martin. He has even been arrested for assaulting a police officer! Do NOT give Zimmerman back the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin. As summarized in the July 13, 2013 Huffington Post article: It turned out…
Victory! causes.com/posts/858597
He's at it again.
NO gun rights for Zimmerman! Make sure your friends have signed. Let's get to 30,000 voices of reason.
George Zimmerman has proven simply by his own actions that allowing him the right to own a firearm is intollorant. This campaign matters due to all of the George Zimmerman police wanna-be's and the horror of their possibilities.
It's the right thing to do...


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April 10, 2014, 12:56 pm
Cartoons of the day: Equal pay for women
President Obama signed two executive orders Monday regarding equal pay for women, saying women make only 77 percent as much as men make. On Wednesday, Congress rejected the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2014, which addressed the same theme. Editorial cartoonist Rick McKee points out gender pay inequity issues in the White House itself, while Joe Heller calls opposition to equal pay "not-so-progressive."
Next Post »
« Previous Post


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I'm really pleased with the announcement of open access to Wave for all at the opening keynote at Google IO.
The IO team at the fireside.
The part that we are most interested in is that wave is availed on my domain, like all the other Google apps. We covered this earlier on Testing Google Wave for Apps. So that means that everyone can start to use wave for organizing their organization. I really believe that there is a large potential for using Wave in organizations instead of using mail to all communication. I have in countless examples seen email been used where wave would have made decisions would have been made much easier.
With our product caseish, that helps you and your group can get at much better insight on what is going on with your status. We see that there is a fantastic opportunity for selling our application on the Google Apps Market place, because we support organization or groups collaborate better. With the apps market place we are able to monetize our application fairly easy since we just need to connect to the apps market place and then we can start with getting customers aboard. We though still need a little way to go before we are ready to launch to the apps market place.
I had also hoped that there would be an announcement on a Wave marketplace, so it also was possible to sell apps to individuals like games or other features. I talked with the Wave team and found that the issue they had with it was the complexity of how such a market place should work. There are defiantly a lot of legal issues that needs to be addressed before it is possible to sell application for Wave on that account.
There was also all the API changes that I'm going to look into in the coming weeks.


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The UMass Lowell Computer Science Department welcomes students who come right after high school and those transferring from other schools. We invite you to peruse our site and learn more about our facilities and programs.
Here are specific recommendations for joining UMass Lowell's Computer Science program for students coming from:
Transfer students often have better luck transferring courses that we require in other fields, for example, calculus (for scientists, engineers, or math majors), college writing, calculus-based physics, and general education requirements.
If your current school is a community college or other two-year school, you can not transfer its courses in as junior or senior level courses at UMass Lowell.
Do not take lots of computer programming courses. Learning how to do beginning programs in lots of different languages is a waste of your time. The beginning computing courses in UMass Lowell's Computer Science Department are taught using the C programming languages.
Do not try to get a head start in the computer science major by taking "Computer Mathematics" or "Information Technology" courses through UMass Lowell's Division of Continuing Education. Those courses, which have 90 or 70 course prefixes, do not count toward a CS degree. If you want to take courses through Continuing Education, check whether the course is a required course or a computer science elective, and where it fits in the course grid. Be sure to check the course number, not just the title! Also note that we do not accept courses with 94 prefixes as the equivalent of our standard courses with 91 prefixes, regardless of the fact that the titles of the courses may be identical.
When Applying to UMass Lowell's Computer Science Department
No courses will be evaluated by the Computer Science Department before a Preliminary Transfer Evaluation is done by the Admissions Office.
If you want to transfer courses from a foreign school, your transcript must be analyzed by the World Education Services (WES) before courses can be evaluated by UMass Lowell.
If you decide to apply to UMass Lowell, contact the transfer admissions officer at UMass Lowell's Admissions Office. After you apply, Admissions will send you a Preliminary Transfer Evaluation, which should list some of the courses you will receive transfer credit for. The Computer Science Department will evaluate the Preliminary Transfer Evaluation for additional computer science courses and general electives. However, the Computer Science Dept. is not authorized to evaluate other courses, such as calculus, general education, physics, English, etc. These courses must be evaluated by the appropriate departments at UMass Lowell (see below).
You can petition the appropriate department at UMass Lowell to transfer courses other than computer science courses and general electives. For example, UMass Lowell's English Dept. decides the transferability of English courses and UMass Lowell's Mathematics Dept. decides the transferability of mathematics courses. If you have been accepted as a computer science major, you should seek the advice of the Computer Science Dept.'s undergraduate coordinator before petitioning other departments. You ask to get transfer credit via an Academic Petition, available on the Registrar's website. Call the appropriate department to find out who evaluates transfer courses and when he or she is available. Bring a course description and whatever other documentation the department asks for. You can petition for further transfer credits any time before you graduate from UMass Lowell.
When you become a UMass Lowell computer science major, you will be assigned a faculty advisor. Your advisor can assist in registering for courses and most academic matters. However, for transfer issues, seek the advice of the undergraduate coordinator.


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British graffiti artist Banksy recreated his iconic image of a girl with a red balloon for a video by the #WithSyria campaign with actor Idris Elba, marking the third anniversary of the Syrian conflict.
The video has the animated image of the girl letting her red balloon carry her over the illustrated ruins of a shelled out city with dead bodies in the streets. She is joined by other children as the video progresses. It opens with Elbow's "The Blanket of the Night" and is narrated by Elba.
"On March 15, 2014, the world will wake up to the third anniversary of the bloody conflict in Syria." narrates Elba, "Will we let the people of Syria lose another year to bloodshed and suffering? Will you stand with Syria?"
The #WithSyria campaign is an effort to amass people around the world to show their solidarity with the people of Syria and to call political leaders to make this the last anniversary of the ongoing conflict. Thousands of images have popped up on Twitter and other social media sites of people with red balloons in support of the campaign, including some that have been added to the #WithSyria website. Banksy also made a comment on his website.
"On the 6th March 2011 in the Syrian town of Daraa, fifteen children were arrested and tortured for painting anti-authoritarian graffiti.The protests that followed their detention led to an outbreak of violence across the country that would see a domestic uprising transform into a civil war displacing 9.3 million people from their homes."
[HuffPost Live] [YouTube]


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Sunday school is often the place of stories. Monday-through-Friday school is the place of facts.
No results found in Publisher's Pen.
How do I deal with cancer? Why did God allow evil in the world? Why do snakes appear designed to kill? God's curse is a historical reality, and we can see its results in everyday life. Don't miss this special issue, which will give you the tools to tackle questions about evil and its true origin.Browse Issue Subscribe
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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Callaway X Dell Technologies. Transforming Sports Equipment.
Digital transformation in full swing.
- Company: Callaway Golf
- Industry: Sports equipment
- Headquarters: Carlsbad, CA
Golf is all about the details. Every shot carries infinite variables and possibilities. Every player and course are unique. To stay ahead of the game, it takes precision, and the ability to maximize every advantage.
Transforming golf, one data-driven swing at a time.
With a presence in 110 countries and on Tour around the world, Callaway's reputation as an industry leader is well-earned. The game is changing, and Callaway's driving it. To get the right club, in the right hands, right on time takes digital transformation. Individual swing analysis and advanced club fitting provide Callaway with data that leads to performance breakthroughs for golfers everywhere — data stored and secured by Dell EMC solutions.
Keeping veterans on course.
Along with the nationally recognized Birdies for the Brave program, Callaway creates personalized golf clubs for wounded service members. In this video, we follow veterans through their Callaway Golf Club Fitting experience. We learn how these soldiers continue to move forward, overcoming obstacles and struggles with PTSD. It is an honor to bring awareness to this important cause in support of those who have served our country.
"With data, we're able to make real changes for players on the golf course."
Peter Ligotti, Callaway Golf
A streamlined process from tee to green.
Callaway benefits from extraordinary gains made in efficiencies, as IT transforms itself from a point of resistance to a point of reliance. Sales, marketing and operations are accelerated. Today, because of their agile infrastructure, new clubs can be custom-designed online, built and shipped the day after an order is received. With the help of Dell EMC VNX storage, R&D can capture, analyze and act upon hundreds of gigabytes of data from thousands of clubs simultaneously. Managing inventory and shipping is more predictive than ever, with greater visibility into retail demands and improved reporting and analysis. All across Callaway, the team is more free than ever to innovate and elevate the game.
What's driving data security?
In these transformational times, cybersecurity is no gimmie. Security threats are pervasive as ever — especially in the ultra-competitive athletics industry. Callaway protects their data and keeps innovation on course with SecureWorks. With 24x7x365 monitoring of sensitive customer, HR and athlete data, Callaway is able to rely on their team to thwart incoming risks and drive their pursuit of creating the latest technology to help everyone win.


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George J. Murphy UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
Abstract: A chronology of significant changes in Canadian auditing legislation, pronouncements and practices, from the late nineteenth century to the present, reveals the strong influence of English and American sources. The evolution of mandatory audits, of profit and loss audits, and of the wording of the standard audit report demonstrates these influences.
The sources of influence that have shaped auditing in Canada are an interesting interplay of English and American influence acting upon, and together with, the unique elements of the Canadian scene. The English influence is felt largely in the tradition of legislation found in the Canadian Companies Acts that have prescribed the role of the auditor. The American influence is felt through the proximity and pronouncements of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The uniquely Canadian influence is manifested through the recommendations and pronouncements of the Institutes of Chartered Accountants, the various income tax acts, and the business and financial critics responding to corporate reporting in-adequacies and business failures.
This paper will attempt to chronicle the changes that have taken place over time and to indicate, where possible, the sources of that influence. Attention is directed to the Canadian federal legislation and its forerunner in the province of Ontario. The aspects of auditing which are studied and which it is hoped will be illustrative of the in-fluences are the evolution of the legislation that made audits man-datory, including the profit and loss (income statement) audit, and the evolution of the content of the auditor's standard report. The study begins with the Canadian legislation of the late nineteenth century and ends in the 1970s with the latest changes in the stan-dard audit report. Evidence of the background and processes that have influenced change are obtained from the various incorporating statutes, debates of the House of Commons and the Senate that relate to incorporating legislation, committee reports—together
The author appreciates the helpful comments of his colleagues, Professors V. B. Irvine and R. Long.


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Man sought in 2 vehicle burglaries
Deputies believe man took several items, 2 handguns
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies in St. Johns County say they are searching for a man in connection with two car burglaries that occurred the early Tuesday morning in the 300 block of Elementary Way off Watson Road.
The victim's camera was able to capture the thief and his vehicle, described by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office as what appears to be a 1999-2004 white Land Rover.
Authorities said the man drove by the victim's home and parked out of view. The man then approached the victim's van and removed several items.
Deputies believe the same man entered a neighbor's vehicle and removed two handguns.
Anyone with any information about these burglaries or with more information about the man's identity is asked to call Detective Jerry Montague at the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office at 904-209-3987 or Crime Stoppers at 888-277-TIPS (8477).
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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I would like to join to ur company and learn
How to do this business and learn how to trade
From another trader it was my first time
The first thing that comes to our minds after browsing the homepage of easy-forex is "outdated". The broker's spreads, the services and platforms offered, the fact that it has a ridiculous manifesto on its website – all that just screams "old-fashioned" - and while there's nothing wrong with all things old-fashioned, the forex industry develops way too fast for such brokers to remain competitive.
FXTM a regulated forex broker (regulated by CySEC, FCA and FSC), offering ECN trading on MT4 an MT5 platforms. Traders can start trading with as little as $10 and take advantage of tight fixed and variable spreads, flexible leverage and swap-free accounts.
XM is broker with great bonuses and promotions. Currently we are loving its $30 no deposit bonus and deposit bonus up to $5000. Add to this the fact that it's EU-regulated and there's nothing more you can ask for.
FXCM is one of the biggest forex brokers in the world, licensed and regulated on four continents. FXCM wins our admirations with its over 200,000 active live accounts and daily trading volumes of over $10 billion.
FxPro is a broker we are particularly keen on: it's regulated in the UK, offers Metatrader 4 (MT4) and cTrader – where the spreads start at 0 pips, Level II Pricing and Full Market Depth. And the best part? With FxPro you get negative balance protection.
FBS is a broker with cool marketing and promotions. It runs an loyalty program, offers a $100 no-deposit bonus for all new clients outside EU willing to try out its services, and an FBS MasterCard is also available for faster deposits and withdrawals.
FxChoice is a IFSC regulated forex broker, serving clients from all over the world. It offers premium trading conditions, including high leverage, low spreads and no hedging, scalping and FIFO restrictions.
HotForex is a EU Regulated broker, offering wide variety of trading accounts, including Auto, Social and Zero spread accounts. The minimum intial deposit for a Micro account is only $50 and is combined with 1000:1 leverage - one of the highest in the industry.
Exness is a leading forex broker, offering MT4 and MT5 platforms. Traders can take advantage from a true ECN environment and trade on ultra tight spreads, starting from 0 pips.
|Min Deposit
|Cyprus, UK, Mauritius
|CySec, FCA, FSC
|MT4, MT5, Web
|Review Website
|Cyprus, SVG
|MT5, Web,
|Review Website
|Australia, Cyprus
|ASIC, CySEC
|MT4, MT5, Iress
|Review Website
|Cyprus, Australia
|CySec, ASIC
|Review Website
|UK, Australia, South Africa
|MT4, Trading
|Review Website
|UK, Cyprus, UAE, South Africa
|FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSB
|MT4, MT5, FxPro
|Review Website
|MT4, MT5, Web
|Review Website
|Review Website
|Cyprus, UK, South Africa, UAE
|CySec, FCA, FSCA, DFSA
|MT4, MT5, Web
|Review Website
|Cyprus, UK
|CySEC, FCA
|Review Website
|Review Website
|MT4, Web, MT4
for Mac
|Review Website
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Sergii "Sergey" Grybniak and his company Opporty International, Inc. for conducting a fraudulent initial coin offering (ICO), which has scammed investors of $600,000 with unregistered digital asset securities. The SEC's complaint alleges that Grybniak and his company have illegally raised the money from nearly 200 investors in an ICO of the so called "OPP Tokens", which were sold using a SAFT (Simple Agreement for Future Tokens) agreement. Read more
After earlier this month the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) announced that after April 14th 2020 clients of gaming websites will no longer be able to use credit cards to fund their bets, some experts and analysts say it is high time that the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) do the same, as quite too many retail investors rely on their credit cards to make deposits on forex and CFD trades. "Debt shouldn't be creating more debt for the retail consumer", says Rod Martenstyn, former CEO of GKFX, quoted by Finance Magnates. Read more
Unregulated forex brokers Forbslab and eTrader247, along with several other alleged scammers, have been the latest additions to the warning list of Spanish financial watchdog – the Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV). ForbsLab is an offshore broker that has already been blacklisted by Luxembourg's financial watchdog, the CSSF. The broker is allegedly owned and operated Walsh Invest & Trade Ltd or Kayescent Corp., a company registered on the British Virgin Islands. eTrader247's website, on the other hand is completely anonymous, lacking any company information whatsoever. Read more
Patrick McDonnell, CEO of Coin Drop Markets, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison and also ordered to pay $224,350 in restitution, after pleading guilty to cryptocurrency fraud last year. The Federal court in Brooklyn issued the sentence on Thursday. Through his company Cabbage Tech Corp., also known as Coin Drop Markets, the 47-year-old New Yorker defrauded at least 10 victims of around $194,000, plus additional virtual currency funds, for a total loss of $224,350, officials said. The criminal activity took place between November 2014 and January 2018. Read more
Broker specializing in online trading becomes club's Official Trading Partner for four years, through 30 June 2024. FC Barcelona and FBS have reached a new global partnership agreement, whereby the broker specializing in Forex trading is to become the soccer club's Official Trading Partner for the next four years, through 30 June 2024. This partnership will be a boost to Barça's global commercial strategy, as part of the consolidation of its international expansion to ensure it continues to be a benchmark club both on and off the field. The agreement was made official at an event held at the Camp Nou stadium attended by Mr. Read more
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) expects that the new regulations imposed on the retail forex and CFD brokers in the UK will lead to an overall reduction of their profits of between 6% and 10% - a decline which by the year 2021 may reach between 38.5 million GBP and 55.3 million GBP. The data comes from the latest FCA impact assessment, published on Thursday, which measures the effect of the new leverage restrictions, adopted back in 2018. According to the current rules, applied both in the EU and the UK, the maximum leverage a broker might offer its clients is 1:30 for major forex pairs, 1:20 for most CFDs and 1:2 for crypto CFDs. Read more
Another bunch of brokers have made it to the warning list of UK's Financial Conduct Authority since the beginning of 2020. We'll focus on two of them - A.B.Capitals and LincolnFX – which, according to the British financial watchdog, have been providing financial services to UK investors without a proper license. As a matter of fact, the FCA exposed LincolnFX as a clone firm of company duly regulated in the UK with the name Lincoln Finance Ltd. The official warning reads that fraudsters are using the details of FCA-licensed firms to try to convince investors that they work for a genuine, authorised firm. Read more
Coinbase, the San Francisco based crypto exchange, has agreed to pay 962500 USD as a compensation to victims of the Cryptsy hacker attack, in an out of court settlement, court papers reveal. In January 2016 after a hacker attack in which some 13 000 Bitcoin and 300 000 Litecoin were stolen, Cryptsy filed for bankruptcy. Of the stolen crypto coins over 10 000 Bitcoins belonged to customers. On it part Coinbase got involved in the case, when victims of the attack accused it of helping to launder part of the stolen coins. In an official complaint filed in December 2016 Coinbase was accused of laundering some 8.2 million USD in digital currencies. Read more
Clients of now-defunct forex brokerage FXFINPRO will be invited to submit compensation applications by the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF), the Cyprus Securities Exchange Commission (CySEC) announced on Monday. CySEC has initiated a compensation procedure for clients of PFX Financial Professionals Ltd. – a former Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) that operated FXFINPRO Capital brokerage brand. The Cypriot financial watchdog has wholly withdrawn the license of the aforementioned company in October 2018, but the latter hasn't yet settled its obligations to clients although it should have done so in accordance with the Law. Read more
Australians have lost some 61.61 mln AUD (42.5 mln USD) in investment scams in 2019 alone, the latest data of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reveals. For 2019 there are 4986 separate reported scams in the country, but according some analysts the actual number of scam cases is much higher as many people feel too embarrassed to acknowledge they have been scammed. According to the ACCC report July was particularly bad for the investment community in Australia – in July alone some 12.56 mln. AUD (8.67 mln. USD) were lost to scammers. August and December were also months when the scam levels were notably higher. Read more


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Skin-to-Skin Contact
What is Skin-to-Skin?
The baby is placed bare-skinned onto your skin, on your chest. Any assessments or procedures that are done routinely for newborns can either be delayed for this important time together, or performed while they are on their mother's chest.
When can I give my baby Skin-to-Skin time?
- Right after birth, or as soon as you are ready. The sooner the better, for you and your baby!
- As much as possible, especially while breastfeeding.
What does Skin-to-Skin do?
- Causes baby to be comforted and cry less.
- Stabilizes baby's temperature and vital signs.
- Gives baby better oxygenation and blood sugar levels.
- Stimulates milk production.
- Causes your uterus to contract and bleed less.
- Promotes feelings of closeness and protectiveness.
- Provides the best opportunity to get breastfeeding off to a good start.
How does Skin-to-Skin help breastfeeding?
- Baby can smell colostrum at birth. Amniotic fluid has a smell similar to colostrum, so baby is drawn to the breast by the familiar smell.
- Left undisturbed between your breasts, baby may nuzzle down to the breast by himself and latch on unassisted!
- Baby has more opportunity to feed and gains weight better.
- Baby is more aroused to feed.
- Baby breastfeeds better and longer overall.
What are the results from having skin-to-skin time?
- Happier Baby- Babies are comforted by being placed skin to skin with their mother right after birth. They are calmer and cry less. Being skin-to-skin is also painrelieving to the baby, such as during an injection or heel-stick procedure.
- Healthier Baby- When babies are placed skin to skin, they warm up better and learn to stabilize their temperature faster. Babies' respirations, heart rate, and blood sugar stabilize better and their oxygen levels are highest when skin-to-skin. So you see, you are the best "recovery room" for your new baby!
- Happier Mother- Being skin to skin helps lower your stress hormones, and makes you feel closer to your baby. This is a great time for both of you to get to know one another. The bonding that takes place during skin to skin time lasts long after birth.
- Healthier Mother- The movement of your baby's body on your body stimulates hormones that cause your uterus to contract and therefore bleed less.
- Better Breastfeeding- When babies are placed undisturbed on their mother's chest, between the breasts, they often will crawl towards the mother's nipple and latch unassisted. Babies are able to smell the colostrum in their mother's breast; since amniotic fluid is similar in smell to colostrum, they are naturally drawn to the breast. In addition, babies' hand movements at the breast, as well as their sucking, cause the mother's body to release milk-making hormones. Infants, who have been placed skin-to-skin, gain weight better and breastfeed better and longer. Babies need to be close to the breast to learn to breastfeed. This first skin to skin time is the best opportunity to begin breastfeeding.
The benefits continue
Even after your first skin to skin time, continue to place your baby skin to skin. If baby is fussy, this will help to make him calm. If baby is too sleepy to nurse, this will stimulate and arouse him to breastfeed. Skin to skin time continues to help make baby warm and comforted. And it continues to help make breastfeeding a successful and enjoyable experience.


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Take two intersecting lines $L_1,L_2$ in $\mathbb{P}^3$. Blow-up $L_1$, and then blow up the strict transform $L_2'$ of $L_2$ and call $E_2$ the exceptional divisor of this second blow-up. $E_2$ is a $\mathbb{P}^1$-bundle over $L_2'\cong\mathbb{P}^1$ and so is some Hirzebruch surface $F_n$.
By doing local computations, I think that $E_2$ is $F_1$. Is there a good way (I mean, without coordinates, or at least without having to use affine charts) to figure out which $F_n$ it is?


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Chapters read: lv. Of the Monstrous Pictures of Whales, lvi. Of the Less Erroneous Pictures of Whales, and the True Pictures of Whaling Scenes., lvii. Of Whales in Paint; in Teeth; in Wood; in Sheet-Iron; in Stone; in Mountains; in Stars
Page reached: 265 of 522 (50.77%)
Status Report: Aside from their position atop the novel's continental divide, there's nothing notable about these three chapters.


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TheKingpin needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 52 designs submitted by 26 freelance designers.
We need a Professional, Website Design & Logo
with more focus on website design services -
Cutting Edge / Top-Notch with clean layout.
Accepted File Formats:
We need a Professional, Website Design & Logo
for WebsiteDesignHouston.net, with focus on
website design services
Cutting Edge / Top-Notch with clean layout.
Main Navigation Links:
Home, Services, Portfolio, Articles, Contact Us
- A place near the top for a 1-888-number
- An area for client testimonial (if possible with Website Image)
- An area/image/button for "Free No Obligation Website Quote"
- An area/image/button for "How It Works?" or "How The Website Design Process Works?"
Having said that -- if space is available then:
- An area for "Sign up to our Newsletter to download the free ebook, receive special offers & Reports" with sign up button
- An area for security logos / emblems
This contest was originally listed in multiple categories:
- Logo Design
- Web Page Design
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Brand New Vehicles And Quality Service At Capital Toyota
Looking to purchase a new or used vehicle in the Chattanooga, Cleveland, Jasper, Signal Mountain, or East Brainerd area? Then your one-stop place to shop is Capital Toyota! When it comes to providing drivers with the best new and used vehicles, we make sure to go the extra mile. Our lot is filled with some of the latest 2018 and 2019 models from Toyota, as well as some of the most dependable pre-owned vehicles in the area. We offer those vehicles to drivers at a cost that is sure to put a smile on their face. While our pricing may be fantastic, it is our service that really makes us stand out. We are devoted to safety and dependability, and proper vehicle maintenance is important to both. That's why we include a Lifetime Warranty with the purchase or lease of every new Toyota. Discover what Capital Toyota has to offer.
New and Used Toyota Vehicles
Whether it is the latest model in the 2018 Toyota lineup, or just a dependable pre-owned Toyota, Capital Toyota has the vehicle that you have been searching for. We carry some of the latest and greatest in the Toyota family of vehicles, from the efficient 2018 Toyota Prius to the powerful 2018 Toyota Highlander. 2019 Toyota models like the 2019 Toyota Avalon and 2019 Toyota Corolla are now available. Add some of the most dependable used vehicles in the industry into the mix, and you have one of the best collections of Toyota vehicles anywhere.
Routine Maintenance and Installation
Our top-notch service doesn't end when we sell you a car. Rather, Capital Toyota is ready to help you with any kind of vehicle service or maintenance. Whether you need a big repair job done or just some routine maintenance for your vehicle, bring it here to Capital Toyota. We have all the right technicians, parts, and procedures to help put your Toyota vehicle back on top and put you back on the road.
No matter what your automotive needs are, we at Capital Toyota are willing and able to go the extra mile for you and your vehicle. Visit us today and discover the Capital Toyota difference!
Your One-Stop-Shop for All Things Toyota!
Give us a call today to let us know how we can save you money on your next Sienna, Yaris, or Avalon at Capital Toyota. If you need any more proof of our ability to rise to the occasion, read some of the messages our customers have left for us. Customers from Jasper and Cleveland, TN have been enjoying the outstanding customer service, fantastic selection, and efficient automotive servicing that Capital Toyota provides for years. So come on down and see what we can do for you on your next brand-new Toyota!


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Totally dragging ass today. Probably because I'm going to get my period soon. And yes, the challenge will go on.
I think D. sort of forgot that in the course of 77 days, I'm going get my period. We've had period sex before, but he's less into it than other guys (based on my past hook-ups and what my girlfriends tell me about their boyfriends).
Any tips you can share with me? Do you girls do it? Or do you take a few days off? Or treat your guy to oral-sex-week?


text: If there's one thing we know, it's that True Blood is a show for adults. So we 100% hope that no child has ever seen the show that this Sesame Street parody is based on. But if you were wondering if it was possible to nail this show without using any sex or violence, the answer is yes. But only with Muppets.


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Episcopal Church Files New Motion Against Breakaway SC Diocese
The Episcopal Church has filed a new motion against a diocese that broke away from the liberal mainline denomination over theological differences and the treatment of its bishop.
In a motion delivered Monday against the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, The Episcopal Church named four diocesan leaders including its bishop, the Rev. Mark Lawrence.
The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC), the group within the Diocese that remains with the national denomination, is arguing that the diocesan leadership violated state law.
In total, TECSC argues that South Carolina Diocese leaders have committed among other things a "Breach of Fiduciary Duty," "Breach of Contract," "Negligent Misrepresentation," "Fraud," and "Constructive Fraud."
"Bishop Lawrence, like the Bishops before him, had no more authority over the corporation than he inherited ecclesiastically under the bylaws, the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church, as supplemented but not contravened by the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese," reads the motion in part.
"As such, he had no authority to discontinue the ecclesiastical operation of the corporation and block his transient authority as then-acting bishop from passing to the next ecclesiastical bishop of the Diocese; nor could he amend the purpose or bylaws of the corporation as to conflict with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church…"
In addition to Lawrence, the other three leaders named in the motion were The Rev. Jeff Miller former president of the diocesan Standing Committee; the Rev. Paul Fuener, current president of the Standing Committee; and the Rev. Jim Lewis, canon to the ordinary for the South Carolina Diocese.
"TECSC is entitled to a declaratory judgment that the ulna vires acts of the Additional Parties are null and void and that TECSC is entitled to control and elect the directors and officers of the Diocese's corporations and that it is entitled to all of the Diocese's property," continued the motion.
In an interview with The Christian Post, the Rev. Lewis said that the motion was "based upon false claims, bordering on the absurd," and represents "a complete reversal of the facts."
"TECSC has accused us of conspiracy to leave TEC. The reality has been our attempt to defend against continued and insidious intrusions by TEC into the life of this Diocese," said Lewis.
"Our resolutions were triggered only by their actions against us. The reality is that it was TEC's attack that brought us to this place. The Diocese wisely prepared for the assaults for which TEC has become known. This current motion is simply a continuation of that pattern."
Lewis also told CP that an official response was being prepared by the South Carolina Diocese and will be addressed in the next hearing, likely to occur in December.
Last year, the South Carolina Diocese voted to break away from The Episcopal Church. By January, legal battles began over who controlled the diocesan name, trademark, and property.
Thus far, the breakaway diocesan leadership has scored a couple important legal victories over the past several months. These include an injunction allowing them to be called the Diocese of South Carolina during the legal proceedings and having the case tried at the state level.
At present, the overall lawsuit over the name and property is in the process of "written discovery" and will likely not be decided until sometime next year.


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Looking for something delicious to make this weekend? Try one of these lemon-infused showstoppers submitted by food52 members.
Need an excuse to rise late? Whip up an elegant brunch with this Leek, Lemon, and Feta Quiche by Feeding the Saints (A.C. Parker)
For a light lunch or appetizer, try this crunchy, garlicky treat: Grilled Bread with Thyme Pesto and Preserved Lemon Cream by fiveandspice
For a crowd-pleasing summer dinner: Israeli Couscous with Roasted Lemons & Capers topped with Seared Scallops & a Lemon Creme Fraiche Drizzle by melissav
Great for a party: Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted Kohlrabi Crostini with Crispy Lemons and Shallots by eatenfresh
The perfect afternoon snack with a cool glass of lemon iced tea: Zucchini-Lemon Cookies by KelseyTheNaptimeChef
Finish your day with a simple, no-bake dessert: Lemon Posset by mrslarkin
See what other Food52 readers are saying.


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Can a Video Game Tackle Alcoholism Without Being Preachy?
Video games are meant to be an escape. Become the hero or blow up your enemies. Games don't often tackle real-world issues because that hasn't been their purpose, and because it's difficult for them to do so.
That is beginning to change in 2012. Games that force the player to witness difficult events (Spec Ops: The Line) or make tough choices (The Walking Dead series by Telltale Games) are being accessed by thousands. But neither of these tackle issues that any of us could face at home: the demons of alcoholism in a family.
That's the mission of Papo & Yo, a PlayStation Network indie title released Tuesday. It's the brainchild of Vander Caballero, a former EA design director who left to start Minority Media in 2010.
"I worked at Electronic Arts and then I realized I couldn't work at Triple-A [studios] anymore. If you were at E3, you saw it was all about shooters and killing people. I said I wanted to do a game that actually means stuff to people," Caballero says. "I realized I was drawn to movies more than actual games. It was because of the content of games: it was always violence, big guns, and being as powerful as possible."
You can sense Caballero's distain for mainstream gaming in everything Papo & Yo isn't. The game is simple and sweet. There isn't a single gun to be found as you scale the favelas of a deserted city. Your character, Quico, is a 10-year-old boy who escapes to an imaginary world to avoid some nasty stuff. His companions are Lula, a flying robot toy that helps Quico solve puzzles and jump large gaps, and Monster.
A Monstrous Metaphor
Monster is a hulking, pink beast that passes for the distant cousin of a rhinoceros. He is driven by simple emotions and needs that float over his head. He sleeps and hunts for coconuts, which can be used to lure him to spots for puzzle-solving. Caballero says he looked to create a character that players would bond with. His biggest inspiration was ICO, a PlayStation 2 title where the player guided a blind princess through the whole game.
You quickly learn that Monster has a nasty side, despite his cuddly exterior. He is addicted to frogs, and eating them sends him into a terrifying rage, causing him to chase and attack Quico mercilessly until he can be changed back.
"10 years after ICO, people still talk about it. No other games have come close to the emotional relationship with a character," Caballero explains. "I wanted to do something like that, but with something that was meaningful to me: the relationship with my father. How I survived. I took the good parts and learned from that, and I put that in the game.
"I wanted people to deal with that: a character that is good to you and evil at the same time. I wanted people to deal with that conflict."
This concept sounds like it might come off heavy-handed, but it doesn't. There are some allusions to who Monster is and represents, but you can play and enjoy the game with as much or as little of the knowledge the backstory as you want. The game is still great at pulling you into the world and allowing you to invest in the characters — a testament to the quality of the metaphor Caballero was able to weave.
"Someone I met while I was at EA was Nico Rodis, who worked at Pixar on the first Toy Story movie. He told me that metaphor was so important to a good story, to allow it to be accessible. I spent the years thinking of the right one for this game. This monster has the same elements that I see when I think about my father now," he says
Successes and Failures
The game brings you into a world that is unique to many games. The favela is magical place to explore. It can be manipulated by gears or switches Quico finds on the walls that look like they were sketched in chalk. In some instances, picking up a box causes a whole building to move, and you can drop the box anywhere to change the building's permanent location. Find a house with a crank, and it will sprout legs or wings and motor to a new location.
There are small touches that create wonder, too. The hint boxes are cardboard boxes Quico pulls over his head. The insides are covered with children's drawings that provide a tutorial.
But for every spot the inventive world shines, there are places that still need polish. While the game is independent, there are a lot of graphical shortcomings that make it seem rushed. Characters sometimes lose appendages to the environment in polygon clipping problems reminiscent of the Nintendo 64. Sometimes I had to restart because of weird glitches, including falling through the environments.
These issues aren't deal breakers, but they can take you out of the immersion. Thankfully, other gameplay elements like the controls and camera keep moving solidly throughout, and Minority is releasing a patch on some of the showstopping bugs Tuesday.
The game is worth sticking with to the end, which is powerful. (That's all I'll say without spoiling it.) Here's how Caballero described it:
"It is so emotional that people will react differently. Some people will cry. Some people will be contemplative. Some people who aren't in touch with their emotions will say, 'Ah, fuck it, I don't like it.' It's a drama game, and we don't have many drama games. Some people will see it from the outside, and say, 'Oh, it looks so happy and joyful,' but it's a drama game."
Papo & Yo is out now for the PlayStation Network for $14.99.