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Internal Control in Automated Data Processing
by MASON E. NOLAN Principal, Portland Office
Presented before a joint meeting of the Portland Chapters of the National Machine Accountants Association and The Institute of Internal Auditors—December 1961
AT ONE TIME or another you have all read about someone opening his
mail and finding a check for some gigantic, absurd amount. You may also recall reading a year or two ago about an executive of a large company who misused his expert knowledge of the company's punched-card procedures to misappropriate a quarter of a million dollars. Our newspapers have given wide publicity to a number of instances such as these where internal control over automated data processing failed to prevent substantial errors or defalcations.
In view of this publicity it is not surprising that some members of management have occasionally felt uneasy about extensive mechanization
of their company's data-processing activities. Their apprehension
may be likened to that of the passengers on the first electronically
controlled jet flight from Los Angeles to New York. Shortly after the seat-belt sign went off and the plane settled on its eastbound course a pleasant voice came over the speaker system: "Welcome to Flight 713! You have the pleasure of being the first to fly on a completely
automated jet aircraft. There are no pilots aboard because all functions are under the unfailing control of an electronic computer. There is absolutely nothing to worry about... nothing to worry about... nothing to worry about...."
I do not mean to imply that the use of a computer to fly a passenger
plane is analogous with the use of a computer to process business data. The jobs are quite different, as are the risks. I trust that all of you have sufficient familiarity with mechanical and electronic
data processing not to be panicked by the possibility of equipment
malfunctions. You are not completely dependent on flawless functioning of gears, relays, tubes, and type bars; you rely on internal control to keep you out of trouble if the equipment fails.
Reliance on a good system of internal control to prevent errors


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ArtPrize 2013 – More Volunteers Needed
ArtPrize 2013 begins September 18!
Event organizers and volunteers are working hard to prepare for the big event, but more volunteers are still needed.
Volunteer training is going on this week and Saturday, September 14 is the deadline to sign up to volunteer at ArtPrize 2013.
Most volunteer shifts still needed to be filled are for "wayfinders".
ArtPrize.org describes the job of a Wayfinder:
Serve as an ArtPrize tour guide and ambassador of downtown Grand Rapids! You'll be equipped with maps and other resources and assigned to a specific location in the ArtPrize District where you'll welcome visitors, provide directions, answer questions, and promote activities and Venues in your area. Must be willing and able to be on your feet for 3-hour shifts.
ArtPrize can't happen without volunteers. If you'd like to help as a volunteer at ArtPrize 2013, get started right here!
Follow ArtPrize Superfan Matt Milhouse on Facebook and Twitter. Listen to 100.5 The River weekdays, 10am – 3pm.

subset: commoncrawl


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Andrew Keenan, the former chief financial officer of the online backup services company Carbonite Inc., has joined the New Hampshire technology firm Dynamic Network Services Inc., better known as Dyn.
Keenan, 51, a seasoned technology executive who helped take Carbonite public in 2011, joins Dyn during a period of fast growth. The Internet infrastructure company, which is based in Manchester, has more than 500,000 customers, including Twitter and Zappos, and about 200 employees. Keenan will be the company's first CFO.
Earlier this month, Dyn also announced several other key hires. It added Dave Connors, former vice president of operation at the Waltham e-mail marketing company Constant Contact Inc., as its vice president of technical operations and Claudia Santoro, former chief technology officer of the video-sharing start-up Vsnap, as director of e-mail engineering.
For Keenan, Dyn is the sixth company he's helped lead since leaving Deloitte in 1991. The others have either gone public or been acquired.
Dyn chief executive Jeremy Hitchcock would not say whether the addition of Keenan means that Dyn is destined for a public offering in the near future, but he said that's certainly a possibility.
Keenan's plans to leave Carbonite, which is based in Boston, were announced in September.
The company announced last week that it hired Anthony Folger as its new CFO. He was formerly CFO of Acronis, a data backup company in Woburn.
Michael B. Farrell can be reached at email@example.com.


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Many individuals in Bosnia Herzegovina carry the wounds of the war. This is exacerbated by the poor state of the economy.
There is a connection between the prevalence of depression and the economic, social and political situation in the country. According to Dubravka Salcic, Director of the Sarajevo Centre for Victims of Torture and one of the country's leading psychotherapists:
"A significant number of inhabitants live and suffer from complex after-effects of a prolonged psychological trauma of war. Nevertheless, a certain number of people, even among the victims, have emerged from the whole situation strengthened, and have found the power to put together the pieces of their lives, to go on living.
Of course, if the social, economic and the political conditions would be more stable, we would have many more such people. Believe me, the unregulated economic and political conditions of the country influence the psychological composition of each person, but especially those who are [already] emotionally unstable."
For a human being to function rationally and healthily, a healthy environment is necessary. But society in Bosnia-Herzegovina is confronted with many problems. The political situation is very unstable, and it often reminds us of things that happened before the war, in 1991/92."
The Sarajevo Centre for Victims of Torture has treated 7,000 victims, as well as 2,500 family members of victims. About 60% of the patients have managed to put their lives back in order.
Experiences of war:
The Psychological Burden:
Woman at Social Centre Novi Travnik - Centre for Victims of Torture in Sarajevo
War Statistics:
Nadira and Franjo
Franjo from Novi Travnik is suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He lives in a cellar, deeply traumatized by the war. His father was killed during the fighting. Franjo himself was shot in the arm.
Franjo's condition is inflicting a heavy burden on his wife Nadira and their children. He says:
"I was always a hardworking person. […] I always wanted to work. So that I can contribute with my work – I don't want anything for free. Sometimes there are days when there is nothing … but I am a big fighter, for my life, for my children. Concerning the war, there is always war. Since Yugoslavia has gone down, there will always be war. In those days there was peace, there was beauty, freedom, which you cannot measure in gold […]. Now it is the other way around. Now it is worse than it was. Every day it's worse. Because something is not okay with society."
Poverty and the Economy:
A young drug addict and his mother in Novi Travnik
A young drug addict, whose identity we agreed not to reveal, and his mother are regular visitors at the Social Centre in Novi Travnik. The loss of his father, says the young man, was a major trigger for his addiction:
"I lost my father in the war. That hurt me very much. I miss him very much. […] I feel sorry for everything I did during the last years. I spoilt his memory. And he was a good man. I was small when he died […] I miss him so much! I remember him when he went the first time, actually the last time, to the lines. He said: 'Listen to your mother.´ As if he knew he would not come back again. 'Don't cause your mother sorrows.´ And he went and never came back […] This image comes back again and again…"
The young man has since become infected with hepatitis C through his drug use. He explains the causes of his drug problem:
"I am dreaming of becoming a better human being. To become what I never was. I spent my whole childhood in a bad way. I dream of getting away, to get on the right path so that I can start to go the way I should […]. Mainly I feel hurt by the injustice. The injustice we all [had to deal with], all the things that followed the war. Everything. There is no work. There is nothing […]. There are many drugs addicts here […]. Because people have nowhere to work, no employment, they have nothing […] and there are too many drugs here. Drugs are causing havoc throughout Bosnia."
He adds, referring to his father:
"He would not have let it happen…it would not be the way it is now. I am convinced of that."
Kindergarten in Sevarlije
The majority of people in Bosnia have managed to cope with their traumas. Selma Mujkic has returned with her family to Sevarlije, the family's home village, which she had to flee in 1992.
She spends time every day with the village kids in the community centre kindergarten. She remembers her own childhood with sadness:
"We had nothing to eat, we had no wood. We had nothing. And as a child you had a certain responsibility to struggle for your family like a grown-up. Because of that, this fight for survival – for something to eat, for something to heat – my childhood passed me by. I spent secondary school under grenade fire. We went to school, were shot at, and went home, something like that […]. Mourning […]. This childhood did not bring me anything but sorrow; grenades; hunger."
Selma adds:
"We have come home, rebuilt the house, and achieved something again. That only means that we have recovered everything material that we had lost; but we have lost the years which we could have used for something beautiful, to get to know the world…"
Selma is now working to help the next generation:
"I am teaching them mainly to preserve unity among themselves, [to avoid conflict] and to solve things in a nice way when they quarrel; to love each other and respect each other. That is the most important: to respect each other, no matter who is who; to honour each other. If love is not possible, there can at least be respect."
About a third of the population of the RS (and 38 percent of the overall population of the Federation) was 10 years old or younger when the war broke out is. They have no memories of pre-war Bosnia.
Adisa Zekic
Adisa Zekic, now the lead singer of Dubioza Kolektiv, was also a child when the war broke out. She lived in her home town of Zenica:
"Waiting for the end of the war. For the end of that pressure […]. You cannot do this, you cannot do that. You're hungry all the time […]. I used to carry hundreds of litres of water through the city so we could drink and wash our dishes…"
"It was a spark, a ricochet, and it hit my leg," says Adisa, describing the bullet that wounded her. "3 millimetres from the bone. I almost lost my leg."
Adisa is especially concerned about the situation of women in Bosnia today.
"In wartime women also were big fighters. There are many cases where husbands were not at home or incapable of helping in any way to keep the family together, to bring food, to earn some money, to do anything. There are lots of these cases where women have been left without their husbands, their sons, etc. […] When you see any woman on the streets you can really ask yourself what this woman has gone through."
After the war, Adisa came to Sarajevo and joined the Dubiosa Kollektiv, a band which has become vocal in criticising the political situation.
Mario Lucic has spent the past eight years organising a youth club in Novi Travnik – a club for those who refuse to accept the division of the town into Bosniak and Croat halves.
"An unofficial group of young people found the enthusiasm to unite […] in a town which was then divided into a Croatian and Bosniak part. They made a plan called 'Across the walls of nationalism'. We founded an organisation and now we are here. We get this power from one another."
Mario feels that the political situation is only slowly improving and that the social situation in the town is deteriorating. He faces the same dilemma as every young person in Bosnia today.
"To be honest, I see that the whole story ends with the question: I am enough of a patriot? I am a patriot as much as I can endure. As long as I can endure and am content with what I have, I will stay here."
Two-thirds of people under 30 would leave the country if given the opportunity to do so, according to a UNDP-sponsored July 2007 survey.
- "War Experiences and War-related Distress in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Eight Years after War", Gerd Inger Ringdal, Kristen Ringdal, Albert Simkus. Croatian Medical Journal, 2008; No. 49:1 page75-8 February 2008
- The Silent Majority Speaks, UNDP Survey, 2007
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees Department for Housing Policy and Analytical Planning, May 2006
- Labour and Social Policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The development of policies and measures for social mitigation, World Bank, Department for International Development, Bosnia and Herzegovina May 2005
- Living Standard Measurement Survey in BiH, Module 9
June 2008


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"Guns or Butter": Critical Issues in the United States
Huey Newton
[Connecting The Dots]
The "attorney-at war" will be appearing on the "Carl Nelson Show" on this Tuesday, March 4, 2014 on 1450 WOL Radio in Washington, DC from 5-7 EST. Carl and I have not discussed the nature and the boundaries of the interview. "Guns or Butter" is a good starting point. In Black America listen live @ www.woldcnews.com. The call in # 800-450-7876.
A specific starting point of discussion may be Huey Newton of the Black Panthers and his enrollment at San Francisco Law School and especially his study of the U.S. Constitution. "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing". Since the ratification of the Second Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court had used its bully pulpit only once, prior to the 1960's, to construe the Second Amendment.
The concept of "think tanks" started in ancient Egypt. Today, no genuine, well-supported "think tank" exists in the Black community while hundreds exist in the white community. Due to affirmative action, there has been a "brain drain" in the Black community. This is a case of unorganized, Black, brain power against organized, white, brain power.
I am convening a coroner's jury to investigate the recent death of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba of Jackson, MS. It remains uninvestigated. I am the undisputed legal expert in investigating the causes of death and the manners of death. Two of my most controversial cases were the deaths of Michael Stewart and Harry Crist, Jr. Because of my expertise in pathology, I have been "barred" from all courtrooms in the United States. No state or federal legislative body has taken a similar action against an attorney.
Latest comments
- Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
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"May the cookies be ever in your flavor."
If that made you laugh then you're going to LOVE "The Hungry Games: Catching Fur," "Sesame Street's" spoof of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." On the other hand, if you enjoy watching children kill each other, this might not be for you (it's less true to the source material, in that regard).
Here, Cookie Monster is Cookieness Evereat (LOL), Peeta is a pita (LOL) and Finnick is Finicky (that one might go over kids' heads). And unlike some of "Sesame Street's" other parodies, like "True Mud" or "Homelamb," this one actually seems geared towards children (adults should be able to solve the "puzzles" without much struggle.
U.S. & World
Then again, there's a cannibalism joke. Soooo... maybe this is darker than the real "Hunger Games."
PHOTOS: Check out "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" premieres around the world


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I have been struggling with mixed emotions. The National Breast Cancer Coalition came out last month with a new initiative — to cure breast cancer by January 1, 2020. As exciting as it may seem to set a deadline for a cure, I am so terribly disappointed to think it may take another 10 years. That means that over two million more women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and a number of them will die from the disease. This to me is unacceptable.
Millions and millions of dollars have been raised toward breast cancer awareness, treatment, and research just since I was diagnosed seven years ago. There has been real progress in finding better treatments and making inroads in new directions such as genetic testing. Yet, if we are prepared to wait 10 more years for a cure we can't honestly say that we are close — which is a surprise to me. I truly had faith that someone, somewhere, was getting close to finding a cure.
Through their website and conferences, the NBCC has done a great job in making this agenda understood and heard. I admire all their efforts. I appreciate that the same reasons I would cite for an earlier target date are the ones they use to declare that we can reach this goal. For example, each day in 1991, 119 women died from breast cancer, and today pretty much the same number — 110 women — still die each day from the disease. And in 1975, about 1 of every 11 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, while now it's 1 in every 8. I always say we got to the moon because we said we would do it, and the NBCC says we got there by setting a target date. I agree with everything they say — I just don't get that we have to set the date 10 years from now.
Why is it going to take 10 years? Do they know stuff that we don't? Do they not have faith in our researchers to work hard enough or fast enough? I don't get it. My husband says that generally I am impatient. When I make a decision I want things to happen now. That may be a weakness, but it usually motivates me to seek, find, and destroy. It makes me antsy and it pushes me to make things happen. That is the kind of motivation we need towards obliterating breast cancer.
Even wisdom from my son, the Big Guy, concurs with what the NBCC is saying. The Big Guy has outlined some new personal goals, and he told us recently that if you want to accomplish something, you should tell others so they hold you accountable. The coalition is using this same principle — although I am sure their inspiration came from another source. I applaud them for their bold move. I am just so disappointed that we are expected to wait 10 more years and lose thousands more precious moms, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers. I am just not patient enough.
Let's talk cure, but let's talk faster!
Antsy and anxious,


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Some of the luscious ones.
(Click to enlarge the photo.)
so gorgeous mary... if only i didn't love the deer too, i might have some of these left...ReplyDelete
Mary that is one beautiful postcard from the garden! How lucky you are to still have those beauties this late in the season. I clicked bigger and still wanted "bigger" it was that breathtaking to me :-)ReplyDelete
So beautiful, Mary! I love oranges and apricots of the flowering variety.ReplyDelete


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MyBlogSpark & Yoplait Kids Less Sugar have come together to offer this great prize package for 2 of my readers! Yoplait is the yogurt that I buy for Jon because not only does Yoplait call out any gluten on their labels, but they have started to label their products "gluten-free". Yoplait Kids has always been my daughter's yogurt of choice….she hates chunks & pieces of fruit in her yogurt & Yoplait Kids is smooth & creamy & free of chunks. So, this is a favorite in our house.
Information from Yoplait Kids:
Are you searching for a snack for the kids that tastes good and is good for them? Yoplait Kids yogurt is the perfect solution with 25% less sugar than the leading kids' yogurt. With its thick and creamy texture that will hug your little one's spoon, you won't have to worry about a sticky mess to clean up afterwards. It also contains no artificial sweeteners or flavors, so you can feel good about serving it to your kids.
In addition, Yoplait Kids is a good source of vitamin D and, according to two new studies that provide the first national assessment of the crucial nutrient in young Americans, millions of U.S. children have disturbingly low vitamin D levels, possibly increasing their risk for a variety of health concerns, including bone problems. About 7.6 million children, adolescents, and young adults have vitamin D levels so low they could be considered deficient. It can be challenging for growing kids to get enough vitamin D because this nutrient is only found naturally in very few foods; however Yoplait Kids makes it a little easier to incorporate a delicious source of vitamin D and calcium in your child's diet.
If you are interested in entering this giveaway, please leave a comment below. If you have blog, you can receive an extra entry by linking back. If you have a Twitter account, you can receive an extra entry by tweeting & including @kbouldin in the tweet so I know. The deadline to enter is Friday at midnight. The 2 winners will be chosen Saturday morning. Good luck!
Filed under: Family, Gluten-Free, Gluten-free Products |


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About FERC Office of the Executive Director
The Equal Employment Opportunity Advisor develops, manages and directs the Commission's affirmative employment planning, and EEO discrimination complaint processing programs. This Staff is concerned with equal employment opportunity, and ensures that employees and applicants for employment are treated without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, or mental/physical handicap. This Staff is also responsible for implementing programs designed to enhance the hiring and advancement of women, minorities, disabled veterans, and handicapped individuals.
Major areas of responsibilities are:
- Develop and implement various equal employment opportunity plans, policies, and procedures; administer the EEO discrimination complaint processing system; make recommendations to top management; and take corrective actions as necessary.
- Coordinate with the Human Resources Division for EEO training of FERC managers/supervisors, and EEO counselors; and also provide counselors with necessary technical and legal advice. Ensure training and leadership of the EEO staff and special emphasis managers who are involved in the planning, counseling, investigation, and legal aspects of EEO.
- Supervise timely, fair and impartial processing of EEO discrimination complaints; negotiate informal resolution of complaints where possible; schedule/coordinate EEO investigation of formal complaints; provide fair and impartial advice on settlement proposals; prepare documents for the EEO Directors signature; and maintain/secure all documents/files pertaining to discrimination complaints.
- Administer the EEO counseling program including appointment and training of counselors.
- Develop, prepare and coordinate the Commission's annual affirmative employment plan for women, minorities, and the handicapped; assure compliance with the requirements of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, OPM, and other applicable laws/regulations; and furnish other EEO related reports as required.
- Process EEO discrimination complaints and give impartial advice to the EEO Director and the Chairman, when requested.
- Determine under representation of minorities/women, and coordinate with various offices and the Human Resources Division on various aspects of special employment programs.
- Coordinate and provide advice to the FERC Diversity Council.


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Rentech Declares Special Cash Dividend of $0.19 per Share Payable in 2012 and Announces Early Redemp
Rentech Declares Special Cash Dividend of $0.19 per Share Payable in 2012 and Announces Early Redemption of Convertible Notes
Company Also Announces Acceleration of Decision Timeline to Implement Alternatives for its Technology Portfolio as Part of Ongoing Review of Strategies to Create Value for Shareholders
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rentech, Inc. (NYSE MKT: RTK) today announced that its Board of Directors has taken a series of actions in continuation of its program to optimize its balance sheet and maximize its after-tax returns. Specifically, the Company's directors have:
- Declared a special one-time cash dividend of $0.19 per common share, which represents approximately $42.2 million in payments to holders of outstanding shares, representing a 14.6% yield on the Company's share price at the beginning of this year, and a 6.6% yield based on the closing share price on Friday, December 7, 2012;
- Determined to redeem all of its 4.00% convertible senior notes on December 31, 2012. The notes, with principal amount of $57.5 million, are due to mature on April 15, 2013. The early redemption will result in interest savings of approximately $0.7 million and will be funded from the Company's available cash; and
- Accelerated the decision timeline by which they will choose and implement the highest-value alternative for the Company's technology portfolio, and they now expect to take such actions in the first quarter of 2013.
D. Hunt Ramsbottom, President and CEO of Rentech, said, "These steps, including the special cash dividend and early redemption of our convertible notes, which combined will return more than $100 million to shareholders and convertible note holders, reflect our commitment to find the best uses for our cash on hand and the cash generated by our majority ownership of Rentech Nitrogen Partners, L.P. While we have realized extraordinary gains in value for our shareholders, with a 121% year-to-date appreciation in our stock price and a 230% gain since we announced the IPO of Rentech Nitrogen in early August 2011, we remain committed to reviewing additional steps to enhance shareholder value. The special dividend and early redemption of our convertible notes also reflect our ongoing confidence in the strength of our financial future, and leave us well-positioned to implement our business plans."
The steps announced today come as a result of Rentech's successful execution of its strategy and the Board's ongoing evaluation of the best steps to utilize its capital and create shareholder value. Consistent with that plan, it now expects to make a decision on the best alternative for its technology portfolio in the first quarter of 2013, earlier than its previous timeline of the first half of 2013. Among the alternatives being considered to maximize the value of that business are potential partnerships for the commercialization of its technologies, which the Company would enter into only if such partnerships would be financially attractive and provide near-term cash.
Pro forma for payment of the special cash dividend, redemption of the convertible notes, and the third quarter cash distribution received from Rentech Nitrogen Partners on November 14th, Rentech, Inc.'s unconsolidated cash balance as of September 30, 2012 would have been approximately $103 million. A reconciliation of Rentech, Inc.'s pro forma unconsolidated cash balance to its actual unconsolidated cash balance as of September 30, 2012 is included below in this press release.
The special cash dividend is payable on December 27, 2012 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 20, 2012. The special dividend will be funded from the Company's available cash. Rentech expects the majority of the dividend to be either a return of capital or capital gain for shareholders, depending on shareholders' individual basis in their stock. The final tax characterization will be determined in January 2013. The Company advises each shareholder to consult with a tax advisor regarding the tax treatment of this dividend.
In addition to the special cash dividend, Rentech has repurchased approximately 9.1 million shares this year, at an average price of $1.81 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $16.4 million. Combined with the approximately $42.2 million special dividend, the Company has returned $58.6 million of cash to shareholders this year. Approximately $8.6 million worth of shares can still be repurchased under the existing $25 million share repurchase plan.
The convertible notes to be redeemed, with principal amount of $57.5 million, are due to mature on April 15, 2013 and are convertible into 14,332,002 shares of common stock, subject to certain adjustments. Upon redemption of the notes, Rentech, Inc. will have no material outstanding debt obligations, but those of Rentech Nitrogen Partners, L.P. will continue to appear on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
Disclosure Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Management believes that including the Company's pro forma unconsolidated cash balance will provide investors with additional information regarding the Company's liquidity. A reconciliation of the Company's unconsolidated cash balance as of September 30, 2012 to its pro forma cash balance after giving effect to the payment of the special dividend, redemption of convertible debt, and receipt of the cash distribution from Rentech Nitrogen Partners on November 14th is below.
Rentech, Inc.'s Pro Forma Unconsolidated Cash Balance Reconciliation (excludes Rentech Nitrogen Partners' cash balance)
($ in millions)
|September 30, 2012 Actual Unconsolidated Cash Balance
|Special Dividend
|Redemption of Convertible Notes (including accrued interest)
|Cash Distribution from Rentech Nitrogen on November 14, 2012
|Pro Forma September 30, 2012 Unconsolidated Cash Balance
About Rentech, Inc.
Rentech, Inc. (www.rentechinc.com) owns and develops technologies that enable the production of certified synthetic fuels and renewable power when integrated with certain other third-party technologies. The Company owns the Rentech-SilvaGas and the Rentech-ClearFuels biomass gasification technologies, each of which can produce synthesis gas from biomass or waste materials, for production of renewable power and fuels. The Rentech-ClearFuels gasifier can also produce renewable hydrogen as a product. Rentech also owns the patented Rentech Process, based on Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, which can convert syngas from the Company's own or other gasification technologies into complex hydrocarbons that then can be upgraded into fuels or chemicals using refining technology that we license.
Rentech also owns, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the general partner and approximately 60% of the common units representing limited partner interests in Rentech Nitrogen Partners, L.P. (www.rentechnitrogen.com), a limited partnership traded publicly under the symbol RNF. Rentech Nitrogen Partners, L.P. manufactures and sells nitrogen fertilizer products.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about matters such as the Company's intention to pay a special one-time dividend; whether a portion of the dividend will be treated as a return of capital; plans to redeem its outstanding convertible notes; confidence in the Company's financial future; whether and the extent to which the Company will realize profitability on its alternative energy business assets; the ability of the Company to grow its business; and the return profile of potential partnerships the Company may enter into. These statements are based on management's current expectations and actual results may differ materially as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Company's prior press releases and periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available via Rentech's website at www.rentechinc.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Rentech does not undertake to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except to the extent that it is required to do so under applicable law.
Rentech, Inc.
Julie Dawoodjee Cafarella
Vice President of Investor Relations and Communications
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
The article Rentech Declares Special Cash Dividend of $0.19 per Share Payable in 2012 and Announces Early Redemption of Convertible Notes originally appeared on Fool.com.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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How to Handle Job Failures
There's a discussion on the beanstalkd mailing list right now about queue introspection and handling failures. My response got a little long, and it could be interesting to users of other queueing systems as well, so here's a blog post instead.
When we first started using beanstalkd at Causes, some things in our worker development and deployment process took a while to iron out, but our strategy for handling job failures worked quite well right from the start. In hindsight, I'm happy about it. This is what we did.
The Basic Rule
Never clean up jobs by hand. If a failure happens once, it can happen again. Always write code to handle newly-discovered failure types automatically, then run the new code to do the cleanup.
Before you begin, note that your workers will be numerous, possibly even more so than your web front-ends. I assume you have good logging infrastructure and analysis tools for your web front ends. Use the same infrastructure for the workers, too. It will make your life easier to see all failures and performance data in one place.
Start by having your workers bury any failed jobs.
See what sorts of failures happen in production (by using the high-quality logging that you have to do anyway).
You will see some failures where the job can simply be deleted, others where it's better to retry the job, and possibly some rare cases where you want to save the job to be inspected by a human (though this sort of hand-holding does not scale and should be avoided). It might also make sense to retry some jobs only a limited number of times before deleting them.
Add unit tests and update the code to deal with these known failure types appropriately (i.e. delete or retry the job), but continue to bury unanticipated failures. For retries, don't bother with changing the priority, but do add a time delay with exponential backoff. Of course, you must also fix the business logic to recover from these failures or avoid them entirely whenever possible.
Redeploy your application.
When the new code is in production, kick all buried jobs. They will be handled correctly, and you won't lose any jobs.
Now look at your worker logs again. This process will have removed a lot of noise from your production logs, and new failure types will float to the surface (though the total volume will of course be much smaller). So repeat.
After a couple of iterations, true failures will be very rare indeed. Your system will be running smoothly and it won't need much attention.


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The 2012 Meeting of Experts was held in the Palais des Nations from 16 to 20 July 2012. The meeting opened at 10:00 on Monday 16 July and closed at 12.00 on Friday 20 July. The meeting was held in Room XVIII.
The Meeting of Experts was chaired by Ambassador Boujemâa Delmi of Algeria. In accordance with the decision of the Seventh Review Conference, the Meeting of Experts addressed standing agenda items on:
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/3/Corr.1 Report of the Meeting of Experts
Official documents of the Meeting of Experts
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/1 Provisional agenda for the Meeting of Experts
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/2/Rev.1 Revised provisional programme of work for the Meeting of Experts
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/3 Report of the Meeting of Experts
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.1 Advances in enabling technologies
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.2 Making avian influenza aerosol-transmissible in mammals
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.3 Science and technology developments that have potential benefits for the Convention
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.4 International channels for mobilization of resources for assistance and cooperation
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.5 Report on USA Implementation of Article X of the Convention
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.6 Experiencias de Cuba en la aplicación del artículo X de la CABT
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.7 Assistance and Cooperation - Submitted by the European Union
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.8 Australia's Implementation of BWC Article X - Submitted by Australia
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.9 List of participants
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.9/Add.1 List of participants
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/INF.9/Add.2 List of participants
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.1 The convergence of chemistry and biology: implications of developments in neurosciences - submitted by the United Kingdom
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.2 Challenges to developing international cooperation and assistance on biosafety and biosecurity: matching resources to reality - submitted by the United Kingdom
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.3 Cooperation and Assistance - Submitted by the United States of America
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.4 Confidence Building Measures - Submitted by the United States of America
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.5 National Implementation - Submitted by the United States of America
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.6 Developments in Science and Technology - Submitted by the United States of America
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.7 Dificultades y obstáculos que enfrenta Cuba para la plena aplicación de la CABT y en particular para el desarrollo al máximo de la cooperación, la asistencia y el intercambio internacionales en ciencias biológicas y tecnología, incluidos los equipos y materiales, con fines pacíficos - Presentado por Cuba
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.8 Participation of the Federal Service for Consumer Rights and Human Welfare Protection of the Russian Federation in international cooperation between States Parties BTWC in sharing of knowledge, information, technology, materials and equipment for the fight against infectious diseases and other peaceful purposes - Submitted by the Russian Federation (informal English translation included)
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.9 Information on practical efforts to enhance the BTWC regime undertaken by the Federal Service on Customers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance of the Russian Federation in 2011-2012 - Submitted by the Russian Federation (informal English translation included)
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.10 Review of global developments in the field of biological sciences and biotechnologies in 2011 2012 that are relevant to the BTWC and have dual-use potential - Submitted by the Russian Federation (informal English translation included)
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.11 On forms of annual declarations of BTWC-related facilities and activities submitted by State Parties as confidence-building measures - Submitted by the Russian Federation (informal English translation included)
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.12 Measures for mitigation of risks due to new science and technology developments of relevance to the BWC - Submitted by the European Union
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.13 National implementation: Strengthening legislation prohibiting biological weapons - Submitted by France
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.14 The Effect/Impact of Biotechnology Progress on BWC - Submitted by China (Informal English translation included)
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.15 Update on Australia's Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBA) Regulatory Scheme - Submitted by Australia
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.16 The Convergence of Chemistry and Biology: Implications for the Review of Developments in the Field of Science related to the Convention - Submitted by Australia
BWC/MSP/2012/MX/WP.17 National Implementation of the BTWC: Compliance Assessment - Submitted by Canada and Switzerland
Communications from the Chairman
Statements by NGOs
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[S02E03] The design of your site should communicate something of your organisations personality as well as make a connection with users. Knowing who you are and how you communicate is a vital for a successful site.
Subscribe to this podcast using Apple Podcasts, Google Music, Spotify or RSS
Design is a lot more than just wrapping your content. Good design should communicate just as clearly as some well-written prose. It should provide a sense of who you are, your values and how you like to communicate.
Unfortunately before design can fulfil this role you first need to have a clear idea of your organisation's personality. If you don't know who you are, how can your design communicate that?
Admittedly all this talk of "finding your personality" can smack of marketing waffle or hippy new-age nonsense. In reality communicating the right personality is crucial for today's successful website.
Why personality matters.
In recent years there has been a general realisation that the web is a lot more than a broadcast medium. The web is about two-way communication and engagement. It is this realisation that has led many organisations to embrace social networks with such enthusiasm.
However to successfully engage with your customers/users you need to be more than a bland corporate facade. You need to have a voice and personality that people can resonate with and attracts those who share that view point.
We are naturally drawn to like-minded people and this is just as true in business as in our personal lives. I know for a fact that many of the clients who employ Headscape have done so because of our enthusiasm and passion rather than our ability to build websites.
In short, personality sells.
How then do you identify your organisation's personality?
Knowing who you are.
One of the first questions I ask new clients is "if your organisation was a famous person, who would it be?" This single question is far more useful and stimulates far more conversation than even the most detailed brand guidelines.
What makes this question so interesting is it looks beyond brand value and instead addresses the issue of personality.
By asking yourself what your organisation's personality is you start touching on traits that will influence both design and copy. Is your character understated or are you an extrovert? Do you charging where others fear to tread on take a more cautious approach? Are you full of creativity or a safe pair of hands?
Knowing who you want to be.
Of course there can be a difference between how you are currently perceived and how you would like to be perceived in the future. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be seen in a better light, however I do not believe an organisation is any more capable of completely reinventing its personality than a person is.
If your projected personality is radically different from who you really are this will quickly become apparent to users and you will appear deceitful and untrustworthy. The first step is therefore to have a clear and honest appraisal of how people perceive your organisations personality.
Testing how you are perceived.
In the case of boagworld.com, I am the personality. It is my personality that the site should be communicating.
It's tricky to be able to make judgements about my own personality, but there are certain traits that I hope to communicate. These are:
- Enthusiasm.
- Knowledge.
- Able to clearly communicate web design information.
- Creative.
- Friendly.
The reason I have focused on these personality traits is because I believe people hire Headscape because of these characteristics. They therefore need to be the traits that shine through. But do they?
To test whether I am communicating the right things through the current boagworld.com website I decided to test it. I created a poll that asked people to select words that represent the site. Among the words presented were the keywords listed above. Here is how each word ranked:
- Friendly. (56%)
- Enthusiasm. (55%)
- Knowledge. (54%)
- Able to clearly communicate web design information. (45%)
- Creative. (27%)
It was an interesting test. 56% of people who completed the test rated boagworld.com as friendly. That is great news as is the results for enthusiasm and knowledge.
What concerned me was the figure for creativity. It was obvious that the existing boagworld.com website was not particularly creative. I was also concerned about a score on the word expert that came in at only 28%. It was obvious people perceived the site as a source of knowledge but perhaps the design was undermining its credibility.
The results of a test like this cannot be taken too literally, but it does bring some subjectivity in how your organisations personality is perceived. For me it confirmed a hunch I had had for some time. The design of boagworld.com was undermining my credibility.
Design can both highlight or hide certain personality traits and in my case it was placing too much emphasis on friendly and not enough emphasis on expertise and creativity. Fortunately, where design is the problem, it can also be the solution.
Establishing a personality through design.
I had a decision to make. In my head there were two ways forward. First, I could go for a clean minimalistic design that got out of the way. I believed this would place the emphasis on my content and help increase the perception of boagworld.com as a source of expertise.
The second option was to take a much richer, vibrant design approach. I had been inspired by the work of Mike Kus as well as numerous cool iPhone apps with their rich interactive interfaces. My fear is that although this approach would tick the creativity box it would be a distraction from the quality of content and reduce boagworld.com to a pretty design site that looks great in CSS galleries.
The solution to this dilemma was simple. I decided to create moodboards for both approaches and test it. With 19,000 followers on twitter all of whom are my target audience it was simple to test different design approaches.
I produced two moodboards. One that took a clean, minimalist approach and the other a rich 'creative' approach. I then created an A/B test on verifyapp.com and waited for the results.
The results were reasonably close with 56% of people choosing the cleaner approach. What was interesting were the comments associated with people's choices. It was obvious people liked the clean approach that highlighted the content but missed the humour and fun of my previous site. A conversation with Mike Kus further reinforced that view and that I should not take an either or approach but rather include elements from both designs.
Without a doubt the moodboards had helped clarify my thinking. As web designers we often use moodboards, but after going through this exercise I wonder if we show these moodboards to the wrong people. We use moodboards to help a client see the direction we are going. There is nothing wrong with this, but there is real value in showing end users too.
I had a direction in my head, but I wanted to make sure it was right. I therefore produced a final moodboard. This one was primarily a development of the 'clean' approach but I introduced some typography and imagery to soften the minimalistic feel. I wanted to put the focus on the content but didn't want to make it feel cold and unfriendly. In addition to all of this I wanted to see if I could create a site that felt more creative.
To test this new moodboard I asked people to rate it using the same set of keywords I used on my original test. This allowed me to directly compare the existing site with the new moodboard. I was quietly satisfied with the results I received.
I had maintained the clean approach I wanted but kept my 'friendly' score at the same level as before. Best of all, my creativity rating went through the roof.
It was not all good news though. The expertise score actually went down. However as I said earlier, you need to take these things with a pinch of salt. The way people are rating the existing boagworld.com website would be as much on content as design so its hard to make direct comparisons. Nevertheless I do feel I am heading in the right direction.
Lessons to learn.
Without a client to work with I have relied much more heavily on testing than I would normally. I have to say I think it has been beneficial and given me a lot more confidence in the design direction than I would normally have. It is certainly something I would encourage others to do.
Also it has been so valuable to sit down and ask myself what aspects of my personality I want to project through boagworld.com. Knowing your sites personality provides a real focus for the design decisions you make, informing everything from typography to imagery.
With the sites' personality in place I can now turn my attention to the organisation and structure of the content. That is what we will be discussing next time when I look at wireframes.


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Hotbed: Video Cultivation beside the Getty Gardens
Dates: Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, 2008
Time: 7:00–9:00 p.m. on Friday, 7:00–10:00 p.m. on Saturday
Location: Getty Center
Admission: Free; no reservations required.
Projected onto the exterior walls of the Getty Center, 18 artists' videos from 1984 to 2007 explore the theme of the body as nature or culture. This special two-evening installation complements the exhibition California Video and is curated by Anne Bray, Director of Freewaves, a Los Angeles-based arts organization connecting new media from around the world. The videos are arranged thematically and play in a loop starting and ending at the tram arrival plaza, with a fulcrum at the Museum Courtyard.
About the VideosMany of the videos in the installation are from Freewaves.
East/West, Su-Chen Hung (1984/87, 3:30)
A mouth is split in half, one half speaking English and one half speaking Chinese. Occasionally, the two halves come together to create a whole.
Flying 1, Howie Cherman (2004, loop)
Inspired by fantasies of flight, power, and freedom, Flying 1 uses video fragments to build the illusion of flight.
Eye 1991, Ray Bravo (3:00)
Without words, a media watcher's eye reflects previous mass input and counters the past with a telescopic rush of collective symbols. The close-up self portrait elegantly illustrates that you are what you watch.
Fire Ants for Nothing, Harry Gamboa (1994, 8:00)
A homeless man declares his humanity as he struggles to push psychological boulders from his path.
Who Are You?: An Oakland Story, Portia Cobb (1990, 5:00)
Based on stories collected from Bay Area public transit passengers, this video pieces together lost history of a black woman who roams the city wearing white face powder.
Earth Fell Flat, Erika Suderburg, (2002, 10:50)
Earth Fell Flat explores the representation of trauma, nature, and the body and the mechanisms that record and attempt to represent that trauma.
Under Cover, S. E. Barnet (1996, 11:30)
Based on a true story of a woman's downfall as a spy working undercover in France, this investigation of covert action imitates the documentary style and cinema verité.
Comfort Me, Soo Jin Kim (1993, 8:00)
Kim looks at the rape of Korean "comfort women" by Japanese soldiers during World War II in order to explore both the history of rape in wartime and cultural and gender hierarchies.
As We Go On, Hillary Mushkin (2005, 6:57)
Interweaving wartime anxiety and nostalgic fantasy, this hand-drawn digital video portrays restless sleep, with sweet dreams and images of war cycling through the mind.
Voices of the Morning, Meena Nanji (1992, 15:00)
This poetic exploration of Muslim women's lives follows the socialization process of young woman living under Orthodox Islamic law.
Mirror Mirror, Paula Levine (1987, 3:00)
The instability of the gaze is at the center of this powerful piece by a veteran U.S.-Canadian media artist
Ekleipsis (from the Blindness series), Tran Kim T. Trang (1998, 22:00)
Tran presents a composite case study of several hysterically blind Cambodian women and the artist's mother to speak about the somatization of pain and loss.
Blow Them Up, Laura Purdy & Kristy Guevara-Flanagan (1998)
This single-shot film tells the tale of a blow-up sex doll teased into a plastic hood. Successive breaths make her pulsate suggestively, before her leaky demise.
Anima, Frances Salome Espana (1989, 5:00)
Espana captures the practices that define the Day of the Dead and conveys how ritual can be mobilized to reaffirm Chicana, mestiza identity.
Apple Grown in Wind Tunnel, Steve Matheson (2000, 26:00)
This absurdist, microscopic film noir follows an underground network of ill people desperate to create alternative methods of self-care in a world where natural resources are disappearing.
All Orientals Look The Same, Valerie Soe (1986, 1:30)
Taking a common misperception and turning it on its head, this video provokes the viewer to confront his or her own prejudices and misconceptions about Asian Pacific Americans.
Kappa, Bruce and Norman Yonemoto with Mike Kelley (1986, 26:00)
This ionic yet oddly poignant essay on psychosexual compulsion and catharsis deconstructs the myth of Oedipus within the framework of the Japanese folk story of the Kappa, a malevolent Japanese water imp played with eerie intensity by artist Mike Kelley.
Primate Cinema, Rachel Mayeri (2007, 5:45)
A series of video experiments translate primate social dramas for human audiences in a film noir style.
How to Get Here
The Getty Center is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, California, approximately 12 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Parking is $8. See Hours, Directions, Parking for maps and driving directions.
Event Information by E-MailBe the first to know about upcoming lectures, concerts, and exhibitions by signing up for our free e-newsletters. Learn more and sign up now.


text:
Ok, i write here my idea for the Monthly Mapping Competition down. I think about rules and prices and and and...
PS: the name is a mirror from CMM
Monthly Mapping Competition - MMC
The Rules
- All mappers start on the FIRST of the month, not earlier.
- The Competition ends in every month on the 24th
- The Room have to look like the Theme
- The map has to be properly packaged and uploaded your .pk3 to any file sharing host.
- The 3. Decision-makers which map are the 3 maps to vote - the map with the most votes wins
- You can use only 7 models - not more
- You can use only 30 textures - not more
If ANYONE BRAKES THE RULES, HE WOULD BE DISQUALIFIED, BY A SECOND OR VERY HEAVY BRAKE, HE CAN'T JOIN THE COMPETITION FOR 2 MONTH'S
The Price
The Price is a Porträit of you and your map with wooden frames and the title "Mapper of the Month"
What do you guys thinking about it?


text: Teachers Say Hamline's Summer Literacy Institute Leaves Them Informed, Inspired & Empowered For more than two decades, K-6 teachers and administrators have come to Hamline's Saint Paul campus for one week in the summer to discover the most effective and innovative practices in literacy education.The Summer Literacy Institute, hosted by Hamline's School of Education, not only draws educators from across the region, but from as far way as Argentina, Vietnam, and Croatia. While their backgrounds and classrooms may be very different, the educators come to Hamline with the same goal."People here are passionate about literacy and dedicated to making a difference in the lives of students," Hamline assistant professor Marcia Rockwood said. "What they learn this week empowers them to become better educators."Morning sessions feature presentations from some nationally recognized leaders in the field. Breakout sessions are scheduled each afternoon and cover a wide range of relevant topics including: how to engage students in reading and writing exercises, the best nonfiction books for young readers, innovations in reading comprehension assessments, the latest literacy research, and how to support English language learners."I've come to the institute for 12 years. It's rejuvenating and helps me get energized for the upcoming school year," Amy Engen, a fifth grade teacher in the Burnsville, Minnesota school district, said. "I always come away with ideas that I can use in my classroom, and it reminds me why I love my job."While the institute offers an intense and inspiring experience and the opportunity to earn graduate degree credits, Hamline's dedication to literacy expands far beyond the summer. Along with its other degrees at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level, the School of Education offers a master of arts degree in literacy education, K–12 reading license, and graduate certificates in children's literature, book arts, and literacy."Literacy is at the heart of all learning," Rockwood said. "Teachers who are able to increase student proficiency in this area can help close achievement gaps in other subjects as well."Learn more about the Summer Literacy Institute and the range of undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees offered through the School of Education on Hamline's website.


text:
Verfalje family
Verfalje (Verfailje), a Dutch Mennonite family of Flemish descent, found in the 17th and 18th centuries in the congregations of Haarlem and Amsterdam. Jacob Jacobsz Verfailje (b. 1665 at Haarlem, d. 1738 at Alkmaar) moved with his stepfather Theunis Dirksz Kuyper from Haarlem to Alkmaar in 1670, where he learned the trade of shoemaking, and also some Latin. In 1683 he moved with his stepfather to Harlingen, where he became a preacher of the church ca. 1689. In 1694 he was called as preacher to the Amsterdam Lamist congregation (salary 2,000 Dutch guilders!). Here he served until 1727, then moving to Alkmaar, where he served 1727-38 in the Waterlander congregation. A Jacob Jansz Verfalje is mentioned as preacher of Krommenie about 1730.
Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1891): 9; (1905): 23 note 1.
Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam, 2 vols. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: Nos. 678-83, 1190, 1192, 1467, 2825.
|Nanne van der Zijpp
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. "Verfalje family." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 26 Jan 2020. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Verfalje_family&oldid=110158.
APA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1959). Verfalje family. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 26 January 2020, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Verfalje_family&oldid=110158.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 812. All rights reserved.
©1996-2020 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


text:
City Guides >
*Libya is currently in the aftermath of a civil war that toppled
the Gaddafi regime. While fighting in most of the country has
ended, safety in Libya is far from certain and all but essential
travel to Libya at this time is not advised.
Oil-rich Libya has had a tumultuous history and many have
wrestled for control of this fascinating and beautiful land. Tucked
between Egypt and Tunisia, and bordering on the Mediterranean Sea,
Libya has seen invasions by Turks, Vandals, Byzantines, Romans,
Arabs and Italians; only gaining independence in 1951. These
various civilisations have left their mark, particularly evident in
the striking Roman and Greek ruins at Leptis Magna, Cyrene and
Sabratha, though Libya remains quintessentially Arabic - evident in
the Medina (old city) of the capital Tripoli, the nomadic lifestyle
of desert-dwelling Bedouin and Berber tribes, and the language,
culture and customs of the people.
Tripoli, in the northeast, is the country's main port, and is a
bustling city dominated by the splendid Assaraya al-Hamra (Red
Castle), a large palace complex, as well as the walls and gates of
the Medina. Filled with orange groves, grapevines, palms and olive
trees, the lush city is home to several interesting mosques,
museums and historical sites, as well as modern amenities. Its
ideal location on the Mediterranean makes it a popular attraction
for locals and tourists alike. Benghazi is Libya's second largest
city and is chiefly more modern in flavour, having been all but
destroyed during World War II, though one can still enjoy the
lively local souqs (markets), and it acts as a good base from which
to explore the neighbouring Green Mountain area, as well as several
Roman ruin sites along the coast.
Libya is largely an undiscovered tourist destination, due to
sanctions imposed on the country through its rocky political
history, including participation in several acts of terrorism
(including the 1988 bombing of a PanAm flight near Lockerbie in
Scotland) and the support by 'Guide of the Revolution' Colonel
Mu'ammar al Qadhafi of various international terrorist and
revolutionary organisations. Sanctions, however, were lifted in
2003, once the Lockerbie incident had finally been resolved, and
the Libyan government ceased production of weapons of mass
destruction. This has seen a rise in tourism and an increased
interest in the country, with a number of resorts springing up
along its Mediterranean coast. Although 90 percent of Libya is
desert or semi-desert, there are breathtaking oases to be
discovered, ruins to explore, cities to investigate, beaches to
laze on and of course, the hospitality and friendliness of its
people to enjoy.
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text:
Cellsensor gausmeter, or triflex? cant decide
Posted 28 June 2007 - 03:01 AM
whats everyones opnion on the cellsensor? I really have my eye on it, and compared to the triflex?
thanks all!
Posted 28 June 2007 - 07:53 AM
Posted 30 July 2007 - 01:30 AM
Posted 08 August 2007 - 01:27 PM
Will a cellsensor give true results or will I just be waisting my money. I guess what I want to know is do they work to detect paranormal.
Posted 08 August 2007 - 01:51 PM
Posted 08 August 2007 - 02:13 PM
At the moment I think so. Im new to this and I thought I would pick one up for about 20 bucks just to use a few times so I can get the feel for it. If I like the way it works I will get bigger and better for more accurate results.
You also have to keep in mind you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap you will get cheap. They are reasonablely priced for a reason. Sometimes less expensive units are more likely to pick up outside interferrence. Wouldn't want anything that is not paranormal to be measured inaccurately. See what I am saying. Are these the only ones you are considering?
Do you think this will pick up on the paranormal just for a few uses?
Posted 13 August 2007 - 09:59 AM
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text:
English Crossword Puzzles
With our wide selection of many different crossword puzzles you should print a few during your visit! If you liked our English Crossword Puzzles then you should keep searching through more. Take a visit over to our Spanish Crossword Puzzles and play or print your puzzle today!
Learn some English while having fun with crossword puzzles! These kids puzzles will make learning fun.
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text:
Environmental film festival returns
Inspiring people to make small changes that have big results is the goal of a film festival that returns to Lake Tahoe this week.The Eighth Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival takes place March 8 at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa.Kay Ogden, associate director of festival sponsor Sierra Nevada Alliance, said she hopes the films inspires people to make little changes to help the environment. Little changes made by a lot of people can end up making a big difference, she said.In conjunction with South Tahoe Refuse, this year's festival will be a zero-waste event for the first time, Ogden said. Like previous years, the festival will include local storytellers.This year's festival includes "Cali Rush," a movie by South Lake Tahoe filmmaker Mikey Wier. The multi-sport adventure film premiered in December and highlights California's outdoors and the diverse recreational opportunities it provides. Wier is also scheduled to participate in a question and answer session at the film festival.Wier's films have appeared at the festival before, and his growth as a filmmaker is on display in "Cali Rush," Ogden said."His films are just beautiful," she said.The film festival serves as the largest fundraiser for the South Lake Tahoe-based Sierra Nevada Alliance, a network of grassroots environmental groups in the Sierra Nevada.The film festival started as a single event in Nevada City, on the west slope, in 2003. The South Lake Tahoe festival is part of a tour that has grown to include dozens of events around the country.


text:
Hey guys,
it has been a few months since i posted the first picture of Revninge woman model. I finally managed to deal with all the problems and are able to offer some Viking jewellery for sale.
It is cast in lost wax technique. In sterling silver, in Dublin. I live in Dublin too so if you would like to meet up and see the silver in person before buying that´s no problem.
I am starting off with just four items but I will be adding one or two items every two weeks.
Any questions please don´t hesitate and send me a message or ask in the forum!
Thank you!


text:
Item #: 2-10-FS00TA
Retail Price: 18.88
Our Price: $16.99
Availability: Usually leaves our warehouse within 1-2 business days
Please Confirm you are not a bot
I am very pleased with my new spa cover and cover valet. They were delivered as promised and it was easier to install than I anticipated. The spa cover seems to be of good quality and the cover valet is...read more
Brian L


text:
SenSEO for Firefox
Created and maintained by Nico Steiner © 2012
SenSEO 2.0.0 is a bootstrap add-on - installing the add-on doesn't need a Firefox restart. It no longer integrates in Firebug but runs in it's own panel in the upper right corner of your browser. more details
General Information
SenSEO analyzes web pages and tells you how good they fulfill on-page Search Engine optimization criteria. It gives you:
- Overview of SEO-important web page components
- Analysis of on-page SEO criteria
In the current version SenSEO checks
- Correct usage of Document-Title, Meta-Description and Meta-Keywords
- Headlines, Domain and URL-Path
- robots.txt, sitemap.xml, microdata
- Page load time
- Other general content criteria
New SenSEO 2.4.0 is on the road
- Pages crawler
- Compare inspect results
- Check for Last-Modiefied header
- Check for Content-Type header
- Find alternative sitemap.xml path in robots.txt
- Improved highlight feature
- Some bugfixes
SenSEO 2.4: Pages Crawler
SenSEO 2.4: Compare Inspect Results
Go to the Mozilla Addon-Site to download the current version of SenSEO.
SEO on-page criteria
First of all it is important to know how to deal with SEO. The SenSEO-rules try to follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines.
Google says:Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings. A good rule of thumb is whether you'd feel comfortable explaining what you've done to a website that competes with you. Another useful test is to ask, "Does this help my users? Would I do this if search engines didn't exist?"
So please keep this in mind whenever you try to push your site in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) and do SEO moderately.
For questions, ideas or problems go to SenSEO at Get Satisfaction.
SenSEO Twitter-Channel
I registered the account http://twitter.com/sensationalseo at Twitter. Follow the development of SenSEO and get links to interesting SEO ressources.
SEO's Toolbox Collection
I created the SEO's Toolbox Collection at Firefox Add-ons. This Collection bundels the best extensions for Search Engine Optimization.
I published a short german presentation of SenSEO at Slideshare.
Even more Optimization
There are some more useful Extensions increasing your on-page optimizations. Yahoo's YSlow Extension checks the performance of your site and helps you accelerate page load. Firefox Accessibility Extension helps you testing your web resources for functional accessibility features. Semantic Checker highlights semantic elements found in the page. Html Validator lets you validate your site. Try to keep the errors of your HTML pages to a minimum. The Web Developer Extension has some useful features like showing the document outline for checking correct headline hierarchy or disabling JavaScript for simulating this search engine restriction.
Aarron Walter published a very useful Findability Strategy Checklist and a Presentation at Slideshare explaining the facts mentioned in this Checklist.
I would like to say thank you to people helping SenSEO getting better by reporting issues, making suggestions for improvements or taking part in any other way.
Thanks to
- Richard Sternagel, who made a presentation about developing Firefox Extensions and by that inspired me to try to create my own Extension.
- The working group of Firebug.
- The developers of YSlow - their extension gave the idea for SenSEO.
- Marcell Sarközy for his SEO Onpage Score Sheet and Sebastian Erlhofer for his book Suchmaschinen-Optimierung - some of the criteria SenSEO checks come from these two sources.
- All who take part on the SenSEO Reviews for giving me feedback.


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Lee Baca, who's presided as Los Angeles County Sheriff during the new Golden Age of Celebrity Misconduct, announced Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the month.
Baca, who has been Los Angeles County Sheriff since 1998, made the announcement during a press conference. His current term was due to expire in December 2014.
Also read: Sheriff Dept.'s Claim Against Ryan Kavanaugh Is 'Politically Motivated,' Says Studio
Baca cited the "negative perception" of his upcoming sheriff's campaign as the main reason for his retirement.
"I have great gratitude to the people who elected me," Baca said at the conference. "I am not going to seek reelection for a fifth term as sheriff, and I will retire at the end of this month. The reasons for doing so are so many. Some are most personal and private, but the prevailing one is the negative perception this upcoming campaign has brought to the exemplary service provided to the men and women of the Sheriff's Department."
Also read: Beverly Hills Cops Ask Sheriff for Ballistics Help in Ronni Chasen Case
The Sheriff's Department has recently been rocked by allegations of inmate abuse, with a number of deputies being charged with crimes and accusations that an attempt to obstruct an FBI investigation into the department.
Baca's tenure has seen the arrests of numerous celebrities gone wild, often to some controversy to the department. Following the 2006 drunk-driving arrest of Mel Gibson, the department stated that he had been arrested without incident, though the arrest report revealed that the "Braveheart" star had made several inflammatory statements. The following year, celebutante Paris Hilton received a 45-day jail sentence — and was released by the department after serving only 79 hours.


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Friday, June 15, 2007
On "Cashing Out" and the spread of Econo-Speak
2 comments:
- John Linarelli said...
I am a law professor with philosophical training. Just to show how reductionist we all can be, I thought the phrase "cashed out" came from philosophy. Philosphers use it all the time as a way of saying, this is how the argument "resolves" or "plays out." I realize these aren't good descriptions, as they just "cash in" one metaphor for another! (Sorry) The use of the phrase in philosophy could explain why Larry Solum and Steve Smith, both legal philosophers, use it.
Nice blog, by the way.
John Linarelli
- June 15, 2007 at 4:01:00 PM EDT
- Mary L. Dudziak said...
Thanks for the comment. Over, say, the past 10 years, my sense has been that law & econ scholars have been the leading edge in using this sort of rhetoric, and that "cashing out" is just one of the phrases that has seemed to creep from law & econ into the broader law discourse. Not necessarily a negative thing, but something I think that's worth thinking about. But perhaps I'm wrong about this particular phrase. Or -- depending on the time horizon -- perhaps the impact of economic arguments, and an economic sensibility, is influencing pockets of the academy at different time, and what you're seeing in philosophy might be a carry-over from econ. This is an intellectual history question. I know of, but have not yet seen, some relevant work, and I'll blog about when it's moving toward publication. I'd be interested in hearing from others.
- June 15, 2007 at 4:24:00 PM EDT


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New Modern Kitchens Cape Town – Holly Wood Furniture was founded by Vince Muir in 1999 at a time when free-standing kitchen furniture was not easily available or as main stream as it is now.
When I designed and built my first house in 1998, I had difficulty finding companies who manufactured the style of kitchen I wanted, so I ended up designing and making it all myself and this was the start of New Modern Kitchens Cape Town.
The name New Modern Kitchens Cape Town came about as a result of a type of wood I loved using at the time called Cape Holly as well as the fact that my daughter's name was Holly. In 2001 my wife , Ronelle joined me to assist with the business side of the Company and together we are a great Holly Wood team. New Modern Kitchens Cape Town
My first showroom was the old chicken enclosure at the Barnyard in Tokai, it wasn't long before we out grew that space and moved to an industrial property in Retreat which was far more suitable and spacious.
Our free standing style of kitchen furniture gradually became more and more popular as a result of people making their kitchens and living spaces open plan, I think people were also getting tired of the old melamine built in kitchens that was the norm back then and wanted kitchen furniture that was stylish as well as functional and blended in with the décor of their homes.
New Modern Kitchens Cape Town also designs and manufactures bars, restaurants office furniture and bathroom vanities, we now have three factories in Retreat and a staff of 25.


text: Cherry Hill Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM dealer in New Jersey located 5 miles from Philadelphia has one of the largest inventories of new vehicles in the Mid-Atlantic region. Serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York since 1967 from the same location in Cherry Hill, NJ. So if you're looking for a new Dodge Chrysler Jeep or RAM let us show you why we've been a leading new car dealer year after year in South Jersey. Get your Eprice today!


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Difference between revisions of "United States"
m (→Trivia)
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=== Appearances ===
=== Appearances ===
*[[Episode Listing|All episodes/films]]
*[[Episode Listing|All episodes/films]]
*[[Comic Listing|All comics]]
*[[Comic Listing|All comics]]
Revision as of 21:01, 23 May 2012
|United States of America
|Planet of location
|First appearance
|"Space Pilot 3000" (1ACV01)
- "USA" redirects here. For other uses, see USA (disambiguation).
The United States of America (USA) is an Earthican country. It is the main location for Futurama and also the country in which the show is produced. While Earth in the 31st century has become a single nation, many of the original constituent countries still remain, including the USA. The Earth government is modeled after the USA government of today and the flag of Earth, Old Freebie, is similar to the American flag. Because Earth's government is seen more than the USA's government on the show, not much is known about the country. The U.S. president is never mentioned, only the Earth president. Cities in the country which had been destroyed, and now rebuilt, have changed their names to "New" cities, like New New York.
The United States was founded during the American Revolution in the year 1776. Many soldiers, such as "Minuteman" Yancy Fry, fought in that war. By the 20th century, the United States had became a super power. It was also the first country to send a human to the Moon (the lunar landing site was lost until it was found in the year 3000) and Mars (Philip J. Fry, II was American).
Locations of Interest
Between the 21st and 31st centuries, some of the US States have changed their names. Also, two of the states, California and Pennsylvania, have split into two parts (California into HighCal and LoCal and Pennsylvania into Penn Republic and Sylvania).
Additional Info
- New New England makes a brief mention in "The Cyber House Rules" by Bender, where he calls the orphans "princes of Maine" and "kings of New New England".
- The addition of another "New" may be a reference to the fact that it is not just the state of New New York that have been the destroyed, but that entire region.
- If the revolution against Britain had failed, the country would have been part of West Britannia, as revealed in "All the Presidents' Heads", and the name for the failed revolution would be the "Colonial Dust-Up".
- All episodes/films (Except "Where the Buggalo Roam")
- All comics


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I am inexperienced as a writer of fiction and poetry but strive ever harder to improve. Having completed NaNoWrimo (50,000 words in November for National Novel Writing Month) twice I am now re-writing those two novels; the first of which – Lavender Larceny – is nearing some sort of completion.
Here I put out, in some trepidation, a few examples of my work…
A spooky story for Hallow'een published on my main blog:
(Inspired by M.R.James, master of the ghost story in whose footsteps I aspire to follow, with reverence)
An experimental short story
A Shock of Recognition (please contact for full version)
First attempts at poetry


text:
Find everything you need to track your success on the road.
Manage your payment options, review trip history, and more.
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Affordable rides for groups up to 6
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Open the app and enter your destination in the "Where to?" box. Once you confirm your pickup and destination addresses are correct, select UberXL at the bottom of your screen. Then tap Confirm UberXL.
Once you've been matched, you'll see your driver's picture and vehicle details and can track their arrival on the map.
Check that the vehicle details match what you see in the app before getting in your UberXL.
Your driver has your destination and directions for the fastest way to get there, but you can always request a specific route.
You'll be automatically charged through your payment method on file, so you can exit your UberXL as soon as you arrive.
Remember to rate your driver to help keep Uber safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Affordable, everyday rides
Premium rides for 6 in luxury SUVs
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Wheelchair-accessible rides
The information provided on this web page is intended for informational purposes only and may not be applicable in your country, region, or city. It is subject to change and may be updated without notice.


text:
On December 20, 2012, EPA finalized changes to Clean Air Act
standards for Area Source boilers and Major Source boilers. The final rules for Area Source boilers were published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2013. The final rules for Major Source boilers were published in the Federal Register
on January 31, 2013. Publishing the rules in the Federal Register makes them official
for the purpose of compliance.
The adjustments to Area Source and Major Source rules reflect
new data provided to the EPA, including additional information about real-world
performance and conditions under which affected boilers operate. The basic
framework for the regulations remains the same. To learn about key changes
to the Area Source Rule, click here. To learn about key changes to the Major
Source Rule, click here.
To view a timeline of EPA actions pertaining to boilers, click here.
You can determine if your facility is an Area Source or Major Source by completing Step 1. If you know your facility type, proceed to Step 2 to identify your boiler's subcategory and the required compliance actions.
We will continue to add compliance forms and updates from the EPA as they become available. If you would like to receive notification when we post updates, please register your e-mail address below.
Discover how our BOOST℠ report can save you thousands on your boiler.


text:
Director's Circle Platinum Membership
Payment Options
Good design is all about making things better.
Now you can choose the way you pay for your annual membership!*
Or make a one-time payment of $20,000
*Terms & Conditions Apply: by joining, members agree to pay the full annual membership price. If you choose to make your membership contributions monthly, quarterly, or annually, your membership continues uninterrupted. Should you elect to stop your payment plan, you will be charged the remaining balance of the annual membership fee.


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Does anybody believe that sooner or later Cricket Australia will take ODIs from the SCG and move it to the 80,000 capaicty of Telstra Stadium (ex Stadium Australia - home of the Olympics)?
For pure money wise, it has everything going for it, suitable size for cricket, and when Australia play, you are almost guarnteed of a sell out - bar the MCG.
NSW played South Australia in a ING Cup match and it was very well attended for a ING Cup game.


text:
[Skip to content]
In this section you can:
We provide
You can search by
Click the image to download our latest directory in PDF format.
Call Cromwell Direct to make a referral on
+44 (0)800 783 9229
A dedicated area for General Practitioners
In this issue published July 2019:
We can take your call between 9am-5:30pm Monday to Friday.
Send us an email enquiry and we will get back to you.


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Our second and larger immediate goal is to purchase with cash a hybrid vehicle we can all ride in together. We are a two-car family. While we have discussed the logistics of having only one car, it isn't something we want to do in our current situation.
Our main vehicle is our van, a Hyundai Entourage. We bought the Hyundai after our well-loved-and-paid-off 2004 Honda Odyssey, Broke Ass Betty, had her transmission go out somewhere between 190,000 and 200,000 miles. I wanted to have her repaired and carry on driving her for several more years, but a new transmission is expensive. We worried that we might wipe out our savings having that repaired, only to have another expensive problem pop up, at which point we would be broke AND vanless. So we went shopping at the dealerships, which I detest. Nearly all of the salesmen wanted to know "what kind of monthly payment we were looking for," and seemed offended when we insisted on discussing the actual price of the vehicles. Our refusal to take on a five year financial obligation seemed completely foreign and confusing to them. We left most of the dealerships within five minutes of arriving.
September 2014. Goodbye, sweet paid-off Betty. I will miss you!
I wish we had looked for a van on Craigslist or Facebook from a private seller, and if we'd had more cash saved, we probably would have. But we did find the Hyundai for a somewhat reasonable price, and then paid it off within a year of taking out the loan. It did improve our credit score, so it's water under the bridge and I'm satisfied.
...And hello, Miss Honey the Hyundai.
The kids were thrilled when we got the new van. This is how I want to feel about our next car (because it'll be the right car for us, bought with CASH)!
Our other vehicle is my husband's pickup truck, an older Dodge Dakota. We found it on Facebook from a private seller and got a good deal. Having a truck comes in handy occasionally, but there are several issues with our current vehicle situation.
First, the truck and the van use up far more gas than necessary. Maybe once or twice a year, my husband hauls something in the truck that he couldn't fit in the trunk of a car. Even that is sometimes a favor for a friend who asked him to do it because he had a truck. We can fit most bulky things in our van anyway, especially if we lay the seats down. 99% of his truck driving is just back and forth to his work, which is IT/computer related and does not require a truck in the slightest. As for the van, I often drive only myself 30+ miles round trip in it, for things like play rehearsals. This is incredibly inefficient! Even when we are all five going somewhere together, I would love to have the option of using less gas.
Second, the truck is manual transmission, and I can't drive it. I'd like to learn, but that would require childcare to be arranged, so we haven't gotten around to it yet. This means that I must drive the van everywhere I go, even if I'm leaving the children home with Jordan, which leaves him stranded due to the third problem...
The kids can't ride in the truck. Well, one of them can, but that's not much help. Over the past several years, whenever our vans have had issues and we've waited for them to be fixed, we've had some rather stressful (or at the very least, annoying) times. One evening this past summer, our van broke down when the girls and I were on the way home from a Wizard of Oz rehearsal. I found a safe place to pull over and called Jordan. It was getting dark and we wanted to be picked up ASAP. However, he couldn't help us. There was no way he could drive us all home. I had to call my mom, who also has a van with car seats for the kids, since she spends a lot of time with them. If she couldn't have helped us, I would have been frantically scrolling through my contacts to find an available friend. Transferring the car seats in the dark would have been super fun, I'm sure. But my mom picked us up, and then we had to borrow her van for several days, inconveniencing her while Jordan battled with the dealership to get the benefits we were due from our "bumper-to-bumper warranty." (Helpful hint: The warranty is NOT AT ALL what they make it out to be!)
Therefore, what we desire is a small hybrid vehicle that can fit all three kids' car seats across the back. Now that the girls are in boosters, this should be attainable, and I'm pretty thrilled at the prospect of driving a regular-size car again! We are thinking perhaps a Prius, but will be open to any good deals that pop up. With a minivan and a small hybrid, both of which we can all ride in, we will probably save $50/month or more in gas. It all depends on what we are involved with at any given time and where and how often we must drive. I was in Sweeney Todd this past fall, and the frequent rehearsals nearly 30 minutes away from home had us filling up the van depressingly often. A small hybrid would have made so much more sense!
In addition to the gas savings, transportation logistics will be vastly simplified. We will easily be able to handle breakdowns or having a vehicle in the shop, all on our own. Best of all, when it's finally time to replace either vehicle, even if it happens suddenly like it did with Broke Ass Betty, we will be able to handle temporarily owning one car without too much hassle. We would be free to shop for a few weeks until an awesome new-to-us vehicle came along, or even save up more money for a while if necessary.
In addition to the gas savings, transportation logistics will be vastly simplified. We will easily be able to handle breakdowns or having a vehicle in the shop, all on our own. Best of all, when it's finally time to replace either vehicle, even if it happens suddenly like it did with Broke Ass Betty, we will be able to handle temporarily owning one car without too much hassle. We would be free to shop for a few weeks until an awesome new-to-us vehicle came along, or even save up more money for a while if necessary.
In short, getting a hybrid for our family to ride in will put us in a more stable position and will allow us to save money for years to come. This time we will be starting our vehicle search on Facebook and Craigslist, and will wait until the perfect one comes along! We should have the money saved and be able to begin our search in late spring or early summer. I'm excitedly looking forward to it!
Do you have any advice on which hybrids are best, or which ones can fit three car seats in the back? If so, I'd love to read it!


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In separate incidents recently, two credit union employees took member service to a new level by tracking down the owners of large sums of lost cash.
Shirley Gallant (pictured below) was in the midst of one good deed—tending to Oxford Federal Credit Union's "Giving Garden" after business hours—when she stumbled onto the chance to perform another, Credit Union Front Line Newsletter reports in the July 2013 issue.
The longtime receptionist at the $134 million asset credit union in Mexico, Maine, discovered a thick envelope full of cash while cleaning up the area after her handyman husband, Jamie, installed a new hose holder.
Fortunately, a one-week summer camp contract accompanied the $800 inside the envelope. Shirley recognized the name on the form as her friends' son, contacted the family—and drove to their house to return the money.
The son who'd lost the envelope was retracing his steps around town but insisted Shirley wait there until he could thank her in person.
"His first words were, 'My attitude about people has changed because of this,'" recalls Shirley, who got a big hug and was overwhelmed by emotion. "My husband just said, 'I hope if this happens to me, someone will do the same.'"
Shirley regularly tends to Oxford Federal's vegetable garden, which consists of seven raised beds and is part of the University of Maine's Harvest for Hunger program. Last year, its first in the program, Oxford Federal donated 236 pounds of fresh produce to people in need, filling a void that food pantries can't address.
Oxford Federal encourages staff to assist during office hours. But since gardens need attention at all times, Shirley and other employees often volunteer to water and weed on nights and weekends.
That particular night, Shirley and Jamie chose an unusual parking spot right next to the garden so they could unload supplies. She remembers a heavy flow of cars through the drive-through ATM, and seeing a man get out of a vehicle after completed his transaction.
It turns out he was taking a photograph of deer in tall grass nearby, and the envelope must have fallen out of his pocket in the process.
The Gallants were in the right place at the right time and did the right thing. "They saved a family's vacation," beams Kelly Henry, a financial services representative at Oxford Federal. "It gave me chills when she told the story."
In Shirley's mind, she and her husband merely were following the credit union principle of people helping people.
"I'm still in shock. People work so hard today for their money," Shirley says. "There are a lot of negative things happening in the world today so we need some good news, too."
In the other incident, reported by Chesterfield (Mo.) Patch, $702 million asset Vantage Credit Union in St. Louis received a message on its Facebook page from a man visiting New York City saying he'd discovered nearly $1,000 in cash in a Vantage-branded envelope.
Jenn Cloud, Vantage's social media specialist, shared this message through every channel available, including the local media, in an attempt to find the person who'd lost it. The New York restaurant where the cash was found emailed Cloud to notify her that a woman had called them looking for it.
Cloud connected Jonathon Glueck, the man who'd discovered the envelope, and its rightful owner, Jennie Guenzler, a Vantage member. He returned the envelope to her with the cash intact.
"Of all the hands it could've fallen into, this was just an honest, good person," Guenzler told Chesterfield Patch. "It's just one of those stories that you'll always have to tell."
Kathy Palmer, vice president of marketing at Vantage, praised Cloud for ensuring this story had a happy ending.
"It's hard enough when you lose your credit or debit card but there are ways to minimize any monetary losses by calling right away to report it. But to lose actual cash, that's heartbreaking," Palmer told Chesterfield Patch. "For us it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack but we were very happy to be able to connect her to Mr. Glueck and help her regain her lost money."


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Source: EyeSuckInk
Everyone scrambled to get up this cool logo from Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, which was printed on t-shirts given away at SDCC. I tried to wait, because I know how anal the concept artist, Alex Pardee, is about his finished product — I mean, the guy sleeps four hours a day. Well he didn't let me down. Today, he unveiled an official version of the image seen on the tee. Check it out below.
Pardee has been working on an animated feature for two years now called Chadam, which is in development at Warner Brothers where Snyder released Watchmen so I'm sure that's how their partnership started. Described as Alice In Wonderland with machine guns, the story follows a young girl institutionalized by her wicked stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the facility. Sucker Punch stars Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, and Jamie Chung.
Snyder is currently working on the animated feature, Guardians Of Ga'Hoole to be released in 2010.


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In the name of Allah
Whether people's religious rites are valid or not depends on the degree of their acquaintance with the Islamic law (shar') and on how they observe these rules. One of the ways to determine the rules of religion is following (doing taqlīd of) a qualified mujtahid.
To know the fatwās of our marji' of taqlīd, we can refer to his book on practical laws of Islam (risālah al-'amaliyyah) that reflects his jurisprudential opinions and its correctness is confirmed.
Owing to the fact that after the demise of the Grand Ayatollah Araki (q.) and even before that time so many mukallafs have started taqlīd of His Eminence, the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (d.), it seemed necessary to compile the differences between the late Imam Khomeini's (q.) fatwās and that of Ayatollah Khamenei (d.) to make them accessible for his followers and other people.
1. Some of the instances mentioned here do not reflect difference in fatwā but they may show something extra or an explanation for the ruling.
2. Those who follow the Supreme Leader (d.) can act upon their religious responsibilities by noticing the differences in the fatwās mentioned here. If any question regarding other matters is raised, they may forward it to His Eminence for being answered.
3. The fatwās of the late Imam Khomeini (q.) have been collected from the books of "Taḥrīr al-Wasīlah" published by Dār al-Aḍwā'/Beirut; "Tawḍīh al-Masā'il" published by Bonyād-e-Pejohishhay-e-Islami, Astan-e-Qods-e-Razavi; "Al-'Urwah al-Wuthqā" (two volumes) published by al-Maktabah al-'Ilmiyyah al-Islāmiyyah; and "Manāsik of Hajj" with its footnotes published by Nashr-e-Mash'ar 1382 H.
4. The fatwās of His Eminence, the Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (d.) have been taken from the book "Ajwibah al-Istiftā'āt" ('Replies to Inquiries About the Practical laws of Islam' published by Al-hoda International Publication, "Manāsik of Hajj" in Arabic language and some of the questions and answers available at the office of His Eminence.
You will find the fatwās of the late Imam Khomeini (q.) in the left column and that of Ayatollah Khamenei (d.) regarding the same issue in the opposite column