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Russian Lady Has 130 Cats
Bobcats move into foreclosed home
A foreclosed home in the San Fernando Valley is now occupied by a pair of wild bobcats and their kittens… this story reminded me of the dystopian sci-fi writings of J.G. Ballard, who vividly describes our civilized environments as they are reclaimed by the natural world. Check out The Drowned World and The Best Short Stories of J.G. Ballard. For some reason many of his best book are out of print at the moment, but as our planet melts readers will rediscover this genius, and, sadly, realize just how prescient he was.
Queen Anne's Metamorphosis
Queen Anne OmegaCat – mother of all of our Woodpile Kittens – has turned the tables and adopted us.Since Christmas, when we gave away the last of her kittens, she has taken up residence on our dining room windowsill, where she eats, sleeps, and watches her two growing kittens (from two different litters), Shadow and Blu. The dining room is the "cat room," so Queen Anne gets to see a lot of antics and, in her own way, participates in our activities.For example, when I play with the kitts I let her take turns swatting at the feather toy through the window. And when she sees me feed her kitts she knows I'll be out soon with her food.The most surprising change in her behavior: when I feed her she goes crazy-friendly, rubbing up against me and letting me pet her vigorously. Her surly, suspicious demeanor – typical for a feral cat – has been replaced with friendly chirps and kittenish affection. Plus she's never looked healthier; her coat is thick and clean, and she's put on a few pounds. Gone is that thin and scraggly alley-cat appearance. If you didn't know better you'd think she'd just jumped out of somebody's lap.I trapped Queen Anne in the summer and had her spayed through the Washington Humane Society's CatNipp (TNR) program. Now that she no longer has to deal with raging hormones and aggressive suitors, Queen Anne has reinvented herself. She's joined our family, and stays as close to us as she can get. She's an aspiring house cat living just outside the house. Sticking to the windows, trying to join the party. If we didn't already have two cats, we'd probably bring her in…
Cleopatra & Cricket in their new home…
Simon reports: "The past two days have been wonderful for us and the woodpile kittens. Eli has led the way with getting Cricket and Cleopatra comfortable with us and their new home. He spent yesterday and today gently but persistently staying in their room and interacting with C&C. They have turned a corner and are sitting on the kids' laps accepting attention. We are so proud of Eli and we love the kitties … As you can see from the photos, Cricket and Cleo are taking to their new friends."
These pix, shared by Cleopatra and Cricket's new family, show the transforming power of patience and love. The kids knew instinctively that spending time with the kittens in their safe space was the best way to draw them out of fear and into family. And one thing is really clear: this is a family of true cat people.
I hope that the success story of our Woodpile Kittens inspires others to take a chance, and help change the fate of a semi-wild or abandoned animal. The shelters are full of creatures in need, and sometimes you hear a call to service right in your own backyard.
Woodpile Kitts Go Home for Christmas
They say it's better to give than receive, and right now I know that's true. We just gave away the two cute little Woopile Kittens that we've come to know and love … and the joy and warmth we feel has made this the Best Christmas Ever.
For the past five days Brett and I have been caring for Cleopatra and Cricket in our dining room. Their new family had a holiday trip scheduled, so we decided to postpone our own travel plans, bring the kitts inside, and get them further socialized and acclimated to life in a human setting.
It was a little tricky at first: neither one had ever been inside, and they hid in a cardboard box for a while. As they got accustomed to the new sounds and smells they started to explore a bit. Cricket, the most gregarious of the litter, decided pretty quickly that this new world was okay. He approached me, and when I plopped him on my knee he looked up at my face with familiarity, not fear. This is the moment I call "the turn," when a wild kitten sees you as family, not threat.
It took Cleopatra a bit longer. In fact, for a while she disappeared completely. We searched the room several times, but it seemed like she had vanished into thin air! Then we noticed a flaw in our blockade – she had slipped past a large sheet of cardboard and gotten into the kitchen. Then she squeezed under the dishwasher into a narrow space beneath the kitchen floorboards. It took an hour to coax her out. But despite all the stress, Cleo soon followed Cricket's lead: later that day she "turned" too.
From then on, the two of them couldn't get enough petting and playing. When Brett and I left their room they romped together, then rested together, cuddled up in a flower pot or burrowed beneath one of the kids' blankets the family had left with us.
The big day came today, Christmas Day. And the kitts were really ready. The family had flown in on the red-eye at 3 am, and showed up at our place at noon. The parents looked a little bleary eyed, but the kids (Claire, 5; and Eli, 8 ) were so excited they could hardly sit still as I offered a few tips on caring for their new animal companions.
When we peeked into the dining room the kitts were sleeping in a cardboard cat carrier on Claire's blanket. No need for my elaborate plans for getting them into carriers. I carefully closed the box up. Huddled in the warm blanket and comforted by each other's presence, they remained calm and quiet.
We suddenly noticed we were being watched. The mother cat, dubbed "Queen Anne OmegaCat" in Brett's story (below) was perched on the window sill looking in. We all went outside to feed her – a way of saying thanks for the great kittens – and took of few pictures in front of the legendary Woodpile.
Then the family gently carried their precious cargo to the minivan and drove home to enjoy the rest of this very special Christmas Day.
The Secret History of Cricket and Cleopatra
Cricket and Cleopatra look like ordinary kittens. They are not. They have a secret. A secret so special that only a few people know about it. Because you have been chosen, I am allowed to share that secret with you.
The two were born in Woodpile Kingdom. It is in the borderlands of Takoma Park and Prince George's County – in the Maryland Dimension. Some of their ancestors belong to Sacred Warrior Clans.
Cricket's Secret
Cricket's royal name is Prince Cricket FireCat of the WoodpileClan. His clan gifts are fire play and cat acrobatics. He specializes in quick cat karate and action leaps.
His energy runs deep and quiet but ignites like fire, quick as a flash. His ancestors were the protectors of Woodpile Kingdom. He is the last of his sacred line and carries the wisdom and strength of his lineage in his heart. He is dedicated to protecting his sister. She is to be the future Queen of Woodpile Kingdom, as the last sister of the WoodpileClan.
Cleopatra's Secret
Cleopatra's Royal name is Princess Cleopatra ShyCat. Her clan gift is finding secret places for meditation and healing. She specializes in near invisibility. She can easily slip from sight, like she was just a day dream, a faint image in the mind that is not really there.
Her energy is nervous and calm. Her ancestors were the holders of the power in Woodpile Kingdom. Cleopatra needs a safe place to live because the politics of Woodpile Kingdom has changed, since there can be no more kitten heirs born. Skyhawks are now stalking the skies.
Cleopatra and Cricket are to find a new kingdom. Their mother's stories have made them hopeful, but a little cautious. She has spoken of a vision where they are happy in a new home. Cricket and Cleopatra are eagerly looking forward to their new life.
Queen Anne OmegaCat
Queen Anne OmegaCat is a peacemaker for all the Cat Clans. Her special genes allowed her to have kittens that she could teach blended clan gifts.
She hopes Prince Cricket and Princess Cleopatra will be able to blend their powers and stay close as they grow. Cricket's fire and Cleopatra's calm make a perfect balance when they are together. Queen Anne knows they will have to leave Woodpile Kingdom to find their destinies among the Tall Ones. To protect their royal identities until then, she rarely mentions their royal titles.
In a dream vision, she sees a Blended Kingdom where a mom, a dad, and two young ones will honor her children. This kingdom is for Tall Ones and cats. Her vision is fading now. That is her sign that the time is drawing near for the vision to come true.
This December 2007, when bone chilling cold blows deep below freezing in Woodpile Kingdom – threatening their very lives – Queen Anne does a hard thing for a mother to do. She asks the Tall One who has been feeding them, to please take her royal young out of Woodpile Kingdom. With a hopeful heart, she knows once they are gone they will find their true home.
Deep in the dark night, with bitter winds blowing, she climbs up on the window sill and peers into the den of the Tall Ones to make sure her kitts are safe. Seeing them cozy and warm, she cries a silent meow, sad that they are lost to her forever. Yet pleased that her plan has worked … the kitts of the royal line are safe, and their new life has begun.
Cleopatra, Cricket Adopted by Local Family
NEWS FLASH: OUR REMAINING WOODPILE KITTENS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED. A Takoma Park family with two kids fell in love with Cleopatra and Cricket, our remaining wood stack dwellers, and after several visits it was clearly a perfect match. Details and photos to follow. Thanks to everyone who responded to our ads in Craig's List and CityPaper! If you're still looking for a feline friend or two, please visit the Washington Animal Rescue League (and check out their state-of-the-art facility) and the Washington Humane Society. Both shelters are filled with beautiful cats & kittens of every size, color, and temperament. There's a furry little somebody waiting for you!
Woodpile Kittens Seek Special Homes
I am trying to find homes for the cute and quite sociable kittens who live in the woodpile in my backyard in Takoma Park, Maryland. I feed, pet, and play with them twice a day, and although they still live outside, they want to come in!
BLU is a deep blue-grey male with sable soft fur and a quiet, thoughtful disposition. Like his two siblings, Blu is friendly and will allow you to hold and pet him (especially around feeding time!) – UPDATE: Blu has found a human companion and they're just crazy about each other!
CLEOPATRA, a female, is a slightly lighter shade of grey than Blu, but her coat is just as silky. She's affectionate and mellow, and loves to chase anything that moves. UPDATE: Cleo has found a home!
CRICKET, a tiger-striped male, is slightly smaller than his siblings, but more than makes up for it with his spunk and curiosity. He's probably the most socialized, people friendly of the bunch, and would likely make the quickest transition to house-cat. Cricket is a polydactyl "Hemingway Cat" … he has extra toes that give him extra dexterity and enhance his puckish personality. UPDATE: Cricket is going with his sister Cleopatra to a nice warm home in Takoma Park!
Cats who grew up in the great outdoors can be a bit more energetic and skittish than their domesticated cousins, and they deserve a human companion who understands their special needs and appreciates their distinctive character.
In my classified ads, and in conversations with potential adopters, I avoid the F-word, "feral." Or "semi-feral." Because our Woodpile Kitts are not wild. Maybe a bit impatient to find a loving human companion; perhaps a little annoyed at having to stay outside, and certainly anxious when the weather gets nasty.
These kittens are clean, healthy, and gentle. In all the months I've been caring for them I have never been scratched. Instead, they sit on my knee and demand that I scratch them. And rub them, pet them, and tease them with improvised toys made out of long twigs and leaves. Cleopatra will sometime reach out and tap my hand, to say "OK, enough petting. Open that can of food!"
And the truth is, tamed strays are a blast. Shadow (from the same woodpile, born to the same stray MommaCat) is my fourth, and, like the others I've plucked from various alleys and dumpsters, he's lean and athletic, super-stealthy, very playful, and tightly bonded to me. He likes my partner Brett too, but since I spent a lot of time socializing Shadow after we took him inside, he sees me as his "alpha cat," and wants to hang around where ever I happen to be. As I type these words, he's zonked out, half on my lap, half on the laptop. (Which may not be such a great place for him… see cautionary tale.)
It does take time to build that trust with a cat from outside. But the Woodpile Kitts pictured here are actually far more socialized than Shadow was when he joined us; they are ready. Are you? Call Marcus at 703-898-0770 any time of the day or night for more information. Or email me: marcus(at)bigblackcat.org (substitute the real "at" symbol in the address)
Here's contact information and a photo gallery of our Woodpile Kitten Colony
NEWS FLASH – Tuesday 11th December 2007 – Blu was adopted yesterday! His new owner reports that Blu bonded to him in less than half an hour: "He's sleeping in my lap and purring like mad." Blu also delighted his new family by demonstrating that he knows what a cat box is used for. I hope this encourages folks who are interested in our Woodpile Kittens but wonder whether they're tame enough. They're not only tame, they love people… These little guys want to move inside and be with you!
Kittens, Marcus Attacked by Hawk
Photo: Red Shouldered Hawk by twoblueday – cc: Some rights reserved
Today in our Takoma Park, Maryland backyard, my three feral kittens and I were attacked by a Red Shouldered Hawk that swooped down from the treetops.
The kitts had just eaten and I was sitting on a log playing with them when the giant bird slammed into the dried leaves about two feet behind me. I jumped, the cats scattered, and the hawk, which had targeted Cricket, flew into a tree next door and watched us for a few seconds before soaring off. This thing was huge, with a wing span of well over three feet, and I squinted against the bright autumn sun to see if he had somebody clutched in his talons. Couldn't be sure…
Dizzy with adrenaline, heart racing, I did a frenzied cat-count as, one by one, they poked their heads out from various hiding places. Cricket was the last to appear; he had scampered into their little shelter and was understandably cautious about coming out. Like the rest of us, he scanned the sky for danger. I had the weird sense of having slipped down a notch on the food chain.
Only MommaCat, who had watched the scene play out from a nearby stack of lumber, seemed unsurprised.
Local Cat Claims Alien Abduction
NOTE: I recently trapped Shadow's Mom and took her to the Washington Humane Society to be spayed. The trapping proved a lot harder than I had anticipated, and I was going to describe the whole arduous process here… until I discovered that MommaCat had already contacted the media with her side of the story! Here's the transcript of her interview with The Cat Tattler…
Cat Tattler: MommaCat, your kittens reported you missing five days ago. Tell us, in your own words, where you've been.
MommaCat: I was kidnapped by aliens. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. The Tall Ones are very clever. They set a trap for me, put some really good meat in it, and waited for me to walk right in. But I'm pretty clever too. I went in, but I stepped carefully and ate the meat without stepping on that ridiculous bar on the floor. Then I backed out.
Cat Tattler: So how did they catch you?
MommaCat: Well, they changed the setup, added some kind of stick, and a string too. A Tall One put more meat in the trap, and hid behind a tree. I guess he thought we couldn't see him, but he was so obvious! At first my kitts kept running into the trap to eat the meat and the Tall One ran out yelping and squirting the kitts with water from an alien weapon. Then he fed them so much that they lost interest in the trap and wandered away. I thought the whole thing looked fishy… but it smelled fishy too! Quite irresistible actually.
Cat Tattler: So you went back in?
MommaCat: Big mistake. I thought it was safe: the Tall One disappeared into his giant den. But as soon as I reached the fish, BAM! The stick flew off and a door slammed down! And the aliens took me away.
Cat Tattler: What did they do to you?
MommaCat: Well, they stuck horrible things into my body, I know that. They cast a spell on me and made me sleep so deep! And when I woke up, I could tell they had done, well, nasty things to me. They shaved my, uh, you know– and, let's just say I've been very sore down there…
Cat Tattler: !!!
MommaCat: And I think one of them tried to eat me while I was asleep.
Cat Tattler: Really?
MommaCat: Oh yes. See? They bit off part of my ear!
UPDATE: After a night of recuperation in our laundry room, MommaCat was returned to the woodpile behind the house. As soon as I opened the trap she bolted for the adjacent woods, propelled almost completely by her front legs, dragging her sore hind legs behind her. Three days later she reappeared, hungry and rather testy with her kitts. But she's accepting food and letting me sit with her as she eats. She still doesn't trust us aliens, but she likes our food…
OH AND: The "ear tipping" is done on feral cats who have been neutered as a signal to help prevent them from being retrapped and possibly euthanized.
The Dalai Lama on Animals and Compassion
Tenzin Gyatso 59, Dharamsala, India
photo: ©Phil Borges from his book Tibetan Portrait – All Rights Reserved
I have been working with some fantastic people at the Washington Humane Society. Bridget, the director of CatNipp, a popular Trap-Neuter-Release program, has helped me in my quest to capture and spay Shadow's Momma, who still lives in my backyard woodpile raising another bunch of adorable kittens (please adopt one!)
Bridget and some of her colleagues were honored to be included in an intimate audience with His Holiness the Lalai Lama during his recent visit to Washington to accept the Congressional Gold Medal. The video of HH's remarks is, well, amazing. Please take a look at it, I guarantee you'll be moved and inspired. With disarming giggles and self-effacing humor he conveys a tightly packed bundle of wisdom about the importance and holiness of all sentient life.
The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, with fans and followers around the world, always describes himself as "a simple monk." But in his remarks to the Humane Society and a coalition for the homeless, he said "I myself am also homeless." For most of his life he has been in exile from Tibet, having escaped from a harsh Communist Chinese occupation in a daring trek over the Himalayans in 1959. Since then he has traveled the world tirelessly making the case for compassion, religious tolerance, and autonomy for Tibet.
His remarks the other day were especially poignant for animal lovers – and fairly mind-blowing for on-again-off-again vegetarians like me. With few words and a simple gesture he conjured a vivid image of the misery of farm animals that we "regard as vegetables." To the Dalai Lama, a plate of shrimp is not a feast, but a tragedy: "Too many lives, too many lives." Whew. And I had just suggested to Brett that we check out the "ShrimpFest" at Red Lobster… I'm seeing things with new eyes.
His Holiness noted that even his adopted home, India, has been turning away from its traditional vegetarianism "in the name of progress." He decried the industrial-scale production of animals for consumption:
"We human beings forgot their right … all lives, all descended beings basically have same sense of being. They also have feelings, experiences. Therefore they also have same right to live peacefully, happily."
These words, coming at a time when I find myself becoming more involved with stray animal advocacy groups, are not only inspiring, but energizing. "All actions out of compassionate motivation become constructive and meaningful."
Over the course of his amazing life the Dalai Lama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, has become one of the world's most effective communicators. This is perhaps why the Chinese have their knickers in a twist over the honors the U.S. and other nations have bestowed upon him. Check out this piece he wrote for the Washington Post while he was in town: with laser-like precision and an elegant economy of words he hones right in on the most important issues facing humanity: aggression, compassion, tolerance.
Find out more about the Dalai Lama at his official website, and at the Campaign for Tibet.
Never Teach Your Cat to Use the Computer
OK, I thought letting Shadow watch bird videos on YouTube was kinda fun for both of us. And it was really cute when he took an occasional poke at the keys and managed to stop and start the movie. Sometime I'd be writing an email with the furry critter splayed out on my lap and he would reach over and add a few comments, like"fjhguiekcg2y8fdx" or "cccccccccccccddss."
My friend Brett was not amused. "You've gotta be crazy letting that cat near your computer! That is so wrong!" Brett was so right.
I just stepped away for 5 minutes to make a cup of tea, and I returned to find my laptop's keyboard torn up; Shadow had picked the keys right off with his strong little nails. I growled, and spotted his orange-yellow eyes peering at me from a shadowy corner across the room. He had that "Wha, you got a problem?" look that cats are famous for. Dogs know they've done wrong, and hang their heads or skulk away guiltily. But cats remain aloof. If they acknowledge your agitation it is with mild bemusement, mixed with a look of concern that you may be unstable.
These laptop keys are much more intricate than desktop keyboard keys: lots of interlocking parts and tiny hinges. It took almost an hour of study and microsurgery to get everything put back together. I vowed to never leave the computer open and unattended again, but of course I forgot and he did it again, this time leaving a clean gash through part of the "R" key. A kind (cat-loving) Genius at the Apple Store found me a new one.
But I forgot again, and this time Shadow somehow hit just the right combination of keys to delete an iCalendar file that I use to track my time and bill clients. Physical damage is one thing, but lost data is a real crisis, and I got that sick, sinking feeling when I realized that the iCalendar program doesn't automatically back up those files.
I had been about to do my monthly invoices, and recreating the project charges would take forever (if it could be done at all). I looked everywhere for the deleted file, to no avail. Shadow jumped up into my lap, like "Hey, how about some squirrel videos?" And, through my panic, I had to smile. How could I stay mad at this cute little devil?
Happy ending: iCalendar does have multiple undo's, and I was able to reverse the kitten's mischief. Now I back up my iCalendar manually every day, and close the laptop every time I step away. It's a hassle. And I probably could retrain him to eschew all computers. But I still love surfing the web and watching crazy YouTube videos with my Shadow.
Little Black Kitten
My neighborhood is home to several families of feral cats, and I recently discovered a grey tiger-stripe and her little black kitten living in a woodpile in my back yard. I started feeding them, and though the mom remained wary, the kitten was still too young to know better, and let me pet him while he ate. After licking the plate clean, he playfully pounced on a twig I teased him with. Perched on a stack of old 2×4's a short distance away, his mother watched our nightly antics with a mixture of suspicion and mild interest.
The first thing I noticed about this spunky kitten was his huge feet. Real waffle irons. Extra toes maybe? I'd had a "mouser" years ago and really loved his quirky personality and manual dexterity. Cats with extra toes are called "polydactyl" (latin for 'many toed') or "Hemingway cats," because Ernest Hemingway had a bunch of them – in fact their descendents still live in his home-turned-museum in Key West. There's much lore surrounding these mutant felines: back in the day, they were thought to bring good luck to ships, so residents of English ports would give their extra-toed cats to captains and crews headed for Boston. That may explain why the largest numbers of America's six- and seven-toed cats are found in the Northeast; they're rare in other parts of the country. And almost non-existent in continental Europe where, legend has it, they were burned as "witch's familiars."
Well I'm no witch but I've been without a familiar for two years now and, yeah, I grabbed the little fella. My partner and I have been "socializing" him for five days now, and, considering he was completely feral, he's made great progress. At first we couldn't even approach him – but step by step he's becoming a housecat. The first (and crucial) sign that we had a winner: he took to the litter box right away. Not surprising really: I've observed wild cats defecating, and they prefer loose soil. But it's still a relief.
Another big milestone was achieved when he let me brush him with a baby brush. He still loves to play, and as he gets more confident he's demonstrating amazing (sometimes alarming) acrobatic abilities. And he grabs things! I mean really grips things! With the SEVEN toes he has on each paw!!! Two of them seem to form a thumb, an opposable thumb. Wild Thing.
For the first two days this frightened but curious creature peered out at us from the darkest places in the kitten-friendly detention cell we'd created for him. My partner suggested we call him "Shadow." I like it.
TOE-COUNT UPDATE: After several careful inspections we've determined that Shadow has six toes on his front feet and seven on his rear feet, for a total of 26 toes. Because most cats only have five in front and four in the back, Shadow is eight toes over the limit. What's going on here? Is this a trend? Are cats evolving hands?
US cat 'predicts patient deaths'
From the BBC:
A US cat that is reportedly able to sense when a nursing home's residents are about to die is baffling doctors. Oscar has a habit of curling up next to patients at the home in Providence, Rhode Island, in their final hours.
According to the author of a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the two-year-old cat has been observed to be correct in 25 cases so far.
Staff now alert the families of residents when he sits down next to their ailing loved one.
"He doesn't make many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," David Dosa, a professor at Brown University who carried out the research, told the Associated Press news agency.
Oscar was adopted as a kitten at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre.
Cats often can sense when their owners are sick or when another animal is sick
Thomas Graves, feline expert
The cat is said to do his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses at the home, but is not generally friendly to patients.
Although most families are grateful for the warning Oscar seems to provide, some relatives ask that the pet be taken away while they say their last goodbyes to their loved ones.
When put outside the room, Oscar is said to pace up and down meowing in protest.
Thomas Graves, a feline expert from the University of Illinois, told the BBC: "Cats often can sense when their owners are sick or when another animal is sick.
"They can sense when the weather will change, they're famous for being sensitive to premonitions of earthquakes."
A doctor who treats patients at the home said she believed there was probably a biochemical explanation, rather than the cat being psychic.
Story at BBC NEWS here.
Published: 2007/07/26 10:32:34 GMT
UPDATE: The nursing home's physician answered questions online about Oscar's knack for predicting patient deaths. Transcript here.


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As a board-certified black woman, I am just going to go ahead and say I think Billy Sorells' "Shit Black Girls Say" is funny. Better acting than in "Shit Girls Say," for one. And both "duh-lete" and "it is so hot in here" are in my repertoire. I have not yet had the good fortune to say, "pack your PlayStation and get out," but maybe someday!
"Sh*t Black Girls Say" Is The Best "Sh*t Blank People Say" Yet [Best Week Ever]

subset: commoncrawl


text: There's more than one reason to aim for a good night's sleep. Charles Taylor/iStockphoto.com hide caption toggle caption Charles Taylor/iStockphoto.com Shots - Health News Insomnia Could Raise Risk Of Heart Disease And Death In Men November 22, 2013 Missing out on good quality sleep has emerged as a real medical issue. Now Harvard researchers say men who had trouble falling asleep were more likely to die prematurely than men who said they could doze off easily. There's no proof sleeplessness caused an increase in mortality, but the association was strong.


text:
Before the 2012 Olympics began, it was not immediately clear why London wanted the Summer Games at all.
London, after all, was not Beijing, Turin, or Salt Lake. It had nothing to prove to anyone and certainly didn't need to spend $14 billion for a party. All Britain – indeed all the British Commonwealth – had already had a rather large one to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne. After a Diamond Jubilee, wouldn't an Olympic Games, even a golden one, be a little less precious?
But now we know better. We know that there are, in fact, not enough days in the year to celebrate being British.
On Sunday night here in London, the Olympic Games ended with closing ceremonies that reminded the world that, yes, a lot of popular music has come from Britain. It was fun in parts, like whenever Eric Idle was on stage or when Muse tore through "Survival," which has been the anthem of these Olympics, played before the start of every event with great effect. The Spice Girls were a hoot, too.
But the closing ceremonies generally failed to find the whimsy or the visceral honesty of the opening ceremonies, which captured something more deeply British, instead contenting themselves with essentially being a "greatest hits" collection – the world's most expensive episode of "Britain's Got Talent."
As desserts go, it was perhaps a bit too much treacle. But that is not what the world will remember from these Olympics. It will remember what it felt like, for a little more than a fortnight, to be made a part of the happy few on this small island – this blessed plot – and what a joy that was.
"These were happy and glorious Games," said International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge at the closing ceremonies, quoting a line from the British national anthem.
And he was right.
Breathing space
In the end, the IOC's decision to award the Olympics to London – to a city that has 1,000 years of history, that has ruled over an empire upon which the sun never set, and which has been a world hub of finance, culture, and politics since well before there was a modern Olympics – was a masterstroke. At no point since the turn of the century have the Olympics been held in a place that was so palpably content with itself.
That lent the Games something they have not had for some time – and which made the London Olympics so welcome. Breathing space. Gold medals were not statements of global hegemony, they were just reasons for the home crowd to cheer a bit louder. Olympic venues were not infused with a nation's sense of its own destiny. In places, the operation had the feeling of a giant Erector Set.
But that was all to the good. London was never going to out-Beijing Beijing, and the wisest decision was not even to attempt it. Instead, the organizers of London 2012 decided that Beijing could not out-Britain Britain, and that there was something of value for the Olympic movement and the world in that distinction.
The past 17 days have proven them right.
They have proven that the Olympics did come to their spiritual home in Britain – where rowing and fencing and tennis, not to mention the sporting ideals that underlie the entire Olympic movement, began.
They have proven that their city's history and charm was more than enough to compensate for the lack of signature venue like the Bird's Nest or Water Cube. Could any other city match the scenes at Horse Guards Parade or Wimbledon or the Mall?
But more than any of these things, London 2012 has proven, beyond the remotest doubt, that much if not most of Britain truly did want these Olympics in the end. Not for national pride, though that was in present in good regulation, but because it was a bloody brilliant time to be British.
A sporting nation
Britain's Olympics were the hordes on the Underground, happily jostling their way to Olympic events and chatting animatedly about Wiggo's gold medal in the road cycling time trial. The enthusiasm was genuine, and there never appeared to be any attempt to manufacture it.
Britain's Olympics were in the moderator for the press conferences at the women's gymnastics, who went beyond keeping things orderly. As athletes answered questions, she would add her own commentary as an addendum. In another place, perhaps, it might have been presumptuous. But there she was, a grandmotherly figure in her Olympics-issue purple shirt and orange epaulets, telling Gabby Douglas how beautiful her smile was, and in saying so, making it just a little brighter.
And most of all, Britain's Olympics were in the Union Jack, because it was everywhere. Six years ago at the soccer World Cup in Germany, the success of the home team liberated many in the country from a sense of shame for the past, and for the first time, it seemed, German national flags flew high and without apology. Some here have said that these Olympics have had a similar, though subtler effect on the host nation, freeing the British consciousness from the latent guilt of an imperial past.
If it is true, then that, too, was all to the good, because it helped to create that space for the proper pride of all nations to flourish and feel at home. The Union Jack did not threaten, but invited us all to join in its joys, which is the rarest and most precious of all Olympic achievements for a host nation.
Who did not cry with Jessica Ennis or watch Mo Farah with eyes wide?
No one does understatement with more passion than the British, and four years after a Games that were wonderful in their own right, that was just what Dr. Rogge ordered – a nation that did not need the spotlight for itself, but instead provided sport's biggest moment with a perfect stage.


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Put your travel plans onto your mobile.
Create beautiful lists of restaurants and locations to visit with Everplaces. It's free, mobile and anti-roaming. Curious?
Fish Feeding Twice a Week!
Join us every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm, as well as every Saturday at 1:00pm, for one of our most popular events. Both kids and adults will enjoy our regular schedule of live fish feeding at our main fish tank, located on the bottom floor near our Tracker boats. *** On Saturday's only, you may even be chosen to be our honorary fish feeder of the day! *** Registration is open for children aged 5 -12 and is located by our main aquarium.
The store offers 180,000 square feet of outdoor excitement including the area's largest selection of quality gear for fishing, hunting, camping, boating and marine. Much more than a hunting and fishing store, however, Bass Pro Shops also offers equipment for hiking, backpacking, outdoor cooking and more. Shoppers will find outdoor apparel for men, women and children, along with a fine selection of outdoor, casual and athletic footwear. A gift and nature center serves up a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture.
The nearly 13,000 square-foot Islamorada Fish Company restaurant (pronounced 'eye-la-mah-rah-dah') will feature fresh seafood entrees, smoked meats and wild game, rotisserie broiled fowl, great steaks and more all in a relaxing 'Florida Keys' atmosphere.
Known for bringing the outdoors indoors, a typical Bass Pro Shops retail store features over 3,500 area antiques and artifacts, up to 400 trophy fish and wildlife mounts and many grand murals depicting scenes reminiscent of the area making it a true destination experience.
Interested in learning a new outdoor skill or improving existing ones? Watch for the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Skills Workshops schedule. These are free classes that will be offered on a regular basis and will include topics like outdoor cooking, nature photography, fly fishing, camping, archery and more. Widely recognized for their efforts in conservation and outdoor education, Bass Pro Shops has received more conservation awards than any other outdoors retailer.
Free Outdoor Adventure Tours
Have a school, daycare, church group or organization that would like to have a tour of Bass Pro Shops? We conduct free tours of the store for small groups interested in the outdoors. During the tour we will give a brief insight into the history of Bass Pro Shops. We bring the outdoors in. It is a wonderful opportunity to see and discuss the wild animals in a way that many people may never have the chance to experience. We try to instill the importance of wildlife conservation while providing you with a fun experience in our store.
For more information or to schedule your group outing, please contact us at 816-795-4307. Please note, tours are booked a month in advance.
RedHead Shooting Range
Hours of Operation:
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm
Sunday: 11am – 6pm
Range Fees:
Half Hour - $8.00 per lane
Hour - $15 per lane
Yearly Memberships:
Individual: $100
Family (Immediate Only): $150
To use the Range:
1. Range is first come, first serve.
2. Handguns ONLY; nothing over 44 Cal.
3. All person using the range must have a current waiver on file, and will sign in before using the range.
4. All participants must have proper eye and ear protection in use at all times. (Must provide your own)
5. The range officer on duty will direct all shooting to insure safety and enjoyment.
Up to 2 people per lane. 25 yard range. 4 lanes. Questions should be directed to 816-795-4300 and ask for the Shooting Range.
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I've mentioned the website Flickchart a few times here on the blog, most notably in this post where I explained what it's all about. In short, it's a site that presents you with endless pairs of movies and has you pick which one of the two you like better. With over 26,000 such choices so far, it's fair to say that I'm a big fan.
I figured it might be fun to do 10 random match-ups and talk about my selections here. Hopefully it will give some idea of what qualities I value in films.
Summer of Sam vs Rosemary's Baby
I've seen eight movies by Spike Lee. I've liked all of them to some degree, except for one: Summer of Sam (okay, maybe Crooklyn wasn't too hot either.) While Summer of Sam is a finely styled period piece, it doesn't have much new to say that Lee hadn't already said, and the characters failed to grip me. Rosemary's Baby, on the other hand, earns its reputation as a horror classic. I got fully invested in the fate of Mia Farrow's character when I sat down to watch it, and the sense of paranoia is potent throughout. Repulsion may be my favorite of Roman Polanski's Apartment Trilogy, but Rosemary's Baby isn't far behind.
Winner: Rosemary's Baby
Equilibrium vs Mrs. Doubtfire
One dystopian sci-fi action flick versus one crossdressing family comedy. It's not an entirely easy choice, actually. Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire delivers the kind of high-energy performance that he's so good at, and the story is sweet and effective. Equilibrium's story isn't particularly original, borrowing heavily from both 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, but the action scenes are really damn cool – even if the whole gun kata thing doesn't make much logical sense. It's also a film that grew on me quite a bit on a rewatch, whereas Mrs. Doubtfire is more a case of what you see is what you get. Dystopia wins the day.
Winner: Equilibrium
Les Misérables vs Borat
Sacha Baron Cohen showdown! These are two great movies, both 5/5 in my book. Borat is hilarious with a lot of thought behind it, and Les Mis… well, faithful readers know how that one floored me earlier this year. I can watch Tom Hooper's musical over and over and seemingly never get tired of it. If anything, it just keeps getting better. What a wonderful story it is. Even Cohen's most iconic character can't trump it.
Winner: Les Misérables


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St. Scholastica offers a variety of student activities for every season, all designed for the community learning experience. Here's just a sampling:
Settle into your dorm, meet your roommate and other new friends.
The place to discover where you fit or what fits you.
There are many ways to give back. Here you'll learn where to put your efforts.
Cheer at the football (or soccer, or volleyball) games. Build a parade float. Showcase your hidden American Idol at the talent show and more. Invite your family to share in this three-day celebration.
Belt out carols amid holiday trimming and vespers candlelight
A chance to hang out with your brothers and sisters for a couple of days.
Fun runs, concerts, parties, contests!
Once in the fall, and again in the spring, students leave campus for a day of volunteering. More than 600 people participated in our most recent Community Day, including:
Next Steps...
Apply Now Come for a Visit Accepted Students Meet Your Counselor Contact Admissions


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KCTV5 - Smoking Ban Brings Out Electronic Cigarettes 07/07/2010
Smoking Ban Brings Out Electronic Cigarettes
WICHITA, Kan.
-- Electronic cigarettes are letting smokers "light up" in the face of the statewide smoking ban that took effect last week.
The devices look and draw like a regular cigarette and the smoker still gets a jolt of nicotine, the ingredient that causes the "buzz."
Most "e-cigarettes" have a light-emitting diode where the burning ash would normally be.
A spokesman for the Kansas Attorney General's Office said that since no burning tobacco is involved, the ersatz cigarettes are not covered by the statewide indoor smoking ban that passed the Legislature in February.
The statewide prohibition took effect across most of Kansas on Thursday. In Wichita, a 2008 city smoking ordinance remains in force, pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the state ban.
Users of e-cigarettes have coined the term "vaping" to describe their activity and distance it from smoking.
E-cigarettes are marketed under a variety of trade names, primarily at tobacco shops, over the Internet and in some cases, at mall kiosks.
E-cigarettes contain a small reservoir of nicotine solution. When the user puffs on the device, a heating element creates a vapor that the smoker inhales.
Manufacturers say it's safer than a real cigarette because the nicotine solution doesn't contain the carcinogenic byproducts found in burning tobacco -- and the exhalation is harmless water vapor.
Not everyone agrees.
The Food and Drug Administration banned importation of e-cigarettes last year and issued a health advisory, saying that its analysis had found some of the products contained toxic chemicals and cancer-causing agents.
The agency also expressed concern that the products, which come in a variety of flavors, could be marketed to minors.
The import ban was lifted in January by a Washington federal court judge who ruled the FDA had overstepped its authority.
A second trial is scheduled for September on slightly different questions, said Noelle Neis, a spokeswoman for Vapor Corp., manufacturer of the "Krave 500" e-cigarette.
Krave's packaging indicates it hasn't been approved by the FDA and that nicotine is highly addictive. It also carries a warning that the product should be sold to or used only by those of legal smoking age.
There are two basic kinds of e-cigarettes -- disposable and rechargeable, Neis said.
The rechargeable type have been around longer and are generally less expensive.
The disposables are more convenient, aimed at casual smokers and easier to sell in bars and other locations where smoking has been recently banned, she said.
A Krave 500 disposable e-cigarette purchased at a Wichita tobacco shop last week cost $19.95.
It's good for about 500 puffs, the equivalent of about 2 1/2 packs of regular cigarettes, Neis said.
Kansas House Bill 2221, which passed earlier this year and established the state ban, defines smoking as "possession of a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, or burning tobacco in any other form or device."
E-cigarettes are more comparable to nicotine gum, patches or non-electronic smokeless cigarettes used as stop-smoking aids, which also are immune to the ban, said Gavin Young of the attorney general's office.
"I think tobacco is the key piece," he said.
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British fashion designer Matthew Williamson approached us to re-energise their online offering with a new responsive web-based magazine and e-commerce platform. We helped them strengthen their online identity and provide a mechanism for them to communicate with their customers and fan base.
So, why create a magazine? More importantly, how come you've read this far! Gold star for you. We wanted to provide a fun format to communicate the daily goings on from the World of Williamson. We worked closely with Matthew and his team to find inspiration from traditional print including mechanisms such as drop caps, pull quotes, captions, magazine bindings and print tests. But more than that, we wanted the whole magazine to feel completely shoppable, with seemless boundaries between the e-commerce side of things and the magazine. The whole site is web 2'd to the max, creating a frictionless and fun shopping experience and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the latest web technologies. Vogue called it a "digital revolution". And we're super proud of it! →
Launch site →"It's been a pleasure working on my website with Electric Labs. Their expertise and knowledge is second to none. Thanks to them, our site has come to life - mixing the creative elements of our brand with a slick online shopping experience"


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Mass Meeting Mug
Price £5
Availability In stock!
Mass Meeting Mug
Availability In stock!
A china mug featuring an image of the colliery men waiting to go into a mass meeting during the Cambrian Combine Strike in 1910.
Fine china. Dishwasher safe. Mug 12cm tall. Made in Wales exclusively for Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.


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Clematis 'Étoile Violette'
Virtually all clematis books are British. I think it's some kind of law. According to those books, you may pronounce it "klem-a-tiss," "kli-mah-tiss," "klem-at-iss" or "klem-ay-tiss." The plants are fabulous, and will respond no matter how you address them. Most Americans only spiral one up their mailbox post, but the Brits have been exploring the potential of almost 300 species and even more varieties and cultivars, using them far more imaginatively in their gardens for eons.
Clematis can reach 30 feet or be shorter than 2 feet. Flowers can be 10 inches across, or tiny stars, flat, cupped, turk's cap-, bell-, urn- or tubular-shaped; sometimes delightfully scented, with fluffy, silky seedheads; and boast a broad spectrum of colors. In addition to greeting you while you peruse your junk mail, they can grace a container, clamber up a fence, ramble over rocks, climb trees, lace through shrubs and scamper across the ground. These buttercup relatives can also be alpine plants or little shrubs, not vines at all.
Susan Austin of Completely Clematis Specialty Nursery in Ipswich, Mass. (www.clematisnursery.com), has some pretty avant garde ideas about how to grow clematis. She uses cinnamon as a bactericide and fungicide. To battle periods of drought that can stunt growth and flower size, she recommends (in addition to deep planting, thorough watering once a week and heavy mulching) stuffing pre-moistened hydrogel (Soil-Moist or Terrasorb) into 6-inch-deep holes dug every 12 inches around each plant. Her trick is to soak the polymer beads in warm water prior to use. She says effects last as long as three years, by which time plants should be well established.
Avant-garde (C. 'Evip033')
Clematis have been customarily classified according to their pruning requirements. In Trouble-Free Clematis: The Viticellas (Garden Art Press, 1998), John Howells regroups them into 12 categories in order of their progression of bloom, dwelling more on the characteristics of the types and claiming the newer format is more useful and easily understood. Frankly, while I find attempts to systematize this mind-boggling array truly admirable, I am equally confused by both methods of organization. But, what do I know? I can't sort socks, let alone clematis.
Clematis 'Piilu'
Culture is more or less similar for all 12 groups. Like poppies, they should have their crowns sunk several inches below soil level when planted. Clematis fare best in good, neutral soil. Dan Long of Brushwood Nursery (www.gardenvines.com) in Athens, Ga., says, "Amend soil with organic matter and consider some bonemeal, too. Plant clematis at a 45-degree angle – actually lean it over in the hole – to promote more shoots from the base sooner."
"Never tease the roots of C. orientalis, C. alpina, C. macropetala or other fibrous-rooted types when planting," Austin cautions. Taunting those temperamental roots can trigger sudden death. This sensitivity also makes transplanting difficult.
Most clematis can be pruned in early spring or late winter down to the first pair of buds, but leave pruning of early blooming kinds for after flowering or you'll lose the spring show. Unless they're tangled, you may leave them alone altogether. Broken stems, though, can invite a fungus, Phoma clematidina, that causes a stem rot and leaf spot disease where stems unexpectedly collapse in a melodramatic faint, which mainly affects large-flowered clematis hybrids. Species clematis, their cultivars and small-flowered hybrids are much less susceptible. Cut affected stems to ground level and the plant often recovers, usually the same season. Don't be so quick to remove "dead" clematis. Sometimes dead-looking stems have perfectly fine growth at the top, and plants often resurrect magically after having been gone for years. Clematis sometimes lose their lower leaves as the season progresses. Underplanting with shallow-rooted, noninvasive plants can provide cover for this shameless nudity.
Clematis viticellas and its cultivars are easy to grow. I can't say enough good things about the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal winner 'Betty Corning'. Little lavender-blue fairy hats abound continuously from early spring until frost. Her leaves are pristine and never turn black. Stems are plentiful and sturdy. 'Etoile Violette' is no prima donna either; she is vigorous, floriferous and nearly indestructible. Dan Long, smitten with yellow C. tangutica 'Lambton Park', says, "Small-flowered clematis combined with disease-resistant roses are hot these days. People want performance in the garden without trouble or chemicals to get there."
'Prince Charles' and 'Margaret Hunt' are two of Susan Austin's recommendations for prodigious bloom. Beautiful Baltic cultivars are now the rage in Britain. Susan also is smitten with C. integrifolia 'Aljonushka', with strawberry colored blossoms.
Top Left: Clematis 'Duchess of Edinburgh'
Bottom Left: Josephine (C. 'Evijohill')
Right: Clematis 'Rooguchi'
While most clematis prefer having their heads in sun, Blue Moon (C. 'Evirin') and 'Silver Moon' show their true colors (pale lavender, almost gray) in shady settings. My latest crush is the enticing C. integrifolia x 'Rooguchi', bearing nonstop 2½-inch deep-purple open-bell-shaped flowers with recurved sepals, and a loose, sprawling habit. It blooms even in shade from May through September.
Three reliable, virtually infallible large-flowering types are white 'Henryi', purple 'The President' and blue 'Ramona'.
I'm working my way through Christopher Grey-Wilson's book Clematis: The Genus (Timber Press, 2000). According to that, I still have 661 other clematis I haven't tried.
Clematis terniflora
A version of this article appeared in a March/April 2014 print edition of State-by-State Gardening.
Photography courtesy of Ilene Sternberg.


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I Want One of Those: Self-Powered Remote
With the Self-Powered Remote, couch potatoes will save more than their own energy. They'll reduce the need for the 3 billion batteries Americans use in their homes each year. The Self-Powered Remote utilizes a magnet traveling though a conductive coil to generate its own electricity. A 30-second shake is all it takes to produce enough voltage to change channels 70 times. Project team Fahmi Enam '08, Lauren Miller '09, Nandan Shetty '07, and Stephanie Trudeau '09 won the Phillip R. Jackson Prize for outstanding performance in ENGS 21, "Introduction to Engineering," last spring. Maxime Guimond '06 was the team's teaching assistant.
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Health reform marketplace open enrollment begins
Don't panic if you have been unable to sign up for coverage through the health insurance marketplace. There is no need to rush. Coverage on plans purchased through the marketplace do not kick in until January 1, 2014 and you do not need to complete enrollment and submit payment until December 15, 2013 to get coverage starting on January 1, 2014. The enrollment period for coverage in 2014 runs through March 31, 2014.
Health insurance marketplaces opened for the first time during the first week of October 2013 and were met with heavy web traffic, glitches and technical difficulties related to the federal marketplace that made it difficult for those seeking insurance to sign up. Many North Dakotans attempting to reach North Dakota's state marketplace to compare and select insurance plans through the federal government's healthcare.gov website received error messages and had difficulty registering and signing up for coverage.
North Dakotans seeking coverage on the state's health insurance marketplace can visit healthcare.gov to view plans and apply for coverage.
Health insurance marketplaces (also known as exchanges) are part of the Affordable Care Act health reform law, also known as Obamacare, and are intended to help the uninsured find insurance coverage. Roughly 90 percent of North Dakotans receive health insurance through an employer. If you already have health insurance, you do not need to go to the marketplace. If you currently purchase insurance directly from an insurance company, you may want to compare you coverage to what is available on the state marketplace. When comparing plans, it is important to consider not just the cost of the premium, but also the coverage levels and your health care usage (selecting a lower premium may result in you paying more when you go to the doctor or hospital for care).
Health reform can be confusing and change is difficult. We are there to help. We are available to help answer your questions and guide you through the changes, whether or not you are a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota member. We will hold eight informational sessions throughout the state in October 2013 to help guide North Dakotans through health reform changes and help them make coverage decisions. Find out more about health reform and register online to attend out of the info sessions at www.ItStartsWithBlueND.com.
Let us know if you have any questions. We're here to help.


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Rockies' Tulo returns to lineup in spring finale;De La Rosa update
SCOTTSDALE — Three days after getting plunked by a fastball in the left elbow, Troy Tulowitzki will start the Rockies' Cactus League finale at Salt River Fields.
The injury has improved significantly through massage and ice treatment. Tulo will wear a protective brace today and likely keep it on throughout the season.
"I am back in there today. It feels good," Tulowitzki said.
Tulowitzki is hitting .350 this spring with two home runs and three doubles. He will bat cleanup in a lineup that has been tweaked. As manager Jim Tracy confirmed Tuesday, Marco Scutaro has moved to the leadoff spot with Dexter Fowler hitting second, a change that will remain in place Friday in Houston.
"It's the same approach for me," said Scutaro, who led off periodically in Boston two years ago when Jacoby Ellsbury was injured. "I have to find ways to get on base."
The Rockies' lineup today is as follows: 2B Scutaro, CF Fowler, LF Carlos Gonzalez, SS Tulowitzki, 1B Todd Helton, DH Jason Giambi, RF Michael Cuddyer, C Wilin Rosario, 3B Chris Nelson, RHP Jhoulys Chacin.
The Mariners' lineup: LF Figgins, 2B Ackley, RF Ichiro, 1B Smoak, 3B Seager, SS Ryan, CF Saunders, DH Wells, C Jaso, P Noesi
June target date for De La Rosa
Tulowitzki isn't the only healing Rockie. Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa will throw a 55-pitch live BP session soon. His surgically-repaired elbow has responded to every challenge in rehab thus far. Tentatively, his schedule is mapped out to begin a minor-league assignment in May. That would put him back in the big leagues in June, barring any setbacks.
From the Rx Files
Left-handed reliever Josh Outman strained his right oblique, caused by his violent illness from food poisoning. The left-hander will begin the season on the disabled list.
Outfielder Charlie Blackmon (turf toe) has been cleared for all baseball activity. He will remain in extended spring training for a few days before joining the Sky Sox.
Drew Pomeranz will throw against minor leaguers Thursday in Scottsdale before flying to Houston to join the Rockies. He will then pitch April 10 in the minor leagues (possibly for Double-A Tulsa) in advance of his big league season debut on April 15. … Right-hander Alex White will join the Sky Sox rotation, pitching Monday for the Triple-A club.


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Swimming Pool Blog
Rob Cox, March 19, 2012
Swimming Pool Heat Pump Installation
You may have heard that pool heat pumps operate for pennies per day - that's true! But did you know that they're also very simple to install.
In this blog post, we'll discuss the finer points of pool heat pump installation, with the hope that you will find it easy enough to tackle as a DIY pool heating project.
I'm going to recommend that you buy the heat pump online, place it and plumb it, and then call in an electrician to finish up.
Pool Heat Pump Installation Materials List
- Pool heat pump
- Sturdy mounting base
- PVC plumbing supplies
1. Shopping for a new swimming pool heat pump
Sizing your heat pump to your pool is the first consideration. Pool heat pumps are rated in BTU's of heater output. The larger this number, the more heat you will get from a pool heat pump. For aboveground pools, or inground pools under 12,000 gallons, you will look for something in the 50K to 75K size, with K standing for thousands. Inground pools up to 20,000 gals should look at heat pumps in the 100K range. For larger pools, our heat pumps max out at 156K, which should handle a pool of 40K gallons. For really large pools, you can install heat pumps in tandem, connecting 2, 3, 4 or more pool heat pumps together.
There are a few bells and whistles that you can consider in the selection of a pool heat pump, some models offer these as standard equipment:
- Chillers have the ability to cool the pool water, by reversing their process, if the the pool becomes unbearably hot in the summer.
- Self-Diagnosis, Self-Defrosting units can operate in outside temps as low as 38 degrees.
- Titanium or Cupro-Nickel heat exchangers ensure long life and optimum heat transfer.
- Full digital display, keypad lockout, integration with pool controllers.
2. Sturdy base to mount the pool heat pump
First things first. After the truck drops off the heater in your driveway - you need a safe way to transport it to the pool filter area. A dolly, with straps and large wheels will do, and another person to help you guide it. Be gentle when manuevering it into position, a few bumps and knocks won't hurt it, but don't let it fall over.
You can buy a reinforced plastic platform at most home stores, they are used for home heat pumps or heating/cooling units. You can also pour a concrete pad inside of a square constructed of wooden 2x4's. Use some thin steel rebar, or wire mesh, for added strength. Another easy alternative is to use 4 - 2'x2' concrete pavers.
Whichever method you use, be sure to level the ground first, and lay down a layer of bluestone gravel first. If your land is sloping, consider the need for reinforcement or retaining walls. Pool heat pumps are very heavy (300-500lbs) and need a stable, level surface.
When installing your heat pump, be sure to choose an area that has at last 18" of clearance on all sides and is not close to plants or bushes. Areas next to the house should be protected from direct roof run-off.
3. PVC pipe and fittings
Most, but not all new pool heat pumps come with quick disconnect unions, which gives an easy way to drain a heat pump for winterizing. Aside from that, you will need some other things to plumb a new heat pump. Each system layout will be different, but typically, you may need couplings, 45's and/or 90's, and a bit of pipe.
You will also need a hacksaw to cut the return line, and some pvc glue and primer to put it all together. All of these items can be picked up at a local home or hardware store, or you can visit our pool plumbing page. It may be easier, however, to get your new heat pump placed or mounted first, and then make a list of the fitting types and sizes needed to connect the heater.
4. Call the Electrician
Maybe you'll get lucky and you have the required amount of voltage at your pool equipment subpanel to add the 30-60 amp breaker. If not, you'll need to 'heavy-up' your electrical service. Worst case, it involves running a new dedicated circuit from the home breaker panel, to a small sub-panel, within 3ft of the heat pump.
Depending on the length of the run, and the rate of your electrician, a new line can cost $500-$900. If you already have a 100amp sub-panel however, and are only using a small percentage of this amperage to power your pool pump, pool lights and outlets - you may be able to have the electrician simply add a breaker to the existing panel, which would be much cheaper.


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Snapseed Launches Free Android App
Snapseed, a brainchild of the Nik Software company (a company recently acquired by Google), just announced the launch of the Android version of their popular photo editing app. Although this app has been available to the iOS market, it came with a $4.99 price tag — a price tag that was slashed to free on the heels of their Android app announcement.
But how good could this free app really be? As an avid iPhoneographer (and professional DSLR shooter), I decided to download the app immediately. The app comes jam packed with 5 photo adjustments, 4 featured editing effects, and 5 creative enhancements.
Auto Correct – analyzes your photo and adjusts color and exposure to perfection.
Tune Image – Adjust White Balance, Saturation, Contrast, or Ambience to create depth and vibrance.
Straighten & Rotate – Rotate or straighten with simple gesture controls.
Crop – Remove unwanted parts of your photo with standard aspect ratios, or a free crop.
Details – Sharpen traditionally or use the unique Structure control found in the Nik Software professional products.
Black & White – Get that fine art Black and White look with this darkroom-inspired filter.
Vintage Films – Create nostalgic photos and make the image look like it was shot on vintage or expired film.
Grunge – Give your photos a unique, hip look.
Center Focus – Draw attention to the subject of your photo by blurring and adjusting the brightness of the surrounding background.
Tilt-Shift – Create a compressed depth of field look similar to a miniature set.
Retrolux – Makes your photos look retro with light leaks, scratches, film styles, and more.
Selective Adjust – Make precise selections and enhancements to specific areas of your photos in seconds with Nik Software's revolutionary U Point technology.
Drama – Add style with a custom effect tailored to your photos – ranging from subtle textures to wildly artistic effects.
Frames – Add stylized borders to photos for the perfect finishing touch.
After a few minutes of "tutoring" I was ready to start editing some images that I had taken yesterday. I was happy with their results and found that I could quickly upload them to Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. I was also able to email the images and save them to my photo library. Attached are a few sample images I was able to edit in under 5 minutes with my iPhone. I'm thinking this app just became an important part of my photo editing process.
Snapseed also has software available for Mac and PC for $19.99.


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Vanity Fair Portfolio
Over a span of nearly fifty years (1868-1914), the society magazine Vanity Fair established its reputation as one of the most popular and respected periodicals in English journalism. Founded by Thomas Gibson Bowles (1842-1922) in 1868, the weekly magazine was designed to appeal to the "Smart Set" of British culture-an educated audience with refined and diverse interests. In addition to its news summaries it included such features as travel reports, financial advice columns, serialized novels, word games, and gossip columns. In its second year of publication, Bowles decided to include in each issue a caricature of a prominent figure of the time. These color lithographs became the most recognizable feature of the magazine and are considered valuable collector's items today.
From stern judges to fashionable ladies, a wide variety of subjects graced the pages of Vanity Fair . Among the dapper sportsmen and English businessmen are also royal and ambassadorial figures from India , Africa , and China . To sit for one of these portraits was considered an honor, though often the likenesses were less than flattering. Carlo Pellegrini (alias "Ape") was the artist most closely associated with the magazine from its inception. Leslie Ward ("Spy") became known for his methodical renderings of Britain 's most famous people later in the 1870s. But perhaps the most recognizable images from Vanity Fair were the playful portraits drawn by Max Beerbohm ("Ruth") in the early years of the twentieth century. These cartoon-like drawings illustrated his skill at simultaneously capturing the physical presence and personality of each subject.
This selection of Vanity Fair prints is part of a larger collection compiled by the late Cecil Y. Lang, Professor of English at the University of Virginia from 1967 to 1991. Noted for editing the letters of Victorian poet Matthew Arnold, Lang used the prints as a resource in identifying some of the individuals mentioned in Arnold 's correspondence. Lang donated his collection to the University Library in 2002. The gift comprised 900 of these remarkable portraits, each showcasing a noteworthy personality of the Victorian era.
Dana Wheeles
Department of Art History
University of Virginia


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Avalonventures needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 16 designs submitted by 6 freelance designers.
Character logo needed. Website will be HaraKaraoke.com. thinking of a boy anime style singing with microphone stand that he impailed through his stomach, like the act of harakiri. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hara_kiri for those who aren't familiar. Creative tag line optional.
HaraKaraoke.com(not live) dev site http://usakaraoke.rightwayweb.com
Desired Style:
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)
Character logo needed. Creative tag line optional. Website will be HaraKaraoke.com. thinking of a boy, anime style, singing with microphone stand that he has impaled through his stomach, like the act of hara kiri. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hara_kiri for those who aren't familiar. If you have better idea, go for it! Please, not too bloody, must be viewable by all audiences.Design of boy does not need to be a crazy ninja style; regular street clothes will probably be preferred.Owner made example which cannot be used as the character is from an anime series Naruto illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. See example, http://usakaraoke.rightwayweb.com. Tag line in example will probably not be used. Height of image can be no larger then example, if shorter that is ok.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Indictments were filed today against more people allegedly involved in the attacks ordered by television entertainer Dudu Topaz against Israeli media executives. The news coverage gave a glimpse into the psyche of the criminal mind, in a 'What were they thinking?' kinda way:
Yair Awami, who was charged in connection with the attack on media executive Avi Nir from Keshet TV, chose to wear to court his black Nike T-Shirt with the slogan 'KISS MY AIRS.' I am certain the middle-aged judges appreciated the subtle gesture, and I can only assume his chances of being released from prison and being placed under house arrest diminished drastically after he made his fashion statement.
Muhammad Younis, who was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and assault for attacking actors' agent Boaz Ben Zion, keeps showing up in court with tight fit shirts. If you are a bodybuilder who has huge chest muscles and Popeye arms, and you are accused of being the thug in a criminal conspiracy to commit crimes – maybe the day you come out of your hiding place and surrender to the police would be a good day to not wear your regular tight fitting shirt, as you enter the police station with your scrawny looking lawyer. Maybe the message 'I am a big scary man' is not the right one to send when you find yourself on the wrong side of the law and you need to prove your innocence.
Dudu Topaz himself appeared in court in an Abercrombie & Fitch shirt with the text 'FITCH ATHL 92' on it. Pretty standard and innocent looking, right? Or is it? Could it be an anagrammed message for someone to 'LIFT HATCH' so that he can escape from prison? – or maybe it has something to do with 'THAT FILCH', or maybe he is just lonely and wants to 'CHAT FILTH'? …and don't get me started on that '92'.
To put things in perspective, the only person from that gang who was released today was Moshe Ohana, who was suspected of mediating between Dudu Topaz and the attackers. Check out the shirt he chose to wear today:


text: Cool. Just in the process of upgrading FC4 with the 2.6.13 kernel to work with the latest CVS tree, so I'll let you (all) know how it goes. James. On 10/25/05, Simo Kivimäki <simo.j.kivimaki at tut.fi> wrote: > > James Fisher wrote: > > I've just got hold of one of these as a replacement for my previous > > DVB-C card which is no longer available. > > > > Are the drivers for this board checked into CVS? > > There is driver for TT DVB-C 1500 but it has problmes with QAM128 > signal. I have tried to increase timeouts and still tuning gets locked > only occasionally with my card. The kernel modules are budget-ci and > stv0297. I don't have access to non-QAM128 signals so I don't know how > they work. > > It would be nice to get that card working so what is the situation with > the driver development? > > I recently made some testing with stv0297_cs2 driver and used it with my > DVB-C 1500 card. With some changes it compiled as the driver for DVB-C > 1500 card and the budget-ci registers the frontend correctly. > > But it does not work. Of course that's not a surprise because the driver > is not made for the card. > > Here's dmesg debug messages for the cs2 driver used with TT: > spectrum inversion: off > symbolrate: 6900000, regval: 0000000000000000 > initialized - waiting for the locks now > waiting for WBAGC lock > WBAGC has lock > waiting for equalizer 1 lock > timed out > > And that repeats. > > Changes that I made to get it 'work': > - Change the name to stv0297 (files and api functions) > - Added 'u8 invert:1' and 'u8* inittab' to struct stv0297_config in > header file. > - In function stv0297_readregsI changed the i2c_transfer to be done in > to parts. > > I'm not familiar with the kernel drivers nor stv0297 so I have no idea > for further modifications. I hope that some developer could try to solve > this problem in some way or give advice for me to debug it. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.linuxtv.org/pipermail/linux-dvb/attachments/20051027/c4531189/attachment-0001.htm


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The Gold Report: When you last spoke with The Gold Report in late May, gold was hitting its first bottom of 2012, just over $1,570/ounce (oz), after apparently breaking a multiyear uptrend around the end of March. Silver bottomed about a month later just under $26/oz. While both prices are higher as we speak, 2012 has been pretty much a sideways year. What are you predicting for 2013, in light of world economic and political developments over the past six months?
Alka Singh: Gold is trading over $1,700/oz again and silver is over $32/oz. I believe this trend will continue in the short-to-medium term with higher prices for both metals in 2013 as the global economic crisis will take at least a couple of years to be resolved. Gold has a unique characteristic, and the price of gold tends to increase both during an inflationary period as well as when there is deflation. I don't see gold or silver prices coming off from where they are right now.
TGR: Do you have any target figures in mind, or any specific catalysts that you think could cause a big breakout?
AS: Almost every country in Europe, as well as the U.S., is heavily debt-laden, and the countries are all trying to manage the debt crisis by printing more money. When that happens, gold prices will continue to increase. With Obama winning the election, the quantitative easing will continue, which will be very positive for gold in 2013. In terms of target prices, I think gold will move closer to $1,900/oz, if not $2,000/oz next year, and silver will be north of $35/oz.
TGR: Shouldn't silver have better leverage than gold? It has in the past.
AS: Basically, silver is poor man's gold, and silver prices have historically followed gold prices. However, silver has more leverage, as you mentioned, than gold. Historically the gold-silver price ratio has been about 25-27:1. In recent times, we have seen the gold-silver ratio around 50:1, so it's almost doubled. We don't expect gold prices to fall, so the only way to bring that ratio back to the historical average ratio is to have silver prices go competitively higher than gold prices.
TGR: The disconnect between metals prices and mining shares continues to frustrate investors looking for a turnaround. What do you think it will take to close this performance gap?
AS: If I had to pick a timeline, I would say in early 2013 we should start seeing the gap close. Gold equities have not kept up with the gold prices due to the volatility in the stock market. Investors are still very afraid of the stock market and the economy and don't know what to do. This fear is the reason why the equities have not performed as well as the metals."Silver has more leverage than gold."
The other big problem facing mining companies is that costs have been going up at a higher rate than metals prices, so profit margins have been squeezed. We saw operating costs increase for many of the large gold producers including Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX:TSX; ABX:NYSE), Kinross (K:TSX: KGC:NYSE), IAMGOLD Corp. (IMG:TSX; IAG:NYSE) and Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM:NYSE). We have also seen capital costs go up by 50–100% for the projects. That, together with the volatility in the stock market, has caused the equities to not keep up with metals prices.
For the gap to actually narrow, the companies have to make sure that the capital expenditure guidance they are giving to the market can actually be achieved. Until they are able to lower their costs and increase their profit margins, it will be very difficult for the gap to narrow, because it's easier for investors to buy gold bullion and exchange-traded funds and get the entire price appreciation, rather than buying the equities and facing all the operational and technical risks. I think that in 2013 that gap should start coming down, although I can't say with certainty that it will close. That's because the operational issues have been going on for over a year now.
TGR: It seems as if there has been negative leverage for the mining shares versus the positive leverage that people used to expect.
AS: That is absolutely correct. Until the companies and the managements of the companies start controlling their costs and start giving better guidance to the market, equities will underperform the commodities. Also, investors are now focusing more on dividends and cash flows than on growth, so management of the mining companies need to realize this and change their strategies accordingly.
TGR: Unlike in the past, when rising metals prices floated all stocks, it now seems that resource companies are increasingly being divided into what I would call the "haves," the "have-nots" and the "wannabes." Most investors are focusing on the haves, which are successful producers, and to a lesser extent on the wannabes that are smaller, but hoping to survive and grow. The vast majority, however, fall into the have-not category, that might hit on something or not survive. How is this influencing your investment choices at this point?
AS: The reason why investors are focusing on the companies that are haves is because they are usually large-cap companies that are already producers, which means that they are highly liquid and cash flow-positive. In a volatile market like this, investors do look for liquidity. When they get into a stock, they want to know that they are able to get out of it when they want to get out."Until companies start controlling their costs and start giving better guidance to the market, equities will underperform the commodities."
The have not category is one that performs very well when gold prices are increasing substantially and are expected to continue doing so, because the option value of their assets increases. During the times when gold prices are flat or the market volatility is high, we don't see these kinds of companies doing well, which is why you don't see investors buying companies in the have not category at this time.
The companies and equities that have been hit a lot are the ones that are in the wannabe category. These companies have good assets and good management teams, however, they are about three to five years away from being cash-flow positive. That means that they have assets that are either in the prefeasibility or the feasibility stage and it will take them at least two years to build a mine and be cash flow positive. They are suffering right now because when investors are afraid, they choose to invest in companies with positive cash flows, rather than companies that will be in production in two to three years. Wannabe companies are where investors should have the highest potential returns because they are now trading below their net asset values. As they are only about 12–36 months away from production, their stock prices should increase faster. Companies in this sector really have the most upside potential, if metals prices continue to increase and investors' risk appetite improves.
TGR: Maybe we can talk a little bit about specific companies that you're currently focusing on and what's going on with their exploration and development activities. Certainly, a lot of action is taking place in Mexico and Latin America. What's your view on what's going on there?
AS: A lot of companies are actually focusing on exploration in Mexico and Latin America because these countries are supposedly politically safe areas. With what we have seen happen in some countries in West Africa, investors are afraid of investing in much of Africa now other than, say, Ghana or perhaps Burkina Faso. We have seen a coup in Mali and some issues in Egypt and in West Africa as well as East Africa. Companies are actually focusing more on Latin and North America. Investors are ready to pay a good premium for companies with assets in Canada, U.S., Mexico, Chile, Brazil or Guyana because of the lower political risks."If investors are risk-averse, they should just stick with large-cap liquid names, like the large producers, which will probably pay dividends and have an upside when gold prices go up."
I want to talk about a few companies that we think are really solid. One of them is Atacama Pacific Gold Corp. (ATM:TSX.V). The Cerro Maricunga project in Chile has approximately 4.5 million ounces (Moz) . Currently, it is going through a preliminary economic assessment (PEA), the results of which are expected to be announced before the end of this year. I like the Cerro Maricunga gold project as it is all oxide associated ore, and the metallurgy for oxide is much easier and cheaper than for sulphide ore. I like the management team as well, and the insiders own 40% of the stock. That's my favorite name right now.
TGR: Would this be a low-grade, open-pit operation?
AS: Cerro Maricunga will be a low-grade, open-pit operation. The mineralization starts at surface and continues to over 500 meters in depth. Atacama will have a big open-pit operation at Cerro Maricunga.
I also like Volta Resources Inc. (VTR:TSX). The company has the Kiaka project in Burkina Faso. It has over 5 Moz of NI-43-101-compliant total gold resources. The company just put out its prefeasibility study and is now in the feasibility stage with those results to be announced in Q2/13. We like Kiaka because it's a big, low-grade, bulk-tonnage deposit. There are very few deposits in the world that have over 5 Moz, and this falls in that category. We like the management of Volta and think that Kiaka will become a mine over the next three to four years.
TGR: Most people have never heard of Burkina Faso. How politically stable is it?
AS: Burkina Faso is a democracy, very similar to Ghana. It did have some labor issues earlier this year, but those have all been resolved. IAMGOLD, SEMAFO Inc. (SMF:TSX; SMF:OMX), High River Gold Mines Ltd. (HRG:TSX) and Avocet Mining Plc (AVM:LSE) have operating gold mines in Burkina Faso. There are six producing gold mines in Burkina Faso right now. I think it's actually a politically safer jurisdiction than many of the other African countries.
TGR: What else do you like?
AS: In the silver space, I would like to mention Levon Resources Ltd. (LVN:TSX.V; L09:FSE; LVNVF:OTC). The stock has been beaten up a lot, just like every junior. Levon has over 455 Moz silver in politically safe Mexico and over $55 million in the bank. It has a deposit called Cordero, which is a Peñasquito look-alike deposit. With all the market volatility going on, the company has stopped drilling recently, but this is going to be another huge operation. Newmont owns about 11% of Levon. I really like Levon because of the silver exposure and the fact that it is one of the largest undeveloped silver projects in the world. There are not that many companies with good, undeveloped silver deposits in the world, and Levon is one of them.
TGR: Levon has been around for many, many years.
AS: That is correct.
TGR: Are there any other ones in Mexico or other places in South America that you'd like to talk about?
AS: I like Brazil Resources Inc. (BRI:TSX.V; BRIZF:OTCQX), which is obviously in Brazil. It just closed a deal about a month and a half ago with Luna Gold Corp. (LGC:TSX.V), where it bought Luna Gold's Cachoeira project. The project has about 667,000 oz (667 Koz) of gold and is expected to announce that it is getting into a PEA at Cachoeira. I think the company will be looking at other acquisitions as well. It's a good company with a management team that has a lot of experience in Latin America. The stock hasn't performed very well, just like the other juniors, but I think that it's a good company to hold.
TGR: Where is that trading these days?
AS: Brazil Resources is trading at $1.06/share and I have a 12-month target price of $1.45.
I would also like to mention Timmins Gold Corp. (TMM:TSX.V; TGD:NYSE.MKT). Timmins Gold has been ramping up production in Mexico. I don't cover it officially, but I really like the management team and the San Francisco gold mine in the Sonora State of Mexico that they operate. It's a nice, small operation, producing over 100 Koz gold at a low cost. I think that it has a lot of exploration upside as well and I like it a lot.
TGR: In general, what's your overall assessment of the metals situation these days? What do you think that investors ought to be doing to hopefully make some reasonable money in the coming year or at least protect their downside?
AS: If investors are risk-averse, I think that they should just stick with large-cap liquid names, like the large producers, which will probably pay dividends and have an upside when gold prices go up. Investors who have some risk appetite should choose among some of these smaller companies with good management teams and good assets in not very politically risky jurisdictions where projects could be in production over the next two to three years. Those will have the most upside over the next year.
TGR: That sounds both reasonably conservative and, hopefully, optimistic thinking. We'll have to see what happens with the metals markets and if they can drag these stocks along with them. Thanks for speaking with us today, Alka.
AS: I hope for the same. Thanks for having me.
Alka Singh started her career as a mining research associate with Wellington West Capital Markets in Toronto. Since then she has worked for Orion Securities and Merrill Lynch in Canada. She then moved to New York City to build the mining franchise for Rodman and Renshaw, where she covered 24 precious metals, base metals and uranium names. Singh has since started her own independent research firm, Mine2Capital, to provide unbiased research for clients. She holds a Bachelor of Science in geology and a Master of Business Administration in finance. She is a CFA charter holder.
Want to read more exclusive Gold Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Exclusive Interviews page.
1) Zig Lambo of The Gold Report conducted this interview. He personally and/or his family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in the interview are sponsors of The Gold Report: Timmins Gold Corp. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for services. Interviews are edited for clarity.
3) Alka Singh: I personally and/or my family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I personally and/or my family am paid by the following companies mentioned in this interview: None. I was not paid by Streetwise Reports for participating in this interview.
( Companies Mentioned: ATM:TSX.V, BRI:TSX.V; BRIZF:OTCQX, LVN:TSX.V; L09:FSE; LVNVF:OTC, TMM:TSX; TGD:NYSE.MKT, VTR:TSX, )
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Here he is one of the funniest characters from the Disney movie "The Lion King". I figured I would show you all how to draw Timon since he is such a memorable character from the animated movie. Lets talk a bit about Timon before we learn how to draw him shall we? First off he is as you know a meerkat, but not just any meerkat. Timon has a spunk about him that is hard to ignore. He has the whole world planed out before he even knows how it works. He also thinks that he knows everything and anything as well. I mean if it wasn't for his best friend Pumba the warthog, he wouldn't have any fresh ideas blow up in his mind at all. Timon and Pumba are what you call loners. They travel together, they live together, and they even sleep together. They are as close as two friends can be. Although Timon thinks he is the brains out of the duo, it is Pumba that is almost always correct. For instance, it was Pumba that suggested they should take Simba in and train him to like bugs instead of meat so that he can come in useful one day. It was also Pumba that was right about what the bright dots were in the sky. He answered "they are balls of gas burning millions of miles away", and then Timon said that they were "fire flies". See what I mean? He is absolutely hilarious. Everything that comes out of his mouth is some sort of joke or smart comment which ends up with me having a burst of laughter from it. One thing that will always remain memorable is their motto that they live by "Hakuna Matata", which of course means "no worries". They teach Simba to live by this same motto but even though he does, he can't help but feel guilty for his father's death. Anyway Timon is a real bright comedic character in the film. In this tutorial you will learn how to draw Timon from The Lion King step by step. I hope you like this one; I think it came out good. I will be back in a while so hang in there folks.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text: I'm the new owner of a 1981 Freedom 40 Aft Cockpit model that's been on the hard for over a decade and needs just about everything. I am searching for any and all documentation I can find concerning this boat to aid in my refit. If anyone has or knows where I can get such information, please help.


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A standoff with a Groton firefighter at the UConn Avery Point campus in Groton that forced the evacuation of the campus is over after the man committed suicide, according to officials.
The man, identified as Timothy Devine, 30, of Groton, was found at the university, armed and despondent, according to officials.
He had been a firefighter with the Poquonnock Bridge Fire Department for four years.
"Firefighter Devine was a dedicated firefighter with an exemplary record who took great pride in serving the community." Todd Paige, chief of the fire department, said in a written statement. "The Poquonnock Bridge Fire Department is deeply saddened by the suddenloss and is extending their support to his family in this extremely difficult time."
Devine's family called Groton police around 5 p.m. to say he was despondent and armed, police said.
Just after 10 p.m. on Monday, police found the man's car.
Devine was armed and standing on the rocks at the shore line and refused police requests to surrender the weapon, police said.
Police said they started immediate negotiations with Devine and called for the State Police Tactical Team and State Police negotiators.
A Trooper and local police negotiator spoke with Devine for several hours and tried to convince him to disarm himself, but were unsuccessful, police said. Police also used non-lethal tactical devices to try and disarm him.
Around 3:50 a.m., Devne stopped communicating with negotiators and shot himself, state police said.
EMS responded and pronounced Devine dead at the scene.
The medical examiner will conduct and autopsy.
The university sent a brief emergency alert to the UConn Avery Point community and posted on the university's website.
Officers from several nearby police departments assisted the UConn Police Department and set up a perimeter around Devine, who was alone and confined to a remote area of the campus.
A portion of the campus near the scene was evacuated.
A group of high school students taking part in a Project Oceanology summer program remained in a building on the opposite side of the campus from where the Devine was located. Parents were notified of the situation and given the option to pick up their children.
Throughout the summer, there are various marine and oceanography programs that take place on campus for high school students, school officials said.
The shoreline area of campus will remain closed as police investigate. The camp was expected to reopen at 8 a.m.
State police have taken over the investigation.


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Your Search did not match any results
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Oracle's products for knowledge management help users find useful knowledge contained in corporate information stores.
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|170 mm
|88 mm
|3 mm
Dagger Buck Glint Limited Edition 8.8cm 234
The Buck Limited Edition Glint Dagger is an alluring single edged dagger with display stand that would make the perfect letter opener or eye-catching desk accent. As part of Buck's Legacy Collection, the Glint is limited to only 250 pieces produced and hand built in the USA. Includes certificate of authenticity.
A young Kansas blacksmith apprentice named Hoyt Buck was looking for a better way to temper steel so it would hold an edge longer. His unique approach produced the first Buck Knife in 1902.
Hoyt made each knife by hand, using worn-out file blades as raw material. His handy work was greatly appreciated during World War II. After the war, Hoyt and his son Al moved to San Diego and set up shop as H.H. Buck & Son in 1947.
Al Buck revolutionized the knife industry in 1964 with the Model 110 Folding Hunter. The folding "lockblade" knife made Buck a leader. A position we proudly hold today.
Hoyt and Al Buck's ingenuity may have put the company on the map. But it is our ongoing commitment to developing innovative new products and improving what we have by third and fourth generation Buck family members that have made Buck the successful knife maker it is today.
Frankly, it's what customers expect from a Buck.
You have not viewed any product yet.
290.32 €
(incl. VAT 0%)
|1 in stock
|Lappeenranta: 0
|Helsinki: 1
|Brand: Buck
|Category: Daggers
Category: Special Offers
|Name: Glint
|Shipping costs to your country (United States (US))
|Free Shipping with tracking number (3-10 business days)
|0 €
|Free Worldwide Shipping for orders over 100 EUR
- Quick shippingWe ship worldwide! Orders placed on business days before 14.00 Finnish time, we sent on the same day. Free shipping for orders over 100 euro!
- Easy paymentMyGoodKnife offers several payment options for your purchase: credit card or direct payment to bank account.
- Secure shoppingMyGoodKnife is secured with SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate by Thawte. Our webshop is encrypted with 128-bit SSL protection. When you move to the payment pages, your payment transaction is completely secure!
- Customers supportContact our customer service via live chat, e-mail or contact form. We do our best to answer all requests in nearest time.
- Return & RefundEU customers have the right to cancel order within 14 working days of delivery and return goods for a full refund (except cost of shipment).The goods must be return in saleable (unused) condition including package.


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Westminster motorcyclist heads out on Old West road trip on new Victory bike
Lucky Kevin Fury of Westminster will head out next week to start on his dream road trip — a summer's worth of excursions through historic Old West towns such as Tombstone, Ariz., Deadwood, S.D., and Elko, Nev., all on a Victory Cross Country motorcycle.
The biker competed against 350 others, and wound up being one of just ten winners who get a complimentary lease on the new bike for the rest of the year. Fury was picked, according to Jake Ricker, spokesman for Victory, because of his "passion for history," which you can hear about in the video below.
Fury plans to stop at the graves of Buffalo Bill, the OK Corral and the site of the Battle of Wounded Knee, among many others, on his True American Road Trip. You can follow along on his journey to read and listen in on his updates through August.
For more news and features, visit the Denver Post Travel section.


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I'm trying to add a new domain to the Websites section of my account.
The plugin is installed and active on my site, but when I try to add that domain, I get:
"Like Button has not been found on specified domain."
Are there any additional steps I should take?
Thank you!


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The following is my most recent attempt at a pair of Lucas Type 2 Irish Shoes. Each shoe is cut from a single piece of 3mm vege tan leather, given 5 coats of saddle tan dye, soles get 3 coats of linseed oil and is hand stitched using 14 foot of 2 ply nylon thread.
Image 1 - Lucas Type 2 Irish Shoe size 9. Showing outside of the right foot, note upturned toe.


text: Driver Reviver 18.104.22.168 Crack Full Version Free DownloadDriver Reviver 188.8.131.52 Crack Full Version Free Download Driver Reviver 126.96.36.199 Crack is the ultimate utility for the installation of the outdated drivers with great automation. It also makes backup of drivers. It makes the driver installation very easy. It can make the backup of the drivers. These backups can be used for the …Read More »