text:
Replacing a diseased heart valve
Understanding Heart Valve Replacement
What is it?
There are four valves in your heart. They open to let blood pass through and close to keep blood from flowing in the wrong direction. When heart valves become diseased, they can develop two main problems:
- Stenosis, or narrowing. This means that a valve does not open wide enough to let sufficient blood pass through.
- Regurgitation, or leakage. The valve does not close completely, so blood leaks through in the wrong direction.
In many cases, these problems can be repaired through surgery. But if a valve cannot be repaired it may need to be replaced.
Valve replacement surgery can eliminate the symptoms and health risks associated with valve disease.
How is it done?
Traditional Heart Valve Surgery
In heart valve replacement surgery, an incision is made in the chest to expose the heart. This procedure requires general anesthesia and the use of the heart lung machine to supply your body with blood while your heart valve is being repaired.
Your old valve is removed and a new valve is sewn into the location of your native valve. There are three types of replacement valves that may be used to replace a diseased valve:
- Tissue valves or biologic valves are made from animal or human tissue. They may be combined with artificial materials, too. They are more readily available than human heart valves, and like human heart valves, they don't require blood thinners. Tissue valves generally last about 15 years, not as long as mechanical heart valves.
- Mechanical heart valves are made completely from man-made materials. They are very reliable and last much longer than tissue valves. Mechanical heart valves require that patients be on blood thinners permanently to prevent a clot from forming on the valve.
The risks of valve surgery, as with all surgeries, are related to the age and relative health of the patient. Following are some of the risks of valve replacement surgery:
- Bleeding
- Heart rhythm problems
Less common complications are:
- Heart attack, if a blood clot breaks loose soon after surgery
- Infection of the chest wound
- Kidney failure
- Stroke
- Reaction to the anesthesia
Technology and expertise at Lee Health
Lee Health provides the most advanced valve replacement surgeries and treatments using a multidisciplinary approach. Our valve program regularly handles the most complex cases in the region with excellent outcomes.
Our surgeons have extensive experience in minimally-invasive robotic surgery for mitral valve replacement, and the first in the region to perform this valve surgery with robotic assistance. Robotic surgery makes it possible to perform valve surgery through smaller incisions with greater control and accuracy.
A new procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, is providing new hope for patients considered too weak to undergo traditional aortic valve replacement surgery. HealthPark Medical Center became the first hospital in Florida—outside of clinical trials—to offer this procedure to patients who previously had no viable surgical options.


text:
Remember the Information Superhighway? It's what some folks used to call the Internet back in the 1990s. Those of us lucky enough to have access from home were using dial-up modems that were over 1,000 times slower than the cable modem I'm using right now. Nothing very Super about that and the Internet has never remotely resembled a Highway. For example, suppose you wanted to drive from Chicago to New York as quickly as possible. Would you ever go via Texas? Or suppose you only wanted to travel from one part of Singapore to another. Would you first get on a boat to California, only to immediately sail back to a different part of the city? No, you wouldn't, but this sort of thing happens all the time with your Internet traffic on the Information Superhighway we use today. (See this presentation or this blog for a few more examples.)
The highway analogy immediately breaks down since the Internet consists entirely of private roads (i.e., cables). Yes, there are cables between Chicago and New York, but you might not be able to use them since your provider and its various partners don't have the appropriate access. So maybe you take the scenic route via Texas or Los Angeles. Yet unless you happen to live in a country that restricts Internet access, you can pretty much get to anywhere you want to go, which is a very good thing. However, your traffic might just flow via very long and circuitous paths, a fact that has serious implications for both performance and security. In this blog, we focus on the performance issues around having your traffic travel half way around the world to get down the street. In a subsequent post, we'll look at the issue of security and how errant paths can be exploited.
Why does "local" Internet traffic bounce around the world?
Keep in mind that moving traffic around on the Internet is a business, and an extremely competitive low-margin one at that. In this environment, Internet service providers are always seeking to reduce their costs, which can mean trying to keep traffic on their own networks (rather than passing it off to another provider) or avoiding some other provider entirely (by not interconnecting with them and negotiating a business relationship). It's all about money and that doesn't necessarily translate into the best user experience. In addition, configuring routing on the Internet is a very complex, error-prone process. Since ISPs are not necessarily paying attention to performance, suboptimal paths can exist for months or years before anyone notices.
However, content providers do care about performance and will often host their content in data centers around the world in an attempt to reduce latencies to their customers. One technique that is used is called anycast, where the same IP addresses (prefixes) are hosted and announced from multiple locations with the hope that users end up at the closest data center. But it is really just a hope. Despite the hype around this and other approaches, all they really do is increase your odds of getting better performance by increasing the number of choices. Whether you do or not depends on your provider, the providers used by the data centers involved, the relationships between these providers (if any) and how they have chosen to route their traffic.
In other words, it's the paths between you and the content you are trying to reach that matter in the end, both for performance and security.
So my traffic can really leave the country when the content is hosted down the street?
Absolutely. Let's look at a couple of examples. Readers of this blog are certainly familiar with DNS and the importance of the root name servers. While there are 13 IP addresses associated with the root name servers, they are actually located in hundreds of locations around the world. The most prolific is the L-root run by ICANN, with 146 locations, two of which are in Los Angeles. The following graphic shows recent paths from each of our Los Angeles data centers to the L-root. From one LA data center, we get to an L-root instance in LA in under 1ms. From the other, queries to the L-root take over 150ms and are answered from Dundee, Scotland!
What is going on here? In the first case, our local provider elects to hand off our request to another carrier, one that serves an L-root location in Los Angeles. DNS requests via this path are handled quickly and efficiently. In the second case, our local provider (a different one) directly services an L-root location, but this one happens to be Dundee, Scotland. Rather than pass our traffic to a competitor, this carrier keeps our request local to its own network. In general, this is not a bad idea as interconnects between providers can often be congested. However, in this case, our DNS queries are serviced more than 8,000 kilometers away, introducing needless delay. If the Internet had been designed for performance, this would never happen.
Since DNS performance is critical to user experience, let's consider one more example. This time we'll look at Google's public DNS servers from South America, globally accessible at 188.8.131.52 and 188.8.131.52. While Google claims to have a strong presence in the region, starting in mid-September, we noticed quite poor performance to both IP addresses from a number of our locations on the continent. We traced that back to an internal routing change at Google that appears to now be redirecting South American DNS queries to the US — at least from our locations and via our providers. Obviously, this is less than ideal from a performance standpoint as shown below.
So can anyone host content effectively in this environment?
Yes, with the correct tools. The first thing to realize is that no one — not even Google — can afford to have data centers everywhere, buying Internet transit from everyone. If you are hosting content on the Internet, you have to first decide on your target markets and then locate the major providers in those markets. If you already have customers, your task is somewhat easier as you can mine your own logs for their IP addresses and then figure out where they are. With knowledge of your existing or potential customers, the structure of the Internet and the business relationships that exist between providers, you can plan and implement your hosting strategy. But as the previous example shows, the Internet is a very dynamic place and there is no substitute for regular monitoring to ensure that your services are meeting your performance expectations from your target markets.
As a final example, let's look at global latency measurements into two networks, one hosting a Google DNS server (220.127.116.11/24) and the other hosting various subdomains of Microsoft's Bing (18.104.22.168/24). In the following graphic (click on maps to enlarge), we display the minimum latency observed from over a hundred Renesys data centers to these networks over one recent 24-hour period. As would be expected, both Google and Microsoft perform quite well from Europe and the US, but there are stark differences in other parts of the world. From Chennai, India, we recorded a minimum latency of 4ms for Google, whereas Microsoft clocked in at 290ms. The situation was reversed in Sao Paulo, Brazil with Google at 200ms and Microsoft at 2ms.
Keep in mind that these measurements were taken from Renesys data centers in these cities. As with the L-root example, measurements taken from another data center in the same city using different providers could yield very different results. The point of this example is simply to show that even the largest players in the market can have poor performance in some locations via some providers. No one can be everywhere. However, if you identify your target market (or have us assist you in the process), we can certainly help you monitor performance, as well as make informed provider and routing choices. Better yet, we can even put our own probes into your network for additional insights. This is part of what makes us a Gartner 2013 Cool Vendor.
The post Why Internet Paths Matter: Performance appeared first on Dyn Research.
About the Author

subset: commoncrawl


text:
More than just the biggest city in southern China, Guangzhou, located in Guangdong province is the birthplace of the famous overseas Chinese food in Chinatowns around the world. Emigrants from Guangdong province left in waves during the 19th century from the port of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) to work in gold mines throughout the world and to seek out better pasturelands.
These days the scene has changed in Chinatowns with the influx of Mandarin speaking Chinese, but Guangzhou is still the entry port to many overseas born Chinese seeking to find their roots in China.
Guangzhou is the third largest city in China with over 12 million people. The city's soon to be completed CTF Financial Centre will have the fastest elevator in the world at 45 mph.
Beneath all the high-rise buildings and modernization like the magnificent Four Seasons Guangzhou's atrium lie the many old alleys and the Xiguan old neighborhood's houses.
The Xiguan houses were made of grey bricks and the most significant feature of these homes were the horizontal wooden bar gates known as Tanglong. These Tanglongs consist of 13 or 15 round polls made of hardwood like redwood. Its main functions were for security. Another reason was the openness of the gate allowed better ventilation for the homes compared to a closed wooden gate.
Here is a story from a sign next to the statue found in Shanghxiajiu, near the Xiguan houses:
Tanglong is a set of theft-proof paling installed in front of the ancient Xiguan house, which can be open and closed by its rack at the bottom. Naughty kids are so fond of climbing Tanglong that their heads might be easily trapped between the bars. This kind of game is harmful indeed.
Shangxiajiu is Guangzhou's pedestrian street filled with colonial buildings, Guangzhou's iconic restaurants, bakeries, shops and Qingping Market.
Shamian Island showcases a piece of Guangzhou's European past. Shamian Island is located by the sandbank of the Pearl River. The island is connected to other parts of Guangzhou by a series of bridges. It used to be the center where western merchants and their families resided and conducted their businesses from early 18th century to mid 19th century.
The island is still filled with these colonial homes, church, gardens, old trees, fountains and monuments.
Guangzhou is booming in all sectors including manufacturing and international trade. Its proximity to Hong Kong and Macau gives it a slight edge compared to Beijing and Shanghai. It takes about two hours to travel by train from Guangzhou city center to Hong Kong.
While I was there I stayed at the Frasers Suite on Tianhe Road. On a clear day, the Canton Tower was visible, however, most days Guangzhou was hazy, making most of the iconic buildings hidden in the thick smog. That was quite unfortunate.


text:
Mortal (guild name changed from Enigma in 2012) was formed in April 2010 with the intent to bring skilled players with positive/mature attitudes together to push PvE progression in mmorpgs. Our guild has always had an emphasis on community, and we'll always be found on the server with the best community/RP. We were originally formed as a pre-launch Rift guild, but we decided to test our young guild while we waited for Rift in a familiar game for the bulk of our playerbase, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.
And so it began...
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
We raided 3 nights a week (9 hours/wk) on the recently merged Telon (PvE) server. We found immediate success in all things PvE and rivalled much more established guilds. The rate at which we cleared content became a staple of what our guild would become.
Leadership: Hydd, Schwin, Kazuma, Jadden
|Ancient Port Warehouse. April 2010
|Shadow Hillsbury. April 2010
|Pre-PotA Overlands. April 2010
|Officer Masuke Whitewind. May 2010
|Belzane. May 2010
|Teraxes. May 2010
|Arch Magus Zodifin. May 2010
|Sister's Event. July 2010
|Arachnidon Sunshine. September 2010
Rift: Planes of Telara
We raided 3 (4 during progression) nights a week (9-12 hours/wk) on the Shadefallen (RP-PvE) server. Having been in the closed Alpha for the better part of a year, we were very excited to get into Rift's raids (did not raid until release). We set a precedence on our server where we became the first max level of every single class, dungeon clears, raid clears and guild creation. We even pushed top 10 Rift Zam World First leaderboard rankings. During our tenure in Rift, we fluctuated in the top 30 world-wide for PvE progression.
Leadership: Hydd, Cersei, Mazith, Jadden, Schwin
|Server First Guild Creation. March 2011
|Top 10 Rift Zam World First Leaderboards. March 2011
|Server First Level 50 (Cersei). March 2011
|Server First Level 50 (Every Class). March 2011
|Server First Greenscale. April 2011*
|Server Fist Gilded Prophecy. May 2011*
|Server First Alsbeth. May 2011*
|Server First Prestige PvP Rank 8. August 2011
|Server First Drowned Halls. August 2011*
*All mobs in dungeon were server first
Star Wars: The Old Republic
We raided 3 (1 night during farm) nights a week (3-9 hours/wk) on the Lord Adraas (RP-PvE) server. We made quick work of the 8 and 16 man content. Due to lack of challenging raid content, we shifted to be equally focused on PvP during our tenure in SWTOR.
Leadership: Hydd, Sarish, Jadden, Hektor, Derebe, Xerre
|Server First 16-Man Eternity Vault. Febuary 2012
|Server First 16-Man Eternity Vault Hardmode. March 2012
|Server First 16-Man Karaga's Palace. March 2012
|Server First 16-Man Karaga's Palace Hardmode. March 2012
|Server First 16-Man Eternity Vault Nightmare. March 2012
|Server First 16-Man Karaga's Palace Nightmare. March 2012
Guild Wars 2
We ran WvW 2 nights a week (6 hours/wk) on the Tarnished Coast (unofficial RP) server. Historically being a PvE focused guild, we destroyed all the dungeon content during the first few weeks of launch and put full focus into WvW after we all had exotic dungeon gear. With lack of content outside of WvW, several members became forum junkies (or authors of sticky posts on the official forums) trying to min/max different aspects of our respective classes.
Leadership: Hydd, Xerre, Hektor, Jadden
|Cleared all Dungeons. September 2012
|Hydd achieved WvWvW Commander status. October 2012
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
We raided with 1 night a week (3 hours/wk) on the Emerald Dream (RP-PvP) server. Our intent was to stay sharp for the impending Wildstar release. We started late in the expansion but enjoyed the polished raid encounter Blizzard is known for.
Leadership: Hydd, Hadzuska, Meleth
|Ahead of the Curve: Throne of Thunder 10-Man. August 2013
|Ahead of the Curve: Siege of Orgrimmar 10-Man. November 2013
We raided 3 nights a week (9 hours/wk) on the Evindra (RP-PvE) server. Having been in the closed Alpha/Beta for the better part of a year, we were very excited to get into Wildstar's raids (did not raid until release). We set a precedent on our server where we became the first max level of every single class, dungeon clears, raid clears and guild creation. During our tenure in Wildstar, we fluctuated in the top 30 world-wide for PvE progression.
Leadership: Hydd, Kazuma, Ceriwyn, Zidjian, Saraborg
|Server First Level 50 (Paperturbine). June 2014
|Server First Level 50 (Every Class). June 2014
|Server First Dungeon Completion (All). June 2014
|Server First Attunement. June 2014
|Server First, #9 US, #19 World X-89. June 2014
|Server First, #9 US, #20 World Kurulak. July 2014
|Server First, #15 US, #30 World Prototypes. July 2014
|Server First, #9 US, #20 World Phagemaw. July 2014
|Server First, #17 US, #30 World Convergence. August 2014
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen
Coming soon.
Leadership: Hydd, Paperturbine


text:
Posts Tagged As: Kristin Chenoweth
May 10th, 2010
There are few people who delight me more than Kristen Chenoweth. This talented woman is known to many as a Tony winning star of Broadway (including originating the role of Galinda in Wicked), but those outside of New York have more recently got to know her from her Emmy-winning role as Olive Snook in the very quirky Pushing Daisies, or from her guest role on Glee.
But one of the things that make Chenoweth special is that she is unapologetic about both her Christian faith and her advocacy for the gay community. To Kristen, these go hand in hand.
And when she read the nonsensical Newsweek column by Ramin Setoodeh in which he laments that gay people just aren't convincing in straight roles, she didn't smile sweetly and go on. It turns out that Chenoweth has worked with the actors in the roles that Setoodeh just couldn't believe. She is costarring in Promises, Promises opposite Sean Hayes and guest-starred on a recent Glee episode with Jonathan Groff.
I'd normally keep silent on such matters and write such small-minded viewpoints off as perhaps a blip in common sense. But the offense I take to this article, and your decision to publish it, is not really even related to my profession or my work with Hayes or Jonathan Groff (also singled out in the article as too "queeny" to play "straight.")
This article offends me because I am a human being, a woman and a Christian.
I am grateful (but not too surprised) that Chenoweth defended her fellow actors. But it is an additional joy to see her do so in terms that stand much anti-gay bigotry on its ear. Kristen's spiritual devotion may seem irrelevant to many who already agree with us, but her faith gives her a voice to reach many who might otherwise dismiss her as 'godless Hollywood'.
I believe that the tipping point on gay rights will come when more people see equality not as something that they can support despite their faith, but must support because of it. Kristin is already there.
Featured Reports
In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for "cross-gender disturbance" in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.
When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation's embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.
In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that "[Paul] Cameron's 'science' echoes Nazi Germany." What the SPLC didn"t know was Cameron doesn't just "echo" Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution's architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a "plausible idea" in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.
On February 10, I attended an all-day "Love Won Out" ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.
Prologue: Why I Went To "Love Won Out"
Part 1: What's Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With "No Exceptions"
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"
At last, the truth can now be told.
Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!
And don't miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.
Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.
Anti-gay activists often cite the "Dutch Study" to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.
Tony Perkins' Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family "Research" Council.
The FBI's annual Hate Crime Statistics aren't as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.


text:
Panels or Bookmark Kits
8cm x 20cm
This miniature needlepoint 'Designs by Jack' kit ia inspired by the geometrical patterns and designs of Caucasian carpets.R338.00R338.00
7cm x 21cm
A stylised phoenix with its egg of myrrh forms the centre of this miniature needlepoint kit from 'Designs by Jack. Fringing is included in the kit so it can be made into a bookmark.R302.00R302.00
7cm x 21cm
Vyvyan's abundant flower garden inspired this delightful miniature needlepoint kit From "Designs by Jack'.R415.00R415.00
7cm x 21cm
Characterised by its vibrant horizontal linear pattern, this miniature needlepoint Designs by Jack" kit is the easiest to work.R230.00R230.00
7cm x 23cm
Chi Chi carpets are some of the most desirable Caucasian carpets and these were the inspiration for this miniature needlepoint kit from 'Designs by Jack.'R338.00R338.00
7cm x 21 cm
Inspired by the Yurak rugs made in Anatolia the Turkish design in this miniature needlepoint kit is from "Designs by Jack." Worked in a rich gold , deep green and red on an ivory backgound.R330.00R330.00


text:
Hi! For full access to courses you'll need to take a minute to register to this e-learning portal.
For registration, please follow these steps:
PLEASE NOTE: this e-learning portal works correctly only on Mozilla Firefox. Please make sure that browser has enabled Cookies, has enabled Java script, do not block pop-up windows.
You will need to hear the sound of the presentation to pass the course.


text:
1994 U.S. Soccer 'Denim' Shorts
The Story
The year was 1994. The United States was about to host its first World Cup in history. The stage was perfectly set for the U.S. men's national team to make a bold statement in front of the entire world that, finally, U.S. Soccer had arrived. Gone were the days of being a laughing stock and doormat of the international stage! It was time to get serious.
So when the meeting with adidas finally arrived in the Spring of '94 to give the U.S. players the first look at their uniforms for the World Cup, the expectations were high...very high. And when the curtain was pulled back........DENIM. Denim print jerseys and denim print shorts. What the f*ck?!?!
"It was the longest silence I'd ever heard from our team," remembers forward Eric Wynalda. Then, nervous/angry laughter broke out. "I'd be lying if I said people weren't looking around for the hidden camera," said Alexi Lalas."They were hideous."
Nevertheless, the Americans took the field for the '94 World Cup in the now infamous 'Denim Kit' which included these shorts which were worn with the 'Bacon' jerseys and the denim jersey which was worn with red shorts. Beautiful or hideous? We're going with gorgeous.
Made from quick-dry poly microfiber material that become more comfortable with every wash, our shorts are built to be the most versatile and comfortable item in your wardrobe. From the beach to the bar to the court to the couch, these bad boys are at home anywhere, and with their mesh pockets, you always have a place to keep your essentials.
- Cut for a modern, but comfortable fit
- Adorned with the famous Alexi Lalas #22
- Embroidered 'USA' logo
- Mesh pockets
- Made in USA


text:
Latest News
Every child should have a smile on their face. Help us help them, make a donation today. no matter how big or small, every little helps.
Donate via Givealittle
Error:Error validating access token: Session has expired on Sunday, 22-Sep-19 01:43:40 PDT. The current time is Monday, 20-Jan-20 02:02:06 PST.
Homes of Hope Tauranga
PO Box 70128
Fraser Cove
Tauranga 3155
Phone (07) 578 9826
Fax (07) 578 3956


text:
FREE 6/17 – 6/19 ONLY! Don't miss it…get your FREE copy today!
Amazon: #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Suspense > Political
20 reviewers gave this novel 4.8 stars!
Everyman Carl Johnson's mundane life is turned upside down when mistaken identity makes him the target of our government's Terror Event Response unit for the kidnapping of Madam President's daughter. Brutality and torture and the needless shooting of his only son cause him to spiral beyond reach of the most elite, highly trained agents while he attempts to uncover the plot behind it all and rescue the girl.
In a story inspired by a brush with police brutality, Poston brings visibility to issues behind today's headlines: police violence, racism, and constant threat of terrorism in this intricate and suspenseful tale of police use-of-force doctrine and power of government. "I wrote the novel because ten years ago I was jacked up by police, and for ten years I've been dealing with the trauma of that experience. This is a work of fiction, but the perceived violence of police against non-white citizens is a complicated topic. What I've tried to capture in this story are the thoughts and feelings and fears of a wanted man trying to deal with the loss of his family, his dignity, and his very reason for living."
About the Author
Jeffrey Poston is the acclaimed author of several fast-paced adventure thriller series that have garnered many 5-star reviews on Amazon. He has also received rave reviews of his Jason Peares historical western series. Blending traditional and revisionist historical research, his westerns have been praised as "fast-moving" (Kelton) and "exciting, page-turning" (Zollinger) and "among the best writers of westerns" (Biblio.com). Before pursuing a writing career, Jeffrey obtained an electrical engineering degree in laser optics and was an Air Force officer and gentleman. He lives in the great American southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Connect with Jeffrey:
Twitter: @booksbyJPoston
Facebook: JeffreyPostonBooks
Google Plus: +Jeffrey Poston
Visit https://jeffreypostonbooks.com for Making of and behind the scenes facts, Interviews, and to sign up for a free copy of the upcoming novella continuing the story of the American Terrorist.


text:
So, I suspect I'm quite possibly the very last person with any substantial interest in the franchise to have finally got around to watching The Avengers (or as it's called in the UK Avengers Assemble). This is therefore not what you'd call a finger-on-the-pulse movie review type thing; more just a reflection on the fact that I kind of think this movie is something of a masterpiece, if considered strictly on its own terms.
Thing is, I'm surprised to discover that I called this one pretty much just right, way back in February, on the basis of the trailer. In fact, I'm so pleased with myself that I'll quote what I said about the trailer:
"What could anyone want from an Avengers movie other than snappy character interactions, spectacular action and tingly moments of superheroes doing cool and heroic things? Pretty much the best thing a trailer can ever do is say to its potential audience: 'We know what you want and expect from this movie, and we're going to give it to you. Big time.' "
And boy, did the film deliver on that promise. Never so much as a hint that the viewer might have to engage the thinking parts of their brain. The objective was to super-saturate the audience's senses with the tropes and visuals and bombast of pure spectacle, leavened with the precisely judged delivery of 'moments'. It's those two things – the visual spectacle and the moments – that make the film, and it's so abundantly clear that Joss Whedon knew precisely what he was aiming for, and how to hit the target, in terms of delivering them that it really is an amazing achievement on that level.
There's no shortage of holes you could pick in it if you wanted to – the hand-waving gibberish of the psuedo-science, the inexplicable transformation of the Hulk from mindless rampager to obedient, articulate soldier, the horribly Independence Day-style nonsense with the nuclear missile at the end (seriously, an alien invasion that's designed to overwhelm the whole planet is undone by a single nuke?) – but I really don't think any of that matters one little bit, because it's all like water off the duck's back of the movie's bravado and utter commitment to delivering mindless entertainment on the grand scale.
For all the triumphant spectacle of the thing, though, I really don't think it would work as it does without the aforementioned 'moments'. They're the single lines of dialogue, the gestures, the vanishingly brief scenes, that tie the whole thing up. They deliver the humour, or put the tingle in the viewer's spine, or reach back to satisfyingly close a loop with some earlier plot element or comment. They are, in many ways, the essence of this kind of movie-making, and The Avengers is utterly stuffed with them.
There's Captain America casually and silently handing Nick Fury a ten dollar bill in settlement of an earlier bet; Bruce Banner's 'I'm always angry' line as he literally turns into a smooth Hulk transformation; the Hulk's later interruption of Loki's (third? fourth?) arrogant explanation of why all of humanity is so far beneath him; Hawkeye shooting off arrows without even looking at the target. I could go on and on. It's all very simple, quite silly stuff, but it's what this film is all about, and I don't think I've ever seen it done so well and so heavily.
So: masterpiece. Just so long as your definition of masterpiece is … narrowly constructed. And for once – very sad how rare this is – the trailer was an abosultely 100% accurate depiction of what the film itself was to deliver. If for some strange reason you haven't actually seen the movie, despite finding the following visuals appealing, take it from me: you will not be disappointed.


text:
Starting tomorrow, the new consultant sign up special is going to be TWICE AS MUCH as it is today. Whoo hoo! You will have about $65.00 less to spend on brand new products and will definitely get less for your money.
But that's okay. You won't regret not signing up today when you could have bought the whole kit for $65 plus shipping and tax, you won't mind missing out on the You and Me kit that's only available for new consultants who sign up today. You won't wish that you hadn't hesitated starting a new adventure with Close to my Heart on a day when it would have saved you money, right?
Okay then.
Definitely wait until tomorrow. No need to pay less and get more, we all have plenty of money to throw around these days.
(If you get the irony of this post, be smart, sign up today using the link below).


text:
Statement by CBI: U.S. treasury delegation visit
A delegation from the U.S. treasury visited the CBI. The delegation expressed its appreciation for the measures the CBI took last year to counter financing terrorism and money laundry. It noted the advanced electronic systems used, as well as its efficiency and effectiveness. The delegation received an explanation for the mechanism the CBI uses to monitor the dollar transactions and discussed with the CBI its training program, starting soon, that intends to train and habilitate the CBI faculty in the administration and monitoring fields.
Source: http://www.cbi.iq/documents/press for-8-2-2017.pdf


text:
NYC Edition Round 167: The ConnectiCon XVII Movie Who You Got Challenge
With ConnectiCon this weekend, the 2nd Round gets together with Trivia Titans co-host Mom The Cosplayer and Cats On My Cosplay for an epic movie challenge breakdown! The movies on this list is top notch...You would you pick to be the epic winner???
Please be sure to like, follow @momthecosplyer & @catsonmycosplay
And be sure to check them out when Trivia Titans drops soon!


text:
"Your uncle is going to die soon," my mom says, "so if you want to talk to him before he goes, he's in the milkhouse."
She continues peeling potatoes while delivering the news, not looking at me, but she's clearly disturbed by what she has to say. I can tell by the way the peeler rips across the potato in rapid, downward chops.
I hope she doesn't slip and hurt herself, I think, at the same time I stand there on the soiled brown and orange rag rug beside her, mute. Why would she lay this on me? What am I supposed to do with this knowledge I didn't ask for and don't want in any case?
Things live and die, I know. I live on a farm. Sometimes we kill things on purpose, like slugs in our garden, weeds, hornets. My dad shoots raccoons that get in the grain and hog slop. I've been recruited to chop the heads off chickens when it's time to butcher them. We even eat the things we've loved, our rabbits and pet bummer lambs. Things grow up and die. I know life really means death, sooner or later.
I haven't had to know death on a personal level, though. I don't know how to act or what to say. I don't have any potatoes to peel to help me out with how I feel. I'm not sure how I feel. I'm just a black hole sucking in the facts. The lesson from all those youthful episodes of sobbing when I was told, "Shut up or I'll give you something to cry about!" finally took hold. I look to my mom's face for clues—nothing. I wait for her to suggest how I should be. Nothing.
I scratch my mosquito bite and regard the mushroom-shaped canisters situated along the countertop.
"What's wrong?" I finally ask. "Why is he going to die?"
"He went to the doctor today. It's his heart. He doesn't have long." Mom tells the window all about it, instead of me. At least she stops peeling while she stares, so I don't have to worry so much about that peeler slicing off a piece of her finger. She just stands there in her quilted halter top and pedal-pushers, sweat glistening on her freckled arms, her hands frozen above the white, chipped, dirt and water-splattered farm sink.
His heart. His broken heart.
Four years ago, when I was 14, Uncle Melvin's wife and four kids up and left, and I think now maybe that's what's done him in.
In my spare time or under my covers at night when everyone else sleeps, I read literary novels and poems from the 19th century. If what I read is to be believed, people do die of broken hearts. I can see it happening. This is probably what happened to Uncle Melvin. I am forming my own theory of explanation as a way of processing what I've just been told when my mom turns and looks at me, her face looking as chiseled as those presidents' faces carved into a mountain back there in South Dakota.
"He had rheumatic fever when he was a kid. His heart was damaged. Now go talk to your uncle."
I can hear in her voice that "no" is not an option.
I don't want to go talk to my uncle. I want to go in my room and shut the door. I hate being this age when I'm supposed to suddenly know how to do and say the right thing, because mostly, I don't. Why do I have to go talk to him, anyway? Why can't I wait until my sisters come home from wherever they are? Why can't I just wait until he comes into the house and talk to him then, when I know he'll be the first to speak and I can follow his lead?
He always initiates the conversation with me and my sisters, as if he really does want to know what we've been doing, as if he really does want our opinion. That's what we like the most about him. He didn't get the message when it was being passed out to my parents that children are to be seen and not heard. We know when we see him, he'll see us and we'll be laughing soon.
We kids are the first to hear when he comes up with a new theory. Like the time I was babysitting overnight so he and my aunt could go out. In the morning, out of the blue, he said, "Life is all backwards, you know. We should be able to have fun with our kids and then when we're grown, we can get serious and have jobs." He laughed, took a drink of his beer, a drag off his cigarette, and then the happy drained from his eyes. He leaned over in his chair, plunked his elbows on his knees, and laid his face in his palms. His glasses slid up above his hairline. My stomach did the worry hoppy-floppy but then he smiled and I thought I'd been mistaken about him being sad. Right after that, though, he didn't have his kids around anymore, so I guess I'd been right. And our uncle, who had always played tricks on us and told us jokes and laughed, suddenly didn't.
After the divorce, he didn't have his house anymore either. He had lived with Grandma. I had dinner with them once, and tried to make him laugh with stupid jokes I'd heard at school, like "What's black and white and red? A nun falling down the stairs. What do you call a guy with no arms and legs in a lake? Bob." He tried to laugh, but his heart wasn't in it, maybe one or two "Heh-heh's" is all. I could feel how much Grandma wanted him to laugh, too, her eyes all analytical question marks. No matter how much we tried, though, it wasn't going to happen. He was stuck so far down in sad he couldn't climb back out to happy. Abraham Lincoln was right when he said most folks are about as happy as they want to be.
Grandma kept trying though, and persevered until she found him a girlfriend. Well, she wasn't exactly a girl, more like a well-used woman. Ruth was older than Uncle Melvin, their age difference found simply scandalous in my family's gossipy conversations. I didn't see what the big deal was. If he was happy with her and she with him, what did age matter? It's true her corners were sharp, but if you didn't pay attention to that and kept talking to her, they softened.
She must be mighty sad right now, I'm thinking as I walk down the board sidewalk that's slippery in the rain, each foot finding the place where one board sags, hopping over the place where part of the board has rotted out; going past the honeysuckle into the driveway and then under the oak tree, past the doghouse covered in gray tar shingles, up the little porch, and into the milkhouse. I want weeks to go by before I reach the end of this path, another week still, before I reach the milkhouse. I stop and just off the path, pull two milkweeds under the oak to try to make this walk to talk to a dying man last longer.
The screen door screeches as I open it, scaring some flies stuck in the screen that's come out of the track and is bunched up like smocking. As I'm opening the door, I think on how my dad should fix this like he should fix so many other things he has no time for, working two jobs. Standing before me, their butts resting on the counter where we pour the separated milk into jars are my uncle and dad. Somehow they manage to talk, smoke and laugh all at the same time. Uncle Melvin's high tenor cackle always makes me smile. Any other time, I'd stop and watch them like they were in a movie because they are handsome men.
I don't know what my mom thought these two guys were doing out here, but as I let the screen door slam behind me, I see right away that dad has got out the whiskey he hides in the milk cooler and the two brothers are having a snort of solace. Maybe more than one. Mom would screw up her mouth into a tight little "O" like sucking on a cigarette without the cigarette if she knew but I suppose if you're going to die any minute it's OK to have a shot or two of whiskey.
It doesn't seem like they are talking about dying with all this laughing and drinking but since I don't know how people do it, I could be wrong.
They finish what they were saying and turn to look at me. It's the "action!" part of "lights, camera, action!" but I forgot to memorize my lines. Nobody even bothered to give me lines. I feel stupid because nothing comes in my head to say. There we stand in silent tableau, me on one side of the chopping block table full of saw and knife cuts from all the elk, deer, birds, pigs, beef and sheep the brothers have butchered here on our farm to feed their families, and them on the other. There has to be dying for living to happen, I guess. That kind of death I understand. Not the one I'm here to acknowledge.
The cigarettes in the ashtray burn down. The cooler motor hums. My dad and uncle swallow the last of the amber liquid in their glasses, no ice. Maybe they don't know what to say either. It's like how you feel at four in the morning when some things have just gone to bed and other things are just waking up, that little stretch of silence as the world shifts gears. Four a.m. is also when most people die, but I don't want to think about that fact now.
Dad clears his throat. "Your mom sent you out here? You heard?"
"Yeah," I mumble.
Here's where my dad lodges his tongue between his bottom teeth and lip the way he always does when he doesn't want to cry. I have tried this trick myself and it kind of works. The thought of losing his brother must have crept across his awareness just when he thought he had it tucked away. Saying things out loud sometimes makes things too real.
"I made it to 49," my uncle says.
That's the age grandpa was when he died. That's the same hump my father had to jump over and he was glad to turn 50 still alive. 49 is an important number in this family.
"I have to give up cigarettes, dang it. Don't see why if I'm going to die anyway."
They laugh at that and I think Uncle Melvin has a point.
It's quiet again, then Uncle Melvin hacks the way smokers do, pulls out his red handkerchief from his pocket and spits into it, and stuffs it back inside his pocket.
"How's your job?" he asks.
It's my first week working as a cook's helper in a restaurant. I prepare the plates with garnish. I mix things up sometimes because I've never even eaten some of the food in my life. I forget if it's the red cinnamon apple slice or the wad of parsley which goes on the plate with the chicken fried steak or the breaded veal. The owner threatens to fire me because I have to keep asking. Those thoughts rise to the surface when Uncle Melvin asks the question, but all I say is, "Fine."
"How are you?" I ask, and right when I say it I know it is possibly the dumbest thing I've ever said. I could have said, "I don't want you to die," or "I'm sorry you are going to die," or "My heart is full of anguish," or a myriad of other things more helpful and more sane. I don't even know why that came out of my mouth. No way to take it back. No second chances—for any of us.
"Not so good right now," Uncle Melvin says to the floor, and I could take the butcher knife and chop myself up in little bloody bits all over the scarred table.
I nod my head repeatedly, and say, "Hmmm."
My dad can't even look at me. "You should go back in the house and help your mother with dinner."
I feel like the girl who missed the $64,000 question which could have saved her family from destitution and penury. No doubt my standing there like a mime and then saying something idiotic has tried my father's patience. Patience is not his virtue. Still, he's given me an out, and I'm grateful.
"Okay. See ya," I say to my uncle, and without even hugging him, I take my stick figure self through the screen door.
On the long path back to the house, walking over bits of twigs, dried leaves and gravel, I reflect on what I haven't said or done. Why didn't I say those heartfelt things or do those loving things when the time came? Why couldn't I even think of them until later? My inadequacy makes my own heart ache at not being who I wish I were. Am I the only one who is less than she hoped to be?
The sky has darkened since I first went to the milkhouse and the screen door into the house is a block of light in a sea of gray. It's muggy enough we may get a summer thunderstorm later on tonight. I open the door and go in past the washer, its lid heaped with dirty clothes, to a kitchen smelling of roast beef, which my mother is carving. Potatoes, gravy, roast–it's a heavy meal for the summer but I can tell it's the only thing she knows to do about Uncle Melvin. She looks up and I see her eyes are red-rimmed and her nose, red. Her freckled face is blotchy. That's what happens when we cry. It appears she waited until I was gone so she could disobey her no crying rule without me as witness.
"Did you talk to him?" she asks.
"Yes," I say, and pass her without offering to help, going directly through the living room with its wood stove and cracked linoleum floor into my room, all pink and maroon, like a living organ, like, let's say, a heart.
I lie on my bed and look at the little plaque I won in my second grade Lutheran Sunday School class for knowing my scripture. It's about the size of a deck of cards and the only thing on my wall, now that the magazine picture of Ricky Nelson I had taped there got too ratty and I told him goodbye to his face, kissed his paper lips, and took it down.
"God is Love" the plaque reads. That sounds good to me. That will be my snort of solace for the moment. God knows there's nothing else to hold onto. I let loose and bawl.
Karen Keltz 2011
2011 Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers Honorable Mention
Published June 10, 2013 Huffington Post/50


text:
Next Episode of Flea Market Flip is
There are always diamonds to be mined at yard sales. The trick, of course, is finding them. The competitors in Flea Market Flip are asked to perform that trick, then they're challenged to refurbish or reinvent the items they've purchased in the hope of reselling them for a profit. Grouped in teams, the contestants in each episode are given a budget of about $500 to hunt for project pieces with potential. The team that does the best job of flipping trash for cash wins all of the profits earned that day. Passionate flea market fan Lara Spencer, an anchor on "Good Morning America" hosts.
Looks like something went completely wrong!
But don't worry - it can happen to the best of us,
- and it just happened to you.
Please try again later or contact us.


text:
Is the US Already Past the Point of Peak Water?
Photo via Ishmael Orendain via Flickr Creative Commons
Peter Gleick, an expert on water issues at the Pacific Institute, poses a troubling question: are we already past peak water in the US? Compared to areas like Africa, India and China, we seem to still have water supplies to last awhile, but that doesn't mean we actually have much time before serious water issues take hold. And in some locations like the southwest, that's already happened. Gleick points out three areas where water hits peak limits -- renewable water, nonrenewable water, and ecological water -- and notes that we seem to have already passed a tipping point on all three. Peak water has been a concern for several years now, with many nations already experiencing extreme water shortages, even to the point of violence. But here in the US, it seems that water will continue to flow from faucets indefinitely. If only that were the case... In the southwest where it is arid in the first place, water crunches after years of drought are already serious, and water supplies even in more precipitous areas need to be tightly regulated. When it comes to peak water, the US is certainly not immune.
In an article on Huffington Post, Gleick writes of three types of peak water: renewable, where water flows are constrained over time; nonrenewable, such as groundwater sources, where we pull more than can be naturally replenished; and ecological, which is the point beyond which the cost to the local ecology of using the water is higher than the value of using it for human consumption. According to Gleick, we seem to have hit the limits of all three.
There is strong evidence that the United States may have already passed the points of peak water, including peak renewable, nonrenewable, and ecological water, in many watersheds, especially (but not exclusively) in the more arid west. Indeed, when we look at data on total water withdrawals and use in the US... it shows that maximum water use occurred more than 30 years ago, and that we are now using less water overall, and much less water per person, than in 1980.
The bad news is that this suggests we have reached, or passed the point of peak water -- as is increasingly obvious in the regions I've mentioned above.
The good news, however, is that we have been able to continue to grow our economy and meet the demands of growing populations, with less and less water, through smart technology, regulations, education, and water conservation and efficiency programs. I think we're in a transition to a new way of thinking about and managing our water. And the sooner the better.
Indeed, the rise of smart water as a focus among technology companies and local municipalities is promising -- we're seeing more and more cities installing smart water metering systems and more businesses beginning to factor water consumption into their accounting in the same way that they factor in electricity use. The water footprint of consumer goods and foods is also becoming equally as important as the carbon footprint. Even though we're getting smarter about water use, having to share resources with more and more people still puts a strain on supplies.
While we are coming up against some tall, thick walls in regards to water supplies, we are also learning to innovate and manage our resources better. While bad practices abound, especially in agriculture and manufacturing, we are indeed making progress. Hopefully, it is speedy enough.
Follow Jaymi on Twitter for more stories like this
More on Peak Water
We Use How Much Water? Scary Water Footprints, Country by Country
Water Crisis Coverage on TreeHugger
Peak Everything: Learn about Peak Water
Population 4x More Important Than Climate Change on Water Shortage


text:
The most common form of diabetes in America is Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes happens when a body loses its ability to use insulin properly, which is called insulin resistance. This can cause problems with body cells being starved for energy and as time goes by the high blood glucose levels can hurt and possibly damage eyes, nerves, kidneys or heart.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is leading the fight against against the destructive effects of diabetes and those affected by it. Their goal is to prevent and cure this deadly disease and to improve the lives of all individuals afflicted.
If you or someone you know is affected by diabetes or you would simply like to help, consider donating a vehicle to the American Diabetes Association using our simple online form, or give us a call at 1-800-237-5714. Your car donation can help find a cure.
Four Ways To Lower Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes From The ADA:
1. Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you stay at a healthy weight, you can prevent and manage prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and also other things like unhealthy cholesterol, heart disease and high blood pressure.
2. Increase Your Physical Activity
Even if you haven't been active for a while, beginning to increase your activity level and do wonders for your health and in preventing type 2 diabetes.
3. Watch Your Sugar Intake
Managing the amount of glucose in your blood by eating less simple carbohydrates and sugary foods can help prevent type 2 diabetes.
4. Keep Track of Your Cholesterol Levels
When your cholesterol is at unhealthy levels, you may be at a greater risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Change your diet to include foods that will raise your HDL (good cholesterol) and will lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.
For more information and support on lowering your risk for type 2 diabetes, visit the ADA's Lower Your Risk page.


text:
Image courtesy Gifbin.com
Happy Valentine's Day to you all weekend long!
10:30 a.m.
Publix Apron's Cooking School
Wine & Dine in Monterey by Publix Resident Chef, Ray Ray De La Osa
Delray Beach Public LIbrary
100 W. Atlantic Ave.
Delray Beach
Cost: Free
No registrations
11 - 3 p.m.
Cason Cottage Museum Guided Tour (Thursday & Friday)
Thirty minute guided tour of former home of Rev & Mrs. J.R. Cason
Cason Cottage Museum
5 NE First St.
Delray Beach
Cost: $4
For more information, call 561.274.9578
5 - 7 p.m.
2014 Marketplace Music Fest
Orange Sunshine - classic live music from the 1960s
Delray Marketplace open-air amphitheater
9025 W. Atlantic Ave.
Delray Beach
Cost: Free
For more information, call 561.865.4613
8 p.m., Saturday, 2 p.m.
Valentine's Special with jazz vocalist Roseanna Vitro
Arts Garage
180 NE First St.
Delray Beach
Cost: Call 561.450.6357 or visit artsgarage.org
8 p.m.
HAIR - The American Tribal Love Rock Musical Runs through Feb. 16. Saturdays, 2 & 8 p.m., on Sundays at 2 p.m.
Delray Center for the Arts
Crest Theatre
51 N. Swinton Ave.
Delray Beach
Cost: TIckets $45
For more information, call 561.243.7922
8:30 - 2 p.m.
Briny Breezes Bazaar/Flea Market
All proceeds go to charity
Briny Breezes Auditorium
5000 N. Ocean Ave.
Briny Breezes
For more information, call 561.276.7405
11 a.m. (catch tour bus)
Taste History Culinary Tours
Various eateries, markets and urban farms in Delray and Boynton Beach
Macy's at Boynton Beach Mall - bus leaves from there
801 N. Congress Ave
Boynton Beach
Cost: $40
For more information, call 561.243.2662
2 & 8 p.m., on Sunday at 2 p.m.
You Can't Take It With You
Delray Beach Playhouse
950 Lake Shore Drive
Delray Beach
Cost: Tickets - $30, $15 for students 18 and younger
For more information, call 561.,272.1281
9 a.m.
Senior Nature Walk
For seniors 60 and older
Wakodahatchee Wetlands
13026 Jog Road
Delray Beach
Cost: Free
For more information, call 561.749.0907
3 p.m.
The Cantor and the Diva
Musical show, featuring Ricky Penn and Cantor Efraim Sapir
Temple Anshel Shalom
7099 W. Atlantic Ave.
Delray Beach
All seats reserved
Cost: $18 for pew seats, $15 for chairs, $18 at the door
For more information, call 561.495.1300
Great Restaurants
Sefa Mediterranean Grille - Turkish
One of South Florida's most romantic restaurants
165 NE 2nd Ave.
Delray Beach 33444
Menu - This is as close to a menu as I could get although it is on the Facebook page
For more information, call 561.330.0004 or visit Sefa
Fab Flicks
Winter's Tale Click here to see trailer
PG-13 Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
A burglar falls for an heiress who dies in his arms. He learns he has the gift of reincarnation and sets out to save her.
Good Reads
The Bridges of Madison County (1992) by Robert James Waller
Terrific love story. Click here to see synopsis


text:
"Do you have any cabins available?"
We sat in Countdown in Porirua asking the question of the camp site operators still another kilometre away. The weather had turned crap again during our walking and to tent with the weather to sour worse, we weren't in the zone to test the canvas water proofing grade.
They did and with our plastic bags of grocery items, we hobbled the remainder of what was our longest day distance walking on the whole of the North Island part.
The day started with Denise and Chris walking with us as far as Paekakariki. It was overcast but pleasant, an on-shore wind enough to keep the body temperature just nice under the pump of back pack carriage. Stopping for a cuppa at a café in Paekakariki was where we met up with someone we had met at the hostel in Paihia – Gordon. He had been following our journey and our paths managed to cross again today.
Pie shops are an addiction and we just had to savour one for the road before we parted company with Gordon, Chris and Denise. It had been an amazing three days with folk, it kind of felt our start towards the transition back into suburbia habitat. People, food, beer and pies.
Walking the remainder of the trail will be our final salute to the North Island generosity imposed on us throughout the adventure. The next bit we encountered was the Paekakariki Escarpment.
It's a relatively new track from Paekakariki to Pukerua Bay and runs high above State Highway 1 and railway, reaching 220 metres above sea level. There is gradient with the help of wooden stairs; two swing bridges to maintain height; and sometimes fencing to negate track erosion or human tumble! The views are spectacular and although the wind was sometimes blustery along the 10 km stretch, we would rate it as being a fantastic part of the Te Araroa Trail.
After reaching Pukerua Bay, we made the decision to keep pushing forward until Porirua.
It was on this section that we passed the Taupo Swamp. The 30-hectare wetland area is the largest remaining swamp where harakeke (flax) is harvested, surviving more than 150 years of human-induced change. We tried to imagine all the flowers in full bloom.
It wasn't long before the drizzle started to descend from the sky above. Generally you would pick up the pace somewhat however, given the distance we had already walked, just moving forward was the focus.
The relief to un-shoulder our back packs was a tremendous feeling. We had cracked the 35 km distance in a day's walk. Consider that the closest to this was when we did the 30 kms on Ninety Mile Beach. We were happy with the achievement and know part of the adrenalin is because we are only two days out from finishing.
The orange street lights of Porirua ignited the city. It wasn't long before they too became hazy as the drizzle became more solid rain. There is something to be said about the pitter patter of droplets on a roof.
Thank goodness it wasn't a bl..dy canvas one!


text:
Kruger Park Wildlife Facts | Mongooses and Otters
There are eight species of mongoose found in Kruger, the most common being the dwarf, banded and slender mongooses. Kruger scientists estimating that for every 100 square kilometres there are 668 mongooses.
They use termite mounds for shelter and feed mostly on insects. The rarest mongoose in Kruger is Selous's mongoose, which is found only in the Shingwedzi area in the north.
- Slender Mongoose (Galerella sanguinea)
- Characteristics
- Most common mongoose in Victoria Falls area; lives singly or in pairs, very long tail with conspicuous black tip.
- Food
- Rodents, snakes and reptiles, birds' eggs, insects and sometimes wild fruit.
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Variety of habitats throughout Kruger.
- Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo)
- Characteristics
- Very social, noisy, brown-grey animals that live in packs of about 20 individuals; very active during the day, disappearing quickly when alarmed.
- Food
- Mostly insects but also rodents, reptiles, birds, eggs, fruit and berries.
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Open dry savanna of eastern Kruger.
- Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula)
- Characteristics
- Smallest of the African mongooses; very social, diurnal animals living in groups of between 8 and 20 individuals; very curious nature; seeks refuge in hollow logs or holes in termitaria.
- Food
- Mostly insects but also birds, eggs, millipedes, scorpions, small reptiles and wild fruits.
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Dry savanna and mixed woodlands.
Illustration: Chip Snaddon
Enquiries / Questions


text:
Twitter calls out 'Big Brother' contestant for sexually harassing another houseguest while he's asleep
On the Big Brother live feeds Tuesday night, viewers noticed some questionable behavior while the houseguests were asleep. JC Mounduix, who has been the subject of controversy in and out of the house all season, was seen caressing Tyler Crispen's arm, face, and chest, and even kissed Crispen's armpit while he was fast asleep.
Looks like JC had a busy night with Tyler. Too bad Tyler won't remember any of it when he wakes up.
🤔🤨😬😠😡#BB20 pic.twitter.com/QmtSUQRnYK
— 🅱🅱 🅿🅸🆂🆂🅴🅳 (@BB_Pissed) August 29, 2018
The next morning, Crispen told fellow Level Six alliance member Kaycee Clark how uncomfortable he felt about the one-sided intimacy.
"I'm sleeping alone tonight — JC is not sleeping with me," Crispen told Clark, who asked, "Is it really that bad? He's actually touching you through the night?"
A Receipt:
Tyler tells Kaycee that he DOES NOT want JC to sleep with him. #BB20 pic.twitter.com/FIGx4vmXEx
— 🅱🅱 🅿🅸🆂🆂🅴🅳 (@BB_Pissed) August 29, 2018
The list of inappropriate things Mounduix has done to his fellow houseguests is seemingly endless. So far, he has sexually harassed them by touching their private parts with an ice cream scooper, grabbed such parts on multiple occasions, asked Rachel Swindler if she's transgender, and used the N word in a conversation with evicted houseguest Bayleigh Dayton.
Mounduix's actions have sparking complaints from viewers, who have taken to Twitter to express their horror and have even called out CBS for not doing anything. One person tweeted:
Jc inappropriately touching Tyler is NOT okay.
It's happened multiple times and somehow it still continues to happen. @CBSBigBrother needs to do something about it! #bb20
— Syd | Team Angela #BB20 (@rockstae9670) August 29, 2018
While others wrote:
JC needs to stop sexually harassing Tyler and @CBSBigBrother needs to put a end to that but knowing them they won't smh 😒 JC doesn't understand the word "NO" and it's not a free pass to do that while he is sleeping!! #BB20 pic.twitter.com/eIaTW07yuN
— Sarah💖🇮🇹 (@SarahSpdodson) August 29, 2018
IMO no one has a right to kiss another person's body while they sleep without their permission. JC should be talked to about this. And Tyler should be shown the footage. Imagine if it were a female/straight male. People would be outraged #bb20 pic.twitter.com/GJ2hFfQqOl
— Amber (@AmberStar83) August 29, 2018
remove jc from the game. touching someone inappropriately while they sleep is DISGUSTING. @CBSBigBrother #BB20
— meg (@VET0CRISPEN) August 29, 2018
Many have said the network continues to give Mounduix a good edit, making him out to be cute and funny — and fans are simply not here for it.
Production really gonna give JC good edit huh. #BB20 pic.twitter.com/zpQIo3eQ5M
— ali🌻 (@alisikes_) August 30, 2018
I really loath CBS for giving JC this edit every week #BB20 pic.twitter.com/OGX6v3bBnC
— 🍯 Katie 🐝 (@gallymero) August 30, 2018
Big Brother airs Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CBS.
Check out 'Big Brother' shading Donald Trump by having a 'Zing Force' hide incriminating evidence at 'Zing-a-Lago':
Read more from Yahoo! Entertainment:
- Here's why the 'Big Brother' contestants already have haters
- Kendall Jenner fights with Kris for not including Caitlyn in family event
- Odell Beckham Jr. and LeBron James discuss double standard for black athletes
Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.


text:
Barton Malow was selected as the General Contractor for SeverStal's Pickle Line Tandem Cold Mill (PLTCM) and Hot Dip Coating Line (HDCL) projects. The 320,000 SF (plus 180,000 band staging area) PLTCM incorporates two separate steel-making processes (pickling and cold milling) combined in a continuous line that spans nearly 1,600 feet. Barton Malow is performing all civil, concrete, resteel, mechanical installation of all equipment, as well as boilermaker work for the PLTCM project. Accelerated 10 weeks during construction, the $150 million project will be completed in just 14 months. Once completed, Severstal will be able to increase production of cold rolled sheets from 1.65 to 2.1 million tons per year.
Building Information Modeling has been a key factor in the PLTCM project. Initially used in the pre-construction process, the model verified quantities and logistics planning for all trades to ensure our schedule was accurate. Once awarded, all subcontractors utilized BIM for coordination as well as to develop their shop drawings and fabricate from the model. Another benefit from the model included tracking process equipment through Vela Systems to provide an electronic turnover package to SeverStal. The package includes a database of all equipment and its installation and maintenance history. SeverStal realized a $900,000 savings in quantity verification as bid process and a $10 million savings in interference resolution
From the PLTCM, roughly 25% of the steel will continue on to the Hot Dip Coating Line (HDCL) via a tunnel between the two adjacent buildings. The HDCL is a high-speed continuous line, capable of applying a precise coating of either zinc or zinc alloy to the surface of the steel strip. In addition to serving as the CM Agent on the project, Barton Malow is performing all civil, concrete, resteel, resteel fabrication, and mechanical installation services on the hot dip galvanizing process equipment (manufactured by CMI) for the project. The project consists of 19,450 cubic yards of concrete and 2,300 tons of resteel were fabricated and installed by Barton Malow.


text:
Kawasaki W650
Deus W650 Bobber
Posted on June 22, 2009 by Scott in Bobber, Café Racer. 2 comments
I just love this Deus W650 Swing Bobber. It puts the schwing back in swing bobber. If i took it to a swinger party I could not throw the keys in the hat, even if another hottie was ready for a kick start. No, not even some slutty, sexy, eurotrash Triumph kneel and bobber that was begging for a ride.


text:
Your basket is currently empty
Ben Nevis 18 Year Old 1996 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whiskey. Single cask refill hogshead #11790 bottled January 2015 by Edition Spirits for the First Editions series.
Tasting Notes
Butterscotch and chocolate with a hint of marzipan on the nose. Vanilla, dark chocolate, walnuts and almonds.
Ben Nevis Distillery
Ben Nevis Single Malt Whiskey
Ben Nevis Distillery is a Highland malt whiskey distillery established by John McDonald in 1825 at Inverlochy just north of Fort William and rests at the foot of Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest mountain. A Coffey's Still was installed in in 1955 and both malt and grain whiskies were produced simultaneously until 1981. The core range comprises Ben Nevis 10 Year Old, McDonald's Traditional and single cask bottling are released from time to time. The distillery is owned by Nikka of Japan.


text:
Double Ethiopian Opal Bezel Sterling Silver Infiniti Fine Ring
Double Ethiopian Opal Bezel Gold Infiniti Fine Ring
SKU: 1.4927 / size: 7
SKU: 1.49275 / size: 7.5
SKU: 1.4928 / size: 8
**slightly adjustable a half-size/full-size up or down**
The Infiniti Rings are aptly named for their boundless energy along with their minute adjustability. They are not only beautiful but easy and very comfortable to wear.
These Infiniti Rings are part of our Fine Jewelry line with choices in Sterling Silver, 24k Gold or 24k Rose Gold Vermeil.
The gemstones in this collection come in a wonderful assortment of colors and energies. Each one with their own Frequency, Interconnection, Vibration, and Energy... what we refer to as the "FIVE 5".
No matter what your beliefs, whether you refer to it as a Spirit, Chi, Soul or no beliefs at all. There is no denying energy. The beauty in life itself. Find your Frequency, Interconnect your Vibration and Energy... Find your "FIVE 5"
- Are well known for their action to provide a barrier against negativity.
- Their vibration is useful to assist emotional and physical healing.
- These stones are known to absorb negativity during the healing process, so ensure that you cleanse them well before reusing them.
- They magnify the awakening of the kundalini and are highly protective, helping to release fear and providing a protective energetic barrier around you.
- Ethiopian Opals carry positive dragon energy, for both personal and planetary use.
- The frequency of Ethiopian Opal connects to all the chakras.
- Ethiopian Opal can help one acknowledge and release deeply held negative emotional patterns such as anger and fear.
- Its energy amplifies emotional energies, both positive and negative, so that one can become more emotionally balanced.
- The internal "fire" Ethiopian Opal in brings "Light" energy into all of one's chakric system and energy fields, cleansing and purifying them of negativity and replacing these low vibration energies with the high vibrational energy of joy.
- Remove Jewelry During Tasks
- Put Jewelry On After Applying Makeup
- Don't Wear Jewelry In Swimming Pools and Spas
- Contact Sports and Jewelry Don't Mix
- Remove Your Jewelry Before Bathing
- Use Jewelry Polishing Cloths for Best Results
- Clean Your Jewelry With Care
- Use Warm Water to Clean Jewelry
- Inspect Your Jewelry Regularly


text:
Drylot Beef Cow Production Systems: An Alternative to Cow Herd Liquidation
By : Jim Krantz,former SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, Jack B. Davis, CPA SDSU Extension Crops Business Management Field Specialist, Warren Rusche, Julie Walker, and Russ Daly, Courtesy of iGrow.org
Non-traditional management systems such as Drylot Beef Production may offer cattlemen an alternative to reducing stock cow numbers or total herd liquidation. As grazing and haying acres continue to be converted to crop ground especially in crop-intensive geographic areas of our state and region, cattlemen are faced with the impact of that trend as they strive to maintain cow herd numbers. Since 2006, more than 370,000 acres of grassland have been lost to the crop sector according to the US Geological Survey and USDA.
Developing a new mindset, willingness to explore alternative management practices and doing some homework allow producers the ability to adjust production systems and maintain, or expand, the beef cow enterprise. Research at North Dakota State University's Carrington Research Extension Center documents the sustainability of cow/calf production programs through the incorporation of drylot management practices.
Total confinement on a year-round basis does not define the true foundation of most drylot systems although that is an approach used to some extent in Iowa. However, typical drylotting includes some confinement feeding during the summer grazing timeframe and potentially in the fall as well. Fortunately, the availability of vast supplies of roughages, grains and alternative feeds in South Dakota and the region compliment and support the adoption of this management tool.
Facilities utilized for drylot production are presently available on most farms and ranches. The benefits of feeding cattle based on individual animal requirement does justify the availability of additional pens, so that cows/heifers can be sorted and fed diets based on energy and protein needs of the pen make-up. Grazing creep areas for calves adjacent to the confined area has proven to be a recommended design. Allowing calves access to these grass areas provides a more dust-free environment while decreasing the risk of respiratory challenges during the drylot time frame for pairs. Increased performance has also been documented.
Although these systems require some additional labor resources, for many cattlemen, they may provide even more efficiency for the labor sources already employed. With virtually no need for new or additional equipment than what is already in place in most cattle operations, drylotting may increase the ability of herd managers to utilize labor and equipment resources more fully, even sometimes providing the means to bring family members into the operation. Land availability to expand existing farms and ranches may be limited or non-existent. Maintaining or expanding the cow-calf operation through the drylot process is a viable option for families to consider as they contemplate that possibility.
Regimented health protocols may very well be the backbone of drylot programs. It's not that they differ drastically from a conventional system; it's simply that timing is even more critical because of the close proximity of the herd mates. Special attention must be paid to the environment into which calves are born, as greater chances of exposure to scours-causing organisms may be present in drylot calving systems. Poorly drained, dusty, fly-infested, crowded conditions provide an environment conducive to rapid disease spread. Foot rot can be a problem, especially in established sites so prompt treatment is essential. Grooming lots and surfaces has been adopted as standard procedure for feedlots in recent years and that practice pays dividends in terms of fly control and foot condition health in drylot programs as well.
In addition to the discussion items mentioned previously, there are advantages and disadvantages that should be considered prior to making this management adjustment:
- Extends production life of broken mouth cows
- Provides a market for frost-damaged or drought-stressed crops
- Increases cow to bull ratios
- Easier synchronization when artificial insemination protocols are utilized
- Very low weaning stress for calves
- Potential lower cost of production
- More manure handling (could be a benefit as fertilizer)
- Increased managerial skills required in balancing diets
- Faster depreciation of facilities
- More harvested feeds required
- Greater need for fly control and lot maintenance
While drylot beef production practices may not illustrate a conventional approach to managing the beef cow enterprise, it may be an inevitable alternative that allows cattlemen to maintain or build cow numbers in spite of disappearing grazing acres. Currently, SDSU Extension Field Specialists and Animal Science Department faculty members are scheduling meetings to address this topic. The next one is scheduled for January 7, 2014 in Salem. Anyone interested in attending these sessions is welcome.


text:
Obama has added more to national debt than the previous 43 presidents combined, chain e-mail states
UPDATE: A more recent version of a similar claim is available here.
When it comes to increasing the national debt, President Barack Obama has done more than his 43 predecessors combined.
Well, at least that's according to a chain e-mail circulating in New Jersey, echoing a claim made to varying degrees by different Republican officials in recent years. With the subject line "A picture is worth 1,000 words," the chain e-mail features a graphic to make its case.
Above pictures of Presidents George Washington and George W. Bush, one side of the graphic reads "Debt Added By The Previous 43 U.S. PRESIDENTS COMBINED --- 1789 through 2008." Beneath the presidents' photos is "$6.3 TRILLION DOLLARS."
On the other side of the graphic is a photo of a smiling Obama, beneath the words "Debt Added By PRESIDENT OBAMA --- One Term!" The amount listed below the photo is "$6.5 TRILLION DOLLARS."
A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but the wording of this chain e-mail makes for a largely inaccurate claim.
The main problem is the chain e-mail suggests that Obama already has "added" $6.5 trillion to the national debt. His administration is on track to add nearly that amount to one form of debt by October 2013, but the president has not added that much debt yet.
First, let's explain the two commonly cited forms of national debt -- debt held by the public and total debt.
The debt held by the public refers to money borrowed from investors outside of the federal government. The total debt represents debt held by the public as well as money the federal government owes itself, including for programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
On Jan. 20, 2009, the date of Obama's inauguration, the debt held by the public -- as accrued by Obama's predecessors -- stood at roughly $6.307 trillion and the total debt was about $10.6 trillion, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's "Debt to the Penny" calculator.
Since the amount listed for Obama's predecessors in the chain e-mail appears to be in reference to the $6.307 trillion in debt held by the public on Jan. 20, 2009, that's the starting point for our analysis.
Next, we'll show how much both forms of debt had increased as of April 27, 2012 -- the last date available at the time we received the chain e-mail.
By that date, the debt held by the public was about $10.8 trillion and total debt had climbed to roughly $15.6 trillion.
So, under Obama's watch, debt held by the public had increased by about $4.5 trillion, or roughly 72 percent. Total debt had increased by nearly $5 trillion, or about 47 percent.
By either form of debt, the amounts added during Obama's administration were not greater than the levels on the day he took office.
Now, let's explain one way that this chain e-mail could be considered accurate.
If we take into account administration projections for debt held by the public as of the end of fiscal year 2013, then the amount of that debt added would exceed the level from Jan. 20, 2009. Fiscal year 2013 is the last budget year to begin during Obama's first term.
According to the White House's Office of Management and Budget, debt held by the public is estimated to be about $12.636 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2013, which concludes Sept. 30, 2013.
Based on that estimate, the amount of debt held by the public that was added during Obama's tenure would be about $6.329 trillion, surpassing the amount as of his inauguration by about $22 billion.
In terms of total debt -- projected to increase to $17.5 trillion -- the amount added by the end of fiscal year 2013 would still not exceed the total amount on Jan. 20, 2009.
Before we get to our ruling, it's worth noting that actions taken by both Presidents Bush and Obama have contributed to the debt increases over the last decade. Those factors include tax cuts enacted under Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, both of which were started by the Bush administration, as well as the stimulus bill and another tax cut deal approved by Obama.
Experts also have pointed to the weak economy as a contributing factor to the higher debt, given the reduction in federal revenues and greater spending on items like unemployment benefits.
Our ruling
A chain e-mail circulating in New Jersey claims that Obama has "added" $6.5 trillion to the national debt, while his 43 predecessors added $6.3 trillion combined.
But the chain e-mail is wrong to suggest the additional debt during Obama's tenure already has exceeded the level of his predecessors. In terms of both debt held by the public and total debt, the Obama administration has added less debt than the amounts in place when he took office.
Still, the national debt is projected to keep increasing. The amount of added debt held by the public may exceed Obama's predecessors by October 2013, according to White House projections.
We rate the statement Mostly False.
To comment on this ruling, go to NJ.com.


text:
Data center efficiency tutorial
Energy efficiency issues are a growing concern for IT professionals. Get the latest news and resources with this Executive Guide.
While the report released earlier this year by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) didn't provide the type of answers some IT professionals were looking for, it did unearth some interesting statistics. According to the EPA, data centers will require almost twice as much power by 2011 if current trends continue. What changes can you and your organization make to try to avoid such an outcome? Find out the answer to that and other pressing energy efficiency questions with this tutorial.
This guide is part of the SearchCIO.com CIO Briefing series, which is designed to give IT leaders strategic guidance and advice that addresses the management and decision-making aspects of timely topics. For a complete list of topics covered to date visit the CIO Briefings section.
EPA report gives data centers little guidance
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report warning of the rising energy toll for running the nation's data centers is getting high-fives from industry vendors who praise the study as a thoughtful look at a complex issue. But initial reaction from some analysts is the report uncovers little that isn't already in the public domain, and it squanders an opportunity to give IT organizations a detailed roadmap -- including meaningful incentives -- for solving a major problem.
"We were looking for a stronger carrot and much bigger stick," said Rakesh Kumar, an analyst at research consultancy Gartner Inc. "The tax incentives are marginal and there should be, in our opinion, some threat of legislation that is going to hit organizations. I look at this, and I think the smart organizations are doing it anyway. You look at the whole report, 80% is data you can pick up off the Web, to be honest."
One of the main findings of the 133-page report is that if current trends continue, energy consumption for U.S. data centers and servers will nearly double by 2011 to more than 100 billion kilowatts per hour (kWh), costing the public and private sectors $7.4 billion annually and requiring an additional 10 power plants.
Learn more in "EPA report gives data centers little guidance." Also:
- EPA finishes draft report on data center power consumption
The federal environmental agency has completed its report on data center power consumption, and is looking for public comments before it issues its final report to Congress by the end of June.
- CIOs, experts bristle at prospect of EPA mandates
The EPA has the green light to study energy consumption in data centers. Vendors say studies are good, but they're wary of possible government mandates. CIOs agree. The market will get them to energy efficiency faster than federal mandates.
Waiting on green IT is shortsighted, say experts
CIOs whose data centers struggle with power and cooling issues shouldn't wait for new green computing technologies to come in and save the day. It'll be too late by then, say experts who spoke at this year's AFCOM Data Center World conference. Instead, CIOs and data center managers should take simple but practical initiatives to liberate their tapped-out data centers.
Free up capacity in the most straightforward way possible: Turn off some old servers, said conference speaker Mark A. Monroe, director of sustainable computing at Sun Microsystems Inc.
According to Monroe, data centers "drift" over time. Someone might add a server to a data center to run an application. However, as years go by, the owner of that server moves on and the application that runs on the server is no longer used. But the box (Monroe calls it a "mystery server") continues to run, taking up precious power and cooling capacity in the data center.
Find out more in "Waiting on green technology is shortsighted, say experts." Also:
- Green computing slow to take hold in U.S. businesses
Just about every business wants to be environmentally friendly, but being green isn't cheap and it isn't necessarily easy -- or is it?
- Energy efficiency within reach at SMBs
By following these simple steps, SMBs can dramatically lower power consumption, and thus costs, in the data center. That's good for the environment and the bottom line.
Managing the energy crisis: A Special Report for CIOs
Rows of flashing slot machines buzz throughout Viejas Enterprises' tribal casino. An outdoor arena erupts with light and sound as entertainers such as country singer Randy Travis and comedian Bill Cosby take the stage. Energy emanates freely from the epicenter of this Indian reservation 30 miles east of San Diego -- that is, except inside its data center.
Two years ago CIO Moti Vyas' IT staff was plugging new servers into the nearest outlet inside a cramped server room, only to receive calls from the facilities department. You're drawing too much power from the circuit, they said. More power would also be needed to cool the new servers, yet the server room was nearing its power threshold. All this because Viejas Enterprises was trying to keep up with Californians' growing appetite for gambling and entertainment.
So Vyas added another server room to gain a little more power and space -- a temporary fix as he planned a grander solution. Viejas Enterprises eventually made a multimillion-dollar investment to build an energy-efficient data center. "There were business drivers and technology drivers," Vyas says. "Business drivers were to support today's business and plan for tomorrow's needs. The technology drivers were power, cooling due to blade servers and virtualization, security and future-proofing."
Discover more about the energy crisis in "Managing the energy crisis: A Special Report for CIOs."
Green IT strategies could lead to hefty ROI
Savvy and forward-thinking CIOs have recognized that ecological concerns aren't just for tree-huggers. Large enterprises, and to a lesser extent midrange companies, are starting to deploy products, and better yet, long-range green IT strategies, to reduce the carbon footprints of data centers. A number of factors are propelling this trend -- one of the biggest is the energy crisis.
On Aug. 2, the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Program released to Congress a report assessing opportunities for energy efficiency improvements for government and commercial computer servers and data centers in the United States.
According to the report, data centers accounted for roughly 1.5% of the country's electricity consumption in 2006. The energy consumption of servers and data centers has doubled in the past five years and is expected to almost double again in the next five years, to more than 100 billion kWh, costing about $7.4 billion annually.
Existing green IT technologies and strategies could reduce typical server energy use by an estimated 25%, with even greater energy savings possible with advanced technologies.
Learn more in "Green IT strategies could lead to hefty ROI." Also:
- CIOs save green by going green in the data center
CIOs who are using green IT options to improve energy efficiencies in their data centers are also seeing improved cost savings.
More resources
- CIO Briefing: Data center management for CIOs (SearchCIO.com)
- Resource center: Green computing and energy efficiency (SearchCIO.com)
- Resource center: Data center storage (SearchStorage.com)


text:
We had a specific goal in mind when we started breeding labs. We wanted to breed for the classic conformation. Breeding would only be productive if we felt we could better the breed. Our next thought was to make sure that we tested for genetic faults. We have our dogs OFA certified for their hips and elbows and will not breed a dog that has any lower rating than an excellent or good hip conformation. Their eyes are certified yearly for genetic abnormalities that may be passed on. The dogs that we have chosen to have in our breeding program have a strong drive to please and hunt.
Gaffke's Gun Dogs is committed to breeding premium dogs at an affordable price. It is not the price that determines quality. Genes and nurturing do determine quality. Our dogs are bred for exceptional intelligence and trainability. We strive to select traits that hunters value and still have that classic labrador disposition that makes a wonderful house dog.
Our kennel is not a large kennel. We strive to spend quality time with our dogs and give them a good life. All of our dogs live in the house and all of them go hunting. I also have three that I have trained to run with me. The dogs are around kids all the time. From the second the dogs are born they are handled daily. I don't want to become so big that I can't have this kind of commitment to my dogs.
chocolates available
Puppies are coming.


text:
Dear capital-F Feminists, Please Stop the Slut-Shaming. Love, a lower-case-f feminist.
The first time I heard the funky beats of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" emanating from my radio, I did what any normal, able-bodied human being would do…I boogied my ass off. But just days after the song's meteoric rise to the top of the charts, scathing criticisms began to arise, citing sexual harassment, slut-shaming, and victim-blaming among many of the artists' apparently blatant offenses. Because I could never QUITE make out the words behind Thicke's panting falsetto, I decided to do my own research into the lyrics and see what was really causing the problem. What I found was shocking. I began reading the words fully expecting to arrive at the bottom not only incensed at their content, but also ashamed that I had ever bopped my head and shaken my buns to the beats.
What shocked…
View original post 2,092 more words


text:
The Wieland Group is a leading producer of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products like strips, sheets, tubes, rods, wires and extrusions.
With our headquarters Wieland-Werke AG, Ulm (Germany), Wieland in Asia operates its own coil slitting service centers with sales offices in Singapore and Shanghai (China) and Representives offices in Bangalore (India), Shenzhen (South China) and Japan.
Wieland in Asia operates two high-tech coil slitting centers in order to provide rolled copper and copper alloy strips for the Asian metal stamping and fabrication industry.
We have arranged some interesting information about Wieland in Asia and Metal Business.
Wieland encourages an entrepreneurial performance culture and we value proactivity, drive, focus, creativity, courtesy and maturity.


text:
Llandudno & Snowdonia -
What's Included
- Four nights dinner, bed & breakfast
- Two excursions - 'Bangor & Anglesey' & 'Betws- y-Coed, Llanberis & Caernarfon'
- Entertainment
- Travel throughout
Holiday Highlights
Beautiful, award-winning sandy beaches meet sparkling blue waters.
A gorgeous promenade to stroll down, a sprawling fun-filled pier and a host of attractions to delight in. Discover Britain's only cable hauled tramway and the UK's longest passenger cable car. All this in the shadow of spectacular Snowdonia. Cymru am byth!
Bangor & Anglesey - Full Day - visit some of Wales' crowning jewels in a day of sightseeing, history and beauty.
One of the oldest and smallest cities in the whole of the UK, Bangor is a real treat. With roots dating back to the 6th century, it is nestled in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where the sprawling Snowdonia mountains stretch to the sea. With wonderful historical bridges and buildings to see, it also boasts a lovely Victorian pier to wander! Afterwards we'll head to Anglesey for a visit to Beaumaris with its famous moated medieval castle. And if that wasn't enough of a pure Welsh experience for you, how about a trip to the renowned train station with its famous name "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch"!
Betws-y-Coed, Llanberis & Caernarfon - Full Day - journeying through Snowdonia we'll explore some of Wales' historic towns.
We'll travel to Snowdonia through Betws-y-Coed, a beautiful Victorian village, before travelling past Swallow Falls and Capel Curig to Llanberis at the foot of Mount Snowdon. It's then on to Caernarfon, with the beautiful River Seiont flowing through it, a mighty ancient castle and its rich Celtic history. Return to Llandudno through Bethesda and along the Vale of Conwy.
- £16.00 single room
- £17.00 per person for Holiday Insurance
- Departure times as indicated
- Drop off late afternoon on return
- Via main roads and motorways
Any Insurance prices shown include Insurance Premium Tax.
Tailor Your Holiday
Holiday Summary
x Coach Seating Preference Room


text:
people is all asking us about these new shirts and we're like, yeh they're for this tour we're on and then they're like, but i want one this tour goes nowhere near me, and we're all like psssssssssh well, shame.
dun dun duhhhhhh
click here to go to our merchy store where we've put the new shirts and figured out how to do postage costs to everywhere. BUT! WAIT! there's only a few in each size cos the post office is kind of a drag, especially when we're on tour trying to be cool and that. So be quick. BUT WAIT AGAIN, we go to europe on the 2nd May, should any be left (always the kid sizes, idk why we bother) we're taking them to market in switzerland for outrageous prices (joke) so we'll delete them off the store. NOW GO. use someone elses card if you don't have the cash. they honestly won't mind.


text:
ADA Compliance
日本一本道a不卡免费Our office is responsible for ensuring campus-wide compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Amendment Act of 2008 (ADAAA), and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as such, directly responds to faculty, staff and public requests for reasonable accommodations and indirectly to student requests.
The Office of Title IX Programs handles complaints of sexual violence (rape, sexual assault, dating violence, and domestic violence), sexual misconduct (stalking and sexual harassment), and gender-based discrimination. The office also provides resources to the UWF campus community.
Student Achievement
As an institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the University of West Florida (UWF) is obligated to provide to its students, constituents, and the public information about "its goals for student achievement and the success of students in achieving those goals. Information on student success may include reliable information on retention, graduation, course completion, licensure examinations, and job placement rates and other measures of student success appropriate to institutional mission."
Florida Sunshine Law and Public Records
日本一本道a不卡免费As stewards of state and federal resources, the University of West Florida is required to provide access to public records in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. This means at any time an individual can request to inspect and/ or be provided copies of any public record. For more information and guidance on Florida's Sunshine Law and Public Records Requests, please visit our Florida Sunshine Law website:
日本一本道a不卡免费The Office of the General Counsel is designated as the office responsible for managing and overseeing public records requests made pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The Office of the General Counsel can be contacted at:
Office of the General Counsel
Building 10
11000 University Pkwy
Pensacola, FL 32514