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IBM tops chart for churning out patents for the 20TH TIME
Today it's mostly software IP - 2 decades ago it was hardware
It may be arguable whether patents are desirable or over-prescribed in the high tech industry, but there is no doubt that companies use patents as competitive – and anticompetitive – weapons, and therefore they have a huge value. Applying for and receiving lots of patents, then, can be seen as an insurance policy against lawsuits as well as a means to generate them, just as much as they are an indicator of inventiveness.
For many years, the US Patent and Trademark Office issued a report in January ranking companies by the number of patents it issued to them, but back in 2007, the patent office decided to stop cranking out the list because it wanted people to stop focusing on the number of patents issued and to focus on the quality of patents issued. The simple way out of that conundrum is to hire more and better patent lawyers – perhaps with an engineering background – and stop issuing so many silly patents. Perhaps we can patent that idea.
Since then, IFI Claims Patent Services, a private company that takes the raw USPTO data and provides add-on services to it, has continued to top US patent ranking lists, and the 2012 list is out today. The rankings cover what are known as utility patents – which relate to machines or processes and can be electrical, mechanical, or physical in nature – and do not include design patents – which cover the shape of and ornamentation on things.
After doing some big data munching on the USPTO data, IFI reckons that the patent office issued a total of 253,155 utility patents in 2012, which is the highest number on record and an increase of 13 per cent over 2011's patent torrent. So much for that whole "focus on quality" thing, apparently. Of the top 50 companies to be issued patents, 41 had more patents in 2012 than in 2011 and 32 had double-digit or better growth compared to the prior year.
It will probably not come as much of a surprise to anyone that IBM, once again, is the company that had the most patents issued to it in the prior year. Specifically, IBM was issued 6,478 patents. (The IFI report does not say how many patent applications IBM made in 2012, but the number is very likely quite a bit larger.) Big Blue has been at the top of the heap for the past 20 years, and it would be remarkable if that changed. What has changed, of course, is that IBM's patents increasingly focus on software and services, not hardware, which is a reflection of the company's business as it has shifted over the past 20 years.
IBM is once again the top of the US patent heap, but Samsung is no slouch
IBM's incremental growth in its patent portfolio actually brought down the class average, with under 5 per cent growth year-on-year. IBM's Watson question-answer system pulled in a number of patents, including #8,275,803: System and method for providing answers to questions. This patent was filed in May 2008 and granted in September 2012, and it is specifically related to the statistical weighting system that Big Blue came up with to help the Watson machine zero in on the right responses when it was playing the Jeopardy! game show against humanity two years ago . (The chimps were chumps and they got spanked by a bucket of chips.) Other notable patents for Big Blue, which you can drill down into detail here, include methods for simulating synaptic activity in the brain, optimizing pattern recognition, dynamically placing applications in server clusters, thermo-electric liquid cooling of electronic components, and obviously many others.
Google's $12.5bn cash deal to acquire for Motorola Mobility back in May last year gave the Chocolate Factory a slew of hardware and software patents, and the combination pushed up Google patent issue rate by 170 per cent, making it the fastest grower on the top 50 list. Google ranked number 21 on the list, with 1,151 patents issued last year.
Google actually shot past Apple, which was issued 1,136 patents in 2012. Apple first appeared in the top 50 patent receivers from the USPTO in 2010, and last year's haul was 68 per cent higher than in 2011. The other big gainers on the list in the high tech arena and their growth rates were: Alcatel-Lucent (59 per cent), LM Ericsson (59 per cent), Research in Motion (49 per cent), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (49 per cent), Qualcomm (40 per cent), NEC (32 per cent), Sony (33 per cent), and Sharp (28 per cent). Cisco Systems, SK Hynix, Infineon Technologies, Micron Technology, and Nokia all saw the number of patents issued to them in 2012 fall compared to 2011.
While the number of patents issued shot up in 2012, the relative rankings of patents issued by the geographic region where companies are headquartered – an increasingly irrelevant bit of data given the multinational nature of modern large corporations – stayed the same. There were 17 companies based in the United States that made the top 50 patent issue rankings in 2012 and 26 companies from Asia, which is exactly the same as in 2011.
You can see the full IFI list of the top 50 companies by patents issued in 2012 here. ®
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How to gain the best results for your waxing hair removal
Going along for a full leg and bikini wax may not exactly be your favourite salon visit.
Waxing visits are probably the one time you want your therapist not to delay, keep the time to a minimum and get you out ASAP!
You may be a regular waxer, religiously attending your wax appointments, but what do you do in between? It goes without saying you do not shave or remove the hair before your next visit. Your therapist needs length in those bad boys to give you a perfect wax every time.
You can do a few more things to both make for an excellent wax and a more comfortable wax on each visit. Top of the list has to be exfoliation. You must exfoliate regularly, but particularly with the lead up to your next salon visit. Removing the surface layer of dead skin cells will assist any possible ingrown hairs break through and remove easily when waxed over. Remember not to exfoliate for at least 24 if not 28 hours prior to your visit, so plan ahead with this one. Regular body brushing is an excellent way to keep your skin in top condition all year round.
You may wish to perform dry body brushing before showering or wet body brushing in the shower. A buffing cloth or gloves work really well too. When exfoliating, remember to go in circular motion working the product into your skin from head to toe. After exfoliating your skin may feel a little tight. Combat this by slathering on a hydrating body cream. A water-based one works best. One, which is more oil-rich, may sit on the skin as opposed to sinking in.
For areas such as the bikini line, the hair may need trimming ahead of time. Trimming bikini hair before your waxing appointment will make the whole experience more more pleasant for you.
Use a manicure scissors to perform this, not a razor (or any other potentially dangerous implement). However don't overdo it, remember your therapist needs something to work with. An ideal length is ½ to ¾ inches long, although with facial waxing the hairs can be removed when shorter.
If you are prone to ingrown hairs, exfoliation is imperative. You may also be interested in an AHA/ BHA treatment, which you would apply daily to really get on top of things.
If you use such a product remember to stop using it four or five days before your salon appointment and then avoid use for a week after waking the area.
It's the week of your waxing appointment and things have changed; perhaps you now have your period or a couple of nasty ingrown hairs have come to your attention, maybe you have knocked your knee into something and have a huge cut to show us your war wound. With all of this in mind, perhaps Scarlet O Hara in Gone With the Wind was right, "tomorrow is another day". Well perhaps more than literally a day, but if you are feeling a little blue, the last thing you may need is more discomfort so it could be a good idea to postpone your wax appointment for another week.
Similarly, if your skin has been overexposed to the sun and you're looking a little more pink that normal, it is essential you postpone your waxing appointment. Your therapist will not wax over sunburned, inflamed or irritated skin; so instead of wasting a trip, pick up the phone and re-schedule.
It's the day of your appointment and what can you do at this point? Well, plenty actually. First of all take a bath or shower. No, I don't just mean for hygienic reasons, although this is recommended also, but having a bath or shower is a great way to hydrate and soften the skin. Hydrated skin makes the removal and easier and much more comfortable experience.
I'm not really one for pain killers but if you are that way inclined you may like to take an anti-inflammatory painkiller about an hour before your appointment time. It will reduce the risk of any possible swelling and discomfort.
Talk to your therapist. Tell her if you are feeling a little anxious, always feel it more than others, go quite red after a wax or even have a chit chat with her. A dead silence may make the experience worse for you. Chit chatting about the latest youtube clip or what your plans for the weekend will be are always good topics to cover whilst keeping your mind off things.
So the next time you visit your local salon for your regular waxing appointment, you could have an all round much more pleasant experience if you follow some of these guidelines. Happy waxing!
More on The Knowledge & Treatments
Dermal needling, or rolling is becoming one of our star treatments and an alternative to anti-wrinkle filler injections. Discover more from Emma proprietor of Zest and test subject in the photo. At Zest, we try before you buy.
Phone: 01 890 2441
Text our mobile: 087 715 2933
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What's your tanning secret? Like all in life preparation is key. Discover all there is to know about preparing and maintaining the perfect spray tan.

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A new hotel will soon call Kansas City home. AC Hotel is targeting the next generation of travelers, the millennials. The hotel brand started in Europe, and Kansas City will be the second of its
kind to open in the United States. AC Hotels by Marriott Kansas City Westport captures Kansas City's unique buzz promoting local bars and restaurants. Guestrooms offer modern technologies such as
mobile check-in, "media salons" with Bluetooth technology, USB charging stations and TVs that feature packages promoting local businesses. The hotel is expected to open in
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#Kempinski #Hotel #Bristol #Berlin doch vor dem Abriss? Hotel-Juwel am #Kudamm wird mir fehlen!
Ein von HOTELIER TV - Carsten Hennig (@hoteliertv) gepostetes Video am


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Spotting at Brize Norton
Ever fancied seeing a classic VC-10 buzz just a few feet over your head in a scene reminiscent of St. Maarten's famous Maho Beach? How about a mix of military and civil types of yesteryear all in one place? Brize Norton is one of the UK's busiest military transport bases. It is located in Oxfordshire, closed to Abingdon, and around 65 miles northwest of London. Brize is home to the RAF's VC-10 and L1011 Tristar fleets, as well as the C-17s and a number of Hercules aircraft. Since it is a major staging post for troops and supplies, it also handles a lot of large cargo aircraft, such as DC-8's and AN-124's. It also plays host to a number of private airlines being used for troop movements, flying 757s, 767s and DC-10s. The primary spotting location is at the end of Runway 26. The A4095 road leading north from Bampton towards Brize passes very close to the end of the runway. With care you can park near a crash gate as long as you do not block it. Alternatively, park on a nearby road and walk to the spot. Here you will be just a few feet under the aircraft as they approach the runway. It is perfect for photos, and has some views over the ramp (it's difficult to read things off). To get close to the ramps usually used by the VC-10s, head west from Bampton on the A4095 and follow signs for Black Bourton. If you follow the road through this village as far as it goes, you will come to the perimeter fence. A footpath leads in either direction, and has some close-up views of the VC-10s and the runway. Eventually you can walk to the Runway 08 end too. Here's a nice aerial view of the airfield . As always, tread with care. Military bases have incredibly tight security. Although spotters are common and tolerated at Brize Norton, don't push your luck by trespassing or blocking a gate. [nggallery id=4]


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Do you want to find out more about
The installation of home charging equipment may be classified as a structural change. Before installation, we therefore recommend coordination with all involved parties such as your energy provider, your municipal authority, the tenants community and, if applicable, your landlord.
The charging duration depends on the charging current available at the charging point. The higher the charging current, the faster your
If you wish to charge your
No. Once inserted in the vehicle charge port, the charging plug is automatically detected by the vehicle and locked in your
Many options are available for charging your
No. You do not always have to fully charge the high-voltage battery of your
The range is influenced by various factors such as driving style, comfort functions, aerodynamic and road conditions. The most important factor is your driving style. An environmentally aware and predictive driving style promotes the recuperation of braking energy and therefore increases the range. You can also reduce the intensity of comfort functions such as air conditioning and heating and only mount add-on parts that influence aerodynamics (e.g. roof boxes) when needed.
Country-specific regulations and approvals may restrict the use of the charging equipment abroad. Find out via the Driver's Manual and from your
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Electromobility personalised: discover your dream sports car as a plug-in hybrid or with all-electric drive.
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Sunday, March 10, 2013
My name is Matt Tuteur. I'm a Chicago based photographer and Chicago native. I began taking photos in 1995 with a 35mm camera. Soon after, I Became overwhelmed with an interest in documenting Chicago's street art. In my search to find and document Graffiti/Street Art, I spent many days walking Chicago's streets. In doing so, I exposed myself to countless significant events and local happenings. From headline news, to neighborhood events and crime, to anything I feel represents Chicago through the times were living in, I strive to photograph and document all aspects of Chicago's rich cultural heritage. I feel my photographs uniquely depict the city of Chicago in its true light. They provide a voice for the Chicagoans that cant speak for themselves and exist to remind us of our unique past, present and future.
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Friday, July 20, 2012
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When i see my chicago people truly care for one another, i know im living in the greatest city on earth..(downtown slip and fall)
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urban wildlife sighting..uptown falcon..Myself and one other Chicago resident witnessed this. After the falcon flew off with the incapacitated pigeon,we both looked at each other speechless for a moment..
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When it comes to celebrities, many of us love to mimic their styles. Why shouldn't we? It is a lot of fun to pretend to be famous, even if there are no cameras snapping to take our pictures. One of the simplest ways to get a fast, casual, yet glamorous look is to pick up a handbag that comes from a big name designing company. Even if you can't afford to purchase something so expensive, there are plenty of look a like brands that will have you looking like a celebrity in no time!
• Jennifer Gardner Loves Chanel. While the lovely Jennifer Gardner is certainly one of the bigger names in Hollywood, her love for the label Chanel may be slightly less known. On October 20th, Jen was spotted with a quilted Chanel tote outside in the cool Los Angeles streets. Quilted totes are not just a fad for Ms. Gardner; they've taken the fashion world by storm. If you're looking for something similar, but without having to break the bank to purchase one from a fancy label, you can find quilted totes from Vera Bradley or wholesale fashion outlets.
• Miranda Kerr and Miu Miu. Miranda Kerr may look flawless in anything she wears, but an accessory that can accentuate anybody's wardrobe is her Miu Miu handbag, one that she was just recently spotted out and about in. The Victoria's Secret supermodel was snapped holding a Miu Miu Pushlock Lady Bag, which is basically just a style of purse with a snap lock, along with a cross body strap and a small handles. A bag like this instantly makes any outfit seem sophisticated. You can find look-a-likes for fewer than twenty dollars at Walmart, Target and other retailers.
• Ciara and Givenchy. One of her favorite handbags is the Givenchy tote, which is one of the larger handbags on the market. It is black, with smooth reptile-like skin and twin handles with the option of a cross body strap. You fit anything from books to accessories inside the bag. Lookalike bags can be found at Old Navy and Rue 21.
• Bottega Veneta and Kim Kardashian. Clutches are slightly less convenient than bigger totes or cross body bags because they have no real handles to hang onto when you're taking them with you out the door. But they're classy and the only way to accentuate a late night dinner, wedding or a red carpet premiere! Kim loves Bottega Veneta, but you can get the same small white clutch for as cheap as ten dollars at your local Walmart or Rue 21. When it comes to style, it's the look that counts, not the price tag.
• Hermes and the Olsen Twins. Although they may be in command of their own clothing, luxury handbag and makeup lines, the Olsen twins aren't above carrying the handbags of other fashion labels. One of their favorites is the creamy tan Hermes handbag, which looks great with any casual outfit. It's one of those roomier handbags that looks professional, but it's great for hiding all of your belongings around without making a mess.
• Gaga for Chanel. Lady Gaga has been seen toting the famous quilted handbag trend. Like Jennifer Gardner's love for quilted bags, Gaga's handbag is sophisticated, the difference being in the color – black. Black goes with everything, and you can find similar looking bags at pretty much any retailer.
Shop for unique and affordable bags at YesStyle and Baghaus
Find Luxury Bags at Nordstrom


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Crossroads targets "underserved" SAN market
Crossroads targets "underserved" SAN market with hardware.
Crossroads Systems, Inc. recently made another product announcement in connection with their ServerAttach technologies designed to connect SCSI servers into Fibre Channel (FC) architectures, including storage area networks (SANs). The latest version targets IBM's eServer iSeries and pSeries server platforms.
According to the company, the ServerAttach family allows customers to implement server-to-SAN connectivity with a simple installation process that extends the longevity and usefulness of existing assets. No HBA hardware or driver software is required.
Benefits of this architecture include investment protection with support for proprietary SCSI commands, such as linking commands in IBM iSeries environments, and distance extension for greater flexibility in the physical location of systems.
"What they are doing is opening up the benefits of SANs to people who had previously been largely closed out of that," said Eric Sheppard, an analyst with IDC. "They are also doing it at a reasonable price," he added.
Sheppard says that market of SAN wannabes has long been underserved and forced to pay higher prices. "I'm sure users in the AS/400 space will welcome this product," he added.
In a statement, Crossroads CEO, Brian R. Smith noted that the company has historically been a leader in tape-attach storage routing. "With ServerAttach, Crossroads is moving into an adjacent market that is additive to our existing tape opportunities," he said.
For more information:
Featured topic: SAN zoning 101
Featured article: Storage growth continues, creates staff shortages
From the SearchStorage webcast library: How to sidestep SAN implementation complexities
- Alan Earls often writes about things NAS and SAN in his weekly "SAN/NAS Update: Trends" column. View the latest
About the author: Alan Earls is a freelance writer in Franklin, MA.


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Home » Shop by Product » Dolls and Resin Figures » Resin Figures » DP333 - Policeman
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Resin Figure - Policeman
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he is standing outside my cafe looks good
Lydia W
Love these resin figurines. Easier to use than porcelain dolls and stands
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Excellent quality and realistic detail.
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He looks so real again delighted with this purchase
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Excellent. Very realistic
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The friendly local 'Bobby on the beat'
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This model actually looks like a village bobby. Ideal for that village setting.
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Very detailed.
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Love the Bobbie. Appreciate the fact that he carries no gun. Very nicely painted & has the flat feet that stand him up well. He came across the pond in excellent condition.
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This figure is so well made. The details of the uniform are spot on. And make a great addition to our dolls house.
Would recommend any one looking for realistic items to but these figures
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[Update: Some offers mentioned below have expired and/or are no longer available on our site. You can view the current offers from our partners in our credit card marketplace. DISCLOSURE: Cards from our partners are mentioned below.]
Can you earn rewards "miles" without stepping on an airplane, or using an airline's credit card? Several major credit card issuers are hoping that you will want to, and they're offering rewards cards that offer miles not associated with any airline. To join this increasingly competitive segment of the market, Discover has just announced the release of its Discover it Miles card that offers triple miles on all purchases during the cardholder's first year.
How This Card Works
For each dollar spent, cardholders earn 1.5 miles in Discover's program. In addition, cardholders will have all of their miles doubled at the end of their first year of card membership. This means that cardholders will earn at least a 3% return on all purchases in their first year. In addition, new applicants will receive 14 months of interest-free promotional financing on new purchases.
Miles can be redeemed for a penny each as statement credits toward travel-related expenses such as airfare, hotels and car rentals. As with other versions of the Discover it card, the Miles card will have no annual fee and will provide a free FICO credit score each month.
According to Julie Loeger, Discover's senior vice president of brand and acquisition, "Discover believes that loyalty goes both ways" and cardholders can earn an unlimited number of miles from this card with no thresholds or restrictions. She confirmed that this card is available to new customers now, and existing Discover cardholders will be able to convert their cards to Discover it Miles later this year.
How It Compares With Competitors
Other credit card issuers are offering rewards in the form of miles that can be redeemed for travel statement credits. While some of these cards have an annual fee, others are offered in fee-free versions. (Here are some of the best travel credit cards on the market, too.)
Barclaycard Arrival
This card offers new applicants 20,000 bonus after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of card membership. Cardholders earn double miles on all travel and dining purchases, and one mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. In addition, cardholders receive a 10% bonus on the miles they redeem, making each mile worth 1.1 cents each. New cardholders receive 12 months of 0% APR promotional financing on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening, and there is no annual fee.
Capital One VentureOne
New cardholders receive 20,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 on their card within three months of account opening. For each dollar spent, customers receive 1.25X miles, and each mile is worth one cent as a statement credit toward travel expenses. There is no annual fee for this card, and no foreign transaction fees imposed on charges processed outside of the U.S.
Citi ThankYou Preferred
This card offers 30,000 ThankYou points to new applicants who make $2,000 in purchases within four months of account opening. Cardholders also earn double points on purchases for dining at restaurants and entertainment, and one ThankYou point per dollar spent on other purchases. ThankYou points are worth a penny each when redeemed for travel reservations, gift cards, or merchandise. There is no annual fee for this card.
It's important before you apply for any rewards credit card that you make sure that card is a good fit for you. People who carry balances from month to month may find that interest charges cancel out the rewards they earn. You should check your credit before you apply to make sure you know where you stand. You can get your credit scores for free every month on Credit.com.
Note: It's important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly.
At publishing time, the Barclaycard Arrival, Capital One VentureOne and Citi ThankYou Preferred cards are offered through Credit.com product pages, and Credit.com is compensated if our users apply for and ultimately sign up for any of these cards. However, this relationship does not result in any preferential editorial treatment.
More on Credit Cards:
- The Credit.com Credit Card Learning Center
- 6 Smart Credit Card Strategies
- Tips for Paying Off Credit Card Debt
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All Guilds Meeting - July 2016
It's July, with Obduction less than 24 days away, and as always, the monthly All Guilds Meeting took place. For those that were unable to attend, we have raw and cleansed chatlogs for you to read, as well as a summary of what was presented:
Guild of Writers/Korman
Hoikas started things off with news about the Guild of Writers' Korman 0.04, detailing its newer features. There are several tutorials, some new, some revamped, at the Guild's Wiki tutorial page. He hinted that a public online demonstration of the Age building plugin might be in the works for a future date.
Guild Appreciation Event/Summer Stories
Zeke365 was next and presented a few more details about his upcoming Guild Appreciation Event. It will be on Saturday, July 16th from 12:00 KI time to 14:00 KI time, with a "special surprise" at the end. Speakers include Korov'ev from the Guild of Messengers, Hoikas from the Guild of Writers, Age builder Karkadann, and more! Lees meer
Korman 0.04 Is Released
The Guild of Writers has done it again! They have released the latest version of Korman, the most up-to-date plugin for exporting Ages to any and all versions of URU. While it took longer then they were intending, it also means there are quite a few additions with 0.04, which include: Lees meer
All Guilds Meeting - June 2016
Much to talk about in the cavern these days. With Obduction just over the horizon, there's certainly no lack of activity in the Myst/URU community! As such, this month's All Guilds Meeting had a few interesting bits of information.
Of course, we have our usual raw and cleansed chatlogs courtesy of Korov'ev, plus a handy summary of what was discussed.
Hoikas was first to the stage to mention that work on version 4 of Korman, the Guild of Writers' latest Age-building plugin for Blender, was coming along nicely. The biggest addition will be sounds along with a few other goodies. There will be a full report on the update when it releases.
Cavern Events' Hood Lees meer
All Guilds Meeting - March 2016
It's the beginning of a new month, so of course that means a traditional All Guilds Meeting to help start things off properly! If you missed part or all of it, we have the usual raw and cleansed chatlogs, as well as a handy summary:
Hoikas was first to talk about the next version of Korman, the newest plugin for Age building and exporting. Version 0.04 will have, amongst other new features, the ability to export sounds. It will be released in a couple of weeks in parallel with Blender 2.77, the latest version of that software as well. Due to important changes and upgrades, starting with 0.04, Korman will only work with Blender 2.77 or above, so Blender 2.74 will no longer be needed after that.
Mister Magic
Michel, aka Mister Magic, announced a new series of events utilizing the lighting effects of explorer Yoda, dubbed "The Magical Fireworks Tour (MFT)". Every Thursday starting at 13:00 KI time, you'll be able to see fireworks in Magic Bot's magic version of the Ages. Lees meer
All Guilds Meeting - February 2016
Editor's Note: We have replaced the raw chatlog with a more complete version courtesy of Tai'lahr.
2016 continues, and the All Guilds Meeting for February had its share of big news and events! Along with the usual raw and cleansed chatlogs, we have this handy summary of what happened.
Guild of Writers
Hoikas starting things off by mentioning the latest version of Korman (0.03) has been released. He promised that version 0.04 would not be far behind. He also hinted at a "Rapid Korman Kontest", similar to the Rapid Age Development contests from years ago, in the near future.
Not only that, but the Guild also released version 24 of Gehn Shard, just in time for the Great Zero "Hacktivation" party that took place after the meeting!
All Guilds Network
Korov'ev made an announcement for Zeke365 about the All Guilds Network. Its intended function would be to add another layer of intercommunication between explorers and the existing Guilds. More on this as it develops!


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JAMK's Creativity and Communication in Business program gathered students from Finland, Russia, Argentina, Singapore, Canada, and the U.S. Adapting to such a wide range of learning styles was a highlight of the professional experience.
Of course despite months of thinking and planning, I needed to develop new lectures and activities on a near-daily basis while in Finland. Our classroom conversations illuminated challenges and opportunities I'd never considered prior to my arrival. Every day was therefore a race to prepare, never quite knowing what would land. The work was exhilarating but also exhausting.
Before my morning class I'd spend a couple hours honing activities and revising my Prezi. I'd typically stay afterward to chat with students before grabbing a quick lunch break. The afternoon section gave me a chance to revise my lessons while working with a different group of students. Again, I'd stay awhile to chat before returning to my apartment. Evenings were mostly dedicated to grading, sometimes while enjoying a meal at Hotelli Yöpuu.
The three-week JAMK program included classes, evening activities, and optional side-trips to Estonia, Sweden, and Russia. As a result, the students formed a close community whose friendships are likely to endure. Indeed, in a world of more than seven billion people, I won't be surprised if I see some of these folks again one day.
Thanks to Phillip Szeto for taking these pix!


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How Can You Fix a Garmin GPS Device?
Garmin GPS device guides you whenever you hit the road for a new journey. To make the unit user-friendly, Garmin offers touchscreen device. However, sometimes the screen does not give prompt response or freezes. You eradicate such issues, and for that, you need to follow some troubleshooting steps.
Find here, the troubleshooting steps to fix the screen of your Garmin GPS device. They are as follows:
Step 1: Completely turn off your Garmin GPS device and disconnect it from the external power which originated from wall charger or car plug.
Step 2: If your unit has a GPS antenna, flip it. (Some Garmin GPS device has little antenna which one can fold for easy storage)
Step 3: Hold and press the 'Reset' button that you will find on the backside of your unit.
Step 4: Reconnect the Garmin device with the external power source that is wall charger, car plug, and PC. Automatically, the GPS unit will turn on and function properly.
Step 5: Contact the Garmin Tech Support via toll-free phone number if the 'Reset' button did not fix the problem.


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You might be looking for Canadian sites where you could buy books for cheap. In this post I am going to offer you three options with their inconveniences and advantages. In the end it will be up to you to decide which one or ones to use for your book purchases.
First, I will have to agree that smartphones and tablet have replaced print books only partially. Even though they are telling time and again that print books will go extinct, I don't think that will ever happen. For instance, I cannot use cookbooks or photography books from my Android tablet. I want to have such books in their usual, aka print format.
Second, buying paper books (well, electronic ones too!) is not cheap. Luckily, we can get some savings when we buy books online. Here are three options to books for less expensive when you purchase them online.
Amazon Canada
No one can compare themselves with Amazon.ca when it comes to choice and volume. You can find virtually any book on Amazon.ca. From that perspective Amazon.ca has established itself as the largest book store ever!
Being big and working online have their own benefits: you don't have to pay all those costs that regular brick-and-mortar stores incur. Therefore, you can afford shaving off a couple of dollars to offer some savings to readers.
For instance, these 2 fresh cookbooks are priced reasonably on Amazon.ca.
The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Vegan Recipes To Glow From The Inside Out
Price on Amazon.ca: $14.67
Price in store: $29.00
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Thursday, February 28, 2019
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Book Outlet offers 15% for everything on the site
Labels: bookoutlet, coupons
Sign up and get 15% off for anything on BookOutlet.ca. BookOutlet is celebrating Halloween by allowing to buy the cheapest books on the Canadian market at an even lower price! Profit from the additional discount today! The offer runs through October 31, 2014.
Book Outlet is an Ontario-based online book store selling books at discounted prices. For $20-25 you can buy some relatively new books, which cost $60-70 at regular book stores.
Book Outlet is an Ontario-based online book store selling books at discounted prices. For $20-25 you can buy some relatively new books, which cost $60-70 at regular book stores.
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MEPs call for clampdown on imports of unsustainable palm oil and use in biofuel
Good News from Strasbourg. MEPs call for clampdown on imports of unsustainable palm oil. To counter the impact of unsustainable palm oil production, such as deforestation and habitat degradation, particularly in South-East Asia, the EU should introduce a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU market and phase out the use of vegetable oils that drive deforestation by 2020, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Tuesday, 4th April.
MEPs note that 46% of the palm oil imported by the EU is used to produce biofuels, requiring the use of about one million hectares of tropical soils. They call on the Commission to take measures to phase out the use of vegetable oils that drive deforestation, including palm oil, as a component of biofuels, preferably by 2020.
"This is Parliament's first resolution on this issue and it is up to the Commission how it acts upon it. But we cannot ignore the problem of deforestation, which threatens the Global Agreement on Climate Change COP21 and UN Sustainable Development Goals"
They call on the Commission to take measures to phase out the use of vegetable oils that drive deforestation, including palm oil, as a component of biofuels, preferably by 2020.
Single certification scheme
MEPs note that various voluntary certification schemes promote the sustainable cultivation of palm oil. However, their standards are open to criticism and are confusing for consumers, they say. They advocate a single certification scheme to guarantee that only sustainably produced palm oil enters the EU market.
They also call on the EU to introduce sustainability criteria for palm oil and products containing palm oil entering the EU market. The Commission should improve the traceability of palm oil imported into the EU and should consider applying different customs duty schemes that reflect real costs more accurately until the single certification scheme takes effect.
MEPs also stress that a large part of the global production of palm oil is in breach of fundamental human rights and adequate social standards. It frequently uses child labour, and there are many land conflicts between local and indigenous communities and palm oil concession holders.
Sommer Report on Food Labelling 2010 – This report covered many aspects of food labelling, and also includes an example of a major piece of new legislation introduced by Nessa Childers. This ensured that palm oil, which is present in 40% of our food products, must now be labelled. The initiative was backed by the majority in the parliament and is now European law. This labelling allows NGOs to raise awareness among European consumers of the negative environmental and social effects of the deforestation and massive palm tree plantations in Asia.


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Friday, October 13, 2017
Twitter, a case, and a report...
...were the inspiration sources for my posts this week on Marilyn Stowe's Family Law & Divorce Blog, which included:
Flawed Twitter poll still indicates support for no-fault divorce - As many as 9 out of 10 people agree with it.
A second bite of the financial cherry after an overseas divorce - Or: Just what is Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 for?
Courts deal with invisible children - How can judges make life-changing decisions for children without even knowing what they look like?
Criminal justice system takes over the burden of dealing with domestic abuse - As confirmed by the latest figures from the CPS.
Have a good weekend.
Posted by John Bolch at 7:30 am
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On film, against other opponents, left guard Matt Slauson sees the Patriots use a base 3-4 defense. But when they play the Jets?
They'll use four down linemen. Sometimes, they'll use five, replicating a goal-line front even when they're not on the goal line. They move before the snap — called "stemming" — changing their alignment and techniques, forcing the Jets' offensive line to respond in a matter of seconds.
"It definitely gives us a headache during the week," Slauson said, "because we have to prepare for so many different things."
But in a way, it's a sign of respect for the Jets' ground game, which has fared well against the Patriots in the past — and figures to be a key to success when they travel to Foxborough, Mass., for Sunday's divisional playoff game.
Ground and pound certainly helped carry the Jets to victory against the Colts in the wild-card round: they ran the ball 25 times in the second half alone, holding the ball for 18 minutes and limiting Peyton Manning to just three second-half possessions.
Sounds like a formula that makes sense against this week's future Hall of Fame quarterback, Tom Brady. Not to mention that the Jets have had success running against the Patriots, averaging more than 4 yards per carry in each of their two previous meetings this season.
In the 45-3 blowout loss last month, the Jets still ran 31 times for 152 yards. But they left feeling like they could have done much more — had they not fallen behind, 24-3, by halftime. They also opened that game with a no-huddle offense, and a three-receiver personnel set, looking to start fast and ready to throw.
"We did come out throwing the ball more, but we saw it as a weakness," right guard Brandon Moore said. "They were ranked pretty low in pass defense. But sometimes you have to stay true to your personnel and what you do well. I'm sure some things we'll do differently this time."
LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, behind superb blocking up front, picked up 152 yards on 35 attempts last week — their third-highest combined load of carries this season. The Jets exploited the Colts' 4-3, fast-flow defense with misdirection runs and well-executed trap plays.
They'll likely need different answers for the Patriots this week, and figure to adjust during the game. Offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Bill Callahan said that when facing the Patriots, what you think you're going to get, you don't. The key is to have contingency plans.
In their playbook, fullback Tony Richardson said, each play will be accompanied by about five pictures that show how to run it and block it against different defenses. When the opponent changes its front at the last second, center Nick Mangold calls out the adjustment in words that are "short and sweet," he said.
"In our scheme, our rules can a lot of times get us in the right position," Richardson said. "They're going to do some things we hadn't seen before, and they might stem late. But we have to stay true to our techniques and our fundamentals to make it into a successful play."
The biggest — literally and figuratively — force the Jets' ground game will face is defensive lineman Vince Wilfork. The 6-2, 325-pound run stuffer is instinctual, powerful and Callahan says he's seen him take guys and literally toss them off.
He's also exceptionally versatile — particularly as the Patriots have dealt with losses on their defensive line — meaning he's able to line up over every offensive lineman and on the strong or weak side. Slauson, a first-year starter, expects to see a lot of Wilfork, as does Wayne Hunter, now the permanent replacement at right tackle after Damien Woody was placed on injured reserve with an Achilles injury this week.
Both have put in hours in the film room watching Wilfork, understanding that he has a good feel where the ball is going, like on the cutback runs in the zone scheme, which makes him better at shedding blocks. Hunter said sustaining and finishing blocks against him will be key.
The Jets' offensive identity has been in flux this season, but the team relied on its ground-and-pound roots to keep its season alive in Indianapolis. This week, perhaps the best antidote to Brady and his explosive offense is the same one.
"When you're playing against these Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks, the less they're out there, the less effective they're going to be," Richardson said. "That's our charge on offense. That's what we did such a great job of on Saturday, and that was the difference in the ballgame."
Jenny Vrentas: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Get green this year with these helpful but simple and easy tasks that will make the planet a better place for us all.
I Never Read Instructions!
Regardless of how easy a home improvement project may appear, there are always snags. All of us do-it-yourselfers can relate to a story about the time we forgot to connect A to B, knocked over a gallon of paint, or installed shutters upside down. (True story!)
If you feel like your kitchen is stuck in 1965, 1975 or 1985, all you need are a few tools, some know how and the patience to bring your kitchen into this century.
Accessorizing is too important a concept to be confined to just dressing up. The fact is that many things, from the perfect Christmas tree, to the perfect patio come together because of the little touches that pull it all together. If you think of a newly made-over room as a little black dress, the hardware details you add are akin to elegant pearl earrings -- subtle, classy, must-have accessories. And when it comes to updating the kitchen, pulls, knobs, and handles are truly the jewelry of the kitchen cabinets.
Using a flathead screwdriver, remove all of the switch and outlet covers from all of the walls that you want to work on. Once you've done this, cover the outlets and the switches with blue painter's tape.
If your grout is cracking, worn, dingy or stained, replacing it may be your next do-it-yourself project.
Baby it's cold outside!How to Keep Your Windows From Letting In The Cold
Window into Warm
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With the winter about to blow in, don't spend another year throwing money out the window. By sealing your windows before the season hits you'll keep warmer during those long winter months and cut your heating bills by more than 30%!
When you are juggling long days at work, a family and social commitments, romance may be the last thing on your mind. See how a few minor changes at home might help get you in the mood.


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1. Write in the box the name you want to be engraved. In case you don't write anything in the box we will send you the box without name.
2. Choose a design in the drop-down. * You can see examples of the designs by clicking here.
Product description:
Box made from elm wood. It's perfect to keep your little treasures.
It's personalized with your name and a drawing. It's a unique and exclusive box that besides allowing you to store your things, will decorate any corner of your home.
The finish of the box is in natural wood.
Keep in mind that the box that you receive at home may be slightly different from that of the images displayed since both the name and the drawing are pyrographed by hand, with which each one is unique. Also the veins and waters of the wood can vary, because wood is a natural material.
Dimensions: 9 x 5.5 x 5 (width x length x height *exterior measurements in cm).
To see more pictures of our boxes click here.


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A curated source for everything entrepreneurial in your community.
Startup Week: Celebrating entrepreneurs is communities across the globe.
Start building your future in just 54 hours. Learn, Network, Startup.
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Why should every startup consider Software Escrow?
This post originally appeared on blog.up.co
This is a guest blog post by Hira Saeed, Community Leader, Startup Weekend Karachi who writes about startups, AI, Chatbots and Big data.
The economy is experiencing a boom owing to the rise of startups across the country. With this rapid growth, safeguarding your business assets to ensure constant stability is vital. When you are starting out, you need to put into consideration the measures that are going to protect your business and its assets in the years ahead. One such way is by enlisting the services of a software escrow agent. A software escrow or a source code escrow is a service that helps to protect the parties vital to a software license. The service is integral to business owners who are looking to secure the continuity of the software's maintenance over a period of time.
How Does Source Code Escrow Work?
At the last stages of software licensing, a neutral third party, the escrow agent is normally introduced to the equation. The primary purpose of the escrow agent is to store and safeguard the source code, documentation and all the relevant data pertaining to the software license. The escrow agent holds on to these things up until the point that a situation stipulated in the agreement is initiated.
Typically, as the licensee, you are presented with two options to protect against any unexpected business continuity problems, such as bankruptcy, the software vendor may experience. The first option is a source code license which requires the developer to give you the source code with the inclusion of all the up to date version releases. This option is not feasible to the developer as the source code is the software developer's crown jewels and they will not want to prematurely give those to its licensee. The second option is to setup a software escrow by assigning your preferred third party escrow agent under a comprehensive escrow agreement.
The continuity and maintaining the software aspect of the business is an important part of the software lifecycle. Enlisting the services of software escrow basically means that a licensee can continue to depend on the software even if the software vendor disappears.
When Should You Consider Source Code Escrow?
- When the software licensed is mission critical
- When the software vendor is likely to go out of business
- When circumstances like bankruptcy arise and result to lack of maintenance or support of the software
- When the software vendor breaches the terms of agreement on the software license. A violation of the agreement should essentially result in the vendor negating their obligations to maintain and support the software
- If the software used is a vital component of the operations of your business
- If the software has a significant impact on the business revenue
- If the software was bought from the vendor at a high price
- If the software was custom made for your business and getting a replacement is a tedious process
As your business changes, the software should also be updated to ensure that it keeps up with the needs of the business. When the software vendor is no longer offering maintenance or support, you are likely to experience software crashes, incompatibility with other software and multiple error reports. When this happens, having access to the source code, the list of developers, deployment documents, build instructions and virtual machines through an escrow agent will be extremely valuable.
What does the process entail?
Picking out an escrow agent
When picking out a software escrow agent, you should do copious amounts of research to ensure that you select the best in the industry. The fame and size of the company should not be the only considerations. Look at the financial stability of escrow agent, what the other clients are saying and the background as well. Where is your material going to be stored? What is the agency's technical and legal expertise? How long have they been in business? Asking yourself these questions will help you select a good software escrow agent.
Transferring the source code and other documents
Once you and the software vendor get a software escrow agent, the vendor transfers copies of the source code. The agent should be able to provide secure submissions like the Escrow Synchronization, manual online and offline submissions and automated submission scripts via stfp.
Source code held in place awaiting any eventualities
The release conditions are usually defined in the escrow agreement. They are mutually agreed by the licensor and licensee in writing and presented to the escrow agent.
Software escrow update
Presently, agents should be able to automate the updates to the corresponding software version releases. The updates to the software should essentially go hand in hand with the escrow updates.
Release condition triggered
If any one of the conditions listed in the escrow agreement occurs, the agent is prompted to release the source code and documents to the licensee. In the event that a software license is terminated before any release condition is triggered, the materials are returned to the licensor, or they can also be destroyed in line with the licensor's instructions.
It is beneficial for a start-up to ensure that all aspects of the business are safeguarded. Using a reputable software agent helps to cover any loopholes that the software aspect of the business might have. This will help to ensure that the evolution of the business over a long period of time.


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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Percutian ke Utara... cheeewaaahhh... (entry tertunda..:P)
2 comments:
Seronok baca...percutian yang penuh dengan relaks dan makanan yang menarik...;)
- September 29, 2011 at 1:00 AM
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- April 10, 2013 at 10:36 PM


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About Conference
Being recognized as a world-renowned organization, OMICS International takes pride to introduce the commencement of "14th International Conference and Exhibition on Targeting Diabetes and Novel Therapeutics" from October 17-19, 2016 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Special interest and theme of this conference is: "A step towards translating novel therapies to control Diabetes". The conference aims to provide an opportunity to share knowledge, expertise along with unparalleled networking opportunities between a large number of medical and industrial professionals in this sphere. OMICS International's Diabetes Medicare 2016 conference gathers renowned scientists, physicians, surgeons, young researchers, industrial delegates and talented student communities in the field of diabetic medicine under a single roof where networking and global partnering happens for the acceleration of future research.
OMICS Publishing Group through its Open Access Initiative is committed to make genuine and reliable contributions to the scientific community. OMICS Publishing Group hosts over 400 leading-edge peer reviewed Open Access journals and has organized over 300 scientific conferences all over the world.
OMICS International welcomes all the scientists, physicians, surgeons, young researchers, industrial delegates and talented student communities in the field of diabetic medicine to attend this Diabetes Conferences, where all the aspects of diabetes will be discussed under single roof. Diabetes Medicare 2016 will be an excellent amalgamation of academia and industry as it involves every aspects of empirical and conceptual thinking in exploring new dimensions in this field. It is open to all types of research methodologies both from academia and industry.
Diabetes Medicare 2016 is an international platform for presenting research about diabetes management and therapeutics, exchanging ideas about it and thus, contributes to the dissemination of knowledge in management of the disease for the benefit of the society. Diabetes Medicare 2016 is where the future of management and novel therapeutics for the disease intersects.
Diabetes has increasingly become a lifestyle-related disease as it afflicts young and old. In 2013, the value of the diabetes therapeutics market in Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries was an estimated $6.5 billion, and it is forecast to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.1% between 2013 and 2020 to $10.5 billion. The latest report states that of the four major APAC countries (China, India, Japan and Australia), China will see the fastest expansion, with a CAGR of 11.1% over the forecast period. This will be driven by an increase in the prevalent population due to urbanization, advancement in the lifestyle of the people and by expected drug launches.
Conference Highlights
- Diabetes Pathophysiology
- Clinical Practices in Diabetes
- Trends in Diabetes Complication
- Diabetes Medications & Pharmacotherapy
- Alternative Therapies for Diabetes
- Diabetes Market and Business Analysis
- Diabetes Nutrition
- Recent Technologies for Diabetes care and Management
Special Issues
- All accepted abstracts will be published in respective OMICS International Journals.
- Abstracts will be provided with Digital Object Identifier by Cross Ref.
See more at: http://diabeticmedications.conferenceseries.com/


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In our last meeting of 2017 the Gainesville Area 100 Women Who Care group voted to donate to the Georgetown South Community Center.
Georgetown South is the oldest townhome community in Manassas. In fact, it is the first townhome community in Northern VA! The goal of the community was to provide affordable housing for the working class. Unfortunately a bad economy brought crime to the neighborhood. Local activists and businesses have partnered with the the community center to work to alleviate crime and improve quality of life there. Now we will be part of that work! If you would like to join us, please send us an email at firstname.lastname@example.com or find us on Facebook!


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Wagoner Law Firm, P.A.
Wagoner Law Firm is located in the heart of Central Arkansas near downtown Little Rock in the Riverdale area. Our firm has successfully litigated a wide variety of cases before Arkansas judges and juries. In addition to maintaining a substantial family law practice, our attorneys have recovered approximately forty million dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients in a variety of cases including business litigation, products liability, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and nursing home neglect and abuse.
Jack Wagoner is the founder of the Wagoner Law Firm. Jack has the highest ethical and legal ability rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. The "AV" rating signifies that Jack Wagoner is considered a "pre-eminent" lawyer with the highest ethical standards. Martindale-Hubbell peer review ratings are derived through anonymous polling of Arkansas lawyers and judges familiar with Jack and his practice.
For fifteen consecutive years, Jack has been listed among "Best Lawyers in America" (BestLawyers.com). He has also been listed for each of the last ten years as one of the Best Lawyers in Arkansas by the Arkansas Times.
Jack Wagoner's efforts to fight for marriage equality in Arkansas were highlighted in an Arkansas Times cover story on June 26, 2014.
Our firm also maintains the Jack Wagoner Scholarship fund, which provides an academic scholarship each year to a worthy student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Practice Areas
Office: (501) 837-8850 | Fax: (501) 660-4030
Wagoner Law Firm, P.A., 1320 Brookwood Dr., Suite A, Little Rock, AR 72202
Email: email@example.com
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Saga 19 January 2012Posted by marisacat in Divertissements, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy, Total fucking lunatics.
78 comments
Giglio, Italy: The Costa Concordia cruise ship | AGF s.r.l./Rex Features
NOW there is a report surfacing, I think from the blonde the captain was seen with, he ordered dinner after the crash.
It boggles the mind.
Politics 11 November 2011Posted by marisacat in 2012 Re Election, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy, WAR!.
71 comments
A ferocious great white shark looks like it is having a laugh as it smiles for the camera. Dyer Island, Cape Province, South Africa. [Mike Parry/Minden/solent]
A post at Counterpunch yesterday had a little story on Smedley Butler I had never heard before (the article is on Cain and Il Duce, snicker!)…
and it goes well with the open-mouthed great white:
[B]utler was a very colorful and entertaining public speaker who used obscenities and didn't mince words; if he felt someone needed to be raked over the coals, he was unafraid to do it. When he was the commander at Quantico Marine base, he introduced Secretary of the Navy Charles Francis Adams, a man he did not like, to some of his officers by saying, "Gentlemen, I want you to meet the Secretary of the goddamn Navy."
It was in such a frame of mind that Butler took on Benito Mussolini. It was 1931, and Butler was giving a breakfast speech on "how to prevent war" to a gathering at the Philadelphia Contemporary Club. In the speech, he told about an unnamed journalist who had interviewed Mussolini while riding with him in a speeding Fiat touring car. When a peasant child dashed into the street, the car plowed right over him.
"My friend screamed," Butler told his audience. "Mussolini put a hand on my friend's knee. 'It was only one life,' he told my friend. 'What is one life in the affairs of a State?'"
Smelling gossipy blood, the US press ran the story heavily, and Il Duce was furious; he denied the story categorically. Herbert Hoover's Secretary of the State Henry Stimson sympathized with Mussolini and defended him. General Butler was ordered to publicly apologize to Mussolini. When he refused, he was court-martialed. In the end, the raw and eloquent Butler went public and won the day, humiliating Stimson and Hoover and keeping his rank and position in the Marine Corps. [See Maverick Marine: General Smedley Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History by Hans Schmidt for a wonderful account of Butler's life.]
The anonymous journalist Butler cited riding with Mussolini turned out to be Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., the magnate's son who traveled the world as a journalist during a time when the US business class was keen on people like Mussolini.
The New York Times and Time magazine both supported Mussolini's side of the story and editorialized that Butler and the US government owed him an apology. The New York Tribune wrote this: "The Fascisti movement is – in essentials – a reaction against degeneration through Socialistic internationalism. It is rough in its methods, but the aims which it professes are tonic."
Colliers magazine published stories that emphasized the post-WWI chaos in Italy and Il Duce's strong-man charms that "represented the triumph of law and order over anarchy and radicalism. …'Normalcy' was the catchword of the times, for Italy as well as for America." [John Higgins, Mussolini and Fascism: The View From America.]
Vanderbilt insisted on remaining anonymous during the Butler episode in 1931, but in a 1943 book – after Mussolini became an official "bad guy" in the US capitalist pantheon – Vanderbilt 'fessed-up and recounted the tale, supporting Butler's story. What Mussolini actually said was apparently a bit different from the words Butler had put in his mouth. Here's Vanderbilt's version:
I heard a shriek and saw a group of children waving flags. I turned my head quickly. There was a shapeless little form lying in the road back of us.
"Look, Your Excellency," I shouted.
"Never look back, my friend. Always forward," he answered without turning his head, and we roared on into the night.
Have a laugh, I just read this about the departure of Berlusconi…
Former European Commissioner Mario Monti, who is expected to replace the billionaire media magnate, was welcomed with applause when he took his place in the upper house after being appointed a Senator for life by President Giorgio Napolitano. …
Gladio 15 October 2011Posted by marisacat in 2012 Re Election, Europe, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy, Occupy Wall Street, WAR!.
49 comments
Italian police fired tear gas and water cannons as protesters in Rome turned a demonstration against corporate greed into a riot Saturday, smashing shop and bank windows, torching cars and hurling bottles [Image: AP]
And, down in comments:
Murloc on Oct 15, 4:20 PM said:apparently there were black blocs infiltrated in the manifestation who turned the manifestation violent, and leftist groups and other pacific demonstrators helped the police to capture them.So much for your anti-left propaganda. Those round shields are so silly though, it almost looks like 300.
Read more: Business Insider
Operation Gladio (Italian: Organizzazione Gladio) is the codename for a clandestine NATO "stay-behind" operation in Italy after World War II. Its purpose was to continue anti-communist actions in the event of a shift to a Communist party led government. Although Gladio specifically refers to the Italian branch of the NATO stay-behind organizations, "Operation Gladio" is used as an informal name for all stay-behind organizations, sometimes called "Super NATO". The name Gladio is the Italian form of gladius, a type of Roman shortsword.[1]
Operating in many NATO and even some neutral countries,[2] Gladio was part of a series of national operations first coordinated by the Clandestine Committee of the Western Union (CCWU), founded in 1948. After the creation of NATO in 1949, the CCWU was integrated into the Clandestine Planning Committee (CPC), founded in 1951 and overseen by SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe), transferred to Belgium after France's official withdrawal from NATO's Military Committee in 1966 — which was not followed by the dissolution of the French stay-behind paramilitary movements. […]
Carnivale 21 February 2011Posted by marisacat in 2012 Re Election, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy, Pan Arab Revolt - 2011.
69 comments
Carnival season kicks off in Venice, Nice and Viareggio:
A float depicting US President Barack Obama with his hat topped off by a man dressed as Osama Bin Laden, and entitled Barack-Adabra and the Great Circus of the Fleas, is seen at the Carnival parade in Viareggio, Italy [AP]
Don't worry …they REALLY smacked Silvio around:
A huge paper mache float depicting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi entitled Rexpubblica is seen at the Viareggio Carnival [EPA]
At least Obby got to keep his skin.
Another Libya site: http://revolution2.moonfruit.com/
DOA 16 February 2011Posted by marisacat in Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy.
63 comments
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi arrives at his residence at Palazzo Grazioli, in Rome. He faced a potentially fatal challenge to his power when a judge ordered him tried on prostitution and abuse of power charges. Berlusconi is going on trial April 6 in Milan on charges that he paid for sex with a 17-year-old Moroccan girl and then tried to cover it up. [AP]
It is almost hilarioius, if anyone told me that was him in his coffin, I'd believe it. All drained and pumped back up……..
I noticed that Angry A had a reference to a NYT report, calling a MILLION women on the streets of Italy as "signs of discontent" with Silvio.
More/Merrier 13 February 2011Posted by marisacat in Europe, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy, Total fucking lunatics.
60 comments
A demonstrator holds a pan cover with a picture of a caged Berlusconi during a protest against Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, in Rome, Saturday, Feb.12, 2011. Protestors are demanding Berlusconi's resignation following allegations he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and used his office to cover it up. Italian prosecutors want to put Italian Premier Berlusconi on trial over the allegations. Berlusconi has dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign. "I'm not worried in the slightest," Berlusconi said of the prostitution case. "I am a wealthy gentleman who can spend the rest of his life building hospitals for children like I've always wanted to." (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
The more that get pushed out, for whatever reason, the better (I could care less who Silvio poked or prodded)…
Can't someone surface with a pic of Little Mr Cameron, over there in England, with his vital part in a keyhole… or something?
Hail Mary… 17 October 2010Posted by marisacat in Australia, Culture of Death, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy, Total fucking lunatics.
64 comments
A cheer broke out in the crowd when MacKillop's name was announced by Pope Benedict XVI [AFP]
Hail Mary… and then some. FIRST the Church tosses a saint at Australia… then gives her a name that sounds like the title of some parochial school based porn and discipline movie:
St Mary MacKillop of the Cross.
Then, it seems, the story is she was first vilified ("briefly" ex-communicated) in her life for exposing an instance of abuse, then lauded.
Now sainted.
There seems to have been a great mass writhing of the Australian faithful in St Peter's Square…
One hundred and one years after her death, the Pope completed the recognition of her saintly status by declaring MacKillop and the five other clergy members being canonised should be "definitively declared saints and included in the book of saints (and) devoutly honoured . . . in all the church".
The most senior cardinal assisting him in the ceremony, the Archbishop of Montreal, Jean-Claude Turcotte, gave a response in which he became the first person to formally use MacKillop's new title, Saint Mary of the Cross.
Sister Maria Casey, the official advocate of MacKillop's cause, knelt before the Pope and he held her hands as she thanked him for the elevation of MacKillop.
The gospel reading in the mass was read twice, once in Greek and once in Latin, to signify the Pope's decision applies to the universal church as it covers both its eastern and western wings.
Also, according to the Australian (isn't that a Murdoch paper, iirc it is), Rudd has moved publicly to laud the Church for its stance (would that be "bend over"?) on abuse AND there is a move on to make SMMotC the patron saint of …….. the abused!
KEVIN Rudd launched a vigorous defence of the Catholic Church's response to child abuse last night.
And Mr Rudd said the canonisation of Mary MacKillop should prompt Australians to a fairer appreciation of the church's contribution to their nation's history.
Addressing a press conference after an audience with the Pope, the Foreign Minister said while many people criticised the church it was time to more openly acknowledge its positive contributions.
Asked about the church's response to clergy abusing children he said it had taken action and "I would like to acknowledge the enormous work which the church has done and other Christian churches in dealing with this blight on all of human kind".
He is in Rome not only for the announce of her coming canonisation but apparently the Vatican is mounting a big show on Australian indigenous peoples. A two-fer.
We know how much they care. About the little brown people.
One atheist writing in the Sydney Morning Herald notes that she, Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross, is already the patron saint of quack cancer cures, her mandatory two miracles having to do with curing cancer.
Only second to the general whitewashing the Church receives:
Asked what the federal government planned to do on the issue of clerical child abuse, Mr Rudd said it was important to acknowledge the pain of victims but "the church over some time now has established its own process within Australia for dealing with this".
"And the church in doing so has dealt with many cases from the past, and where there have been imperfections in the process they have also sought to improve those processes."
We are so blessed…….
(O Canada! … Don't feel left out Canada! I read some monk is about to receive the nod… )
In other fantastical fib-laden slobber news, I see Ob and Snob were together in Ohio.
"I know there are times when probably it's hard to recapture that sense of possibility," Obama said, recalling the night of his election victory.
"It's hard sometimes to say, 'Yes we can.'
You sit thinking, 'You know, maybe. I don't know.' It's not as inspiring a slogan."
Yes we cannot?
They so need to be pelted with foodstuffs made from transfats, pesticide riddled vegetables and tobacco smoke.
Tender morsels 18 September 2010Posted by marisacat in Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy, UK.
41 comments
Choirboys attend a mass lead …
Choirboys attend a mass lead by Britain's Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Pope Benedict XVI, unseen, at Westminster Abbey, in London Friday,Sept. 17, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI is on the second day of the first-ever state visit by a Pope to Britain.… Read more »
(AP Photo/Max Rossi, Pool)
gah. 23 August 2010Posted by marisacat in 2010 Mid Terms, 2012 Re Election, DC Politics, Inconvenient Voice of the Voter, Italy.
69 comments
Birds under a roof in Solda, Italy [Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images]
People thrash back and forth about what Obby "should do", "must do", "has to do". Get over it! He's doing what he's doing.
Which is pretty much The Plan…
However wretched the execution. Not that it matters if we agree, disagree or dislike the roll out.
Dean Baker in The Arena at Politico:
There are very few people interested in ideology. However, President Obama does have to lay out a path forward and when it comes to the economy, it is very difficult to see what it is. The economy is essentially dead in the water. It is creating few, if any jobs, and the unemployment rate is almost certain to drift upward through the rest of the 2010. And, there is no obvious reason to expect things to look much better in 2011. (Two really bad unemployment reports in the next two months are not going to help the Dems' prospects in November.)
President Obama has to have a story about how his policies will make things better for ordinary workers. He doesn't have a plausible one at the moment. Everyone knows that he supported the rescue of Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and the rest of the Wall Street gang in their hour of need. If he expects to regain his popularity he has to be prepared to stick his neck out for the rest of the country. There may not be a workable program that can get through a Senate filibuster, but at the moment, he is not even publicly pushing one.
Don't make me laught too hard. He's not pushing one privately either.
Still in the news, still god's awful emissary… 25 March 2010Posted by marisacat in Abortion Rights, Italy, Sex / Reproductive Health, Viva La Revolucion!.
46 comments
If it is not the Dutch, then it is the Irish…. if not the Irish then it is the South Germans – in the old stomping grounds. If not Germany, then Florence and Roma. If not in the parishes then in the choirs… if not in the choirs… then among the deaf children of Wisconsin.
Is there no gay beach resort Benny and Ganswein can retire to? Gay mountain resort?
Gather up the lacey underskirts, the jewels, the custom made Versace clothing (Ganswein, overseen personally by Donatella)… the nifty red slip ons… the bon mots from Bono.. and, you know, get the hell out of [un]Holy Dodge.
One would think. How hard can it be? No one is asking the High Holy Boyos to take a vow of [gasp choke] poverty……….


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The Merry Widowlike
Cast John Gilbert (Prince Danilo), Mae Murray (Sally O'Hara, "The Merry Widow"); Roy D'Arcy (Crown Prince Mirko), Josephine Crowell (Queen Milena), George Fawcett (King Nikita), Tully Marshall (Baron Sadoja), Count Conti (Danilo's adjutant), Sidney Bracey (Danilo's footman), Don Ryan (Crown Prince's adjutant), Dale Fuller (Sally's maid), George Nichols (Doortender at François's); Lon Poff (Sadoja's Lackey) Production Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Scenario Erich von Stroheim and Benjamin Glazer, based on the operetta by Victor Leon, Leo Stein, and Franz Lehar Titles Marian Ainslee Photography Oliver Marsh, William Daniels, and Ben Reynolds Editor Frank Hull Art Direction Richard Day and Cedric Gibbons
Presented at SFSFF 1997
Print Source Turner Entertainment Co.
Musical Accompaniment Dennis James on the Mighty Wurlitzer
Essay by Andrea Chase, Alexandria Volk, Melissa Chittick, and Stephen Salmons
When MGM producer Irving Thalberg agreed to give The Merry Widow to director Erich von Stroheim, he knew the director's famed extravagance and continental experience would serve the rich, frothy story well. He made one stipulation: that both the Maxim's nightclub and waltz scenes were to be retained from Franz Lehar's original operetta. Other than that, von Stroheim was to have carte blanche.
Shooting started in November 1924 at Culver City. The whole picture—save for an introductory location shot and the duel—was photographed on studio sets. Amazingly, the entire picture took only 12 weeks to film.
During production, von Stroheim's infamous perfectionism immediately asserted itself. Thalberg had cast John Gilbert in the role of Prince Danilo; von Stroheim, however, refused to hire a leading man that did not look the very model of a European officer. According to film historian Kevin Brownlow, the director told the star, "Gilbert, I am forced to use you in my picture. I do not want you, but the decision was not in my hands." Gilbert later wrote that he felt utterly humiliated and walked out. "A furious session on the set resulted in my telling him where he could put The Merry Widow. I went into my dressing room and tore off my uniform. Von followed and apologised. Whereupon we had a drink .... That disagreement cemented a relationship which for my part will never end."
When it came to the part of Crown Prince Mirko, von Stroheim had planned to cast himself, but Thalberg vetoed this proposition. He would not be led into another situation like Foolish Wives (1922). As director of that film, von Stroheim could not be dismissed because he was also the principal actor. Roy D'Arcy, who eventually played Mirko in The Merry Widow, was discovered when von Stroheim and his wife saw him doing musical comedy in a local theater.
The casting of the female lead, Mae Murray, was Thalberg's idea. A former Ziegfeld Follies girl, she was years older than the part indicated, but she was popular, known all over the world as "the girl with the bee-stung lips." Murray was unhappy that von Stroheim would not let her choose her own wardrobe every day, and thought his direction was pointedly making her role smaller and less glamorous than it could be, and that Thalberg had told her it would be. An accomplished dancer, she was worried von Stroheim was going to downplay the famous waltz that would be her big scene. Finally, she persuaded Thalberg that she could not go on like this. Von Stroheim was fired and replaced by the likeable Monta Bell. This was poor strategy on Mayer's part for von Stroheim's loyal cast and crew called a stage strike. Against their better judgement, Thalberg and Mayer hired him back, negotiating a truce with Murray. A key portion of that truce allowed Murray to choose some of her own costumes, some of which she had bought before she had even auditioned for the part. The front-page headline of the Los Angeles Record on Thursday, January 20, 1925 read "Mae-Von Sign Peace."
Despite all its offscreen difficulties, The Merry Widow was a successful film for von Stroheim, and his only moneymaker. The film's excellent camerawork was singled out as groundbreaking by the industry and the critics. Von Stroheim was credited with advancing the art form by using fewer intertitles and the film was hailed as good storytelling by the cultured and common alike. Attempts by certain organizations and leaders to censor the "decadent Europeanism" and risqué costumes were shouted down.
There is one other groundbreaking aspect to this film. It was the debut of a young actor who definitely looked smashing in a uniform: Clark Gable. He was one of the loyal von Stroheim extras and is visible in the waltz scene.


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SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly men's basketball head coach John Smith finalized his coaching staff on Wednesday morning with the announcement that Rodney Tention – who brings nearly three decades of collegiate experience to Mott Athletics Center – has joined the program as associate head coach.
"I'm thrilled to add Rodney Tention to our staff to help lead and guide not only our players, but myself and the rest of our staff," Smith said. "The experience coach Tention brings is something to marvel at, but his character and demeanor outshine everything he's accomplished. I couldn't imagine having anyone else as my associate head coach."
Tention's success at the Division I level began with a run of eight consecutive NCAA Tournament berths as an assistant coach at Arizona under Lute Olson (1998-2005). With the Wildcats, Tention worked primarily with perimeter players, in addition to compiling scouting reports and serving in Arizona's nationally renowned recruiting efforts. With Tention on staff, Arizona posted a combined 205-56 (.786) mark, captured three Pac-10 Conference championships and reached the 2001 NCAA Tournament championship game.
Tention carried success to Loyola Marymount where he served as head coach from 2005-08. One year after finishing 3-11 in West Coast Conference play, Loyola Marymount finished 8-6 in the WCC and reached the conference tournament championship game during Tention's first season. Tention coached six Lions to All-WCC honors while Damian Martin became just the second Loyola Marymount player in program history to earn WCC Defender of the Year praise.
As an assistant coach at Stanford (2008-11), Tention helped the Cardinal to a 20-win season and a semifinal appearance in the 2009 College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament during his first year. With Tention, nine Stanford players earned All-Pac-10 honors in just three seasons.
Tention then spent four seasons as an assistant coach at San Diego. The Toreros capped the 2013-14 season by reaching the quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
Prior to Cal Poly, Tention's last position with a Division I program was as an assistant coach at San Jose State (2015-18). He later served as interim head coach in July 2017 following the resignation of head coach Dave Wojcik.
Tention, 56, was also an assistant coach at South Florida (1989-91). The Bulls made back-to-back postseason appearances with Tention, including the 1990 NCAA Tournament after winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The Bulls produced a 39-21 (.650) record with Tention, including a 20-win effort in his first season.
Before his successful run at the Division I level, Tention spent six seasons at the College of Notre Dame (Belmont, Calif.). He served as an assistant coach for the Argonauts from 1992-94, recruiting the talent that led Notre Dame to its first postseason appearance in 1994. Tention was then promoted to head coach for a three-year run while the program transitioned from NCAA Division II to the NAIA.
Tention received his coaching start as an assistant at Skyline Community College (San Bruno, Calif.) during the 1988-89 season as the program captured the Coast Conference championship.
As a player, Tention averaged 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during a three-year career at San Francisco. A two-time All-West Coast Conference selection, Tention was also a two-year captain for the Dons. As a senior during the 1987-88 season, he averaged 11.0 points per game and finished fourth among WCC players with 1.9 steals per game and fifth with 3.8 assists per game.
Tention began his collegiate career at Air Force where he started 23 of 27 games as a true freshman during the 1983-84 season and averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per matchup. He then spent the 1984-85 season at Grossmont Community College (El Cajon, Calif.) where he was named Pacific Coast Conference Most Valuable Player and was an All-California Community College Athletic Association selection. He also set program single season records for assists (259), averaging 8.1 per game.
Tention received his bachelor's degree in sociology from San Francisco in 1988 and his master's in public administration from the College of Notre Dame in 1995.
He has a son Nathan, and he and his wife, Rebecca, have two sons, Justice and Miles.


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GMC, Buick, and Chevrolet Showroom in NJ
All GM vehicles feature signature style, durable handling, and the latest advancements, but each one is distinctive in its own way. Each model offers something special, suited to your unique New Jersey lifestyle. Something for everyone—that's what you can expect at Burke GM.
Browse our vehicle showroom and take a closer look at our models to see which will fulfill your needs.
See for yourself why It's Better at Burke. If you have any questions, contact us online or call (609) 778-4572.


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You can easily subscribe to YI Cloud Service through YI Home app. Please open your YI Home app, select the device you wish to activate YI Cloud Service for. Then navigate to "Live -> Settings -> My YI Cloud" and select "Subscribe to YI Cloud Service" to make your purchase.
Alternatively if you wish not to use the service is it easier to take advantage the microSD option to store footage you choose to save or manually download them to your phone.


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NobleCircles Genealogy © Haceldama
NobleCircles Genealogy © Haceldama is a searchable genealogical relationship database consisting of more than 440,000 people and 165,000 families at 30,000 places worldwide all gathered in one single family tree; mapping their ancestors, descendants and various relatives and all of them somehow related to each other. The database also includes all European and some Middle Eastern royal families, many European noble families, 28 US Presidents, 33 British Prime Ministers and all 141 Danish Privy Councillors and Danish Prime Ministers and many of their relatives. You can follow NobleCircles Genealogy © Haceldama if you join our Facebook Page and our Facebook Group. You can at on the Log File see what other people latest looked at in the database, which were last updated on July 24 2019.
Thomas Carew (Carew)- Yes, date unknown
Name Thomas Carew (Carew) Gender Male Died Yes, date unknown Person ID I442496 onetrees Last Modified 22 Aug 2019
Father Sir Nicholas Carew (Carew), d. 1449 Mother Joan Courtenay (Courtenay), d. Yes, date unknown Stepparents Children 1. Alexander Carew (Carew), d. Yes, date unknown 2. William Carew (Carew), d. Yes, date unknown 3. Thomas Carew (Carew), d. Yes, date unknown Family ID F18099 Group Sheet | Family chart
Family Joan Carminow (Carmynowe), d. Yes, date unknown Children + 1. Sir Nicholas Carew (Carew), d. Yes, date unknownMarried: Margery Dinham Last Modified 9 Aug 2019 09:09:00 Family ID F169773 Group Sheet | Family chart


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TORONTO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index climbed on Wednesday after the Bank of Canada cut its benchmark rate in a surprise move to counter the effects of cheaper oil on economic growth, sending most major sectors, including the energy group, higher.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 164.22 points, or 1.19 percent, at 14,572.66. (Editing by Amran Abocar)


text: This is the online home of my blog! It's where I dive into why I am equal parts coffee and chocolate with a few pieces of the pie dedicated to craft beers, nerdiness, and sarcastic humor. Within this blog I celebrate those around me through photographic memories of family, love, and achievements because they are awesome and deserve it! I also know the feeling of being overwhelmed so much so that I've created specific posts dedicated to the average person and where the heck you might start when it comes to planning weddings and portraits. My dorkiness and love of my clients doesn't end here though so I hope you enjoy what you find!


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I have the Dunkin Donuts app on my iPhone and it showed that I had a "buy one iced coffee, get one free" coupon. Very excited about this because I'm an iced coffee addict. I eagerly used my coupon and was psyched to get a free iced coffee. It's a smart marketing move on their part. However, I'm not so naive that I don't realize it's like playing the slot machines and getting a miniscule coin payout every so often. They give you the reward just enough so you keep coming back. It sounds awesome at the time but really it's not any sacrifice on their part, considering how many iced coffees I've purchased.
This reminds me of negotiating property division during the divorce process. The one spouse offers the other the marital residence, so long as that spouse does not touch their retirement plan. It sounds nice, a fair deal and each spouse giving something up. Like the iced coffee marketing ploy, it sounds better than it really is. Far too many clients are hung up on keeping the marital residence when it is not to their benefit. They are so eager to do this that they do not realize the house may involve more expense than they can handle. Taxes, mortgage, insurance, repairs, maintenance, capital gains on the sale....these things add up. A house is wonderful, sentimental, a place of stability in your child's life, and many other happy things. Sadly, it does not have an income. It doesn't buy groceries or pay bills. If you're not working and alimony payments are ending (if you are fortunate enough to receive alimony), you are in a tough spot.
As difficult as it sounds, there are times when it may be to your benefit to sell the house. Or, allow the higher earning spouse to buy out your interest in the house. Property division is usually not as simple as one person taking the house and the other taking the retirement plan; there's a lot more involved. Please discuss your situation with an experienced family law attorney before you make a potentially disastrous mistake.


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Tagged: perfect
Redefining a "perfect" body.
I recently read an article on the blog The Not so quiet Feminist called New year, same body-shaming crap. It's a bit late to bring it up since we typically reserve all the New Year's resolution hoopla for the first week or so of January, but the author makes a few great points I'd like to touch on.
The article talks extensively about how social pressure and media outlets shame women into hating their bodies and hurting themselves to change the way we look, because "if we do not adhere to this 'ideal woman' that is probably photoshopped within an inch of her life anyway, that we are doing something wrong… It's very fucking clever, and it works. I have seen so many women, including myself, spend hours panicking about a bit of cellulite here, and a bit of wobble there. I've even looked at my hands and thought, shit are they getting fat".
As an alumni sorority girl and a yoga teacher working in a studio that teaches three different disciplines of exercise -yoga, pilates and barre – I think about the ideal of "perfection" a lot. Sadly, like most girls my age, I've struggled with weight, dieting, and eating, had a flirtation with eating disorders and body dis-morphism, gained and lost a ton of weight, and came full circle back to where I'm supposed to be on the scale. My story is not particularly unique, and at the moment, I love my body wholeheartedly. However, as a fitness instructor, I do feel a certain amount of pressure to look a certain way, much like a hairdresser isn't allowed to have a bad hair day.
If you asked me whether or not I exercise to look "fit", my honest answer would be no. I exercise to feel strong and capable. I like being able to run up a flight of stairs with a mini fridge when I'm helping people move. I like feeling the strength in my quads as I ski down a hill. I love knowing that I could run a mile if I needed to without collapsing. The fact that I also happen to look damn good in a pair of skinny jeans is a nice perk, but not Objective #1.
I am fully aware of the fact that some of my students come in so that they will look good, and to an extent, that bothers me. I don't want my students to come into class because they looked in the mirror and noticed a little pudge on their bodies and they think they need to punish themselves for daring to have extra weight on their bodies. In an ideal world, I'd think that everyone could and should feel perfect and beautiful the way they are, but humans are insecure and scared and sometimes incapable of seeing how fabulous they really are.
Yoga is about empowering people. That's what I like to think that I am good at doing- at helping my students feel like they have achieved something beautiful in class that day whether they mastered something new or spent 75 minutes in child's pose. To use the classically misquoted Gandi cliché, "You have to be the change you want to see in the world". It's not enough to complain about the media hype, the magazines, and the judgment. If we don't start to change our own attitudes, nothing will happen- and the perfect place to change someone's attitude is in the yoga studio.
This is what I want to happen for my students, myself, and for you, dear reader. I don't want you to look perfect. I want you to feel perfect. I don't want you to commit to losing ten pounds because a supermodel on T.V. looks good in a bikini. I want you to commit to being able to climb 4 flights of stairs without losing your breath. I want you to come in and tell me that your goal is to be able to run a marathon or touch your toes or go to a yoga teacher training, and hell, if you happen to look good doing it, that's an afterthought.
I want you to know that the sexiest person in the room isn't the twig in the sports-bra. It's you, sweaty, tired, and smiling, because you just love flip dog and it just makes you grin every time.
Cheers to 2013. Let's make this the year we all get over ourselves and start living, internet.


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Here we are, at Friday again. Here are some of the most interesting reads I came across this week:
- Upon executive order from the President, effective September 30th, 2016, federal contractors will need to provide at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours an employee of said contractor works. The potential earned leave must total at least 56 hours (i.e. 7 days in a year), and can be used for (among other things) recovering from illness, care of a family member, and addressing issues around domestic violence and assault . This is executive order is a pretty big deal, as – once implemented – I suspect non-federal contractors will begin to mirror the policy as well. That said, as much as the specifics outlined in the executive order are complicated (and likely to become more so once the Secretary of Labor implements)… I am okay with this policy. Many industrialized nations around the world already offer paid sick leave. And while many U.S. companies already offer generous disability benefits, PTO benefits, and job protection under the FMLA, most of these benefits don't kick in for employees until they have worked with a company for an extended period of time. Conversely, this executive order (once implemented) will give new hires some breathing room to address the issues that are frequently a part of life – particularly for low wage earners who are less likely to receive immediate paid time off (and lack the financial resources to address the sort of issues covered by this leave policy without calling off from work). You can read the full executive order here. Let me know what you think in the comments.
- This white paper from the Kenan Flagler business school talks about the importance of trust to an organization's talent retention efforts, culture… and perhaps most importantly their bottom line. Those companies that are high on transparency and trust have fewer turnover issues, are more profitable, and colleagues score higher on collaboration, tolerance, and sharing a sense of shared purpose in their work. This was a great reaffirmation for me because I really, really believe in being transparent in one's actions, and giving broad autonomy to one's team. Check out the white paper here and let me know if it makes a believer out of you as well in the comments section below.
- Steve Boese has a great article up on his blog about feedback. Specifically, he talks about how – as much as organizations are making a move towards ensuring employees receive more frequent feedback – for it to really be an effective tool managers need to be trained on how to give it effectively. If they don't, it just becomes a vehicle for through which people leaders end up demoralizing their teams more quickly, taking what was before an annual dreaded process and turning it into a daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/etc. one. This is a great piece for me because I have been thinking a lot about feedback (and constructive criticism) lately… as in my experience frequent, well delivered feedback is often times the difference between well managed teams (and organizations) and poorly ones. Check out Boese's post here and let me know if you think I/he is right.
Happy Friday!


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Teacher among 2 killed as truck dashes human hauler
A truck rammed into a human hauler in Faridpur district town on Thursday, leaving two people killed and injured five others.
The deceased were identified as Azizul Haque,46, the head master of Roykali Govt Primary School, and Sujon Patwary,25, a mason. They both passengers of the human hauler.
Witnesses said a goods-laden truck rammed into a human hauler, known as Mahendra, when a tyre of the truck deflated in front of Gangabardi Agriculture College at about 11am, leaving Sujon dead on the spot and six Mahendra passengers injured.
The injured were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital where Azizul Haque died.
Faridpur Fire Service official M Saifuzzaman confirmed the accident.