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The city of Homer won't appeal a decision by Kenai Superior Court Judge Charles Huguelet that overturned a part of the Homer Natural Gas Special Assessment District treating condominium units the same as lots. The special assessment district funds construction of a natural gas distribution line throughout the entire city.
Condominium owner Ken Castner had filed a civil suit against the city challenging its process of assessing condo units $3,293.50 each — the same charge for a two-bedroom condo unit in a 10-unit complex as a 10-unit apartment complex. Huguelet said that process imposed "an arbitrary, unreasonable and inequitable burden" on Castner.
"The city reviewed the costs and benefits of filing an appeal and concluded that, on balance, it was in the overall best interest of the community to accept the judge's decision and move on," City Manager Walt Wrede said in a press release last week.
Wrede said the city thought it would have prevailed on appeal if it had chosen to do so.
Castner owns three condominium units in the Kachemak Bay Title Building. Because of the structure of the condo association, Castner also has a share in some condos, including a boiler room, and not just an office condo. Instead of paying the per-lot assessment of $3,283.30, the Kachemak Bay Title Building condo owners would have been assessed nine times, or $29,549.70, and Castner assessed $9,849.90.
"I think it's the correct decision. I'm glad to put it behind me and I look forward to them rewriting their ordinance," Castner said last week.
The city argued that Castner's properties were assessed on a "per lot" basis because his properties derived a benefit from the gas line. Huguelet agreed that under Alaska law properties that benefit from a service are subject to an assessment. Castner conceded that he gained a benefit, but that he was being assessed disproportionately to the benefit received. Huguelet noted that regardless of lot size or building on it, each lot would receive one, 2-inch pipe to connect natural gas service to the lot.
"Lots or parcels that have multiple habitable units and leases were provided the same access to the gas line through one 2-inch high-density polyethylene pipe to the lot and were charged only one assessment charge per lot or parcel. In effect, condominium owners in Plaintiff's building were assessed a charge nine times higher for the same single 2-inch high density polyethylene pipe," Huguelet wrote.
In his decision, Huguelet granted one victory to the city. He wrote that the process by which property owners approved the Homer Natural Gas Special Assessment District did not violate the Alaska Constitution. Castner had argued that the city violated his constitutional rights by not requiring the district be approved by an election. To fail, the special assessment district approval process required that a majority of property owners file a written objection to the district. Each property, including condo units, got one vote. Huguelet said a special assessment district is an acceptable exception to the Alaska Constitution's requirement that a vote be ratified by a majority before a debt can be contracted.
Castner said he would not appeal that part of the ruling. If the city had appealed, he said he would have filed a cross appeal on that point.
"Just because you call something a special assessment district doesn't mean it is," Castner said.
Wrede said there are about 118 condo assessments on 16 lots. If condos are not charged an assessment per unit, that would decrease the number of assessments, with a net loss of 102 assessment properties and an impact of about $340,000. With 3,855 assessments, the increase per-assessment would be about $88.
However, that's based on the preliminary assessment roll and estimate of construction costs. At the Feb. 10 Homer City Council meeting, City Attorney Thomas Klinkner presented a memorandum outlining the process for levying special assessments. Construction of the natural gas distribution line was started last year, with the downtown portion finished. Completion of the entire system is scheduled for this year. Contractor Utility Technologies Inc. already has started construction of the Homer Spit leg of the line. Once the line is built and the full cost known, the city will prepare an assessment roll, Klinkner wrote. It will review the roll to look at things like duplicate properties, that is, for properties with multiple owners that might have been listed twice. The assessment will then be divided by the actual construction cost and the corrected number of properties. There will be a review process, with a public hearing to allow property owners to object to the roll. Property owners also will be given a chance to file written objections. The city council would then correct any errors or inequalities and confirm the final assessment roll by a resolution.
"This ruling will be another adjustment consideration as the process moves forward," Wrede said in last week's press release. "The city will work with Mr. Castner to address the 'proportionality and reasonableness' problem identified by Judge Huguelet. The city hopes to find a solution that complies with the judge's decision, but is also fair to the other property owners in the special assessment district."
Michael Armstrong can be reached at email@example.com.


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My children are 11 & 13 years now & I had forgotten how wonderful babies can be. This weekend my sister has come to visit with her gorgeous, six month old daughter (& husband & 3 year old son).
They have all gone to park & I am here getting Sunday lunch ready (a roasty), but this morning (and yesterday) I have had many hours to hold, cuddle & play with my neice. I have been struck how she sits with such a straight back & gazes at the world with such a calm acceptance - it has been a lovely experience & one I hope I can take to the cushion.
Just noodling (again )

subset: commoncrawl


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Rolling Stone: Jagged Alliance Online Goes To Open Beta
The alliance that is jagged, but also online (rather than the one that will soon be back in action) has an open beta! You can completely sign up for that right here. I've no idea whatsoever about whether this is any good, or not, but I do rather hope it is, because this is the same company (and therefore the same design and tech) as the forthcoming Shadowrun Online. And that is something I have a fair bit of interest in. Oh yes, the residual fandom of the cyberpunk RPGs of youth remains strong.
Thanks to everyone who troubled my inbox to point this beta out.


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10 Crimes Committed on Video Games Meant for Kids
10 Ways Your Cat Is Weirder Than You Think
10 Street Foods Worth Traveling For
10 Sweet Stories about the History of Valentine's Day
10 Best Get-Aways to Reignite Any Couple's Flame
10 Fascinating Glimpses into Medieval Crime Investigation
10 Strange Facts about the Planet Mercury
10 Best Cold Opens in Cinematic History
10 Shocking Facts about Shoe Throwing
10 Curious Facts about the Winchester Royal Bone Chests
10 Crimes Committed on Video Games Meant for Kids
10 Ways Your Cat Is Weirder Than You Think
Who's Behind Listverse?
Jamie Frater
Head Editor
Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author.
More About Us10 Street Foods Worth Traveling For
10 Sweet Stories about the History of Valentine's Day
10 Best Get-Aways to Reignite Any Couple's Flame
10 Fascinating Glimpses into Medieval Crime Investigation
10 Strange Facts about the Planet Mercury
10 Best Cold Opens in Cinematic History
10 Shocking Facts about Shoe Throwing
10 Dirty Secret CIA Operations
We've always loved to discuss some of the shadier dealings of the government and the military—and no organization provides more fodder for these discussions than the American Central Intelligence Agency.
The CIA has a way of very publicly blowing their cover—seeming to pop up wherever turmoil, strife, and political unrest materialize. Despite being almost synonymous with dirty tricks, the Agency has essentially been given free rein, permitted to use whatever tactics they see fit to deal with any (real or perceived) threat to American interests.
If there's one thing we know about absolute power, it's that it corrupts absolutely; and if there's one thing we know about the CIA, it's that the astoundingly unethical and criminal projects highlighted in this list are probably just the tip of the iceberg.
PBSUCCESS was the code name for a CIA-backed coup led against the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz, the President of Guatemala, in 1954. It's one of the first in a long line of suspected or acknowledged CIA interventions in the governments of foreign countries, and it was indeed a tremendous success from the Agency's point of view.—the first indication that such a feat could be accomplished relatively smoothly.
Elected in 1950, Arbenz set about instituting reforms aimed at making his country self-sufficient, by giving huge chunks of government land back to citizens. This rubbed the US Government the wrong way, as much of this land was "owned" by the United Fruit Company, a truly evil corporation with which the Eisenhower administration was snugly in bed at the time (CIA director Allen Dulles and his brother John, the Secretary of State, both had strong ties to the company).
The Agency snidely referred to Arbenz policies in internal memoranda as "an intensely nationalistic program of progress colored by the touchy, anti-foreign inferiority complex of the 'Banana Republic.' " In other words, non-dependence on the US and its allies was not to be tolerated.
Four hundred and eighty CIA-trained mercenary soldiers, led by exiled Guatemalan military officer Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas, forcibly wrested Guatemala from Arbenz' control. While he and his aides were able to flee the country, CIA documents show that "the option of assassination was still being considered" right up until the day he resigned on June 27, 1954.
After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, the Agency's public image was worse than ever. President Kennedy famously proclaimed that he would "splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds" (shortly before getting shot, but we digress). But to deal with Cuba, he turned to the only person he knew he could trust: his brother, Robert, who organized Operation Mongoose. This operation was conducted by the Department of Defense in conjunction with the CIA, under Robert Kennedy's supervision. He told his team at its first briefing that deposing Castro was "the top priority of the US government—all else is secondary—no time, money, effort, or manpower is to be spared."
Among the dozens of extremely silly methods of assassination proposed: infecting Castro's scuba gear with tuberculosis; planting exploding seashells at a favorite diving site; slipping him a poisoned fountain pen; and even even poisoning or slipping a bomb into one of his cigars. Castro's bodyguard asserted that there were hundreds of CIA schemes on Castro's life—and they all ended in failure, a gigantic waste of time and money. Castro was Cuba's dictator for forty-nine years, stepping down in 2008 due to failing health, and appointing his younger brother as his replacement.
President Sukarno ruled Indonesia from 1959 until 1966, when he was deposed by Suharto, one of his generals. Sukarno had been deemed pro-Communist by the CIA, which meant there would inevitably be an attempt to oust him or at least make him look bad—but the plot they actually came up with was truly laughable.
The CIA produced a porno film starring a Sukarno look-alike, titled "Happy Days", for distribution in Indonesia. Not that the culture generally frowns upon such things, but as the CIA understood it, "being tricked, deceived, or otherwise outsmarted by one of the creatures God has provided for man's pleasure cannot be condoned" in Indonesian culture, and "what we were saying was that a woman had gotten the better of Sukarno." The film went as far as production, and stills were made, but for some reason (perhaps common-sense) it was never deployed.
Bizarrely enough, this idea resurfaced shortly before the Second Gulf War, when the CIA suggested that a fake gay porno featuring Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden be produced in order to discredit these men in the eyes of their followers. This went nowhere—at least one official claiming that nobody would care. "Trying to mount such a campaign would show a total misunderstanding of the target. We always mistake our own taboos as universal when, in fact, they are just our taboos."
The May 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden was the result of an insane amount of intelligence collecting and planning; regardless of his crimes, conducting a US military operation to kill a foreign national on Pakistani soil was bound to have myriad consequences. A courier had been tracked to an Abbottabad compound, where it was pretty damn certain Bin Laden was hiding. But before conducting the raid, they had to be absolutely sure—and one method of collecting this proof was shady in the extreme.
The CIA recruited a respected Pakistani doctor to organize a fake vaccination drive in the town, and in the process collected thousands of blood samples from children in the area children—among them, as it turned out, Bin Laden's children. Since theirs was a fairly upscale section of town, the campaign began in a poorer area to make it look more authentic, then moved on to the neighborhood housing the Bin Laden compound a month later—without even following up with the required second or third doses in the poor area. The whole thing worked—with consequences.
For one thing, Dr. Shakil Afridi—the doctor involved—has been convicted of treason by the Pakistani government and given a thirty-three-year prison sentence ("Wouldn't any country detain people for working for a foreign spy service?" one Iranian official helpfully pointed out). For another, the campaign has caused irreparable damage to organizations that carry out legitimate vaccinations. There are deep-seated suspicions in many Middle Eastern regions about those who provide vaccinations, and this gambit to assist in finding Bin Laden has only bolstered those suspicions—particularly in Nigeria, India and of course Pakistan, where efforts to eradicate polio are ongoing.
February 2011 saw the beginning of the Libyan Revolution, which would culminate in the August ousting of Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi, followed by his capture and killing in October. There was little mention at the time of any potential involvement by foreign interests—but about one year later, an incident occurred which shed a curious light on the entire Revolution.
On September 11, 2012, an American diplomatic mission in Benghazi came under attack by armed militants. The response came not from within the mission itself, but from half a dozen CIA agents deployed from a hidden base within the city. More reinforcements arrived from Tripoli, and diplomatic personnel where whisked by convoy to chartered aircraft which carried them out of the country.
This betrayed a CIA presence in the city, which had hitherto been unknown. The Agency was forced to admit that it had maintained a fairly strong presence in Libya since about February 2011—right around the time the Libyan Revolution began. The annex which had housed the secret base was scrubbed clean and abandoned after the incident at the mission.
Operation Mockingbird was a bit of a two-pronged approach to dealing with the media: on the one hand, journalists were routinely employed by the CIA to develop intelligence and gather information, or to report on certain events in a way that portrayed the US favorably. On the other, there were actual plants within the media—paid off with bribes or even directly employed by the CIA—to feed propaganda to the American public.
Mostly, this program was meant to convince the public of how incredibly scary Communism was, and to make sure that public opinion favored taking out the Red Menace at any expense. Even scarier was the fact that having major newspaper publishers and the heads of TV stations bought and paid for meant that significant overseas events could be excluded from coverage in the media—events like the aforementioned coup in Guatemala, which didn't see the light of the day in the American press at the time.
Congressional hearings in 1976 (the "Church Committee") revealed that the CIA had been bribing journalists and editors for years. Following the Church hearings, newly minted CIA director and future President George H.W. Bush announced: "Effective immediately, the CIA will not enter into any paid or contract relationship with any full-time or part-time news correspondent accredited by any U.S. news service, newspaper, periodical, radio or television network or station." Yet he added that the CIA would continue to welcome unpaid, voluntary support of said journalists.
Protests against US involvement in Vietnam were proving to be a giant pain in the backside for the government's plans in the mid 1960s. While Mockingbird was busily using the mainstream to try to shove the necessity of the war down the throat of the public, the "counter-culture" couldn't be controlled so easily. Ever-mindful of the KGB's propensity for their own style of dirty tricks, the CIA attempted to weed out any foreign influence on the American anti-war movement by launching Operation CHAOS—and they didn't even bother to come up with an innocuous-sounding code name.
Since the FBI's COINTELPRO program of domestic surveillance wasn't quite producing the desired results, President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized the CIA to undertake its own program of spying on US citizens. Their main task was to infiltrate student organizations—both radical and otherwise—in order to gather intelligence on potential foreign influences, and to subvert such groups from within. Famous groups such as "Students For a Democratic Society" and the Black Panthers were targeted; eventually, the program for some reason expanded to include women's liberation and certain Jewish groups.
There is strong evidence that this type of activity has never ceased, though CHAOS itself was shuttered after the Watergate scandal. In 2011, the Agency came under fire for allegedly working with the New York Police Department to conduct surveillance of Muslim groups in the area, who had not done anything wrong and who are now suing in Federal court.
Phoenix was a program headed by the CIA, in conjunction with US Special Forces and Australian and South Vietnamese commandos, during the Vietnam War. Its purpose was simple: assassination. And although this was a military unit, their targets weren't military, but civilian.
From 1965 to 1972, Phoenix was involved in the kidnapping, torture, and murder of thousands upon thousands of citizens. People deemed critical to the infrastructure of the Viet Cong, or thought to have knowledge of VC activities, were rounded up and taken to regional interrogation centers, were they were subjected to: "rape, gang rape, rape using eels, snakes, or hard objects, and rape followed by murder; electric shock . . . rendered by attaching wires to the genitals or other sensitive parts of the body, like the tongue; the 'water treatment'; the 'airplane' in which the prisoner's arms were tied behind the back, and the rope looped over a hook on the ceiling, suspending the prisoner in midair, after which he or she was beaten; beatings with rubber hoses and whips; the use of police dogs to maul prisoners…"
Phoenix was the subject of 1971 Congressional hearings on abuse. Former members described it as a "sterile depersonalized murder program", and it was phased out after negative publicity, though the replacement program F-6 was quietly phased in to take its place.
The success of Operation Ajax paved the way for all future CIA operations of a similar nature. It resulted in the return to power of the Shah in 1953, after a military coup planned by American and British intelligence.
The first democratically-elected leader of Iran, Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, was seen as a potential liability because of his plans to nationalize the oil industry. Fearful of having to compete with the Soviet Union for Iranian oil, the decision was made to install a leader who was partial to US interests. You can probably see a theme developing here.
CIA agents Donald Wilber and Kermit Roosevelt Jr. (the grandson of Theodore Roosevelt) carried out the campaign by bribing everybody who could be bribed in Iran: government officials, business leaders, and even street criminals. These recruits were asked to support the Shah, in various ways, and to oppose Mossadegh.
It worked: an uprising was instigated, Mosaddegh was jailed, and pro-Western Iranian Army General Fazlollah Zahedi was installed in his place. Zahedi had been arrested by the British during World War Two for attempting to establish a Nazi government, and he lived up to that legacy by appointing Bahram Shahrokh—a protege of Joseph Goebbels—as his director of propaganda.
In 1978, Afghanistan became mired in civil war as two Communist parties seized control of the country. When it began to look like anti-Communist rebels were gaining a foothold, the Soviet Union invaded the country to lend support. And that's when the US, of course, decided to get involved.
The CIA set up camps to train the rebels, known as Mujahideen, in the necessary tactics for beating back the Soviets. Advanced weaponry was also part of the deal, including—importantly—Stinger surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles. Soviet airstrikes had driven hundreds of guerrillas out of the cities and into the surrounding hills, and mitigating the effectiveness of those strikes proved to be essential in prolonging the conflict, placing a great strain on Soviet resources.
The Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan almost until its collapse in the early 1990s, but the legacy of the Mujahideen lives on. The CIA are finding their own tactics and training turned against them by Mujahideen veterans who have begun their own training programs, producing highly trained and skilled terrorists who now make up the backbone of Al-Qaeda and other radical groups. The US discovered these ramifications the hard way after invading Afghanistan in 2001. The invasion led to a quagmire of an occupation, which—as of this writing—has dragged on for just as long as that of the Soviets.
Floorwalker has a blog and Twitter; you can stick it to the man by following.


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Bagaimanakah untuk mengetahui sekiranya kehamilan anda berterusan?
Continuing pregnancy is a pregnancy that continues to develop even after the use of Mifepristone and Misoprostol. In this case, the abortion has failed completely and the woman remains pregnant. Even if you bleed, you can still have a continuing pregnancy. Bleeding does not mean that you have had a successful abortion. If you still have symptoms of pregnancy such as sore breasts or nausea, you may be experiencing a continuing pregnancy. You should have an ultrasound within a week or do a pregnancy test 3 weeks later to confirm that the pregnancy has ended. Most pregnancy tests that are done 3 weeks after the abortion are reliable. It is necessary to wait 3 weeks after the abortion because the pregnancy hormones can remain in the body and can make the pregnancy test falsely positive. If you have an ongoing pregnancy after you did a medical abortion you can try to do a medical abortion again or have a surgical abortion. Although the risk is very low (less than 10/1000), Misoprostol can increase the risk of fetal malformations. If possible, we advise women with continuing pregnancies to undergo surgical or medical abortion to terminate the pregnancy.14


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Portland, OR – The Montreal Impact put an end to the Portland Timbers' fine run of home form on Saturday, stealing three points with a 2-1 win at Jeld-Wen Field.
Portland came into the match riding a seven-game unbeaten streak on its home field, dating back to last season. But goals from Hassoun Camara and Felipe Martins snapped that spell despite Ryan Johnson's strike in the closing minutes.
Both of Montreal's two wins this term have come away from Saputo Stadium, matching the club's total of two road victories from the 2012 season. The Impact opened the new campaign with a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field, and Saturday's victory over another team from the Pacific Northwest leaves the Canadian club with six points through two matches.
Montreal came within inches of opening the scoring in the 11th minute, but Marco Di Vaio's header was brushed aside by Donovan Ricketts' fingertips in a sprawling save from the Jamaican goalkeeper.
The breakthrough eventually came at the half-hour mark when a deflected clearance was turned in by Camara's sensational overhead kick.
Portland attempted to claw its way back and thought it had claimed a penalty in the 40th minute when Ryan Miller appeared to be pushed down by Sanna Nyassi, but referee Edvin Jurisevic ruled that the Montreal winger got enough of the ball before contact to limit the Timbers to a corner kick.
Montreal doubled its advantage at the hour mark when Andres Romero ran on to Patrice Bernier's through ball and centered a pass for Martins to beat Ricketts at his near post.
Portland cut the deficit in half with a superb sequence 10 minutes from time. Diego Chara floated a lofted pass to the right flank to find Ben Zemanski, who cushioned the delivery with his chest before picking out Johnson at the back post. The Jamaican striker got on the end of the inch-perfect cross and slipped a low shot past Troy Perkins with a one-time effort.
The Timbers continued to push in search of an equalizer in the vein of their opening match of the season, a contest that saw Darlington Nagbe net a late goal in the club's 3-3 draw with Red Bull New York. But no such goal came this time around, leaving Portland with just a point from its first two matches under new head coach Caleb Porter.


text: The purpose of the Seyyed Hossein Nasr Foundation is to propagate traditional teachings, in general, and the various facets of traditional Islam and other religions, in particular. Spiritually located in the perennial philosophy, traditional teachings are reflected not only in religious teachings but also in philosophy, the sciences and arts. With special emphasis on manifesting these perennial teachings as contained in the Quran, the Foundation will include studies on the various facets of Islamic thought, art and civilization.


text:
Return items with these words appearing anywhere
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Calling all natural women out there! Casting directors for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical will hold a nationwide open casting call for the title role in the Broadway tuner, currently played by Tony winner Jessie Mueller. Directed by Marc Bruni and choreographed by Josh Prince, the show is playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
The search will also be for other roles for the Broadway production as well as company members for the touring and international productions of the hit musical. The first open call for Carole King will take place at New York City's Ripley Grier Studios on January 16, 2015. Additional open calls will be held for all roles in Seattle on January 24, Orlando on February 7, Pittsburgh on February 21 and Chicago on February 28.
Featuring songs written by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and a book by Douglas McGrath, Beautiful tells the story of King from her early days as a Brooklyn teenager (named Carol Klein) struggling to enter the record business to her years spent as a chart-topping music legend.
The current Broadway cast of Beautiful also includes Scott J. Campbell as Gerry Goffin, Anika Larsen as Cynthia Weil, Jarrod Spector as Barry Mann, Paul Anthony Stewart as Don Kirshner and Liz Larsen as Genie Klein.


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Tired of listening about climate change and the apparent inability of top-level politicians to face a daunting challenge? Luckily, there are many ways for citizens to compensate for the negative impact on the environment themselves, without relying on decision-makers. The social enterprise Reforest'Action offers an easy solution, suitable to the busiest of us, allowing us to redeem the damage done to the environment.
The idea is based on "croudplanting". A simple footprint calculator on their website allows to measure the rough contribution in CO2 emissions by the individual annually and the estimated number of trees that need to be planted in order to match the quantity. Accordingly, users of the service can buy the preferred number of plants for as little as 3 euro per tree and the team will have them planted in one of the selected locations. Later on, the portal gives news about the life of the tree on a weekly basis. What is more, one can offer planting a tree to someone else and hence – give the greatest give of all – cleaner air!
Currently, citizens' forests are being planted in France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Haiti, Senegal, Peru, USA, Madagascar and Indonesia. The number of trees planted is close to 2.9 million and growing.
This and other initiatives by Reforest'Action are conducted locally thanks to a cooperation between private partners and public bodies, such as municipalities and regional councils. Thus, planted on the ground, trees are followed over time by foresters and agricultural engineers. The company also raises awareness of the preservation of forest biodiversity, primarily through species observation missions organized alongside plantation operations.


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Californian blues crooner whose soulful recordings have drifted into jazz and soul from the 1950s into the 21st Century. Etta James (January 25, 1938 - January 20, 2012) was a Californian blues crooner whose soulful recordings have drifted into jazz and soul from the 1950s into the 21st Century.
Few female R&B stars enjoyed the kind of consistent acclaim Etta James received throughout a career that spanned six decades; the celebrated producer Jerry Wexler once called her "the greatest of all modern blues singers," and she recorded a number of enduring hits, including "At Last," "Tell Mama," "I'd Rather Go Blind," and "All I Could Do Was Cry." At the same time, despite possessing one of the most powerful voices in music, James only belatedly gained the attention of the mainstream audience, appearing rarely on the pop charts despite scoring 30 R&B hits, and she lived a rough-and-tumble life that could have inspired a dozen soap operas, battling drug addiction and bad relationships while outrunning a variety of health and legal problems. Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California on January 25, 1938; her mother was just 14 years old at the time, and she never knew her father, though she would later say she had reason to believe he was the well-known pool hustler Minnesota Fats. James was raised by friends and relatives instead of her mother through most of her childhood, and it was while she was living with her grandparents that she began regularly attending a Baptist church. James' voice made her a natural for the choir, and despite her young age she became a soloist with the group, and appeared with them on local radio broadcasts. At the age of 12, after the death of her foster mother, James found herself living with her mother in San Francisco, and with little adult supervision, she began to slide into juvenile delinquency. But James' love of music was also growing stronger, and with a pair of friends she formed a singing group called the Creolettes. The girls attracted the attention of famed bandleader Johnny Otis, and when he heard their song "Roll with Me Henry" -- a racy answer song to Hank Ballard's infamous "Work with Me Annie" -- he arranged for them to sign with Modern Records, and the Creolettes cut the tune under the name the Peaches (the new handle coming from Etta's longtime nickname). "Roll with Me Henry," renamed "The Wallflower," became a hit in 1955, though Georgia Gibbs would score a bigger success with her cover version, much to Etta's dismay. After charting with a second R&B hit, "Good Rockin' Daddy," the Peaches broke up and James stepped out on her own. James' solo career was a slow starter, and she spent several years cutting low-selling singles for Modern and touring small clubs until 1960, when Leonard Chess signed her to a new record deal. James would record for Chess Records and its subsidiary labels Argo and Checker into the late '70s and, working with producers Ralph Bass and Harvey Fuqua, she embraced a style that fused the passion of R&B with the polish of jazz, and scored a number of hits for the label, including "All I Could Do Was Cry," "My Dearest Darling," and "Trust in Me." While James was enjoying a career resurgence, her personal life was not faring as well; she began experimenting with drugs as a teenager, and by the time she was 21 she was a heroin addict, and as the '60s wore on she found it increasingly difficult to balance her habit with her career, especially as she clashed with her producers at Chess, fought to be paid her royalties, and dealt with a number of abusive romantic relationships. James' career went into a slump in the mid-'60s, but in 1967 she began recording with producer Rick Hall at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and, adopting a tougher, grittier style, she bounced back onto the R&B charts with the tunes "Tell Mama" and "I'd Rather Go Blind." In the early '70s, James had fallen off the charts again, her addiction was raging, and she turned to petty crime to support her habit. She entered rehab on a court order in 1973, the same year she recorded a rock-oriented album, Only a Fool, with producer Gabriel Mekler. Through most of the '70s, a sober James got by touring small clubs and playing occasional blues festivals, and she recorded for Chess with limited success, despite the high quality of her work. In 1978, longtime fans the Rolling Stones paid homage to James by inviting her to open some shows for them on tour, and she signed with Warner Bros., cutting the album Deep in the Night with producer Jerry Wexler. While the album didn't sell well, it received enthusiastic reviews and reminded serious blues and R&B fans that James was still a force to be reckoned with. By her own account, James fell back into drug addiction after becoming involved with a man with a habit, and she went back to playing club dates when and where she could until she kicked again thanks to a stay at the Betty Ford Center in 1988. That same year, James signed with Island Records and cut a powerful comeback album, Seven Year Itch, produced by Barry Beckett of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The album sold respectably and James was determined to keep her career on track, playing frequent live shows and recording regularly, issuing Stickin' to My Guns in 1990 and The Right Time in 1992. In 1994, a year after she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, James signed to the Private Music label, and recorded Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday, a tribute to the great vocalist she had long cited as a key influence; the album earned Etta her first Grammy Award. The relationship with Private Music proved simpatico, and between 1995 and 2003 James cut eight albums for the label, while also maintaining a busy touring schedule. In 2003, James published an autobiography, Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story, and in 2008 she was played onscreen by modern R&B diva Beyoncé Knowles in Cadillac Records, a film loosely based on the history of Chess Records. Knowles recorded a faithful cover of "At Last" for the film's soundtrack, and later performed the song at Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural ball; several days later, James made headlines when during a concert she said "I can't stand Beyoncé, she had no business up there singing my song that I've been singing forever." (Later the same week, James told The New York Times that the statement was meant to be a joke -- "I didn't really mean anything...even as a little child, I've always had that comedian kind of attitude" -- but she was saddened that she hadn't been invited to perform the song.) In 2010, James was hospitalized with MRSA-related infections, and it was revealed that she had received treatment for dependence on painkillers and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which her son claimed was the likely cause of her outbursts regarding Knowles. James released The Dreamer, for Verve Forecast in 2011. She claimed it was her final album of new material. Etta James was diagnosed with terminal leukemia later that year, and died on January 20, 2012 in Riverside, California at the age of 73. "Honor the past, don't just remember it." Dizzie Gillespie https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeofEarlGroup/ |
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The Integrated Interdisciplinary Institute of Technology for Medicine (I³TM) was established as part of the Institutional Strategy of RWTH Aachen.
The aim of the institute is to promote interdisciplinary research between the medical, the engineering and the natural sciences to develop new technologies for medical applications.
Research activities are already underway in two key research areas, "Biohybrid Lung Assist Systems" and "Research Platform Aachen for Animal Experimental Methods," ForsATeM for short.
In the key research areas, researchers from a broad range of disciplines work together to advance medical engineering projects from the idea to the implementation stage.
So far, as part of the activities of I³TM, two funding programs have been established to support unconventional interdisciplinary ideas and collaborations. For further information, please refer to our I³TM Project Funding web page.
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reposted from City of Kansas City
The City of Kansas City, Mo., Health Department has expanded clinic hours to meet the increasing demand for back-to-school immunizations. No appointments are necessary. Participants should plan to arrive early. The change in time only applies to the childhood immunization clinic.
To accommodate the large number of children seeking immunizations, the clinic schedule has expanded to include lunch hours on most days. Clinic registration is Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for the remainder of the back-to-school immunization rush. Children registered during those times will be seen the same day. There will also be a Saturday Clinic on Aug. 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"Although parents can get their child's back-to-school immunizations anytime in the summer, we always see a rush as the first day of school nears," said Ron Griffin, division manager, Communicable Disease Prevention and Public Health Preparedness. "We encourage parents to make sure their child is current with their immunizations before they get to the first day of school as many schools will not admit them without updated vaccinations or a religious waiver."
Parents and guardians will need to present a copy of their child's shot records or a letter from the child's school stating what shots are needed. If the child has previously had shots at the Health Department, parents and guardians may get a copy of the shot record when they register at the event.
Immunizations are free for children who have no insurance, who have limited insurance that does not cover immunization or who are eligible for Medicaid's Vaccine For Children program.
Immunizations are available daily in the Health Department's immunization clinic during regular clinic hours.
For more information about this event, call the Health Department at 816-513-6108. For more information on childhood immunizations, visit our Web page atwww.kcmo.org/health.


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Creating robust applications using open source databases and commodity hardware
Apr 1, 2012
Disproving the CAP Theorem
We can therefore state with some confidence that CAP is confusing. Yet this observation itself raises deeper questions. Is CAP merely confusing? Or is it the case that as with other initially accepted but now doubtful ideas like the Copernican model, evolution, and continental drift, that CAP is actually not correct? Thoughtful readers will agree this question has not received anywhere near the level of scientific scrutiny it deserves.
Fortunately for science private citizens like me have been forging ahead without regard to the opinions of so-called experts or even common sense. My work on CAP relies on two trusted analytic tools of database engineers over the legal drinking age: formal logic and beer. Given the nature of the problem we should obviously use a minimum of the former and a maximum of the latter. We have established that CAP is confusing. To understand why we must now deepen our confusion and study its habits carefully. Other investigators have used this approach with great success.
Let us begin by translating the terms of CAP into the propositional calculus. The terms C (consistency), A (availability) and P (partition tolerance) can be used to state the famous "two out of three" of CAP using logical implication as shown below.
(1) A and P => not C
(2) P and C => not A
(3) C and A => not P
So far so good. We can now dispense briefly with logic and turn to confusion. It seems there is difficulty distinguishing the difference between CA and CP systems, i.e., that they are therefore equivalent. This is a key insight, which we can express formally as follows:
(4) C and A <=> C and P
which further reduces to
In short our confusion has led us directly to the invaluable result that A and P, hence availability and partition tolerance, are exactly equivalent! I am sure you share my excitement at the direction this work is taking. We can now through a trivial substitution of A for P in equation 2 above reveal the following:
(6) A and C => not A
(7) C => (A => not A)
We have just shown that consistency implies that any system that is available is also unavailable simultaneously. This is an obvious contradiction, which means the vast logical edifice on which CAP relies crumbles like a soggy nacho. Considering the amount of beer consumed at the average database conference it is surprising nobody thought of this before.
At this point we can now raise the conversation up a level from looking for spare change under the table and comment on the greater meaning of our results in the real world. Which is the following: Given the way most of us programmers write software it's a wonder CAP is an issue at all. Honestly, I can't even get calendar programs to send invitations to each other across time zones. I plan to bring the combustible analytic capabilities of logic and beer to bear on the mystery of time at a later date. For now we can just speculate it is due to a mistaken design based on CAP.
11 comments:
A database system which is offline can be perfectly consistent and unchanging.
- April 1, 2012 at 5:39 AM
- Robert Young said...
(Ah another Blogger/Firefox user who can't get in line comments to post.)
One is tempted to take this as an April Fool's joke. OTOH, industrial strength RDBMS with 2 Phase Commit have been SuperCAP over many "partitions" for a couple of decades. - April 1, 2012 at 8:17 AM
- Baron said...
In the immortal words a slot machine spoke to me and my wife after we fed it the first dollar we ever spent gambling, and stabbed randomly at buttons whose meanings were unclear to us, and thus won $91 and change in a few seconds, "you're brilliant!"
In the less-immortal words of the computer scientist with whom we had dinner a few months later, and then discovered that he'd programmed the very slot game we played, "yeah, that's a hard one. How much money did you lose on it?" - April 1, 2012 at 12:26 PM
- piccolapatria said...
Nice easter egg ;)
Anyway having:
Leads to :
(A=> !C v !P ) ^ (C => !A v !P)
and thus:
A ^ C => (!C v !P) ^ (!A v !P) => !P
So you just need two CAP statements ;) - April 5, 2012 at 6:11 AM
- Robert Hodges said...
@All, thanks for reading! I hope this proof is useful to all of you in your next start-up.
@piccolopatria, Very parsimonious! I didn't see that reduction first time through. When I submit for publication I'll be sure to include it. Reviewers like to see solid mathematics as I'm sure you are aware. - April 5, 2012 at 7:46 AM
- piccolapatria said...
I was just adding some entropy to the post...didn't mean to be boring ;)
- April 5, 2012 at 8:13 AM
nice bullshit ;)
You can not do that:
(4) C and A <=> C and P
which further reduces to
becasue when C is False then A can be true and P can be False so (4) statement is true and (5) is not - April 20, 2012 at 7:03 AM
- piccolapatria said...
the author doesn't enforce 4), but is just stating that the blog post he quotes does. - April 20, 2012 at 9:00 AM
- Robert Hodges said...
@All, Anonymous has discovered an easter egg within the easter egg. Based on this new insight we can adjust the proof as follows.
In other words if C is true A and P are equivalent. The rest of the proof then proceeds as follows:
(6) C => (A and C => not A)
(7) C => (C => (A=> not A))
(8) C => (A => not A)
So the conclusion is the same (whew!) and we still have soggy nachos. I invite other great minds of the age to submit further thoughts on the matter.
(arg, had to repost to remove typos!) - April 20, 2012 at 12:31 PM
(1) A and P => not C
(2) P and C => not A
(3) C and A => not P
you translate the CAP theorem into
(1) and (2) and (3),
while it should be translated into
(1) or (2) or (3). - June 26, 2012 at 5:44 AM
- Robert Hodges said...
@Andre, I think you are perhaps misreading the notation. Equations 1-3 are axioms as they are stated without proof. They have an "AND" relationship to each other as CAP asserts they are true for all time.
As @Piccolapatria pointed out there are more parsimonious formulations but this part of the "proof" correct as far as I can tell. - June 26, 2012 at 11:07 PM


text:
ORLANDO — Last Sunday, FBI agents called Ibragim Todashev to schedule what they said would be their last interview about the Chechen native's relationship with one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, said his friend, Khusen Taramov.
Todashev agreed to a Tuesday night interview, but only at his Orlando apartment, because he feared that if he went to an FBI office, he would never be let out, said his friend.
As the 7:30 p.m. appointment approached, Todashev considered skipping the meeting. "He thought something bad was going to happen," said Taramov. "He thought they were going to make up some charge and arrest him."
Hours into that interview, Todashev was shot and killed by an FBI agent, after he allegedly attacked and injured the interrogator.
The Globe has reported that the fatal shooting occurred after the 27-year-old mixed martial arts fighter had implicated himself in an unsolved 2011 triple homicide in Waltham. Investigators now believe Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was friendly with one of the Waltham victims, may also have played a role in the grisly slayings.
Taramov and Todashev's estranged wife, Reni Manukyan, insisted Thursday that authorities never questioned them or Todashev, about the Waltham slayings before the night of the fatal encounter with the FBI.
The FBI declined to comment Thursday on the Orlando shooting, beyond saying that an FBI team from Washington continues to investigate what happened in the apartment.
Todashev's violent death brought a shocking end to the FBI's intense scrutiny of the former Allston and Cambridge man, which began within days after authorities identified Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and his brother, Dzhokhar, 19, ethnic Chechens like Todashev and Taramov, as the alleged bombers who planted explosives near the finish line of the city's historic race on April 15.
The terrorist attack killed three and wounded more than 260. The brothers are also suspects in the April 18 slaying of MIT police Officer Sean Collier in Cambridge.
The family of one of the victims killed in the blasts, 8-year-old Martin Richard, announced Thursday that his younger sister, Jane, was discharged from Boston Children's Hospital and will continue her recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
"While we remain devastated over Martin's death and all that has happened to us, Jane's determination for getting better is an inspiring source of strength for the entire family," the family said in a statement.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed after a shootout with police in Watertown during the early hours of April 19. Dzhokhar is in federal custody facing a possible death sentence and has been scheduled for a July 10 probable cause hearing in US District Court in Boston.
On the day Todashev was interviewed in Florida for the final time by the FBI, he was preparing for a trip home to Russia, said his anguished father.
"He was supposed to be on a plane tomorrow, but he [was] told he had to meet with the FBI," the father, Abdulbaki Todashev, said Thursday in an emotional telephone interview from Grozny, Russia, in which he clearly struggled to understand the events that led to his son's death.
"My son is not capable of this," he said, of Ibragim Todashev's alleged attack on an armed agent. "He would never attack a police officer. He believed in justice, and perhaps this was his failing. He could not bear injustice."
Asked how this trait might have affected his son's reaction Wednesday, Todashev said, "If they came to your house at night and bullied you for eight hours, would you be able to keep calm? I think any person's innate survival instinct would switch on."
Todashev said that he has not been contacted by US authorities about his son's death and that he found out about the fatal shooting from friends who saw the news on the Internet.
The father said his son never mentioned any connection to the unsolved Waltham murders, and he does not believe his son had anything to do with them or with the Marathon bombings.
"If they suspected him for something, why did they give him a green card?," the father said. "There is a clear picture emerging that this is all fabricated. They killed my son, and then they made up a reason to explain it. If there's an earthquake somewhere, they blame Chechens. If there's a flood in Africa, they blame Chechens."
On Thursday, a quiet hush hung over the site of the shooting, a series of two-story housing units. Just after 5 p.m., Orlando police officers removed some of the crime scene tape from the apartment complex, opening a strip of roadway that had been closed since the shooting.
Moments later, two FBI agents emerged from the apartment and told reporters that the investigation at the scene was still active and it was unclear how much longer it would take.
Ibragim Todashev arrived in the United States several years ago on a visa to study. He was granted asylum, protection given to foreigners with a credible fear for their safety in their homelands because of religious, political, or other specific forms of persecution, the Globe has reported.
But, his father, who is a ranking official in the mayor's office in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, which is a region in Russia, said his son would not have been persecuted in Chechnya and he did not know why he would have been granted asylum.
In February, Todashev was granted legal permanent residence in the United States.
Todashev, by some accounts a hothead, was arrested at gunpoint May 4 after allegedly beating up a man in a dispute in a parking lot. He was also arrested in Boston in 2010 after an altercation following a traffic accident.
Taramov said FBI agents first called Todashev just days after Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed, and they interviewed him daily by phone. The agents repeatedly grilled Todashev about when and how often he spoke to Tsarnaev, said Taramov.
Todashev's estranged wife, Manukyan, said Thursday that the couple had met in Boston and married in 2010. First, they lived in Atlanta, near Manukyan's family before moving to Florida sometime in 2011, she said.
The revelation that Tamerlan may have been involved in the Waltham killings has raised the possibility that the Marathon bombing could have been prevented if the triple homicide had been solved.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan issued a statement Thursday defending the pace of the investigation into the Waltham murders.
"While we can not discuss details pertaining to the investigation — including evidence, suspects or witnesses — this office and its law enforcement partners have conducted a thorough, far-reaching investigation beginning in 2011 when this horrific crime occurred,'' Ryan said in the statement. "This investigation has not concluded and is by no means closed."
The statement acknowledged that the FBI is now part of the investigatory team, which also includes prosecutors and Waltham and State Police.
Ryan said her office would not discuss the investigation with the public.
Todashev's body will be shipped back to family in Russia, which is expected to cost the family about $10,000, said his friend.
Tearful yet focused on the task at hand, Manukyan prepared Thursday to identify the body. "I'm the only one he needs to hold it together, who needs to be holding up. So I am," she said. "Once this is finished, then I can mourn."
Even after the body is buried, Taramov's life will not be returning to normal. He said he quit his job at a pizzeria.
"My boss called me and said: Don't show up here, it's too dangerous," Taramov said in disgust.
"Not even a 'I'm sorry for your loss.' Nothing."
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3 explosions rock Yemeni capital
Three large explosions were heard in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday, close to the defence ministry, the central bank and the former president's home, locals told Reuters.
"The explosions were followed by heavy gunfire," a resident in the area said.
Residents added that the third explosion occurred near former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's house which is also within close proximity to the French embassy.
Security vehicles immediately raced to the third site of the blasts and blocked all access to the area, while an ambulance transported four injured on site, eyewitnesses told Reuters.
The witnesses added that the blast near Saleh's home appears to have been caused by an implanted explosive device in the area.
There was no immediate word on the total number of casualties or the cause of the blasts.
One of the poorest countries in the Arab world, Yemen has been in turmoil since mass protests in 2011 forced long-serving Saleh to step down.
In December last year, a suicide bomb and gun attack near the defense ministry killed 52 people.


text:
Why I'm Throwing This Once-Promising Stock in the Trash
Today, Fools, is a sad day for me. About two years ago, I came upon a product that I believed in (and still do) and thought could be the next multibagger in many an investor's portfolio.
Alas, it's time to part ways with that company and its combined 50% loss in my portfolio. I'm throwing Rosetta Stone (NYS: RST) in the trash.
A great product isn't enough
Just before my wife and I moved to Costa Rica for six months, we bought Rosetta Stone's Version 4 Totale for Latin American Spanish. We were fully impressed by the software and, as former teachers, with the possibilities the company could have in the education world -- no to mention abroad.
But then, C-level executives started leaving the company in droves, and earnings results were far short of what was expected. Loyal to a fault, I voiced my concerns but kept the faith. Recently, I even called the stock a "terrible" one but said I was still holding. I thought the folks in management were squandering an excellent product. They've been extremely slow in moving from DVDs to a cloud-based system, and I highly doubt that they know how to effectively sell their products to K-12 schools.
Then came this week's news that CEO Tom Adams was stepping down and moving to chairman of the board.
The revolving door at Rosetta Stone is troubling, but that's not what got me to finally pull the trigger. It's pretty clear that management at this company is struggling to figure out ways to monetize the excellent product it has on its hands. This team needs someone who truly understands the value proposition Rosetta Stone offers and can see how it fits within the larger electronic-language-learning ecosystem.
So when I read that Adams had no successor in mind, and that the company would be hiring "Champion Scott Partners, an executive search firm, to actively conduct a search for a new CEO," I'd had enough.
A lesson learned
Though I've heard it a thousand times from other Fools, this underscores just how important management is, especially in up-and-coming companies. As if I need any more reinforcement, just look at how quickly Netflix's (NAS: NFLX) stock has been dinged, largely because of management's inability to communicate its intentions with customers.
Taking a cue from this cautionary tale, I went back and looked at my portfolio. Not surprisingly, all of my biggest winners are (and were) led by CEOs who are also founders who "get" their businesses, are paid modestly for what they do, and have a vested interest in maximizing shareholder value.
Take a look at some of the characteristics that the founders of my four biggest winners share.
Company | Founder and Current Position | Yearly Salary | Approximate Value of Stock Owned in Company |
Amazon.com (NAS: AMZN) | Jeff Bezos, CEO | $81, 840* | $21 billion |
Whole Foods Market (NAS: WFM) | John Mackey, co-CEO | $1** | $81 million |
Apple (NAS: AAPL) | (The late) Steve Jobs, former CEO | $1 | $2.3 billion*** |
Lululemon athletica (NAS: LULU) | Chip Wilso, chairman of the board, C-level executive | $289,484**** | $2.4 billion |
Source: SEC filings.
*Does not include $1.6 million provided for security purposes.
**Does not include $45,968 in non-equity compensation for 2010.
***Owned through a trust.
****Does not include non-equity compensation of $331,465.
All those numbers and asterisks may be a little dizzying, but the takeaway is clear:
As founders of these companies, these leaders understand their product, are intimately aware of what makes them "great," and are psychologically invested in their company's success.
They have a considerable financial stake in their company, and that stake is aligned with shareholders' stakes as well.
It's not surprising, then, that over the past two years, $1,000 split evenly among these four companies would now be worth more than $3,000. That's an average 200% return, whereas a similar investment in the S&P 500 would now be worth just $1,130 -- a measly 13% return.
So it's for all these reasons that when the Fool's disclosure policy allows me to do so, two trading days after this article's publication, I will be selling my stake in Rosetta stone.
Where should I put my money now?
The fun part about this disappointing experience with Rosetta Stone is that I now get to look for places to invest the money I have left. With an eye toward leadership that "gets" its product, I'm considering a company -- currently headed by its founder -- that's the subject of The Motley Fool's newest special free report: "One Stock to Own Before Nat Gas Act 2011 Becomes Law." This special video report details a company that could explode when a congressional announcement is made regarding this law -- and that could happen any day now. Get access to this free video today, before it's too late!
At the time thisarticle was published Fool contributorBrian Stoffelwill be selling his shares of Rosetta Stone next week, when the Fool's trading rules allow for it. He owns shares of Apple, Whole Foods, Amazon.com, and lululemon atheltica as well. You can follow him on Twitter at @TMFStoffel.The Motley Fool owns shares of Rosetta Stone, lululemon athletica, Apple, and Whole Foods Market.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Rosetta Stone, lululemon athletica, Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Apple, and creating a bull call spread position in Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
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text:
As expected, Microsoft Wednesday released an out-of-cycle security bulletin and patch designed to fix a critical hole in the Internet Explorer Web browser that is already being widely exploited by attackers. The company also announced a change to Windows Update for three previously issued fixes from October for some users of Windows XP Service Pack 1.
The vulnerability addressed by Microsoft's latest bulletin, MS04-040, was first disclosed on Oct. 24 and exists in the iFrame tags of Internet Explorer. The buffer overflow flaw allows attackers to take complete control of a compromised system and can be exploited by getting users to visit Web sites where malicious code can be downloaded.
A proof-of-concept exploit named Bofra that takes advantage of the iFrame flaw has been available for several days and was used in launching attacks via banner ads last week that redirected users to rogue Web sites.
"We are aware of some proof-of-concept code and public attacks" that take advantage of the flaw, said Stephen Toulouse, security program manager at Microsoft's security response center. That's why Microsoft is urging users to apply the latest patch as soon as possible, he added.
The flaw doesn't affect users who have already installed XP SP2, he said.
Meanwhile, Microsoft today reissued three of its fixes from October for users of SP1 who may not have been offered the updates earlier. The problem involves SP1 users who may have downloaded the SP2 patch but have not installed it on their computers yet.
Microsoft's Windows Update and Automatic Updates service wouldnt have offered the October fixes automatically to such users, Toulouse said. Today's updates fixes the problem for those users.


text:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau placed poppies at Ottawa's National Military Cemetery as he marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele.
Over 15,000 Canadians were killed or wounded at the battle in Belgium.
Under grey skies at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa Friday, Trudeau told a small group of military members, veterans and school children that the sacrifices from that battle are proof of reckless leadership at the highest levels.
But he also said it was a battle worth remembering because of the perseverance and commitment that Canadian soldiers demonstrated under near-impossible conditions.
The Canadian Press


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Environmental protection group, SkyTruth, revealed a new database of chemicals used during the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, at oil and gas wells across the United States.
Released Wednesday, the SkyTruth Fracking Chemical Open Database was generated from more than 27,000 chemical disclosure reports which were submitted by industry to independent registry, FracFocus, for gas and oil wells fracked between January 2011 and August 2012.
Though a number of states including Texas, North Dakota and Pennsylvania do require chemical disclosure through FracFocus, that system does not allow data aggregation, analysis or sharing. SkyTruth hopes that—by making this information freely available to the public—their database will provide a more comprehensive tool for oversight and transparancy as the Bureau of Land Management finalizes new rules for fracking that will apply to millions of acres of public land.
Some of the findings of their analysis include examination of disclosure rates in West Virginia, concluding that state and industry data were so incomplete that the disclosure of chemicals used in fracking ranged from only 0% to 31.6%. Similarly, they were able to track "ongoing, unpermitted use of diesel fuels in fracking," clearly in violation of the Safe Drinking Water act.
"SkyTruth unveils the toxic truths of a toxic industry," said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., president of Waterkeeper Alliance. "In the hands of community activists, SkyTruth's database is a sharp, steely weapon to puncture the armor of sinister secrecy that protects America's fracking cabal."
"The intelligible disclosure of industry information and data through this SkyTruth action will make the task of research on the effects of fracking much easier," said Tony Ingraffea, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. "This large and ever-expanding dataset is invaluable for cross-referencing with other datasets such as health and environmental quality. "
This article originally appeared on CommonDreams.org.


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Severe sleep loss jolts the immune system into action, reflecting the same type of immediate response shown during exposure to stress, finds a new study by researchers in the Netherlands and United Kingdom.
Researchers compared the white blood cell counts of 15 healthy young men under normal and severely sleep-deprived conditions. The greatest changes were seen in the white blood cells known as granulocytes, which showed a loss of day-night rhythmicity, along with increased numbers, particularly at night.
"Future research will reveal the molecular mechanisms behind this immediate stress response and elucidate its role in the development of diseases associated with chronic sleep loss," said Katrin Ackermann, PhD, the study's lead author. "If confirmed with more data, this will have implications for clinical practice and for professions associated with long-term sleep loss, such as rotating shift work."
Previous studies have associated sleep restriction and sleep deprivation with the development of diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Others have shown that sleep helps sustain the functioning of the immune system, and that chronic sleep loss is a risk factor for immune system impairment.
For this study, white blood cells were categorized and measured from 15 young men following a strict schedule of eight hours of sleep every day for a week. The participants were exposed to at least 15 minutes of outdoor light within the first 90 minutes of waking and prohibited from using caffeine, alcohol or medication during the final three days. All of this was designed to stabilize their circadian clocks and minimize sleep deprivation before the intensive laboratory study.
White blood cell counts in a normal sleep/wake cycle were compared to the numbers produced during the second part of the experiment, in which blood samples were collected during 29 hours of continual wakefulness.
"The granulocytes reacted immediately to the physical stress of sleep loss and directly mirrored the body's stress response," said Ackermann, a postdoctoral researcher at the Eramus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The study, "Diurnal Rhythms in Blood Cell Populations and the Effect of Acute Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Young Men," was a collaborative effort between the Department of Forensic Molecular Biology at Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam and Chronobiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. The laboratory study was conducted at the University of Surrey Clinical Research Centre.
Material adapted from American Academy of Sleep Medicine.


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The bird's the word in the following days to Thanksgiving. Turkey soon leads to leftovers, but there's no need for them to be anything but savory and delectable.
Just pre-bake the oopsie crust and pre-cook and chop turkey in advance, mix the ingredients together when ready, and bake. The Alfredo sauce can be home-made, as well!
Just think– in 30 minutes, your tastebuds will be exalting your fantastic acumen from the frosty autumn rooftops.
Turkey Pot Pie
Crust: Oopsie roll dough
3 ounces cream cheese
3 eggs, separated
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Beat whites with cream of tartar for 3-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, mix yolks with cream cheese. Combine the two bowls carefully, folding ingredients together until just blended.
Pour batter into 2 greased 9″ pie pans and bake for 30 minutes. Makes 2 crusts (this recipe uses only 1 crust).
1 cup Alfredo sauce
1 cup cooked, chopped turkey
1 can Veg-All
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine filling ingredients. Pour into prepared, baked crust.
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Top casserole with cheese and bake at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 462, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Fiber: 2 g, Net Carbohydrates: 7 g, Protein: 21 g, Fat: 40 g


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Finnair app makes travel simple
Finnair app is a travel partner that makes your travel routines faster and easier. It helps you throughout your journey.
By downloading the Finnair app, you get access to services that make your travel experience smoother. The app keeps all the information you need easily within reach, in one place.
You can start making travel plans in the Destinations section of the app. Once you have your perfect destination in mind, you can book it conveniently in the app.
To get the best service, log in with your Finnair Plus account. This ensures that your passenger information is filled in automatically making the booking easy. The booking is saved in the app immediately after you finish the process. If you are not already a Finnair Plus member, you can join easily in the app.
- The app makes it easy to customize your travel experience in advance. You can purchase a seat or additional luggage and order your meals on the app. You can even upgrade your travel class on the app when there is availability, says Ulla Mäki-Kahma, Digital Channel Lead for Finnair app.
Up to date information when you travel
The easiest way to check in to your flight is via Finnair app where your boarding pass is also saved automatically. The easy mobile check-in is the best-liked feature in the app.
The app keeps you up to date on everything regarding your trip and possible changes: you can check your flight and gate information as well as boarding times on the app. It also gives you direct access to the travel restriction map so that you can check the latest travel requirements of your destination conveniently.
- If the user gives permission to push notifications, they get a message when check-in or boarding starts as well as information on delays, Mäki-Kahma points out.
During the trip, you can also check the food and drink service available onboard your flight.
Finnair Plus, customer service and Finnair Shop in one place
A digital version of the Finnair Plus card is carried with you at all times in the app. You can see changes in your membership level, customer benefits and Finnair Plus points in real time.
- At the moment, most of our app users are members, Mäki-Kahma says.
Via the app you can also reach customer service if needed.
- You can contact our customer service through a chat in the app. The chat is available around the clock, Mäki-Kahma mentions.
The app also includes a shortcut to Finnair Shop. Finnair Plus products can be bought and offers utilized without a separate log-in. Points are saved automatically.
Further development makes your travel experience even better
In the constant development of the app focus is on functionalities that make travel easier.
- We aim to make more and more of our travel services available digitally, Mäki-Kahma remarks.
New features are introduced regularly. The latest additions are the Nordic Kitchen menu and pre-checking for the COVID-19 certificate.
Mäki-Kahma underlines that the app is meant to provide its users with all necessary information and services, easily and in real time.
- We aim to be the best travel partner for our users - always up to date and helping in all stages or the trip.


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The name is synonymous with South Africa's biggest Christian denomination, the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). The ZCC is estimated to number between 2 million and 6 million followers in more than 4000 parishes. Since its establishment this church succeeded in wiping out all ethnic differences. ZCC adherents can be seen all over South Africa proudly displaying their badges; the five-pointed silver star with a green and black ribbon on hats, lapels, shirt pockets or caps.
The founder of the ZCC was Engenas Barnabas Lekganyane who was born at Thabakgone in the Mamabolo rural area in the district of Pietersburg (now Polokwane) in the Limpopo Province. He was born c. 1885 as one of the six children of Matseleng Barnabas Lekganyane and Sefora Raphela, the daughter of Marobathota Raphela. Lekganyane underwent 5 years of primary education at the Matlhantlhe School (run by Scottish Presbyterian missionaries) in the tribal area of Chief Mamabolo, and after leaving school he stayed at home.
He suffered from a seemingly incurable eye disease and in 1912 he told his parents about a vision that he has had that made it clear that he had to go to Johannesburg where he should join a church, which baptized by a threefold immersion. The immersion would heal his eyes. Later that year he was baptized in the Zion Apostolic Church in South Africa (ZAC), and returned home to the tribal area of Mamabolo where he acted as a missionary for the ZAC. Here he was ordained in 1918. During the same year he married Salphina Rabodiba, The couple had five sons and a daughter - they were considered the rightful heirs. He had two more wives, but the children with these wives were not recognized by the ZCC. They were made members of the brass band, which, until today, still leads the way during functions, and is permanently based at Moria.
Following a division between Lekganyane and his colleagues he broke away, and joined the Zion Apostolic Faith Mission. He soon became its leader in the old Transvaal (now the provinces of Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and parts of the Northern Province. The mother church of the ZAFM was based hundreds of kilometres away in Lesotho. Once more Lekganyane differed from his colleagues when he took a second wife - nothing out of the ordinary during those years. Once again he decided to break away and in 1924 went to the mountain Thabakgone to pray. According to tradition he received instructions from God to establish a new church.
Lekganyane stuck to the Old Testament term "Zion" by naming the church the Zion Christian Church. A substantial number of the people who were part of his previous flocks joined him in the ZCC. He drew up a constitution and had it registered formally with the government. The basic principles were outlined and included practices similar to that of other Christian denominations - inter alia spreading the Word of God throughout the world. Even so black cultural traditions and practices had an influence on the church. By 1939 Lekganyane purchased property for his church, and moved his headquarters again in 1940 near Boyne, about 32 kilometres east of Polokwane. He handled the ZCC in a similar way as though it was his personal tribe.
Lekganyane, as head of the church was also the chief prophet and all other activities of the ZCC revolved around him. He appointed the members of the different councils of the church and each council had its specific duties and responsibilities. All the ministers were appointed and ordained by him, and were responsible to him. Although Lekganyane preached basic Christianity, faith and divine healing played a very important role in the church. The precondition for the use of any manner of healing was by confession of sins and faith in God. Baptism (threefold immersion in the river) and Holy Communion, which was served at Moria, were both observed as sacraments in the ZCC.
By 1926, Lekganyane's ZCC had 926 members countrywide, and two years later he introduced the wearing of a badge for the purpose of identification. Today most of his followers wear their badges proudly every day. His sons later introduced the different motifs on the badge later. Apart from the badge, members of the ZCC partook in polygamy - seen as a God-created mode of life and a more acceptable principle compared to divorce. Lekganyane is seen by his followers as the Black Messiah who has the gifts of healing, prophesy, contact with the ancestors, and to purify body and soul by the use of water.
His health began to deteriorate in the mid-forties, and at the time of his death Lekganyane was a well-to-do chief of a financially stable ZCC. As nobody really cared about the ZCC's constitution, it made it possible for Lekganyane to appoint his successor in an almost traditional customary fashion. In the presence of his brothers, the elders and his advocate, he presented them with his fifth and favourite son, Joseph, as successor and the future bishop. He died in May 1948, and was buried at his home in Moria on 1 June 1948. The date has since been sanctified by the ZCC.
According to tradition one year of mourning had to pass before the new leader could be presented to the 80 000 followers. This custom caused severe confusion, which was compounded by the death of Lekganyane's eldest son (Barnabas) during the mourning period. It led to a split in the church - his son Edward Engenas Lekganyane won support in South Africa's urban areas while Joseph Engenas Matlhakanje Lekganyane had his support in rural areas under the name Saint Engenas Zion Christian Church. He adopted a dove as its symbol
Lekganyane's sons grew up on a farm at Moria where they attended a private school. As was customary, the followers expected the eldest son to succeed the father, and Edward eventually became the leader of the majority of ZCC-followers. Two of the first changes that the new Lekganyane made, was the development of the Zion City Moria as headquarters of the church, and had the five-pointed Star of David with the letters ZCC added on the original badge created by his father. He then expanded the church by establishing congregations from the far south (Cape Town) to the north (Zimbabwe).
Lekganyane married his wife in 1950 and the couple were blessed with a son (Barnabas), and two daughters. As the ZCC recognized polygamy as stated earlier, he apparently had at least 23 other wives - some of them living in Soweto and Durban. In 1954 Lekganyane amended the constitution to make the bishopric the inheritance of the Lekganyane family. He expanded his horizons by visiting Botswana, Tanzania, and in 1960 Europe and North and South America. In 1963 he enrolled for a 3-year training course for evangelists at the Dutch Reformed Church's Stofberg Theological School at Turfloop in the Limpopo Province, and completed the course in 1966. He then endeavoured to renew the church by means of a stronger Biblical approach. It never happened due to his untimely death due to a sudden heart attack at his home. His son, Barnabas Lekganyane, succeeded him in 1967. Engenas Lekganyane who now leads the Dove section - the Saint Engenas Zion Christian Church, succeeded the uncle, his father's brother Joseph.
ZCC beliefs are eclectic, but the church's practices are often strict. The ZCC proscribes alcoholic beverages, smoking, and eating pork. It condemns sexual promiscuity and violence. As a result, church members have become known in the business community for their honesty and dependability as employees.
Almost everybody in South Africa know that highlight on the calendar is the ZCC's annual Easter religious gathering at Moria. Millions of people flock together at Moria, and the worshipping lasts for several days. Some worshippers come from the neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.


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CHRISTMAS WHOLESALE SPECIAL - EASTERN EUROPEAN FOLKLORE SPECIAL set of 5 Books - 35% OFF!
These books were especially republished to raise funds for these charities & many more...
33% of the publishers profit from the sale of these books will be donated to charities.
Herein you will find 5 books containing 84 Eastern European fold and fairy tales, plus tales of dragons, both magnanimous and evil, tales of princes on their white chargers dashing in to rescue princesses in distress and tales of the little people, the fairy folk that live in each and every fairy tale.
These books were bestsellers when they were first published, some over 120 years ago, at a time when people REALLY DID BELIEVE in fairies. These are tales from the forests and lane-side hedgerows as well as tales of fairy dances, which only ever occur at midnight under a full moon. And then there are tales of how lowly labourers applied their brains to win the hand of princesses and become kings of kingdoms and other tales of how kings, forever protective of their princesses, set ever more difficult challenges to those wanting to win the hand of their daughter, who is, of course, the fairest and most beautiful maiden in all the land!
Ideal for parents, grandparents and lovers of fairy tales and all things magic! In addition it is a unique collection for primary/elementary school libraries. TEACHERS read a page or two from each story at the end of the school day and have your students queuing up to hear the next part of the story day after day.
Bibliographic Data
ISBN, TITLE, # stories, #pages
978-1-909302-54-9 - Czechoslovak Fairy Tales 15 Stories, 236pg Illustrated.
978-1-909302-55-6 - Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen 20 Stories, 398pg Illustrated.
978-1-909302-23-5 - The Key of Gold - 23 Czech Folk Tales, 200pg Illustrated.
978-1-909302-44-0 - The Shoemaker's Apron - 20 Czechoslovak fairy tales, 270pg Illustrated.
978-1-909302-67-9 - Polish Fairy Tales 6 Stories, 192pg Illustrated.
So, find a comfy chair, and sit back with a hot toddy, and enjoy a change of scenery and a change of pace and be whisked away to a land far, far away where only magical things happen.
Excerpt from CHRISTMAS WHOLESALE SPECIAL - EASTERN EUROPEAN FOLKLORE set of 5 Books - 35% OFF!
There were once two young people who loved each other dearly. The young man was called Jean, the girl, Annette. In her sweetness she was like unto a dove, in her strength and bravery she resembled an eagle.
Her father was a rich farmer, and owned a large estate, but Jeans father was only a poor mountain shepherd. Annette did not in the least mind her lover being poor, for he was rich in goodness: nor did she think her father would object to their marrying.
One day Jean put on his best clothes, and went to ask the farmer for his daughters hand. The farmer listened without interrupting him, and then replied, If you would marry Annette, go and ask of the Sun why he does not warm the night as well as the day. Then inquire of the Moon why she does not shine by day as well as by night. When you return with these answers you shall not only have my daughter but all my wealth.
These conditions in no way daunted Jean, who placed his hat on the side of his head, and taking a loving farewell of Annette, set out in search of the Sun. On reaching a small town at the close of day, he looked about for a place wherein to pass the night. Some kind people offered him shelter and invited him to sup with them, inquiring as to the object of his journey. When they heard that he was on his way to visit the Sun and Moon, the master of the house begged him to ask the Sun why the finest pear-tree they had in the town had, for several years, ceased to bear fruit, for it used to produce the most delicious pears in the world.
Jean willingly promised to make this inquiry, and the next day continued his journey.He walked on and on, over mountain and moor, through valley and dense forest, until he came to a land where there was no drinking water. The inhabitants, when they heard the object of Jeans journey, begged him to ask the Sun and Moon why a well, that was the chief water supply of the district, no longer gave good water. Jean promised to do so, and resumed his journey.
After long and weary wanderings he reached the Suns abode, and found him about to start on his travels.
O Sun, said he, stop one moment, do not depart without first answering a few questions.
Be quick then and speak, for I have to go all round the world to-day.
Pray tell me why you do not warm or light the earth by night as well as day?
For this simple reason, that if I did, the world and everything upon it would be very soon burnt up.
Jean then put his questions concerning the pear-tree and the well. But the Sun replied that his sister, the Moon, would be able to answer him on those points.
Hardly had the Sun finished speaking before he was obliged to hurry off, and Jean travelled far and fast to meet the Moon. On coming up to her he said, Would you kindly stop one moment? there are a few questions I should like to ask you. Very well, be quick, for the earth is waiting for me, answered she, and stood still at once. Tell me, dear Moon, why you do not light the world by day as well as by night? And why you never warm it?
Because if I lit up the world by day as well as by night the plants would produce neither fruit nor flower. And though I do not warm the earth, I supply it with dew, which makes it fertile and fruitful.
She was then about to continue her course, but Jean, begging her to stop one moment longer, questioned her about the pear-tree which had ceased to bear fruit.
And she answered him thus: While the kings eldest daughter remained unmarried the tree bore fruit every year. After her wedding she had a little child who died and was buried under this tree. Since then there has been neither fruit nor flower on its branches: if the child be given Christian burial the tree will produce blossom and fruit as in the past.
The Moon was just moving off when Jean begged her to stop and answer one more question, which was, why the inhabitants of a certain land were unable to obtain from their well the clear and wholesome water it had formerly poured forth.
She replied: Under the mouth of the well, just where the water should flow, lies an enormous toad which poisons it continually: the brim of the well must be broken and the toad killed, then the water will be as pure and wholesome as formerly.
The Moon then resumed her journey, for Jean had no more questions to ask her.
He joyfully went back to claim his Annette, but forgot not to stop on coming to the land where they were short of water. The inhabitants ran out to meet him, anxious to know what he had found out.
Jean led them to the well and there explained the instructions he had received from the Moon, at the same time showing them what to do. Sure enough, right underneath the brim of the well they found a horrible toad which poisoned everything. When they had killed it, the water immediately became pure and transparent, and sweet to the taste as before.
All the people brought Jean presents, and thus laden with riches he again set out. On arriving at the town where grew the unfruitful pear-tree, he was warmly welcomed by the prince, who at once asked if he had forgotten to question the stars about the tree.
I never forget a promise once made, replied Jean, but I doubt whether it will be agreeable to your majesty to know the cause of the evil.
He then related all the Moon had said, and when his directions had been carried out they were rewarded by seeing the tree blossom immediately. Jean was loaded with rich gifts, and the king presented him with a most valuable horse, by means of which he reached home very quickly.
Little Annette was wild with joy on hearing of her lovers safe return, for she had wept and suffered much during his absence. But her fathers feelings were very different; he wished never to see Jean again, and had, indeed, sent him in search of the Sun with the hope that he might be burnt up by the heat. True it is that Man proposes and God disposes. Our young shepherd returned, not only safe and sound, but with more knowledge than any of his evil-wishers. For he had learnt why the Sun neither lights nor warms the earth by night as in the day; also why the Moon does not give warmth, and only lights up during the night. Besides all this he had brought with him riches which far exceeded those of his father-in-law, and a steed full of fire and vigour.
So Annettes father could find no fault, and the wedding was celebrated with joy and feasting. Large quantities of roasted crane were eaten, and glasses overflowing with mead were emptied. So beautiful, too, was the music, that for long, long after it was heard to echo among the mountains, and even now its sweet sounds are heard at times by travellers among those regions.
Worldwide Delivery
We deliver to destinations all over the world, and here at Abela, we have some of the best rates in the book industry.
We charge shipping dependant on the book you have ordered and where in the world you are ordering from. This will be shown below the price of the book.
The delivery time is typically dependant on where in the world you are ordering from, Should you need a estimated delivery time, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our packaging and damage rates are very low. In the unlikely event there is damage please contact us before returning your item, as you may have to pay for return shipping, if you have not let us know.
Due to the nature of books being read then returned for a refund, unfortunately we do not accept returns unless the item is damaged and we are notified ON THE DAY OF DELIVERY.


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From the fine hand rolling of paste onto bamboo sticks by local village artisans to the quality ingredients blended into each of our fragrances, the Encens dAuroville incense line is packaged in silkscreened handmade paper made from cotton yarn, handmade paper saves on the world's trees. Every facet of the work activates an ever changing refinement process.
bamboo stick, wood powders, Macchilus Macaranth (tree bark powder, a natural binder), natural essential oils and resins.


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(Poem #562) The King's Breakfast The King asked The Queen, and The Queen asked The Dairymaid: "Could we have some butter for The Royal slice of bread?" The Queen asked the Dairymaid, The Dairymaid Said, "Certainly, I'll go and tell the cow Now Before she goes to bed." The Dairymaid She curtsied, And went and told the Alderney: "Don't forget the butter for The Royal slice of bread." The Alderney said sleepily: "You'd better tell His Majesty That many people nowadays Like marmalade Instead." The Dairymaid Said "Fancy!" And went to Her Majesty. She curtsied to the Queen, and She turned a little red: "Excuse me, Your Majesty, For taking of The liberty, But marmalade is tasty, if It's very Thickly Spread." The Queen said "Oh!" And went to his Majesty: "Talking of the butter for The royal slice of bread, Many people Think that Marmalade Is nicer. Would you like to try a little Marmalade Instead?" The King said, "Bother!" And then he said, "Oh, deary me!" The King sobbed, "Oh, deary me!" And went back to bed. "Nobody," He whimpered, "Could call me A fussy man; I only want A little bit Of butter for My bread!" The Queen said, "There, there!" And went to The Dairymaid. The Dairymaid Said, "There, there!" And went to the shed. The cow said, "There, there! I didn't really Mean it; Here's milk for his porringer And butter for his bread." The queen took the butter And brought it to His Majesty. The King said "Butter, eh?" And bounced out of bed. "Nobody," he said, As he kissed her Tenderly, "Nobody," he said, As he slid down The banisters, "Nobody, My darling, Could call me A fussy man - BUT I do like a little bit of butter to my bread!" |
There is surely no body of verse in which strong rhythm has been more effectively and enthusiastically used than in children's poetry, and Milne is in this regard (as in several others) one of the very best. Today's poem needs no real commentary, except to say that I find it no less delightful today than I did as a child. Links: To see the illustrated version of the poem: [broken link] http://www.crocker.com/~slinberg/poems/milne/kingsbreakfast.html For another nice Milne poem, and a biography, see poem #463 Afterthought: I was going to write a piece on why rhythmic verse is so appealing to children, but realised that I didn't know too much about it myself. Perhaps someone could comment with greater authority? -martin