text:
Could the Volcker Rule get erased before it's fully written?
In a strongly worded letter to the five regulators tasked with writing the much-maligned rule that places limits on banks' trading abilities, the House Financial Services Committee urged transparency during the rulemaking process — or the right for Congress to amend or repeal the outcome. (Read More: No Volcker Rule Until 2013: Sources)
In the letter — sent Thursday morning to regulators and obtained by CNBC — the committee's ranking Republicans Reps. Spencer Bachus (R.-Ala.), and Jeb Hensarling (R.-Texas), challenged the amount of time that has passed since regulators made public the most recent draft of the rule.
"The resulting confusion has only made it that much more likely that whatever final rule you issue will compound the regulatory uncertainty that continue to plague our economy," Reps. Bachus and Hensarling wrote.
The letter comes the same day that the Committee announced a set of hearings to take place in December to collect feedback on both the Volcker Rule and impending derivatives legislation. (Read More: Volcker Says Rule Already Changing Wall Street)
According to congressional sources, the Volcker hearing was originally slated to feature the five coordinating regulators but scheduling was impeded by the December Federal Open Market Committee meetings.
- Bachus-Hensarling Letter, Click Here
Instead, the committee is using Thursday's letter to make its stance on Volcker — that the costs likely outweigh the benefits, especially for smaller institutions — well known. It also raises the specter of U.S. banks being put at a competitive disadvantage if they're too highly regulated. (Read More: 'No More Excuses' from Banks or Regulators: Analyst)
As Washington toils over the exact contents and language of the rule, the financial services committee urges regulators to extend its effective date until at least two years after the final draft is written, the letter states.
That draft had been expected by year-end, a deadline that has since moved to the first quarter of 2013, according to regulatory officials. Banks have been obligated to operate in the "spirit" of the Volcker Rule since July 2012, the two-year anniversary of Dodd-Frank, with full compliance required by July 2014.
—By CNBC's Kayla Tausche; Follow Her on Twitter @KaylaTausche


text:
German Zimtsterne (cinnamon almond cookies)
I always wanted to make these, and finally got the guts — oh boy, I wasn't really prepared for the amount of nitty-gritty with making these. I started with original German recipe that called for 500g of almonds, but that ended up being 2 full baking sheets and lots of sneaky snacking between steps ;-) But the result is good, and these cookies are worth the effort.
Salami frittata
Hot, savory and full or aroma, that's literally an omelette on steroids that smashes my hunger during dark, cold autumn days :-) It's also extremely easy and pretty fast to cook!
Plain muffins
Nothing says "hello autumn" like a batch of fresh muffins or cupcakes! :-) With this simple recipe, you gonna whip them up in no time, and they will be a perfect base for more fancy muffins with fruit (I love muffins with dried plum bits), chocolate chip muffins, caramel-stuffed ones or double-or-triple-chocolate ;-) Or savory ones: paprika, tomato, herbs, sunflower seeds, etc. It all starts with this recipe.
Marinated beef and pasta bento
Bento is not only rice, but also other ingredients, like... pasta. This recipe came to life when I had some uncooked beef left-overs and just wondered what to do with them. Cooking them as a part of bento was a great idea!
Quick teriyaki beef donburi
You can buy thin beaf slices in some grocery shops or butchers. They may be called minute steaks or quick steaks and are a great ingredient that you can use to make a quick donburi (a rice bowl with meat and vegetable toppings). It's so fast to prepare, that you can do everything in the time it takes to cook the rice!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I have been using my Macbook Pro for about 5 years, it was the first model with the Intel chip. The 100GB hard drive is starting to go and I'm ready to replace it. I went over to Cnet to see what looks good. Oops. There are about 2,000 products to choose from, and I don't even know how to determine compatibility with my laptop. What are the steps I should follow to narrow in on a new hard drive? This machine does a lot of heavy lifting: audio, video, and image processing, etc. My goals are to increase storage to 250GB minimum (pref. 500+), improve performance, extend my Macbook's life by at least 18 months, spend less than 400$, and easy home install (youtube videos look do-able). I can spend more if there's a good reason to; just wanted to make the question specific.
Follow-up: Is it a given that I should upgrade memory at the same time? (Currently at 2GB SDRAM)


text:
or click here if you have forgotten your password
Enter your username or email to reset your password.
ITFA – International Trade and Forfaiting Associationc/o Format-A AGPfingstweidstrasse 102b8005 ZürichSwitzerland
Tel: 0041 44 268 6900
Email: email@example.com
Not an ITFA member? Please send your email at email@example.com including your name, surname and name of your organization to receive the latest forfaiting news delivered to your inbox
* indicates required
Email *
Privacy Policy
designed and produced by Logix Digital


text:
Ambient Music Blog Podcast: Ambient Music for Brooklyn Autumn
The fourth edition of Ambient Music Blog Podcast is Ambient Music for Brooklyn Autumn.
1. Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night And Flies Around My Bed by On, from Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night (00:20) 2. A Stone Inside The Box by Chihei Hatakeyama, from Saunter (6:15) 3. Galaxies of Dust by Lawrence English, from A Colour For Autumn (10:43) 4. All Shall Be Well by Rameses III, from I Could Not Love You More (15:40)
Stream Ambient Music Blog Podcast [audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/ambientmusicblog/ambient-music-for-brooklyn-autumn.mp3|titles=Ambient Music for Brooklyn Autumn|artists=Ambient Music Blog]
Download the files directly Ambient Music for Brooklyn Autumn (.m4a - Enhanced for iTunes) Ambient Music for Brooklyn Autumn (.mp3 - Standard MP3)
Subscribe to Ambient Music Blog Podcast
All songs copyright their owners. Used with permission.


text:
CHICAGO - One relative of Drew Peterson's long-missing fourth wife calls him a dog who deserves to be chained. The boorish, motorcycle-loving ex-police officer on trial in the death of his third wife makes unsavory comments about his alleged victims' families, calling some money-grubbers. He points out one relative's criminal history.
Opening statements are slated for Tuesday in the long-delayed trial of Peterson, a 58-year-old former suburban Chicago police sergeant who was charged in 2009 with murdering his 40-year-old third wife, Kathleen Savio. Peterson was charged in Savio's 2004 death only after his 23-year-old fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, vanished in 2007.
Acrimony between Drew Peterson and relatives of his third and fourth wives has swirled for years. That Peterson began dating then-17-year-old Stacy Cales when he was still married to Savio heightened the tension. And there were the comments he made before his arrest: jokes about a "Win A Date With Drew" contest, suggestions that Stacy's threats of divorce coincided with her menstrual cycle and discussion of appearing on a reality TV show about a Nevada brothel.
Drew Peterson is a suspect in Stacy's disappearance but has not been charged. Stacy Peterson's family hopes a conviction in Savio's death could change that. Her younger sister, Cassandra Cales, said Drew Peterson's braggadocio may eventually prompt him to spill his secrets in prison.
"Drew's a showoff," Cales, now 27, said in a recent interview. "I am sure he will talk if he gets a prison buddy, Bubba, and tell him what he did to Stacy."
Many Savio family members are potential witnesses so they can't speak publicly about the case. But Cales has not been subpoenaed to testify.
"I barely sleep at night," said Cales, who plans to attend the trial. "What keeps me up is the anxiousness of getting through with it - and getting him convicted."
Savio's death was initially ruled an accident, and it was Stacy's 2007 disappearance that prompted officials to exhume Savio's body. Prosecutors say Drew Peterson killed Savio because he feared their divorce settlement would wipe him out financially. They believe he killed Stacy, whose body has never been found, in part to keep her from talking about what she knew about Savio's death. Peterson has denied involvement in Savio's death or his fourth wife's disappearance.
The bitterness between Peterson and his former wives' relatives has often played out in the media.
When Peterson appeared on a talk show on Chicago's WLS-AM radio in 2009 to declare his innocence, Cales called in to confront him. Cursing, she told him, "You murdered my sister. ... You will pay."
After his arrest months later, Cales delighted in seeing him shackled at his arraignment. "It made me feel good to see him chained up like the dog that he is," she told reporters.
Peterson has tried to paint Stacy Peterson's family as dysfunctional. He has alluded to the checkered background of Stacy's brother, who spent time in prison for a sex offense. He also has mentioned how Stacy's biological mother, Christie Cales, disappeared in 1998.
Joel Brodsky, Drew Peterson's lawyer, said that is relevant to Stacy's disappearance.
"In her world, mothers run off and leave," he said. "To you, it is not an acceptable behavior, but in her world it is. Her mother did it."
Cales said she and her sister always believed their mother was killed, not that she abandoned them.
As far as Savio's family, her father and sister filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2009, alleging Peterson went to Savio's house on Feb. 28, 2004, to "brutally ... stalk, attack, repeatedly beat, then drown (her)." Savio's body was found slumped forward in a dry bathtub, her hair soaked in blood.
Peterson shot back in comments to the Chicago Sun-Times, saying about the Savios, "They're up to their money-grubbing tricks again."
Last year, one of Savio's brothers wrote an open letter complaining that too much attention was directed at Peterson, rather than to Savio.
"I want to hear something about my sister that does not involve, include or revolve around Drew Peterson or his family," Henry Savio wrote.
"People that knew her loved her," he continued. "People that did not know her, noticed her."
Another issue involves Drew Peterson's children, two from his third marriage and two from his fourth. Both families have suggested Peterson has denied them access to the children out of spite.
Brodsky said one concern about Stacy Peterson's family is the brother's criminal history. "As far as the Savio family, (Kathleen's) boys are free to see them if they want," he said, noting that relations were cool even during the couple's marriage. "Drew's not some Svengali guru sending messages to the boys (now both around 18) telling them not to see the Savios."
Drew Peterson began dating Stacy when she was working as a clerk at a hotel he dropped into while on patrol for the Bolingbrook police. He married her shortly before Savio's death.
Those who know Savio have described her anguish when she learned about the affair. She later claimed that Drew and Stacy Peterson, who lived blocks away from her, would rollerblade by her house to taunt her. Stacy, she said, would sometimes drive by and make rude gestures out her car window.
Cassandra Cales said the bad behavior was mutual, saying her sister told her Savio would also curse her. "Savio was a grieving wife who lost her husband to a 17-year-old," Cales said.
Today, there's no hint of animosity between the two families, Cales insisted. They share not only grief but a common goal: to see Drew Peterson sent to prison for life.
"We support them and they support us," she said.
Follow Michael Tarm at www.twitter.com/mtarm


text:
Pretty Woman (1990)
Shop assistant: Hello, can I help you?
Vivian: I was in here yesterday, you wouldn't wait on me.
Shop assistant: Oh.
Vivian: You people work on commission, right?
Shop assistant: Yeah.
Vivian: Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.
Vivian: People put you down enough, you start to believe it.
Edward Lewis: I think you are a very bright, very special woman.
Vivian: The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?
Vivian: You're late.
Edward Lewis: You're stunning.
Vivian: You're forgiven.
[after negotiating three thousand dollars]
Vivian: I would have stayed for two thousand.
Edward Lewis: I would have paid four.
Edward Lewis: So what happens after he climbs up and rescues her?
Vivian: She rescues him right back.
Edward Lewis: You can't charge me for directions!
Vivian: I can do anything I want to baby, I ain't lost.
Vivian: I want the fairy tale.
Old Lady at Opera: Did you like the opera, dear?
Vivian: It was so good, I almost peed my pants!
Edward Lewis: She said she liked it better than Pirates of Penzance.
Edward Lewis: I never treated you like a prostitute.
[Walks away]
Vivian: You just did.
Barney: It must be difficult to let go of something so beautiful.
Kit: Fifty bucks, Grandpa. For seventy-five, the wife can watch.
Edward Lewis: People's reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don't, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul.
Edward Lewis: I think we both know she's not my niece.
Barney: Of course.
Edward Lewis: And the reason I know that is that I'm an only child.
Vivian: That would make you a... lawyer.
Edward Lewis: What makes you think I'm a lawyer?
Vivian: You have that sharp, useless look about you.
Edward Lewis: I told you not to pick up the phone.
Vivian: Then stop calling me.
Vivian: [sitting with Edward leaning against her in the bathtub] Did I mention, my leg is 44 inches from hip to toe. So basically we are talking about 88 inches of therapy wrapped around you for the bargain price of three thousand dollars.
Vivian: I'm gonna treat you so nice, you're never gonna let me go.
[Kit is trying to cheer up Vivian]
Vivian: Tell me one person who it's worked out for.
Kit: What, you want me to name someone? You want like a name? Oh, God, the pressure of a name... I got it. Cindafuckin'rella
Edward Lewis: Do you have anything in this shop as beautiful as she is?
[after meeting Vivian]
Elizabeth Stuckey: She's wonderful! Where ever did you find her?
Edward Lewis: 976-BABE.
[At the beginning of the evening]
Vivian: In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight.
Vivian: Can I call you Eddie?
Edward Lewis: Not if you expect me to answer.
Edward Lewis: Impossible relationships. My special gift is impossible relationships.
Vivian: I appreciate this whole seduction thing you've got going on here, but let me give you a tip: I'm a sure thing.
Vivian: Let's watch old movies all night... we'll just veg out in front of the TV.
Edward Lewis: Veg out?
Vivian: Yeah. Be still like vegetables. Lay like broccoli.
Edward Lewis: Look, I'll tell ya what. I'll be back. We'll do broccoli tomorrow.
[last lines]
Happy Man: Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream? Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don't; but keep on dreamin' - this is Hollywood. Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin'.
Vivian: Well, color me happy! There's a sofa in here for two!
Kit: You should go for him. You look hot tonight. Don't take less than a hundred. Call me when you're through. Take care of you.
Vivian: Take care of you.
Edward Lewis: You make a hundred dollars an hour and you have a safety pin holding your boot up?
Edward Lewis: Wake up! Time to shop.
Edward Lewis: It's just that, uh, very few people surprise me.
Vivian: Yeah, well, you're lucky. Most of 'em shock the hell outta me.
Lady at polo match: Edward is our most eligible bachelor, everyone is trying to land him.
Vivian: Oh, I'm not trying to land him, I'm just using him for sex.
Vivian: [Vivian slips an escargot while having dinner with Edward and Mr. Morse] Oops... slippery little suckers.
Vivian: [Sitting at a table, naked and only wearing a tie] How was your day dear?
Edward Lewis: Nice tie!
Vivian: I got it for you.
Edward Lewis: What's your name?
Vivian: What do you want it to be?
Vivian: what's going on
Edward Lewis: I don't know, you left and suddenly I'm in the middle of The West Side Story
Mr. Hollister: Just how obscene an amount of cash are we talking about here? Profane or really offensive?
Edward Lewis: Really offensive.
Mr. Hollister: I like him so much.
Edward Lewis: Oh, Phil! About your car.
Philip Stuckey: Oh, God! What?
Edward Lewis: It corners like it's on rails.
Vivian: When I was a little girl, my mama used to lock me in the attic when I was bad, which was pretty often. And I would- I would pretend I was a princess... trapped in a tower by a wicked queen. And then suddenly this knight... on a white horse with these colors flying would come charging up and draw his sword. And I would wave. And he would climb up the tower and rescue me. But never in all the time... that I had this dream did the knight say to me, "Come on, baby, I'll put you up in a great condo."
Vivian: What would it be like?
Edward Lewis: It would get you off of the street.
Vivian: That's just geography.
Vivian: [referring to Philip Stuckey] Real genuine guy. Who is he?
Edward Lewis: He's my lawyer. He's all right.
Vivian: You could freeze ice on his wife's ass.
Edward Lewis: Maybe we'll try that later.
Edward Lewis: 6 nights at $300 is $1800
Vivian: You want days too.
Edward Lewis: $2000
Vivian: $3000
Edward Lewis: Done.
Edward Lewis: Are you ok?
Vivian: I'm fine!
Edward Lewis: Seven "fine"s since we left the polo match. Can I have another word?
Vivian: ASSHOLE! *There's* a *word*!
Edward Lewis: I think I liked *fine* better.
Kit: Oh no, come on, you don't know that. Hey he asked you right? Maybe you guys could, like, um you know get a house together and, like, buy some diamonds and a horse. I don't know.
Vivian: [after Edward catches her singing along to Prince] Don't you just love Prince?
Edward Lewis: More than life itself.
Vivian: So, what's your name?
Edward Lewis: Edward.
Vivian: Really? That's my favorite name in the whole world.
Carlos: Edward. So how's it feel to be a trick?
Edward Lewis: I am not a trick. This is a trick. Darryl! Left pocket. Isn't that incredible? And he does have a permit. Thank you, gentlemen. - Don't you ever go near her again.
Vivian: Does Darryl always carry a gun?
Edward Lewis: When he drives me, yes, always.
Vivian: You know, you could pay me now, and break the ice.
Kit: You clean up real nice. You sure don't fit in down on the Boulevard lookin' like you do, not that you ever did.
Vivian: Well, thanks, but it's easy to clean up when you got money.
Edward Lewis: How much for the entire night?
Vivian: To stay here? You couldn't afford it.
Edward Lewis: Try me.
Vivian: Three hundred dollars.
Edward Lewis: Done! Thank you. Now we can relax.
Vivian: Are you sure you want me to stay the night? I mean, I could just pop ya real good and get outta here.
Edward Lewis: No, I'd really like you to stay. I don't want to be alone tonight.
Vivian: Is it your birthday?
Edward Lewis: No, no. Not my birthday.
Vivian: Oh. 'Cause you know, I've been the surprise at a lot of birthday parties.
Edward Lewis: I'll bet you have.
[Kit is streetwalking]
Kit: Hey yo, baby!
Guy in car: How 'bout a freebie? It's my birthday.
Kit: Dream on!
Vivian: Oh honey you know what's happened I got a runner in my pantyhose, I'm not wearing pantyhose.
Edward Lewis: [to Vivian] I'd like you to spend the week with me.
Edward Lewis: You and I are such similar creatures, Vivian. We both screw people for money.
Vivian: I think you have a lot of special gifts.
Vivian: So, do you have a wife? Girlfriend?
Edward Lewis: I have both.
Vivian: I got red, I got green, I got yellow... I'm out of purple, but I do have one Gold Circle coin left... the condom of champions... the one and only... nothin' is gettin' through this sucker. Whaddya say, hmm?
James Morse: Mr. Lewis and I are going to build ships together, great big ships.
Edward Lewis: [Watching a Horse Match] Well done!
Vivian: Well done! WOO! WOO! WOO!
Edward Lewis: I am very angry with my father.
Kit: You're right. We say who, we say when, we say how much.
Philip Stuckey: He mortgaged everything he owns, right down to his underwear, to secure a loan from the bank.
[first lines]
Magician at party: No matter what they say, it's all about money. So let's imagine, ladies, that you're a savings and loan officer. Watch - one, two, three; see, you've got it all, and we've got nothing. You've got all four, take a look.
Pops: [Kit is grabbing cocktail garnishes from bar] This ain't a buffet, Kit.
Vivian: Mind, if I, uhm, take a swim in your tub before I go ?
Edward Lewis: Not at all, just stay in the shallow end.
Edward Lewis: A buffet of safety?
Vivian: I'm a safety girl.
[Edward stands up]
Vivian: All right, let's get one of these on ya.
Landlord: Now wait a minute. You don't seem to understand me. That's my job. At the end of the month I collect everyone's rent. Now give me the money or you're outta here.


text:
A group of 11 Baltimore women who set out Sept. 19 to ride their bicycles 365 miles across Maryland in five days arrived Sunday at Fort McHenry to the cheers of more than 100 family members and friends..
The participants are members of a group called Women Who STAND/Baltimore, formed about two years ago as part of the Baltimore-based global organization World Relief. The bicyclists raised nearly $40,000 through the event, called Ride 365, for organizations benefiting women and girls in Malawi and Cambodia.
One rider was Debbie Foreman, 51, of Timonium, who said she joined the group because "I was at a season in life where I knew the world was much larger than my own reality."
Like others in the group, Foreman was inspired by "Half the Sky," a book by New York Times journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, which makes a case for female empowerment around the world.
Foreman was also in a group that traveled to Cambodia in February with World Relief. It was her first journey to a developing nation, and her eyes were opened both to the needs there and to the potential to make a difference, she said. "I could see the effectiveness of the organization," she said. "The World Relief model is training people who then train their communities."
Ride 365 was organized by Kris Bailey, 47, of Baltimore. "Women around the world are so much more vulnerable," she said. "We thought that was an injustice. We want to stand against the injustice that women face around the world."
Bailey was also instrumental in forming the volunteer advocacy group. "It's been so organic," she said. "It was a group of us saying we care about these issues and we see that World Relief is doing great work." Women Who STAND has a about 250 Facebook fans and about 200 blog followers, said Bailey. The bike ride was the group's first major fundraising event.
About a year ago, World Relief organized a bike ride from Oregon to Maryland, with only men as participants, to provide relief in the Congo.
Bailey and her group decided they would do an all-female bike ride. At first, they thought they would do a cross-country ride, she said. But then they opted for a smaller undertaking. They have been training together and separately, getting ready for the physical challenge.
Another rider was Lee Daugherty, 38, of Baltimore, a cardiac critical care doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She rides 20 to 75 miles most weekends and exercises on her stationary bike after work. "This is a great way to raise awareness and get exercise," she said. "It's not about bitterness and rage and anger; it's about hope, and about bringing hope to women."
The plan was to start at the state's westernmost point in Oakland, riding 60 miles the first day, 100 the second, 55 the third, 89 the fourth and 61 on the final day, finishing in Baltimore.
Like its parent organization, World Relief, Women Who STAND is focused on giving people the tools to help themselves, and the organizations benefiting from the bike ride reflect that mission.
With funds from the ride, 5,000 people in Cambodia will gain access to seedlings of the Moringa tree, which contains highly nutritious leaves, as well as training to grow and process the leaves.
"We'll train thousands of people," said Bailey. "Then they'll go to their villages and teach others. That's what I love about World Relief. …It's training the trainers, and all these people can effect change in their communities."
In addition, children in Malawi will receive backpacks with school supplies, and older children will receive the fees needed to attend high school. "It's a way to raise up future generations," said Bailey.
As the event's organizer, Bailey didn't travel by bicycle. "I'm coordinating, which is infinitely easier," she said. An anonymous donor gave $10,000 to underwrite the cost of the ride, and Race Pace Bicycles, which has several shops in the Baltimore area, loaned equipment and provided technical support, including a mechanic — who came in handy, repairing 10 flats.
Foreman had participated in some challenging events before signing up for Ride 365. For the past two years, she has joined in a ride benefiting Moveable Feast, which was 100 miles the first day and 40 the second day. "This was kind of a new hurdle for me," she said of the longer Ride 365. "I love the physical challenge of it. It's a win-win."


text:
IntroductionThe naming of Amanzimtoti is generally attributed to Shaka Zulu. He was passing through the area with his army on one of his campaigns and stopped to rest. He was brought a calabash filled with water from the river. He sipped the water and said: Kanti Amanz'amtoti—"so the water is sweet." Amanzimtoti has sweeping beaches, and many of them are quiet stretches with dunes and rock pools. There are also designated launching areas for ski boats and areas set aside for surfers.
Request Full Destination Guide
To request access to the full version of this destination guide, please provide your email address below. Your email address will only be used for verification purposes and will not be used for marketing purposes.
|Copyright ©2012 Northstar Travel Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Your Travel Specialist
Land & Sea Vacations
(973) 503-0550 or (800) 485-4010
Email: email@example.com
1719 Route 10 East, Suite 215
Parsippany, New Jersey 07054


text:
Hey Y'all!
You may have noticed that I've had no new posts this week…. (I hope you've noticed!)… I have been working on moving Tales of the Toot to it's very own domain and am finally up and running over at the new site!!
Please go over to: http://www.talesofthetoot.com and reconnect/follow/subscribe over there. I love all my bloggy friends and don't want to lose anyone in the transition.
Now that all the hard work of moving content, figuring out codes, plug-ins and widgets is done, I am excited to return to regular posting as well as visiting your blogs!
Come see me @ http://talesofthetoot.com
Thanks so much!


text:
Rainbow Reef
Marvel at the fascinating behaviors of nearly 150 species of fish and coral in Rainbow Reef. This 1,700-gallon coral reef aquarium—one of the biggest in the Northeast—features a large and low viewing surface that provides even the littlest Nemo watchers an amazing view of brilliantly colored fish, corals, anemones, shrimp, eel, and crab.
A multimedia presentation adjacent to the tank helps guests identify the various types of fish introduced into the miniature ecosystem.
Rainbow River and Sea Anemone Tanks
In close proximity to Rainbow Reef is the Rainbow River tank, home to sparkling freshwater fish found in tropical rivers from all over the world. An adjacent sea anemone tank is the perfect place to watch clownfish, like Nemo, and other small reef inhabitants up close.
Underwater Residents
The aquariums at The Strong are home to nearly 150 species of fish and coral.
False Percula Clownfish
Scientific name: Amphiprion ocellaris
What tank would be complete without a Nemo? Look closely because false percula clownfish rarely leave the protection of their favorite anemones.
Flame Angelfish
Scientific name: Centropyge lorica
In the wild, flame angelfish love to nibble on corals and clam mantles. Rainbow Reef's flame angelfish are well fed, so there is no concern for them to be in the tank with corals and clams.
Hippo Tang
Scientific name: Paracanthurus hepatus
More affectionately known as Finding Nemo's Dory, hippo tangs are a favorite of many museum guests.
Lipstick Tang
Scientific name: Naso lituratus
Some people think the lipstick tang looks beautiful; some think it looks plain silly. But one thing is for sure, its unique coloration definitely makes it stand out in a crowd!
Red-Toothed Triggerfish
Scientific name: Odonus niger
Triggerfish get their name from their two moveable spines. When the larger, forward spine is upright, the smaller one behind it (the trigger) can drop down, so the fish can secure itself in a hiding spot.
Unicorn Tang
Scientific name: Naso unicornis
Only male unicorn tangs have a long "horn." Hercules, the museum's unicorn tang, is the largest fish in the tank and still getting bigger—and the bigger he gets, the bigger his horn gets!
Yellow Tang
Scientific name: Zebrasoma flavescens
With a brilliant yellow color rivaled by few other fish, Rainbow Reef's yellow tangs are always a crowd favorite.
Brain Coral
Scientific name: Favia sp.
The green brain coral in Rainbow Reef has to be placed far away from other corals or, in the nighttime, it will send out tentacles called "sweepers" that will sting and kill neighboring corals.
Candy Cane Coral
Scientific name: Caulastrea curvata
Under certain lighting, candy cane corals display candy-cane-like stripes. Look for these types of coral in blue, green, and brown colorations.
Cap Coral
Scientific name: Montipora capricornis
Cap coral is one of the fastest growing corals. It comes in many different colors including red, orange, purple, green, and brown.
Gorgonian Coral
Scientific name: Gorgonia sp.
Brown gorgonian corals, sometimes called sea fans, have an almost wood-like skeleton that is very different from most other stony skeleton corals. Some scientists disagree on whether or not these are even real coral!
Hammer Coral
Scientific name: Euphyllia paranchora
Hammer corals are closely related to torch corals. Some people have given them the name anchor coral. Look at the coral's tentacles and decide what name—hammer or anchor coral—is most fitting?
Mushroom Coral
Scientific name: Actinodiscus sp.
Mushroom corals are actually closely related to anemones and grow very fast. Look for different colors of mushroom corals in Rainbow Reef?
Staghorn Coral
Scientific name: Acropora sp.
Staghorn coral is a favorite of many reef keepers. It can grow in many shapes and sizes and even though it looks like a colored rock, it is actually a living animal. This coral is one of the major reef corals responsible for building the substructure that supports the entire reef!
Torch Coral
Scientific name: Euphyllia glabrescens
Torch corals have long, thin tentacles that flutter in the current of the water. Think about why they are called torches.


text:
We are very proud to announce that we are entering our 30th year of operation! Thank you so much to all our fans out there who have supported us from our humble beginnings in a Montreal basement garage!
In 1985, young entrepreneurs, Ariel and Ron Shlien, began putting on science demonstrations for neighborhood children. They realized that not only did these interactive shows spark children's imaginations and help them learn, but kids loved them! Thus, Mad Science was born! It moved from the garage, to the local YMCA, and in 1995 the concept was franchised, allowing Mad Science to establish locations around the world!
So once more, thank you. Without you we wouldn't be doing what we do today: bringing interactive and hands-on science education to millions of children in 22 countries!
Celebrate with us - enter our #MadScience30 contest for the chance to win an Apple iPad mini 3 or 1 of 3 Mad Scientist Starter Kits! http://on.fb.me/1700oG5


text:
Set a custom 404 page in cPanel hosting
404 pages display when someone tries to access a page on your website that doesn't exist.
Our hosting accounts allow you to use your home page as your 404 page, or you can create a custom one.
Note: Server-side scripts, such as PHP, might not work on custom 404 pages because of how web server software (i.e. Apache) handles them.
- Log in to your GoDaddy account.
- Click Web Hosting.
- Next to the cPanel account you want to use, click Manage.
- Click cPanel Admin.
- In the Advanced section, click Error pages.
- In the Edit Error Pages... section, click 404.
- Enter the HTML for the page you want to display, and then click Save.


text:
Verlander shows improved fastball command
DETROIT -- Justin Verlander's return to form is more like a process than a switch, his pitching coach cautioned on Thursday.
"It doesn't always happen overnight," Jeff Jones said the day after Verlander's latest outing.View Full Game Coverage
DETROIT -- Justin Verlander's return to form is more like a process than a switch, his pitching coach cautioned on Thursday.
"It doesn't always happen overnight," Jeff Jones said the day after Verlander's latest outing.View Full Game Coverage
Wednesday's outing in Cleveland, despite all the damage, was a part of the process for the coach. After back-to-back games in which Verlander struggled with fastball command, Jones said he was around the plate with fastballs for most of the night. The problem, Jones suggested, was the reverse of his previous outings.
"I think early, he wasn't getting his offspeed stuff over, so they were kind of sitting on the fastball," Jones said. "And then he started getting his curveball over in the third and fourth, which I thought made a big difference.
"After that, it's as good of a curveball as I've seen him have all year."
The data coming out of Wednesday's outing backed up the thought on fastball command. After throwing barely half of his 62 fastballs for strikes two starts ago against Cleveland, then throwing about 60 percent of his fastballs for strikes -- many of which Rangers batters hit -- in his last start, Verlander was around the strike zone consistently with his heater Wednesday night, hitting it with better than seven out of every 10.
It wasn't as much heat as last Thursday in Texas, dropping a tick to an average of just over 95 mph according to data from MLB.com's Gameday application. However, out of 35 strikes, 26 weren't put in play, according to brooksbaseball.net.
Just three of those were swings and misses, compared with a high total of foul balls. He still managed nine strikeouts over five innings. The last of those, a curveball for a called third strike on Ryan Raburn, was encouraging for Verlander, who used his fastball to set it up after waiting through a 62-minute rain delay.
"Those last couple batters, Raburn in particular, was probably the best I felt all night, being able to find my location on my fastball," Verlander said after the game. "That's a big positive for me moving forward."
It's not where he wants to be, but it's a building block for his next start on Memorial Day against the Pirates.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason.


text:
Health Reform: Help for Wyomingites with Pre-Existing Conditions
Publication Date: May 2010
Publisher(s): Families USA
Author(s): Kathleen Stoll; Kim Bailey; Christine Sebastian
Topic: Health (Health care planning)
Keywords: health reform; pre-existing condition
Coverage: United States
This report discusses how, under health reform, no one will be denied coverage, charged a higher premium, or sold a policy that excludes coverage of essential benefits because of pre-existing conditions. The report presents the number of Wyomingites with diagnosed pre-existing conditions who, absent reform, would be at risk of being denied coverage in the individual insurance market. It breaks down this number by age, income, and race.


text:
Please click anywhere to continue browsing our site.
Back to Search Results
Auto Excellence LLC serves the tire and auto repair needs of Racine, WI, Sturtevant, WI, Union Grove, WI, and surrounding areas. You'll be hard-pressed to find auto mechanics who are more experienced at any other shop. We have years of experience working on all makes and models and can work with you to find cost-effective repair and maintenance solutions for any automotive problem you might have. Need tires? We offer a huge selection at great prices. Fleet services are also available. For a high-performing vehicle, trust Auto Excellence LLC with your car, truck, SUV or van. To learn more about the services we offer, call us 262-554-6061 or contact us online.


text:
Umbilical Cord Blood Donation Information
An informational pamphlet titled "Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Banking" can be accessed at: http://parentsguidecordblood.org/brochure/PGCB_brochure_USA.pdf
Copies of this pamphlet are available at no cost. To obtain a copy (or
copies) of the pamphlet, please contact the North Dakota Department of
Health, Healthy & Safe Communities Section:
Sara Upgren
Additional information can be found on the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation's website at: http://parentsguidecordblood.org/
The North Dakota Department of Health, Healthy & Safe Communities Section, does not assume responsibility for the content obtained from external hyperlinks accessed from this website. Any links to external sources are outside of our domain. Information on external websites does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the North Dakota Department of Health or the Healthy & Safe Communities Section.


text:
May 2011. Supported by the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace experts conduct independent radiation sampling along the Fukushima coastline. In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster these tests show how inadequate the government's response to the disaster has been. In response to this, the Japanese government institutes its own programme of checks.
© © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert / Greenpeace
1 - 12 of 5650 results.


text:
Tash - Body Rock lyrics
[Intro - Mos Def]
Alright y'all, slow down, I'm trying to
Aight, yo, I only took a little bit of Spanish, you gotta
Aight I hear what you're saying but yo, alright, okay
Alright okay, alright okay, okay
Alright okay, I'm feelin you, okay
All my people in Brooklyn and you know we're hot, I say:
We don't stop the Body Rock
All my people in Queens, and the land in between, say we:
Don't stop the Body Rock
Shaolin and L-I, say you know we're fly, say we
Don't stop the Body Rock
From the East to the West, son, we take it to the chest say we
Don't stop the Body Rock
[Verse 1 - Mos Def]
Check me out y'all
I'm in the lab with Ab, I got the pen and pad
My man T-A-S-H take it to yo' breastplate
It's the Mighty Mos Def, complete the trilogy
Just shot myself a dime, see are you feeling me?
Son I'm wicked and nice when I'm on facility
Let me take a sec to review what I wrote
.. "Mos Def and does it sound far fetched?" OK it's dope
Let's record this ('cord this) they gonna award this (award this)
And all area crew is gonna applaud this {*clapping*}
And when we step to the plate Pah it's flawless
My man T-A-S-H with styles glory great
Great, great great, great great
Up next we got CaTash with that West coast rhyming
Bombing n***as with the style as dangerous as mountain climbing
Cause the Alkie words I'm spitting be twisting while you listening
Plus I'm in this motherf**er with the Likwit coalition
That'll leave you in position, twisted backwards like yoga
While you staring down my throat like, "Is he drunk or is he sober?"
Who knows?! All I know is Tash got flows
And got the technique to get the ladies out of they clothes
I been overly exposed to the forty-oh's and chickens
So I'mma keep it pumping til the beat stop kicking
Or til the plot thickens, cause this is how we do
CaTashtrophe, Mos Def, and the brother man Q!
What's up Tash, hey yo, Tip can't call it
Sure as Mos is Def and you Alkaholik
I'mma be surfing at, thing that's worth dealing
Hypodermically, shoot up your feeling
Figuratively speaking, of course, now
Old and greediness seeking it's course now
What we gonna do? Eradicate them
Shoot them from the jam, they be diseased phlegm
[Mos Def]
Tash Love... are you ready to rock the mic?
Q-Tip... are you ready to rock the mic!
Mos Def... are you ready to rock the mic?
We got the universal style that you got to like!
And ain't nobody steppin up when we got the mic
So turn the A.C. up cause it's hot tonight!
And til the bright early morn' we be rockin you all
Don't stop, the Body Rock!
Cause I'm next to flex, and I'm technically advanced
To turn you on like cybers**, so in less than two sec's
I blind MC's like Thomas Dolby with the Science that'll leave
[Lyrics from: https:/lyrics.az/tash/-/body-rock.html]
They braincells fryin slowly (FIRE!) so slowly I flow and
Express written consent, from the undergroundin n***as
Coast II Coast I represent cause gettin bent, I do
But I'm doper than sherm plus the way I put it down
Could burn the perm off Big Worm, so peep this private screening
Of the Last Action Hero that be freezin rappers dead in they tracks
Like Sub Zero (Zero), cause Rico ain't no joke
I eat yo' flows and yo' beat up rappers even feel my presence
When I'm home with my feet up
[Mos Def]
Yo what you skied up or treed up?
Relax and pull a seat up, make your landlord turn the heat up
Got the opposition shook like Tiger Woods about to tee up
So n***as no competition with the clear Mos Definition
MC's screamin now for years can't rhyme without they mom's permission
You just a young'un comin out, gettin ga**ed to run your mouth
Wildin on the Runabout, Baby Pah you comin out
Barkin that you want a bout but son you know the comeabout
When Mos Def blow up and, you don't, nuttin
Don't you know nuttin? My crew go huntin
We keep it on the norm then we transform som'in
And while, we do it, you bounce to it
The cops wanna stop the Body Rock but don't do it
DY-NO-MITE!!! Like Jimmy J.J
Slobbed down pen-ny, somewhere in L.A. (A)
Now we got to bond like Voltron (tron)
Tash you the bomb, Mos you the won ton (ton)
Q will pick the lead, I must drop on thee (thee)
A-B-S, I bust down, facility (ty)
T-R-A-C-T is the MC (cee)
It's the LL, inside the place to be (be)
[Mos Def]
Tash Love... are you ready to rock the mic?
Q-Tip... are you ready to rock the mic!
Mos Def... are you ready to rock the mic?
We got the universal brothers that you got to like!
Now ain't nobody steppin up when we got the mic
So turn your A.C. up cause it's hot tonight!
And til the bright early morn' we'll be rockin you all
Don't stop, the Body Rock!
All my people out in Queens that know you're hot, you say
Don't stop, the Body Rock!
All my people out in Brooklyn and you know we're hot, say
Don't stop, the Body Rock!
Shaolin to L-I and you know we're fly, said
Don't stop, the Body Rock!
All the people on the Greens and the land in between said
Don't stop, the Body Rock!
... no stoppin
... no stoppin
Out in Jersey ... no stoppin
Philadelp-i-I ... no stoppin
Chi Town gettin down ... the playgrounds
Detroit you say ... no stoppin
In Cali ... no stoppin
And the great V-A ... no stoppin
Cause in the Brooklyn town ... no stoppin
And the Boogie Down ... no stoppin
L-I and Queens ... no stoppin
And you see Medina Greens ... no stoppin
You know we, Lyricist Lounge ... no stoppin
And my man Abstract ... no stoppin
Cause see we never the wack ... no stoppin
Don't stop, the Body Rock
D-dah, don't stop


text:
Delete a database in cPanel shared hosting
If you no longer need them, you can delete databases from your account.
Warning: Before deleting them, you should always back up databases.
- Log in to your GoDaddy account.
- Click Web Hosting.
- Next to the cPanel account you want to use, click Manage.
- Click cPanel Admin.
- In the Databases section, click MySQL Databases.
- In the Current Databases section, in the Actions column of the database you want to delete, click Delete.
- Click Delete Database.


text:
How to Completely Ruin (or Save) Your Website with RedirectsBlog Post: June 18, 2013
Many thanks Saifrizvi for your thoughtful reply and response, which I will take into account.
The reality is that 10-15 year-old sites using ancient non-interactive technology and hand-carved CMS's are so hard to maintain that a switchover to a modern CMS is often necessary in order to generate the kind of "freshness" and "user experience" that is now demanded by search engines and users, among many other factors.
I don't see any way out of this dilemma, and see major sites make conversions from .asp or .php to a CMS, for example, all the time. Most seem to recover. Of course the recovery time can be a question of branding these days, as none of us know what goes into valuation as the search engine algorithms change so incredibly rapidly.
I fully expect loss of link juice, but have to counter the loss of that juice with the huge apparent penalties we are incurring on some older sites due to the technology used which was built to provide resource information (when non-interactive software was the rule and the web was a research tool primarily) to highly interactive community sites with endlessly fresh and high quality content as is now demanded. I worry that the coming generation will all have A.D.D.!
Moz thinks our sites are great compared to our competitors. One search engine does not these days...
It is a bind, but one must proceed, even with caution. I was just asking about the types of experiences others have had with regard to how to implement the 301 when staying on the same domain and switching to a modern CMS.
In the end, you can only build the best site possible with an eye to the future, which seems to become the present in nanoseconds.
Thank you again.
Great article.
I am moving an HTML site to a Joomla revision of the site (long overdue) and want to be sure that I not only create a better user experience, better site structure, but most importantly that the redirects from old pages to the new related ones work. We have related articles on certain subjects (not at all identical, but different perspectives), but I want to consolidate and drop the older articles, since "freshness" and "social signals" often seem so important these days to the detriment of evergreen content.
My question is, should I drop thousands of older articles (even if there is some good content in them) and redirect to newer pages, and will the fact that the site has fewer pages hurt the rankings? I know this is general, but our SEO moztrust is very high versus competitors, but we have far fewer internal links, which I think helps bring down the mozrank.
Thank you


text:
Modern technologies in Poland
MAXAM supplements its machinery park and optimises drilling and blasting works using the state-of-the-art Atlas Copco drill rigs equipped in HNS (Hole Navigation System).
October 26, 2018
MAXAM supplements its machinery park and optimises drilling and blasting works using the state-of-the-art Atlas Copco drill rigs equipped in HNS (Hole Navigation System).
In 2016, a significant progress took place in the technology of surface drilling of blast holes in Poland. Atlas Copco Poland has decided to present to its partners the latest available technological tophammer drill solutions. The next stage was importing of SmartROC T40 drill rig equipped in COP 2560+ drill, HNS (hole navigation system) and a remote control in order to carry out drilling tests for the largest of Polish drilling companies.
The purpose of these tests was to demonstrate that although the technological novelties offered by Atlas Copco mean higher initial investment costs, but also faster return on investment due to the improvement of quality and shortening the time of carried out works. They also give greater comfort of work to the operators and blast engineers. Modern equipment enables downloading of the data concerning the deviations of completed holes and the deposit type and quality on ongoing basis in order to use them for e.g. the optimisation of further mining plans.
One of the partners of Atlas Copco is MAXAM - the world leader in the production of explosives and the largest company on the market of drilling and blasting services in Poland. During a year, MAXAM drills about a million metres of blast holes in Poland. In 2016, the company had 19 Atlas Copco drill rigs and two rigs of other manufacturers. Their fleet is distributed across Poland and provides services to granite, dolomite, sandstone, basalt and melaphyre aggregate quarries, as well as the quarries of limestone for the production of cement and other components for construction chemicals production.
In Poland, depending on particular quarry, walls with thickness of 12 to 28 metres can be found, and the most popular hole diameters are 89, 95 and 102 mm.
Getting prepared to the purchase of new drill rigs, Maxam focused mainly on the possibility of reduction of the total operating costs, underrating at that stage of negotiations the concealed potential of the HNS system and its actual impact on costs. One of the granite quarries of Colas Poland in Rogoznica was selected for the performance of the tests.
Read the full story at Mining and Construction online.
Epiroc operated under the name "Atlas Copco" until January 1, 2018.


text:
itodd needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 197 designs submitted by 70 freelance designers.
We need a logo for a website that allows artists and designers to create quick and simple online portfolios.
We especially like typographic logos like last.fm
Desired Color Scheme:
Clean Modern colors
Desired Style:
Simple not complicate symbols and design
Accepted File Formats:
Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai)
The logo needs to work in both black and white and small sizes.
We especially like typographic logos like last.fm
Clean modern colors. Simple designs. Nothing overly complicated.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Zuckerberg to Pocket $1 Billion in Facebook Stock Sale
The Social Network Will Also Raise About $1.5 Billion in Secondary Offering
Mark Zuckerberg will likely pocket about $1 billion from his first stock sale since Facebook Inc.'s initial public offering, part of a complex transaction in which the founder and chief executive also plans to donate stock valued at roughly $1 billion to charity.
Facebook itself will also raise roughly $1.5 billion by selling 27 million additional shares, intended to meet demands from investors after the social network joins the S&P 500 index after Friday's trading. Many index funds that would typically buy Facebook on...


text:
It's 11 a.m. on an ice-cold Thursday morning when chocolatier Aditi Malhotra heads into the basement of her Lower East Side shop and begins concocting a batch of strawberry dark-chocolate truffles. The six-hour affair includes mixing fresh strawberry puree, spices and dark chocolate by hand, and tasting the concoction four times before pumping it into bonbons, adorning them with candied ginger toppings.
"The way to know if you make the perfect truffle is if the flavor lingers on your tongue," notes Malhotra, who owns Tache Artisan Chocolate. She calls her line of work a passion, not a job.
"No one would spend hours locked in a basement making chocolate if they didn't love it," she says.
Tasting chocolate all day sounds sensational — but for those who craft these bite-size bits of heaven, the work can be bittersweet at times. The job requires patience, creativity and perfectionism — and a strong body for hours of standing, stirring and lifting.
Valentine's Day — the busiest day for most chocolatiers — can be particularly difficult to manage.
Malhotra is already logging 80-hour weeks preparing new truffles, booking chocolate-making classes and reviewing box designs, while Jacques Torres, whose chocolate empire stretches from his flagship store in DUMBO, Brooklyn to an Upper West Side outpost, has hired seasonal workers, plans to make 10,000 bonbons and truffles for Feb. 14 and will extend shop hours that day.
Business can be brisk. Malhotra orders five times the chocolate for the holiday than on an average week, and Torres counted 3,600 transactions the day before Valentine's Day last year, up from about 400 on a typical day.
Seasonal peaks aren't limited to Valentine's Day. The two weeks before Christmas is crazy for chocolate sales, while there are a bonanza of brown bunnies to make for Easter. And Mother's Day brings a steady flow of people buying last-minute treats for their moms.
"There are low tides and high tides throughout the year. Now is a high tide, but they have to reinvent themselves in June," says Neill Alleva, who wrote "The Ultimate Guide to Finding Chocolate in NYC" with Rob Monahan.
For example, during warm-weather months — when interest in chocolate pieces wanes because it melts so quickly — sweet shops rely on lollipops and ice cream to keep customers coming back. The versatility of chocolate is a bonus, say city chocolatiers, which helps when adapting to seasonal demands. The dark brown delicacy can be molded into any shape — a heart for upcoming Valentine's Day, for example, but also a reindeer for Christmas or a bunny for Easter — rolled into a bonbon or served as the base for a cookie, cake and ice cream.
Most aspiring chocolate makers are surprised by how fussy the ingredient is, says Michelle Tampakis, a pastry instructor who specializes in chocolate at Manhattan's Institute for Culinary Education, which has experienced a surge of enrollment with the recent recession because unemployed people are looking for a career change.
"There are a lot of nuisances. It's impacted by temperature, how you stir it, humidity, its age," she says, describing cooking chocolate as "difficult, messy and unpredictable."
And there are still other challenges. Because fresh chocolate is costly to make — no preservatives means a shorter shelf life, and quality products are key — high-end chocolatiers also have to overcome customer sticker shock at thumb-nail sized nibbles that often run more than $2 a piece.
When Rhonda Kave opened Roni-Sue Chocolate in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side in 2007, shoppers asked if $2 was for the tray, not the piece.
"They are comparing it to something on the counter at Duane Reade, so sometimes there is resistance to price. We try to overcome that by educating them about chocolate and giving samples," says Kave. "If you have the palate to distinguish chocolates, you'll pay."
Competition in the haute chocolate market is fierce, however. There are more than 80 independent and chain chocolate shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and half of them are concentrated in lower Manhattan and northern Brooklyn, according to Alleva.
"There is a lot of chocolate in a small area," he notes. "Finding a niche is really important."
But chocolatiers say they embrace the competition and enjoy experimenting with recipes to keep their business interesting.
"You never know what is going to hit," says Kave. She found success withchocolate-dipped bacon — dubbed pig candy – but a gazpacho truffle she invented "never made the light of day," she says, because it tasted "muddy."
But it's not all doom and gloom: Of course, the easiest selling point is just about everyone loves chocolate.
"There isn't anyone you can't work with — unless they are diabetic or allergic to chocolate," notes Malhotra, who carries samples of chocolate in her purse that she hands out as business cards at bars and events.
"You never know who will be your next customer."
Sweet suggestions for aspiring chocolatiers
Get educated: Whether it's a pastry program or a class on chocolate making, some culinary education is a must. "I took a spice course," says Rhonda Kave of Roni-Sue on the Lower East Side. "It taught me so much about flavor and ways to enhance it."
Keep it fresh: No matter how pretty a piece looks, if the base ingredient is weak, customers will turn to the countless other chocolate shops around the city. That's why Kave gets her cocoa from Belize, where she works with local farmers to find the purest product. "The more I got into making the stuff, the more I looked at the core ingredient," she says.
Show off: Customers love to see how their favorite bars are made — so craft your sweets in front of customers. "We love taking people to the places where they make the chocolate. It takes a lot of creativity," says Neill Alleva, who wrote "The Ultimate Guide to Finding Chocolate in NYC."
Start small, dream big: Aditi Malhotra of Tache got her start by partnering with established French chocolatier Christian Vautier before rebranding it as her own this fall. "Now all the chocolates are my recipe," she boasts. Start-up costs aren't too hard on the wallet, but it's difficult to grow in the chocolate business, because you're too busy making chocolate to invest in bigger equipment, says chocolatier Jacques Torres, who toiled in his DUMBO shop before expanding.


text:
Pen & Paper Games
Gaming News & Discussion
Sci-Fi / Futuristic
> List your NPCs
View Full Version :
List your NPCs
Inquisitor Tremayne
What are some NPCs you have created in the RCR?
I want to see!
You want Stats? I don't have many stats.
I have ideas and descriptions. Would you find those fun to read?
Jay ~meow!~
Inquisitor Tremayne
Group Name: Malovids
Created by: Garry Stahl and Jay P Hailey
Appearance: Malovids resemble humanoid sheep. They have a coat of fur.
Number of Members: Some billions, a home world and a handful of colonies.
Nature of Members: Member of the Malovid species
Organization: An empire - when encountered usually as a military group or a raiding band.
Game Role: Low level orcs, sillyness.
World Role: Angry sheep people.
Relative Influence: Slight - any of the big Galactic powers could defeat the Malovids - taking them out of the "Great Game" would be more difficult.
Public or Secret?: Public, although they have secret operations.
Publicly Stated Goal: To conquor the hated arrogant monkies and prove their natural superiority.
Relative Wealth: Compared to an Individual huge, they can afford war fleets.
Compared to other galactic players, on the small side.
Group advantages: Malovids can be *mean* and sometimes inventively so. The Malovids are prone to actions which are not entirely suited to individual survival - when properly manipulated this can lead to Malovids counter attacking against superior odds and making suicide attacks.
Special Abilities: The Malovids are generally willing to go to the maximum
extent to win their battles.
Group disadvantages: The Malovids as a whole are slightly below average in terms of intelligence.
Special disadvantages: The Malovid pop culture reeks with resement and
anger. The Malovids know, they just know that humans are out to get them, and are, in turn out to get humans and to prove to everyone that they are just as good as any human empire.
Malovid popular speakers and entertainment hosts use the most drooling
idiocy and illogic to pander to and maintain this ugly resentment. The
Malovids eat it up.
Many Malovids are willing to fight and suffer for this. Dying usually comes
as an ugly surprise.
Those who favor them: Malovids. People who can manipulate the Malovids for their own uses.
Those opposed to them: Humans who don't like getting shot. People who
think peace is a good idea.
Area of Operation: The Galaxy, off in a backwater somewhere
Headquarters Location: The Superior Pastures of Malovidia. "It's plain that
the Monkies are jealous of the superior quality of the grass of our home
world, my friends! They seek to to pave over our lovely world with their
cities, factories and herds of oppressed cattle. There's no reasoning with
these people, My Friends!"
Public Face: Angry Sheep people
Notable Members:
Harold - the first emperor of the Malovids - remmbered as the most violent, angry and intelligent of the Malovids so far. The Evil Empire motif of the Malovid Empire is pretty much Harold's Invention.
Treemac - the Current Emperor, gives Harold a run for his money in the
smart and mean department. Surrounded by mean sycophants
Slow Hardbranch - the most popular of a veritable herd of rabble rousers.
His melodious voice gives his insanity a surface appearance of credibility,
and that's enough for most Malovids. He set the tone for idiotic
rationalizations about the evil of "The Monkies". He is known for rampant
drug addiction, occasional bouts of debauchery with young ewes and being cringinly subservient and worshipful of Emperor Treemac.
History of the Organization:
some time in the past - someone makes a race of sheep people, then abandons them on a planet that's nicely suited to them. Many people would like to meet these ancient progenitors and slap the crap out of them.
more recently - contact with the malovids leads to them being just one more of the thundering horde of alien and near-human spacies wandering around the galaxy.
about 100 years ago - attemps by Malovids to modernize their world meet with mixed success.
about 50 years ago - Harold returns from a stint with some military force
somewhere, with a very solid set of evil ideas.
about 40 years ago - Harold establishes himself as Harold the 1st - Emperor of Malovidia.
About 35 years ago - the Malovids reveal an actual space fleet and space
warfare capacity by quickly conquering the Tamile, a race of stone age
sentient slugs.
About 25 years ago - The Malovids conflict with the Corellians over looting
rights of a primitive human world. The Corellians appeal to pro-human
prejudice during this campaign. This sets the Malovids OFF. The Malovids
are equipped by Alderaanian rivals of the Corellians. The Alderaanians can
barely keep from snickering, durring such back room deals - which just sets the Malovids off worse.
About 23 years ago - The Battle of Gantooine. In a savage attempt to
rewrite the rules of the Correllian/Malovid war, the Malovids launch a full
scale invsion of Gantooine. The fact that Gantoonie has been independant of Corellia for centuries seems to make no impression whatever on the Malovids. The Malovids quickly gain the upper hand but are swamped by guerilla fighters, mercenaries, pirates and partisans.
20 years ago -the relief of Gantooine - Corellian and Coruscanti forces
counter attack the Malovids destroying their fleet at Gantooine, routing
their armies and generally serving up a lot of Mutton.
Ever since Malovid pirates have been a concern, but the Malovid war machine largely stays out of the way of the big players.
However the Malovid resentments are growing....
Fate of the Organization: Just another group of power mad loonies in the
Flying Sheep
by Monty Python
The cast:
Terry Jones
Graham Chapman (With a thick countrysid accent)
Eric Idle
The sketch:
(Opening Scene : A tourist dressed in a business suit approaches a shepherd.
The sounds of sheep and the outdoors are heard.)
Tourist: Good afternoon.
Shepherd: Afternoon
Tourist: Ah, lovely day isn't it?
Shepherd: Eh, 'tis that.
Tourist: You here on holiday?
Shepherd: Nope, I live 'ere.
Tourist: Oh, good for you. Uh...those ARE sheep aren't they?
Shepherd: Yeh.
Tourist: Hmm, thought they were. Only, what are they doing up in the trees?
Shepherd: A fair question and one that in recent weeks 'as been much on my
mind. It's my considered opinion that they're nestin'.
Tourist: Nesting?
Shepherd: Aye.
Tourist: Like birds?
Shepherd: Exactly. It's my belief that these sheep are laborin' under the
misapprehension that they're birds. Observe their be'avior. Take for a start
the sheeps' tendency to 'op about the field on their 'ind legs. Now witness
their attmpts to fly from tree to tree. Notice that they do not so much fly
(Baaa baaa... flap flap flap... whoosh... thud.)
Tourist: Yes, but why do they think they're birds?
Shepherd: Another fair question. One thing is for sure, the sheep is not a
creature of the air. They have enormous difficulty in the comparatively
simple act of perchin'. (Baaa baaa... flap flap flap... whoosh... thud.)
Trouble is, sheep are very dim. Once they get an idea in their 'eads,
there's no shiftin' it.
Tourist: But where did they get the idea?
Shepherd: From Harold. He's that most dangerous of creatures, a clever
sheep. 'e's realized that a sheep's life consists of standin' around for a
few months and then bein' eaten. And that's a depressing prospect for an
ambitious sheep.
Tourist: Well why don't just remove Harold?
Shepherd: Because of the enormous commercial possibilities if 'e succeeds.
A friend of mine described encountering these guys in a D&D game and I was hooked.
Short, green, greedy, amoral, cowardy, and deeply unclear on whatever it is that you're screaming about.
These guys in an over armed transport are lost. They just want to get home.
But they have stepped on the wrong toes, and now any people are chasing them, and the PCs with guns.
They're not stupid, they just don't care about your priorities, which leads to some interesting miss-communication.
Their ship is named S.T.R. Which is an acronym for "Shiny Thing Raider"
it helps to GM these guys if you can do a funny/annoing high pitchedd squeaky voice.
The only one with a name so far is "Binky" who is named, spoken of and mourned for his absence. Binky was off the ship getting an ice-cream cone at the local "13,000 flavors" when the mooks attacked. he watched his ship fly off into the sky and said "Well, crap."
His crew assumes he has been captured and roughly violated by angry mooks with guns.
The Proffessor -
In my game, Corellia is a metaphor for Victorian England.
The Professor is a metaphor for Professor James Moriarity. Known by a variety of Psuedonyms, he is clever, scheming and delegates plenty of violence to his underlings.
He is careful to maintain a careful cover, and so can never be linked directly to his criminal empire. Instead he plots and manipulates like a spider in his web, guiding action remotely through his underlings.
Some of the Professor's Underlings -
Jonas Grumby - a hulking brute of a pirate. He is the Professors preferred assain when a "Message" needs to be sent. A psychotic killer, Grumby is a pirate by trade. His Pirate ship, the Orca is funded, through roundabout means by the PRofessor.
Grumby knows he'd better turn a profit, or else the Professor will become displeased. Few people have survived that. None without cuybernetics.
Gimpy - often seen as a Companion to Grumby. Gimpy is a masochist and a sadist (Named for the Gimp masks he wears in "action"). he makes Grumby look positive normal by comparison.
He likes to hurt and to be hurt. He often takes out his "Issues" with people who have displeased the Professor or Grumby. Known for a high pitched manic giggle.
Gingrr - a stunningly beautiful woman, who dresses to show her attributes, Gingrr is a killer. She specializes in luring men into lowering their defenses. Poison or the back stab are her preferred weapons.
Her cover is being a club singer and small time actress, but she makes piles of money offing wealthy businessmen and politicians.
Ann Marie Summers - a mercenary captain, she is the sanest of the Professor's followers. She is self-interested and amoral, but not necessarily wierd about it.
She is a professional soldier and killer. She runs with a hand picked cadre of mercenaries, bringing death, destruction, explosions and fire for profit. Fun is for after the mission.
She dresses in generic officer's uniforms and has an obvious cybernetic eye, a souvenier from her learning curve.
Thursell Houghton III, and his wife - another pair of whackjobs. These rich people from the upper crust of Corellian society have a dark secret. They like to torture and kill people.
By day they are upstanding wealthy pillars of society. By night they indulge their dark urges.
They have hooked up with the Professor as a sort of Evil Investment Councilor, a gate way into a darker world and a source for victims.
Houghton and his wife hae a delusion that, at the end of ther day, they'll be the bosses of the Professor's operation, but he has seen them coming.
Jay ~Meow!~
Uncer Opbus is a private eye and operator on the dark side of Corellia.
Imagine a mix of Sam Spade, Johnny Dollar and Sherlock Holmes.
Uncer Opbus presents himself as a hard working blue collar detective. This hides a frighteningly intelligent mind.
Opbus runs on his own code. He cooperates with Coreliian authorities and th Corellian Jedi Temple when it suits him. Just as often he obfuscates and avoids them.
One large element of Opbus' code is loyalty to paying clients. This makes him relatively popular among law firms and corporate clients, as well as occasional "Charity Cases."
Opbus has a serious grudge against the Professor. It seems the Professor murdered one of Opbus' clients. Opbus is determined to see vengeance.
But knowing that the Proffessor is hidden and largely untouchable. Opbus has adopted a similar strategy.
Using proxies, agents, informants, and unwitting dupes, Opbus is slowly but surely mapping the Professor's web and plotting the destruction of his criminal empire.
Uncer Opbus may well hire PCs to go to obscure places and do obscure things. If they can keep their mouths shut and follow directions, he will trust them further.
If they act like the usual PCs, he'll use them as stalking horses - sending them to be the bulls in the Professor's china shop, while he strikes from hiding.
Jay ~Meow!~
The Current Game -
The Proffessor, through proxies, arranged the theft of the Corellian Yachting Club's Prestigious "McGuffin Cup" - awarded yearly to the winner of the Corellian Yachting... thingee. whatever they call a Yachting race/rally/whatever.
However, the plan was not perfectly executed. Discovered too quickly, the Professor had to arrange quick transport off-planet for his stolen loot.
The Goblins Pirates, lost, abused and about broke, were on Corellia, trying to figure out their next move. They advertised themselves as an armed, high security transport hoping to make some coin or find some good booty.
The Professor, operating through intermediaries, hired the Goblins to take the McGuffin cup and deliver it to an off-world ally. He paid them half up front, and so on.
The Goblins took the job, but cluelesly went to the wrong planet and handed the McGuffin Cup to someone who's name sounded similar.
Upon returning to Corellia, the Goblins found themselves with a customer service issue.
At the same time, the Corellian Jedi Temple has asked some of the PCs to investigate the Goblin Pirates. They don't know that these guys are pirates, but thery know they are well armed, came from nowhere and seem confused.
Uncer Opbus has hired some of the shadier PCs to investigate the Goblin Pirates as well. He knows little but that they seem to be getting a lot of the Professor's attention right now.
As the PCs arrive to start asking questions three factions attack.
1 - Henchmen of the Proffessor. He has hired a pile of scum and villainy to go and wipe out the Gobbies in order to send a message about how unwise it is to screw the Professor.
2 - Henchmen of The intended recipient. He wants to find the cup before the Professor becomes cross with him. They want to capture ther Gobbies and torture the information out of them.
3 - Henchment of bounty hunters looking for the cup. They're not sure that the Gobbies have much to do with the theft, but it's not a bad bet. They want to take the Gobbies ship and hold the Gobbies hostage for information.
The PCs are talking to the Gobbies when a swarm of mooks approaches and begins shooting.
Everyone piles into the Gobbie ship and they flee.
Jay ~Meow!~
nazo shiame
Right now my only NPC is a medical driod named teria.She play a main part in the story for my charcter who is a kel dorian jensaarie who's parents have been murdered.The driod lives on his ship and takes care of his wounds. she also has a motherly personality.
'i needed a random bounty mission for my players so i used the first thing that came to my mind a Smuggler that was on the run from the empire his name Bendo Vai'R (say it out lound if you dont get it :P)
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.2 Copyright © 2019 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
A Cut Above: Trim Your Own Bangs
Style Hair
Blow-dry hair, smoothing kinks and cowlicks. Wet hair has a different texture, so cut bangs when they're dry. Relax the section of hair between your pointer and middle fingers, loosely gliding down the length of the bangs. Leave about an inch between your fingers and the ends.
Make the Cut
Hold bangs off your face and aim straight-edge scissors upward on an angle (think the slope of a triangle). Starting in the middle of the section, cut up into hairs — never straight across. Holding the scissor vertically lets you trim just a few strands at a time.
Check Your Work
Shake out bangs with your fingers, letting hairs separate. Restyle and check whether you need to trim more (if so, repeat step above). Bangs usually take two rounds to cut. But snip conservatively: You can always cut more, but you can't put it back on!
Hair Helper: Brow/Lash Comb
With its tiny teeth, a traditional eyebrow comb, such as Japonesque Brow/Lash Comb, $9, can help brush pin-straight bangs into position with ultimate precision.
Hair Helper: Shears
Step away from the office scissors! They're too bulky and lead to over-snipping. Try J & D 6-inch shears, $29, to avoid blunt ends.
Hair Helper: Serum
If you use a smoothing product on your bangs, apply it before a trim too. Scruples White Tea Magical Serum, $20, is a lightweight formula that keeps hair sleek.
Originally published in the August 2008 issue of Family Circle magazine.


text:
The science of matching advertisers with TV shows is inexact at best.
At Compass Point Media in Minneapolis, planners were not impressed with the pilot episode of "Super Fun Night,'' one of the season's new shows on ABC.
The comedy starring Rebel Wilson got a decided thumbs-down from strategists at the division of advertising agency Campbell Mithun. Critics also panned the show. The Daily Beast said it was "the most disappointing" comedy of the new season.
But after its premiere two weeks ago, "Super Fun Night" was looking pretty good with a second-place finish for the night and a strong showing in the key 18-to-49 age demographic. Then, after the show's second episode, ratings slipped.
"There is no magic box that spits out a magic answer," said Melanie Skoglund, Media Point's director of media strategy, about picking new TV season hits. "Art mixes with science when we negotiate [ad placement] with a network."
For every "Breaking Bad,'' a five-season hit that seemingly came out of nowhere, there is a "Playboy Club,'' the 2011 drama that was canceled by NBC after three episodes. ABC's "Lucky 7,'' which followed the lives of fictional lottery winners, was canceled last week after two episodes.
But the stakes are large.
Although competition for advertising dollars is increasing in a media-fragmented world, TV is still king. Advertisers will spend more than $66 billion on TV spots in 2013, according to eMarketer, while digital video advertising will be in the $4 billion neighborhood.
The economics of TV advertising is pretty straightforward. Networks rely on advertisers to pay their bills; advertisers turn to networks and their shows to market their products. And that puts ad agencies and their media buyers squarely in the middle, looking at hosts of variables and metrics and sometimes trusting gut instincts to make programming decisions.
"You start looking at who a new show is competing against and where they are on the schedule. What are their chances, for instance, if they are up against [ratings stalwart] 'NCIS'?" said Shannan Cranbrook, director of media buying for the Minneapolis agency Periscope. "You ask which one do we think is a dog? There's no real science to it. Not every show is going to be a hit."
For the programming season that just began, there are 52 new TV show entries. Prospects for survival are daunting. Last year only 10 out of 37 new shows lived to see a second season, according to Advertising Age.
That said, one of the principles of media buying is to spread an advertiser's dollars in different directions in order to mitigate risk.
Hedging their bets
"It's almost like a mutual fund," said Noah Everist, associate director of media investments for Compass Point. "When buying, you buy a package of programs that helps amortize your spend."
Everist said the agency hedges its bets by purchasing time on established programs and across different nights of the week.
"We use Nielsen data and other rating sources and look at what people historically watch in different time periods," he said.
Indeed, ratings giant Nielsen now offers a service called Twitter TV Ratings, which measure tweets and tweet views on a program-by-program basis. In the first week of October, ABC's "Scandal'' was the most-tweeted show; the week before, "Breaking Bad'' won the Twitter ratings hands-down.
Compass Point has a propriety research tool called Fusion that blends research and data sources together to develop a mix of media plans for advertising clients.
"Media is so fragmented that you have to determine how to connect with today's media consumer," said Skoglund. "You not only have TV but you have Netflix, DVRs, e -readers and computers. You have to find audiences in different ways."
Campbell Mithun's client list includes popular consumer products from the likes of General Mills, Pillsbury and Popeyes.
Periscope places advertising for TCF Bank, Treasure Island Resort and Casino, and Ferrara Candy Co. of Chicago, among other clients.
Media planners also watch for programming trends and try to get ahead of the curve.
The 2013-2014 season is offering a rebirth of sorts in the comedy category with the likes of "The Crazy Ones'' starring Robin Williams and "The Michael J. Fox Show'' starring the actor by the same name. A series with a limited number of episodes like "Hostages'' is expected to be successful because it has a beginning, middle and end in the same season. "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and "Sleepy Hollow'' should appeal to the superhero fans.
But the increase in competitive programming on cable channels has made the options for advertisers more daunting. Cable has also stretched the boundaries of what can be shown on TV.
"Cable has not been a competitor in prime time except for the last few years,'' said Cranbrook. "Now there is more license on what you can do and what you can run. You have to ask how risk-tolerant a client is. "Breaking Bad'' is a great program, but it's not for everyone. You're just not putting all of your eggs in one basket."


text:
This Halloween a woman in El Paso, Texas posted a sign on her lawn that said, "No blacks welcomed to trick-or-treat," and shockingly, she isn't Ann Coulter (in that case the sign would have read "Only our blacks welcomed to trick-or-treat.") Marta Martinez says she put up the sign because black people, including her neighbors, are conspiring to take her semi-abandoned property. She's also been seen yelling racial slurs while brandishing a rifle in her yard, and posted another no-trespassing sign that references a law that allows homeowners to use deadly force to defend themselves.
It may sound like Martinez is pretty racist, but she explains that isn't the case: "It hurt me to do it. I've worked with black women all my life. I've had black friends. ... I have treated blacks with respect and equality especially because they are a minority just like us. I find they have a problem with Mexicans. (Because) we come to their country and we are not familiar with the language and the law." You see, some of her best friends were black ... until she cooked up a looney conspiracy theory and started scaring their kids.
Earlier: Ann Coulter Likes Her Blacks Better Than Democrats' Blacks


text:
Items by Don Durfee
Today's Featured Stories
CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST/ASSISTANTHigh Country News (HCN) seeks a customer services specialist for data entry and departmental support. Strong candidates will have experience meeting the needs of customers...
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORHigh Country News Seeks an Executive Director to advance its mission, grow its audience and influence, and strategically and sustainably guide the organization through a...
BISHOP AREA CLIMBING RANGERFriends of the Inyo, the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, and the Bishop Area Climbers Coalition, in partnership with the Inyo National Forest and the Bureau...
GREAT SITUATION FOR A RESPONSIBLE COUPLEto trade year-round work for nice lodging and monthly income. Western CO. Email [email protected]
2 PROPERTIES ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE GILA WILDERNESSOrganic farm, hot springs, San Francisco River runs through both. [email protected]
WHATCOM LAND TRUST EXECUTIVE DIRECTORWhatcom Land Trust is a highly successful land trust located in Bellingham in the northwest corner of Washington State between the salt water and the...
CHUCK BURR'S CULTUREQUAKE.COM BLOGChange will happen when we see a new way of living. Thinking to save the world.
SOCIETY FOR WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP BOARD MEMBERJoin the SWS board and help us broaden, diversify, and engage the wilderness community.
NEW MEXICO BIRDER'S PARADISE.Fully furnished 2B/2B home near Bosque del Apache NWR, great for nature lovers.
CLASSIC ABOBE NEW MEXICO HOMEClassic, territorial abode home. Horse facilities, Gila Wilderness, Mimbres River and much more. Contact 575-534-7955 or [email protected]
COMING TO TUCSON?Popular vacation house, furnished, 2 bed/1 bath, yard, dog-friendly. Lee at [email protected] or 520-791-9246.
ORGANIZING AND TRAINING COORDINATORLive in a spectacular part of the West and work with great people to build power and win! The Western Organization of Resource Councils is...
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORCentral Colorado Conservancy is seeking an innovative and dynamic Executive Director to build on growing regional impact within the current strategic plan. This is a...
OWN YOUR DREAM - TAOS BIKE SHOP FOR SALEGearing Up, well established, profitable, full service bicycle shop. MLS #103930. Contact: 435-881-3741.
DIRECTOR, TEXAS WATER PROGRAMSThe National Wildlife Federation seeks a Director to lead our water-related policy and program work in Texas, with a primary focus on NWF's signature Texas...
SPLIT CREEK RANCHSpectacular country home on 48 acres with Wallowa River running through it! 541-398-1148 www.RubyPeakRealty.com
PERU: WEAVING WORDS & WOMEN ADVENTUREApril 2020. A 13-day women-only immersion into the culture of Peru led by Page Lambert and True Nature Journeys. Includes Machu Picchu. Graduate credit available...
ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN LOTS - PAONIA, COOnly 2 lots left in Electric Mountain Recreational Subdivision. Spectacular vistas. Visit & dine at the reopened Electric Mountain Lodge, Thurs-Sun. Contact: [email protected]
FOR SALE: SOUTH AUSTIN RANCH NEXT TO WILDFLOWER CENTERSeeking LMP/family to share one of two complexes, ranching, hunting and recreation as allowed on a City of Austin held 385 acre water quality conservation...
OJO CALIENTE COMMERCIAL VENTUREOutstanding location near the world famous Ojo Caliente Mineral Spring Resort. Classic adobe Mercantile complete w/living quarters, separate 6 unit B&B, metal building and spacious...


text:
Find out how Salesforce can help enhance customer, partner, and employee engagement.
Work across departments, sync with your team, and keep your business moving from any mobile device.
Whether you're looking for training or consulting services, Success Services is ready to help with the largest concentration of Salesforce innovators.
Get advanced system admin information here, including the integration of APIs.
Use the Chatter Community to learn about advanced features and capabilities.
Download the Salesforce mobile app and benefit from all the same features you have on your desktop's browser version.
Ask about Salesforce products, pricing, implementation, or anything else. Our highly trained reps are standing by, ready to help.


text:
Men in the uniforms of Ukraine's now-defunct riot police on Saturday occupied police headquarters in Donetsk, the eastern city that is one of the flashpoints of a wave of pro-Russia protests, hours after armed men seized local police headquarters and local branch of the Security Service in a nearby city.
The unrest in Donetsk and Slovyansk, about 90 kilometers (55 miles) to the north, were the latest shows of spiraling anger in eastern Ukraine, which has a large Russian-speaking population and was also the support base for Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian president who was ousted in February after months of protests in the capital, Kiev. Ethnic Russians in Ukraine's east widely fear that the authorities who took over after Yanukovych's fall will suppress them.
In Slovyansk, the mayor said the men who seized the police station were demanding a referendum on autonomy and possible annexation by Russia. Protesters in other eastern cities have made similar demands after a referendum in Crimea last month in which voters opted to split off from Ukraine, leading to annexation by Russia.
A regional news website said another police station had been seized in the town of Krasnyi Lyman, a town near Slovyansk, but that report could not immediately be confirmed. In Kramatorsk, another town near Slovyansk, protesters flew the flag of the Independent Donetsk Republic above the local administration building, according to Kramatorsk's news website.
Witnesses said the men who entered the police building in Donetsk were wearing the uniforms of the Berkut, the feared riot police squad that was disbanded in February after Yanukovych's ouster. Berkut officers' violent dispersal of a demonstration in Kiev in November set off vast protests in the capital that culminated in bloodshed in February when more than 100 people died in sniper fire; the acting government says the snipers were police.
It was not immediately clear if the men who occupied the Donetsk police building had made any demands, but the Donetsk police chief said on national television that he was forced to offer his resignation. Interfax Ukraine reported that pro-Russian protesters had invited the former police chief to resume his duties.
In Slovyansk, about 20 men in balaclavas armed with automatic rifles and pistols were guarding the entrance to the police station in the city of about 120,000 people, and another 20 were believed to be inside. They wore St. George's ribbons, which have become a symbol of pro-Russian protesters in eastern Ukraine. The ribbons were originally associated with the Soviet Union's victory in World War II.
A masked guard in Slovyansk, who gave his name only as Sergei, told The Associated Press they have "only one demand: a referendum and joining Russia."
The man said they seized the building because they wanted to protect it from radical nationalists from western Ukraine and "the junta who seized power in Kiev."
"We don't want to be slaves of America and the West," he said. "We want to live with Russia."
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the attackers used tear gas and stun grenades when they stormed the building, injuring three policemen. The attackers' goal was to seize arms from the police station, authorities said, adding that there were about 40 automatic rifles and 400 pistols as well as ammunition inside.
The Interior Ministry reported later on Saturday that men from the same group have seized the building of the local Security Service.
A video from the scene showed one man carrying a sniper rifle. An AP reporter saw another man loading the magazine of a pistol at the police station.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov pledged a "very tough response" to the seizure while local media reported special forces dispatched to the area.
Local sympathizers brought tires to the police station to start building barricades. Gunshots rang out in the background in a video from the scene after an armed man shouted to a cameraman to stop recording.
About 10 men wearing camouflage and carrying automatic rifles set up a makeshift checkpoint at the entrance to the town late Saturday afternoon.
Businessman Petro Poroshenko, the front-runner in the presidential race, on Saturday lambasted Ukraine's fledging government of inaction in the face of unrest in eastern Ukraine.
The Kiev authorities and the United States have accused Russia of fomenting the unrest in the east and seeking to use it as a pretext for sending in troops. Russia has reportedly massed forces in areas near the Ukrainian border.
But Mayor Nelya Shtepa told the AP that she held talks with the protesters and said they were local residents, not Russians.
"They told me: 'We don't have anything against you,' " she said, adding that the men said they "want to be heard, want a dialogue with authorities in Kiev."
Protesters, who have held the administration building in Donetsk for days, initially called for a referendum on secession but later reduced the demand to a vote on autonomy within Ukraine with the possibility of holding another later on whether to join Russia.
Russia's Foreign Ministry on Friday warned the Ukrainian government against using force against protesters, saying that such action would derail the talks on settling the crisis between the United States, the European Union, Russia and Ukraine set for next week, as well as any other diplomatic efforts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pressed the complaint in a telephone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Deschytsia, on Saturday.
Lavrov told Deschytsia of "the unacceptability of the constant threats from Kiev to storm buildings held by protesters," according to a Foreign Ministry statement.


text:
$50m hit puts De Bortoli into the red
De Bortoli wines, one of Australia's largest family-owned wine groups, has slumped to a $24.7 million full-year loss after export sales were crunched by the strengthening dollar and the value of its equities investment portfolio sank by nearly $50 million.
Previously, De Bortoli's sharemarket plays had been a wind in its sails, with profits from its stock trading eclipsing wine earnings in 2011, but a series of poor investment decisions, including a huge exposure to collapsed North Queensland mining giant Kagara, has shunted the Griffith-based wine group deep into the red.
Documents obtained by BusinessDay show De Bortoli generated $153.4 million in revenue last year, down from $165.9 million in the previous financial year.
A profit of $16.6 million in 2011 was transformed into a loss of $24.7 million for 2012 after slimmer export margins, due to the rising Australian dollar, and the accounting treatment of its shrinking equities holdings.
The company's annual report shows the value of its equities was written down to $20.8 million last year from $69.2 million in 2011.
But chief executive Darren De Bortoli said the biggest threat to his business - as well as other winemakers - was not the rising dollar, which was making exports uncompetitive, nor the power of the two leading supermarket chains, but the ''rorting'' of the WET tax rebate by small uneconomic growers who are flooding the market with cheap loss-making wine.
''It's now become a rort and reaching a crisis point,'' Mr De Bortoli said. ''We are getting a proliferation of people applying for [wine producers] licences and they can then go out and buy grapes, contract made, contract bottled and effectively sell it to the retail market at cost and claim a 29 per cent rebate back from the government.''
Under the generous WET system, originally designed to help smaller and regional wineries remain competitive, any winemaker with sales below $1.72 million can claim up to $500,000 a year in rebates, effectively making them exempt from tax.
Mr De Bortoli said this meant fly-by-night operators could undercut winemakers such as De Bortoli when it came to dealing with retailers, especially the supermarkets, offering them cheap at-cost wine to fill their private label offerings.
He said of the $250 million in rebates paid each year only $100 million was legitimate, and another $30 million was going to New Zealand growers due to free trade agreements.
''If someone asked what was the major issue facing the Australian wine industry at the moment, I would say the high Australian dollar and the duopoly in the retailers has now been gazumped - it's the WET tax rebate rort,'' he said.
Turning to the trading environment, Mr De Bortoli said China was the only region in growth for the winemaker with sales in Australia static and the group encountering sliding sales and profitability in Europe and North America.
Mr De Bortoli had been forced to cut prices in the US to maintain marketshare
''The dollar is causing enormous pressure, we had been expecting the dollar to drop … but maybe it was foolish to to think that and the high dollar is here to stay.''


text:
- Back
Improving Schools and Settings
Helping you to raise standards in a cost-effective and quality-assured way.
- Leadership and Governance
Helping you to build and sustain effective leadership
- Business Support
Easing the burden of managing your school
- Teaching and Learning
Tailored support across all phases to support all learners
- School Support
Enriching your school curriculum through music, books and outdoor experiences
- Leadership and Governance
- Back
Safeguarding Children
Ensuring you're confident you have the most appropriate safeguarding and welfare policies in place.
- Safe Schools and Settings
Helping you to identify safeguarding concerns early
- Compliance
Understanding statutory requirements
- Welfare and Attendance
Supporting you to achieve government attendance targets
- Safe Schools and Settings
- Back
Improving Outcomes for Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Learners
Increasing progress, attainment and inclusion by identifying priority areas for development
- Prevention and Early Help
Working with children/young people, families, schools and agencies at an early stage
- Inclusion
Supporting schools so that all pupils learn and participate together
- Specialist Intervention and Support
Pupil level support and for those that support them
- Prevention and Early Help
- Search


text:
The Stanford Biodesign Alumni Association is a non-profit organization aiming to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the Biodesign Alumni Fellows and the medical technology community at large.
Biodesign Alumni are graduates of Stanford's Biodesign Fellowship, an intensive, interdisciplinary, clinical needs-based, medical technology innovation training program – the first of its kind.
The alumni pursue careers in medicine, engineering, marketing, and law; they create or join start-ups, public corporations, and academic institutions; and they are distributed globally. Their shared experience as Biodesign Fellows ties the group together, and their continued collaboration will leave a lasting impact in medicine and healthcare.
Ayo & Racquel's Biodesign Externship with Medtronic Labs in Nairobi, Kenya
by Racquel Redwood and Ayo Roberts


text:
I had first heard about Hong Kong's Cheung Chau Bun Festival by watching My Life as McDull, an existential cartoon about a Hong Kongese pig who trains to climb a mountain of Chinese steamed buns. A mountain of Chinese steamed buns!?! At first I thought such a thing was made up, until I saw real black & white footage of climbers interspersed with the animation. How odd, I thought.
Coincidentally, my boyfriend and I were in Hong Kong for Buddha's Birthday, the holiday on which the annual Bun Festival takes place on the island of Cheung Chau. There was supposed to be a parade, some other festivities, and the climbing competition at midnight. As a foodie who revels in weird food festivals, I had to go, mostly to see how they construct a mountain of buns.
We hopped on a ferry from Central along with 95% of Hong Kong island, and an hour later arrived on the banks of the small fishing village. The first thing we saw outside the ferry terminal were crowds of people waiting for the parade.
Unfortunately, there were so many people that new arrivals had no where to stand. The police were directing everyone toward the temple. We slowly inched our way out of the throngs of people, and headed toward the food and trinket vendors. People were selling bun keychains, bun t-shirts, and big fluffy bun cushions. The longest line was, obviously, for actual steamed sweet buns with fillings like red bean and lotus seed. After waiting for about 20 minutes we walked away with 2 big sesame buns emblazoned with the characters for "peace."
There was no possibility of seeing any of the parade, which crowds 4 or 5 deep at every point. (I'm a tiny person, so even in Hong Kong this means not seeing much unless I'm up front.) Finally we reach a point where I can see lion dancers. But by then I was already mezmerized by the towers of buns looming in the background. To give you an indication of how high they are, the yellow tip on the right edge of the photo is the top of a pagoda.
From About.com's Chinese Food site:
"The buns, which have been blessed, are handed out to the people on the final day of the festival. Traditionally, men competed in a race to climb up the towers and grab as many buns as possible. In 1978, one of the towers collapsed, injuring several people. The tragic accident forced authorities to cancel the competition. However, organizers revived the competition in 2005. To ensure the safety of participants and spectators, the towers are now made of steel, covered with a bamboo scaffolding to look more authentic."
This is my favorite part:
"Prospective bun-climbers must take a training course to learn basic mountaineering skills."
Because of dinner plans on Hong Kong island, we had to miss the night time bun climbing competition. In case you want to know what grown men (and women) climbing a mountain of buns looks like, I snapped a photo of the poster.
Near the temple there were more bun trees off all different sizes, maybe for sale or to be given as prizes. (I had thought the buns were fake, until I saw some birds nibling at them.) These minature bun towers would make awesome living room ormamentation.
If anyone else knows of other odd food festivals around China, drop a comment!