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Hello Back to Eden Community! After a busy and successful holiday season, we're aiming to give you a glimpse into a whole new side of our personality while creating a space to encourage and foster creativity and bring folks together for a bit of fun and festivity.
We are super excited to announce that Back to Eden Bakery Cafe on Alberta Street will host weekly Thursday night viewing parties for fans of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 3!
We'll be kicking off the season on Thursday, January 25th with a special night of delicious food, spirits and amazing entertainment by our fabulous hostess and drag personality, Portland's own Pepper Pepper!
Doors for this event open at 7pm, and our Pre-show will begin at 7:30. RuPaul's Drag Race airs promptly at 8pm.
Stay tuned for more information about this weekly event. We're sure to keep it fun and interesting with raffles, contests and special themed treats and drinks!
$20 includes your ticket and a whole lot more - to keep you nourished and entertained!
What you get: Admission to the show, one slice of our delicious pizza, one cupcake and one fancy signature drink.
Tickets will go on sale Monday, January 22nd, at 10am. Call us at (503) 477-5022, extension #6, or stop into either Alberta location to get yours before they sell out! (Max. capacity is 50)
Here is the best part - We are proud to build community and support a great local Portland organization! 10% of all sales during these viewing parties will benefit Portland's Q Center.
Q Center provides a safe space to support and celebrate LGBTQ diversity, visibility and community building.


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New RESTROOM AND SHOWERHOUSE it is open to be used.
Veteran's Memorial Park offers camping with electrical hooks-ups and water hook-ups right along the banks of the Wapsipinicon River. As well as boating access to the river. The fishing is great and is accessible to persons of disabilities. The shelter and playground equipment make for a wonderful place to spend the day with the family for a picnic, or stay the night with camping and down town amenities close by. NEW IN 2015-16 NEWLY ADDED SIGHTS WITH 50 AMP HOOK UPS AND WATER. NOW OPEN DUMP STATION JUST ACROSS THE RIVER FROM THE CAMPGROUND.
Call 319-521-1018 or 319-934-3340 if you have any questions.
Recreation >

subset: commoncrawl


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Pardon Our Dust
Welcome to Anumma!
Give me a week or so to get everything into place: blogroll, preferred settings, first post. Soon, I'll be blogging on studies in Hebrew Bible, on practices in teaching higher education, and occasionally on other things that I'll want to persuade you to find exciting.
Thanks for stopping, and don't go far.


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And there is an even more horrible problem. Fifty of the petroglyphs were vandalized last year, leading to a closure of part of the panel. These are sick people who would do such things.
The following is an excerpt of an earlier post I wrote about the saga of the Modoc People:
The Modoc people had lived in the Klamath Falls-Tule Lake region from time unremembered, and made first contact with Europeans in the 1840's as settlers arrived on the Oregon Trail. Relations between the cultures were rocky and sometimes violent, and eventually the Modoc people were forced to move to the reservation of their ancestral enemies, the Klamath people. After several years of intolerable conditions of neglect, some of the Modocs left the reservation and returned to their homeland on the Lost River near Lava Beds, led by Kientpuash, known to the settlers as Captain Jack.
The Stronghold was the site of two major battles and a long siege by U.S. troops and militia of the small band of Modoc peoples during the long winter.
The conflicts that took place on this barren surface reveal much about the need to take into account the geology and geography of the battlefield. Although outnumbered at least ten to one, the Modoc warriors were able to take advantage of the landscape to execute their defense, and in the two major battles that took place, they inflicted many casualties on their opponents while suffering very few among themselves. During the January 17, 1873 conflict, the attacking army did not kill or injure a single Modoc warrior while suffering 37 casualties, including 9 dead.
The Modocs could hardly have chosen a better spot to make their stand. The trail through the stronghold reveals a series of schollendomes (pressure ridges) and scarps that almost completely encircled the Modoc encampment. The fractures and fissures along the tops of the schollendomes were natural trenches that allowed quick access to any point along the defensive perimeter, and the Modocs had an excellent view of the flat open landscape that the U.S. Army had to cross in order to attack. In addition to defensibility, the stronghold included access to water and food along the shoreline of Tule Lake, a natural corral where cattle could be kept, and lava tube openings that provided shelter for the Modoc families.
Another advantage of the site was the presence of an escape route. After suffering a long siege and cold winter, the Modoc people prepared for another assault by the Army, now numbering more than 700. On April 11, during a peace parley, the Modocs shot and killed General E.R.S. Canby, in the hopes that by killing the Army's leader, the soldiers would go away. The opposite occurred, and on April 15 the Army forces began bombarding the stronghold and advancing past the outer perimeter of the Modoc lines. After two days of attack, with 6 dead and 17 wounded, the Army poured into the stronghold to find…no one. On the night of April 16, the entire Modoc party, 160 men, women and children, along with dogs and horses, had deserted the stronghold, moving south along a smooth area of the lava flow, only a few hundred meters from some of the Army encampments.
Despite their successful escape, the Modoc people were now caught in the open, and it was only a matter of time before they were captured. Within a few weeks, Hooker Jim betrayed Captain Jack's location in return for amnesty. Ultimately the Modoc people were moved to Oklahoma, and Captain Jack, along with three others, was hanged. The last major conflict in California between the U.S. Army and the aboriginal peoples was over. As the park brochure notes: "The cultural identity of an entire people was lost here…so settlers could graze a few cows"
About 200 Modocs remain in Oklahoma, descendants of seven of the survivors of the war, and about 500 Modocs still live in Oregon. The Modoc people returned to Lava Beds in 1990 for the first time in 117 years to perform ceremonies on their ancestral lands, and now do so yearly.


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HIIT and Weightlifting Changed Jessica's Life
It all started with a gym membership. Jessica was eating healthy food, but didn't have the motivation to experiment with her recipes or workouts. "I didn't start getting serious about health and fitness until about a year ago," she elaborated. "I joined a gym for the first time - that was around the same time I joined PumpUp. Why not be surrounded by daily motivation and people who enjoyed bettering their lives just as much as you do? It was (and still is) very up-lifting."
Time and time again, PumpUp helped Jessica to transcend plateaus. "Seeing other peoples' posts gave me ideas to experiment with, like protein pancakes, fun smoothies, and healthy snacks," she shared. "Seeing these posts on a daily basis gives me motivation to work out more. I love all the positivity on the app. I get great ideas for workouts, [which throws] a curveball in my normal routine. It's a lot of fun." Now, Jessica is more knowledgeable about health and fitness than ever before. Other members of the PumpUp community challenge her to become the best version of herself. "I take in the knowledge from other people and sometimes put it in my daily routine," she added. "I love learning new things and I'm always up for a challenge. Depending on whether my pants are women's or juniors, I wear between a size 0 or 3. Never in my life did I imagine wearing that size. I always always always wore between a 7 and 9."
Jessica acknowledges that her transformation wasn't an overnight process. "It's very hard mentally and physically," she mentioned. "You fall down seven times and stand up eight...then kick some [butt]!" She swears by high intensity interval training (HIIT) and weightlifting to maintain her physique. "HIIT is amazing because you burn so many calories and you're constantly keeping your body guessing," she said. "I love pumping iron and I'm definitely not scared to go deep in heavy squats and lift 20-lb. dumbbells. I can surely tell you that I don't look anything like a man. Lifting weights empowers me as a woman and it makes me feel strong and confident. Who doesn't want to feel that amazing?"
Moving forward, Jessica hopes to inspire people with her positive attitude towards her body and towards physical fitness. "I have gained motivation and happiness from using PumpUp and that is why I continue to use it every day," she professed. "I want people to come to me for advice, questions, or anything, really. I am here to help people. That is what I love to do."
Jessica's biggest source of motivation
I'm inspired by an NPC Bikini Competitor and YouTuber named Emily Duncan: she is 20 years old - just like me! I love the relationship and balance that she has with health and fitness. She is my daily inspiration and I look up to her. I also look up to Marie Wold and Brittany Dawn on Instagram. They're an incredible source of positivity. They inspire me to dream big and just go for it.
More about Jessica
People always tell me that I am super funny and I always animate everything I do. With me, there will never be a dull moment. I love kitty cats (I might be a little obsessed). I do want to become a personal trainer soon. I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge of health and fitness. Bettering peoples' lives motivates and inspires me to live the one life I have been given to the fullest.
Keep Jessica pumped! Find her on PumpUp and Instagram @jaydub_fitness to follow her journey! Have questions for Jessica? Leave them in the comments below.


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Economics 102: Analysis of Economics Winter 2019
[The department also offers a more advanced regression course -
Economics 140 (Econometrics) - see bottom of this page.]
in the morning and ECN102B in the afternoon.
Syllabus for 102A: Course Syllabus
for 102A
Syllabus for 102B: Course Syllabus for 102B
Stata Programs and Data Sets used in
Assignments used in course: Posted at Canvas.
Supplemental Handouts: Past exams and other exercises
Stata: Short
Stata handout plus Additional
Stata Information if you want it
Further Courses to Take: Advice on courses to take after 102
Data Sources: Some data sources on the web (this is now very old)
Course Goals:
(1) Locate economics data and provide meaningful economic analysis of this data.
(2) Use the econometrics package Stata to produce charts, scatter plots, descriptive statistics and simple linear regression.
(3) Provide a bridge between introductory statistics and more advanced data analysis courses, e.g. between Statistics 13 and Economics 140.
Economics 1A-B, Statistics 13 or 32 and Math 16A-B or consent of instructor.
The essential pre-requisites are exposure to introductory lower-division courses in economics and statistics.
Not intended to be taken if Economics 140 has already been taken.
Relationship between Economics 102 and 140 and looking beyond
Economics 140 is an advanced course that builds upon the statistical methods presented in Economics 102.
It is required that you take an upper division statistics class or Economics 102 before 140.
Note that, while you will receive full credit if you take 102 and then 140, you will only get 2 units of credit if you decide to take 102 after 140. This is because these courses complement each other very well and there is no sense in taking 102 after 140.
Strong students should skip ECN 102 and take STA 108 followed by ECN 140.
A. Colin Cameron / UC-Davis Economics / http://cameron.econ.ucdavis.edu/


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If you have been paying attention to the attributions on my photos you would have noticed I include the camera and lens information on every photo. (I save the aperture and speed information in every photo's meta data.) I save the equipment information on the attribution for my students. (Wave hi everyone.) And to my friends and students (who are using Canon DSLR Cameras) I highly recommend purchasing FD Lenses. Why? #1 reason: They can be used with all of the modern Canon cameras (such as the T1i up to the 1D X (with an adaptor)). The #2 reason: They are SUPER CHEAP (most anyway).
So what are FD lenses? Canon has changed the part (aka a bayonet), which connects the lens to the camera a few times in it's history. Currently Canon is using an EF mount. Prior to the EF mount, Canon used a FD mount. There are two obvious differences between these two mounts. 1, the FD is smaller than the EF. 2, the EF contains electronics; and the FD does not contain any electronics, such as auto focus. FD lenses are fully manual. This means the aperture is located on the lens, as show in the image to the left. And you must focus. No auto focus.
When using a modern camera along with a FD lens, the camera's aperture controls are blank. You will need to rotate the aperture ring on the lens and adjust the speed on the camera. Now the modern Canon camera will meter the subject; however the metering process will be off. If your camera uses "Live View," then you may notice that the "Live View" feature will not give you a "Real" idea of how dark/light the final image will be. To overcome this problem, you will have to take multiple shots until you have your desired exposure. Or after knowing how the lens shoots; you can adjust the exposure compensation in your camera as soon as you turn on your camera (with the FD lens attached).
I've found that FD lenses with my Canon 5D mark II offers a darker image when utilizing "Live View." And when using the view finder the metering is darker (as I mentioned above). As a result I know before hand to compensate camera speed to expose a slightly lighter image. I've found that you can loose up to two stops.
OMG! I'm loosing two stops of light?!? Yes you can. Why on earth would I ever buy a FD lens? Easy... I paid $20.00 for a 28mm f2.8 FD lens! (Enough said...)
Learning how to use the FD manual lenses with your modern camera may seem like a lot. But the learning curve is incredibly low, in my opinion. Like everything, you have to learn how to use it. The more you use it the quicker you will become, using it.
WARNING: At first you will notice you are not taking photos as quickly as you would with an auto focused EF lens. THIS IS GOOD!
I have really nice EF lenses. However you will find, I almost always shoot without the use of Auto Focus. Cameras are tools. Yes, you should use auto focus. However in my case. I also view it as a skill which should be sharpened constantly. For me, the biggest reason I shoot in manual focus is I can manually focus faster than most can with Auto Focus. The bee in this image was shot with an EF lens, using manual focus.
Below are examples of the image quality achieved with FD lenses.
Far left: Shot with a Canon 5D mark II and a Canon 100mm Macro 2.8L EF lens. The lens in this photo was about 2 feet away from the flower. Obviously I cropped into the image. The bee was quickly collecting pollen. This image is NOT one of a series of rapidly shot photos. I took 3 different and single shot photos.
Middle: Shot with a Canon 5D mark II with a Canon FD 50mm Macro 3.5 lens. The lens was about 2 inches away from the bee. The bee was moving quickly around the flowers; and there was a wind moving the flowers. You will notice a white dot on the butt of the bee. Click the image! The image is over 1300 pixels wide. That white dot is made of up of 3 very distinctive balls of pollen.
Far Right: Shot with a Canon AE-1 film camera using a Vivitar SMS 80-200mm F4.5 Macro Focusing Zoom (FD mount lens), using Illford's HP5 400 speed black and white film. This photo was NOT retouched at all. The boy was playing a guitar, and was looking up and down at his guitar while he showed us how well he played. Pay close attention to the sharpness of the fly away hairs to the left of the face. I had less than a second to focus on the boy.
At the end of the day, what matters is becoming a better photographer. Regardless if you are new, advanced or an out right pro. You never stop getting better at photography. FD lenses are spectacular buy. I highly recommend you look into Canon FD lenses. You will need an adaptor. The adaptor I purchased from B&H was approximately $50. It is a Bowens. They have a more expensive adaptor. However the sales person there was unable to tell me what the benefit of the more expensive adaptor was. I expect to purchase the more expensive adaptor in the near future. I'll post an update to the blog and reference this article when I do.
Below is a photo of available FD lenses which you can buy from the net. I purchased my FD lenses from Ebay and Craigslist. Please research before you buy. Make sure the lens hasn't been damaged beyond what you can live with. Make sure the lens does not have fungus. When you get the lens, examine it with a high intensity small flash light. If you see anything beyond dust, in the lens (which is common in older lenses and usually do not effect the photo) raise a question to the seller. If you suspect fungus, DO NOT ATTACH the lens to your camera.
Good luck and please comment on this article. You can just type in Good, Bad or whatever. I really want to know if this was of any help.


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A capacity crowd of 22,000 will pack Pittodrie tonight to see whether Aberdeen can stay in Europe beyond Christmas for the first time in 21 years and keep three Scottish clubs in continental competitions beyond the festivities for the first time since 1970.
Celtic have progressed beyond the group stage of the Champions League and Aberdeen have a chance to join Rangers in the knockout phase of the Uefa Cup. The club and epic European occasions are so intrinsically linked that it is little wonder that their manager, Jimmy Calderwood, has his sights set on etching his own mark on Pittodrie history this evening.
An opportunity to reach the last 32 of the Uefa Cup is a world away from the peak of Aberdeen's European achievement in 1983, when they won the Cup Winners' Cup under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, but the significance of this match has not been lost on the team or fans. Victory for Aberdeen against FC Copenhagen would see them qualify at the Danish club's expense; anything less and the visitors will take a place in the knockout phase. "There is a lot of history at this great club," Calderwood said. "You only have to walk through the corridors to see that. Hopefully we can now create our own little bit of history."
It is more than 30 years ago that Celtic, Dunfermline and Kilmarnock stayed in continental competitions beyond Christmas, the year the Parkhead club reached the European Cup final, losing 2-1 to Feyenoord in Milan. Aberdeen have not stayed in Europe into the new year since their run in the European Cup in 1986, finally losing to Gothenburg in the quarter-finals.
One thing which has improved dramatically since Aberdeen dominated at home and abroad under Ferguson is the financial incentives on offer; a win tonight would improve the Dons' finances to the tune of up to £1m, money which would prove invaluable with the contracts of five key players due to expire next summer.
Calderwood disputed any notion that the Uefa Cup plays a poor second fiddle to the Champions League. Aberdeen have only a single point from their three Group B matches but could still progress, a matter which has prompted many to criticise the validity of the tournament's current format.
"It does annoy me that people talk the competition down a little bit," added the Aberdeen manager. "A lot of people have been a bit disrespectful, which has been a bit annoying. Great clubs like Blackburn Rovers have fallen by the wayside, some Dutch teams are already out but we still have a chance of getting through."
Aberdeen will be without the injured Darren Mackie, Derek Young, Jackie McNamara and Jeffrey De Visscher but Jamie Smith is fit. Copenhagen are hopeful of including the former Chelsea player Jesper Gronkjaer in their line-up after hamstring trouble. "It will be the biggest game of my career," Calderwood said.
Aberdeen 4-4-1-1 (probable): Langfield; Hart, Diamond, Byrne, Foster; Nicholson, Severin, Touzani, Aluko; Smith; Miller.
FC Copenhagen 4-4-1-1 (probable): Christiansen; Wendt, Gravgaard, Antonsson, Jensen; Sionko, Norregaard, Wurtz, Hutchinson; Gronkjaer; Allback.
Referee L Batista (Portugal).
1970 and all that
Last time three Scottish clubs lasted beyond Christmas in Europe...
The average house price in Scotland was £4,700, £6,000 less than the UK average. The price of a white sliced loaf was a pre-decimal 9d and wintery Glasgow was gripped by fear after the murders of serial killer Bible John, who was never caught. In the year Rolf Harris unleashed the stylophone, Billy Connolly introduced comedy routines into his folk music sets after the break up of The Humblebums, but Scottish pop lay dormant, awaiting the 1971 arrival of the Bay City Rollers. Essex girl Maggie Smith, left, won an Oscar for her portrayal of Scottish teacher Miss Jean Brodie. Scotland shared the home nations championship title with best mates England and Wales.


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Indexed Annuities: The Big Lie
They know you want lots of money with no risk!
I started researching indexed annuities back in 2009 when my wife alerted me to an ad she heard on the radio. It was for an investment that claimed to offer incredibly high returns, around 12%, with no risk to your principal. She stated that it sounded a lot like an ad that Bernie Madoff might have run if he had used radio advertising.
I went online and found a similar ad from the same firm that alluded to returns as high as 25% stating,"our clients made between 10 and 25% two years ago and still have all those gains." Dying to know what the catch might be, I visited their flashy website, retainyourgains.com (which has since become much more subdued it its approach).
The first thing that leaped off the page at me was the promise of a "10% cash bonus to transfer your accounts today!" They dangled the prospect of an immediate $50,000 in cash when you transfer $500,000. Who could pass up a deal like that?
I imagine that many prospective clients of Mr. Madoff or Allen Stanford's firms were saying much the same thing. What a deal! High returns. No Risk. And a cash bonus to boot. Sounds good. Too good! Maybe even too good to be true? I am not implying that these people were involved in anything illegal.
This company was selling products known as equity-indexed annuities (EIAs). To make them sound even safer, some have taken to calling them fixed indexed annuities. These are relatively new insurance products (SunLife sold the first one in 1995) are still selling like hot cakes. In 2007, $25 billion was placed in indexed annuities. By 2015, sales had soared to more than $54 billion. With a "no risk, high return" sales pitch, I can see why!
This means that those who sold these products earned about $6 billion in commissions, based on the industry's average commission of 10.4% of the amount invested. This should help you understand how those selling the products can afford to offer "free" steak dinners to lure you into their aggressive sales pitches. Each $100,000 indexed annuity sale is worth $10,000 to the salesperson.
Equity-indexed annuities are another insurance industry attempt to convince investors that they can have what they desperately crave, wealth without risk. Why invest in volatile mutual funds when you can get the returns of stocks with no downside? Those of us who have built diversified portfolios of no-load mutual funds must look pretty stupid.
I lost about 40% on my equity funds in 2008 (which only make up a portion of my total portfolio) while these brilliant equity-indexed annuity clients supposedly made 25% per year in 2006 and 2007 and lost nothing during the decline? What was I thinking? Was I missing something?
What's missing is the whole truth, because current regulations require almost no disclosure of the realities of these hybrid products. That is why the SEC has tried and failed – thanks to the efforts of the powerful insurance lobby – to regulate indexed annuities as investments. In a letter supporting the SEC's failed efforts a few years ago, the Securities Litigation & Consulting Group said that regulation "is needed because issuers of existing equity-indexed annuities obfuscate the investment risks to which investors are exposed by repackaging what is actually a simple underlying investment with a layer of virtually worthless bells and whistles."
The truth is that equity-indexed annuities do not offer the return of the equities market.While each offering is different, equity-indexed annuities provide a fraction of the market's upside.Typically, they offer only a percentage (the "participation rate") of the particular market index return and none of the dividends up to a maximum amount (the "cap").
Also, most equity-indexed annuities sport steep surrender charges (the highest I have seen is 12%). In some cases, the formula for calculating your piece of the action is so complicated it takes several pages to explain. These are misleadingly sold, incredibly complex investments that rarely deliver anything near the client's expectations.
The chart above illustrates a typical participation rate is 75% with a 5% cap (higher caps mean lower participation rates) versus the average annual total return (including dividends) for the Vanguard Index 500 fund. Since we can't look forward, we can only use the past. Let'sassume you purchased a $100,000 indexed annuity on January 1, 2006 (just before the market took it's worse one-year slide in history) with a 75% participation rate and a 5% cap based on the S&P 500 index. Take a look at your annual returns versus the Vanguard Index 500 fund:
From where do you think the magic money comes to pay you an upfront bonus, the agent a big commission and provide a nice profit for the company? That would be YOU! All of which must leave you with a smaller return!
There is no fiscal "free lunch." These insurance firms and agents are not financial alchemists who have discovered a way to turn lead into gold. Although they have found yet another way to line their own pockets with gold, at your expense!
Do only salespeople like them?
There seem to be a lot of well-respected publications that see equity-indexed annuities (EIAs) in a less than positive light (and that is an understatement). From what I can see, the only positive voices are those of the insurance industry or affiliated cronies. Considering the serious money to be made from selling EIAs is it any wonder?
In 2009, Barron's Frederic G. Marks wrote an article on EIAs entitled,"Designed to Deceive." Even before reading the piece I knew it was unlikely to be a ringing endorsement of the indexed annuity concept.
In this well-researched article, Mr. Marks discovered that, in one EIA example, the promised 3% guaranteed annual return ended up being 0.37% per year, for the first seven years. Over 14 years, it rose to a whopping 1.67%. Thanks to the miracle of complex qualifiers, embedded deep in the policy, they can magically reduce the claimed 3% by almost 50%.
He calculated a real world, average annual return for the good market years of 2003-2006 (based on the insurance company's own explanation of how gains are calculated - average monthly return) at 4.2%. He went on to look at what the gain would have been on this EIA over every rolling 10-year period since 1975 (there were 241 of them). Using the monthly average return method, an EIA would have returned 62% less than the S&P 500.
Then, he offered a string of examples of the complex calculations used to baffle potential clients with BS (a standard method used to sell investments). All of them show just how misleading the "return of the stock market with none of the risk" pitch is. Mr. Marks concludes his piece with this important paragraph:
"Equity-indexed annuities are insurance contracts so complex that it's virtually impossible for customers or even brokers and agents to evaluate them. Yet salesmen can readily determine that their commission for selling an EIA will be much larger than commissions on mutual funds and even on other annuity products."
Money magazine called EIAs one of 3 retirement deals you can "do without." Check out a Forbes article entitled, "Unwise at Any Age." Kiplinger called them "An Annuity You Should Avoid." Even the securities regulatory body, FINRA has an Investor Alert about EIAs. There are hundreds more just like these online.
So, before you invest in an equity indexed annuity please carefully consider whether you believe the sales pitch of a person or organization that stands to profit from the sale. Or should you listen to almost every financial publication, respectable fee-only financial adviser (who are required to act in their clients best interest), and investment regulatory agency in the country?
While I am unable to find a single redeeming feature of indexed annuities for those who purchase them (they are excellent for the salespeople), if you are considering placing some of your hard earned money in one, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners came up with these questions:
What is the guaranteed minimum interest rate?
What charges, if any, are deducted from my premium?
What charges, if any, are deducted from my contract value?
How long is the term?
What is the participation rate?
For how long is participation rate guaranteed?
Is there a minimum participation rate?
Does my contract have a cap? (How much?)
Is averaging used? How does it work?
How is interest compounded during a term?
Is there a margin, spread, or administrative fee in addition to or instead of participation rate?
Which indexing method is used in my contract?
What are the surrender charges or penalties if I want to end my contract early and take out all of my money?
Can I get a partial withdrawal without paying charges or losing interest? Does my contract have vesting?
Does my annuity waive withdrawal fees if in a nursing home or terminally ill?
What are the annuity income payment options?
What is the death benefit?
My guess is that asking these questions will leave the product peddler proposing this purchase puzzled and perplexed (please pardon my brief moment of alliteration - I couldn't resist the opportunity). Any hesitation, dissembling, or obfuscation should provide a valuable clue about the veracity of their claims.


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Are you considering making a move toward a solar power home? There are two options from which to choose if you're thinking you'd like to take active steps to help the environment and to lower your energy costs.
The first option is to build a brand new green, solar efficient home. The other option is to take your existing home design and transform it into a more solar efficient structure.
Both options have benefits and drawbacks to consider, not the least of which is budget. However, there are several other factors that go into this decision.
One of the most wonderful benefits of building a new solar power home from the foundation to the roof is that you can choose every aspect of the house. You can determine whether youre going to build a passive solar home, active solar home, or a combination of both.
You can choose everything from the type of materials you use for construction, the style of home, the size, number of rooms, roof design, overhangs, solar features, thermal mass structures and floors, solar appliances, and much more.
Its easy to incorporate passive solar heating into a new home by adding south-facing windows that hopefully receive full sunlight for most of the daylight hours. Sunlight makes a home feel open and spacious, which is another benefit of building a green home with solar energy.
You can add as many windows as you like, not only for the solar advantages, but for aesthetic value as well. In addition to lowering your heating costs, passive solar style homes are also comfortably cool in the summer.
Solar style homes are often open floor plans, so even if you build a smaller square footage home, it will feel and appear larger because of the design plan.
The addition of passive solar heating to a brand new home is only about $6,000 more on top of construction costs, so it's well worth the additional money considering what youll save in heating costs over the coming years.
The cost of building a completely solar home can be a drawback for some homeowners or those who are looking to build a home for the first time, especially if land or location becomes an issue for proper orientation.
Obviously, the cost of transitioning an existing home solar energy system is much more affordable than building one brand new.
Another advantage is that it's more affordable to add solar features to your home over time, as the budget permits, so you can begin slowly and work your way toward being as energy efficient as you can when the disposable income is available.
Solar appliances and solar lighting can easily be added to an existing home to save you more money each month.
If your home doesn't have windows that face the south or you live in a climate that receives little sun, passive heating and cooling of your home will prove to be an obstacle. Also, depending on the structure of your existing home, installation of enough solar panels to truly make a difference could be a challenge.
Regardless of whether you opt for building a brand new solar home or adding solar features to your existing home, the benefits most often outweigh the drawbacks and will be well worth the investment.
Transitioning an existing home energy system over to solar may be complicated or time consuming, depending on the details of your current home's design and how well a new solar energy system may be able to fit into the existing structures.
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The recently renovated Crowne Plaza Dublin is central Ohio's premier hotel for travelers who prioritize comfort, quality, and value.
Conveniently located at the intersection of State Route 33 and I-270 in the northwest suburb of Dublin, Ohio, the Crowne Plaza Dublin is close to everything while still offering a relaxing retreat. We're only 22 minutes from downtown Columbus, and just a short distance from shopping, banking, dining, and historic downtown Dublin.
Guests looking for a quality night's rest will appreciate our pillowtop mattresses, available "Quiet Zone" rooms, and seven-layer comfort bedding. The in-room work spaces, 32" HDTV's, and in-room dining offer conveniences not often seen at this price point.
You have many lodging choices when visiting the Dublin/Columbus area. When you stay with the Crowne Plaza Dublin, we'll do everything we can to show you how much we appreciate your choosing us.
View our hotel image gallery.Learn More
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#1384 – Matryoshkaon October 7, 2011 at 12:00 am
I really freaked out when I was a kid and I accidentally left something metal in the microwave. There was a loud pop sound and a flash. I quickly turned it off and opened the door to find nothing had happened. I carefully removed the spoon and turned the oven back on. Still works! Everyone calm down!
Today's Maximumble has something for you.


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Weekend Countdown: Free Arts & Crafts in Columbia; Big Country Breakfast in Mount Airy
Posted on March 12, 2015 by Michael McKenna in Blog, Community News
Learn how to create a garden gnome by using recycled materials. Save the planet and bring your garden luck all with the same project! Please bring a plastic bottle or a cylindrical container (like a paper towel roll) for the body of your gnome. If you can't make it this time, the Columbia Art Center will be hosting free family art activities every third Sunday of the month. Click here for details about future events.
March 15, 2015
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Columbia Art Center
6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD 21045
The Big Country Breakfast with the Easter Bunny will benefit the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company.
Come hungry and choose from scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, french toast, pancakes, biscuits, home fries, sausage & chipped beef gravies, baked apples, waffles, coffee, orange juice, tea and hot chocolate.
March 15, 2015
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
1008 Twin Arch Road, Mount Airy, MD 21771
Activities Building
$8 for adults, $5 for children, children under 5 free
301-829-0100, ext. 362
Click here for more information
The McKenna Group posts community events each week on Thursday: movies, wine tastings, entertainment, music, children's events, singles events, fitness competitions and events, yard sales and more. Contact us to share your event. #HoCoBlogs
- See more at: https://mckennare.com/free-arts-big-country-breakfa...


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6 mandates for Supplier Organization on Software Project Ownership
Ownership is a big issue in a software project. Customer organization assumes that since they are spending money, it is the sole responsibility of supplying organization to make the project a success. Vendor organization on the other hand assumes otherwise. Who is right? I think both are wrong at their ends. A Project can never become a success while the two agencies involved act as separate islands. Both have to take the equal ownership to make it a success.
The six important mandates that a vendor organization should follow in that regards can be listed as below:
1. Involvement of top management is mandatory: Involvement of top management of the organization engaged in development of software product for an external customer has to be involved in the complete project lifecycle to make it a success. This does not mean a day-to-day involvement in monitoring the progress but there should be some metrics to monitor the overall progress at any moment of time. Another aspect is involvement of top management gives a serious impact on the progress of the project.
2. A dedicated project manager should be nominated for the complete project lifecycle: Right at the Project Initiation phase, a dedicated project manager needs to be assigned for the project. The selection of project manager should be very carefully done, keeping in mind that not only he should be expert in managing a project but he should have ample business knowledge also related to the project he is being assigned to manage.
3. Role of project manager and team has to be well defined at the start of a project: The roles and responsibilities are important to be defined well in advance to clear any ambiguities and to smoothen the progress path.
4. The project manager will act as a consultant to the customer regarding project plan and its adherence: It is the sole responsibility of customer project manager (and in turn their top management) regarding availability of customer project manager and key users in various stages of the project as agreed upon. Project Manager and the supplying organization have to act as a consultant. The responsibility to gear up the progress falls on the customer team. Vendor team can help them in support and educate them on how to achieve it.
5. The management has to ensure that the project manager and the team chosen for the customization/ development have to have enough business knowledge (of their respective domain) apart from technical skills: As mentioned above regarding the project manager, the same holds truth for developers, and testers too. Without reasonable business knowledge, even the expert developers and testers will not able to do the full justification to the product being built/ developed.
6. Project Manager has to ensure during the project lifecycle that the person who is signing off the requirements, UAT, and other stages from customer end is authorized person from customer management to do so: Many a times it happens that in a very busy scenario or with some other top priorities in hand, the customer management instead of releasing appropriate person for the relevant job, ask some junior person to do so which creates lot of issues.


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This Privacy Policy is part of and incorporated into the Terms of Use (collectively, this "Agreement"). Pepper Networks, LLC ("Pepper," "we," "us," or "our") offers that website, including its content and site functionality; and related media and services that are or may become available through this website (the websites, services, and media collectively, the "Timebox Service" or the "Service") to you, the user, subject to and conditioned on your acceptance of this Agreement.
By using the Service, you agree that you have read, understand, and are bound by this Agreement. We may, in our sole discretion, revise the Agreement from time to time by updating the Agreement, with the new terms taking effect on the date of posting. You should review the Agreement every time you use this Service as it is binding on you. IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT, PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE.
By using the Service, you signify your consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Policy, which may be revised from time to time, with new terms taking effect on the date of posting. IF YOU DO NOT CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION, USE, AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS POLICY, PLEASE DO NOT USE THE SERVICE. You must be 18 years or older to use the Service.
This policy applies to the information you provide to Pepper through the Service. This policy does not apply to information collected by third parties linked in any way to the Service. We have no control over, and no responsibility or liability for, any third party's collection, use, disclosure, or retention of the personal information that is provided directly to them, and that collection, use, disclosure, and retention is not subject to this policy.
Information Automatically Collected
The Service automatically collects certain information from users through the use of "cookies" and other tracking mechanisms. Information automatically collected may include, but is not limited to: your domain name and host for Internet access; the Internet address of the site from which you came; the date and time you access the Service; your computer or device's IP address and information about its operating system, browser and host; and your geographic location. We may use this information for any lawful purpose, including, for example, using your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server, to administer the Service, to help identify you and to gather broad demographic data.
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It is your choice whether to provide personal information to Pepper. Some information must be provided in order to participate in certain services, features, programs or activities, so the decision not to provide information might limit or eliminate certain functions of the Service or the ability to participate. The types of personal information that Pepper tends to request about you include, but are not limited to: your name, email address, and mailing address. There may be opportunities to provide information on the Service that will be available to other users of the Service; these opportunities require your good judgment. It is your responsibility not to provide personal information about yourself that could be misused by others in a chat room, bulletin board, blog or similar forum. Do not provide personal information about others without their permission.
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Do not provide personal information about others unless you are authorized or required to do so by applicable law or contract. Before supplying personal information about others, you and the person about whom you supply the information must review and consent to the Agreement. By submitting any personal information about others, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to do so and that you have made the Agreement available to the person about whom you supply the information. If applicable law allows you to supply the information without doing the foregoing, you represent and warrant that you have abided by that law and that it allows us to receive and disclose the information under this Privacy Policy without any further action on our part. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Pepper, its affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees and agents, sponsors and supporting artists, licensors, suppliers, and associates for any failure by you to comply with this paragraph.
Use of Information
Pepper may use information collected on the Timebox Service, which may include information gathered about you, for various purposes. In general, Pepper uses personal information it collects to pursue our mission and operations, including the management of our Service and to engage in related activities. You should assume that we will use all information for all lawful purposes.
We reserve the right, but do not undertake a duty, to notify you of court orders, subpoenas or other legal process if allowed. If you do not want us to respond to legal process compelling us to disclose your information, you need to seek a valid order permitting us to refuse to disclose it and serve the order on us at least 3 business days before the response deadline.
We reserve the right to use, disclose, retain, share, sell and otherwise deal with all information collected via the Service internally or to third parties, for any lawful purpose or to prevent harm to us or others. For example, and without limitation, in our discretion we may:
Disclose information to service providers and others in order to deal with requests and questions from you; to personalize or enhance transactions; to verify, process, store, enforce, investigate and/or collect actual or potential transactions; and to assist or respond to our consultants (including auditors and lenders);
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Disclose any matter relating to the Service or your account not listed in this Privacy Policy, but which is not prohibited by law from being disclosed.
We do not purport to have listed all possible disclosures that we might make. This Privacy Policy is intended to help you understand our general practices. This Privacy Policy is not a promise that your information will never be disclosed except as described above. For example, third parties may unlawfully intercept or access information transmitted to or contained on the Service, technologies may malfunction or not work as anticipated, or someone might access, abuse or misuse information, despite a lack of permission. Although we use what we believe to be commercially reasonable practices to protect your privacy, that does not mean, and you should not expect it to mean, that your information or communications will always be private or protected.
We generally will retain information for as long as required, allowed or for as long as we believe it useful. If you cease using the Service, or your permission to use the Service is terminated, we may continue to use and disclose your personal information in accordance with this Policy as amended from time to time. We do not undertake retention obligations through this Privacy Policy. We may dispose of information in our discretion without notice, subject to applicable law.
We may place a "cookie" on the browser of your computer. Cookies are a technology that installs a small amount of information on the computer of a website user to permit the website to recognize future visits using that computer. Cookies may enhance the convenience and use of the Service. For example, the information provided through cookies may be used to recognize you as a previous user of the Service (so you do not have to enter your personal information every time), offer personalized information for your use, and otherwise facilitate your experience using the Service. You may choose to decline cookies if your browser permits, but doing so may affect your ability to access or use certain features of the Service. We may also use clear gifs, and log file information to store user information, customize content, or monitor Service activity. Other Websites
The Service may contain hyperlinks to other websites or Internet resources. When you click on one of those links you are contacting another website. We have no control over, and no responsibility or liability for, other websites or their collection, use and disclosure of your personal information. While we do not plan to display advertisements on the Service, you may encounter third-party advertisements in connection with your use of the Service through, for example, hyperlinked websites. We have no control over, and no responsibility or liability for, the cookies or other technologies used in those advertisements or for the use and disclosure of information collected through advertisement cookies or other technologies that you may encounter in connection with your use of the Service.
Privacy Policy Incorporated in Terms and Conditions of Service
Your use of the Service is governed by the Timebox Terms of Use. The terms and conditions contain important provisions, including provisions disclaiming, limiting, or excluding the liability of Pepper for your use of the Service and provisions determining the applicable law and exclusive jurisdiction for the resolution of any disputes regarding your use of the Service. Each of those provisions applies to any disputes that may arise in relation to this Privacy Policy and the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information and are of the same force and effect as if they had been reproduced directly in this Privacy Policy.
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Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or other matters that relate to it, you may contact us at:
Pepper Networks, LLC
710 14th Ave. W.
Kirkland, WA 98033


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S.U.L., Suberterranean Upper Lifeform, a government-church acronym given to this species of mole-people.
The SUL are descendants of a thousand multi-ethnic founding families who pioneered the Core of the planet before Ulger blew the blue orb apart, and it reformed as the Pangeic-like continent of Blinkin.
The SUL were rediscovered in 3654 of the Night Mare's reign.
The culture is inward and mystic, influenced by the ethylene laced gas in the air of their underground city. Ethylene, they say, influenced the Oracles at Delphi.
SUL are unwelcome in Winkin City as too delusional. Fantasies are free floating and anyone might catch them.
But the Night mare likes a good oracle, so they are tolerated at the Manus Market and as homesteaders in the ruins Off-right.


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JETNET is the most reliable and trusted source for intelligence and information management in the aviation industry. We give you full access to the most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date intelligence in the business. We pride ourselves on our uncompromising focus on customer satisfaction, with free and unlimited technical support. With JETNET, you always Know More.
Our software products are compatible with both PC and Mac, and we provide unmatched services for every sector of the aviation industry.
As an Aircraft Sales Professional or OEM, you can rely on Evolution Marketplace to keep you informed in real-time about every aspect of market activity. Evolution Marketplace is our flagship service, designed for you to keep your finger on the pulse of the dynamic aircraft marketplace. With Evolution Live, you get the detailed, up-to-the-minute current landscape and history of the business aviation and commercial trading floors, so you can buy and sell instantly.
Enhance your planning with JETNET iQ, our fully researched forecasting and reporting service.
For customer relationship management (CRM), managing sales and marketing, and performing market analysis and research, use our powerful JETNET Marketplace Manager tool.
If you're a finance, leasing, or insurance professional, Evolution Marketplace is your solution for market and financial trend information. See all financial documents filed, and follow leasing activity easily and quickly in our Financial Market Trends View, Financial & Transaction Documents View, and Leasing Activity View.
Are you a charter operator? Run a management company? Evolution Marketplace also gives you an expanded market intelligence scope in the Charter Intelligence View, a special section containing worldwide data to support your work. This View shows you charter operators and the aircraft on their certificates across the globe.
Most business aviation professionals wear many hats and provide a broad range of services. If you're an FBO, MRO or other service provider and truly don't need the entire spectrum of sales activity, then Evolution Aerodex is perfect for you. It contains the same robust database of aircraft owners as Evolution Marketplace, along with all the reports, just without the Aircraft For Sale section.
Get a better idea of the right service for you; click the link for any service to see a more thorough description of JETNET services.


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From red soles to red lipstick: Shoe designer Christian Louboutin to launch beauty range
16:47 GMT, 11 May 2012
It was a bottle of bright red nail enamel which first inspired Christian Louboutin to coat the soles of his vertiginous stilettos.
And now things have come full circle, as the footwear maestro has announced he will be launching his first cosmetics line next year.
The venture seems like a natural fit for the 49-year-old Frenchman who proclaimed 'the beauty adventure is the natural extension for someone like me, who likes to empower women'.
Oh la la! French shoe designer Christian Louboutin has announced he will be launching a cosmetics range
It was revealed that he will be collaborating with Batallure Beauty on the collection, whose clients also include Madonna and Justin Bieber.
Chairman and Co-Founder of the New York-based firm, Robin Burns, said: 'Wearing a pair of Christian Louboutin
shoes completely transforms a woman and Christian will bring that same
transformative quality to women through his beauty products.'
It is not yest known what will be
included in the range but it is expected that Louboutin's signature scarlet will
be a prominent feature – both in products and on packaging.
He is hot on the heels Marc Jacobs, who also announced last month that he'll be turning his hand to creating a cosmetics line to compliment his fragrance line.
Jacobs said: 'I see make-up, fragrance – everything, really – as an opportunity. The idea of choosing a colour for your lip, or an eyeliner – it's just such a delight. The ritual of waking up and making those choices is something people really enjoy.'
Christian Louboutin established his brand in 1991, with Princess Caroline of Monaco being the first customer to his boutique on Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Paris.
Since then his shoes have been a global hit and he was recently named as one of the 'All Time 100 Fashion Icons' by Time Magazine.
To celebrate his success last year he launched a coffee table book charting his iconic designs and inspirations, featuring Louboutin fans such as Dita Von Teese, Diane Von Furstenburg and Kristin Scott Thomas.


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From the village resort to the large ski areas, mountain lovers will appreciate the diversity of landscapes and architecture, as well as the many activities accessible to all levels of ability. Nordic skiing in the forest or Alpine skiing on the great peaks and glaciers, snowboarding, free riding, snowshoeing, ski mountaineering, trail running or mountain biking on snow, climbing ... or simply a pampering, relaxing break.
Key figures for winter
What we offer tourists:
- 22 winter sports resorts, spread across 4 massifs: Belledonne, Chartreuse, Oisans, Vercors
- 1,200 km of ski runs and 390 chair lifts
- 30 Nordic ski resorts, 1,000 km of marked runs
Tourist accommodation capacity:
- 300,000 guest beds
- the 3rd biggest capacity of all departments in Rhône-Alpes (13%)
- 70% of beds are in the mountain area
- 20% in the plains and hills and 10% in the Grenoble conurbation and the Grésivaudan Valley.
Famille Plus Montagne labelled resorts
The Famille Plus Montagne label is awarded to resorts that take a comprehensive approach in favour of holidays specifically designed for families and children. The criteria include providing a personal welcome, tailored entertainment and activities, special rates, accommodation, convenient shops and services, equipment and transport, safety, and childcare for children of 18 months to 12 years old.
Isère has 4 resorts carrying this label: Les 2 Alpes, Vaujany and Villard-de-Lans/Corrençon-en-Vercors and now l'Alpe d'Huez.


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I'm an Oregon girl, born and raised. I generally take the seasons in stride, waiting patiently for the sun to peek out when it's good and ready. This year is a little different. Granted, we didn't have the relentless winter they had back east, but it still felt long and cold. I am beyond ready for spring. If it won't come to me, I'm going to try summoning it with my wardrobe. Yes, my toes are a little chilly in my sandals today, but I'm optimistic. Maybe this tank will do the trick.
This started as a simple, unembellished pink tank from Old Navy and a piece of lightweight knit fabric.
Measure the distance you'd like the fabric to overlap onto the front. In my case, that was 1/2". Multiply that number by 3, then add 1/2". You'll also need to measure the arm and neck holes, adding about 3 or 4" to each. In my case, I cut two pieces that were 2 by 24" for the arms and one 2 by 35" for the neck.
Fold one end of a strip about 1/4" to the wrong side, then line up the edge with the arm hole. Stitch away from the edge the distance of your original measurement, 1/2" for me. Be sure to use a stretch or knit stitch so your openings will still stretch. Continue all the way around until you cover the fold where you started. Cut off the excess strip. Repeat for the other arm.
Press the trim away from the tank.
Fold the trim over the edge to the inside of the tank. Make sure it covers the stitching line.
From the front, stitch all the way around close to the fold as shown below.
Repeat the process for the neck.
Doesn't this top doesn't look like spring?
Join me again on Wednesday and I'll show you what else I made from this pretty floral fabric!


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Photo: YouTube/ReauterTV
UPDATE: Prosecutors have provisionally dropped the murder charges against the 270 jailed miners, the New York Times reports.ORIGINAL: The miners arrested at South Africa's Marikana mine have been charged with the murder of 34 of their colleagues shot by police, BBC reports.
The 270 workers were charged under the "common purpose" doctrine—a law previously used by the former white minority regime against black activists fighting for democracy—because they were in the crowd that confronted police on August 16.
"This is under common law, where people are charged with common purpose in a situation where there are suspects with guns or any weapons and they confront or attack the police and a shooting takes place and there are fatalities," National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Frank Lesenyego told the BBC.
South African lawyer Jay Surju told BBC that the law is "a very outdated and infamous doctrine" that was "discredited during the time of apartheid."
Six of the charged workers remain in hospital after being wounded in the shooting.
"The policemen who killed those people are not in custody, not even one of them. This is madness," said former ruling ANC party youth leader Julius Malema told BBC. "The whole world saw the policemen kill those people."
The protests at the mine owned by Lonmin, the world's third biggest platinum producer, were triggered by demands for a pay rise and a new union.
Police contend that they started shooting after being threatened by large groups of miners armed with machetes and noted tha 10 people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed during the protests before the police shooting.
SEE ALSO: Shares Of Major Platinum Miner Fall After Massacre Of Striking Workers That Has Left 34 Dead >
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6 and The Townsend
The Townsend Hotel is a Four Diamond, Four Star Hotel that has set new standards with spacious rooms and suites, fine dining, and exceptional amenities in a desirable location.
The hotel has been providing world-class service for a luxurious getaway or business meeting for over 20 years. Offering afternoon tea, an impeccable dining experience and a chic Corner bar for cocktails, the hotel is located in the prestigious shopping district of Birmingham, Michigan.
Launch the micro-site for guests of the Townsend Hotel >>


text: Ola Refaat12.00pm (UK time)Home-School Link: Linking the two big worlds!For a young child, home and school are the two main worlds that their lives revolve around. A smooth and harmonious connection between home and school ensures a stable and healthy learning environment for our young pupils. Supporting parents with the right tips and tools to provide little amounts of home practice daily can make a huge difference in developing essential literacy skills.


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Music City Central Facts
Music City Central (MCC) is the Nashville Metro Transit Authority (MTA) downtown transit station located at 400 Charlotte Ave. next to Municipal Auditorium. After several years of careful planning, design and construction, the facility celebrated its grand opening on October 24, 2008. Bus service to and from MCC began on October 26, 2008. Up to 20,000 people travel through MCC each weekday.
Music City Central Amenities
Customer Waiting Rooms
Musical History
Current Operation
Design and Construction


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Q6599 Android 4.2 Quad Core Smartphone 6.5 Inch FHD Screen MTK6589T 3G OTG 3900mAh
Manufacturer Specifications
Model: Q6599
Band: 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/900/2100MHz
Sim Card: Dual SIM Card Dual Standby(one micro-sim card)
Service Provide: Unlocked
Style: Bar
Color: White
Shell Material: Metal
OS: Android 4.2.1
CPU: MTK6589T, Cortex A7 quad core, 1.5GHz; GPU: PowerVR SGX 544
Data transfer: USB/Bluetooth
Mobile internet: WAP/WiFi
Camera/Picture Resolution: Dual Cameras, 8.0MP front camera; 12.0MP back camera with flashlight,
up to 4096 x 3072 pixels resolution
Language: English, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Cestina, Deutsch, Espanol, French,
Filipino, Italiano, Magyar, Nederlands, Portuguese, Romanian, Vietnamese,
Turkish, Greek, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, Thai, Cambodian, Korean,
Simplified/Traditional Chinese
Phonebook: 500
Message: SMS/MMS
Input: Handwrite/Keypad
TV: No
GPS: Yes, built in, also support A-GPS
With EPO assistance to speed up postioning
JAVA: No
WIFI: Yes, 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth: Yes
Gravity Sensor: Yes
Multi-Touch: Yes, 5 point touch
Standby Time: About 2~3 days
Other Feature: 3G, WIFI, GPS, FM, Bluetooth, Ebook, Email, Messaging, wallpapers,
calendar, calculator, clock, camera, tethering & portable hotspot,
Play Store, OTG, etc
Display Size: 6.5 Inch
Type: IPS, capacitive screen
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels FHD screen
Internal: 4GB
Micro SD Card up to 16GB
Media Formats
Ringtones Type: Polyphonic/MP3
Audio File Format: MP3/WAV/AMR/AWB
Video File Format: 3GP/MPEG4
Image File Format: JPEG/BMP/GIF/PNG/GIF
E-book Format: TXT/CHM/DOC/HTML
FM Radio: Yes, earphone needed
2 SIM Card Slots
Micro SD Card Slot
Micro USB Port
3.5 mm Audio Out Port
Main product dimensions: 177 x 91 x 10mm/6.96 x 3.58 x 0.39 inch
Main product weight: 273g
Weight/dimension is for the main item of this boxed product, to help you compare product sizes before buying: please do not base your shipping calculations on this price - shipping prices depend on your cart contents, shipping destination, and shipping method: please use the checkout to select options and preview shipping price for your total order.
Product Notes
The Android OS version on this device cannot be upgraded or flashed and any attempts to modify the default OS will void the warranty. As a wholesaler, Httbuy provides no software support, advice, or training regarding the Android operating system and software.
Package Contents
1 x 3900mAh Battery
1 x 3.5mm Earphone
1 x USB Cable
1 x Charger
1 x Screen Protector
1 x User Manual
Q6599 Android 4.2 Quad Core Smartphone 6.5 Inch FHD Screen MTK6589T 3G OTG 3900mAh


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Aventura Boutique Hostel Budapest is not your average hostel. Here guests
will find stylish spacious themed rooms that provide a home away from home.
It is a small, 4 room family run place with 20 beds only, established in a
100 year old normal residential building in the most popular traditional
neighbourhood of the Pest side. Located in the heart of the city and next to
a metro station, guests are well placed to explore the many sights of
All of the rooms at Aventura Boutique Hostel have individual themes,
representing different cultures. Guests can choose from the Japanese room,
African room or even the Space room if they would like to experience
sleeping under the stars. You can also take advantage of the in-house
massage service.
Budapest is a great city to explore on foot. Take the funicular up to Castle
Hill and wander the cobblestone streets taking in historic sites such as
Buda Castle, go across to Margaret Island, an entire island devoted to
leisure and recreation activities, or cruise down the Danube on a boat tour.
Agnes Erdohati


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Inside of Content In relation to Slot Game
With the progression of amenities on-line, the online slot games are acquiring patronage from individuals from all walks of existence. The provision of various in via the web slots, it stands inside of the top rated, to other methods. There exist umpteen amount of slot which could be provided by many different facilitators of slot computer system software program. Also, the normal updates and reviews within the newest games permit the avid gamers to determine on slot game up-to-date games. Slot are to and what most is they are swift payback rather larger. They will get anyplace from money and all do is plug inside the dollars and pull the manage or inside of a couple of occasions drive the button. The principal for every sort could possibly be the identical. A lot of audio animation and for just a number of their game of selection. Individuals have obtained gigantic jackpots experiencing their popular slot game. Generate wealth slot performed than an amusement, these slots executed surely can be a supply of earning income when men and women are dealing with.
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The slot games absolutely are a one technique adopted by the on-line games attracting people young and old to the globe of world-wide-web. Constructing perspective among the many a lot of and progressively pull around the direction within the on the internet slot games. If needed interested individuals can click here or visit my official website in order to know about slot game.


text:
Published on
How can myeloma patients on bisphosphonates be proactive about side effect management? Multiple myeloma expert Dr. Ajay Nooka, from the Winship Cancer Institute, shares what tests are recommended to help prevent potential complications, and explains what procedure patients on bisphosphonates should avoid doing. Watch now to find out more.
This town meeting is sponsored by Amgen, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Adaptive Biotechnologies. It is produced by Patient Power in partnership with Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
View more programs featuring Ajay K. Nooka, MD and Jack Aiello
Produced in association with Winship Cancer Institute
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Please remember the opinions expressed on Patient Power are not necessarily the views of our sponsors, contributors, partners or Patient Power. Our discussions are not a substitute for seeking medical advice or care from your own doctor. That's how you'll get care that's most appropriate for you.
Hello. My name is Margo, and I'm Donna's helper and caregiver. My question is regarding the bisphosphonates, and I was wondering if there is a way to monitor the bisphosphonates that's given to help detect if there's any complication in the jawbone or the mandible before it's actually symptomatic. For example, is there a like a bone density test that can be done just to prevent those complications? Thank you.
Jack Aiello:
That's a really good question. Dr. Nooka, do you want to try that?
Dr. Nooka:
Sure. So I strongly recommend the bone densities not for the purpose of proactively looking for some ONJ, but if you look at the common scenario or the common patient that gets diagnosed with osteoporosis, all the patient population are usually females. So if you have somebody fitting the criteria, not necessarily from a myeloma perspective there is enough reason for me to continue the bisphosphonates based on the bone density for other reasons. So that is one of the reasons why we incorporate the bone density on a yearly or bi-yearly, biennial staging, to look for other reasons of bone density.
Coming to the other question of can we proactively to see if we can—if there's an amazing modality that can help us to detect ONJ. There is nothing that we do proactively at this point in time, but the patients who get ONJ are the ones who typically undergo a dental procedure while they're receiving the bisphosphonates. We typically ask them to hold off for a certain period of time before they go in for any of the dental procedures.
Please remember the opinions expressed on Patient Power are not necessarily the views of our sponsors, contributors, partners or Patient Power. Our discussions are not a substitute for seeking medical advice or care from your own doctor. That's how you'll get care that's most appropriate for you.
Myeloma expert Dr. Jonathan Kaufman discusses potential risks for patients on maintenance therapy and how patients can stay proactive through treatment. Watch now to learn.
With the addition of more options for therapy, how is the treatment landscape evolving for multiple myeloma? Is the standard of care changing? Tune in to find out now from noted myeloma expert Dr. Elisabet Manasanch.


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Email:View Email Address |
Add Contact to Outlook
Room:AJ 336
Educational Background:
PhD Mass Communications and Journalism,
University of Florida, ABD
MS Agricultural and Extension Education,
Michigan State University, 1992
BA Communications, Aquinas College, 1989
Professional Experience:
O'Malley has more than a decade of teaching experience including four years at
the University of South Dakota, six years at Kansas State University, two years
at the University of Florida and one year at Michigan State University. She has
professional experience working at South Dakota Education Association, Sanford
School of Medicine, NorthStar-Select Sires and Michigan Department of
Research/Creative/Publication Interests:
Emerging media
and social media, educational pedagogy, branding, strategic online
communication, agricultural communication.
Research/Creative/Publication Career
O'Malley has
co-authored seven publications including peer-reviewed articles for Public Relations Review, Journalism and Mass Communications Educator,
and Science Communication. She has
been a part of six peer-reviewed research presentations on topics such as
undergraduates' perception of faculty using social media, social networking and
media promotion.
She is a member
of the following professional organizations: Association for International Agricultural
and Extension Education, South Dakota Education Association, Council of Higher
Education, American Academy of Advertising, Association for Education in
Journalism and Mass Communication, International Communication Association and
National Communication Association.
Thesis/Creative Project Experience and
O'Malley prefers to work as a committee member on students' theses. She would
like to have monthly meetings with students and be as involved as the chair of
the committee wants her to be involved.
has completed two student research projects. The first was Faculty on Facebook: Accepted or Duh Neid during which she worked
with two undergraduate students from the research conception to presentations.
This project was part of IdeaFest at the University of South Dakota. Her second
research project was an honors thesis completed by Erin Alberts entitled Traditional vs. E-Media Advertising:
Effectiveness for a locally owned furniture business. She acted as outside
chair for this project.


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Children at a young age have a difficult time seeing where blocks go in relationship to each other. To help teach this spatial reasoning, or envisioning block placement, parents and caregivers should provide time to play with blocks.< Preschoolers who build with blocks and play with puzzles improve their spatial reason skills. These skills are a direct correlation to math readiness from counting to adding and subtracting as well as basic geometry. LittleBLASTS, provides hands-on activities that engage preschoolers in spatial construction and puzzle play.
To read more about spatial reasoning and block play, go


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- "Went well, your talk with the Er'stacians?"
"As well as could be expected."
"Still they quarrel over the megalith?"
"Not now. Not for a while at least."
"Solve their conundrum did you?"
"No, my friend. I left them to assemble their own solution."
- ―Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu
During this mission, the Jedi Master Mace Windu traveled to the planet Er'stacia in his Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor[1] sometime between 22 and 19 BBY.[2] This was at the behest of the Jedi Council. Windu was tasked with putting a stop to hostilities between one clan of the planet's native Er'stacians and their rivals; unchecked, the Jedi Council feared one side might commit genocide.[3] On the world, Windu finally negotiated an uneasy peace by dicing the Venerable One, a statue at the heart of the dispute, into pieces using his lightsaber, and thus forcing the enemy sides to work together to either divvy up the pieces or reconstruct the monument.[1]
- "Puzzle Peace"—Star Wars Tales 13 (Appears in flashback(s))
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (Under "Megalith")
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Puzzle Peace"—Star Wars Tales 13.
- ↑ The events of "Puzzle Peace" must take place between 22 BBY—the year the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor was introduced according to New Jedi Starfighter Unveiled—HoloNet News Vol. 531 #47 (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org) —and 19 BBY—the year Mace Windu died according to Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 303.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Gear Works // Put A Bag On It
I am a recent convert to the ways of Pinterest. I've had my account since they first opened it up for beta users, but I never liked it. Last night in a bit of boredom I logged in, and I wish I could tell you what happened. All I know is that six hours later (I was lying in bed pinning on my phone at 4:30 in the morning), I was hooked.
Anyway, that's a whole other issue. The point is I found a cool little trick to use when you want to get a dreamy effect in your photographs. All you do is rip a hole at the closed end of a sandwich bag, draw on the edge with some colored markers if you're so inclined, and slide on to the end of your lens. That's it! Make sure that you can see the bag in the viewfinder but don't let it cover the middle of the frame. I went outside to try it out. I'm going to try this out when I shoot a model on my next photo shoot. Click here to see the original article.


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The company
Sirkus Aikamoinen is a Finnish contemporary circus company created in 2009. The core and the strength of Aikamoinen's work is built from the combination of different elements they use: a large repertoire of circus disciplines and circus techniques, live music played by the artists on stage, and the strong bond and friendship between the artists of the group. In an era of individualism and specialization Aikamoinen promotes pluridisciplinarity and collective work.
Aikamoinen's previous work includes 10 full lenght circus performances: Skaala (2009, director Pasi Nousiainen), Aisti (2011, director Mattias Andersson. Aisti was a finalist in Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe 2010), Pluto Crazy (2012, director Sverre Waage. The show was a co-production with Norwegian Cirkus Xanti), The Land of the Happy (2014, director Maksim Komaro. The show was a co-production with Circo Aereo and Maracat Caravan), Dr. Natchez Trio (2015, a co-production with French Kohz Productions), Where do I start, where do I begin? (Solo by Oskar Rask, 2016), Metsä - The Forest Project (Duo by Sade Kamppila and Viivi Roiha, 2016) and DuoJag (2017, director Sanna Silvennoinen. A co-production with Maracat Caravan), Nahkanaama (Jouni Ruuth's solo, director Rauli Dahlberg, 2017) and Circus I love you (a co-production with Circus I love you AB, Möjlighetsministeriet and Kozh Productions, 2018).
During the years Aikamoinen has been performing with different projects around Finland, Sweden, Norway, France, Iceland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium and The Netherlands. Aikamoinen has provided shows for all aged people for theatres, festivals, events, company parties, schools, elderly homes, streets, forests and circus tents.


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Postwar American Television
Muntz M21
Click on picture for high resolution image
1949 - 10 inch
This 1949 model is the first set that Muntz produced. It has 3 stages of IF, and no signs of the simplified design that Muntz was famous for in later years. It was donated to the museum by Mary Kalin of Baltimore, Maryland.


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Cruise Companions and Schedules at a Glance
Our Cruise Companion guidebooks and Schedules at a Glance contain a number of items and tips to help you prepare for the extraordinary voyage ahead.Learn More
Port Locations
Find up-to-date information and details about your port location for embarkation on your Uniworld cruise.Learn More
Passenger Information Form
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The Unexpected
What to know if unexpected changes happen to a scheduled itinerary, due to circumstances beyond our control.Learn More
Ship Communication
Send your family and friends a Communication Card, which includes your ship's contact information, should they need to get in touch.Learn More
Optional Extensions
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For visas, passports and any other documents required for international travel, we refer our guests to VisaCentral for quick and reliable service.Learn More
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Press Reader
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I love those huge sand sculpture events they have. Once in a while I will catch a picture of them and they are soooo cool! Just takes a different kind of artist I guess...like the ones that carve such fabulous things out of ice! Both of them do this knowing their beautiful projects will be entirely erased and gone forever in just a little while. I love to go back over mine and enjoy them over and over. T'would make me veeery sad if they disappeared within hours of making them!
- "Come now, you who say, 'Tomorrow or today, we shall go to such and such city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:13-17
No limits, no exceptions. From today through Sunday the 29th, buy any kit and get a second kit of equal or lesser value FREE! Just use the Buy It Now Buttons and e-mail me the name of the free kit you want...or...if you are buying a lot and want to check out only once, e-mail me the list and I'll send you a PayPal invoice.
I would greatly appreciate your supporting this blog by shopping my PayPal store. There are 63 gorgeous kits in the store, so there's something for everyone. God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
On my preview I used my Warm Autumn Kit and stitches by www.totlebugz.com; note by http://www.storeide.se/gunhild/index.htm; alpha by http://rina-creative.blogspot.com/.
This gorgeous sand castle is from one of my favorite's, Bonnie Carter The Maltese Scrapper. She has something new every day and it's always fabulous! Thanks Bonnie! *hugs*
If you download, please leave me a comment at the bottom of this post as I have disabled 4shared comments. This helps me to know what you like for the future and please support this blog by shopping my PayPal store. God bless you!
Download here for a limited time, then available in my store. If you can't find it, e-mail me. Check out my TERMS OF USE here.
The password is jesuschristislord.


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Some random thoughts for your Tuesday:
I recently signed up for Ancestry.com again. I signed up about 8 years ago but didn't write stuff down so I forgot it all. So far I've learned that anything cool or dramatic that would have happened was covered up. By covered up I mean no one created a record for it. This sucks because THAT'S the stuff I want to know!
For example: my great-great-grandfather's birth certificate doesn't have a dad listed. And he was given his mother's last name. HELLO!? Was his dad an ax murderer? Was he famous (not sure that existed in 1860 but whatever)? Was he a circus performer? I need to know!
I should just make something up. He was a stow-away from some exotic land. Rachel Dolezal proved you can make up whatever you want about yourself and if you emphatically declare it to be so, so it is.
Maybe he was an alien. That's what Giorgio Tsoukalos from Ancient Aliens would say. I'm going to start marking "other" when I have to define my race. I'm half-human, half-alien. Disagree and I'll call you racist.
"Um, I identify with the greys. It's who I am on the inside. Maybe I wasn't BORN an alien but I definitely feel more comfortable with Martians sooooo…"
For me, Pinterest is that friend who always has awesome clothes that they found at the thrift store and shredded, cut, and sewed their way to super cool awesomeness. They make it seem so easy. "Oh, yeah, I just took some scissors and cut here, here, and here."
Yeah? Well I just created something that looks like a honey badger got stuck in a sack and tried to gnaw its way out. Then put it on my body. And promptly took it off and threw it in the trash can.
Or the friend whose hair always looks so cute, "oh, just braid your hair like you normally would and then put a bobby pin here, then braid more and put another one here, then you're done." Heck yes, I can do that. No, no I can't. How does she do that with just two hands? I need at least five.
Sometimes I look at the instructions again thinking that I must have misread something. It's nice to have that reference because before Pinterest I would have to call my friends a thousand times then sometimes they would just stop answering. Ok, they always stopped answering.
Side note: re-reading the instructions never works. However, this will not keep me from trying to make a burlap wreath for my front door. Stay tuned. I'm about to forgo buying a $60 wreath so I can spend $200 on supplies to not make one myself.
Did you hear the news? You can now be a life coach with just your Facebook page! Got Instagram? That works, too! Take the "humblebrag" to the next level. "I don't normally do this, but my friends told me I should tell you how I can make you as awesome as I am." Nuh-uh. That's not what happened. You are proud of yourself. You think you did a great job. You think you're amazing. Don't try and church it up by blaming your friends. Own it. It's ok. We all know.
Friday night we asked the kids where they wanted to have dinner, expecting the ush answers "Chick-Fil-A! Panera! Chipotle!" Nope. Not this time.
As in Ted's Montana Grill.
When I was seven I had no idea that things got fancier than Applebee's. Ricky Bobby must be from Conyers. The difference between Conyers, Georgia and Alpharetta, Georgia: Ted's Montana Grill.
When I was in middle school a friend's family took me to a super-fancy restaurant in Atlanta complete with valet parking. I almost had a heart attack because I thought we were getting car jacked. Cuz there's no valet at Applebee's.
Chicken fingers and extra honey mustard has been replaced with bison burgers. Bison. Bi-son.
My daughter obviously has the palate of an adult. This was confirmed yesterday when she tried to steal my prosciutto.
Two things I learned in Italy:
1) Gelato was created by God
2) So was prosciutto
3) So was wine
4) So was carbonara
5) And pesto
Ok, I learned more than two things. My point, I don't share prosciutto. But she's cute so I'll share with her.


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Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton will not play Friday in St. Louis, but he plans to participate in full pre-game drills to test his right knee.
Those drills, he said, will probably determine whether whether he can play teh rest of the weekend and if he can participate in the All Star home run derby and game.
He also raised the possibility of not going to Kansas City at all if the team decides he has to have arthoscopic surgery during the All Star break to remove a loose body from his knee.
Stanton took batting practice in the cages today but said he won't have an indication of his readiness until Friday.
"Tomorrow is the test," he said.
Asked if he could skip the All Star game but still participate in the home run derby, Stanton said: "I'm not sure. It all depends how hitting, there and not just in the cage feels, especially trying to get it over the fence every time. I definitely wouldn't want to go there and have to come out after 5, 10 swings. You'd look real bad."
Even if he can't do any activities, Stanton was asked if he could still attend the All Star festivities to represent the Marlins.
"Yes and no," he said. "If I have to go down (to Miami) and get it out, then no. Otherwise, yeah."
He said the losse body is about 6 millimeters in size. "The description was like the tip of your pinky," he said.


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First off, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans on winning the Stanley Cup. It has been a hectic couple of weeks with us at Because Hockey between making some site updates here and there, admins getting married, friends moving to Europe, and the everyday grind of work and life that I haven't been able to write much lately. Plus, it was a little hard to watch the Sharks lose their chance at The Cup, especially after watching Tampa get so close and lose it last year in the same number of games (6) during the Final. But, nonetheless, the Pittsburgh Penguins were the better team and capped off quite an impressive Stanley Cup run in emphatic fashion. If you want to read all of those articles about it, there are tons out there so we won't go back down history Laine.
Speaking of Patrik Laine, the NHL draft has come and gone as well. As you might have heard, that Auston Matthews guy went number one overall to Toronto, just behind him Laine went to the Jets, and then the Blue Jackets surprised everyone by selecting Pierre-Luc Dubois at number three. The man everyone thought would go third, Jesse Puljujarvi, fell to the happily awaiting Oilers at number four and the Canucks rounded out the top five by selecting the first defensemen of the draft in Olli Juolevi. All in all there were 12 Americans that were drafted during the first round of the NHL Draft (a record), 45 total players drafted that had ties to USHL clubs, and 11 trades. Some of those trades just involved draft picks (thanks Devils and Senators) but several teams moved key components. The Canadiens traded away Lars Eller to the Capitals and brought in Andrew Shaw from the Blackhawks with two second round picks tossed in on both deals. The Blues traded tandem goaltender Brian Elliot to the Flames for close to nothing (2nd round pick used on forward Jordan Kyrou and conditional pick in 2018). Also the Red Wings used some magic left by Pavel Datsyuk to trade away his contract plus their first rounder (Jakob Chychrun) to the Coyotes for Joe Vitale, a first round pick (Dennis Cholowski), AND a second round pick (Filip Hronek).
After Detroit made their big trade, the rumors started swirling about how they had become the new front runner for coveted Free Agent to be Steven Stamkos. They had some competition, however, between just about everyone else in the league who had around $10 million to spend. With Free Agency a mere two days away to start the day, the league had stayed relatively quiet. There had been some recent activity, but nothing that could have prepared everyone for what was about to happen this afternoon.
First off, today was CHADMANs birthday. If you're new to the site or don't know the story behind CHADMAN, you should. Before site admin Jerm got hitched, we had a Because Hockey road trip/Bachelor party. For this road trip, we traveled from here (Kearney, NE) to Denver to catch a couple of Avalanche games and drink copious amounts of alcohol. During one of these blurred nights, we found ourselves at Dave and Busters playing some horse racing game. We didn't know much of what we were doing except drunkenly calling each other by our horses names, and our friend Tyson happened to have the horse named CHADMAN, in all caps, for some reason. Well, there were two Tysons on the trip so we decided to call him CHADMAN for the remaining time. It ended up being probably our best decision of the trip. So long story short, CHADMAN and hockey go hand in hand (if you want more to the story, joins us on the weekends during Puckin' Drunk). Based on that, we should have known that something epic was going to happen today. Spoiler Alert: it did.
SO WHAT EFFING HAPPEND? Basically…Canada lost, again.
In the span of 20 minutes, the Oilers sent Taylor Hall to the Devils for Adam Larsson, Steven Stamkos resigned with the Lightning, and the Canadiens sent PK Subban to the Predators for Shea Weber.
In the span of 20 minutes, the Oilers made maybe one of the worst trades in their history, the Leafs lost out on their long lost son returning home, and the Canadiens ended what turned into an ugly situation between management and player.
In the span of 20 minutes, the hockey universe exploded.
WHAT TO MAKE OF ALL OF THIS? First, let it sink in….
While this wasn't all that happened today (Seth Jones, Jason Zucker, and Tomas Hertl all got re-signed with their respective teams) it was definitely the most exuberant.
The Oilers sent Taylor Hall to the Devils because the have a silly amount of offensive forwards making too much money and need defensive help. Too bad all they got in return was Adam Larsson. I for one like Adam Larsson, but he is not a number one defensemen and that is what the Oilers need. Maybe the Oilers have some more moves up their sleeve (Kevin Shattenkirk?) but for now they have some young defensive help in Larsson and shed a forward from their crowded top 6. The Devils reap the rewards in this one and will have that scoring forward they crave in Taylor Hall moving forward.
Steven Stamkos re-signed with the Lightning because he wants to win, now. The big "contenders" in the Stamkos Frenzy were Detroit (who Tampa has beaten the last two years in the opening round of the playoffs), Buffalo (who has depth down the middle but hasn't made the playoffs in 5 years), and Toronto (just drafted Matthews and still rebuilding). It was simple, Stamkos loved it in Tampa, knows where he is on the depth chart, knows his teammates around him, and knows they have been so close to accomplishing the ultimate goal there. Why mess that up? Plus, no income tax in Florida doesn't hurt, and it makes his 8 year, $8.5 per season deal not look as cheap as what other might have offered him. Key word: Simplicity.
Montreal traded away PK Subban because the writing was on the wall, and basically Nashville's GM David Poile brought up the name "Shea Weber" to them. Montreal was in trouble last week when they had to hold a press conference about trading PK Subban only to say they shouldn't of had a press conference about trading PK Subban because they weren't gonna do it, they weren't 'shopping' him. Well, shopping him or not, Montreal and Nashville had words about swapping the two defensemen during the NHL draft and POOF! here we are. I like the trade for both franchises. It was getting clear that Montreal was going to have to do something with PK after all the rumors, and they found a dance partner. In exchange they get a rugged, older, safer bet in Shea Weber who just so happens to have the hardest slap shot in the league. While Weber is blasting one-timers in Montreal, PK will get to let his style of play shine bright, in a bright yellow uniform far away in Nashville. It will also help him to get out from under the tense spotlight in Montreal. Again, like the trade for both the teams and the players buy man are they gonna look weird in their new uniforms…
What a day it was.
But wait! Free Agency hasn't even started yet…Friday July 1st will be the first day of Free Agency with names like David Backes, Kyle Okposo, Andrew Ladd, and Milan Lucic still out there…
Stay tuned for more updates at becausehockey.com and follow us on twitter @bcuzhockey -Stangl


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I have been shopping for baby and toddler gifts at Dinosaur Hill, a magical toy shop, ever since we moved to NYC and I stumbled upon it in the East Village. I am not a parent yet and they make it so easy to find the best, age-appropriate gifts!
I love the range of classic gifts that I know from when I was little to newer items that any kid would love. It is a really special place and has been open since 1983, an eternity in this increasingly homogenous city.
Dinosaur Hill: 306 E. 9th Street between 2nd and 1st Avenue