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Banjo: a truly great instrument, although much maligned - 'something to throw at the accordionist etc., etc.'... If you are thinking of the Banjo as something you can only use to play 'Duelling Banjos', (or its original title, 'Feuding Banjos'), then you should probably be thinking of the Guitar as something you can only use to play 'Johnny B. Goode'.
The Banjo is capable of many things musically - so the emphasis with my teaching method is to pass on sufficient technical and theoretical knowledge to enable the student to steer his or her own course - be that traditional, alternative or somewhere in between the two...
Banjo lessons are available in one, two, three or four hour sessions. During these sessions we cover theory and practical aspects of Banjo playing.
Please use the Contact Page to ask for further details.
Learning to play an instrument for the first time in my late 30s was always going to be a challenge, but Nick's help has made it considerably easier. He spent time listening to what I wanted to achieve and has tailored his tuition to suit my ability, needs and (particularly) musical interests. He is clearly passionate about music and this translates into the lessons - they are enjoyable where they could easily have been a chore. He is helping me helping me find my own way with music, I look forward to finding out where I might end up!


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BEAM in high-res/
With the installation of a high definition camera during the U.S. spacewalk earlier this month, the exterior of the International Space Station can now show images and video in high resolution.
That includes the docking or berthing of visiting vehicles such as Progress, Soyuz, HTV, Cygnus or Dragon. But it can also mean really neat, clear pictures of the structure of the orbiting outpost.
In this case, NASA released a really neat high-resolution picture of the Bigelow Aerospace Activity Module – better known as BEAM – from an angle that wasn't from a window on the ISS.
The camera was installed Sept. 2 during EVA-37. Astronaut Jeff Williams rode the end of the robotic Canadarm2 to the work area just below the port end of the P1 truss segment where an antenna with standard cameras and a light already were.
The HD camera was added along side the standard definition camera. While Williams was there, he swapped out a light bulb.
In the coming months and years, it is safe to say more HD video from the exterior of the station will be seen. This is something that has been lacking (as it hasn't been a high priority) since the end of the space shuttle era.

subset: commoncrawl


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Big AlLast month I left you guys with a teaser that we would be building a couple of engines with our good friend Greg Ventura. I believe I wrote a couple of years ago that we lost Greg's dad, Big Al Ventura, to cancer. I met Al Ventura back in the early '80s, racing at Orange County Raceway in my Project Pro-Gas '57 Chevy that I built. Al had a show-car-quality '55 Chevy with a nasty big-block running in Super Gas. I was the punk kid rolling into OCIR, and Al was the cagey veteran holding down his turf. Greg was in his early years, riding around on his BMX bicycle and causing trouble for his dad. Al and I hit it off, since we were into Shoeboxes and mine was blue, as was his.
Al retired as a mechanic, taking care of heavy equipment. On the side for many years he had Ventura Racing Engines building any type of engine from street performance variants to Pro Mod nitrous-fed big-block Chevys. Over the years, Al passed the driving duties to Greg and we faced off many times. Al and I always respected each other's talents and I looked up to him, as—I'd learn later—he did I.
In the last year we had Al around, he was collecting parts to build a really nasty big-block for their '66 Nova to run Top Sportsman. He had acquired a tall-deck aluminum Brodix block with a raised camshaft tunnel. This block and rotating assembly came from a Top Dragster racer who decided to get out of the expensive game—he'd had very limited runs on the block and rotating assembly. As Al was collecting parts for his dream engine, we learned of the Big C, and we lost him within eight months. Awhile after Al's passing, Greg came to me as he wanted to build this engine in his dad's honor. We've lovingly named the engine Big Al, and we will try to do the name justice.
Greg's plan was to complete the engine with a set of Big Duke cylinder heads that they'd run on various combinations over the years. These heads are related to a Pro Stock design from about 10-15 years ago. They used shaft rockers with large exhaust rockers and large offsets to get around the intake ports. Well, cylinder head technology has moved miles in the past several years and the latest conventional-style big-block cylinder heads flow serious air, and use conventional valvetrain components common to big-blocks for the past 50 years. We landed on a set of the new Brodix SR-20s and the matching single-plane racing manifold. The "20" in the name refers to the intake valve being rolled to a 20-degree angle. The intake sports a 2.400-inch valve with a 440cc inlet runner. This CNC port, out of the box, flow's an outstanding 507 cfm. The exhaust port squeezes in a 1.800-inch valve and flows 335 cfm! Now, they consider this configuration a conventional head, but it requires a specific dome to mate to the 95cc, specific shaft rockers for this valve angle, and valve covers. Brodix did stick with the GM design on the valvetrain and made subtle changes for the valve angles.
In the coming months I'll report in on various other trick components on this 601ci behemoth that I'm having a ton of fun building. Our main goal is to make Al proud. We want to get their '66 Nova into the 7s without any power-adders, and enter one Top Sportsman race and have Al ride along while Greg turns on win lights. Stay tuned.
Edelbrock Pro-Flo XTQ I have a '69 Chevelle SS with a ZZ502 crate engine from Chevrolet Performance. It used to have a carb, but I've installed an Edelbrock Pro-Flo XT EFI.
The car has 17-inch wheels, a Hotchkis suspension, Wilwood 13-inch front discs, and Stainless Steel Brake Corp 11-inch rear discs. Power runs through a five-speed Tremec and a 3.73 12-bolt GM rear.
I'm in the process of installing an EFI gas tank from Tanks. I'm hoping this will solve my fuel starvation problem when I hit the gas. The new tank will have a reservoir for the fuel pump. Right now my fuel pump is on the framerail. I'm hoping putting it in the tank will take care of my bog.
Is there anything I'm missing? Thanks!
Nick Moscato
Rockville Centre, NY
A Sounds like you've got a really nice build on your hands. We've always had a very soft spot for '69 Chevelles. Big-block Chevelles are hard to beat on the smiles per mile!
The way you have described your problem, it sounds like the engine bogs or starves for fuel when you hit the throttle. We assume you've checked the fuel pressure with a gauge to verify that you are truly losing pressure at the hit of the throttle. With a full tank of fuel, there should be no way the pickup in the tank could be uncovered and suck air. After reviewing the Pro-Flo XT system, we believe the big-block, PN 3567, comes with a baseline calibration for a 502-cid big-block with a 236-degree duration at 0.050 inch tappet lift camshaft grind. The separation angle falls right in Edelbrock's recommendation of 112. What they are trying to say in a nice way is that you need to limit the overlap of the cam to make the EFI happy. Your ZZ502 camshaft is a mild street grind, coming in at 224/234 degrees of duration at 0.050 inch tappet lift, but is ground on 110 centers. This camshaft profile gives you a nice chop at idle, but really has less overlap than the camshaft Edelbrock did its calibration on. The ZZ502 camshaft should have no problem interfacing with the Edelbrock system. Also, the coolant temperature is very critical so you pull from the proper fuel tables in the EFI calibration. Edelbrock clearly states that you must have an engine coolant temp of at least 175 degrees F or the engine controller will constantly run in an enriched warm-up mode. If you've been trying to adjust the fuel tables for your possible lean bog, you could be chasing your tail unless the engine is up to operating temp.
We gave Clayton a call on the EFI Tech line at Edelbrock, and he recommended you start by downloading the Quick Start Guide for the Pro-Flo EFI systems. This explains the basic calibration methodology you should use. After discussing your issue, we came to the same conclusion: You may need to add what is referred to as "transient fuel." Adding fuel to this table is just like adding a larger accelerator pump shot nozzle on a Holley carburetor. Larger-duration camshafts, and large plenum inlet manifolds, require adding transient fuel to prevent bogs. The Pro-Flo XT inlet manifold is as close as you will come to a tunnel-ram design in an EFI format. We believe this is where you are going to find your sag or bog on transition. If you have any other issues Clayton recommended that you call in directly at 800.416.8628.
Adding your Tanks fuel system is nothing but a good thing, as you will have a production-like fuel tank with a controlled reservoir around the pump and pickup. Also, upgrading your system with a wideband O2 sensor will give you much better information for your air/fuel tuning decisions. The production narrow-band O2 gives you little information as it only lets you know when you switch from rich/lean at 14.7:1 AFR. The wideband O2 system is sold under PN 3532.
Source: edelbrock.com
Get Some FlowQ I didn't see any flow number listed for the Chevrolet Performance aluminum cylinder heads, PN 12363390, with 2.19-inch intake valves. These seem to be a popular head for Chevy crate engines now. It is on the anniversary ZL1 427. Thank you for any info.
Dan Howie
Chicago Heights, IL
A We just received, fresh off the press, the new Chevrolet Performance catalog, which lists the cylinder head for the ZL1 427 as PN 12363392, and it's a fully dressed cylinder head with the 2.19/1.88-inch valve package. The 12363390 cylinder head is the same casting machined for the 2.25/1.88 valve package. This head is used on the larger ZZ502 engine that can utilize the larger valve package. Below are the flow bench numbers for the 2.19/1.88-valve-package 12363392 cylinder head flowed on a SuperFlow SF-1020 flow bench at 28 inches of water:
|Lift in inches
|Intake flow/CFM
|Exhaust flow/CFM
These are decent flow numbers for a street-performance cylinder head—much better than the original iron oval-ports from the late '70s they were fashioned after. You can pick up an easy 25-30 cfm on both the intake and exhaust with bowl work and minor porting. From experience with these cylinder heads, you will see the matching 25- to 30hp gain with the flow increases.
Hope you get a chance to score a limited-edition ZL1 427. Rat motors are very cool when they are fully dressed in aluminum.
Source: chevrolet.com/performance
E85 Big-BlockQ I am rebuilding a 454 and would like to run it on E85. What internal stuff has to change? Do I have to run EFI or can I run a carb? What about fuel lines, do they have to be stainless? What kind of fuel tank? What about mechanical fuel pump? Does the timing have to be different and can I run an MSD box? Thanks for your time!
Jim Sherman
Via email
A Converting a vehicle over to an E85 happy fuel system will take a few bucks. Yes, to truly make an E85-compatible fuel system, you should replace the fuel lines with stainless steel. The 85 percent ethanol that is mixed with the 15 percent gasoline is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts and absorbs moisture. This moisture suspended in the ethanol will accelerate the oxidation (rust) in the fuel system. As you mentioned, a stainless fuel tank would also be preferred. If not, you can seal your existing tank with a specific alcohol/ethanol-resistant sealer. Bill Hirsch offers a specific sealer just for this application. One pint will coat a 10- to 12-gallon metal or fiberglass tank. You can pick up what you need from Aircraft Spruce by ordering online, or calling 877.477.7823. A quart is sold under PN 09-03477. This will take care of just about any tank you have.
You can convert over to EFI, as most of the EFI injectors will support the use of blended gasoline with various loads of ethanol. The main issue you will have is if you allow the fuel to sit for long periods of time and absorb humidity out of the atmosphere, or purchase either fuel from bad tanks or old fuel. It can have high moisture levels, which will give your injectors or carburetor fits. Yes, we said "carburetor." You can run E85-specific carburetors. This would be a carburetor that has been calibrated for the increased fuel flow and the appropriate needle and seats, accelerator pump, and gaskets to live with ethanol. Most performance carburetor builders offer E85-specific carbs. Check out Quick Fuel Technologies' Q-750 series carb, which is E85 calibrated and specifically engineered for the use of E85 pump fuel. The main body and fuel bowls are aluminum with QuickSet sight windows on both sides that make for easy float adjustment. Billet metering blocks and throttle plate ensure leak and porosity-free sealing between circuits with unmatched adjustability. Each carburetor is hand-assembled and engine tested before it goes out on E85. Look into PN Q-750-E85 online and give them a call for more information at 270.793.0900.
Now, to feed this monster you will need an E85/alcohol-specific fuel pump. There are mechanical pumps on the market, but one of the nicest is from Holley, under the Ultra HP line. These billet aluminum pumps are constructed from CNC machined 6061–T6 aluminum to provide the utmost in strength, with a black anodized finish. The pumps were put through extensive durability testing before they were released for production. The pump comes standard with AN –10 inlet and AN –8 outlet fittings. This Ultra HP pump is rated at a max flow of 225 gph. The bases are independently rotatable from the top to fit most all applications. The pump is internally regulated to 15-17 psi, which will require the use of a Holley fuel pressure regulator, PN 12-704. Check with Holley for any question about these components at 866.464.6553. With these components your fuel system will be bulletproof.
Finally, stepping up with an MSD ignition system will help burn the high volume of fuel. With the increased octane levels of the E85, you should be able to run more spark advance over standard pump gas. Usually with street pump gas, we're running right up against the knock limit of the fuel. With E85 we would start with 36-38 degrees of total timing. From there you may be able to squeeze in a couple more degrees if the engine performs. You will need to do some type of performance testing to land on your best spark advance.
Good luck with your conversion to E85. You'll want to pick up an Echecker E85 fuel test tube (PN 36-E85) from Quick Fuel. With this tool you can accurately check the percentage of ethanol content in your E85 pump gas. The amount of ethanol in the fuel can vary greatly from gas station to gas station. We've heard of some fuel as low as 70 and some as high as 90 percent. This greatly affects your tune-up from spark timing to jet sizes. Have fun!
Sources: aircraftspruce.com, holley.com, quickfueltechnology.com


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The Dr. Oz Show
Airdate: October 8, 2012
Dr. Oz: Should You Give Up Artificial Sweeteners?
- An Oz alert regarding artificial sweeteners
- How to reduce your use of artificial sweeteners
- Artificial butter substitutes are linked to Alzheimer's disease
- Swap the artificial fat for real fat
Are artificial substitutes helping or hindering health? Butter and sugar alternatives have been linked to increased risks for some of our greatest health concerns. Find out what the latest studies has to say about the impacts of artificial ingredients on the body. Dr. Oz shows how to steer clear and reduce your use of artificial ingredients.
Photo credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Join the Conversation! Connect with Watching Dr Oz:
Dr. Oz: Should You Give Up Artificial Sweeteners?
On the food and sweetener market today are four groups of artificial sweeteners that have been approved by the FDA: aspertame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame potassium. Artificial sweeteners are found in over 6,000 products sold in the United States with over 15% of the population using them regularly. That's billions of dollars spent on artificial sweeteners in an attempt to be more healthy but in reality may be causing health concerns.
Dr. Oz: Do Artificial Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain?
Yes, said Dr. Oz, artificial sweeteners can increase weight gain but there's an even bigger concern. Metabolic syndrome is on the rise in the United States with people experiencing three health concerns simultaneously: high blood pressure, excess belly fat, and insulin resistance. Dr. Oz said metabolic syndrome can be triggered by ingesting artificial sweeteners.
Renatta started adding artificial sweeteners to her coffee to reduce her calorie intake. There's a cup of coffee next to her all day, every day. Yet she can't lose weight. Another viewer shared that she started drinking diet soda in high school to fulfill her sweet cravings without turning to white sugar.
Neither woman realized there could be a health risk involved with their use of artificial sweeteners.
In an animation, Dr. Oz explained that there are taste buds not only in our mouths but also along our esophagus. These taste buds send messages to the brain that a sweet tasting food or drink has entered the body. The problem is that the brain knows that the sweet taste from artificial sweeteners isn't the right type of sweetness to satisfy sweet cravings. As a result, the pancreas creates more insulin and the body can become insulin resistant, fat can accumulate in the mid section, and the brain sends out message to get more sweets.
One soda containing artificial sweeteners can cause metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Oz: Can Artificial Sweeteners Cause Cancer?
Artificial sweeteners on their own do not cause cancer, said Dr. Oz however gaining weight by turning to artificial sweeteners can lead to increased cancer risks. Excess belly fat can lead to an increased risk of several cancers including colon, pancreas, endometrial, and breast cancers.
Dr. Oz: Can Artificial Sweeteners Making You Sick?
Millions of dollars are spent each year trying to resolve digestive issues including irritable bowel. Could these digestive issues be connected to the use of artificial sweeteners?
One viewer shared her story of experiencing diarrhea when eating sugar. She reached for artificial sweeteners thinking they would be easier on her digestive track. However after eating artificial sweeteners she experienced stronger diarrhea, stomach cramping, and increased body temperature.
Dr. Oz said there are recent studies showing that sugar alcohols, neither a sugar nor an alcohol but chemicals, can be the cause of a great deal of common digestive discomforts. Diarrhea is an extremely common reaction that has been linked to these sugar alcohols.
Dr. Oz explained that when sugar alcohols are ingested they can an increase in bacteria in the intestinal track and draws water in the intestines. The combination of bacteria and water in the intestines creates the equivalent of a laxative. All it takes is 10g of a sugar alcohol to cause a person to run to the bathroom.
Five sticks of sugar-free gum contains about 10g of sugar alcohols so does ½ of a sugar-free cookie and five sugar-free mints.
How can you tell if a product contains a sugar alcohol ingredient? Dr. Oz explained that any ingredient on a food label that ends in "itol" (such as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, erythritol) is a sugar alcohol. The higher up on the ingredient list the "itol" ingredient is listed than the more of it in the product.
Dr. Oz: Can Artificial Sweeteners Cause Bladder Issues?
Renee wrote in to The Dr. Oz Show with a complaint and a plea for help for having to go to the urinate too often, actually all throughout the day. She noticed the problem when she switched from sugar in her coffee to an artificial sweetener and when she switched from regular soda to sugar-free soda. To add to the list, she chews sugar-free gum all day as well.
Bladder issues are a concern that is being linked to artificial sweeteners. In a normal bladder, when the bladder fills up with liquid, muscles contract allowing the body to urinate. When a person ingests artificial sweeteners, the muscles of the bladder begin to spasm and cause frequent urination without much urine present in the bladder.
Dr. Oz explained that one packet of artificial sweeteners can cause these spasms of the bladder muscles. For an average person, Dr. Oz explained, going to the bathroom eight times a day is normal. More than eight trips to the bathroom to urinate is a cause for concern.
Dr. Oz: Best Ways to Cut Back on Artificial Sweeteners
Ashley Koff, RD, author of Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged, joined Dr. Oz to discuss how to cut back on artificial sweeteners. Ms. Koff recommends using what she calls The Three R's to reduce your use of artificial sweeteners.
Dr. Oz Cut Back on Artificial Sweeteners: Reduce
Ms. Koff says to get yourself down to one serving of artificial sweetener a day. If you drink five cups of coffee in a day, she explained, only use one artificial sweetener in your coffee then use another natural sweetener for the other cups.
Dr. Oz Cut Back on Artificial Sweeteners: Replace
Switch from calorie-free sweeteners to natural sweeteners which can be low- to no-calories. Ms. Koff recommends stevia which is up to 50 times sweeter than sugar [some stevia products can be up to 300 hundreds times sweeter than sugar].
Stevia has become very popular so there are many products on the market some of which include both stevia as well as sugar alcohols or other artificial sweeteners. Read the label and make sure stevia is on the ingredient list and there are no artificial sweeteners.
Make it easy and carry your own packets with you. Ms. Koff says you still need to pay attention to serving sizes with stevia and limit your use to three or four packets a day. She explained that more stevia than that in a day is still giving the body sweetness overload. Liquid stevia is great to add to drinks. Stevia can be used in baking but adjustments need to made to a recipe if substituting another sweetener with stevia. Check online for baking swap directions.
Dr. Oz Cut Back on Artificial Sweeteners: Renew
Renew by restoring your taste buds. Overloading with sweeteners can cause the body to not recognize the natural taste of sweetness such as an apple or honey. Ms. Koff recommends using raw buckwheat honey as a natural sweetener which is dark in color and rich in unrefined sweeteners. A more natural form of sweeteners such as honey will provide not only a sweet taste but will also give the body a better form of energy versus the stimulants people get from diet soda.
[Click here to read posts from Ms. Koff's previous appearances on The Dr. Oz Show:
Dr. Oz: Can Butter Substitutes Cause Alzheimer's Disease?
Can artificial butter flavorings trigger Alzheimer's disease? Diacetyl is a chemical that is used in foods in place of butter in cooking sprays, cheese, crackers, baking mixes, microwave popcorn, and even, get this, your wine.
Diacetyl is seen by many as a revolutionary ingredient that can give food that rich buttery flavor without the fat and calories that comes with butter and other fats.
Over the summer, explained Dr. Oz, studies came out linking artificial butter flavors to Alzheimer's.
Eating these chemicals causes a sap-like material to accumulate in the brain along the neurons. That clumping in the brain that can lead to memory loss and possibly Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Oz explained that the studies over the summer were inspired by high reports of workers in factories that produce these artificial butter substitutes were developing higher incidents of Alzheimer's disease.
This study is concerning indeed but Dr. Oz explained that it could be decades before a true connection is proven. In the meantime, Dr. Oz asked why be a guinea pig?
Dr. Oz: How to Reduce Artificial Butter Flavorings
Look on the label for either "diacetyl" or "artificial ingredient". Plant sterols are a good option, a natural option that is healthier than an artificial ingredient.
As with artificial sweeteners, using artificial butter flavorings over time the body can forget the taste and satisfaction of real butter. Dr. Oz recommended using whipped butter instead. The whipped variety of butter has greater volume which allows you use a smaller amount while still getting the natural taste of real butter.
Dr. Oz Funniest Lines from Kids
Dr. Oz's daughter Zoe used to hid her vitamins under her mattress. He loves to hear funny lines from kids and has received many examples from viewers:
- I'm allergic to broccoli;
- If I stop playing video games I'll go blind;
- My parents said not to clean my room because they like it messy;
- Dr. Oz says chocolate is good for you;
- Can I have dessert before dinner because it helps me dance?
Place your vote for this week's quiz
and return on Saturday for the answer.
Thank you for making Watching Dr Oz a success!


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2013 BIG 8 ① FNC Entertainment – The Center of Hallyu
Which entertainment agencies made remarkable moves in the Korean entertainment scene this year? One of the biggest issues that dominated the management business was that persistent demand on Hallyu contents, especially on K-pop, allowed singer and actors to expand their boundaries to overseas market. In the contents producing industry, it has become a matter of common interest that abilities to create and produce more diversified contents as viewers and audiences have higher criteria. There were bigger examples of middle and small sized agencies to make strategic alliance or have merger and acquisitions for retaining stable profit system. In addition to those, private life of stars became more in danger thanks to the Internet, which make the "risk management ability" as the top priority of the management firm should have.
As a wrap-up and recap of this year 2013, TenAsia picked up eight entertainment agencies that impressed the industry and found out their performance, strength and weakness and searched their right direction to go. FNC Entertainment is our first batter (alphabetical order).
This Year's Performance
The biggest stars of FNC Entertainment are definitely CNBLUE and FTISLAND. Both of the groups displayed vigorous activities in and out of Korea this year. CNBLUE scooped up the first place on Billboard's World Album chart with fourth mini-album "Re:Blue," filled only with their self-written tunes, and continued their overseas activities with five-city Japan Zepp tour and world tour "BLUE MOON." FTISLAND also proved their power through band performances in China, Hong Kong and Japan. The group's 11th Japan single album marked No. 1 on Oricon's chart. CNBLUE's Lee Jung-shin (TV series "Seo-young, My Daughter" and "Blade and Petal") and Kang Min-hyuk ("The Inheritors") cemented their names as actors, while FTISLAND's Lee Hong-gi made successful screen debut through movie "Rockin' on Heaven's Door." FTISLAND's member Song Seung-hyun again took on the role D'Artagnan in musical "Three Muskeeters."
Girl group AOA, who has both concept as dance group and band, the specialty of FNC Entertainment, entered the second year of their debut. AOA Black, five-member dance sub-unit of AOA, released single "MOYA" and held showcases in Singapore and Japan, which are the steppingstone for their upcoming overseas activities. AOA members Seolhyun (TV series "Seo-young, My Daughter"), Hyejung ("Cheongdam-dong Alice") and Choa (musical "Highschool Musical") also expanded their boundaries to acting. Juniel also made remarkable performance to sing new graduate song in 67 years. She also displayed sweet harmony with Lee Jong-hyun of CNBLUE in duet Romantic J.
This year, FNC Entertainment marked the new beginning. Starting with Park Gwang-hyun in 2011, FNC scouted Lee Dong-gun, Yoon Jin-seo and Song Eun-I last year and strengthened their actor management department. Especially, FNC made the meaningful move to produce their first TV series "Marry Him If You Dare," starring FNC's talents Jung Yong-hwa and Lee Dong-gun. The drama's ratings score is not satisfying but it is not right to expect too much from the first attempt. FNC also produced the original soundtrack to "The Inheritors," continuing their existing specialty, while began to promote the FNC brand through reality drama "Cheong-dam Dong 111." The firm has already finished preparations to get the company listed on the KOSDAQ, South Korean stock market, in the first half of next year. It was also impressive that FNC Entertainment's company building, located in Cheongdam-dong of Seoul, was chosen as Beautiful Architecture by Gangnam-gu Office this January.
This Year's Star
CNBLUE and FTISLAND are the two representative faces of FNC entertainment for sure. Both of them worked in local and overseas market actively, while each of the groups' members widened their boundaries to stages, screens and TV variety shows. However, it was CNBLUE whose activities were slightly stronger than FTISLAND's. Jung Yong-hwa filled all the tracks in the group's sixth Japan single "LADY" with his self-written tunes, also cementing his filmography with "Marry Him If You Dare." Despite of not-so-impressive score of the drama, he is still and alive. In addition, other CNBLUE members including Kang Min-hyuk and Lee Jung-shin have been recognized. Kang Min-hyuk grabbed noticeable popularity through "The Inheritors," and Lee Jung-shin attracted attention from wider generations through "Seo-young, My Daughter." AOA's Seolhyun, co-star of "Seo-young," contributed to promote the name of AOA.
As the year goes to its end, FNC's another star is becoming FNC's C.E.O Han Seong-ho. Along with TV show "Cheongdam-dong 111," his extraordinary career is receiving attention. Let's see if his name would become a new brand following SM Entertainment's Lee Soo-man, YG Entertainment's Yang Hyun-suk and JYP Entertainment's Park Jin-young.
What's Next?
"We're going to expand aggressively by scouting more artists and training newbies. We're also readying to go public next year," C.E.O Han unveiled through recent interviews. They also diagnosed themselves to be in the stage of heading a big-sized agency. Compared to their artists' name value, FNC itself had not caught much attention. Next year, the company will focus on letting their brand known as much as promoting their artists. CNBLUE will embark on Mid and South America tour for the first Korean band. Also, their actors will have more vigorous activities next year, including Lee Dong-gun, who resumed activities this year after being discharged from the military service. The idol-and-actors, namely Lee Jung-shin, Kang Min-hyuk and Seolhyun, will have more appearances on the small screen as well as Jung Yong-hwa and Lee Hong-gi who will continue their multi-activities. Following SM and YG Entertainments, FNC will establish its subsidiary firm FNC China in 2014.
Reporter. Hwang Seong-woon firstname.lastname@example.com
Translator. Cory Lee
Editor. Cory Lee
Courtesy of FNC Entertainment


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Student Writing (Advanced Search)
1 Articles, Editorials, News Summaries, Blog posts and Volunteer Opportunities submitted by students across the NewsActivist Network.
vvr2013 in Global Issues Grade 11, Montreal
December 11, 2013
December 11, 2013
Rio de Janeiro is the place to be in June of 2014. Flags, horns and pride will walk the streets of this Brazilian city for the 20th FIFA World Cup. It will be filled with excitement and don't forget about the festivities! What many of the international visitors won't know when partying in Rio is that this city is crime-filled and is having a rough time dealing with its problems. Rio is divided in favelas, which are shantytowns in Brazil. These favelas are known for being controlled by drug lords and the exchange of illegal drugs and weapons. In recent years police force have been conducting... [+] Read more
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"CSA" stands for "Chef-Supported Agriculture." It's a system of connecting farmers to buyers that people in the small farming community have been using for decades. In this system, farmers sell directly to consumers, who pick up their produce once per week from a pick-up point.
Using the Sweet Grass CSA, you will receive a bag of produce and food each week, containing only the freshest from local producers and house-made goods from the Sweet Grass Kitchen!
Then, once a week, you come to Sweet Grass to pick up your CSA share. We do the rest – we talk to the farmers, we gather the produce together, and we sort it into your bag. Every Wednesday, you stop into the restaurant and pick up your produce!
What's in the bag?
Every week, we will make sure to offer a balanced basket. It won't be all carrots – we will have the best local farmers' produce at our fingertips and will lovingly craft your bag each week.
Every time, we will make sure that your bag includes a variety of food. With an eye towards balance, we will make sure to include vegetables that combine well together as you cook throughout the week. But it won't be just vegetables! We are also offering freshly baked bread, cheese, eggs and other value-added products as they become available. Chef Ryan Trimm will include recipes and even some prepared items each week, such as Fresh Bread, Preserves & Pickles! At Sweet Grass, we love food – and we love to help others discover the talented farmers and chefs in the community.
The Sweet Grass CSA will consist of 4 "Seasons." Shares are limited, so be sure to sign up soon! Every member will receive a 10% discount when dining at Sweet Grass or Next Door during our happy hours Wednesday until 7pm!
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Payments will be made in one lump sum for the session, to be paid before the Season begins.
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WASHINGTON – David J. Orr and former attorneys, Todd Cannon and Michael Behunin, were sentenced in federal court in Salt Lake City, Utah, in connection with the promotion of a tax and investment fraud scheme, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart sentenced Orr to 60 months in prison, Behunin to 29 months in prison, and Cannon to 36 months in prison. In addition, all three defendants were ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of their terms of imprisonment. Cannon was also ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution.
In April 2003, Orr, Cannon, Behunin, Lanny White, who pleaded guilty on November 27, 2006, and certified public accountant Max Lloyd were indicted for promoting and selling a fraudulent trust scheme to over 300 clients that defrauded the United States of millions of dollars in tax revenue. All three defendants pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit mail and wire fraud, in connection with the promotion of the tax and investment fraud scheme. In total, 11 individuals, including four attorneys and one certified public accountant, have pleaded guilty in this case.
"Tax professionals who help others commit tax evasion pay a steep price for their crimes," stated Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division. "They forfeit not only the privilege of their professional livelihood, but also their liberty when they are sentenced to lengthy prison terms."
According to papers filed with the court, Orr was the lead promoter, salesperson and organizer for the fraud scheme. Orr admitted that his actions cost the federal Treasury between $5 million and $10 million in lost tax revenue. Orr also admitted that he obtained between $5 million and $7 million from clients by misrepresenting his investment experience and the safety and expected return on the investments he marketed.
"Concealing income from the government through the use of fraudulent trust arrangements is not financial planning; it's criminal activity," said John H. Imhoff, Jr., Acting Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. "Those who promote these activities will be held accountable."
Orem, Utah, attorney Todd Cannon was legal counsel for the fraud scheme and falsely represented to clients that the trust scheme was legal. Cannon admitted that his actions cost the federal Treasury almost $3 million in lost tax revenue. Cannon also admitted that he allowed his fellow conspirators to fraudulently use and invest over $1 million of clients' funds for purposes other than those promised to the clients. As a condition of his guilty plea, Cannon agreed to surrender his law license.
Sandy, Utah attorney Michael Behunin prepared numerous false tax returns for the fraud scheme, costing the federal Treasury between $950,000 and $1.5 million in lost tax revenue. Behunin also admitted to participating in a fraudulent railroad bond investment scheme, causing clients to lose between $350,000 and $450,000. As a condition of his guilty plea, Behunin agreed to surrender his law license. Behunin also holds an advanced degree in taxation.
The case was prosecuted by Tax Division trial attorney Nicholas D. Dickinson. Special agents of the Internal Revenue Service and FBI assisted with the investigation and prosecution of this case.


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An Oasis in the Heart
© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.
Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.
"Faith is an oasis in the heart which can never be reached by the caravan of thinking."
(Kahlil Gibran – Lebanese born American philosophical Essayist, Novelist and Poet, 1883-1931)
Walking in the narow streets from Pili Kothi to Jaitpura in Varanasi (Benaras) at the time of Muharram is an enchantment.
In front of each house stands a tazia which is a miniature replica of Husayn's mausoleum.
The simple ones are usualy done by the children living there, others which are more elaborated are made by several artcrafters from the city who follow different religions and maintain this way that well-known Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (Ganges-Yamuna Culture) which is a fusion of Hindu and Muslim elements in the culture of the central plains of Northern India.
During this magical evening families and friends visit each house where stands a tazia as the day after they will be carried in processions.
Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography


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Erin Crop Top
Erin Crop Top
The Erin crop is simple, textured, & fits seamlessly into any wardrobe. The sample is knit up in cotton & is perfect for hot summer days, but it could also be knit up in wool or layered with chunky cozy cardigans for cooler weather. It is meant to fit snug & is available in sizes 30"-46". Read more about the creative process behind this top here.
This pattern is also available via Ravelry and Etsy // Order handknit tops (& more!) on Etsy // Request a custom order top at email@example.com
– Based on bra bandwidth size; pick the size that matches your bra band
– See schematic to the right
– Each size has approximately 2-3" negative ease built in
– 30" (32", 34", 36", 38") [40", 42", 44", 46"]
Approximately 225 (240, 250, 265, 275) [290, 300, 315, 325] yds DK weight yarn
Sample: 1 skein Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim DK
Needles & Notions
– US Size 7 16" circular needle for sizes 30"-38"; 24" circular needles for sizes 40"-46"
– Stitch marker
– Scrap yarn
– Tapestry needle
– Measuring tape
– Blocking materials of your choice
18 sts & 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch in the rnd; 4.5 sts/inch
If you are confused or stuck, there are a lot of great tutorials online for all of these techniques!
– Long tail cast on
– Increasing (kfb)
– Decreasing (k2tog, ssk, p2tog[tbl])
– Knitting in the round
– Kitchener stitch
This is a .pdf pattern download that will give a unique link which will expire after purchase, so make sure to download & save it. Patterns are for personal use only and are protected by international copyright law. All images, text, illustration, and pattern are the property of the designer, Megan Lynch of Freesia Fibers.


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Augmented Tides
Rafael Berges
California College of the Arts
Jared Clifton California College of the Arts
Margaret Ikeda California College of the Arts
Evan Jones California College of the Arts
Adam Marcus California College of the Arts
This winning design is a rich elaboration of ecological conditions and treatments in the restoration of a sensitive location, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, CA. The building works as an elegant environmental machine using water throughout the design. The students did a wonderful job of making it a destination while conceiving what looks like a sophisticated water-processing plant.
Design & Innovation
Augmented Tides proposes a research and education center dedicated to intertidal species. The building's systems are inspired by the sustainable processes found in natural wetlands to conserve water and foster animal, plant, and human life. In doing so, the project brings the community closer to the natural processes that occur everyday but are typically absent in city life. The building's design responds to the tidal changes throughout the day and capitalizes on ways to use the tides for cultural and performance purposes. The building filters seawater through its wetlands and visualizes the process for visitors to the site. This fulfills an important part of the center's educational purpose: if visitors understand how the process works they can better appreciate the importance of sustainable design inspired by nature.
Regional & Community Design
The building is an interface between an urban site and a marshland, and brackets certain zones to serve as microenvironments that foster varying plant, animal, and human ecologies. The research and educational program is wrapped along the perimeter of the inlet and encloses research labs and classrooms. The tidal marshland is located between both the research and education spaces. Visitors can walk directly out onto the marshes and explore what is growing there without having to go inside. Classrooms include large flex spaces at water level that expand at low tide and contract back into the enclosure at high tide. These "tidal classrooms" are meant to encourage awareness of the way tides change through the day. The design brings the public to the San Francisco Bay to experience the way its ecosystems grow on a daily basis.
Land Use & Site Ecology
The site, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, was designed as a restorative tidal wetland that includes mud flats, salt marshes, and eel grass beds. The park, surrounded by the Port of Oakland, is a rare place where the local community can connect with the San Francisco Bay and its tidal ecologies. The building is sited at an existing inlet on the south side of the park, and is adapted from the park's 1999 Master Plan, which called for an ecological education center. Prefabricated, structural fiber-reinforced polymer containers are mounted on columns at different heights above and below water level to reflect the different intertidal zones that naturally occur in tidal marshlands. The project is a living tidal landscape that will foster the growth of many tidal ecosystems.
Energy Flows & Energy Future
The building employs a number of passive systems in its water cycles as well as in its daylighting strategies. The water plenum uses the natural force of the tides coming in to pump water up to the marshlands. Gravity then circulates this salt water downwards through the different levels and eventually to sea as cleaned salt water.
The system uses the natural processes of the tides and the filtration capacities of marshlands to filter water without using electricity. The polishing ponds on the roof naturally filter treated blackwater into greywater for use in the building to conserve as much water as possible. The project maximizes the natural capacity of the marshland to filter water throughout the building.
Water Cycles
The proposed scheme deploys fresh and salt water in two separate loops. Filtration columns pump treated blackwater up to the roof, channeling it through integrated troughs that migrate through polishing ponds that naturally filter water. Once the water migrates to the opposite end of the roof, filtration columns bring the water back down to a grey water collection cistern for radiant heating and toilet use.
The second cycle involves pumping salt water up through tidal columns within the inlet. At high tide, the water plenum fills with water, which is pumped upwards to continually refill the artificial salt marshes. Water migrates through the integrated troughs to the lower levels, and then back out to sea as cleaned salt water.
Bioclimatic Design
The massing of the building surrounds the entire inlet, with most of the overhangs located on the east for effective shading through most of the day, providing comfortable working spaces for the research labs and classrooms. Education and research programs are located along bars to the east and west to capitalize on a range of natural lighting conditions. Large exterior roof overhangs prevent excessive solar gain inside.
Light & Air
The project foregrounds the natural tidal occurrences of the site while also creating architecture that acts as a backdrop to the plant, animal, and human ecologies staged within it. Most of the exterior facades consist of glazed curtain walls, which allow occupants 360-degree views of the surrounding Bay. The building uses numerous overhangs to provide shading inside while preserving surrounding views.
For the majority of the year, prevailing winds come in from the west. The vertical layering of tidal columns, the porosity of programs, and the narrow organization allows natural ventilation to enter and flow through the building unimpeded. The enclosure system includes operable windows that allow air to flow in low to the ground and out high towards the ceiling for effective cross ventilation within all enclosed spaces.
Long Life, Loose Fit
The design allows for ecological change and growth over time in multiple ways. First, as sea levels rise, the design allows ecosystems to adapt by moving to higher tidal columns. Second, research containers can be raised and lowered with a pulley system to allow for maximum adaptability for scientists testing species above and below water. Third, tidal classrooms at water level will change throughout the day with tidal change, encouraging inhabitants to program their activities around the movement of the tides.
Furthermore, the prefabricated units can scale to other sites: the tidal columns can be easily disassembled and installed at other locations. The tidal columns can be placed along coastlines to research how sea level rise is affecting local plant and animal ecologies. If they are grouped together, they can dissipate waves during storm surges, offering a more resilient alternative to concrete barriers typically used for this purpose.
Collective Wisdom & Feedback Loops
Our studio worked closely with professional consultants throughout the semester. We met with marine biologists, the Port of Oakland regulatory boards, fiberglass fabricators, structural engineers, building energy specialists, and a naval architect. By the end of the semester, we had learned to refine our initial design proposals with the feedback from the specialists to produce cohesive and ecologically minded design proposals. Through post-occupancy, the tidal columns would need to be evaluated to make sure that enough water is being pumped up to support plant and animal life, how quickly this water is evaporating, and to what extent the water is being heated by the sun. Input from consulting biologists confirmed that the continuous circulation of salt water would be an effective way to ensure that the tidal pools would remain cool, thereby preventing them from becoming anoxic (low levels of oxygen) and harmful to plant and animal species. By constantly pumping up water during high tide, the scientists concluded that the plants and animals we proposed would thrive within this sort of artificial wetland environment.
Materials & Construction
Structural fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP, or fiberglass) was selected as the primary material for both the tidal pools and the building's roof structure. FRP is lightweight, it does not corrode in marine applications, and it is highly customizable through the use of digital fabrication processes. The folded form of the basic FRP module emerged from a desire to avoid the use of steel because of its added weight and tendency to corrode; the large ripple in the middle serves as a folded beam that provides additional structural capacity. Furthermore, the units can be stacked when shipped from the fabrication facility to our site. The full-scale FRP prototype demonstrates a finer grained scale at which the geometry of the fiberglass is optimized (based on input from consulting biologists) to aggregate plant and animal life within the crevices of the submerged research containers. In addition to varying the depths of each of the modules, the surface varies to respond to different plant and animal ecologies.
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Nuclear actin filaments recruit cofilin and actin-related protein 3, and their formation is connected with a mitotic block
Nuclear actin filaments recruit cofilin and actin-related protein 3, and their formation is connected with a mitotic block - Download this document for free, or read online. Document in PDF available to download.
Histochemistry and Cell Biology
, Volume 142, Issue 2, pp 139–152
First Online: 08 July 2014Accepted: 25 June 2014DOI: 10.1007-s00418-014-1243-9
Cite this article as: Kalendová, A., Kalasová, I., Yamazaki, S. et al. Histochem Cell Biol 2014 142: 139. doi:10.1007-s00418-014-1243-9
Although actin monomers polymerize into filaments in the cytoplasm, the form of actin in the nucleus remains elusive. We searched for the form and function of β-actin fused to nuclear localization signal and to enhanced yellow fluorescent protein EN-actin. Our results reveal that EN-actin is either dispersed in the nucleoplasm homogenous EN-actin or forms bundled filaments in the nucleus EN-actin filaments. Formation of such filaments was not connected with increased EN-actin levels. Among numerous actin-binding proteins tested, only cofilin is recruited to the EN-actin filaments. Overexpression of EN-actin causes increase in the nuclear levels of actin-related protein 3 Arp3. Although Arp3, a member of actin nucleation complex Arp2-3, is responsible for EN-actin filament nucleation and bundling, the way cofilin affects nuclear EN-actin filaments dynamics is not clear. While cells with homogenous EN-actin maintained unaffected mitosis during which EN-actin re-localizes to the plasma membrane, generation of nuclear EN-actin filaments severely decreases cell proliferation and interferes with mitotic progress. The introduction of EN-actin manifests in two mitotic-inborn defects—formation of binucleic cells and generation of micronuclei—suggesting that cells suffer aberrant cytokinesis and-or impaired chromosomal segregation. In interphase, nuclear EN-actin filaments passed through chromatin region, but do not co-localize with either chromatin remodeling complexes or RNA polymerases I and II. Surprisingly presence of EN-actin filaments was connected with increase in the overall transcription levels in the S-phase by yet unknown mechanism. Taken together, EN-actin can form filaments in the nucleus which affect important cellular processes such as transcription and mitosis.
KeywordsNuclear actin Transcription Mitosis Actin-related protein 3 Cofilin Download fulltext PDF
Author: Alžběta Kalendová - Ilona Kalasová - Shota Yamazaki - Lívia Uličná - Masahiko Harata - Pavel Hozák
Source: https://link.springer.com/


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BALLYMENA FEMALES SELL TO 850gns/
Hampshire Down ewes were bid to a top of 850gns in Ballymena at the breed association's Ireland show and sale on 3 October.
Sale leader at 850gns was a shearling ewe by Wattisfield Bertie Boy and scanned in lamb to Yarcombe Flashman who is within the breed's top 1%. Bred and exhibited by Kevin and Anna McCarthy, Comber, she sold to Roger Laird, Strabane.
The McCarthy's offered the next two highest lots from their Ballycreelly flock. Mary Gordon, Enniscrone, Sligo paid 470gns for an aged ewe by Ballycreelly Devilsadvocate and scanned in lamb to Flashman, whilst the day's reserve champion, a homebred ewe lamb by Wattisfield What Not was secured for 400gns by Edgar Johnston, Cookstown. A second 400gns bid was made WJ Craig, Ballymena for an in lamb shearling ewe by Yarcombe Topper from Tony McGrath, Dungannon. Another in lamb shearling ewe from the same breeder, this time by Ballycreelly What Next made 380gns to K Wilson, Moneymore.
Selling twice at 380gns were two aged ewes from John and Olive Mercer, Dromore to Brian Kennedy Moira. One was by their homebred Moybrick Tumbler and the other by Knockstacken Quartz. The same purchaser went to 350gns for an aged ewe by Loughan Moss from J,A and J Fletcher, Newtownards.
A bid of 370gns secured a Parkstock bred aged ewe by Dunraven Jewel from Peter and Heather Stevenson, Portadown from William Young, Magherafelt.
Auctioneers: Ballymena Livestock Market


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I have been working in and out of Indonesia since 1975 and have covered a massive range of topics and subject matter. I am now settled in Dorset in the South West of England with my wife Dina. We work together as a team. Dina has translated books and poems and during the last five years has been my partner in translating many subjects from legal matters to company reports.
I passed the Metropolitan Police Test many years ago obtaining a distinction in Consecutive Interpreting.
In January 2007 I was awarded a Commendation by the Metropolitan Police for outstanding work with the Sapphire Team.
Dina Oktaviani
Dina, who is an Indonesian national, a native speaker, is now a full Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. She is an extremely capable translator and interpreter with a massive vocabulary.
We offer a professional and confidential service at competitive rates and work both ways from Bahasa Indonesia to English and vice versa.
We will carry out a thorough and accurate job when on any assignment meeting an agreed deadline.
Our clients have the advantage of having the translations we do for them edited first by a native speaker, either in English or in Bahasa Indonesia, before the finished work is returned.
Assignments accepted include:
– Translation from English to Indonesian and Indonesian to English
– Consecutive and Simultaneous Interpreting both ways
– Subtitling film or video
– Voice overs
– Transcription
– Editing
– Proof reading
We offer an email backup service should there be any queries post assignment.
photographs by philip


text:
|On College Football 2018: The End
Dan* said:
|I cant believe the regular season is over already.
I love your remarks on fandom. Whenever I can, ...
|On College Football 2018 Week 11 Preview
Dan* said:
|Hey Ken, thank you for the Penn State coverage this year! I tried to comment earlier but the captcha...
|On New CBS Show Scorpion Riddled with Errors
e.* said:
|also, 7a: disk-based backup targets don't work that way. you don't back up anything to one single so...
|On New CBS Show Scorpion Riddled with Errors
Stephen J* said:
|Wasn't planning on watching, now definitely won't.
19a: if the whole Ethernet cord to sportscar th...
|On College Football 2013: Week 10 Preview
Ken said:
|Update: Bryan Underwood is out with an injury. Umm, that's not good.
|Books: Brighton Rock
|Sunday, 2007 October 14 - 9:38 pm
|A modern classic by Graham Greene.
I read this book because it was mentioned in King Dork, and given how much I liked that book, I put a good deal of stock in Frank Portman's literary tastes.
Brighton Rock is a murder mystery of sorts, though you already know most of the facts about the crime from the beginning. What you don't know is whether anyone else solves the crime, or whether the killer gets away with it. And that's how the book unfolds: half the chapters are told from the killer's point of view, following his attempts to cover up the crime. The other chapters come from the point of view of a woman who met the victim on the day of his death, and her attempts to investigate what happened.
Sometimes the book is hard to follow, as it follows the language and customs of 1930s England. But, much like a Shakespearean play, once you get into the flow of things (and once you build up a vocabulary of slang terms), it becomes easier. (For example, "vitriol" is what they call sulfuric acid.)
The fact that we get the story from multiple points of view, and the fact that one of the points of view is the antagonist's, makes for a very engrossing read. The characters are developed steadily and deliberately; the narrative is full of gritty atmosphere; and the story is resolved in dramatic fashion. It's really a remarkable book.
Rating: 4.0 / 5
|Permalink 1 Comment
Posted by Ken in: books, reviews
|Comment #1 from John C (Guest)
2007 Oct 15 - 10:19 pm : #
|Greene is my favorite author! I am happy you liked him I have not read this book, and now I will. I had a similar experience with "Moby Dick" recently. Once in the groove, it was a peice of cake.


text: Register a free account on Cheating Married and you'll be able to meet married women in Japan, it only takes a minute to signup and discretion is guaranteed. Cheating Married offers free memberships and takes just seconds to register. Click a province/state within Japan from the list below or scroll to the left to find a married woman directly.


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One of the scariest things about doing a renovation is finding the right type of people to do it. Whether you're doing a one room reno or trying to flip an entire house for the first (or twenty-fifth!) time, after hearing so many horror stories about contractors, it's no wonder. There are several things you can do up front to keep from getting screwed. With over 30 full renovations under my belt, I've seen the good, the bad and the UGLY. I've hired, fired, been stolen from, been left with an unfinished home, had a home vandalized a day before going on the market, you name it. Don't hire the duds! Duh. Finding a good contractor is not difficult if you're looking for the right signs.
The Search
First we need some contractors to screen. This isn't the hard part. Ask around.
- Ask your friend who flips houses! :)
- Ask a realtor.
- If you're in real estate investment, ask a wholesaler. They often have a list of contractors.
- Post your request on Facebook. You'll get plenty of responses.
- Find one on Angie's List and/or check reviews of ones that have been referred to you.
--If they aren't on Angie's List, this doesn't mean they aren't good.--
You'll probably end up with a nice list to start with just by doing one of these options. Ask the people who referred them what they liked and didn't like about them. Remember, we all have different requirements and things we need or can let slide. We'll go deeper into this later. For now, we've got a number of people to call.
The next step is figuring out your requirements before you interview anyone. Remember, this is an INTERVIEW.
Do not hire a contractor just because someone recommended them.
So many times I have recommended a contractor and the friend or family member hired them on the spot only taking price into consideration. We all have different expectations. Figure out what yours are before they get there. My expectations as a house flipper will be different than a typical homeowner's. I'm not living in the house where the construction will be taking place. This person won't be painting near my bed, so I don't much care if they aren't the cleanest individual. Also, I can deal with someone not being able to get to my fence until 3 weeks from now on a Saturday evening. On the flip side, my cabinets must go in on X date or else the entire project down to the listing date will be affected. I have different requirements depending on the job I'm hiring for. You will have your own requirements.
There are three criteria you'll consider when hiring the right contractor. You can't have it all. EVER. Always at least one of these three components will be sacrificed. ALWAYS. They are...
Price, Quality & Time
We all want great prices, great quality and speedy service, but sorry - you can't have it all. For instance, if you want the job done as cheaply as possible, no doubt you'll find someone that is wiling to do it for nuthin'. But, not paying much will get you a contractor who squeezes you in when they can every other week for 4 months. Something must give, and in this case, it's time. If you want to have the job done yesterday, you'll either pay more OR receive lesser quality as they try to satisfy the time expectation.
You'll have to decide what is important to you, as well as consider that of the person who recommended the contractor in the first place. You may not be on the same wavelength. If your coworker is referring their brother-in-law who has a full time job and does this as a side gig, expect time to be the first thing you'll be sacrificing. Great pricing might be in your favor, however. Which part of the equation are you willing to lower you expectations?
So, now you're going to meet them. You'll want to evaluate them on a few key points.
- Availability
- Qualifications
- Interest In the Job
- Price
- Money Up Front
- Contract
- Expectations
So, now you've called some candidates and are waiting to hear back. If they don't call you back immediately, don't write them off just yet. The good contractors will be busy...WORKING. High demand individuals are usually excellent at any of the three job factors we previously discussed. If they don't call you back in a timely manner however, don't waste your time. Take this as a sign that they are too busy or disorganized and move on.
When you do get them on the phone, check their availability. Why waste anyone's time if they can't fit you in. Remember, contractors will be working at break neck speed during high times, like the summer in many areas. The good ones will only take on what they can actually do and do well. The bad ones will say they can take on anything ("Oh yeah sure! No problem!") and then....you guessed it. You're screwed. Pretty soon you have one guy showing up a couple times a week to satisfy you enough to not fire them. On the flip side, if time is not one of your priorities, then you may choose to deal with a delay. Or, perhaps you are willing to wait until the winter when their schedule dies down. Check your options.
Ask for their license information if it is required for the job. In Ohio, it is not necessary to have a general contracting license. Specific trades are a different story. The requirements are different in each state. Secondly, ask for a copy of their insurance and workman's comp. They should be able to provide these pretty easily. If not, you decide if it is worth the risk.
Interest in the job
Now that you've deemed they can fit you into their schedule and they are qualified to do the job, invite them over to take a look. During your interview, you'll want to assess a few things. The balances of their Yes's and No's to your requests. Too much of either is a red flag, in my opinion (anyone watching Good Wife?).
Let's say you're doing a kitchen remodel and you're listing all of the changes you want to make. If the contractor continues to say, "Oh no you don't want to do that." or "You sure about that?", don't hire that downer. Do they see a problem that is justified or do they just not like your idea? Don't get me wrong, you should listen to their reasons why something won't work. Perhaps they'll have a good reason. But, too many negative remarks is a bad way to start a job. I've stopped in middle of an interview and said, "Listen, I've been doing this a long time and I know what I can do and I know what I want." In my head I was thinking, "Peace out." You don't want to be treated like a doormat.
Girl boss.
(Or boy boss.)
Either way. You da boss.
On the flip side, you don't want a contractor who YES's everything saying, "Sure! I can do anything! Weeee!" That's the sound of money pouring out of your pocket. They should be looking out for the integrity of the home. So, if taking a wall out is a bad idea structurally, they should be pointing that out. A good balance of enthusiasm and warnings makes for a good contractor.
At this point, you've met with a few contractors and you have some estimates. You're ready to choose. Odds are there is one you are drawn to just because of their demeanor. Maybe they were a good listener, had great ideas and you just got a good vibe. If their price isn't exactly what you had in mind don't count them out just yet. Contractors will almost always negotiate their price. Let's hope they gave you a detailed estimate. If not, ask for one. If they will not provide you a breakdown of costs, do not hire them. You have right to know what you are paying for.
Go through each item and decide whether or not you are willing to pay what they are asking. Google "labor costs tile floor install" and check it against industry and location standards. Talk with them about how they came up with that number and if they can come down a little. Be fair. Remember, this is how they make a living.
If the cost is still way off, consider changing the scope of the project. Maybe it's you, not them. Maybe you're expecting too much. Maybe you can use a different material that is easier and more quickly installed. Maybe you can paint your cabinets instead of purchase new ones. During your initial interview, ask for cost projections for different scenarios such as laying new hardwood flooring vs. refinishing the old.
Money Up Front
This is the scariest part! You like a certain contractor, but they want some money up front. This is not uncommon, but I'd still shy away from it. They will need to purchase some materials for your job. This is the truth. But, will they? Who knows. There are two ways to go about protecting yourself.
- Have the contractor put a material order together at the supply house, then you pay for it yourself. Purchase all of the materials and have them delivered to your house. Clear some space in your garage or rent a storage container for a month.
- Purchase just the finish materials such as cabinets, vanity, mirrors, faucets, etc and have them delivered to your home (more help with this to come in a future post). Have your contractor pick up the building materials needed for the project. This should greatly reduce the cost they will incur. Reimburse them for the materials after they have brought them to the project. Promise to pay them at the end of each week, and do so. Any decent contractor should be able to foot the bill for a few hundred dollars in materials. Don't expect them to have to pay for too much, though. Most contractors are not rich, although their nice truck might fool you into thinking otherwise. Be fair.
If the materials are taken care of, then what do they need to be paid for upfront? NOTHING. If they haven't done anything yet, then they SHOULD NOT GET PAID. Labor SHOULD NOT be paid up front. If they claim it should be, then this is a huge warning. It's likely they are trying to pay this week's payroll on another job with your money. Sadly, they're in the hole and trying to make up for it. This will only snowball and turn ugly very, very soon.
Sign a contract! Signing a contract is not just for legal reasons. It also explains the expectation for the job. So much goes into a remodel that it is easy for a contractor to forget that you decided to put a fan in the master bedroom instead of just a light. "Install fixture" is not good enough. A good contract has a detailed scope of work and spells out everything that will be done. Make sure it is specific so there is no discrepancy. Spend time with this so mistakes are minimal. Getting a contractor to come back and fix things is incredibly frustrating and time consuming.
If any changes are made during the renovation, put them in writing. You may discover some plumbing had to be fixed unexpectedly and were not told how much it cost until the final bill shows up. Surprise bills at the end are an easy way to go over budget. You as the homeowner should know how much you are going to spend beforehand so you can accept a fair price. Get all changes in writing before the work begins. Plus if you are worried about them padding the numbers, an undocumented change would be a good place for them to hide it.
We've already touched on this in the contract, but let's take it a bit further. We don't want to insult the contractor, but we need to let them know our expectations. They work hard and are proud of their work. That's not to say their crew is, though. Sometimes corners are cut, whether it is known by the general contractor or not. If you are a neat freak about straight grout lines or you're especially worried about the hinges on your doors being painted (this happens), let them know. I typically start this conversation out like so, "I'm really worried about a few things because I've seen it done before and I want to make sure we're on the same page. I don't want the hinges or doorknobs painted." They might give you a look like, "WTF? Who would paint those things?" to which I say, "I know, I know. You probably wouldn't do that, but I needed to say it just in case." Remember, you are the boss. Get what you are paying for. Fixing things after mistakes have been made is infuriating for both parties.
Ready, Go.
Start asking around for some referrals. You don't need to be ready to tear your place apart tomorrow or even a few weeks from now. Give yourself some time to find the right candidate for the job. Give yourself the time to make a decision, as well as find a good time slot for your contractor to schedule you in.
Ok, so that's it. You're ready. You've got this.
Do the dang thing.


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Students interested in attending one of the school division's academy programs and/or advanced academic programs are required to submit an application. Each program has specific application requirements as listed below.
Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) students who wish to apply for an academy program must use the online application process. Online applications will be available on October 18, 2019.
January 9, 2019 was the deadline for all VBCPS students to submit their applications online and for non-VBCPS students to submit their application to the appropriate coordinator of the program(s) to which they are applying. Timelines related to the selection and appeal process are available on the Application Timelines web page.
During the selection process, each program will establish a waiting list of students in the event that a student who is offered a position chooses not to accept or transfers prior to the start of the school year. The waiting list will remain active only until the last business day prior to the first day of school. Students must re-apply for consideration for the next school year.
For information about Green Run Collegiate, a public charter schools, and its application, visit greenruncollegiate.vbschools.com
Write a thoughtful essay not to exceed 400 words. How does the theme of the Academy fit with your interests and future goals? What experiences, skills and talents will you bring to the academy?
Completion of Honors Algebra I and Earth Science in middle school is required for Governor's STEM Academy applicants only. Keyboarding is required only for students pursuing the Information Technology strand.
Submit an electronic portfolio. Visit the Landstown High School website at landstownhs.vbschools.com for electronic portfolio requirements.
Write a thoughtful essay of approximately 350 words that expresses why you are applying to the Governor's STEM or the Technology Academy and what you hope to gain from this experience. The essay should include your thoughts and reasons for which of the two areas of concentration you wish to focus your studies: Information Technology or STEM Engineering. Essays should be original, creative and grammatically correct.
Write a thoughtful essay not to exceed 400 words. How does the theme of the Academy fit with your interests and future goals? What experiences, skills and talents will you bring to the academy.
Admissions Exam
Completion of Algebra I in middle school
An audition will be scheduled.


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Shields Tee | Olympic Collection
Shields Tee | Olympic Collection
24.99 30.00
Our PRIMA Olympic Collection is inspired by the past and present USA Olympic experience. USA has been dominating the Olympics for years and has been accustomed to winning GOLD throughout the years. The United States has also won more GOLD and overall medals than any other country in the Summer Olympic Games.
Stay reppin' and rock it with pride. Order yours today!
This tee has a modern fit to it and is made with pre-shrunk 100% cotton for an incredibly nice soft feel.
- Made with Pre-shrunk 4.3 oz 100% combed ringspun cotton
- Tubular construction with shoulder-to-shoulder tape
- Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
- Fashion fit
- VERY LIMITED quantity available
Add To Cart


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Williamstown, Mass. – October 1, 2008 – The Williams College Ephs had a 3-1 victory over the Springfield College Pride on Wednesday night at Renzie Lamb Field after losing their last two consecutive competitions.
The Ephs entered the game with more intensity than previous games, although they were still missing usual starter, senior Meighan McGowan (Greenwich, CT). Junior Anne de Saint Phalle (Bronxville, NY) stepped up on the offensive end in the first period with Williams's first goal. The Ephs kept their momentum throughout the first period and with just 3 minutes until halftime, freshman Karyn Moss (Medfield, MA) put in Williams's second goal.
As the second period began, the Springfield Pride brought concentration to match that of Williams and senior Jill Urtz (Verona, NY) scored their first goal to cut the lead to one.
Williams quickly answered with a goal from senior Julia Nawrocki (Winchester, UK) one minute later to put the game out of reach for the Pride.
Williams had 6 penalty corners as apposed to Springfield's 8. Springfield ended the game with 11 shots taken, while Williams took 9 shots.
Eph sophomore Katrina Tulla (New Canaan, CT) was in goal all 70 minutes and had 3 saves. Senior Sarah Burleigh (Darien, CT) contributed 2 defensive save for the Ephs. Springfield's goalie Alison McCarthy (North Andover, Mass.) had 2 saves.
Springfield returns to action on Saturday morning when it returns to conference play as it entertains MIT at 11:00 am on Stagg Field.
Photos courtesy of Kris Dufour.


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I really feel bad that I have slacked off on my regular podcast. But, I can tell you that the next exciting episode of the Family Medicine Rocks Podcast will be tonight, Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 9pm Eastern Time - Live on BlogTalkRadio. I'm also going to put a player on the site here which I believe will be live as well for you to tune into the show. (also check out the video promo above)
No guest this wk, just my commentary on the following:
- Why Do Doctors Run Late In The Office? - There as been a lot of discussion this week on this topic on twitter and other places. Check out this article from the New York Times and this article from CNN. I'm pretty upset by the article, but not what you think. Tune in!
- This Week In Social Media And Family Medicine - Check out my post from earlier this week. I'll also be talking about the upcoming meeting of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians.
- Even though the debt ceiling debate is over, the long term ramifications may affect physicians and Medicare. Check out this article by American Medical News. If an agreement is not reached with the newly created Congress "supercommittee" - when it comes to long term spending cuts, Medicare will be cut and ultimately physician payment will be affected. And, oh, by the way, this new bill still does not address the sustained growth rate (SGR) of Medicare and the proposed scheduled payment cuts for the 2012 year.
Now, that seems like a full show. Who knows? Maybe I'll squeeze in more material, as time allows. As always, thanks so much for the support that all of you out there give me and give the show. I really appreciate it!


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The Art of Live Looping
Community Events
Private Lessons
The A.L.L. Educational Outreach is a fun, fast paced, fluid and dynamic lesson plan readily adapted to teach those of varying levels of skill and development. From kindergarten students learning basic fundamentals of musical creation, to experienced musicians looking to develop new skills.
The A.L.L. program is as portable, modular, and easily adaptable as any musician should be. It can be tailored for any environment, from the classroom, to festivals, and even one-on-one mentorship programs are available
Watch Arthur show us how it's done with this free video lesson
How is it done?
Basically the signal of a vocal mic or acoustic guitar goes into your looping device and the output goes into your mixer or amp. When you are ready to loop you press the record button on the downbeat and press it again at the end of the phrase on the downbeat. Then that loop will play over and over. You have to make sure your initial loop is in time otherwise it will drive you crazy. Then you can "overdub" additional parts on top of what you have and you can layer parts to your heart's content.
Through bringing my assembly program to schools around the country and talking with music teachers, I have discovered that the A.L.L. offers incredible potential for music teachers to use it in the classroom to help them be more effective in reaching their national core standards for music education.
ART of LIVE-LOOPING CLASSROOM BENEFITS:
1. Engaging & fun for students and teachers
2. Efficiency: Faster learning for students / Supports Core Music Standards!
3. Immediacy of on-the-spot-recording for assessments and evaluation.
4. Kids think it's cool! (teachers too!)
5. Create practice loops to help students learn difficult passages.
It's actually very simple and relatively inexpensive to get started with A.L.L. in your classroom. The Art of Live-Looping via the iPad app LOOPY HD offers music students an exciting, easily accessible and inexpensive tool that will support them in learning many of the core music standards thru hands on engagement and collaboration. Educators will find this a time saving tool in class by speeding up the student's learning process as well as providing a powerful new tool for the assessment process.
If you are interested in using a traditional live-looping pedal approach,
then the most affordable and logical unit for the classroom in my opinion is the Digitech JamMan Looper/Phrase Sampler. If you already have some kind of a sound system with a microphone and mic stand then you are more than half way there.
If you would like to know more about Arthur's Lesson plan, click here!


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Sarah Draper is a 21 year old multi instrumentalist and artist from Virginia, USA. This two handed tapping etude is segment from an upcoming album track. Sarah uses the following gear
Gear: Ibanez RG8 and a Jackson 8 string.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/syrajo.draper.5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sloppyjo67/
Influences: Animals As Leaders, The Helix Nebula, David Maxim Micic, and Plini
Link to this video https://youtu.be/KMsDBkm1vr4
Sarah Draper: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1KnV96yRlZfNHnj6_FaY-w
Sarah Draper: two handed, eight string etude


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The main theme of beach and tropical homes is to let nature into your environment with open top walls to create good airflow throughout the home. High ceilings with fans and lots of windows surrounded by ocean or jungle finish the look. Beach and tropical homes run the gamut in style from rustic to ultra modern.
The Duche du Coeur is 11 regions in Second Life set in the France of the late 1700s to 1800s. The intent of the fictional duchy is to celebrate the beauty of the French countryside in a historically accurate way while not losing the romance of the times. Partners Bedrich Panacek, Tatiana Dukochic Varriale and myself have each contributed our unique talents to provide this space to residents in Second life.
Rent a home or shop, take a carriage ride, ride a horse or sail a boat. Attend balls or picnics or just hang out with your friends in one of our cafes or taverns. Sit in the shade and play chess or backgammon. It's all a way of escaping first life for a bit of peace and loveliness.


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Thriving economy builds need for new offices
As oilfield activity grew, new office buildings began dotting the Midland landscape as fast as they could be constructed.
That was the 1980s, and when oil prices collapsed to $10 a barrel in the mid-80s, construction came to a halt.
"Midland hasn't had a multi-tenant office building constructed in 30 years," said Bill Scott, with Real Estate One Midland. New buildings are under construction -- for Fasken Oil and Ranch and EOG Resources -- or planned -- for Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron. Concho Resources refurbished the former Hightower Building for its own use.
The Tall City's current thriving economy has seen companies expand or come into Midland.
"With office space 98, 99 percent full, there's no space," Scott said. "There's a real need. Large companies and small independents are scrambling for space."
That is why Houston-based Satterfield & Pontikes Construction is planning as many as five new 100,000 square-foot office buildings, to be called Energy Plaza at Westridge Park, said Alan Feinsilver, director of development.
The buildings, expected to be available by mid-2014, will be constructed west of the Scharbauer Sports Complex and adjacent to where Chevron will build its new campus.
Feinsilver estimates the project will cost in excess of $150 million and will be comprised of energy-efficient four-story buildings designed by Kirksey Architects.
"We were aware of the economic activity," Feinsilver said. "I traveled to Midland late last year and was pretty surprised at the level of activity."
He said he proposed the idea to his bosses and following subsequent trips to Midland, "the project went from there."
"As of now, as each day goes by we grow more confident and comfortable in the Midland economy," Feinsilver said. "We're very confident in the Midland economy sustaining throughout the long term as the energy environment has changed, particularly with the liquids-rich production around Midland being so attractive."
He acknowledged that Midland has seen boom-and-bust cycles but said his company believes the energy sector has changed so significantly that the cycle won't be repeated.
"That's not to say there won't be some slowdown," he said.
This is Satterfield & Pontikes Construction's first project in Midland, but Feinsilver said the company is looking for other projects as a general contractor.
Energy Plaza at Westridge Park will occupy 20 acres of the 100-plus master-planned Westridge Park development, Scott said. He will help lease the buildings -- which will be built as leases warrant -- in conjunction with CBRE of Houston. Marketing of the buildings began about 10 days ago, and there has already been interest, Scott said.
"We think Midland is a good opportunity and needs good office space," said Ron McWherter, first vice president with CBRE.
He said the project is being marketed to larger companies -- the first target -- with a goal of later developing space geared toward smaller tenants as the project takes hold.
Like Feinsilver, McWherter is confident Midland is the right market for such a project. He said on trips to Midland while the project was being considered, businesses asked for help finding office space.
"I think we have a good fit here," he said. "The reason we're moving ahead with this is the people we've talked to have 20-year plans; they're not talking about doing something next year."
More information about the project, including a virtual tour, is available at www.cbre.com/westridge.


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Your Local Guide to 4th of July Celebrations in Scottsdale & Fountain Hills
Do you like to go all out on the 4th of July? Enjoying every barbecue, festival, parade, and firework display you can find?
Or do you prefer to keep things low-key and find somewhere quiet to enjoy a nearby firework show? Either way, we've got you covered!
Check out our list of 4th of July Celebrations in Scottsdale and Fountain Hills for 2017!
1.Fourth of July Freedom Fest
When: Friday, June 30th - Tuesday, July 4th (5 nights of fireworks)
Where: Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
2.4th of July Celebration
When: Tuesday, July 4th from 3 - 9:30 pm
Where: WestWorld
3. Tempe Town Lake Festival
When: Tuesday, July 4th gates open 5 pm
Where: Tempe Beach Park
4. Fourth at the Fountain
When: Tuesday, July 4th from 6 - 10 pm
Where: Fountain Park
5. Fabulous Phoenix 4th
When: Tuesday, July 4th from 6 - 10 pm
Where: Steele Indian School Park
6. Arizona Celebration of Freedom
When: Tuesday, July 4th from 6 - 10 pm
Where: Mesa Convention Center
7. All-American Fourth of July Celebration!
When: Tuesday, July 4th from 7 - 10 pm
Where: Phoenix Zoo
Click below for more 4th of July events in neck of the woods
Phoenix Metro Areas Local Events Calendar
Local events in Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Metro Phoenix areas....


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After weeks–months if you consider the rumors–of anticipation the MacBook Air is finally out in the wild. According to Apple, orders made today are shipping in two to three weeks but people who pre-ordered the Air right after the keynote should be getting their units quite soon. Even if you didn't buy one you can finally stop by your local Apple store and check one out.
I had a chance to do just that over the weekend. I got to the Apple Store early, slapped on some hand-sanitizer, and gave the MBA a test run. I didn't bother to take a lot of pictures because there are lots of great galleries online already, but I did spend enough time to get some impressions about the notebook.
When you first see and touch this notebook there is an understanding that it is different than everything else on the market. As a reviewer, I get to play with a lot of different notebooks and I very rarely get the feeling that I am using something truly different than the rest of the field. The MBA may be just a slimmed down MacBook but when you first handle it there is definitely a "wow" factor that even something like the Sony TZ lacks. This is due mainly to the slim profile, but it also felt lighter than I expected, probably because it is larger than most ultraportables, but still comes in at just 3lbs. The aluminum shell is also quite impressive and I found no flex at all, so despite the added size (thanks to that 13″ LCD) it would be ideal for carrying in a messenger bag. I did feel a good bit of heat coming from the underside of the Air, though the keyboard area seemed to stay comfortable. What is more impressive than the aluminum exterior is the interior, which is such an improvement from the plastic found on so many systems.
After that initial feeling of lust, which, based on people around me at the Apple store, is unavoidable, the MBA managed to impress me in a number of other ways. The first was the keyboard. Much has been made about the fact that the Air is not an ultraportable–the use of a 13.3″ screen means that no matter how slim it may be, it is still about 9″ x 12.75″. The upshot of this is that Apple gets to put out a notebook with a usable screen (1280×800) and a full-sized keyboard. In fact the keyboard is very similar to that on the MacBook, though the length of each keystroke does not feel as deep. The screen is not Apple's best and when compared to something like a MacBook Pro it is clear that sacrifices were made, but putting a screen this large and thin on a notebook is still an impressive feat. As much as I wanted to hate the keyboard for pumping up the size of the notebook, it was actually great to use. My testing was limited but I was typing on this as quickly as on any ultraportable, except for maybe the ThinkPad X series, which I have a lot of experience using. The spaced out keys look cool and do the job nicely, plus the use of black was a nice touch.
The MBA also has a relatively huge touchpad. This is certainly a sign of things to come for Apple, as it increases usability and makes gestures extremely easy to put into effect. I did notice myself accidentally hitting it more than usual, but I am sure that with a few days of practice it would be a great tool, especially considering the poor cursor controls on most sub-3lb notebooks. Do the gestures make a huge difference? Definitely not. That is, at least not yet–a few improvements to this area can go a long way and Apple is already the leader in this area.
{ad}The major shortcoming with the MBA is the lack of external connections. It has just one USB slot, a headphone jack, and a video-out port… that's it. Also, the optical drive was dropped from the system, something which is not nearly as big a deal as it would have been a few years ago, or as some people are making it out to be. The problem with the Air is not so much that it has just one USB slot so much as it is that it also dropped (or left out) all the other features that now have to use a USB slot, such as a card reader, ExpressCard slot, and on-board mobile broadband. So now you may have a super lightweight notebook, but you have to carry around an ethernet dongle, a video-out converter, a USB hub, and your USB mobile broadband card with you. What this comes down to is that the Air has serious limitations and it is not a general purpose computer or even a very capable travel system unless you only need something for checking your email, taking notes, and transporting data.
Users have been noting some serious issues with the MBA, but from what I have seen it is quite usable. Most slim systems have to give up features in order to get the weight and size down, and the Air had to give up more than most, but the two big features–the keyboard and display– were not hurt in the name of portability. This is not going to be great for everyone, as some people want something like a P1610 or U810, so it ultimately comes down to preference. The Air could be an amazing secondary computer or something great to take to a meeting or overnight trip if you can deal with its limitations.
I did not get to examine the battery life, so the last detail to look into is the price. There are two SKUs, at about $1800 and $3100, depending on if you want the 64GB SSD or not. The SSD completes the Air package and will bring better battery life, drive performance, and impact protection, but at an astronomical price. Given the price of the SSD, this is not going to be a viable option for most people, even for big spending MacBook Pro owners. But the good news is that it should be dropping as time goes on. Right now, it's overpriced, but highly desirable, just like all new technologies. As for $300 for the processor upgrade on the base model, I'd skip that as well.
So what's the verdict? It's too early to decide but I like the MacBook Air more than I originally expected. I wanted to hate it for its missing features and endless hype, but in person it's impressive. We should not let its slimness let us overlook larger problems, but it's an interesting addition to the existing array of notebooks and it should have a major impact on the competition.


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No matter how many times you have been hurt, there are reasons why you deserve love. Heartbreak is a part of life, but one day you will find someone who truly appreciates you, which is why you should never settle for less than you deserve. You are an amazing person who will eventually find exactly what you are hoping for. When you are feeling bad about yourself, and think that you are not worthy of happiness, remember that there are reasons why you deserve love:
1 – Populated Planet
Think of how many people exist on our planet. If one guy doesn't treat you properly, then there are hundreds of others that can take his place in your heart. One of the reasons why you deserve love is because the world is filled with people who are looking for someone just like you. Once you find each other, you will be overwhelmed with affection.
2 – You are Unique
There is no one in the world exactly like you. You have unique traits that won't be found anywhere else. You deserve love, because you are a wonderful person who brings something unique to the world. You might hate your 'odd' tendencies, but someone else will adore them.
3 – Love is Unbiased
Love isn't something that only the privileged are entitled to. Everyone is able to give and receive love, no matter whom they are. It is the most beautiful emotion humans are capable of, and you deserve to experience it.
4 – Love is not Meant for the Perfect
When someone falls in love with you, it doesn't mean that they think you are a perfect creature. Chances are that they realize that you have flaws, but the fact doesn't bother them at all. They love you, despite your negative qualities, because you are a wonderful person overall. You don't have to be perfect in order to receive affection.
5 – You will Appreciate It
You deserve love, because you will appreciate being appreciated. Once you have been through heartache, you realize just how difficult it can be to find someone who truly loves you. When you find that person, your past experiences will make your present situation even sweeter. You cannot feel happiness without knowing what sadness feels like. So your past pain will help you appreciate whatever love you receive in the future.
6 – You are Amazing
It will be easier to accept the love of others once you learn how to love yourself. You might not realize how great you are, because you are too focused on your flaws and problems, but you are actually amazing. Think of all of the great things you have accomplished in life. Think of all of the smiles you have made happen and all of the laughter that was caused by you. You are fantastic, so don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
You might not currently have anyone around giving you the love you deserve, but you are worthy of adoration. You are an amazing person, and you shouldn't forget it. What do you love the most about yourself?


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Group member of UACES (2019)
Center for Social Sciences
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Research Group is institutionally integrated into the Centre for Social Sciences of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, however it is operating under the professional supervision of the Institute for Legal Studies, and the Institute's researchers are brought in its activity. The Group examines the opportunities available under the European Union legal framework for Hungary to achieve its own policy objectives and to evaluate on that basis the performance of Hungary as a Member State of the European Union. The analytical and evaluative information generated by the research will be made available to enable retrospective and forward looking self-assessment by government and also to contribute to the policy and governance planning of the next 20-30 years.
All Group Members of UACES


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BEFORE & AFTER: Pink Studio
Pink Studio AFTER
Pink Studio BEFORE
Pink Studio BEFORE
Pink Studio AFTER
For one of our HGTV Mission Organization shows, The Redecorators transformed a plain, cluttered room into a pretty and functional work space for a young fashion designer and her mom. We chose a bold yet feminine color scheme of pink, black & white, and made sure every item in the small area worked double duty--such as fitting mirrors that also serve as a notepad and adorable tin hat boxes that hold trims, zippers and buttons. The episode proved so popular it's rerun often (now on the Fine Living Network) so you may be able to catch "Stark Studio Gets Stylish"--and a peek of me organizing and decorating in 4-inch heels!
For more details visit HGTV or my new behind-the-scenes Redecorators blog dust & chandeliers. For upcoming show times visit Fine Living Network.
Photos by Doreen Creede
Doreen Creede
"Use the good china for breakfast."


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While without a doubt the internet has made it easier to search for jobs-from such general job-seeking sites as Monster.com to more specialized ones such as JournalismJobs.com-it has also, in some cases, made it more difficult for someone to get hired. According to a survey released in April by CareerBuilder, LLC, nearly 2 in 5 companies use social networking sites to research job candidates. And a March survey from Eurocom Worldwide shows that 1 in 5 technology industry executives admit to rejecting an applicant based on his or her social media profile.
Finance moves fast, and the ability to work from anywhere on your smartphone or laptop could be a game-changer. But can your personal devices ever be secure enough to manage your clients' sensitive financial data? Surprisingly, this informative whitepaper shows that, with the right preparation, using your personal device can actually help you keep your organization more secure.


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Mick is a poor homeless crack user who is also Britain's best chance for a medal in 2012.
Mick From 'REV' For Team GB
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Let's get him to the Olympics!
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