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A journal post from last year: In the coffee shop this morning, a young mother and her friend are complaining to each other about relatives, while her son runs around the café, as kids will do, picking things up and putting them down, his little trainers pounding on the fake wood floor.
I've just come from the doctor, whose confirms my suspicion – this cold has gifted me a perforated eardrum, so I'm sensitive to every noise: her barked orders at the child, the steam from the cappuccino maker, even (God bless him) the youngster's thin, wet little cough, which sounds in my bad ear like a cheap roller skate being thrown down the stairs.
'Show Tracey your cheeky face,' she says to her boy, who stands by their table and pulls a face. The women laugh. 'Show her your cross face… Show her your happy face.'
The little boy grimaces at them repeatedly. They're all the same face.


text: 乌克兰Gamma电视台 This article is about a physics experiment. For other uses, see Gamma (disambiguation). GAMMA Experiment is a study of: a) Primary cosmic ray energy spectra and elemental composition (abundances of the elements) at energies 1015-1018eV (so called knee energy region)[1] [2] [3]; b) Galactic diffuse gamma-ray intensity at energies 1014-1015eV [4]; c) Extensive Air Showers (EAS) at the mountain level by the ground-based EAS array and underground muon scintillation counters [2]; d) Hard jets production at energies ~1016eV by the muon multi-core shower events. GAMMA Experiment.GAMMA experiment is deployed on the South side of Mount Aragats in Armenia (Cosmic-ray observatory). The facility consists of a ground-based extensive air shower (EAS) array of 33 surface detection stations and 150 underground muon detectors. The elevation of the GAMMA facility is 3200 m above sea level, which corresponds to about 700 g/cm2 of atmospheric depth. The surface stations of the EAS array are arranged in 5 concentric circles of 20, 28, 50, 70 and 100 m radii, and each station contains 3 plastic scintillation detectors with the dimensions of 1x1x0.05m3. 9 central detector stations contain an additional small scintillator with dimensions 0.3x0.3x0.05 m3 for high particle density (>>100 particles/m2) measurements. A photomultiplier tube is placed on the top of the aluminum casing covering each scintillator. One of three detectors of each station is viewed by two photomultipliers, one of which is designed for fast timing measurements. 150 underground muon detectors are compactly arranged in the underground hall under 2.3 kg/cm2 of concrete and rock providing the detection of shower muons with energy greater than 5 GeV. The results of GAMMA experiment for 2005-2007 runs are presented in references below.

subset: commoncrawl


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Who doesn't love early summer? The warm days, the cool breezes – the promise of lots of time off to read? (OK, so we're book geeks. But you knew that.) That's one of the reasons we pick books at the half-year mark and declare them the Best of the Year So Far: if you start reading these now, by the time we give you Best of the Year (in late fall), you'll be halfway there, and ready for a new batch.
Picking our Best Ofs is always a delightful ordeal – delightful because we love what we do (i.e., read) and an ordeal because we always, individually and collectively, have to make some hard choices. More than once at our meetings this past month, someone has moaned about how painful it was to cut a particular title. And don't get me started on the lobbying, politicking and influence peddling we employ; we make Washington, DC, look like kindergarten.
But enough complaining about how hard it is to read books you love. (I guess this is what they mean by a "humble brag.") Today we launched our Best of the Year So Far, which you can see in its entirety here. Some callouts – and yes, it was also hard to decide what to mention and what to leave out of this very post.
*We have more nonfiction than usual in the top 20 – in fact we're evenly split between fiction and nonfiction – and it's the first time I can remember that three of our top five choices for Best of the Year So Far (Lab Girl, Grunt and When Breath Becomes Air) were nonfiction.
*Without doubt, our universally favorite novels of the year so far were Before the Fall and The Nest. But in which order? Click here to see – but don't imagine it was an easy choice.
*We have short books and long books, but we have one superlong tome, Annie Proulx's Barkskins, which lands at number 16 at 736 pages. 736 glorious pages, say our judges, about the Brokeback Mountain author's masterwork.
*There are several repeat appearances by authors – can you guess which ones they are? – but one of my personal favorites is LaRose by Louise Erdrich (number 18). Erdrich's work is always fantastic (which is why we made The Round House the #1 book of 2012). LaRose is no exception.
For the complete list, click here.
Sign up for the Book Store PD to discover best books of the month picks, author interviews, reading recommendations, and more from the Amazon Books editors
Source: Internet


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Welcome to week 3, how are we doing? How's this series treating you? I've had a lot of awesome feedback from people saying that I've sold unseen films to them and they are planning on giving them a watch. Or joining my praise of such Top Five entries. Which is awesome.
So the poll has spoken and this week we are covering Animation. Now let me start by saying Disney nail this category let's be honest. We all know it, I know it, you know it. But in the interest of fairness I have only added two Disney gem to the list. This doesn't mean I don't rate more or enjoy them. Maybe they even deserve their own list. . . hmm let's see. Anyway lets jump to the list.
This one is a real gem which I think gets overlooked most of them, it's highly underrated. It follows the journey of Super Villain Megamind an alien who defeats his enemy the almighty Superhero, Metro Man. But after time passes he starts to feel lost and empty. With the idea to create a new Superhero to rival him he accidentally creates another Super Villain. As he tries to fix things he finds a new-found love for being the Hero and sets out to save the day.
It's just a fun, easy-going movie with a stellar cast, a great storyline, groovy soundtrack and great comic presence.
|Wreck It Ralph.
This one passed me by first time round and what was I thinking. It's a hilarious storm of pop culture references and quirky comic gags. The story follows Ralph, again like our first entry, he is the bad guy who just wants to be the winner for once. Constantly observing Felix his partner in the game, win medals and be praised by the people of the tower block. Ralph decides to break out of his game and find another one where he can win his very own gold medal. Dipping and diving into several different style games we witness Ralph from and old 8 Bit Video game he is used to enter the world of new online shooters and confectionary based racing.
It's a cute story with real heart and if you are like me and love little nods and nudges to other games, movies and all things pop culture it's the one for you and I can not wait for the next one to come out.
Monsters Inc
Thinking about it I am not sure how to explain this film without giving too much away. But let's try. Following the scream team duo Mike and Sully as they go about their normal everyday monster lives in the scream factory producing screams and harvesting it as a source of energy. There life is thrown out of whack when an unexpected visitor appears and they must restore normality by getting the visitor home safely while avoiding and uncovering a darker plot that will affect everyone.
With an all-star cast of voice actors being led the way by John Goodman and Billy Crystal this film becomes better and better with each watch.
|Shrek 2
It always scares me how old these films actually are, this one came out in 2004 and the first one in 2001. Like what the fudge? The line between 1 & 2 in my eyes is so close but the one thing that tips number two over and makes it the better film is Jennifer Saunders as the Fairy Godmother, her sass, her humour and her rendition of Bonnie Tyler's Holding out for a Hero just make it for me.
In true fairytale style the film tackles many themes we have known for years from Disney and the Grimm Brothers stories. About Love, Betrayal, Jealousy and Heroes. With some spectacular cameos, Pop Culture references and other fairytale references the Shrek world gets bigger, wilder and more fun. Throw in Puss in Boots, John Cleese and an Alien Chestburster reference and the film is golden.
|Robin Hood (Disney)
Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day.
I love this film, hand down my favourite Disney Animation film and what is not to love, the telling of the Robin Hood story, as a cartoon, with catchy songs and animals. Perfect right. You know the story of Robin Hood I am sure so we won't go into what the film is about. But I will say, the animation and humour holds up which is great for a kids film from 1973. The songs are so catchy I have them on an MP3 player somewhere and when they get stuck in my head they are there for days.
As far as Robin Hood films go this one is up their in my eyes joint with Prince of Thieves. Which is also nice to add that both versions are Academy Nominated films. If you are looking for a lazy chilled sunday I highly suggest this film just to while away the hours with some upbeat songs and a touch of British history.
So if you find yourself in need of a film to keep the kids entertained and chilled for an afternoon, or maybe you just want something easy-going with a bag of sweets. All are great shouts.
I'd love to know what you think and what your favourites are. Did I miss any classics? Please no hate for not putting the Lion King on here – I do love it!
Pleasure as always people. MWAH.


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Trustees (x3)
- Recruiter
- Location
- London, EC1V
- Salary
- Unpaid
- Posted
- 18 Jun 2019
- Closing date
- 04 Jul 2019
- Industry
- Charities, Children, Crime, Equality, Health, Policy & research, Trustee, Higher education, Research, Science, Research
- Job function
- Consultant
- Job level
- Senior executive
- Hours
- Part time
- Contract
- Contract
- Listing type
- Job vacancy
- Education level
- Postgraduate degree (senior business/technical)
At the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), we believe that social research has the power to make lives better.
As an independent, not for profit and charitable organisation, we are able to focus our time and energy on meeting our customers' needs and delivering social research that works for society.
We are now looking for up to three trustees to join our Board over the next 12 months. We are after the best - people who really want to make a difference to our society and are prepared to give their time freely to do so.
The Board of Trustees provides strategic direction and accountability and is chaired by Sir Bob Burgess. Guy Goodwin was appointed in 2016 as the Chief Executive at NatCen.
As well as an understanding of NatCen's objectives and its work, and a commitment to the role of social research and its contribution to public policy, we are seeking applicants who can bring us top level leadership experience and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Social or market research in a competitive environment;
- The social sciences and/or statistics;
- Public policy formulation and delivery, gained in a Whitehall Department, devolved administration and/or local government;
- The use of data and/or data science, from private or public sectors;
- Pensions and/or actuarial science;
- The Business and/or Voluntary/Charity Sectors.
Potential Trustees should indicate their main area of expertise and other areas where they have an interest.
Trustees are required to attend 3 or 4 half-day Trustee meetings per year, plus an away day. There may also be additional meetings dedicated to particular topics, including the work of the Board's committees and meetings with staff. Meetings usually take place in London, but very occasionally at NatCen's other offices in Edinburgh and Brentwood, Essex.
The Board is keen to ensure that its work reflects the needs of society, and would particularly welcome applications from members of groups currently under-represented on the Board, including women, ethnic minorities and under-45s.
If you believe you have the leadership experience, perspective and qualities we are looking for then we look forward to hearing from you.
For a detailed job description, please download the information below.
How to apply
To apply, please visit our website via the button below.
Closing date for applications will be Thursday 4th July 2019.


text: In the summer semester of 2016, Ms. CHEN Yushan from Tongji-TU Berlin Dual Master Program, in together with her study colleagues Lucas Hellwig and Julia Ohlhert from TU Berlin, won the first prize in Urban Design Competition Johannes-Göderitz–Preis with their project GRANULARITY 8 - Designing Berlin's Future Neighbors: Bucholtz, Pankow. Teams from five universities in Germany participated in the competition, 3 projects were selected as 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize. The project aims at easing housing tensions by providing a future oriented urban design for a blank plot on the edge of the city of Berlin. Ms. CHEN Yushan, the Tongji Master student from department of landscape architecture, had been selected to spend one year at TU Berlin for the dual master program from September 2015 to August 2016.


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The Shapiro Law Firm, LLC, was founded in 2009 by Aaron D.P. Shapiro, Esq. Aaron was frustrated with the bureaucracy and the profit-driven mindset of big law firms that put firm interests first, and set out to create a client-centered legal practice.
Aaron began this process by cutting out unnecessary costs in order to keep overhead low. Rather than splurge on a fancy office, Aaron sought modest office space. Rather than paying large amounts of money to a third party to advertise and market the firm, Aaron and his dog Philo walked up and down the streets of New York City promoting the new firm and handing out his business cards to anyone who was interested. His relentless and admirable pursuit to personally promote The Shapiro Law Firm, LLC, attracted much attention and ultimately enabled the firm to become the success that it is today.
A few years later, Amanda B. Shaffer, Esq., joined The Shapiro Law Firm, LLC, as an of-counsel attorney. Aaron is married to Amanda's sister Jessica, but this is not another case of nepotism. Aaron ensured that Amanda worked to the level of excellence that he strives for in his own work. Aaron's "tough love" attitude quickly shaped Amanda into a confident, outspoken and effective litigator. Competitive in nature, Amanda and Aaron's unique relationship greatly benefits clients. By constantly challenging the other's view points, we strike to make advancing client interests paramount. Clients frequently state that they enjoy Amanda and Aaron's comedic banter and intelligent and effective legal debates.
Get in touch
We know that finding the right attorney to represent you is a choice not to be taken lightly.
Book an appointment ▸
Aaron D.P. Shapiro, Esq.
Licenses: New York, Connecticut, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Main Practice Areas: Immigration Law, Criminal Law, Family, Transactional & Civil Matters
Aaron has lived in the tri-state area his entire life. Aaron is the owner and founder of The Shapiro Law Firm, LLC. In 2009, Aaron set out to create a law firm founded on honesty, integrity and accessibility. His goal is to advance each client's interests within the bounds of the law.
Aaron attended Rutgers University, where he graduated with honors in 2005, focusing his studies on Political Science and Philosophy.
He attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 2008.
Aaron resides in Connecticut, with his wife, two sons, and rescued dog, Philo. Aaron enjoys sailing his 1972 Pearson P26 sloop that he rebuilt with his brother, playing piano and guitar, working on cars and motorcycles, woodworking and vegetable gardening.
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Juris Doctor, 2008
Rutgers University
Degree: Bachleor of Arts (B.A.)
Majors: Political Science & Philosophy
Honors: Cum Laude, 2005
Activities & Hobbies
Rebuilding & Sailing 1972 P26 sloop sail boat
Working on cars & motorcycles
Vegetable Gardening
Playing Piano & Guitar
Rutgers & Giants Football
Yankees Baseball
Bar Admissions
• New York, Connecticut
Amanda B. Shaffer, Esq.
Licenses: New York, New Jersey, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Main Practice Areas: Immigration Law, Family Law, & Litigation
Amanda was born and raised in New York and currently resides in the Upper East Side with her boyfriend and two dogs. She joined The Shapiro Law Firm, LLC, as a legal assistant in August 2012, and was promoted to of-counsel in November of 2012, when she was admitted to the New Jersey bar.
Amanda enjoys working at The Shapiro Law Firm, LLC, because she is able to meet and engage with clients and make a real difference in people's lives. Analytical by nature, there was never any doubt that Amanda was going to become a lawyer. She has always had a passion for debate and justice. Amanda thrives in the courtroom by fervently advocating for her client's rights.
Amanda understands the stress and uneasiness that clients feel when they have to attend a court proceeding or an immigration appointment. In order to reduce nerves, Amanda always attempts to connect with her clients by making jokes and taking their mind off of the stressful situation. Clients find that Amanda is easy-going, kind and pleasant to converse with. Most importantly, Amanda is able to empathize with clients from all over the world, enabling an honest line of communication that secures quicker and better results for her clients.
Amanda prides herself on honesty and integrity. She hopes that her commitment to law and justice is evident in her work product and fervently works to represent her clients' best ineterests.
Juris Doctor, 2012
Concentration: Criminal Law
Honors: Cum Laude
Degree: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), 2009
Majors: Sociology & Political Science (with a sub-concentration in law, criminology and deviance)
Activities & Affiliations
Yankees Baseball
Michigan & Giants Football
Playing Softball & Snowboarding
Bar Admissions
• New Jersey, New York


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"Forgiveness is nothing less than the way we heal the world".
-- Desmond Tutu, The Book of Forgiveness
I was a terrible oldest sister.
In our dysfunctional family filled with addiction and anger, yet held together in intense love and loyalty, I raged and cried and felt isolated.
I am the oldest of three sisters born in three years. I bullied and screamed and took advantage of my younger siblings with a horror I cringe at today! At the same time, we laughed, played together, and dreamed big dreams we believed to be uniquely ours. We held tightly to each other in every chaotic moment throughout our lives.
One of us is gone now. It feels like a limb of mine has been removed.
I was texting my remaining sister last night. We laughed, cried, said what we were worried about and laughingly blamed each other for hurricane Florence as if we were small children. "Its my sister's fault" we texted with intimate smiles and memories.
After I put my phone away, my heart was filled with love and gratitude. It welled up in me like a wave of beauty and light that is indescribable. No other light or love comes close to matching that glow.
It occurred to me in that moment that this was the result of self-forgiveness. My path to forgiveness has not been an easy one. It has resulted in self-hatred, shame as well as deep sorrow and grief. I would change many parts of my past if it were possible. I have been the one who has been hurt and the one who has caused hurt. All of it resulted in deep pain and rage.
I then remembered a discovery I made in my internship to become a counselor many years ago. I had been assigned to the VA hospital where so many war veterans were also recovering from drug and alcohol addiction as a result of PTSD. I discovered something then that has stayed with me all of these years.
Here is what I learned.
Show me an addict, and I will show you a person so sensitive, so holy,
so real, they could not figure out how to function in this world.
So, I bless my addicted parents and the generations that came before them. I bless my chaotic childhood and the beautiful sisters that helped me survive. I welcome the sensitivity and love that was the legacy of all of that uproar and anger.
I am grateful for my love and sensitivity that are my gifts as a result of addiction. Holy, Holy, Holy.
—Susan Austin-Crumpton
Executive Director & Founder
The Estuary, Inc.


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Located on the Northwest side of the building off W. Pensacola Street, the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center's box office is your hub for purchasing tickets for all concerts, family shows, events and FSU Men's and Women's Basketball.
For a list of upcoming shows, click here!
To access your ticketing account, click here!
For additional information or questions, call the Box Office at (850) 645-0747
All sales are final. We cannot issue refunds on tickets purchased via our website, box office, call center or any other third party ticket selling outlet.
If an event is canceled, refunds will be automatically issued to the point of purchase. All cash purchases must visit the Tucker Center Ticket Office to be refunded.
For Cash payments, there are no instances when replacement tickets will be issued if a patron has lost their tickets.
For Credit Card payments, the following information will be required by the Tucker Center Box Office:
*In all instances, tickets should be treated like cash. There is no guarantee on replacing tickets.
Call: 1-850-645-0747 or 1-850-645-0744 or fill out the form below and someone will get back to you shortly!
Tickets cannot be purchased through these numbers, please call (850) 583-4871 for ticket sales.
Fill out my Wufoo form!


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AS part of the 2017-18 Budget, the ACT government will deliver an ACT Roads upgrade package, Minister for Transport and City Services Meegan Fitzharris announced today.
The roads package will fund significant upgrades to major thoroughfares, as well as intersection upgrades, feasibility studies for future works and will tackle congestion issues in suburban areas around Canberra.
In the report Ms Fitzharris says: "This $43 million roads upgrade package provides a significant boost to the world class road network around the Territory, and starts delivering the infrastructure commitments we took to the 2016 election."
"The stage two duplication of Gundaroo Drive between Gungahlin Drive and the Barton Highway is a project that many in the Gungahlin community have been asking for and I'm glad we can deliver on this commitment in the 2017/18 Budget," she says.
"An additional 2.6 kilometres of Gundaroo Drive will be duplicated to a dual carriageway, extending the duplication works currently underway between Gungahlin Drive and Mirrabei Drive," Minister Fitzharris said.
"The Government is also planning for the future needs of our city, and we have identified future roadsworks related to the Canberra Brickworks and the Molonglo developments that need the groundwork done now to ensure we can get the work done quickly when the projects are funded in future budgets."
"We are also conscious of population increases in the Belconnen area – and have invested in design works on the Bindubi Street Extension and the William Hovell Drive upgrades."
Further road works funded in the upcoming ACT Budget include:
- An additional $2.8 million to upgrade the Gundaroo Drive and Mirrabei Drive intersection.
- The intersection of the Federal Highway and Old Wells Station Road upgrade, with $1.2 million committed to design and construct a new four-way signalised intersection to support safe access to the new Canberra Park Resort tourist facility and events held at Exhibition Park.


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Brew-Up Trend SS19 India Fashion Forecast Seminar- 2018
Faculty of Fashion & Design students and faculty members attended the Brew-up trend SS19 (Spring-Summer 2019) Fashion Forecast Seminar on 7th April, 2018 in Delhi. To understand the long desired need of the Indian apparel and textile industry to have a dedicated fashion trend forecasting resource of its own market. Also learned the present-future insights for men & women western wear categories with seasonal mood, influencing factors, colors, products, silhouettes and fabrics properties. This brew-up trend fashion forecast Seminar enhance the fabric knowledge as well as the market trend positively.


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Every team must start at the back with a man between the sticks; a man who whose sole aim is to stop the other team from scoring. This is the goalkeeper and luckily we get to pick two of them. Depending on how you wish to distribute your funds, and the strategy you want to proceed with, you can either go with an expensive goalie with a budget one or apply a rotation policy with two mid-ranged goalkeepers. Following on from our fantasy football team rotation article, we have analysed the first 7 fixtures that lead up to the second international break. With this in mind we've drawn up a list of combinations that you may want to consider.
When going for this combination, to match your top team keeper, you will need a starting budget keeper who can step in only if necessary.
Man City will be expected to collect more than their fair share of clean sheets over the course of the season, which is why Hart is the most expensive keeper in the game and currently has a fantasy ownership of 18.5%. Norwich's fixtures rotate to provide a decent consecutive home run, which will always leave open the option of swapping a difficult away game for a more favourable home game.
Not to be outdone by their rivals, Man United will also look to keep it tight at the back in their pursuit of the title. After a shaky start, De Gea has grown into his role and his potential is starting to show, throw in the return of Vidic and United could be collecting a good amount of defensive returns. West Ham's fixtures happen to pair up well with United's and they have been busy over the summer building their reinforcements in the form of Jaaskelainen, Collins and Diarra. These three should add some much needed solidity at the back for the Hammers, if they are to stay up.
Budget Rotation
Vorm had an excellent season with Swansea, making save after save to draw many admirers. Laudrup has done well to fend off competition to keep the Dutch stopper and luckily his fixtures match up well with Schwarzer's. This combination definitely has the potential for clean sheets, especially if both teams are able to hit the ground running at home in front of their fans.
Krul is another Dutch keeper who did a lot last season to show that Holland are currently spoilt for choice between the sticks. The third highest scoring goalie in the game is expected to do well again this season but it remains to be seen if Newcastle can repeat such an excellent defensive performance. However, matching up their fixtures with that of Villa's will give you the option of switching to former-Newcastle legend Shay Given. Villa have not been known for their defensive solidity since O'Neill left but in Given, they still have a dependable stopper.
Choosing the right goalkeeper combination for your squad will depend largely on your defensive choices to avoid doubling up, which is generally advised against to lower risk and increase the potential for bonus points. To help with your squad choices, tomorrow we will be running an article offering fantasy football tips on which defenders you should keep an eye on and what sort of strategies can be deployed. The countdown has begun; 5 DAYS TO GO!!
[box type="info"]If you have any thoughts on topics we should cover before the fantasy premier league season kicks off, please share them with us by sending an email to email@example.com or by leaving a comment in the box below. Alternatively, you can tweet us at @FFAddicted or leave a message on our Facebook page. Also, don't forget to like us for your chance to win a detailed analysis of your fantasy premier league squad before the season kicks off! For a second chance to win a pre-season analysis, join our "League of Addicts" by entering the following code: 98894-156973, GET INVOLVED![/box]


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Marine Drugs
The marine environment is a source of both biological and chemical entities. The drugs formulated through this marine source are called marine drugs. Marine drugs constitute high amount of therapeutic values. The process of developing and production of these drugs from sea is marine drug chemistry. Marine drugs are mostly used in prevention of cancer.
The global market for marine-derived drugs was around $5.3 billion in 2012. This global market is forecasted to reach $8.6 billion by 2016 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5% for the five year period of 2011 to 2017.
Marine biology Conferences in Germany
Marine drugs Conferences in Australia


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Foetus in Orissa killed for just Rs 5,000
The cost of killing a foetus is just Rs 5,000 and it does not matter whether it is male or female, reports Chetan Chauhan.india Updated: Aug 02, 2007 20:53 IST
The cost of killing a foetus in Orissa is just Rs 5,000 and it does not matter whether it is male or female, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has found.
The commission, in its report on foeticide cases in Nayagarh area of Orissa, had said some of the 137 foetus found were of the boys. "We are waiting for forensic results to know the exact number of male foetus killed," Sandhya Bajaj, commission member, who conducted the inquiry, said. "In their lust to earn money the parents were mislead about sex of the child," she added.
Most of the ultra-sound machines were of poor quality and not capable of revealing the gender of the foetus in the early stage of pregnancy, the committee found. But, to earn quick buck the parents were advised to opt for abortion irrespective of whether it was boy or a girl, Bajaj said.
The six clinics inspected were not having the mandatory license to operate the ultra sound machines under the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, the report said. Even among government functionaries the awareness about the Act was very low.
To get clients, some of the private clinics were also found to be running a highly disparaging campaign against the girl child. The six clinics inspected by the committee used to tell people spend Rs 5,000 now or Rs five lakh at the girl's marriage, the committee has said. And, the women used to be the target group of the campaign.
The commission found the whole operation to be well oiled racket with foetus being dumped into a man-made well and then treated with chemicals for faster decay. "Effort was made to clean all evidence but few blood stains were also found," Bajaj said.
The two doctors, prima facie, involved were on government rolls and used to recommend the patients to their private clinics for sex determination tests. "It was there in small two room shady clinics that the abortion was done," Bajaj revealed.
Recommending strict criminal action against the doctors, the committee has asked the Orissa government to conduct a state-wise survey about the private nursing homes involved in the racket. "We have asked them to submit a status report on number of ultra sound machines running without license within a month," she said.
First Published: Aug 02, 2007 20:49 IST


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Zaj (Mike)
For our 45th entry into the Hall of Legends, we have Zaj. Thank you so much for your support and congratulations on your achievement. Below is the story he sent us.
I've been listening to your podcast every week since July (when I started a new job that brought a lot of driving along with it) and always enjoy it.. I appreciate the advice into managing emotions and the well-thought out plays that Frid provides with his coaching. The emotional management was a big part of my climb to legend as I tried to keep an even keel when on a streak, be it hot or cold.
I played even shaman pretty much exclusively from Rank 5 to Legend as it proved to have a decent match-up spread and really doesn't hard lose to anything. The highest rank I had achieved previously was Rank 2 in September, so even hitting Rank 1 this month was an accomplishment!
Thanks for all of your insight guys and keep up the good work! And remember, you can always learn from your mistakes as I did when I realized that I missed lethal in the game before I hit a win streak to legend!


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Premier Concerts and Manic Presents:
Umphrey's McGee
Robert Walter's 20th Congress
College Street Music Hall.
238 College Street
New Haven, CT, 06510
Doors 6:00 PM / Show 7:00 PM
This event is all ages
The music of Umphrey's McGee unfolds like an unpredictable conversation between longtime friends. Its six participants—Brendan Bayliss [guitar, vocals], Jake Cinninger [guitar, vocals], Joel Cummins [keyboards, piano, vocals], Andy Farag [percussion], Kris Myers [drums, vocals], and Ryan Stasik [bass]—know just how to communicate with each other on stage and in the studio. A call of progressive guitar wizardry might elicit a response of soft acoustic balladry, or a funk groove could be answered by explosive percussion. At any moment, heavy guitars can give way to heavier blues as the boys uncover the elusive nexus between jaw-dropping instrumental virtuosity and airtight songcraft.
The conversation continues on their eleventh full-length album, it's not us [Nothing Too Fancy Music]—which was released January 12, 2018.
"It represents the band, because it basically runs the gamut from prog rock to dance," says Brendan. "We've mastered our ADD here. The record really shows that."
"No matter what you're into, there's something on it's not us that should speak to you," agrees Joel. "This is a statement album for Umphrey's McGee. The sound is as fresh as ever. The songs are strong as they've ever been. We're always pushing forward."
It is also how the band is celebrating its 20-year anniversary. Instead of retreading the catalog, they turn up with a pile of new tunes.
A founding member of the seminal groove band The Greyboy Allstars, organ, keyboard and synth sharp- shooter Robert Walter splits his time between his own 20th Congress, Greyboy, and a robust film soundtrack career in Los Angeles.
Initially formed as the backing band for rare groove luminary DJ Greyboy, The Greyboy Allstars quickly became a longterm project for Walter with a string of critically acclaimed albums, world tours. The band quickly became home to some of the most revered players on the modern music scene.
The Greyboy Allstars' success also served as a platform for the band's individual members to launch highly successful and substantially diverse solo careers. To flex his desire to compose in a way that was just outside of Greyboy's wheelhouse, Walter formed 20th Congress and recorded and toured heavily through the late '90s and '00s.
The band featured a rotating cast of players over the years including Stanton Moore, Joe Russo, Will Bernard, and Cochemea Gastelum. The current iteration of 20th Congress includes a new crew of brilliant improvisers and genre-bending virtuosos. Drummer Simon Lott (Kool Keith, Charlie Hunter) is a longtime collaborator who brings a refreshing unpredictability anchored in deep-rooted New Orleans rhythms. Bassist Victor Little (Billy Preston, Charlie Musselwhite) started sitting in with the band on a series of West Coast gigs and gradually became essential to the evolving sound. Guitarist Chris Alford (Cassandra Wilson, Mike Dillon) has worked extensively with Lott in New Orleans, bringing a baked-in chemistry that has mutated into the infectious sound of this incarnation of the 20th Congress.
He has been a fan of Science Fiction since he was a child and several of his fantastic notions have found their way on the latest release from Robert Walter's 20th Congress entitled Spacesuit (available September 21); a collection of futuristic sounds, danceable songs, and inspirational musicianship.
Whereas previous 20th Congress albums found Walter delving deep into the wellspring of his most formative influences: hip-shaking vintage soul, window-rattling '60s-'70s funk, and the sounds of classic organ jazz, Walter switched his source of inspiration for this latest effort from digging through the crates to gazing speculatively skyward, imagining new worlds rather than emulating classic records. The results lose none of the explosive funk and soul grooves that Walter has become known for, but it takes those sounds into outer space, blending inspiration from science fiction movies, comic books and art with wide- ranging influences encompassing everything from Dub Reggae to Krautrock to early jazz-rock fusion.
A brilliant improviser with a gift for riveting hooks and unstoppable grooves, Walter set out to create songs that blur the line between the composed and the spontaneous; an album with a narrative arc that isn't tethered to concrete ideas. He uses a full arsenal of keyboards, synths and electronics and draws together the varied aspects of his career, from his film soundtrack work with Michael Andrews to his free- ranging improvisational excursions with the likes of genre jugglers like Marco Benevento, Skerik and Mike Gordon.
This event is General Admission Standing Room on the Floor and Reserved Seated in the Balcony.
Who's Going
Upcoming Events
College Street Music Hall.
Fri, September 20
*Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Sat, September 21
*Claudio Simonetti's Goblin: Performing the live score to Deep Red (Profondo Rosso)
Thu, September 26
*The Moth Mainstage
Fri, September 27
*Nahko And Medicine For The People
Sat, September 28
*Built to Spill - Keep It Like A Secret Tour


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Adored by candle-lovers everywhere, Voluspa candles rarely go on sale (which is why I was shocked to see this deal). For a very limited time (Cyber Monday), Chapters is offering 40% off select Voluspa candles in various scents and sizes. In addition to gorgeous packaging, long-lasting fragrances, and unique scent combinations, Voluspa candles are made of a coconut wax blend, making them a cleaner option when it comes to candles.
Find it here.
Disclosure: The above links are affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something that I feature, I'll get a small commission. Not enough to buy a pony, but it will go towards Kendra continuing to find it. Images courtesy of Chapters.


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Way more than just a good first impression.
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Mr. Jonathan Nelson is the Founder at Co-op. Mr. Nelson is also a Founder at Hackers/Founders. He is a Navigator at Silicon Valley Arcana. He is an Advisor to SEC on capital formation. He has been involved with more than 40 companies over the past 3 years.
Hackers/Founders, the largest group of tech founders globally with 200,000 members in 118 cities in 44 countries. ... He founded Hackers/Founders as a way to build his business network.
In San Jose, California - CEO, Hackers / Founders. - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Hackers / Founders. Founder of the largest network of tech founders in Silicon Valley and around the world. H/F Global has had 250,000 people attend our events in 114 cities and 45 countries. Our organizers produce 200 events per month.
Accelerator and Founders' Cooperative
The Co-op is an accelerator run by Hackers/Founders, the largest network of entrepreneurs in the world with over 200,000 members in 47 countries. The accelerator is a tight-knit cooperative, where concierge services are provided in exchange for equity, and where founders help each other and elect each other to the program.
H/F Portfolio companies currently have a net worth of $400 million. The accelerator is based in San Jose, California.


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Decelerationism leans gingerly towards a future that is basically more of the same, a modernity that's going to generate itself no matter what we blog.
01. INTRODUCTION: On the Conjuncture
1. At the beginning of the second decade of the Twenty-First Century, global civilization goes on much the same as before. Nation states and powerful corporations go on doing nation statey and powerful corporationy type things and sometimes there are wars.
2. Powerful people in powerful countries sometimes engender bad policies.
3. Political wherewithal is about the same as it ever has been. For the majority of humanity things are maybe marginally better in terms of the wars, revolutions, genocides, forced famines, colonial murder, etc. than in the previous few centuries.
5. Leftwing parties in rich countries still haven't regained the trust of older voters traumatized by the inflation of the 1970s.
6. Humans will probably continue to muddle through.
02. INTEREGNUM: On Accelerationisms
1. The essential metabolism of capitalism demands economic growth, with heavily subsidized research universities producing technological developments. In its neoliberal form, capitalism's ideological self-presentation is one of liberating the forces of creative destruction, setting free ever-accelerating technological and social innovations. But luckily, most people who benefited from the post-World War II social contract (epitomized by the New Deal in the United States) are not willing to abandon that contract. As a result, right wing attacks on key aspects of this contract have been remarkably unsuccessful.
2. Something about Nick Land.
3. Some stuff about Deleuze and Guattari.
4. Neo-liberalism. Computers. Etc.
5. It is Stalin who remains the paradigmatic accelerationist thinker. Contrary to the all-too familiar critique, and even the behaviour of some contemporary Marxians, we must remember that Stalin himself used the most advanced theoretical tools and empirical data available in an attempt to fully understand and transform his world. He was not a thinker who resisted modernity, but rather one who sought to analyse and intervene within it, understanding that for all its exploitation and corruption, capitalism remained the most advanced economic system to date. Its gains were not to be reversed, but accelerated beyond the constraints the capitalist value form.
6. Indeed, as even Lenin wrote in the 1918 text "Left Wing" Childishness:
Socialism is inconceivable without large-scale capitalist engineering based on the latest discoveries of modern science. It is inconceivable without planned state organisation which keeps tens of millions of people to the strictest observance of a unified standard in production and distribution. We Marxists have always spoken of this, and it is not worth while wasting two seconds talking to people who do not understand even this (anarchists and a good half of the Left Socialist– Revolutionaries).
Consider also Lenin's "The Heritage We Renounce" (1897):
The enlightener believes in the present course of social development, because he fails to observe its inherent contradictions. The Narodnik fears the present course of social development, because he is already aware of these contradictions. The "disciple" [of dialectical materialism] believes in the present course of social development, because he sees the only earnest hope of a better future in the full development of these contradictions. The first and last trends therefore strive to support, accelerate, facilitate development along the present path, to remove all obstacles which hamper this development and retard it.
7. As Stalin was aware, capitalism cannot be identified as the agent of true acceleration. Similarly, the assessment of left politics as antithetical to technosocial acceleration is also, at least in part, a severe misrepresentation. Indeed, Stalinist communist parties across the Earth worked hard to prevent any improvements in non-communist countries. Successful such preventions were termed accelerating [sometimes translated as "heightening"] the contradictions of capitalism.
03: MANIFEST: On the Future
1. We believe that the internet debates between neo-Stalinists and their decelerationist opponents will make very little difference to the way humanity muddles through.
2. All of us want to work less. Some do. Some don't.
3. Some stuff about technology.
4. We do not want to return to Fordism, because it kind of sucked. Hopefully the assembly line will be more and more automated and the basic New Deal compact will stay in place.
5. Decelerationists enjoy things like books, nice walks, and a hot cup of tea.
6. Given the enslavement of technoscience to capitalist objectives (especially since the late 1970s) we have a pretty good idea of what a modern technosocial body can do. Thankfully, most of the far out science fiction stuff hasn't happened, and there's no reason to think it will.
7. We aren't that chuffed about accelerating the process of technological evolution. But it's honestly not something we get that worked up about.
8. Someone's got to take the garbage out and then haul it to the landfill.
9. Some verbiage about network analysis, agent-based modelling, big data analytics, and non-equilibrium economic models, cognitive mediators.
10. We should be wary of claims to transform society involving economic and social experimentation. The Chilean Project Cybersyn is emblematic of this experimental attitude — fusing advanced cybernetic technologies, with sophisticated economic modelling, and a democratic platform instantiated in the technological infrastructure itself. Similar experiments were conducted in 1950s – 1960s Soviet economics as well, employing cybernetics and linear programming in an attempt to overcome the new problems faced by the first communist economy. The failure of both of these cannot be traced merely to the political and technological constraints these early cyberneticians operated under.
11. Hegemony! Platforms!
12. We do not believe that direct action is sufficient to achieve much of anything. The habitual tactics of marching, holding signs, and establishing temporary autonomous zones risk becoming comforting substitutes for effective success. "At least we have done something" is the rallying cry of those who privilege self-esteem rather than effective action. The only criterion of a good tactic is whether it enables significant success or not. We must be done with fetishising particular modes of action. We must insert some Deleuzian rhetoric at points like this in our manifesto. Rhizome! The virtual! Phase space!
13. Sometimes P is a good thing. But sometimes it's a bad thing.
14. Democracy is, all else being equal, a good idea.
15. ????
16. We don't need any revolutions in thought. Smart, informed, people of good will have a pretty good idea of the marginal reforms that could improve most societies.
17. There's good stuff and bad stuff in the media, which has never been a panacea anyhow.
18. Things were pretty good with the unions until the 1970s, for the most part. Rich countries have probably gone too far in the other direction. It's hard to find the right balance.
19. History is almost completely in the dark about why certain times and places produce better and worse standards of living. What do you expect? It's not like historians can do controlled experiments. This being said, we can probably treat one another more decently.
20. Drinking tea, reading novels, and going for walks don't require that much funding. A slightly shorter work week and a better deal for the unemployed seems doable.
21. We're not Italian Futurists! They were right wing. We're left wing.
22. Some more stuff about technology.
23. There is no choice facing us between a globalised post-capitalism and a slow fragmentation towards primitivism, perpetual crisis, and planetary ecological collapse. First, the dichotomy is false. Second, anyone with enough power to force such a choice either way wouldn't actually have the power to force the choice either way.
24. The future does not need to be constructed. It will come about without anyone's help.


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The first single by Canada's epic-metal outfit BLACKGUARD, "Firefight", has been released on iTunes.
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Welcome! My first Sunday snippet is from my contemporary small-town romance homage to Shakespeare, entitled Much Ado in Montana. If you would like to read the first chapter, click on the cover.
Anyway, enjoy!
Just as he was about pick her up, open the door, and carry her inside, even if it would have been the most idiotic thing he'd ever done, the inevitable happened. Tara saved him from his own stupidity by breaking the kiss. She lifted her hand from its warm clasp of his nape and stepped back out of his embrace. Tim braced himself, ready to withstand anything from tears to a slap.
He didn't think he could be shocked any more than he had been in the last five minutes, but then she grinned sloppily at him and glanced down at the keys in his hand.
"What do you know? There's my car keys. Silly me." She turned to open the door. Reached out and hooked the keys from his limp hand with a finger. "'Night."
She vanished into the house, leaving Tim standing dumbfounded on the doorstep.


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Gratitude vs. Appreciation
Today's video is an expansion on the series on Negative Emotions – specifically, I'm going to talk about and define some positive emotions.
One of my awesome readers asked: "What's the difference between Gratitude and Appreciation?"
What an excellent question! Watch the video to get the answer:
Video Transcript:
In their pure from, gratitude and appreciation are the same thing. They are both really, really high up on the vibrational scale, and both feel really good.
When it comes to how we use the words, in terms of what most people mean when they use them, however, gratitude and appreciation do have slightly different frequencies. Appreciation is slightly higher on the vibrational scale. Why?
The actual words we use don't really matter. It's the vibration behind them (what you really mean when you say it) that matters. The Universe doesn't care what words you use, it only "hears" your vibration.
When most people use the word "gratitude", it generally implies that they've overcome something. "I'm so grateful that I'm finally out of debt", or "I'm so grateful that I finally got out of that job." They're sort of looking back at the unwanted past and what they've overcome, and in doing so, they activate the energy of the old manifestation just a little bit. Providing they're actually in gratitude, this won't do much damage and will still feel really good.
If someone is using the word grateful, but the vibration underneath it is actually one of frustration or anger, it's going to feel really off. Remember that the words themselves mean nothing. It's what you're feeling that's important.
When most people use the word "appreciation", it's a little bit cleaner than gratitude. "I appreciate that it's such a beautiful day", "I appreciate all the love in my life", or "I appreciate that I have this amazing job." Generally, when people say they appreciate something, they are not activating unwanted manifestations of the past.
This discussion is actually really nitpicky. If you've been able to work your way up to the vibration of either gratitude or appreciation, and you've been stuck in depression, frustration or anger before, then both emotions will feel great and much better than anything you've felt before. Both are really good neighborhoods to hang out in.
If, however, you're really cerebral, if you're the kind of person who likes to take things apart and figure out how they work, then this explanation was for you.
Was this video helpful? Do you notice a difference between gratitude and appreciation?
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February 21, 2012
I do agree that 'appreciate' is a bit more specific and definitive. It's closer to recognizing that you have already received. Some express gratitude for things that they still 'hope' (ugh-bad word) they will get, whereas to appreciate is more of a recognition of a done deal.
February 21, 2012
Hi Melody
Yet another great post that really does a great job of teasing out the distinctions between similar concepts or feelings. It is very interesting how you explained gratitude and thinking about it some more, it is really true how it often stems from a place of a previous feeling of lack or another "negative" feeling that we no longer experience. That can evoke a totally different vibration than just sheer appreciation for something that is unrelated to a previously unwanted state or situation. I feel like recently I have made a major advancement in my LOA stuff and the subtle difference in vibrations are really becoming more clear to me now, which is helping me stay on track with feelings I want to dominate. Once again, great job and I am so glad I found your site!
February 21, 2012
Hey Awesome Melody,
Thanks for the superb video! Much required when you are working on few things & you don't real know where to go & what to appreciate.
Every time I read your article it feels like I am wearing world's best glasses (I can see much clear now).
Huge Huge & Love,
Sameer 🙂
February 21, 2012
Never thought about appreciation and gratitude like this. Since you have mentioned it Melody, I do now see that they are indeed different. It's like when something is brought to your attention and you start seeing that thing everywhere.
Anyway 🙂 I like how you always talk about higher and lower vibrations. You bring to attention the things that bring us good thoughts and bad thoughts. Come to think of it, I am always grateful after escaping something. While on the other hand, I do appreciate regardless. Very interesting.
February 21, 2012
I see your point on how gratitude, in a small way, brings the vibration of the contrast along with it and appreciation is cleaner, more about the good only. Very interesting.
I had heard one gentleman on a radio interview talk of the difference between gratitude and appreciation saying that gratitude is more like giving thanks to something outside of yourself while appreciation is more about being apart of it. I thought that was interesting too.
February 21, 2012
Terrific video. I appreciate the video transcript because I kept getting distracted by watching you in the video 😀 You're right about both words being used interchangeably and when conveyed face to face, the recipient usually understands from the feeling behind the words. There is a difference though. 🙂 I like this post! You're amazing, Melody!
February 21, 2012
You rock!! Thank you for the video. It is interesting how you speak about the differences of the vibration beneath the words. It is something that I have been thinking about the last couple of days. I recently read a book and the author talked about changing her words to change her life (I read it AS changing her VIBRATION to change her life). This really got me thinking about the words that I use, but more importantly about the vibration I am feeling when I say those words. I AM a word person 🙂 At any rate, as I thought about the technique she was discussing to change her world I thought it is more important to change the vibration, than the actual word. So, one of the things in LOA is feeling a higher vibration by changing how we speak. What I am wondering is what other ways can we "tune in" to that higher frequency without words?
February 21, 2012
Hi Melody,
Amazing video. You have really gone beneath the surface and explained the difference between these two words that we often use interchangeably. There is a subtle difference, so thank you for clarifying it.
February 21, 2012
Melody, I really appreciate this clarifying post!
I'm soooo GRATEful that I *finally* swung by this blog 😛
February 22, 2012
I've never thought of using gratitude for something I've gotten over. I use it like you've used appreciation. I use the word appreciation when I'm talking to a person…I appreciate you! xo
February 22, 2012
Hi Melody,
Not sure what you mean when you say that appreciation and gratitude in there pure form are the same?? I get what you mean about the definitions. Maybe what your trying to say I can reflect back to you in an example. I appreciate the beautiful person that you are and I am grateful that you are in my life and that you offer this wonderful site that has all of this beneficial information helping all of us become who we really are. Are those Two totally different vibrations?? Or the same?? Interpretations are tough as we can only perceive what we are vibrating. I love this stuff. ; p
To me appreciation is one of the highest vibrations we can connect with and become. It
is the essence of who we truly are and to me it's equal to love. It is the absence of
anything negative and the presence of everything positive. When I appreciate I love and visa versa. I have found nothing that feels better to me and I love to feel good so if I can get there, the first thing I do when I go to bed at night is to appreciate. When I wake up in the morning thats exactly how my day starts. When I appreciate I am in alignment with all that I am and all that I have become. When I am in a state of appreciation everything I look at I see through a blended perspective. I find nothing wrong and everything right. I'm not saying it's not possible to feel anything better but for me right now it's absolutely the best. When I love and appreciate everything is beautiful and unique. Or beautifully unique. My glasses are those happy ones you talked about. When I appreciate you I can see only your kindness, and your beauty, your humor and your wit. I can only see you for who you truly are. When I am truly blended with the vibration of appreciation I totally get what they meant when they said beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The vibration of appreciation has the ability to and does transform the way we perceive our world. Such a wonderful thing this appreciation.
So what's the difference between appreciation and gratitude. For me it's a huge vibrational difference. And although gratefulness can have it's place depending on where I'm at my preference and my quest would be to spend as much time as I can in a state of appreciation and love.
Loving and appreciating you always
Yes it's me!!
February 22, 2012
I also uses gratitude when someone touches me in some way that brings up my vibrational level…. I will appreciate that folks took time out of their huge/busy schedules to read the book group's book and I am grateful if they attend book group even if they did not read the book – I appreciate our time together and the shared experience.
I think I said that correctly?
There is also when I wrote my poem wrong in class with the opposite meter and rhythm and the teacher appreciated what a hard job it was to create a poem in that style but still had to give me a D because it was not correct. I was grateful to have the opportunity to do it over.
I am grateful to be able to comment on this topic and I so appreciate Melody's work and energy!
February 22, 2012
Ah me,
Now I can not get the tweet button to work…I will appreciate when this problem is fixed, I am grateful my computer is working while I wait for a new program to arrive 🙂
February 22, 2012
Hi Melody,
First I wanted to tell you that you really find some hilarious pictures such as the one you have on this post 🙂
It is the first time I see someone explaining the differences that most people might not be aware of between being grateful and being appreciative. But, explained that way, it really should make a lot of sense for anyone who was a bit confuse between the two or who had never thought that there might be a bit of difference between the two.
February 22, 2012
I very much appreciate the discussion here and the clarity about the difference between gratitude and appreciation. I agree they are just words and the vibration is the truer measure of the power of what is being expressed. I experience appreciation as a wonderful state to put myself into because it brings me into the now. If you want to make a choice to be happy all you have to do is focus on something you appreciate.
I experience hope as a positive word that arises in the now. Hope for the future is not the same and being in hope in the moment.
Keep spreading your light,
Joseph at http://www.explorelifeblog.com
February 22, 2012
In my world of 'word meanings' (not Websters), appreciate is less emotional, specific and can even have a neutral meaning., i.e. 'I appreciate your point of view but I disagree with it'. NOW when someone says that , do they REALLY appreciate the other person's point of view, or is it the civil way of saying 'OK…I disagree with you' or something even stronger.
When I use the word appreciate, I might say 'I appreciate your comment' of 'I appreciate your kindness' BUT is it spiritural…nada for me.
Where as 'gratitude' is all about spirituality, feeling a sense of abundance, and knowing deep within your heart that nothing should be taken for granted. It's a feeling coming from deep within the soul. ooxx-Fran
February 23, 2012
You said it right! Appreciation has a very positive note which is way much better that gratitude. In my case, I would prefer that people appreciate what I did than for them to them me they are grateful.
March 8, 2012
"The actual words we use don't really matter." "The Universe doesn't care what words you use, it only "hears" your vibration".
WORDS are simply crystallized thought. Thought is like water which flows unceasingly, without form and cannot be grasped fully. Words pulls thoughts together, gives it structure and presents it to the world in graspable form. It is like crystallizing water by freezing it. It becomes well ordered, structured and observable.
Words are a way to order your thoughts. Ordering your thoughts is the key to ordering your life and everything else in it. The more you write and the more you improve your writing, the better a communicator you will become. The more you are able to order your mind, the more you are able to communicate that order to other people. All communication is mind to mind. Your thinking is influenced by your reading of other people's writings.
"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."
Thinking is usually a mixture of words, sentences, mental images and sensations. Thoughts are visitors, who visit the central station of the mind. They come, stay a while, and then disappear, making space for other thoughts. Some of these thoughts stay longer, gain power, and affect the life of the person thinking them. ( AN example of crystallizing thoughts in the shape and symbol of WORDS)
It seems that most people let thoughts connected with worries, fears, anger or unhappiness occupy their mind most of the time. They keep engaging their mind with inner conversation about negative situations and actions. This inner conversation eventually affects the subconscious mind, making it accept and take seriously the thoughts and ideas expressed in those inner conversations.
It is of vital importance to be careful of what goes into the subconscious mind. Words and thoughts that are repeated often get stronger by the repetitions, sink into the subconscious mind and affect the behavior, actions and reactions of the person involved. (Crystallized energy}
The subconscious mind regards the words and thoughts that get lodged inside it as expressing and describing a real situation, and therefore endeavors to align the words and thoughts with reality. It works diligently to make these words and thoughts a reality in the life of the person saying or thinking them.
This means that if you often tell yourself that it is difficult or impossible to acquire money, the subconscious mind will accept your words and put obstacles in your way. If you keep telling yourself that you are rich, it will find ways to bring you opportunities to get rich, and push you towards taking advantage of these opportunities.
The thoughts that you express through your words shape your life. This is often done unconsciously, as few pay attention to their thoughts and the words they use while thinking, and let outside circumstances and situations determine what they think about. In this case there is no freedom. Here, the outside world affects the inner world.
If you consciously choose the thoughts, phrases and words that you repeat in your mind, your life will start to change. You will begin creating new situations and circumstances. You will be using the POWER OF WORDS!
March 10, 2012
Hey Melody,
I never really thought about the difference between gratefulness and appreciation, though a few months ago suddenly the word appreciation jumped at me as very important. I agree that appreciation is better mostly. Sometimes gratefulness is something that is expected of you. I have done this or that for you, so you should be grateful. Or, other people are off so much worse, so you should be grateful for what you have. And in certain types of religious beliefs God is portrayed as a tyrant but still we should be grateful for all we receive. However, when gratefulness is heartfelt and not forced on you when you are in a dependant position, then I think it equals appreciation. Gratefulness is a word with a gliding scale (is that English?) I think.
Apropos languages, I just looked at your German and Spanish pages. Do you write them yourself or are they translated? I saw it is not possible to comment though. Well, on the Spanish one I would be hard put anyway as I know only very little. But I love languages and right now I am concentrating on improving my German.
March 16, 2012
Thank you for you insight-fulness, I really enjoy your responses and the opportunities they afford me for further contemplation.
Your Response:
"The only thing I'd add is that again, the words alone don't make the difference, it's the frequency that this words emits, that makes the difference."
Isn't that what my statement is saying?
"Thinking is usually a mixture of words, sentences, mental images and SENSATIONS. Thoughts are visitors, who visit the central station of the mind. They come, stay a while, and then disappear, making space for other thoughts. Some of these thoughts stay longer, gain power, and affect the life of the person thinking them. "
May I ask you if you realize that
Sensations are frequencies felt and picked-up by the living being …the Universe does not " hear" a vibration without a form that is designed to do so, The Universe either resonates or not with vibrations (frequencies)
A Body Form for example Picks Up and attunes to vibrations (frequencies) through what is known as the SENSES… .example:
The Feeling of Frequencies. Also known as touch or sensation.(Body Form)…….
.Seeing of Frequencies( known as colors) as Sight (Eyes)….
.Tasting of frequencies (known as food)(Mouth)….
.Hearing particular frequencies( known as sound)(Ears)….
.Smelling particular frequencies known as scent…(Nose)….
.We determine which frequencies we will project and interact with another at and choose which words (we've been exposed to) that will carry them…,,,,
April 11, 2012
Oooh.. I had a total epiphany there when you said,(I have to paraphrase because of my ADD) :D- "the Universe doesn't hear your words, only your vibration"! That is really helpful and one of those delightful A-HA's 🙂
September 25, 2012
Hi Melody,
Nice post. Thank you. One think about today's fast-paced world is we, the people, don't feel appreciated enough. This is a very common 'complaint', be it at home or in office. However, if we flip the coin and put ourselves in the shoes of others, the truth will unravel itself. We get back what we give out. If we don't appreciate and express gratitude, rarely will it cross our path.


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Why partition the hard disk?
The extrusive benefit of
hard drive partition is about hard drive maintenance. It lessens wear and tear of your
drive, although hard drives are durable. Another benefit of hard disk partition is in
file organization. Files are much easier found if we have a partition for it. As I have
3 partitions in my hard disk. System C for my program files, another for my important
and personal files, and the last for multimedia such as audio and video. When I have to
format my system partition interrupted accidently, I would not worry about multimedia
and data files in other partitions.
Why choose Partition Assistant?
Though Partition Assistant Standard Edition is a free partition manager designated for home user only, it supports 32 bit and 64 bit Windows operating systems including Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. As a Windows XP user, I was fed up with the limited system partition function. With the less expanded partitioning abilities of Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, Partition Assistant is so value to us.
The free partition manager contains basic partition functions, which offering options: Create Partition, Delete and Resize Partition. Though that may seem weaker than its Partition Assistant Professional Edition and Partition Assistant Server Edition, it really satisfies my common requirement like extend partition. It allows me to manage partition, redistribute disk space easily; it also performs more complicated partition operations you can imagine on hard disk. Resize and Move Partition, Shrink Partition and Extend Partition, Merge and Split Partition, all play as Partition magic.
For instance, I take the Resize function on basic disk. I want to extend system C 1 gigabytes to 3 gigabytes. At first, I shrink partition D out unallocated volume 2 gigabytes. Next system C takes up the unallocated volume 2 gigabytes. So you will find these complex operation so easy to solve. It's indeed convenient for common users act as a whizz at disk partition management field.
Here is a screen shot of the free partition software:
You can downlaod the Partition Manager Server Edition to try if you want to manage hard disk. However, if you are a personal or business user, the Partition Manager Pro Edition is a best choice. And also you can free experience Partition Assistant Standard Editionfor Windows 8/7/2000/XP/Vista (32bit and 64bit). Please click the link to learn more Free Partition Manager.


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Review - "The Next Tsunami" by Bonnie Henderson
The worn wood bench creaks as I sit down. I'm early by two minutes, Cannon Beach Bookstore isn't quite open on this gray day in October. This particular bookstore is a favorite, from local topics to classics. It's almost in the realm of pilgrimage when near Cannon Beach, Oregon, I have to stop and wander amongst the books.


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Make the Most of Your Visit
Within easy reach of the sun and surf of Santa Cruz, the cosmopolitan diversity of San Francisco, and neighboring mountains and vineyards, 1440 Multiversity is uniquely positioned in a part of the country that needs no introduction—glorious and one-of-a-kind northern California. Book your stay with us and combine it with a taste of some of the delights this extraordinary region has to offer.
Santa Cruz County
Home to mountains, ocean, redwood forests, and world-famous surf and coastal wetlands, Santa Cruz County truly offers something for everyone. Seals, otters, and a classic beach boardwalk frame Santa Cruz—a one-of-a-kind, bohemian university town tucked alongside the tranquil shores of Monterey Bay.
San Francisco Bay Area
Presided over by the timeless beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is a gem among cities. Spend a few days here in combination with your time at 1440 immersed in culture, food, and the city's rich history as a counterculture haven. Sail the bay. Ride the streetcar. Get lost in museums. Explore the delights of the city's diverse neighborhoods.
The Wine Country
From Sonoma to Napa to Mendocino to Lodi, California's famous wine country is vast and world-class. Wander from gorgeous vineyards to elegant estates to small town tasting rooms as you delight in the region's winemaking tradition and innovation.


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The UDI U818A Gyro Quadcopter with Camera is the big brother to UDI's Micro-UFO. This quadcopter comes with and onboard camera and is controlled via UDI's excellent 2.4 Ghz transmitter.
Featuring a similar 4-ring design to the AR Parrot, UDI has included what they call a "six axis gyro system." This system consists of 3gyros and 3 accelerometers, which work together to stabilize the quadcopter during flight and also add agility.
UDI has also added an onboard camera, which is an excellent upgrade.
Simply put, this is a really fun quadcopter to fly for not a lot of money. For less than a hundred bucks you get a quadcopter with a camera and a separate controller that does some pretty cool in-flight tricks. Like the Parrot, you can do barrel rolls, but because you've got a controller and not just an app, you gain a level of manual control akin to other quadcopters like the DJI Phantom series.
Overall, while you're missing many positives offered in other quadcopters, like GPS or the ability to mount a GoPro, you still get all the essentials. Because of its low sticker price we could easily see this as a starter drone for young adults, or even a small fleet used for PR events.
The 4-ring design ingeniously protects the rotors, and while this doesn't make it crash proof it certainly does help eliminate damage to the most vital parts. Unlike other quadcopters that use the design, the rings are not so delicate and give the drone an overall firm feeling.
We found that overall the U818A quadcopter was well built and able to hold up well to the usual landing, take off and flying conditions. The 4-ring design does take some getting used to, especially in windy conditions, more so than other designs that seem to utilize a lower center of gravity to better deal with wind and turbulence.
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Good tips for felt crafters. 😉
How to properly store all your felt stuff. AKA Like a Boss
So you've made all these wonderful felt things but you just don't know how to store felt crafts, ornaments, or heirloom pieces in the best, safest way possible you say?
Have no fear, AFC is here.
All in all felt is a great material to work with because a good quality wool or wool blend is pretty durable as fabrics go. But there is a right and a wrong way to store felt long-term. This is the best way to store wool and wool blend felt but the principles will work for any fabric materials.
First it helps to know felt has three main enemies:
Light can fade felt's colors and deteriorate it over time. It's best to store your felt pieces in plastic airtight containers. Clear containers work well too and will allow you to better see…
View original post 857 more words


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Lizano Salsa
Kind of Obsessed: I Want to Put This Obscure $6 Sauce on Everything I Eat
On a recent trip to Costa Rica, I spent the better part of an afternoon driving through some of the most absurdly steep, narrow and pitted gravel roads you could imagine. After a little while, I stopped, stepped into a hole in the wall soda — the country's equivalent to a diner — and ordered a club sandwich and fries. Dismayed to find the ketchup at the table to be disconcertingly sweet, I reached over to a nondescript bottle labeled "Lizano Salsa." I lifted off the cap, took a whiff and dumped it on top of my fries. The next day I found a grocery store and proceeded to buy five bottles of the stuff to bring home.
Chances are, you've never seen Lizano Salsa in your local grocery. In Costa Rica, however, it's ubiquitous. It was created in 1920 by a man from Alajuela, who, after trying Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce, thought he could do better. His recipe, made from a combination water, sugar, salt, carrots, cucumbers, onions, cauliflowers and peppers, sounds like a mess on paper but the result is a delicious, thin-pouring savory-sweet sauce akin to HP Brown Sauce. Only better. Lizano is sweet, very tangy, a little smoky and has subtle lingering spiciness on the finish. It's almost like an intersection of Worcestershire, BBQ sauce, ketchup and hot sauce all in one.
As such, it's great on almost everything you'd want to slather in sauce. Chicken, fish, ribs, burgers, eggs, fries, tacos, you name it. It's essential in making Gallo Pinto, Costa Rica's take on rice and beans, and I'm told it makes a damn fine marinade.
Despite being around for nearly 100 years, Lizano has not seemed to catch on in the U.S. — I have yet to see it in an American supermarket, though you might have luck at a specialty food store. Of course, you could score a whopping 700mL bottle on Amazon for just under $6.
Never doubt the merit in buying really — really — nice shampoo. Read the Story


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Oriental Poppy Sketch, 7 x 10", watercolour, June 2009, $ 185
This is my test version for the larger one that I am working on now. Stay tuned to see how the larger one turns out.
Here you can see my evolving artwork. Read why I paint what I do and my thoughts about the paintings.


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FRESCO, the new Freight Rate Exchange for Shipping Containers, raises the bar in competitive purchasing and sales for the freight forwarding sector and buyers of freight services (shippers).
The service has been launched by Linescape and builds on the success of the company's online search engine for container sailing schedules, hosting schedules from more than 120 shipping lines.
FRESCO connects the two main groups of visitors in Linescape's user base, giving each immediate and easy access to each other for initiating bookings and a business relationship.
"We bring together shippers and forwarders, requesting and offering freight rate quotations, all seamlessly tied in to our sailing schedule search engine," said Linescape's co-founder Dimitrios Sogas.
"Users can now leverage the huge user base Linescape has assembled and simplify the task of gathering quotes or finding new customers," he said. "With just a few simple steps, a shipper can request quotes from a much larger group of forwarders than would previously have been feasible. And similarly, forwarders can reach a much wider customer base, all made possible by the broad appeal of Linescape's simple and powerful sailing schedules search engine."
FRESCO users seeking to book a shipment on a specific route can seek a quotation from many logistics providers at one time with just one request, ensuring the users receive the most competitive prices.
"Since FRESCO does not represent either party, users can be sure that they are getting the best possible offer, directly from the logistics provider," said Sogas.
Freight forwarders and other logistics providers establish a FRESCO membership, select the nations from where they wish to offer quotations, and then start receiving rate requests by email. An added benefit for forwarders is that their company contact details are included in Linescape's directory and appear in Linescape search results, increasing their visibility to thousands of potential new customers.
For more information, visit www.linescape.com.


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A presenter at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, Welland's session "When the Wound Comes From Within: Domestic Violence in Catholic Families" was the only session on violence within the home.
In an interview with Catholic News Service Sept. 24, Welland said no firm statistics exist on domestic violence in Catholic families. However, about 30 percent of women worldwide have been victims of sexual or physical violence at least once in their life, she said.
Based on this percentage, she extrapolated that as many as 135 million Catholic women today are abuse victims.
A professor and author, Welland began her work in the field of domestic violence 45 years ago, some time before it came to the fore as a social issue in the 1980s. She has worked extensively in Catholic communities, first with victims of domestic abuse for 25 years and then, for the past two decades, with abusive men.
"When you work with the abuser, you actually have an opportunity to help that person to change and as a result for the family to become a much happier place and a holier place, if you're working with couples, who really want to live the sacrament in their daily lives with their families," she said.
Having worked with hundreds of abusers, Welland said she has found 80 percent of men, having the proper motivation and given the proper treatment, can change their violent behavior.
The issue of domestic violence is complex, she said, but insecure attachments to one or both parents growing up are a common characteristic of some abusers.
"They have this enormous fear of being abandoned, this enormous fear of not being loved, which leads them to commit all kinds of desperate acts," she said.
"When we can heal the attachment to the important people in our life" through therapy "we can find a different way of relating to our partner to our children and also to God," she said.
However, there are times when the only option is separation and annulment, she said, "because of the severity and duration of the violence and the lack of motivation on the part of the abuser to change."
Since the 1980s, the church has been increasingly open to discussing the issue and to seeking pastoral responses to this suffering in the family, she said.
In 1992, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued "When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence Against Women." It was re-issued in 2002.
The Synod of the Bishops on the Family, set to begin in Rome Oct. 4, will also discuss domestic violence, following up on discussions from the extraordinary synod, held last fall.
At the request of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Welland wrote a 100-page booklet, "How Can We Help to End Violence in Catholic Families: A Guide for Clergy, Religious and Laity," which will be distributed to all synod participants. She will attend the synod as well.
Her booklet discusses ways all Catholics can respond to and prevent domestic violence, and how to educate Catholic youth and couples for peace.
She said experience has shown her both victims and abusers will come forward for help "when you make it clear that the church is there to minister" to them.
In view of prevention, the church must teach more about compassion, nonviolence, self-control, respect and equality in its marriage preparation, youth ministry and children's catechetical programs, she said.
A parish men's group, where men can speak of the importance of being husbands and fathers in their Catholic family, could help, she said. A program she designed is currently being used in several parishes in Mexico.
Welland said church leaders and ministers also could speak out more against domestic violence, even at the pulpit.
"I often think that the moral authority that priests and bishops have goes to waste in this area because there's so much that they could say that would make such a huge difference," she said.
"When they do that it's a huge opportunity to help families, just by making that statement, just so everybody is clear on what is and is not right."
A free download of the booklet "How Can We Help to End Violence in Catholic Families: A Guide for Clergy, Religious and Laity" is available at www.paxinfamilia.org.
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by Bibbi Abruzzini
KATHMANDU, Jan. 19 — Have you ever tried eating in a restaurant with no lights on and being served by blind people?
A new restaurant in the capital city of this Himalayan nation is serving meals to customers in complete darkness with blind and partially-blind waiters and waitresses moving around in pitch- black surroundings.
"Dinning in total darkness and served by blind people is a unique experience that changes your perception of the world. It reverses your point of view," Vishwo Ram Shrestha, manager of the restaurant named "The Dark Restaurant," told Xinhua in an interview.
In a sense, the diners become the blind inside the restaurant, and the blind, who usually rely on the help of others, become the guides.
The restaurant pushes the boundaries of sensory experiences; when sight is eliminated, other senses grow more intense. Hearing, touch and smell take over, with every sound, movement and taste amplified.
"It's a fantastic experience. Eating in pitch darkness gives you a different feeling. While the food is just in front of you, you keep on looking for it," Biju Khadgi, a customer, said.
The biggest revelation is that customers seem to get full without knowing how much food they have eaten or how much is left on their plates, one customer said.
Shrestha said some of his customers found the experience hilarious and some were just being curious.
But according to Shrestha, there is more to the restaurant than food.
He said with its unique format, the restaurant has a noble mission, which is to provide jobs to visually-impaired persons.
"Blind and partially-deficient people get no support from the Nepali society. This must change. The main aim of the restaurant is to raise awareness and to create employment opportunities for blind people," Shrestha said.
The restaurant venture, initiated by the Nepalese Association of the Blind, creates a bridge between the blind and people with normal vision through a sort of interconnection process.
The process also enhances self-confidence among the blind food service workers. They view their job as a kind of psychological nurturing as they usually depend entirely on support from their families or community members.
"When deprived of light people use their sense of touch and smell and this is what we are doing in the restaurant," the 26- year-old Gogan Pariyar, one of the three blind waiters working at "The Dark Restaurant," said.
Pariyar said he also works as a physical therapist on days when he is not on duty at the restaurant. "It's my way of healing people," he said.
"I like working here as I get to know different people. My dream is to become a singer. I love rock music. I mostly listen to Nepali bands," Sudan Tandukar, another blind waiter, said.
Waiters get 500 Nepalese rupees (approximately 5 U.S. dollars) and a free meal for their service.
Plans are afoot to open new branches of "The Dark Restaurant" across Nepal, namely in Pokhara, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur, to create job opportunities for visually-impaired and disabled people.
Similar restaurants with blind waiters and waitresses have already been opened in Europe and the United States but the one in Kathmandu is the first in Nepal.[db:内容2]
Blind waiters, waitresses serve at dark restaurant in Nepal
by Bibbi Abruzzini


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Australian woman wins major prize for mathematics
Typical. You wait ages for a prize-winning woman mathematician to come along and then two arrive at almost the same time.
Hot on the heels of Stanford's Maryam Mirzakhani becoming the first woman to win the Fields Medal, Professor Kate Smith-Miles, a mathematician at Monash University in Melbourne has won the 2014 Georgina Sweet Award, under the Australian Research Council's Australian Laureate Fellowships scheme.
Professor Smith-Miles's project through the fellowship aims to develop a new paradigm in algorithm testing, which she says is urgently needed to support good research practice in academia, and to avoid disasters when deploying algorithms in practice.
Her work in the past has tackled problems ranging from identity fraud detection to face recognition, stem cell modelling, and improved manufacturing design.
Professor Smith-Miles won the Australian Mathematical Society's Medal in 2010 for her international reputation as an applied mathematician with a focus on interdisciplinary applications of mathematics.
"Maths is everywhere," she says. "And a mathematician can see the beauty in that, but also the potential."
There's a list of the other laureates here.
Georgina Sweet, for whom the award is named, is worth a mention, too. She was an impressive pioneering woman scientist – a zoologist – and academic in the early part of the 20th century in Australia – not the most welcoming environment, I think we can safely assume.
She worked hard to have women admitted to the University of Melbourne senate and to establish the University Women's College which she served for many years until her death in 1946.
- https://cosmosmagazine.squarespace.com/blog/2014/8/13/stanford-professor-is-first-woman-to-win-nobel-prize-of-maths
- http://users.monash.edu.au/~ksmiles/
- http://www.arc.gov.au/media/major_announce.htm#FL14


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Ban on unfair letting fees not enough to protect London's renters
February 12th, 2019
In response to the Government's announcement today that the Tenant Fees Bill has gained Royal Assent and will come into effect on 1st June 2019, Labour's London Assembly Housing Spokesperson, Tom Copley AM, said:
"For too long, Londoners in the private rented sector have been subject to exorbitant letting fees and deposits, with excessive rents adding insult to injury.
"Whilst it is very welcome that with this new Act of Parliament, we will see protections for tenants from these fees and a cap on deposits at five weeks' rent, there is still a four-month waiting period for the new laws to come in force.
"By implication, we are now in danger of unscrupulous agents and landlords using this period of delay to charge even higher fees than usual. The Government has already dragged their feet on this, despite the Chancellor promising in his Autumn Statement back in 2016 that letting fees will be banned as soon as possible.
"Private renters deserve much more from the Government. As a matter of urgency, Section 21 no fault evictions must be scrapped and open-ended tenancies introduced, with caps on rent rises. I welcome the work Sadiq Khan has announced to develop a model of rent control that will work in London. The Government should devolve to City Hall the necessary powers for him to implement this."
- Tom Copley AM is a Londonwide Assembly Member.


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Harry Dean Stanton and Public Mourning
Harry Dean Stanton seemed like someone who was never young. He seems like he should have left the womb wearily smoking a cigarette and wondering what the hell the big deal was. For the forty-one years I've been alive, Harry Dean Stanton always seemed like a grizzled, weather-beaten old man who took perverse pride in treating his body as badly as possible, as an awkward cage he found himself imprisoned inside instead of a temple.
And in a sense, Stanton really did spend my entire lifetime playing a weird old codger whose every wrinkle, scar and blemish tells the story of a man intent on living on his own terms in a world without much respect for that level of individualism. Stanton was already fifty when I was born but looked and seemed much older. I knew and revered him primarily as an unlikely sage in the iconic cult classic Repo Man but his legacy is so huge and so staggering that his career-defining role in Alex Cox's dark comedy is really only the beginning.
In the decades leading up to his death, Stanton somehow seemed simultaneously like a man who might die at any moment and immortal. When he died, Stanton had a starring vehicle in theaters, which is not something many men in their seventies can say, let alone men in their nineties. The last time I was in Los Angeles, about a month ago, a friend was flying in separately to do a big profile on Stanton. It sure seemed like he had at least a little bit more life left.
So when Stanton died recently at 91 it shouldn't have come as a surprise. After all, he'd spent a good half century being a prickly, cantankerous old man onscreen. Yet it nevertheless came as a bit of a shock. As long as I can remember, Harry Dean Stanton had always been around. He was low-key ubiquitous, a reassuringly craggy face in independent movies and science-fiction blockbusters and everything in between, a leading man at times but more often a supporting player.
Stanton was a character actor rather than a star. The world might have known his face but he was not a household name, nor any kind of a box-office attraction. Indeed, I actually just chuckled at the very idea of people trying to sell a movie on the basis of Harry Dean Stanton's popularity at the box office.
So I was very pleasantly surprised at the incredible outpouring of love and attention that followed Stanton's death. We live in a culture with a tiny memory and the attention span of a fruit fly. Unless the deceased is someone like David Bowie or Prince, we tend to give the dead a day or so to be remembered, then move onto less depressing and more timely manners.
But that hasn't happened with Stanton. We seemed to have collectively wept upon learning of his death and since then the tributes and homages and remembrances have not stopped, or even really slowed down. And there's something beautiful about that. Because even though Harry Dean Stanton was not a big star, he made a big impact on a lot of people's lives, both as unusually intense and distinctive actor, and as an unusually intense and distinctive man. When we publicly mourn Stanton it's as one of the all-time great character actors onscreen and one of the all-time great characters offscreen. There will never be another Harry Dean Stanton, and I'm pleasantly surprised that he's receiving a farewell commensurate with his extraordinarily life and career.
Support Nathan Rabin's Happy Place and the endeavors of weird, cantankerous old men and get cool bonuses over at https://www.patreon.com/nathanrabinshappyplace


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This is a few days old, but I'm sure that our hardcore gamers will appreciate it. Our German friends at HardTecs4U have posted up a 31 page shootout between the offerings of Asus, Abit, AOpen, Gainward, Leadtek, and MSI. It's a blistering fast shootout of every possible feature on these 8x AGP cards.
All this has however its price, because not only in the performance class the map lies clearly over the Ti4200 8X models, also in the price. With a UVP of 288 euro the V9280S arranges itself maps clearly over regular Ti4200 and incorporates themselves between the price structure of Ti4400 and Ti4600 models. Regarding the straight likewise Ti4800SE maps appearing in the market ASUS rests upon however with this price recommendation quite directly, offers for it however more for the money. To that extent are we the opinion that also the V9280S earned itself our honor in form of the Editor's Choice Award.
I apologize for the poor translation, but the original site is in German. Here's a Googled translation of the article to get you started.