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I've talked about the Skeptics' Schism before…and I'm sure I'll talk about it again. Here's today's take on the subject.
I'd recommend reading D.J.'s post at the JREF site, and PZ Myers' post that it links to.
Seriously. They're good posts and provide the needed context and background for this quote from Pamela Gay:
"To me, skepticism applies to testable parts of my life. Through science, I can test ideas and make predictions. As a skeptical thinker, when I'm confronted with data I have to be willing to change my ideas about reality, and if the predictive powers of science fail me, I have to admit my science is wrong. A belief in God is a belief in something frustratingly untestable. I can make no testable predictions using religion, but instead find myself faced with having to make an opinion-based judgement. I have made the choice to believe. I admit I have doubts – I am not so strong a person as to say my faith is complete and that in the dark of night I don't worry that I'm wrong. But in the absence of data, I have made the choice to believe in a God."
Here are the questions I'd like to ask:
1. If something isn't testable, how do you justify believing it?
2. How is this not simply a shifting the burden of proof – accepting an answer, without data to support it, and holding that position until data is presented to contradict it?
3. What makes you think belief is simply a choice? Did you really consciously choose to believe a god exists in the absence of supporting evidence or was there more? Isn't it more accurate to say that you've become convinced for reasons that are admittedly not rational or supported by evidence…reasons of which you may not be full cognizant? Was it a choice or is there some underlying presupposition that you're not recognizing?
4. Do you care whether or not your beliefs are justified?
5. Is it hypocritical to selectively apply skepticism?
I'm not picking on Pamela here – these questions are for any skeptic that identifies as a theist. They've been asked before and I have yet to hear any satisfactory answers. Pamela is simply the most recent, relevant example. And, while I shouldn't have to say this, I'm not raising this to attack her – I'm addressing the claims.
Anyone can be skeptical of something. It's probably the case that every sane person is skeptical of many things. It's natural for us to be curious and skeptical. But when someone identifies as a skeptic and we identify others as a skeptics, we're not talking about "natural skepticism" or being skeptical, we're talking about "applied skepticism" – the conscious application of skeptical ideals as tool for evaluating claims.
How skeptical do you have to be in order to qualify as a skeptic?
Skeptics strive (even if they fail) to be skeptical of all things, don't they? That, to me, is what skepticism is. If it's nothing more than picking and choosing what you'll be skeptical of, where is the usefulness? How can you criticize untestable claims while holding your own and claiming they're immune? When I hear that people like Paul Kurtz are claiming that we shouldn't be skeptical of everything, I have to wonder exactly what's going on.
Don't misunderstand, I agree that we can only adequately investigate testable claims – but we should be skeptical of all claims. What would we say if James Randi, for example, stated that he received an applicant for the Million Dollar Challenge who presented a claim that was untestable but that he was going to go ahead and "choose to believe" this untestable claim (though not aware the prize) despite the lack of supporting evidence?
Pamela writes:
"Someone who compartmentalizes their life – placing religion in one box and skepticism in another – is tearing themselves apart"
… yet she tries to claim that her religious beliefs are untestable and immune from skeptical examination. How is that not compartmentalization? If her beliefs are untestable, why believe? If her beliefs are not untestable, why claim they are…and why believe? How is this different from someone who makes any other untestable woo claim?
None of us are perfect in our application of critical thinking and skepticism, we're all going to make mistakes. We're going to accept bad evidence. We're going to allow our emotions and desires to color our evaluation of evidence. We're going to show a little special treatment for the things we treasure.
But shouldn't skepticism be about recognizing those errors and striving to overcome them? Shouldn't it be about a diligent pursuit of the goal to hold the best possible understanding of reality? When confronted with an error like this, wouldn't we expect a good skeptic to acknowledge the error and change their position? Isn't that the hallmark of skepticism?
I've said, many times, that I want to believe as many true things and as few false things as possible. Both sides of that coin are critical. If you're only concerned with believing as many true things as possible; believe everything. If you're only concerned with believing as few false things as possible; believe nothing.
Skepticism shuns both of those extremes (credulity and cynicism) and cares solely about serving as a filter to separate information into piles marked 'reliable' and 'unreliable'. It is an ideal predicated on the desire to have the most accurate understanding of reality that we're capable of.
Pamela even notes this when she writes; "the natural outcome in skepticism is acknowledging doubt". That's true and beautiful but it's only part of the story. It's not simply about acknowledging doubt (because that allows people to misrepresent the burden of proof), it's about attempting to doubt appropriately – to discover which bits of information are reliable enough to be believed and which are not.
There's a difference between being skeptical and being a skeptic – or there should be. If someone claims to be a skeptic, yet believes in god or auras or ghosts without presenting supporting evidence, is that a problem? Not so long as they recognize that on that particular subject, they're not properly applying the skepticism they advocate. Essentially, they're hypocritical in their application of skepticism.
Does that mean they're a lousy skeptic? On that subject, yes. Overall? That depends. Some skeptics will recognize and acknowledge that they're not properly applying skepticism. Others will claim that skepticism isn't relevant to that subject. I'm having a really difficult time deciding which of those is more dangerous and which represents the greatest hypocrisy.
Is the willful rejection of skeptical values in order to cling to a cherished belief more or less detrimental if that rejection is acknowledged? Is it better to say, "Yes, I'm not being skeptical about this – because it makes me feel good" than to say "Skepticism simply doesn't apply here"?
I've got to think that the latter is a gross conceptual error about what skepticism is, if we're going to distinguish it from simply "being skeptical".
It's very likely that each individual case is different. It's a complicated landscape and this isn't about assigning people a score, as though I'm 92% pure skeptic and they're 89% or 96%. There are plenty of things that I've been insufficiently skeptical of – but when I've been challenged on those things, I've acknowledged it and reevaluated my position. I've never said or implied that I hold some belief that is beyond the realm of skeptical inquiry.
It may be the case that some of these willful rejections of skepticism amount to no more than traveling slightly over the speed limit, but if you're part of a movement that encourages people to adhere to the speed limit, you don't get to willfully ignore it without being called out for hypocrisy.
I like Pamela. She seems to be a nice person, she's smart, she's probably a good scientist and, apart from her religious views, she seems to be a pretty good skeptic. I not only don't object to her speaking at TAM 8 (The Amaz!ng Meeting), I was happy to hear she'd be speaking. Unlike some people, I actually hoped that she'd be specifically addressing theistic skepticism – as that's a subject that I find fascinating (if not frustrating). I also don't object to Hal Bidlack (another skeptical theist) serving as MC for TAM. Hal's someone I liked, despite the fact that we may disagree about the relationship between skepticism and theism.
What I object to are the attempts to curtail discussion on this subject. What I object to are the attempt to portray some skeptics as troublemakers, negatively affecting the whole, simply because they're not hesitant to say that they're skeptical of the claim that "theistic skeptic" isn't oxymoron.
Pamela writes:
"There is currently a philosophy that "skepticism is a proper subset of atheism: that is, not all atheists are skeptics but all skeptics are atheists."" [snip] "This is false logic. Being a skeptic does not preclude a belief in a God. Being a skeptic simply means I have to admit that there are things I know are scientifically true and based on evidence (such as the age of the universe), and there are things that in the absence of sufficient data I may choose to believe in or not believe in (such as God)."
D.J. agrees with Pamela (in part):
"I do not believe that skepticism is a subset of atheism. I believe, and I wonder why it isn't obvious to everyone, that atheism is a subset of skepticism."
It's true that skepticism is not a subset of atheism, in that context. I agree with D.J. that this should be painfully obvious. Atheism deals with a single claim and that is insufficient to serve as a superset for skepticism. But we're talking about 'isms' in that context. Skepticism could include a bunch of "isms" under its umbrella…that tells us nothing about whether or not skepticism supports or precludes theism.
Pamela, though, shifts scopes – both from 'skepticism/atheism' to 'skeptic/atheist' and also from 'is' to 'ought'. Of course there are theists who identify as skeptics – that's not in question.
Here's the simple question that seems to be avoided like the plague:
Does the proper application of skepticism support theism?
Anyone who thinks the answer is "yes", please defend that position – just as someone who felt that their belief in ghosts was supported by the proper application of skepticism.
If the answer is "no" – then it is clear that the proper application of skepticism supports the atheistic position, in the sense that (skeptical) atheism rejects theistic claims as unbelievable due to insufficient evidence. Read that twice. Insert the word "nontheism" for "(skeptical) atheism", if it makes it more clear. (I'll bet I still get someone e-mailing about middle ground…)
That's what we're really discussing here: Is theism consistent with the proper application of skepticism?
Pamela would like to have us believe it is and she attempts to do so by claiming that her theism is untestable and claiming that "Being a skeptic does not preclude a belief in a God."
That, though, is a dishonest shifting of the burden of proof. She might as well have said "Being a skeptic does not preclude a belief in the supernatural/ghosts/auras." It'd be just as true and just as irrelevant. Skepticism does't preclude belief in anything provided that you assert that your belief is justified until disproved. Skepticism is about investigating all claims to discover truth. It's about discovery, not just debunking.
Isn't it one of the core principles of applied skepticism that if something is untestable, then belief is unjustified? How can one justify belief without supporting evidence?
I'm baffled by the unwillingness of some skeptics to state the obvious when it comes to religious claims: they haven't scratched the surface of meeting their burden of proof. Some act as if honestly acknowledging that someone's beliefs are not rational and not consistent with a skeptical assessment of the evidence is somehow a disservice; as if we don't want to hurt the feelings of our skeptical friends who have bought into a particular brand of woo. What sort of friend are you being when you do that?
It's not as if we're trying to kick people out of skeptic groups or exclude them from meetings and events. It's not even as if we're unwilling to consider their case – but pretending that there isn't a dilemma here that should be defended? That's a disservice.
If there's a theistic skeptic who would actually like to defend their views, why not encourage that? Why not arrange for a public debate or panel discussion at TAM9? I suspect that the answer has more to do with image and the perception that such a discussion might alienate people that are otherwise supportive. Honestly, though, I think it probably has more to do with finding a skeptical theist willing to publicly defend that position.
If anyone needed evidence of the pernicious, nefarious, deleterious effects of religious beliefs and their ability to protect themselves while affecting their surroundings; they need look no further than the collection of otherwise committed skeptics who not only shy away from the subject but encourage others to do the same.


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Central Issuance (CI) is a safer and more secure way to handle one of the most important documents a person possesses.
The DMV no longer issues driver's licenses, permits, or identification (ID) cards over the counter in our offices. We give the customer a paper interim (temporary) document which is valid for up to 30 days. The permanent card is mailed within ten business days.
When you come into a DMV office to apply for, or renew, your driver's license, permit, or ID card, your existing license will be invalidated and returned to you. Because the interim document is not valid for identification purposes, it will be important for you to carry the invalidated card along with the interim document until you receive your new card in the mail.
Please do not visit a DMV office just to receive a new license. Your existing license or ID will remain valid until its expiration date. The new format is issued for renewals, address changes and to new drivers and other first-time applicants.
Central Issuance affects only the way licenses are issued. It does not affect the proof of identity requirements or any other requirements to obtain a license or ID card. The DMV will continue to offer Internet renewals and other alternate services the same way we always have.
See Frequently Asked Questions for more details.
Below are the designs for the Class C Adult and Minor (under 21) driver licenses. Ghost images and micro-printing are only some of the new security features.
The interim document issued at the DMV office is pictured below. Since this is not valid for identification, it is important that the motorist keeps any existing license or ID or presents another form of identification such as a passport or a birth certificate.

subset: commoncrawl


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Koning needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 57 designs submitted by 22 freelance designers.
A new online cycling shop based in South Africa, we're taking the cycling community here by storm by offering a massive range of bicycles, gear, clothing, cycling related electronics and more. We're a bunch of young and motivated individuals that want to make a real difference in the way people buy anything cycling related in South Africa.
All cyclists, from road to mountain bike, downhill and BMX cyclists. The target market is massive (male & female, aged between 16 and 65) but the typical cyclist is someone who:
- Loves the outdoors
- Enjoys being fit & healthy
- Has a competitive spirit
- Likes the image of being out there and training
- Adventurous
- Falls in the middle to higher income bracket
Simplicity, high impact, easy to remember and easy to relate to cycling, no specific colour preference, but the logo must stand out – use bright colours.
We need a logo that has the look and feel of a web based application. Hence it should be clear, clean, uncluttered but impactful.
Given the target market & nature of our business we want to create a feeling of trust, stability and speed.
The company name should be distinguishable.
The logo (vector) needs to be print ready for reproducing on all website and marketing materials.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Amr is accusing Wikipedia of publishing wrong information about the nationality , origin and religion of several Muslim scientists from the Middle ages like Al-Hassan Ibn Al-Haytham. Those Muslim scientists are said to be from Persian origin and not from an Arab origin and thus it is an insult to our Arab history.
I am amazed that Al Ahram has given to his letter this space in this page like this and let themselves accuse wikipedia with such silly accusation. Amr goes on and says along with the newspaper that Wikipedia does not allow the editing of these pages , well may be his information is not supported with sources required in these pages. Amr goes on and says that there is a deliberate act from Wikipedia to ignore the nationality of Arab scientists mentioning their religion only !! Where as it mentions only the Persian identity of those scientists !!
The new thing is that they included Wikipedia in the media war against Tehran, the West and the Persians are plotting against our Arabic history .
I am afraid this is not an Arabic history but rather an Islamic history in the first place with my all respect . I do not know why some are angry and consider it an attack on our Arab identity if we say that this scientist was from a non Arabic origin and he was from Persian origin !!
So what !!??
Al-Bukhari who gathered Prophet Mohamed "PBUH" 's quotes was from non Arab origin.
Tarek Ibn Ziad was from a non Arab origin from the Berber tribes in Algeria !!??
If we have reached this level then please do not speak about One thousand and one nights , because the Arabian nights are full of tales from India and Persia . I believe Amr hates Scheherazade as she is a legendary Persian Queen !!
Also Kalila and Demna is an originally Indian text ,shall we consider it an alien on our Arabic culture and civilization in the same way !!!??
This is so pathetic and sad. I won't comment on Amr because he is a hopeless case, already I know very well that he will come cursing me with his sailor mouth ,believe me he does this on a monthly basis so it is not a new thing. But I will comment on Al Ahram ,it is so sorrowful to reach this level of ignorance because of political hate.


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Minecraft Wiki Guide
| November 18, 2011
October 7, 2011
November 17, 2011
April 2, 2014
May 9, 2012
September 5, 2014
November 15, 2013
September 4, 2014
October 14, 2014
December 17, 2015
Fire TV
Xbox 360
Xbox One
PS Vita
Wii U
| Microsoft
4J Studios (console ports)
| Mojang
|Official Sites
|minecraft.net // mojang.com
E3 2016[edit]
At E3 2016, during the Microsoft Press Conference it was revealed the Realms would be coming to Windows 10, Xbox One, iOS and Android. Realms are dedicated servers, that anyone from any of the listed platforms can connect to. Realms are expected to launch early next year.
Along with that announcement, we also learned that many new skin packs are on the way for Minecraft Pocket Edition.
Lastly, Gear VR compatibility is also being worked on actively for Minecraft.
E3 2015[edit]
During the Microsoft Press Conference at E3 2015, Minecraft was shown working with the Hololens.
The Hololens allows users to manipulate the world in a 3-dimensional space. It also allows for voice commands to be utilized, as demonstrated when the user calls forth lightning strikes.
Minecraft has been released for for various PC platforms and console like PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
Here is a comparision between PS3 and PS4 versions of Minecraft.
The world of Minecraft is a giant sandbox and can be a scary place when you've just jumped in and don't know what to do. On the first day, you'll have only a few minutes of daylight before the enemy Mobs begin to spawn as night falls. What you do in the first five minutes of gameplay will determine how well you'll be able to survive. Minecraft has no limit to your imagination; you can build your own house out of whatever material you wish. You can make weapons and armour to help protect yourself from mobs. You can make contraptions with the form of electricity known as redstone to kill other players in multi-player mode or to operate an automated farm.
Minecraft was released first as an alpha version on May 17, 2007, for PC. The official "full" release launch was on November 18, 2011. A light version of Minecraft made it to Android devices on October 7, 2011, with an iOS version on November 17, 2011. On May 9, 2012, Minecraft was released on Xbox 360 (co-developed by 4J Studios) as a digital download. It is coming to Xbox One as well with new expanded multiplayer features. By August 2013, Minecraft had sold 8 million copies on Xbox 360 and 11 million copies on PC.
Later Microsoft bought the company. One of the recent content releases was horses.
If you are new to Minecraft, start with Beginner's Guide, which will walk you through creating the basic necessities for exploring your new world. Once you are comfortable with the basics, move ahead to the Crafting Guide or add your own recipes. One of the most difficult parts for beginners is not having enough items or blocks to craft certain things. In this case, you can use a Minecraft duplication glitch (PS4).
In this Minecraft Wiki, you will find all the hints and tips you need to survive that arduous first day, so you may rest and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Additionally, if you have an interesting Minecraft project, feel free to share it on the Minecraft Projects page. Dont forget to check out the new updates to Minecraft!
Minecraft offers a demo version for you to try. You can also play Minecraft for free, although it is an older version.
The Crafting Tag[edit]
Contributors, please note that this wiki has a built-in Minecraft recipe generator that can be used by typing in
<minecraftrecipe>Item You Want</minecraftrecipe>
. An example of the generated recipe is seen to the right, with "Item You Want" replaced by "Crafting Table."
More Wiki Sections
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I was so fortunate to inherit my Great Grandmother's Bible. In between the Old Testament and New Testament I found that my Great Grandmother, Nora (Nell, Nellie) Ellen (Baley) Ball had imprinted each of her children's footprints in her bible. This first posting, shows my Grandmother, Zelma Fern Ball's footprints. She also had an entry that mentioned Zelma's brother, Granville. What a unique and interesting way to commemorate her children's arrival in this world!
Nora Ellen Baley was born December 23, 1885 in Iron County, Missouri to John Riley Baley and Susan Harriet Buxton. She married William Edward Ball 1910 in Ellis County, Oklahoma after her parents and his father took up homesteads during the early part of 1900's.
My mother, never got to know Nora. She died in 1937 when my mother was 4 years old. Nora died due to a stroke and high blood pressure when she was 52 years old. So young. If only she knew or if there was medication at the time that could stave off any symptoms?
We will never know.
Nora's husband, William Edward Ball was a painter and paper hanger in Salem, Oregon. Apparently he was good in his trade and kept busy. I imagine that the paint that she used to imprint her children's feet were from paint cans that he may have had on hand.
Zelma Fern Ball married in 1931 to John Doran May. My mother, was their first born. Zelma never liked her name, she told me. She became a "born again Christian" in the early 1950's and was an early member of the Minnehaha Church of Christ. She did her best to walk the walk and talk the talk. She passed away in October 2005 and her memorial service was comprised of the old hymns that she so dearly loved. My cousin played the piano. I have good memories of her but remember that she was stern in her beliefs and didn't always approve of people's lifestyles. No matter what, she is missed as the matriarch of our family and is still remembered and loved so dearly!


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Previously, I talked about the first alphabetic group of DB2 data warehouse DSNZPARMS that can improve your access paths and overall application performance. This week the second set of DSNZPARMS are discussed. Many of the data warehouse DSNZPARMS discussed are somewhat hidden within the regular DSNZPARM install panels. All of these DSNZPARMS discussed are available in DB2 for z/OS DB2 Version 9. Some are available in DB2 Version 8.
Caution needs to be taken with all system settings and especially these data warehouse DSNZPARMS. These DSNZPARMS are meant to change access paths and improve them, but each data warehouse design is unique, along with each application access path, so results will vary. If the data warehouse DB2 subsystem is shared with other OLTP or operational applications, I highly recommend fully documenting and setting up a full PLAN STABLITIY plan and package management structure for your current access paths before changing any DSNZPARMS. This documentation along with a good PLAN STABILITY DB2 plan and package management implementation and back out practices helps you quickly react to your environment and back out any detrimental access paths encountered through unexpected rebind of any program.
Some of the comments from previous blogs on data warehouse applications highlighted the resurgent of data warehousing on the z/OS platform and why running a data warehouse on z/OS provides many advantages over other platforms. One that was noted from several people is when your data warehouse runs on z/OS, the huge ETL processes don't usually have to transmit the data over a network. Even though the network bandwidth is robust, avoiding this extra bottleneck can sometimes save hours of overhead, guaranteeing that your refresh data jobs have enough time every day to provide critical refreshes of you data within your data warehouse. Additionally, most of your source data warehouse data comes from the z/OS operational systems and can quickly be put into operational business intelligence data warehouses. This fresh data increases sales, provides real time inventory or product availability updates and, most importantly, removes latency for all your critical single point master data source of record for the enterprise.
Improve your system and application performance by adjusting these data warehouse DSNZPARMS to improve your access paths and by using the superior DB2 optimizer technology and most efficient performance available.


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Peace and joy.
That sounds like a line from a Christmas card, but it's also a term frequently used in reference to vocation discernment. Those words incorporate the entire continuum of discerning your vocation — from initiation through making the final decision and everything in between. In regard to vocation discernment, you can feel peace and joy even while searching and being uncertain about the final answer. The critical point is that you are discovering God's will for you, no matter which stage of discernment you're in.
While each discernment process is different, there are some common elements in all of them.
"There are no two discernment processes which are alike," said Father Luke Strand, vocation director for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. "Each man's encounter with the Lord is different and unique. Nevertheless, it is so important that a man first encounter Christ, and trust in the ways that God is working in his life. Each candidate must be patient and courageous as he pursues his call, seeking peace in God."
The first, and perhaps most important, element of vocation discernment is prayer. It is while you are in private dialogue with God that you can most effectively discover evidence of your vocation. In the silent stirrings of your heart, God will speak about his desires for you. Without quiet attention to the Almighty, you can't clearly hear his voice.
"Set aside quiet time each day to ask the Lord, 'What do you want of me?' and then listen to his reply," said Sister Marie Therese Callea, vocations director for the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Wichita, Kan. "'Be patient, in his time' people tell you. Use Scripture in prayer and let the living word of God speak directly to your heart. Whenever possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament. Go to Jesus; be with him; listen to him. Devotion to Our Lady, Our Mother, is also important. She is always pointing to Christ."
A strong prayer life is one of the key qualities Deacon Dennis Dorner looks for in candidates discerning a vocation to the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Deacon Dorner is the archdiocese's director of the Permanent Diaconate program.
"Discernment of this vocation is all about trying to understand, wrestle with and come to peace with God's will in your life," he said. "That can only be done in a spiritual setting; in other words, through an active prayer life. The candidate may not feel that his prayer life is perfect, and this is a common worry. After a while he will come to realize that no one has a perfect prayer life, and that spiritual formation is a lifetime process, and what is important is to be on the journey, to have good guys and to be open to God's movement in his life."
Because Jesus is present in his sacraments, you can encounter him there, also. Frequent confession and attendance at holy Mass and Eucharistic adoration will become channels of grace that will help you discern in truth and humility. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops calls the Eucharist the "heart of vocations" on its vocations resource page, citing a quote from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Sept. 11, 2006.
"Eucharistic adoration is an essential way of being with the Lord," Pope Benedict wrote. "There we can speak with him about everything. We can offer him our petitions, our concerns, our troubles, our joys, our gratitude, our disappointments, our needs and our aspirations. There we can also constantly ask him: 'Lord send laborers into your harvest! Help me to be a good worker in your vineyard!'"
When you speak and listen to the Lord, you are developing a relationship with him, and it is through that relationship you begin to fully understand his will for you. As with all relationships, it takes time and energy.
"I heard it best from a religious nun who explained the discernment process as dating Christ," said Father Sergio Perez, West Coast director of vocations for the Oblates of St. Joseph. "If the discerner was living a lifestyle contrary to the teachings of Christ and the Church, or actively dating people of the opposite sex, then they are not focusing on their discernment with dedicating themselves solely to Christ."
This relationship is so important, in fact, that Father Perez recommends to all men discerning a vocation with his community that they take a year off to concentrate on developing that relationship with Christ in light of their discernment.
Fruitful discernment cannot be done in a vacuum. In this respect, seeking the guidance of a spiritual director or other trusted role model in the faith can be an invaluable tool in your discernment process.
Often, others can see you in ways that you are unable to see yourself and help you to see things from a different and essential perspective. Additionally, talking things out with another person can be a valuable means for sorting out all of the impressions, desires and hopes that are churning around inside you.
"A man cannot discern on an island," Father Strand said. "Discernment is not just between a man and Jesus. The Church plays an essential role, and the candidate must allow the Church to challenge and strengthen him as he pursues seminary."
In the case of the diaconate, there are more people with whom you must consult in addition to a spiritual director. A deacon's vocation to serve will directly affect his wife and children and indirectly his extended family, parish and even his employer (or employees). The man discerning the diaconate must have the full support of his family, especially his wife.
"A married deacon's first vocation is his marriage, and that vocation must be strong and also growing," Deacon Dorner said. "God doesn't call man to a second vocation with the intent of damaging the first one. An authentic call to the diaconate will never result in actions that neglect a man's marriage, children or the family unit."
Finally, proper vocation discernment requires keen and patient observation. It is necessary that you visit the ministry or community you are considering and talk in depth with its members so you can get a fair idea of what it's like to live that vocation.
That's true for the priesthood, consecrated life and the diaconate. Unless you understand what's required of that vocation, you won't be able to decide whether you're capable of fulfilling what God is asking of you.
"Visit different communities to see where your heart feels most at home, volunteer with the community and take advantage of discernment retreat opportunities with them," said Sister Carolyn Martin, vocations director for the Little Sisters of the Poor. "Consider not only the apostolic work of the community, but also — and even more importantly — their community's spiritual charism; let yourself drink deeply of its richness."
The vocation discernment process can take anywhere from months to years, but it's important to note that it can be counterproductive to allow it to go on indefinitely.
Granted, discerning your vocation can be daunting and even scary, which is perfectly natural, but at some point you must take action.
"Don't wait for an email from God," Sister Carolyn said. "Trust in where he's leading you, and take positive steps toward the beautiful future that his heart desires for you.
"God wants you to be happy," she added. "In fact, there's nothing he wants more for you than your greatest, truest happiness."
The discernment process completely depends on the individual, but there are some criteria used by vocations directors that will help both the vocation discerner and director weigh the suitability of the match. Ultimately, vocation discernment is a matter of listening to God's call deep within your heart. Still, considering how you fit into the measurements vocations directors use to evaluate candidates will help assure you that the call you think you're hearing is the right one.
The primary characteristic cited by vocations directors is a love of Jesus and his Church, which includes an encompassing desire to seek and fulfill God's will. In order to foster such a love, you must have an ardent prayer life and receive the sacraments often.
"I believe that the No. 1 priority for those who are discerning is to make sure that the call is one they experience in prayer and not from outside influences," said Father Perez of the Oblates of St. Joseph. "It is good to have others to support, encourage and recommend the priesthood or religious life, but a discerner should not feel forced or obligated to others."
Vocations directors also look for individuals who are well-rounded, happy and healthy in body, mind and spirit. While perfect health is not a universal prerequisite, you must consider whether you will be capable of fulfilling the demands of the vocation you are considering.
Your overall well-being will affect your ability to live in a community, whether that be a community of diocesan priests, order priests, consecrated life or the brotherhood of the permanent diaconate. Even with a healthy body, mind and spirit, community life isn't for everyone. Vocations directors look for individuals who will thrive in community life, even though at times it can be challenging for everyone.
"We look for young women who desire a deeper spiritual life and a longing for God and who wish to serve others," said Sister Marie Therese of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. "The ideal candidate should be one who prays, frequents the sacraments when possible, has a generous heart, is faithful to the Church and can live fraternal life."
Finally, vocations directors look at the history of and desire to serve. They'll ask questions such as, "How active has he/she been in the parish?" and "What evidence is there of a true desire to serve?"
What Deacon Dorner of the Archdiocese of Atlanta said about candidates for the diaconate might apply to candidates for all ordained and consecrated vocations.
"With reception of holy orders, the deacon is more closely configured to Christ the Servant, literally the 'Icon of Christ the Servant,' but that doesn't make the deacon holier than everyone else and an expert on everything in the Church, (or) God's special chosen one to reform the parish, diocese or Church," he said. "It simply makes him a servant."
Just as there are criteria for judging whether you're going in the right direction, so, too, there are criteria for determining if you're going in the wrong direction. Here, motivation is a key factor. You must be honest with yourself about what is motivating you to seek the priesthood, diaconate or consecrated life. Are you looking for an escape from your present life? Are you looking for recognition of some kind? These are questions you must ask yourself.
"Some warning signs a person is going in the wrong direction may be that she is wrongly motivated; for example, she desires to escape the responsibilities of marriage and family or life in general," Sister Marie Therese said. "Another sign is that she lacks the desire to practice poverty, chastity and obedience. Third might be that she lacks the physical, mental, emotional and/or moral capability to live religious life."
Although you must not gauge your entire discernment by the opinions of others, it is prudent to consider the reaction you get from family, friends and your spiritual director or role model. They know you best — and sometimes better than you know yourself.
"The lack of support from your pastor, complaints by your wife and children (or other family members, in the case of a celibate vocation), finding that time alone reading and studying is becoming more important to you than your family, all these are signs of something going wrong," Deacon Dorner said. "Also, if a man begins to neglect his prayer life and make the excuse that he's just doing so much at the Church already, then that is a bad sign."
Additionally, an obsession with "church work" or any kind of charitable activity may signal that you are trying to avoid what's really going on inside you. There must be a balance between activity and personal prayer; if there's not, it could be a sign something is amiss.
If something does seem askew, you might want to take a break from vocation discernment. Father Perez recommends taking time off from discernment in order to clear your mind and heart and renew your energy for further discernment.
"I recommend to guys who have been seriously discerning with my community to consecrate a year to discernment," he said. "If throughout that year they do not feel ready to make the next step, they can decide, along with the guidance of their spiritual directors, to take a break from discernment. I've known guys who have appreciated that year away from discernment and afterward met their future wives."
Discerning your vocation should never make you feel angry, fearful, sad or unduly anxious. There will be times of confusion and nervousness, but those feelings should not overwhelm you.
"(God) does not want us to be miserable," said Sister Carolyn of the Little Sisters of the Poor. "If the thought of religious life does not bring you joy and energize you, even if it feels a little daunting, which is natural, it may not be for you."
The goal of vocation discernment is to discover God's will for you, and then to proceed to fulfill that will. If your discernment is true and fruitful, you will be filled with peace and joy.
Marge Fenelon writes from Wisconsin.
Copyright © 1996-2014, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Bus tickets from Rancagua to Victoria are being sold from Buses Jet Sur.
The distance between Rancagua to Victoria is (N/A) and you can choose between the services Preferential, Economy, Salón Cama, Semi Cama; dependent on the bus company you travel with (Buses Jet Sur).
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text:
Accurate weighing belt type 90m3/h stationary concrete mixing station
We are an oldest industry of crushing and concrete machines. We have experienced manufacturers of Mining and Construction Machinery. Foundation for the organization was laid in 1980s. We have grown a lot since that time. Currently we have independent research institutes where engineers are implementing new and better methods of mining.Our Vision is to become largest manufacturing industry of crushing machines and concrete manufacturing plants
We can provide program design, process flow design, standard and non-standard design for clients.if you are instered in our products,Please contact us or send e-mail to [email protected]


text:
Legal Insights on the Zimmerman Verdict
By Joe Palazzolo
We asked a panel of self-defense experts for reactions to a jury finding George Zimmerman not guilty of all charges in the death of Trayvon Martin.
Joshua Dressler, a professor at The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, said the acquittal came as no surprise. In an email to Law Blog, he wrote:
Given the presumption of innocence and Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which places an even greater burden of proof on the prosecutor, the acquittal was no surprise in light of the conflicting evidence. One could see that the prosecutor knew he was in trouble when he asked to include a manslaughter count, and even tried the outrageous felony-murder count (that the judge rejected). Race was never expressly raised, but it was still there lurking. The question that the criminal trial didn't answer, and probably couldn't is whether, had Trayvon Martin had been white, Zimmerman would have grown suspicion and confronted the person so aggressively.
The state's 2005 "Stand Your Ground" law removed a person's duty to try to run away in the face of danger before using deadly force, created a presumption that such force is lawful and immunized those who kills in self-defense from prosecution and private lawsuits.
The law provides that a person who claims to have killed in self-defense can seek a court ruling, before any trial, that they acted legally, but Mr. Zimmerman and his lawyer decided against that option and presented his case directly to a jury.
Still, according to Mr. Dressler, the law played a role in the trial.
The statute itself places the burden of persuasion regarding self-defense on the prosecutor — to prove that the defendant did NOT act in self-defense. In the past, in most states, if a defendant claimed self-defense, it was up to the defendant to prove he DID act in self-defense. So the SYG law in this case had an important legal impact.
Stephen P. Garvey, a professor at Cornell Law School, said he thinks the jury "got it right."
Unless you think Zimmerman "provoked" the use of force against himself it was pretty easy to find self defense. If you think he did "provoke" the use of force you have a pretty expansive view of provocation. Think about it. Even if Zimmerman did follow Martin, should that mean he loses the right to defend himself when thereafter faced with an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm? Following someone when maybe you shouldn't make you guilty of murder, or even manslaughter.
Andrew Branca, a Massachusetts lawyer and author of "The Law of Self Defense, 2nd Edition," went even further. The Zimmerman case, he said, "would make a very nice case study of the justifiable use of deadly force in self-defense for a law school criminal law text book."
Mr. Branca explained why the most recognizable aspect of the "Stand Your Ground" law didn't apply in Mr. Zimmerman's case.
"Stand your ground" is a legal release from the traditional duty to retreat, if safely possible, before using force in self-defense. When safe retreat is not possible, however, the duty does not apply. If the duty does not apply, "stand your ground" is not needed to release you from that duty. In this case, at the moment George Zimmerman used deadly force in self-defense his attacker was pinning him to the ground and reaching for his gun. [This is Mr. Zimmerman's version of events.] Under such circumstances no reasonable avenue of self-defense exists, so there is no duty to retreat even absent "stand your ground."
The next legal issue will likely center on Florida's self-defense immunity statute, 776.032, he said. (The immunity provision was passed as part of the "Stand Your Ground" law.)
While Mr. Zimmerman's defense lawyers elected against seeking immunity before trial, they have said they will do so should he face a private lawsuit related to Trayvon Martin's death, Mr. Branca noted.
Copyright 2013 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved


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Aftershave is a lotion, gel, or liquid applied to the face after shaving. It is often used by men. This article discusses the harmful effects from swallowing aftershave products.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Poisonous Ingredient
- Ethyl alcohol
- Isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol)
Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.
Where Found
Aftershaves are sold under various brand names.
Symptoms may include:
Abdominal pain
- Change in alert level (unconsciousness)
- Eye irritation (burning, redness, tearing)
- Headache
- Low body temperature
- Low blood pressure
- Low blood sugar
- Nausea
- Rapid heart rate
Slowed breathing
- Slurred speech
- Throat pain
Unable to walk in a normal manner
- Urination difficulties (too much or too little urine output)
Vomiting(may contain blood)
Isopropanol may also caused the following additional symptoms:
- Unresponsive reflexes
Uncoordinated movement
Children are particularly prone to developing low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as:
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Nausea
- Sleepiness
- Weakness
Home Treatment
Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.
Immediately give the person water or milk, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider. Do NOT give water or milk if the patient is having symptoms (such as vomiting, seizures, or a decreased level of alertness) that make it hard to swallow.
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following information:
- Patient's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
Poison Control, or a local emergency number
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
What to expect at the emergency room
The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The patient may receive:
- Activated charcoal
- Breathing support
- Dialysis
- Fluids through a vein (by IV)
- Laxative
- Medication to treat the effects of the poison
- Tube from the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (
gastric lavage)
Expectations (prognosis)
Aftershave poisoning usually occurs in small children. It may also occur in persons with alcoholism, who may drink the product when other alcohol runs out.
The outcome depends on how much is swallowed. This poisoning is not usually deadly. The range of illness may vary from a condition similar to being drunk to coma, seizures, and severe lung difficulties. A product with more isopropyl alcohol may potentially cause a more serious illness.


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Allegion Plc (ALLE) Falls 3.04% for January 06Equities Staff Follow |
One of the S&P 500's big losers for Wednesday January 06 was Allegion Plc (ALLE). The company's stock fell 3.04% to $62.50 on volume of 561,772 shares.
The stock opened the day at 63.62 and traded between a low of $62.39 and a high of $63.83. The stock finished the day down $1.96 per share. Allegion Plc has an average daily volume of 690,803 and a total float of 95.91 million shares. The 50-day SMA for Allegion Plc is $65.37 and its 200-day SMA is $61.93. The high for the stock over the last 52 weeks is $68.08 and the low is $52.33.
Allegion PLC provides security products and solutions that keep people safe, secure and productive. Its products include access control, biometrics, door control & closers, vehicle recognition, video surveillance, electronic locks and portable security.
Allegion Plc is centered in Dublin, , and has 8,500 employees. Today's trading day leaves the company with a market cap of $5.99 billion. The company has a P/S ratio of n/a, P/B ratio of 416.67, and a -14.
For a complete fundamental analysis analysis of Allegion Plc, check out Equities.com's Stock Valuation Analysis report for ALLE. To see the latest independent stock recommendations from Equities.com's analysts, visit our Research section.
The S&P 500 represents the industry standard for large-cap indices. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) may be the most visible stock market index in the country, the S&P 500 has long been relied on by industry insiders and fund managers as the more reliable gauge of portfolio performance.
While the DJIA is price-weighted and only includes 30 stocks, the S&P 500 uses a weighting system that factors in market cap and the size of a company's free float while including some 500 stocks for a more comprehensive look at the broader markets' performance. Its performance is far more representative of the large- and mega-cap stocks for any period of time.
For more news on the financial markets, go to Equities.com. Also, learn more about our independent proprietary equity research reports and our robust do-it-yourself Stock Valuation Analysis reports in our Research section.
All data provided by QuoteMedia and was accurate as of 4:30PM ET.
DISCLOSURE: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and do not represent the views of equities.com. Readers should not consider statements made by the author as formal recommendations and should consult their financial advisor before making any investment decisions. To read our full disclosure, please go to: http://www.equities.com/disclaimer


text:
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says the transfer ban imposed by FIFA is "unjust" and the club will appeal.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Bartomeu stood firmly behind the Catalan club's coaching system which has nurtured some of the club's biggest stars including Lionel Messi, Andreas Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
"The La Masia system is something not to be touched. It won't be changed and we will fight this unjust attack on a model which has been a huge success over the last three decades," Bartomeu said.
Football's world governing body announced Wednesday that they were sanctioning Barcelona for infringing transfer rules relating to players under the age of 18.
Under FIFA laws, clubs are not allowed to sign international players under the age of 18 unless the player is moving within the European Union, is aged between 16 and 18 and moving with their parents or the club and the player both live within 50 kilometers of a shared national border.
Following an investigation, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee concluded that Barcelona had broken these rules in the case of 10 young players.
As a result, the club has been issued with a transfer ban at both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods and handed a fine of CHF 450,000 ($508,000).
"FIFA is punishing a method that it tried, tested and proven over the last 35 years," he added.
"FIFA know that we do things correctly -- we had Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi as first, second and third in the Ballon d'Or. We want all of our fans and members to show their indignation at this sanction."
Barcelona had supplied FIFA with information on approximately 50 players under the age of 18 who had registered and played for the club between 2009 and 2013, Bartomeu said.
Bartomeu also revealed that he has "some evidence" that may point to a conspiracy -- FIFA's investigation was prompted by an "anonymous complaint" about an "unnamed player," he said.
"For a while now someone wants to damage Barcelona," Bartomeu said. "We are investigating where the anonymous complaint came from. Barça have done nothing wrong, we just looked for talent. I cannot say the suspicions point to one club or another."
Bartomeu has not discussed the punishment with FIFA boss Sepp Blatter but Secretary General Jerome Valcke "considers the measure excessive," he said.
"Barça did not break the rules. When they told (us) the kids could not play, they stopped playing," he added.
"We ask FIFA to look from case to case, the circumstances of each kid, so that there can be exceptions to the rules. As a club, we accept FIFA regulations because we are a FIFA member."
The club has 10 days in which to lodge their appeal.
Read more: Barcelona hit with transfer ban by FIFA


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HARTFORD, Conn. — A suspended Roman Catholic priest accused of making more than $300,000 in methamphetamine sales out of his Connecticut apartment while running an adult video and sex toy shop pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal drug charge.
Kevin Wallin, 61, of Waterbury, admitted to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was scheduled to be sentenced June 25. The prosecution and defense agreed on a sentence of 11 to 14 years in prison.
Prosecutors said the 61-year-old Wallin had meth mailed to him from co-conspirators in California and sold the drugs out of his Waterbury apartment last year. He also bought an adult video and sex toy shop in North Haven named Land of Oz & Dorothy's Place, apparently to launder the drug money, authorities said.
Wearing a beige prison jumpsuit and sporting a goatee and close-cropped hair, Wallin acknowledged in court that the drug operation involved nearly four pounds of methamphetamine. He said "yes" several times as the judge asked whether he understood the consequences of his plea.
Wallin, former pastor at St. Augustine Parish in Bridgeport, appeared to have no supporters in the courtroom. He was led out of the room in handcuffs and remains detained.
Charges against four other people arrested in the case are pending.
"We're glad to have resolved this part of the case," Connecticut U.S. Attorney David B. Fein said outside the courtroom. "It's a serious conspiracy charge involving a very dangerous drug."
Wallin's public defender, Kelly Barrett, declined to comment.
Dubbed in some media as "Monsignor Meth," Wallin was pastor of St. Augustine Parish for nine years until he resigned in June 2011, citing health and personal reasons. He previously served six years as pastor of St. Peter's Church in Danbury until 2002.
"Msgr. Wallin's guilty plea represents an important step in his coming to terms with his own actions and their impact on others," the Diocese of Bridgeport said in a statement. "It is a difficult moment for all of us but we hope it is also the first step in rebuilding his life. We pray that he moves toward healing and wholeness."
The diocese had suspended him from public ministry last May amid concerns by church officials about a number of problems with Wallin, including sexually inappropriate behavior with other men in the church rectory, Wallace said. Church leaders weren't aware of Wallin's involvement with drugs at the time of the suspension, diocese spokesman Brian D. Wallace said.
Wallace said Wallin now faces the prospect of removal from the priesthood by the Vatican, a process called laicization.
Wallin was arrested in January, and a grand jury indicted him and four other people on drug charges.
An undercover officer bought meth from Wallin six times from Sept. 20 to Jan. 2, paying more than $3,400 in total for 23 grams of the drug, authorities said.
Federal agents said they learned through wiretaps and informants about other sales Wallin was making.
On social media, people couldn't help but compare Wallin with Walter White, the main character on the TV show "Breaking Bad," who was making so much cash that he and his wife bought a car wash to launder their profits.
Also charged in the case were Kenneth Devries of Waterbury; Michael Nelson of Manchester; Chad McCluskey of San Clemente, Calif.; and Kristen Laschober of Laguna Niguel, Calif. Authorities say McCluskey and Laschober were involved in the shipping of methamphetamine to Wallin.
All four of those defendants have pleaded not guilty.


text:
Dramills - What U Need [Unsigned Hype]
New Dramills Video "What u Need" Off Hood Talk Vol 2.1 "R.I.P Stack Bundles" In Stores Now www.myspace.com/Dramills&IP=188.8.131.52
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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text: Find your littlest fan the perfect Niagara Purple Eagles NCAA onesie & baby clothes from lids.ca! Shop baby girl & boy clothes featuring your favorite Niagara Purple Eagles mascot. Lids carries a huge selection of Niagara Purple Eagles newborn clothes so your little one can represent their team in the nursery. Browse a great selection of NCAA baby clothes online at lids.ca to support your team & show fan pride at all stages of life!


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European Commission
Brussels, 11 March 2014
Omnibus II vote: A big step towards a safer and more competitive insurance industry
The European Parliament today adopted in plenary session the "Omnibus II" Directive that completes the "Solvency II" Directive and finalises the new framework for insurance regulation and supervision in the EU.
On this occasion, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier said:
"The European Parliament has just taken a very important step towards the introduction of a modern and risk-based solvency regime for the insurance industry in Europe as of 1 January 2016, making it both safer and more competitive. This long-awaited and vital reform will finally become a reality.
I would like to warmly congratulate everyone who has contributed to reaching agreement on this highly complex file, in particular the European Parliament - Rapporteur Burkhard Balz and Sharon Bowles, Chair of the ECON Committee - as well as the Lithuanian Presidency which steered this file to an agreement in trilogue in November 2013.
The Commission is now preparing the next stage of implementation of Solvency II, which will be the adoption of a Commission Delegated Act containing a large number of detailed implementing rules planned for the summer of this year. EIOPA is also working on a package of Implementing Technical Standards that will ensure that everything will be ready for the application of Solvency II on 1 January 2016."
The so-called Omnibus II Directive will complement the Solvency II Directive, creating a modern risk-based regulatory and supervisory framework for the insurance sector (Directive 2009/138/EC). The draft Directive is called Omnibus II because an earlier Directive, known as "Omnibus I" enacted technical amendments to 11 Directives incorporating into banking and securities directives references to the European Supervisory Authorities (the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)), thus operationalizing their powers as granted in their founding directives. Omnibus II does the same for the insurance sector, operationalizing the powers of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) via changes to the Solvency II Directive. However, it was decided in the course of the legislative process to also include in Omnibus II elements changing some substantive aspects of the Solvency II regime.
Those amendments did not cover the "Solvency II" Directive for the insurance sector (Directive 2009/138/EC), for which the competent European Supervisory Authority is EIOPA nor the Prospectus Directive (Directive 2003/71/EC), for which the competent supervisory authority is ESMA.
The draft Omnibus II Directive (IP/11/49) therefore contained a set of amendments to the Solvency II Directive and to the Prospectus Directive. These amendments include the provision of specific tasks for EIOPA and for ESMA. In particular, it clarifies the role of EIOPA in ensuring harmonised technical approaches for the calculation of technical provisions and capital requirements. In addition it:
Furthermore, the Omnibus II Directive contains a package of measures to provide clarity on the treatment of insurance products with long-term guarantees in order to mitigate the effects of artificial volatility. These measures include: a matching adjustment, a volatility adjustment, extrapolation of the risk-free interest rate, two specific transitional measures, and extension of the recovery period. In this way the Directive ensures that the insurance industry can continue offering long term guaranteed products. The Omnibus II Directive also contains transitional measures in certain areas including on transitional third-country equivalence if deemed necessary to avoid market disruption and to allow a smooth transition to the new regime under Solvency II.
Next steps:
The European Parliament and the Council agreed that the Solvency II Directive (including the amendments introduced by Omnibus II) should apply as of 1 January 2016, in line with the Commission proposal of 2 October 2013 postponing the application date of Solvency II (MEMO/13/841). After today's adoption by the European Parliament, the directive will need to be formally adopted by the Council and be published in the Official Journal. It will enter into force the day after publication.
More information:
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text:
|Remove Year: 2011
|Energy topic:
|Remove Energy topic: Policy
World Energy Trilemma 2011: Policies for the future – Assessment of country energy and climate policy
The World Energy Council in partnership with Oliver Wyman (global consulting firm) has over the past year worked on its third report looking at Policies for the future: Assessment of country energy and climate policy. The aim of the report is to identify key areas for policy improvements and to understand how successful policies can be transferred […]
Published in November 2011
WEC Rules of Trade 2011: Energy Sector Environmental Innovation
The World Energy Council (WEC) has presented three principal statements dealing with rules of trade in the energy sector to COP17 and the WTO. It is hoped that these statements, representing the WEC membership of 3000 organisations in over 90 countries, will aid policy makers to develop sustainable structures to improve the utilisation of energy. […]
Published in November 2011


text:
In USA Today, today: "[I]t's clear marriage in parts of Scandinavia is dying." (See Kurtz, here.)
Most Popular
Trump's Emergency Declaration Is Contemptuous of the Rule of Law
One thing that is abundantly clear from reading the full text of President Trump's declaration of a national emergency on the southern border — he's barely even deigning to explain why there is a particular crisis today, or why that crisis is so grave that it requires the military to combat it. At its heart ... Read More
Collusion: The Criminalization of Policy Disputes
What a weasel word "collusion" is. In Washington, Senator Richard Burr (R., N.C.), chairman of the Intelligence Committee, has now seen fit to pronounce that, after two years of investigation, the panel has found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian regime. Meanwhile, in a ... Read More
New Poll Shows Dems Have Reasons to Fear Schultz
He has a chance in 2020. Read More
Jussie Smollett Hires Defense Lawyer; Rope Was Purchased by His Friends
Jussie Smollett, the Trump-despising star of television's Empire who has said he was attacked by two guys yelling a pro-Trump slogan, has now hired the lawyer for Trump's lawyer to defend him in any criminal matters that may emerge from what he claims is a vicious January 29 attack. Michael Monico, a ... Read More
The Failure of the Deal
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is Jonah Goldberg's weekly "news"letter, the G-File. Subscribe here to get the G-File delivered to your inbox on Fridays. Dear Reader (But especially Sammie), I had my say on the emergency declaration yesterday, and I'm sure I'll have to say it all again not very far ... Read More
What to Do About the Rebirth of Socialism
'The most important political event of the twentieth century," wrote Irving Kristol in 1976, "is not the crisis of capitalism but the death of socialism." Plenty of self-described Marxist and socialist regimes existed throughout the world, Kristol recognized. It was rather the ideas behind such regimes that ... Read More
Let's Chill about Hate Crimes
'Jussie Smollett, one of the stars of the television show 'Empire,' was attacked in Chicago by 2 assailants who yelled racial and homophobic slurs," tweeted the New York Times on January 29. Mark the tone of absolute certainty about an unconfirmed claim. Many other news outlets took the same tack. ... Read More
We'll Regret This
Mitch McConnell says the president will sign the budget deal and he will also declare a national emergency to build the wall, as I expected. We'll see the legal justifications he uses, but as a political and constitutional matter this is a long-term disaster. Oh, it might be good for Trump according to the ... Read More


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I'll be writing a seperate blog post about how I went about doing that, but for now I want to talk about a sub-problem of this: given a number of arguments, how do you forward these to a variadic function? A re-statement could be, how to "dynamically" invoke a variadic function?
Looking this up in the net, I've found these two discussions to be the most relevant:
The second link mentions a library called FFCALL which can be used to pass parameters to variadics dynamically, and this probably is the ideal way of doing things.
I may have found another method for this - so far as I've seen it works on x86 and ARM. It's based on the assumption that the last mandatory parameter and all the variadic parameters reside continuously in the memory, as well as lots of terrible coding practices, but it should be illustrative enough.
What I'm doing is basically copying a fixed number of bytes from the memory region (=stack) where the variadic parameters are located into a buffer, then passing this buffer to another variadic function which is called with a fixed number of arguments (I picked doubles since they are larger and will allocate more space on the called function's stack). The function then calls memcpy to overwrite its variadic args section with the passed buffer, and afterwards can call the stdarg macros to obtain the variadic arguments, or pass them to something like vprintf.
Here's the code:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdarg.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
void accepter(char *fmt, char *ptr, ...);
void forwarder(char *fmt, ...);
void forwarder(char *fmt, ...)
double d = 9.1;
char *buf = (char*) malloc(10*sizeof(double));
memcpy(buf, (void*)((unsigned int)(&fmt)+sizeof(char*)), 80);
FILE *o = fopen("tmp", "wb");
fwrite(buf, 10, sizeof(double), o);
// call function with 10 double arguments to open up stack space
accepter(fmt, buf, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d);
void accepter(char *fmt, char *ptr, ...)
memcpy((void*)((unsigned int)(&ptr)+sizeof(char*)), ptr, 10*sizeof(double));
va_list ap;
va_start(ap, ptr);
vprintf(fmt, ap);
int main()
double d = 65.98;
forwarder("%d %d %d ermm %s and more params! %x %f %x %x \n", 1, 2, 3, "hello world", 199, d , 0xdeadbeef, 0xbeefdead);
return 0;


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Considering that their once-promising season has crumbled, the Pittsburgh Pirates already have enough problems.
Here comes another one, as reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. For some reason, the Pirates' front office turned some of the team's prospects over to Navy SEALS for a weekend of military-style training.
Really. For a weekend during the instructional league, pitching and hitting were replaced by running with telephone poles on the beach and pushing trucks in the outfield.
A sampling of the day's activities, as reported by the newspaper:
• Wake up at 5 a.m.
• Organize room/locker
• Pushups and sit-ups
• Serpentine on the grass
• Crab walk
• Running along the beach with a telephone-type pole, carried by five or six players
• Pushing a truck tire through the outfield for 90 feet, then flipping it
• Being sprayed by a hose
• Diving into a sand pile
To have the prospects take on such training apparently was the idea of assistant general manager Kyle Stark, with the approval of general manager Neal Huntington. The players aren't the only ones who believe this isn't the best use of their time. According to the Tribune-Review, one scout says the Pirates have become "the laughingstock of the industry."
After reading the e-mail that was sent by Stark to minor league players and coaches, you can see why.
In that email, Stark also writes about developing "boys into men" in three ways: 1. Dream and be creative like a hippie. 2. Have the discipline and perseverance of a Boy Scout. 3. Be crazy and take risks like the Hell's Angels.
Writes Stark: "The biggest impact we can have is developing more Hell's Angels. We are really good at working before games. We excel at developing Boy Scouts. However, men play in the big leagues and that requires the reckless abandon of a Hell's Angel. … They're not consumed or swayed by what others think. They sell out to their purpose and live life fully and in-the-moment."
And his final line: "HOKA HEY—It's a good day to die!!!"
Stark makes some valid points, and baseball players relate to all things macho. But this kind of training for baseball players is silly and potentially dangerous. Anyone who has watched the Pirates can tell you they need more practice playing baseball than training like soldiers.
According to the Tribune-Review, Pirates ownership was not copied on Stark's e-mail. I bet they have seen it by now. If the club allows this training to happen again, I will know a big reason the Pirates are heading for their 20th consecutive losing season.


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So I've finally decided to publish my Brikspace rules for public ridicule/C&C. The intent behind these rules is to provide a more in-depth ruleset to use with small fleets of 3-10 microscale spacecraft (not counting fighter squadrons), as opposed to the hundreds-of-ships LDD fleets Epik Space was designed to handle. The ruleset features frictionless movement and customizable ships with a wide range of weapons and special abilities. I've put the Google doc here. Example games with earlier versions of the rules can be found here, here, here, here and here.
Thoughts on the rules as they stand:
The biggest problem, and one that's hard to resolve, is that battles typically become jousts with both teams flying towards each other, trying to reach the optimal range. This results in an interesting opening as both sides jockey for position, and a not-very-interesting endgame as one side or the other reaches its optimal range and is content to stay there, or both sides reach optimal range and have no reason to move.


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Camilo Sanvezzo rescued a point for the Vancouver Whitecaps with a simply stunning overhead-kick against the Portland Timbers.
The Brazilian forward scored twice for his side, and pulled his side level on both occasions after goals from Darlington Nagbe and Will Johnson.
After a slow start to this MLS clash, it came to life when Nagbe fired home a 25-yard rocket on 41 minutes.
Sanvezzo grabbed his 17th goal of the season to equalise, finding the bottom corner with a long-range free-kick on 75 minutes to equalise.
But, just a minute later, Johnson fired in from distance to put the visitors back in front.
They say you're never more vulnerable than just after you've scored, and that proved to be the case twice, because Sanvezzo went up the other end and produced his moment of magic just 60 seconds later.
It ended 2-2, with honours even after a pulsating clash in Canada.
And, the highlight of the match belonged to the brilliant Brazilian. Check out Sanvezzo's stunning strike at the top of this story…


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Known as "The Definitive Directory, Linkpendium has over 9 million links to genealogical web pages. They are subdivided by localities, such as U.S. states, United Kingdom and Ireland and Worldwide Surnames. Best of all ... it's free!
Linkpendium was developed by Karen Isaacson and Brian Leverich who were founders of the RootsWeb genealogical community site before it was acquired by Ancestry.com.
One of the new features on Linkpendium is the State by State Search Engine. You can search for a name(s) in all states or a state of your choice. The site includes some helpful hints for entering your query. Currently you can search up to 2,648,502 pages of free genealogical data.
This one web page will save you hours of research online time by pulling together information. Of course, you will spend days going through the web pages for "Smith" in "All States." Less common surnames or variations in specific areas, will undoubtedly return matches that will be of interest.
Have some fun with Linkpendium ... today!


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RareMoonMedia necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 150 diseños de 22 diseñadores freelance.
Red Leaf Lending
We have been in the online lending industry for nearly a decade. We are launching a new company and desire a new look for our brand.
Our mission for Red Leaf Lending is to manage an online service where clients can obtain a short-term loan with the highest confidentiality and ease of convenience.
We respect the individual and strive to empathize with our customers' needs and maintain a consumer-friendly website that is easy to understand.
Our goal is to offer the safest, fastest, and most discreet online short-term loans across the internet.We want to be the first choice in American online short-term loans through dedication, hard work, integrity, and customer loyalty.
Our website should reflect these values.
Our target market are people who are in need of a small cash loan quickly. Usually for emergency reasons. They are looking for a trustworthy online company. They may have used this product before - we want them to choose us whenever they need a short-term loan.
Our average customer demographics are below:
* Majority earn between $25,000 and $50,000
* 94 percent have a high school diploma or better
* 56 percent have some college or degree
Young Families
* 68 percent are under 45 years old (only 3. 5 percent are 65 or older)
* Majority of customers are married
* 64 percent have children in household
Stable Working Class
* 42 percent own homes
* 57 percent have major credit cards
* 100 percent have steady incomes
* 100 percent have checking accounts
The business/strategic objectives we are looking to achieve through our website: A strong brand, trustworthy, excellent service, professional, easy to use.
The look and feel of our homepage: Clean, Uncluttered, Quality, Professional, Classy, and Established.
Additional information:
Please do not use green color
Try to stick to colors in the logo, but it's okay to add a coordinating accent color of your choice.
Using images of people/families is a nice touch.
No flash areas.
Simple to navigate
Please feel free to be Creative - we are not looking for a carbon copy of a site (based on the examples).
Feel free to use any of the icons included or to add your own icons that match the look of the site.
Lead form (or partial lead capture) can be on the main page.
I will provide a list (and examples) of all the pages that we use. Please choose the home page and 2 other interior pages to design.
We require fully layered .psds that are organized properly. We will be adding many pages to the site based on these .psds.
Create an index page and 2 interior page options (your choice of pages)
1. index
2. apply
3. questions (faq)
4. about (who are we/why choose red leaf?)
5. contact us
6. same day cash
Links needed on page:
Returning Customers (this could also be a login button or login field)
About (optional in navigation - could be linked elsewhere)
Same-Day (optional in navigation - could be linked elsewhere)
Blog (linked to external website - can be in main navigation or elsewhere)
Lesser links (maybe included in footer):
Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
Features we would like to see:
Social Media icons: Twitter, Facebook, Blog
Images of people/family (we can provide stock photos, if needed)
Live Chat Icon on main page (and/or every page)
Optional Features:
Application Lead Form on main page: first name, last name, email address
Twitter Feed (on main page or interior page)
Space for Google AdSense Links (on interior page)
Space for Testimonials
Phone number on main page
**Please see existing website links for examples of FAQs, Application.
No existing website. Existing logo attached.
These are links to similar websites to give ideas of content only - not look and feel.
http://www.higherone.com/ - this is a little too busy and blog like, but the colors are nice and it feels professional.
http://www.thinkcash.com/ - this is cute, but still appears trustworthy. has an air of playfulness while still taking the job seriously.
What we DONT want:
cheesy images of people holding cash
lots of dollar signs


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Cam'Ron - Cookin Up (With Intro)
A message from Killa Cam and a preview of "Cookin' Up". Crime Pays in stores on May 5th! "I Used To Get It In Ohio" video coming on Wednesday
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Could still be 2 tribes, but maybe it will be 3. i don't care really as long as it gets here soon. i don't know about a penalty, i think loosing is supposed to be the penalty, lol.
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Sbryant1 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 222 diseños de 70 diseñadores freelance.
Pacific / Pacific Automation / PacificEX / PacificMI
Pacific Automation is a distributor of industrial products and has been operating for over 40 years. Over this time, the company has evolved to focus on two distinct market segments being the Oil & Gas Industry and the Mining and Industrial Industry.
A separate division of the company was set up in 2006 to focus on the Oil & Gas market under the brand PacificEX. (Note: EX stands for Explosion Proof). This brand is now well established in the market and we are now looking at setting up a similar division under the parent Pacific Automation for the Mining & Industrial market under the name PacificMI.
We are looking for a professional logo that will tie the three names together visually, being Pacific Automation, PacificEX & PacificMI. The critical part of the design is going to be creating an identity for the common word Pacific with a corresponding logo.
For more of a background of what we do, please visit our websites are http://www.pacificautomation.com.au and http://www.pacificex.com.au
The target market will be the clients and suppliers to our company, who are predominately male. This will include the management, engineers and technical personnel working in the industrial, mining and oil and gas sectors.
We require a logo design that can be used as a stand alone graphic, and can also incorporate the common word 'Pacific'. It must also be able to be used with the parent name 'Pacific Automation' as well as the divisions of 'PacificEX' and 'PacificMI'.
The logo must be professional (i.e. not include any 'cartoon' graphics), clean and crisp.
We are open to suggestions on colours but we would prefer the graphic and the word 'Pacific' to be common across all logos.
Please make sure all logos can be used on light or dark backgrounds (examples in your submission would be appreciated).
The winning designer would be required to submit the following files in both CMYK for print and RGB for web:
1. .eps file for each logo
2. .ai file including all working layers
3. PDF file of each logo
4. Any custom font names and files that are used.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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The promotion of Maine lobster got a $2 million-a-year boost from a law establishing a new marketing effort for the fishery.
Gov. Paul LePage has signed off on L.D. 486, a long-debated legislative proposal creating the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative to replace the Lobster Promotion Council.
Earlier this spring, the legislation had generated sometimes bitter debate across the industry, from lobstermen to dealers and processors, because those groups will be footing the bill for the planned global marketing campaign.
Just how to divvy up the $2 million annual budget proved to be more complicated than many in state government expected.
Through surcharges that vary depending on the type of license a lobster harvester, dealer or processor holds, the marketing collaborative will fund promotional efforts to brand Maine lobster and demonstrate its culinary versatility, particularly in areas of the world that might increase consumption.
The law increases the council's budget from $350,000 to $2 million, but even the higher figure represents a mere 1 percent of the industry's yearly sales, said Emily Lane, chairwoman of the Lobster Promotion Council, the precursor to the collaborative.
For 2013, surcharges will range from $31.25 to $250, and the most common lobster harvesters' licenses will run $62.50 to $93.75. Details of the surcharges are available from the text of the legislation, said Jeff Nichols, director of communications for the Department of Marine Resources, at www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280046996.
Though the collaborative will not be formed officially until September, the marketing effort has already begun, Lane said. A fundraiser was held in New York City to promote Maine lobster, with proceeds going to survivors of Hurricane Sandy. Four Korean chefs and a distributor from Seoul also recently made a tour of the Maine lobster industry, with promising signs that distribution of lobster in Korea could increase, she said.
L.D. 486 had hit a number of snags as the plan moved through the Committee on Marine Resources earlier this year. Several formulas for the surcharges had been considered, but committee members and the Department of Marine Resources found it difficult to devise an equation that could garner support from all the affected groups. The final surcharges represent a compromise that was months in the making.
"The lobster resource here in Maine is the strongest it has ever been, thanks to conservation measures that have been developed and supported by industry," Patrick Keliher, commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, said in a news release. "This tremendous supply has posed a challenge and an opportunity to create new markets, both here in the U.S. and overseas."
North Cairn can be contacted at 791-6325 or at:
Republican candidate says new congressional election warranted in North Carolina
Varsity Maine
Girls' basketball: Freeport tops Cape Elizabeth in overtime
Nation & World
White supremacist Coast Guardsman who planned terrorist attack ordered held for 14 days
Ugly produce seems to have limited appeal, so some retailers pull it
Nation & World
Group that promotes development near Canada's border is expanding


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Xbox, PS4 Games Hitting Swearing Gamers With Technical Fouls
from the Nintendo's-Cooking-Mama-apparently-washes-mouths-out-with-soap dept
Recently, Xbox users uploading gameplay videos with recorded commentary were surprised to find themselves booted from Upload Studio for their use of "adult" language. Microsoft apparently intends to run a very clean service, but it also bans a common slang word for penis, which also happens to be the co-op player's name in Dead Rising 3. So, you can see where the ideal begins to clash with reality.
The clash turns to cognitive disconnect when you take into account the number of foul-mouthed protagonists of popular M-rated games. Microsoft apparently has no problem with the actual gameplay consisting mainly of gunplay and f-bombs, but its customer base had better not be adding in any colorful verbal explosions of their own.
Microsoft's sliding ban scale still allows most swearing players to access other areas of its online offerings, but temporary-to-complete bans of all services are still an option for those who can't keep a civil tongue in their headset.
Following on the heels of this news is the discovery that swearing too much during gameplay can have consequences within the games themselves.
In a video that's both amazing and a little creepy, one gamer playing NBA 2K14 shows how he was given a technical foul after the Kinect heard him curse. In an actual NBA game, referees can hand out technicals if players swear excessively, and it looks like the same happens in NBA 2K14.Here's the video. (SFW? Well, it obviously contains swearing…)
And it's not just basketball. Players of Unamerican Football are being served with sternly-worded notices from their club's board of directors.
These same "features" were noted on the PS4 versions, which means it was a developer decision rather than a Microsoft "exclusive." Both games do offer the option to toggle off the potty mouth penalties, thus allowing gamers to play them as God intended when He/She/It gave them expansive four-letter-dependent vocabularies.
Now, while Microsoft has been dealing with degenerate vernacular, Sony has taken a decidedly hands-off approach to user-generated content. Its system also utilizes an (optional) camera and mic. PS4 users are (well, were) able to stream video live thanks to Sony's partnership with Twitch and its pre-loaded alternate-reality game, The Playroom.
The Playroom gives PS4 users a squad of tiny digital "robots" to interact with. And interact they have, often bypassing the digital playmates completely in favor of interacting with other players.
To date, there have been no users banned for talking like over-caffeinated sailors. Sony gave its users the freedom to use the system however they'd like. And users responded by doing exactly that.
[The users have] put shoes on their head at the exhortation of others watching their broadcast live. They've had sex in front of their TV screen. They've stripped their wife naked as she lay seemingly unconscious on a couch. They've had to explain to a local police department that they didn't have a child locked up in their basement after viewers called to tip the cops off to the suspected crime.Other bizarre and disturbing behavior has also been noted. A user tormented a young child by pretending he was lurking outside his house. The hosts of "The Spartan Show," a call-in show that swiftly gained a following on Twitch, was besieged by trolls who taunted the hosts and hit them with a barrage of cruel questions.
Twitch has now banned streams from Sony's "Playroom." It says it will consider reconnecting the two once PS4 users "become more familiar with the games-only focus of Twitch content." In other words, you can have your stuff back when you've shown me you've matured.
So, did Microsoft make the right move by using a version of the "broken windows theory" (ban small-time swearing and the larger problems vanish)? Or is its policy simply unreasonable consider the number of M-rated titles it supports? Or did Sony just screw up by assuming its customers would create nothing but beauty and kindness (and unit-moving videos) when given access to live-streaming?
The only way you learn is by trying. Sony erred on side of the freedom while Microsoft erred on the side of caution. Points will be scored by Microsoft simply because its users have yet to upload rapey videos. Treating the average gamer (still hovering around age 30 despite the influx of younger gamers using tablets and mobile devices) like a child will only get you so far. Any platform will be misused by a certain subset of humanity --that's a given -- but that's no reason to overreact far in advance of potential issues.
Filed Under: ps4, swearing, video games, xbox


text:
The Large Rucksack in Technical Nylon and Leather
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Size Guide
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- A lightweight showerproof rucksack with cushioned shoulder straps and leather trims. Inspired by the fabric of the Burberry trench coat, the bag is made from durable nylon woven in a compact gabardine construction. The easy, soft structure is influenced by military archive styles from the early 20th century and is reworked with multi-zip pockets for added functionality.
- 28 x 15 x 42cm/11 x 5.9 x 16.5in
- 85% polyamide, 15% acrylic with calf leather trim
- Panel: 100% polyamide
- Lining: 71% cotton, 29% polyamide
- Three external zip pockets, one internal slip pocket, one internal zip pocket
- Top handle, adjustable shoulder straps
- Buckle, press-stud and drawstring fastenings
- Diamond-padded back panel
- Raised Burberry lettering at front
- Imported
Item 40209371
Wear this with
Check Detail Jersey Hooded Top
Suede and Neoprene High-top Sneakers
Recommended Products


text:
A report from Digitimes claims that Microsoft is merging the next versions of Windows 8 and Windows Phone into a single product line. But one might argue that Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 are essentially part of the same product family already, with their shared cores and other technologies. Is something deeper in the works at Microsoft?
I don't believe so.
"The Windows Blue project is being developed by a team separate from the Windows and Windows Phone departments," the report notes. But that's not the case: Windows 8 "Blue," which we now know will be called Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone "Blue" are being developed by completely separate teams and even have different launch schedules. Other releases in the "Blue" wave of products—including coming updates to Windows Server 2012 and Windows Services (SkyDrive, Outlook, and so on) are also being separately developed, as is a related update to Office, code-named "Gemini."
"The purpose [of the Windows 'Blue' project] is to merge the two operating systems to compete against Google's Android and Chrome, according to the rumors," the report continues.
That would be interesting if it were true. But aside from the fact that there's no single project called Blue at Microsoft, the reality is that Windows and Windows Phone are already, for all intents and purposes, a "merged operating system." They are basically the same underlying OS, with the same underlying NT-based kernel, security, networking, and many other features.
For what it's worth, I think merging Windows and Phone is a great idea. So great, in fact, that I publicly called for this exact merging about two months ago in "Hey, Microsoft: It's Time to Pull Phone into Windows." But that doesn't mean it's happening. In fact, from what I can tell, it's not.
What is definitely happening, at least on the Windows 8.1 "Blue" side, is a merging of the user experiences between the two systems. For example, Windows 8.1 "Blue" is picking up some interfaces that debuted first on Windows Phone, including more configurable Start screen tiles and a consistent way of accessing all of the device's installed apps. But Windows 8.1 "Blue" also differs from Windows Phone in some key ways, and some of those differences are being amplified in the new release. Given the usage differences between phones and PCs/tablets, this certainly makes sense, too.
For whatever it's worth, this is essentially the same strategy that Apple employs for Mac OS X and iOS, the latter of which powers its successful iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. Both are based on the same kernel and include many of the same technologies. And the past few releases of OS X have begun including ideas from iOS, like its grid-based app-launching UI and notification center. But they're still very distinct and separate systems, with different product teams and development schedules.
So, too, it would seem, are Windows and Windows Phone.


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LOL, Silvio. Thanks for taking the considerable time to read the whole thing and for your kind comments.
I have to say, this was one of those times that, as I was writing it and going back over the entire history of the show in my mind, it just really seemed to fit. If I had to guess when Chase envisioned this end for Christopher, tied to this kind of perverse catharsis for Tony, it would be sometime during the writing of season 4. That's when those amazing statements of foreshadowing took place ("You can't be high on [smack] and raise a kid"; "I oughta suffocate you, you prick.") And the black Cadillac as Johnny's emblematic car during Tony's childhood is introduced in Calling All Cars (and those two things might well be connected, with the title conveying more than just Melfi's throwaway line to Elliot after Tony quit therapy.) The early flashbacks in Down Neck and Fortunate Son depict a Cadillac, as I recall, but it was aqua blue in the former and red in the latter, so the change to black in season 4 seems portentous.
In Test Dream, that same black Cadillac is featured, and it surfaces again in Soprano Home Movies and Remember When. When season 5 starts, Tony is driving a black Cadillac for the first time, representing a change from his Chevy Suburban in all prior seasons. After the crash with Adriana totals the black Escalade, Tony replaces it with a white/cream colored one, IMO playing on the "two Tonys" theme of season 5 and symbolically representing the polarities of Tony's dual nature as well as the beginning of this subtle rebellion against his father. We see the white Cadillac for the first time in In Camelot, the same episode where cracks in the Johnny pedastal develop. Then Chris suddenly is driving a black Cadillac for the first time in season 6B so that, when the crash occurs, Kaitlyn's destroyed car seat is located in the back of her father's black Cadillac.
So it's finding little details like these that really adds to the texture and the feeling that this subtle design has been there going back to season 4.
Re: Tony's Vicarious Patricide#31
Tony, his spirits crushed after b-lining to the fridge first thing in the morning: "Who ate the last piece of cake?"


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Animal faeces among odd items seized at Australian airports
A TIGER'S penis, whole skinned frogs and a bear's gall bladder were some of the quirky finds Border Compliance officials caught travellers with at Australian airports this year.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's authorities also found products made of elephant dung and a witch doctor's bag with dead rodents attached, during searches of travellers during 2012.
DAFF border compliance first assistant secretary Tim Chapman said such unusual items could bring serious diseases and pests into Australia.
Other things the unit found on travellers included horse meat from Uzbekistan, fresh dead snakes from Vietnam and a mounted and framed bat from Thailand.
"I urge anyone wanting to bring food, plant or animal material of any kind into Australia to first check if they can bring them," Mr Chapman said.
All the items were seized and destroyed at Australia's international airports this year.
In Brisbane:
- Containers of Samoan Paolo worms
- A live South American cactus
- Kundu drums
- Strong bags made from animal hides in Papua New Guinea
In Sydney:
- A whole shark in a jar
- Cheese-flavoured bugs with unknown insects
- Painted chicken feet
- Dried pig's ears
- Pillows with silkworm faeces
In Melbourne:
- Tiger penis and bear gall bladder from Vietnam
- Fresh snake and turtle meat
- Fresh lime leaves infected with citrus canker
In Adelaide:
- Fresh dead snakes from Vietnam
- Horse meat from Uzbekistan
- Large desert rose bulbs from Indonesia
In Darwin:
- Dung paper products including picture frames, boxes and photo albums.
For more information on what can and cannot be brought into Australia, go to: www.daff.gov.au/travel


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Found it interesting.
Half of it is about terrain generation so maybe some of the forum members will find something relevant in it
Plus, their Hellolabs program is designed to support new "experimental games" about procedural generation (through funding and/or just advices & expertise). Just sayin'
Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:23 am
Re: Sean Murray GDC Talk
I still find it difficult to trust anything he says. Not sure if I'm alone in this or not. I'll give it a watch, though.
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