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May 31st, 2011 - This is directed to HIV negative gay men. Listen carefully. This is your time.
I've lived with HIV more than half my life, and people often praise me far more than I deserve, simply for surviving. They use words like brave and courageous.
You know what takes courage? Getting an HIV test every few months. You, waiting nervously while your most personal sexual choices are literally being tested, waiting to find out if you've been good - or if you're going to pay for a single lapse in judgment by testing positive, when the look on the faces of your friends will say you should have known better.
I have no idea what that must be like. I took the test over 25 years ago. The positive result was traumatic, no doubt about it, and I soldiered on during some awfully frightening times. But I have a significant psychological advantage over my HIV negative friends: I only took that damn test once.
During all these years, I've acted irresponsibly at times or taken chances I hadn't intended. But there has been no further judgment from a blood test. That reckoning was faced long ago.
But you - whether you have been sexually active for a year or a decade - have very likely faced some tough choices and behaved wisely. You keep doing the right thing.
This is your time. The word courageous is for you.
If you don't define yourself, in large part, by the fact you are HIV negative, start now. It is your accomplishment. It says you are taking care. And it says you are eligible to participate in vaccine trials or mentor someone else trying to remain negative.
There is ongoing research now that is focused on HIV negative men like you. Exciting new studies are investigating drugs to prevent infection after something risky has occurred, while other studies have shown promise for a drug regimen that might block infection before it happens.
And right now there are vaccine trials waiting for men like you to help find the ultimate weapon against HIV. They need volunteers, badly.
This is your time. This research is about you. This call to action is for you.
I can already hear the rumblings on both sides of the viral divide. People are so quick to take offense, so afraid of being misunderstood, of being labeled or blamed or ostracized.
My fellow positive brothers are so bruised by stigma that it can be hard for them to lift you up. They've been rejected by you. They don't like hearing "maybe we should just be friends" and they don't like seeing "UB2" in your online profile. They might be positive as a result of one heated mistake, or due to sexual assault, or by trusting (or loving) the wrong person - and they deeply resent feeling judged .
Maybe they think your negative status is the result of pure luck, or that you don't like anal intercourse, or you're lying.
Meanwhile, your sacrifices go unrecognized. You've seen some positive friends take early disability, hang out at the gym and get help with the rent. They receive so much support and empathy that it must feel like there isn't much left for you. Every year we all swarm the streets for the AIDS Walk, and you can't help but wonder if your parade will ever arrive.
These grievances and resentments give me a headache. It doesn't matter much to me who is most injured. How infinite is our compassion for one another? I don't care anymore who gets what. What matters most is who does what.
This is your time. This truce, this call to a higher purpose, is for you.
You are fully human, like everyone else, my friend. You are courageous, afraid, selfish and compassionate. You make difficult choices and you make mistakes. And we need you so very badly.
Thank God for you. This is your time.
(This piece was written as part of the GA Voice commemoration of 30 years of HIV/AIDS. I was honored to contribute to their special issue. - Mark)
SOURCE: My Fabulous Disease
...positive attitudes are not simply 'moods'
Site Map
Contact Bradford McIntyre.
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Copyright © 2003-2019 Bradford McIntyre. All rights reserved.


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Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Questions and Thank You's!
There were several questions to answer........
Q. Where did I get the stools in my kitchen?
A. From Restoration Hardware (they have way too much beautiful stuff!!! BEWARE!!!!
Q. When will the new patterns be released?
A. Next month! I'd love to release them RIGHT NOW, but the patterns aren't written yet and
the quilts aren't back from Jill Therriault, the quilter yet and we need to do the
photography for the pattern covers...........OOOOooooh..... I need to remember to get UPC's
too!!! Thanks for reminding me!
Q. What floss and fabric did I use on Snow Days?
A. New floss from Cosmo from their new "Seasons" line. They're variegated as if they were
hand dyed and 100% colorfast. Same smooth, silky feel. This floss color ranges from taupe
to gray to a kind of blue/green, to a light charcoal. Really gorgeous! The fabric was all
pulled from Lecien's fabric lines.... Mrs. March's and Centenary. The stitchery background
was a solid from their 1000 colors line. I started out with several dark charcoal-y fat
quarters in my palette but decided not to use them after I'd made several blocks for the
center of the quilt (wanted it to be somewhat darker than the outer border) and they were
just TOO dark!! Anyway....I went with mostly lights and mediums and put all the blocks I
had to re-make on the back of the quilt! Nothing got wasted, I promise!!!
Q. From Lynn S about the Quilter's Home article.......where were my email and website
A. I wondered the SAME THING!!!!!!
Q. From WAY too observant Brenda Riddle!.... "Isn't that your house on Snow Days???"
A. well........................................yeah.............................I have to admit I put the house and the
studio on the quilt...............figured they'd just blend in and nobody would notice.........I'm a
little bit ashamed of myself...........................but just a little! HA!!!
Last, but not least, thanks for all the nice comments about the Quilter's Home blurb! I've avoided magazines like the plague. Turned down several offers (I know, really dumb move!). But the thing is....they all want a picture! You have to try to understand the gravity of that request.................I'm one of those poor, unfortunate people who can't just flash a smile at a camera and out pops a cheerful....perfectly acceptable picture! I end up either looking heavily drugged or downright demented..........no middle ground at all! No matter the camera angle, no matter the pose, no matter how much I rehearse in the mirror, the split second that shutter clicks I close my eyes and grin like Jack Nicholson. Not a pretty sight............... hey! Want to buy a pretty, girly pattern from a crazed axe murderer????? You get my point. YIKES!!! So....if you EVER see my picture ANYWHERE, every again..........it'll probably be the same one in Quilter's Home...........for the next 30 years...........I just won't age! (Not too bad an idea after all???)
See Ya! xox Meg
6 comments:
- Pamela Pokragac said...
Hi Meg! I just downloaded your April heart block - Just as beautiful as the others! Thank you so much for this BOM! I absolutely love your patterns - they always get rave reviews from my family & friends. I don't know how you manage to make your designs look both fresh and vintage at the same time :) I cretainly have a hard time keeping up!! Also, I read the article in Quilter's Home and I thought your picture was lovely ~ I was a little surprised that you weren't wearing that Superwoman cape that I know you must have! You are a real inspiration to me and I hope to see more articles in the future.
Best wishes to you!
- Wednesday, April 07, 2010
- little acorns said...
. . . Sorry. . . my Mom had a word for me. . . when I was being way too observnt. . . - "stinker-pot"! ;o)
(Personally. . . I'm going to love stitching your new wonderful home & your studio. . . I'll feel like I'm getting to visit vicariously! :o)
xo, Bren
- Thursday, April 08, 2010
- Ina said...
Thank you for the lovely April block! ;0
- Thursday, April 08, 2010
- Sandie said...
Hi Meg... I loved your article in Quilting Home- had enver bought that magazine before, but when you mentioned that you were in it I grabbed it at the grocery... AND! I loved seeing your cute pic in there! You are sooo cute and totally different than what I had pictured in my mind... funny how we do that!
I say it every time I post, but again, Thanks for inspiring us with your beautiful designs and keep 'em coming- we love you and your work!!! :-)
- Friday, April 09, 2010
- Wendy in Kennewick said...
Meg, I love your shorter curly do in the QH pic. The blackboard is awesome. I can just imagine all your fun doodlings.
- Sunday, April 11, 2010
- Anonymous said...
I was so excited to see your bottle rack on the sideboard. I bought one in january and it sat in the box until this weekend. I took it out, unwrapped the parts, and then just looked at it. Wondering what I would actually use it for. Spools of thread came to mind, but I am in the process of moving and my sewing stuff is not at my place yet. So I just put my rack back in the box. I do have an antique bottle collection, and I think it would look great on my sideboard. THank you for the inspiration. Lizzie
- Monday, April 12, 2010

subset: commoncrawl


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Homeschool Students
Evangel University welcomes applications from homeschooled students! We understand that as a homeschooled student, you have unique questions and needs different from those who attend a traditional public or private high school.
The transition from homeschooling to college can be intimidating. But have no fear – Evangel has a long history of homeschooled students who are successful both educationally and within the culture of campus life.
Our small class sizes (average class size is 25), challenging academic programs, and personal attention from faculty and staff are conducive to continuing the focused education to which a homeschooled student is accustomed. Our goal is to make your college transition as seamless as possible and provide an atmosphere where you feel comfortable learning and preparing for your future.
Common Questions
How do I create my high school transcript and determine my GPA?
The Home School Official Transcript (pdf) sheet is a guide to help your family organize your high school transcript and find your GPA. Just e-mail the finished form to your admissions counselor and we'll file it for you!
Do I need to take the GED?
No, the eventual completion of your state's homeschool graduation requirements are all you need for acceptance to EU.
Do I need to take the ACT or SAT?
Yes, every student needs to submit either an ACT or SAT score. These tests help determine class placement and scholarship opportunities for our students.


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Excel macro websites information jobs
macro must must login(instagram app) list of supplied accounts and follow X amount of users from a list i supply... the faster you can get this done the more likely will be chosen.. If you didnt read this or you posted with a bot you will not be able to change your bid later bid later!! This is a simple autotap app that loads from a supplied list
Based on about 10 screenshots from a given Xbox game, over remote play the bot would need to make certain button presses to perform a few actions, as demonstrated by the screenshits
I would like someone to write a macro for me that can read an JSON file from a directory and parse the data into a readable worksheet. I will attach a file as I have many of them on my computer.
Our online store is Prestashop based. We receive product information and product details from our suppliers in Excel sheets. Those excel sheets are in all different formats, but we want to align too the import format for Prestashop so we can easily automate the import. Some need small adjustments and some need some more work.... Show us what you
Need help to convert a xlsm file to an office 365 compatible version. The user may have to copy-paste/ recreate the codes in office 365. Urgent delivery
Excel macro project. Please check attached word document for info.
Add a Macro on an Excel Page, to carry specific information over to another sheet based on conditions
See spreadsheet for more information. the input data could have an indeterminate number of rows. sort by patient, then income category, then date, then item. if a patient does not have a row with 'Initial Visit - Full Time Student' or 'Initial visit - adult' or 'Initial Visit - Pediatric' or 'IV Therapy Initial Consult'associated with their name, dele...
We have an excel spreadsheet with invoice information to be emailed to various customers individually or in a batch using the data in the spreadsheet file and formatted as shown in attachment.
The attached macro code transposes columns into rows in a specific way. But it copies only the content, not the format. I need someone to edit it in order for it to copy the cell format as well.
Excel with 4 different sheets: 1. Summary 2. Timeline 3. Campaign_List 4. Input_data 1. Summary and Timeline should be dynamic selected from the campaign list. See graphs examples and timeline draft. Via buttons the year and month should be chosen and then displayed as graph as well as timeline. 2. The sheet campaign_list is linked via List-function
Need help to convert a xlsm file to an office 365 compatible version. The user may have to copy-paste/ recreate the codes in office 365. Urgent delivery
I need you to develop some software for me. I would like this software to be developed for Windows using SQL.
I need a script that will follow the followers of a list of usernames I provide and not have any duplicates.. also it must shuffle to next instagram account in list and once at the end start over.
All, I am searching for a VBA expert programmer who can build an advanced excel workbook that will track maintenance on a group of equipment. Please only contact me if you have advanced skills and and a critical problem solver. This will be a challenging project and I will be working along with you to complete this project. Thank you
I need an Excel macro that turns two columns into 5-column-wide rows, i.e. columns A and B into columns D to J as in the attached sample. Please send the macro or a video of the solution and I will award you the job and pay you immediately.
Urgent - VBA Mac Not Windows - I need a VBA macro to run on MAC to search a folder and all its subfolders for a combination of files like excel and word files and copy all files found to a new folder. Your code MUST run on MAC.
Want to get done a spreadsheet using Macro and VBA for sending emails via outlook for list of recipients.
I have an excel sheet which somone helped me to send emails. I want to use the same sheet to set reminders to my team and let them complete those reminders by which the sheet can also get updated.
...programmer. I had an excel file of renters for a residential & commercial building. I prepare this file monthly. It consists from columns with Flat numbers, it's kind (residential or commercial), renter name and rent And the era paid for rent at its time it is in Hijri calendar from...to... You can get and update all information from last month file
1. Create Input Sheets using the example to be provided 2. Populate the sheets with sample data based on the example to be given 3. Write a macro to import and merge all the input sheets into one 4. Write macro to create other sheets in the master file to analyze the data based on instructions to be provided 5. Create a Gantt Chart based on the data
Excel Macro VBA - assistance with VLookup in VBA Hello The purpose of the macro is to process each row, and when there is a certain condition, correct the entry in the cell. I am using (attempting to use) VLookup to access the values in the 2nd sheet and correct the values in the first sheet of the workbook. Receiving the following error when running
We have an excel model with macros that converts raw excel product detail data from suppliers to the format we need to upload into our store. We need to fix this model as it appears to have some bugs. For example, in the attached file "Dreamline..." file, the model populates column "A" (parent_sku) with values for SKUs that have no parent SKU (see and
I need a macro/script to do some things automatically.
I have got a VBA Macro for Ms Excel coded by a VBA Expert. I want some changes in it, need to delete something & add few new contents. It should be a simple project for an expert so lowest bids will win this project.
OMO_Import - Potential crash when the time stamp on the import file is not "0:00". Modify the macro to ignore delivery time and only consider delivery date. SENDORDER - Modify the macro to generate an image file whenever the parameter for "Breakdown" is set for Y in the Suppliers worksheet MYOBvsOM - Add a column to sum the totals of price plus gst
Full details will be provided with examples to the winning bidder. Simple explanation: - Create a macro in Excel - Have it replace the placeholders in powerpoint when the script is run - have it then save the powerpoint to pdf OR jpg, depending on what the option is asked for. Should NOT be a long job and it's work for hire (meaning I own it and can
An existing excel macro has been used to generate invoices from fixed cell references within a spreadsheet and to create a pdf file. Our payment terms have now changed for the first time but the macro does not seem to be picking up the changes.
We have a set of tools in excel, that uses VBA, we need to fix and optimize some macros in excel
My name is Wayne. I am a personal trainer and nutritionist; I offer my services both in person and online. I want to create a macro calculator built into my website. A macro calculator helps people calculate their calories based on different factors. Essentially I want to create a pop up ad for my website that will calculate their macros after they
Create a macro that will take a excel file with data in 3 worksheets (the data in the same format), and through a new macro associated to a button called 'Create Schedule', combine the rows into a new worksheet called "FinalSchedule", adding 3 rows for specific times (9:30, 11:00, 13:30) and adding a priority text values (Emergency, Standard, Deferred)
Active Sheet = MYOB Sales Report Run Macro User is prompted to select the Ordermentum Payments File Macro will then: - Match up OMO numbers between Files. - When a match is found, compare the dollar amounts - If the dollar amounts match, highlight the row in specific Green - If the dollar amounts do NOT match, highlight the row in specific red -
I have a spreadsheet that I need a macro to fill in the necessary fields. On the WORKING tab is a list of names in column B. Those names also exist on the Written, Plan, Matt, and Finalized tabs. They also exist as a part of the name on those tabs. For example, on the WORKING tab is Andrew Palacio - 205. On the Written tab in column A is also Andrew
We would like to get a simple macro if you are familiar with VBA in excel. The base is an excel sheet with a few hundred-thousand building addresses. For each address, a link to a pdf exists. In this pdf, on page 1, multiple data need to be read out and put to the corresponding address line. On page two it should be counted how many "apartments" are
We would like to get a simple macro if you are familiar with VBA in excel. The base is an excel sheet with a few hundred-thousand building addresses. For each address, a link to a pdf exists. In this pdf, on page 1, multiple data need to be read out and put to the corresponding address line. On page two it should be counted how many "apartments" are
...going to my website. I will have an excel sheet with 2 columns, one for the term and one for the url slug. I need an MS word macro to do the following when I run it: 1- go to the excel file, grab the first term 2- search the article for this term and add a link to it, using the slug in the excel sheet (The macro need to have the fixed part of the
i have some excel work, just 10 to 15 mint work for excel expert , short and fix budget 2 to 5$ , sorry for advance payment , thanks
I am looking to pull data from one excel doc to another with a macro button on the new sheet to build a new report. Essentially, from original report, row 11 and columns a,b,c,d,e and f will remain the same. Row 11 is the header and from there row 12 and 14, then 15 and 17, then 18 and 20, and on down. The data that needs to be pulled is from column
I need a quick help on excel formula. Should be really fast if you know excel/macro
...summary data into a template report - that report is then saved to PDF - this process is repeated for each Vendor (1-60 vendors p/m) DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS I require an Excel macro to be developed to automate the above process. To automate the data populated into my report template from a 'pivot table. I see the development to include: a) read the
I have a macro already written. I just need a small edit in the macro. Details will be shared with the winning bidder. This is 1 hr work.
I need a Macro excel expert for a small job, URGENT the macro is for BOM comparations with another functions, More details with freelancer selected, please show your examples about Macros excel developmented.
Hello, I needed some quick help adding a feature to my excel macro. I already have a working macro that creates spreadsheets but I am adding a new page that will serve as a database for the automatically created sheets. The user will enter in information in columns A and B and when they go and create a new sheet on button click those 'database' items
In the first instance I would like to be able to insert a new column between column I and H which calculates the amount of points difference between to 2 values as highlighted in red (F2 and F4). This is replicated down the sheet every 3 lines as 3 lines represents one transaction (in yellow), buy/sell then modify then close. Then I need something that would allow me to do filters on the data on ...
need to make a macro in excel. 1. need to extract graphs from website 2. need to make this automated
I need some help with my business.
...AX-924, 1x CBGC-225 AXCYQ-24 is defined as 1x AX-924, 1x CYQ-385725 We need an excel program, macro or formula that will take our inventory export list, and a list which defines Package Items, and tells us how many Package Items we can build. Please see attached Excel spreadsheet. Message me with pertinent questions and we will award the project to
Hi, I'd like to convert my financial bank statement from an existing format of columns into a sample data format. Please check attachment for existing file ( CIMB Statement [login to view URL]), and updated format ( [login to view URL]).
we need to build a stock graph report. 1 . graphs will be saved in excel 2. GUI macro to be used ,so the data can be recollected
...templates (the targets Tabs 2 through 5) based off of values found in a Single template (the source in Tab 1). I think this can be accomplished using a macro of some kind. But the catch is, the macro CAN NOT work off of cell position, I need it to work off of cell contents because the "target" templates come in many variations and today the "TITLE"


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Box 'O the Best Samplin
Our most popular candies and confections in one enticing assortment: Pecan Little Puds, Apricot Little Puds, Pecan Toffee and scrumptious milk and white chocolate Ooooz 'n Ahhhz. 1 lb. 9 oz.
CP'S - Choc. Roasted Pecan 12 Dark Truffles 2 Irish Cream Truffles 2 Mini Praline Pecan Pies 4 Pecan Little Puds 4 White Thingamajigs 2 Total Piece Count Per Item 26
Requires 2-Day Rush Shipping
during warm weather months (March 15- Nov. 15)
Box 'O the Best Samplin
Pecan Little Puds - Pecans, Dates (processed with sugar) Cherries (processed with corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate( preservative), FD&C Yellow # 5, FD&C Blue # 1 ,oleoresin turmeric, FD&C Red # 40, sulfur dioxide (preservative), Pineapple (processed with corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate added as preservative, FD&C Yellow # 5, FD&C Blue # 1, oleoresin turmeric, sulfur dioxide (preservative), Sugar, Enriched Wheat Flour (contains niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate [Vitamin B1] Riboflavin [Vitamin B2]), Eggs and baking powder (Cornstarch, Bicarbonate of Soda, Sodium Aluminum, Sulfate, Acid Phosphate of Calcium).
Praline Pecan Pie Minis - Pecans, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Honey, Butter (Cream, Bleached Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oils with Mono and Triglycerides added, Fresh Whole Eggs, Salt, Baking Powder (Corn Starch, Bicarbonate of Soda, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Acid Phosphate of Calcium), Potassium Sorbate, Benzoate of Soda and Sodium Propionate added as preservatives. Citric Acid, Natural & Artificial Flavoring (contains FD&C Yellow #5)
Irish Cream Truffles - Chocolate Liquor, Butter(Pasteurized Cream, salt), Whipping Cream, Sorbitol, Water, Sucrovert Glycerin, Aqueous extract of invertase from yeast & Sodium Citrate) Irish Cream flavoring, Cream, Whey, Mono & Triglyceride, , Propylene, Glycol, Thyalcohol.
Milk & White Thingamajigs - Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk Solids, Chocolate Liquor, Soy Lecithin--an emulsifier, and Vanilla), White Coating ( Sugar, Whole and Non fat milk Solids, Cocoa butter, Soy Lecithin-- an emulsifier, and vanilla), Pecans, Cream, Evaporated Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Salt and Vanilla
Chocolate Covered Roasted Pecans - Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk Solids, Chocolate Liquor, Soy Lecithin--an emulsifier, and Vanilla), Pecans Roasted in Peanut Oil, Salt
Produced in a facility where dairy ingredients, tree nuts & peanuts are processed.
No trans fat
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"Big Ang" Makes Off-Broadway Debut on March 9th in "My Big Gay Italian Wedding"
"Big Ang" Makes Off-Broadway Debut on March 9th!
"MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING" at St. Luke's Theatre.
New hit reality star Angela Raiola ("Big Ang") gets her equity card in 'My Big Gay Italian Wedding," by Anthony J. Wilkinson.
The original twelve shows of Christmas has already been scratched. With new celebrities continuing to join the cast and sold out performances, the show has been extended to every Saturday thru April 13th. "Big Ang" from the hit VH1 series "Mob Wives" as well as her own spin off on VH1 is the first of many to join the revised schedule. "I've always wanted to be on Broadway, and this is my favorite show! I've seen it five times!" Big Ang stated. "I am a huge supporter of the gay community and to perform a gay wedding will be easy for me. I've always wanted to be on Broadway so move over Patti Lupone."
Presented by Bianco Productions, the production is helmed by Emmy Award-winning director Sonia Blangiardo ("One Life To Live, "As the World Turns") and features original music and lyrics by David James Boyd and original choreography by J. Austin Eyer. Wilkinson and Daniel Robinson (Hairspray) star as the respective grooms, Anthony Pinnunziato and Andrew Polinski, with recording artists Kim Sozzi ("Feel Your Love") and Judy Torres ("No Reason To Cry") alternating the role of Aunt Toniann.
"My Big Gay Italian Wedding" satirizes the controversy surrounding same-sex marriage while drawing on larger than life gay and Italian characters. Anthony Pinnunziato, a gay Italian-American from a large chaotic family, wants to marry his boyfriend Andrew Polinski in a traditional Italian ceremony. Anthony's overbearing mother won't give her blessing unless Andrew's estranged mother also gives her blessing and the ceremony is performed by a priest. Matters are further complicated by Andrew's ex-boyfriend, intent on breaking up the couple.
The cast also includes Brett Douglas as Maurizio, Donna Castellano as Angela, Joe Scanio as Joseph, Meridith Cullen as Maria, Justin Flexen as Gregorio, Liz Gerecitano as Lucia, Meagan Robar as Connie, Drew Little as Mario, Michael Gellert as Frankie, Erik Ransom as Rodney and Chad Kessler as Father Rosalia with ensemble members Paul Moon and Leah Gerstel.
The musical premiered at the Actor's Playhouse in November 2003. A revised and updated version played a benefit performance at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island in September 2009, and transferred to St. Luke's in May 2010 for a 16-month run.
"My Big Gay Italian Wedding" has played in El Paso, Omaha, Louisville and is scheduled to play five other major cities in 2013, including Los Angeles in January. Last spring, "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" played in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the Fringe Festival and in London for a six-week run. A U.K. tour began in France in May 2012, and the musical is scheduled to open in Hong Kong.
St. Luke's Theatre is located at 308 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues). For tickets, call (212) 239-6200 or visit Telecharge.com. For more information, visit BigGayItalianWedding.com.


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Going to the Mattresses
How to cut through the marketing gimmicks of Sealy, Serta, and the rest.
Here's a fun game I play. First, I walk into a mattress store and ask what's on sale. Then, I throw my hands in the air and shout along with the salesman, "EVERYTHING'S ON SALE!!!!" Oh how we laugh, the salesman and I. And while he's still chuckling, I turn around and walk out, because I fricking hate mattress salesmen.
Is there a more maddening industry? They confuse us with silly product names (the Sealy Posturepedic Crown Jewel Fletcher Ultra Plush Pillowtop or the Sealy Posturepedic Crown Jewel Brookmere Plush?). They flummox us with bogus science ("pocketed coils"? "Microtek foundations"? "Fiberlux"?). And they weigh us down with useless features (silk damask ticking?). It's like buying a used car, and almost as expensive—I've seen mattresses going for $7,000. What's a consumer to do?
The secret to mattress shopping is that the product is basically a commodity. The mattress biz is 99-percent marketing. So just buy the cheapest thing you can stand and be done with it, because they're pretty much all the same. And that's all you need to know. But do read on—the world of sleep products is quite fascinating, and I'd like to share it with you.
What's the Best Brand?
Innerspring mattresses, particularly the Big S's (Simmons, Serta, Sealy), dominate the market. But how to choose among Serta and Sealy, Stearns and Foster, and King Koil? Or for that matter, between the Simmons Beautyrest Exceptionale Lenore and the Simmons Beautyrest Do-Not-Disturb Royalty Ultra?
Here's the lowdown: Mattress makers rename identical products for each different retail store. Different labels, exact same guts. Why? Obfuscation. It's hard to shop for the lowest price when you can't compare apples to apples. Lucky for you, they're all subtle variations on the same apple—not only within each brand, but even among different brands.
The heart of an innerspring mattress is the coils. Otherwise it's just foam, cotton, quilting, and stitches. But the big-name mattress makers (with some exceptions) all get their coils from a single company, Leggett and Platt, for their highest-end mattresses down to their lowest. This is akin to every single car on the market, Lamborghinis to Kias, using an engine made by Ford. Except that mattresses are far less complicated than cars. In fact, they're so simple that there's no real difference among them at all.
Upshot: Ignore brand names. They're meaningless. Just pay attention to comfort. Which leads us to our next question:
How Firm Should My Mattress Be?
Herein lies the central mattress paradox. You sleep on coils because they're softer than the floor, but you still want good, firm coils, but then you put foam padding on top to soften the coils, but you still want the foam to be dense, and then finally you put a strong box spring underneath for just a tiny bit of give. All this shuttling back and forth on the scale of firmness—why not just start with the firmness you like, and then stop? My favorite mattress name encapsulates the paradox: Simmons Beautyrest World Class Granite Plush. Granite Plush???
Let's break down each mattress feature that creates firmness, or softness, or both.
Coil Counts and Wire Gauges: When I began, coil counts and wire gauges seemed the key to everything. I talked to several bedding journalists who had desperately sought these numbers from the mattress makers, but had long failed to penetrate the shroud of secrecy. I figured these stats were the empirical measure: More and thicker coils mean fuller and better support. But I soon found it's not that simple. Some mattresses use more coils but thinner-gauge wire. Some use thicker wire but fewer coils. And everyone uses radically different configurations that make comparisons meaningless.
Larry Thomas of Furniture Today—a man described to me as "the guru of the bedding industry"—told me coil counts are "overrated" and "not a good indicator." Yes, if you pay more, you'll get a theoretically better coil design, but better enough to feel a difference? I sure couldn't. Not even between two mattresses thousands of dollars apart in price. So don't worry about the stats—worry about the comfort.
Pillowtops: Pillowtops are soft layers of foam (or cotton, or wool) sewn to the top of the mattress. They're hugely popular. They add hundreds of dollars to your purchase. They are, in my opinion, a massive rip-off. You can re-create their effect with a few cheap egg-crate foam pads. And why spend all that money on springs just to dampen their effect with a giant pillow? If you really want to sleep on foam or cotton, buy a foam or cotton mattress.
Thickness: A recent fad. Some Stearns and Foster (a brand owned by Sealy) mattresses I saw measured about 2 feet thick (and cost $5,000). It looked like they sewed a futon on top of an innerspring. Experts I talked to say thickness is just a ploy: It makes beds look comfy in the showroom. If you notice a difference, mazel tov, but thickness isn't vital to a good bed. You can achieve the same feel with less height (and weight—some mattresses weigh more than 200 pounds and are tough to carry up the stairs).
Mattresses have gotten so thick recently that people are complaining they can't see their headboards. Actual industry response: They made the box-springs thinner. Which of course leads us to ...
Box Springs: I find them wholly unnecessary. Think about it: Presumably, you could put a box spring under your box spring for even more "give" and "support." Another box spring under those two. Where do you draw the line? Also, remember that box springs add significantly to your cost. One reasonable argument I heard for them is that they save wear on your mattress, but I had no way to prove or disprove this.
Many Europeans use platform beds without box springs. Do you hear them complaining? I don't use a box spring, and I don't miss it. It's a princess/pea thing. If you need 17 layers, OK. If you only need one, don't buy a box spring, unless you don't like platforms and can't think of anything better to put your mattress on. My recommendation: Put your mattress on the floor—it saves money on nightstands. Give in to gravity!
Is a Firm Mattress Best for My Back? I asked an orthopedic surgeon at something called the National Foundation for Spinal Health. He said a mattress should support you in the "position of function"—the normal curve of your spine when you're standing up. When a mattress flattens the curve (too firm), or exaggerates it (too soft), bingo: back pain. According to him, a supportive innerspring works better than foam, air, or water. The NFSH recommends: the Simmons Back Care mattress. Problem solved, let's go home, yes? No! I soon discovered the NFSH takes money from companies, including, especially, Simmons! Sketchy! Next orthopedic surgeon, please.
This second guy was independent and no longer practicing. He debunked the myth that firm mattresses are best. They are if you get acute back spasms, but for regular back pain your mattress doesn't make much difference. "The back is a complicated structure," he said. "Back pain has a lot to do with how you're built, but not a lot to do with your mattress." So you don't have to feel guilty about buying a soft, cushy mattress. It doesn't make a difference. (Regional trivia: Firm mattresses sell more in the Northeast [you penitent yankees, you!], while soft wins out in the South.)
Do I Need All Those Extra Features?
No. Screw 'em. For instance ...
Ticking and Quilting: People often buy based on how a mattress looks in the store. This is moronic. You're going to spread a sheet over it the second you get home. Belgian damask? Really, now.
No-Flip Designs: Manufacturers say to flip your mattress every three months. It's even in some warranties. Yet this year's Simmons Beautyrest 2000 boasts a "no flip" design. And it's selling like hotcakes (for which flipping, incidentally, remains compulsory). Why? People love work-saving innovations—we're too lazy to flip. But what does it really mean? It means there's block foam on one side instead of something you could sleep on. And it means if there's a stain or a rip on the sleeping side, you're SOL. They should have called it the "can't flip" design. It's like a "No Oil Change" car that's simply had the dipstick and cap soldered in place.
Warranties: Almost any problem from normal use (which is all the warranties cover) will happen in the first month or so. Ignore the 10- and 20-year coverage. Just make sure there's a solid, 30- or 60-day return policy. That's important not only if the mattress is defective, but if you plain don't like it upon further review.
What About Foam, Air, Water, and Latex?
These legendary "four elements" of classical mythology can also be mattresses. Viscoelastic "memory" foam is popular now. I tried the Tempurpedic brand and loved it—it melts to fit your form. But I wouldn't spend $1,500 for a mattress, no matter how Swedish it is.
Select Comfort air mattresses have sold big lately (though innerspring sales still dwarf everything else, owning more than 80 percent of the market). I didn't like the feeling of air, even though I could adjust the firmness with a remote-controlled pump. When you compress it with your weight, air doesn't seem to have as much give as foam. And it felt like I was camping. These start at $550 for a queen-size.
Waterbeds have hung around (still half of all specialty mattress sales), but I couldn't find one out on display to test. And they give me the yips a little.
Finally, an independent mattress manufacturer I talked to swore that latex makes the best mattresses. (Coincidentally, he makes latex mattresses.) I tried a latex bed, and it didn't feel very different from a firm innerspring, but that's me.
Sure, why not? They're cheaper, partly because there's no box spring. But what is a futon these days, anyway? The definition has essentially devolved into "it bends." They even make innerspring futons, now. At the same time, real innerspring beds keep stacking on the foam and cotton, emulating futons of yore.
If you can't tell the difference between a $200 and a $900 mattress (I couldn't, but maybe you can), get the cheaper one. They're nearly the same, anyway. Anything over $1,500 and you're just paying for prestige, says Larry Thomas. There are tons of great mattress sets for low prices. Yes, to an extent, you get what you pay for (better coil design, denser foam, ritzier ticking), but don't go crazy over this stuff. Lie down on mattesses in the store and trust your own judgment. Remember: Once you're asleep, every mattress feels the same.


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Halloween may be over, but we can still appreciate a sexy maid outfit.
Improve your game today!
You've got to brush up on your game to get the girl! Find your hookups with this online dating guide.
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Oksana Grigorieva has lost another lawyer in the family law case -- Lisa Bloom is substituting out, TMZ has learned.
We don't know exactly why Bloom left the case -- but we're told there were some conflicts between Bloom and Oksana's remaining legal team. Specifically, we're told over the weekend, Daniel Horowitz was working with Oksana at her home. Bloom came by and left looking pretty mad.
Bloom tells TMZ, "I still represent her and I have not quit," adding she is just temporarily out of the family law case while she is in Europe speaking at the Climate Change Convention at the House of Commons in London.
Other sources say Bloom is out of the family law case ... period.
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An economic good is a tangible item that can be purchased and traded within a market. Common-pool resources (CPR's, or common resources) make up a distinct class of economic goods differentiable from other more conventional economic goods. A common resource possesses two attributes which distinguish it from other economic goods: the good is subtractable, or rival, and non-exclusive, or non-excludable (Ostrom, Gardner and Walker, 1994).
Examples of Common-Pool Resources


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Tickets are now on sale for the autumn programme. PREMIERE 9 SEPTEMBER 2006, last performance 24 February 2007. Once a year a big group of cats meet at a deserted fairground. In the course of a single intense night of bragging, partying, singing and dancing, they compete for the right to one more life. Cats, as we all know, have nine lives to work their way through. In the musical, Cats, you spend the whole night with them. From the time the cats first meet right through until dawn when Profeticus, the oldest and wisest of them, decides the winner. Andrew Lloyd Webber''s story of these self-willed city cats had its premiere in London in 1981. The production, which is based on T.S. Eliot's collection of poems, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, was an overnight success. It played in the West End for two decades, has been translated into 10 languages and has been staged in 24 countries. The Goteborg Opera version of Cats has a lot of surprises. Firstly, the performance is in Swedish (translation by Ingela Pling Forsman); secondly, there is a completely new set design and, lastly, you will find the choreography a little different from the original. But there remains everything that has caused audiences to love this musical for the last 25 years – a host of spectacular dance numbers and all of the classic melodies.
Björn Dobbelaere
Finn Rosengren
Munkustrap - Niklas Andersson
Profetikus - Hans Josefsson
Grizabella - Evelyn Jons
Gus/Growltiger - Per Myrberg
Bustopher Jones - Sten Pernmyr
Jennyanydots - Marianne Schell
Jellylorum/Griddlebone - Nina Norblad
Rum Tum Tugger - Patrik Martinsson
Sam/Mr Mistoffelees - Frankie Lorenzo
Quaxo/Macavity - Oscar Lindén
Demeter - Lisette Pagler
Bombarulina - Karolina Krigsman
George/Skimbleshanks - Glenn Nilsson
Sillabub/Rumpleteazer - Anna Werner
Bill Bailey/Mungojerrie - Alexander Larsson
Victoria - Hanna Linné
Cassandra - Sofie Bengtsson
Tantomile - Katja Kortström
Coricopat - Mattias Andersson
Jemima - Elin Bemark
Electra - Sara Sandgren
Alonso - Magnus Lundgren
Garbo - Mari Lindbäck
Isis - Mio Netzler
Ramses - Sven Törnell
Moses - Mikael Simlund
Shakespeare - Göthe Norehäll
Tintomara - Ingahlill Wagelin
Victor - Tim Liljequist
Exotica - Kitty Chan
Agustus - Edvin Karlsson
Admetus - Pierre Hagman
Plato - Anders Wängdahl
Savannah - Linda Holmgren
Etcetera - Lena Näslund
Tumblebrutus - Ivan Valencia
Pouncival - Timo Lattu
Med reservation för ev. ändringar
Björn Dobbelaere
Finn Rosengren
Hans Berndtsson
Mikael Varhelyi
Jaana Fomin
Gunilla Olsson Karlsson
Joachim Bohäll


text: The tentative agreement announced earlier today between the Canadian Auto Workers and the General apparently contains provisions for, among other things, increased GM investment in production of a new vehicle at the Oshawa, Ontario plant. Why does this plant sound so familiar? Well, it's probably because it's where the 2010 Chevy Camaro will be built. Although it's unknown what this second vehicle they'll be building there later this year will be, we do know it'll be rear-wheel drive. Feel free to go ahead and begin your speculation after the jump, but our money's on a large Cadillac or a Buick, maybe even a Caprice! The opportunities feel endless! But what say you? [CTV.ca]


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Today: Hewlett-Packard's (HPQ) quarterly losses weren't as bad as feared, as CEO Meg Whitman says a turnaound is gaining traction. Also, Elon Musk's positive outlook can't save Tesla stock from sinking, and Apple's (AAPL) renegade investor tries to drum up support.
HP earnings beat expectations
Hewlett-Packard reported a continued slump in quarterly sales and profits Thursday, but there were encouraging signs that the beleagured company is slowly turning itself around.
Though HP's profits were down 16 percent year-over-year, the numbers weren't nearly as bad as analysts had feared. The Palo Alto tech giant posted earnings of 63 cents per share on sales of $28.4 billion, significantly better than expectations of 38 cents per share on sales of $27.8 billion. The company also raised its estimates for second-quarter profits — between 80 and 82 cents per share, topping analysts' 77-cents-per-share projections — citing cost cuts attributed to layoffs and corporate streamlining as well as growing demand for its data-center services.
"While there is still a lot of work to do to generate the kind of growth we want to see, our turnaround is starting to gain traction," CEO Meg Whitman said in a statement. "Our primary focus is to deliver on the full year outlook, and I feel good about the rest of the year." HP is in the midst of a five-year recovery plan by Whitman, hoping to refocus its business away from sinking consumer PC and printer sales and toward business enterprise products.
Whether gaining faith in the company's direction or simply relieved by a lack of disappointing news, investors seemed encouraged.
"The hope is that this is the floor and they've gotten a grip on the business," Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne, Agee & Leach, told Bloomberg News. "They're giving guidance that actually makes sense."
The report was one of the few rays of sunlight to penetrate the dark cloud hovering over HP for the past year, in which its sales have flattened, its stock has plunged to 10-year lows and it absorbed an $8.8 billion write-down on its potentially criminally overvalued $11 billion purchase of Autonomy.
HP shares were up nearly 6 percent in after-hours trading, after rising 2.4 percent, up 40 cents, to close at $17.10, during the day.
Tesla shares hit pothole after earnings report
Tesla shares tumbled nearly 9 percent Thursday, a day after the electric car-maker said profitabilty is in sight after reporting another quarterly loss.
The past two weeks have been tumultuous for Palo Alto-based Tesla Motors (TSLA), whose CEO, Elon Musk, has been engaged in a high-profile war of words with the New York Times reporter who wrote a scathing review of the company's flagship Model S sedan. After the closing bell Wednesday, the company announced it lost more money that expected in the fourth quarter of 2012, as it fell short of Model S delivery goals. Musk, however, said production has been ramped up and that he expects to turn a profit for the first time this quarter.
"We really have high confidence that we will have a profitable first quarter," Musk said. "This is the first quarter that we have been at our target production rate. We're going to be profitable, and I think that's a pretty big deal."
But Musk's words were met with skepticism from analysts and investors: Merrill Lynch dropped Tesla's rating from "neutral" to "underperform" on Thursday, and Goldman Sachs analyst Patrick Archambault cut his earnings forecasts for 2013-2015 by up to 60 percent, according to the Wall Street Journal. Tesla shares immediately started slipping in after-hours trading after Wednesday's announcement, and the slide continued Thursday, finishing down $3.38, or 8.77percent, to $35.16. It was the company's biggest one-day drop in more than a year.
"Investors are now beginning to focus on what sustainable demand is beyond 2013. The question remains: how big is the addressable market?" Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley auto analyst, wrote in a note Thursday.
Others agreed. "Frankly the stock had reflected a lot of optimism heading into the earnings call. Much of the value is based upon expectations for growth for the company," said Ben Schuman of Pacific Coast Securities, according to a CNN report. "It's going to be more volatile than a traditional auto stock, that's for sure. It's more of a tech stock."
Still, some are still bullish on Tesla's future. "The stock is off, but I think that will be short-lived," Maxim Group analyst Aaron Chew told the Merc's Dana Hull on Wednesday. "It was a great report. Reservations were really strong in the fourth quarter, and the demand trends are really encouraging."
Apple shares dip, but sky's the limit for Google price targets
Stocks fell for the second day in a row Thursday, as investors worried about continued weak economic data and fears that the Fed may slow its bond-buying program. Tech stocks took the brunt of the losses, with both the tech-heavy Nasdaq and Silicon Valley 150 index falling more than 1 percent.
While Hewlett-Packard shares rose 2.4 percent on anticipation of its earnings report, its hardware comrades didn't fare nearly as well: Cisco (CSCO) and Juniper Networks both fell more than 1.6 percent, and Oracle (ORCL) and Intel (INTC) both dropped more than 2 percent. Social networks fared even worse: Facebook sank more than 4 percent, Zynga fell 3.9 percent and LinkedIn was down nearly half a percent.
Apple shares dipped $2.78, or 0.62 percent, to $446.07, as renegade investor David Einhorn tried to muster support for his plan to force the Cupertino tech giant to share more of its vast cash hoard with shareholders. During a conference call, Einhorn, the founder of Greenlight Capital, laid out his plan for Apple to issue "iPrefs," a new class of dividend-bearing preferred stock, to be issued free to shareholders. Einhorn has filed a lawsuit against Apple, but has so far drawn little support from other shareholders. The issue will come to a head at next Wednesday's Apple shareholders meeting.
Google (GOOG) was one of the few tech companies to eek into positive territory, ending the day up 0.39 percent, or $3.07, to close at $795.53, after receiving price target increases by three major analysts, including Bernstein Research's Carlos Kirjner, who raised his target to $1,000 on the basis of strong mobile growth forecasts.
Silicon Valley tech stocks
Up: Google, HP, Netflix
Down: Apple, Oracle, Intel, Cisco, eBay (EBAY), Gilead, Yahoo (YHOO), VMware, Facebook
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Down 32.92 , or 1.04 percent, to 3,131.49.
The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average: Down 46.92 or 0.34 percent, to 13.880.62.
And the widely watched Standard & Poor's 500 index: Down 9.53, or 0.63 percent, to 1,502.42.
Check in weekday afternoons for the 60-Second Business Break, a summary of news from Mercury News staff writers, The Associated Press, Bloomberg News and other wire services.


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My most-used cookbook:
Cooks Illustrated (also my favorite cooking show on PBS)
My go-to dish:
Kai Yang (Barbecue Chicken) ไก่ย่าง
Favorite Cuisine:
Laotian food
Best meal ever:
Sushi Yasuda in NYC
Favorite travel destination:
Capri, Italy
Member for 10 years 26 weeks
I'm trying out some Indian recipes - anyone know what a good ghee butter subsitute would be? I can't seem to find ghee in the store and wanted a good ghee alternative. THANKS!Read More
I've seen these noodles at the grocery stores and am curious. They seem to be promoted for weight loss. Has anyone had them? How do you cook them and do they actually taste good?Read More


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Barnard News
In The Washington Post, political science professor explains critical role of Uzbekistan in transporting U.S. war suppies.
Reunion 2011 brought more than 1,300 alumnae and guests to campus for a weekend-long celebration of all things Barnard – in the classroom, on stage and around the world. For photos and video, visit the Alumnae Network
New online database suggests that children are still learning, despite schools' risk of failure.
In Newsweek, political science professor discusses "how Pentagon billions are flowing to the strongmen in the Middle East."
As the National Organization for Women holds its national convention this week, Prof. Janet Jakobsen weighs in on a younger generation's approach to feminist movements. An excerpt from the article.
Religion professor quoted in The Huffington Post.
All at Barnard are deeply saddened by the recent death of Mrs. Phyllis Ben, a beloved member of the campus community for nearly half a century.


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Bike Hugger gets all sorts of weird emails, spam, and photos. These photos caught my eye for the welds and the red-tipped frame probe. I have no idea what that probe is doing or what this guy is doing with the probe controller.
The email was written in French, links to this website, and I translated part of it to say, "the testing machine tridimentionelle."
Any ideas?
Did you see one of those probes back in the day?


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Eminem Prank Calls LL Cool J On Shade 45 [Audio Only]
Eminem pranks calls LL Cool J during Toca Tuesdays with DJ Tony Touch on Shade 45. Shout out to Young Sav!
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Agadez to Accra: from the deserts of Niger to the Gulf of Guinea
by Jay Dunn
This is the price your customers see. Edit list price
About the Book
"A pale sun was low on the horizon when the Wednesday afternoon bus roared into Gorom-Gorom, stirring up clouds of fine gritty dust among the low-slung buildings. In this fading light, one could be forgiven for thinking of the Wild West, except our heroes were turbaned Africans, wrapped head to toe against the sun, and in the case of the Tuareg, swords at the ready… This was to be one of the stranger nights I would spend in Africa, an auburn crescent moon peeking out behind the clouds, but one I would never forget, padding through shin-deep sand in the dark with a stranger in search of a shop "just over there," hauling an unconscious Frenchman off the ground and laying him out on restaurant tables to wait for a doctor, carrying a real ceramic plate of food for miles through inky black alleys, murmuring cows and the hush of a town battened down for the night, lights winking out behind thick walls and the anticipation of coolness at dawn."
Features & Details
- Category Travel
Large Format Landscape, 13×11 in, 33×28 cm
96 Pages
- Publish Date Jan 14, 2008
- Tags Jay Dunn, West Africa, Burkina Faso, photojournalist, photojournalism, photography, photographer, gallery, reportage, documentary, travel, adventure, ethnic, culture, cultural, tradition, religion, prayer, ceremony, ritual, humanitarian, Africa, Niger, Nigerien, Burkinabe, Ghana, Ghanaian, Christianity, Christian, Islam, Muslim
About the Creator
Jay Dunn is a freelance photojournalist and documentary filmmaker based in Beijing, China. A veteran after seven years in the region, Mr. Dunn is the author of "Ritual and Romance in Asia," and is represented by the Focus Agency. A winner of multiple awards for photography including the First Prize from National Geographic Traveler, he has worked with a wide range of magazines. Mr. Dunn's focus on humanitarian issues and cultural tradition has led to contributions to the New York Times and reportage for National Public Radio. "In the very humanity of a gesture, what I look for are the emotions we all share, the intimacy of friendship, or the pain of loss, an offering to the hungry, or hands clasped in prayer. To have stopped, when it was much easier to walk away, to have tried to make a difference, to have regarded the ways of others, and found lessons for my own life, these things alone keep open that elusive window, through which I hope a moment of truth may still be seen"


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Be a part of "An Evening with Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer…" whether you want to attend the shows, or live a million miles away…
3,873 backers pledged $133,341 to help bring this project to life.
neilandamanda.com - Your new source for album status updates!
PLEASE NOTE:We're trying something different with this update, and making it public (instead of "Backers Only"). Some people didn't realize that there were messages which were only viewable while... Read more
Thank You… (and AFP live at Kickstarter)
There are really no other words but "thank you"…but we tried.
Check out this video update from Neil and Amanda, and stay tuned for more updates as we start getting... Read more
Successfully raised $133,341 with 3,873 backers
Project launched


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International check-in
When to check in
Online check in opens 24 hours before your flight. There will be a final check in completion time on your e-ticket. You can also see your final check in completion time on the Air New Zealand mobile app. It will be 90 minutes before your flight is due to depart, unless you are travelling to or from the USA (including transiting) where it will be 2 hours before your flight. Flights to USA destinations open 4 hours prior to departure. Remember this is a final check in completion time. It's wise to arrive at the airport well before the cut off.
How to check in
- Online
- The Air NZ mobile app - get the app
- At the airport
You can check in using self-service kiosks at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, London Heathrow, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Tokyo Narita and Fiji Nadi. You will need a machine-readable passport. The kiosk will print your boarding passes and bag tags, if you're checking in baggage. At the bag drop our staff will check your passport.
When travelling on flights operated by our partner airlines please check in with the operating carrier.


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Calhoun – Hedrick United In Marriage
Heidi Ann Hedrick of Mc- Connellsburg and Richard Daniel Calhoun of Mont Alto were united in marriage on May 30, 2009 at Calvary United Methodist Church in Fayetteville. The 4:00 p.m. ceremony was performed by Pastor Clyde DeShong. David Shearer served as organist. The reception was held at the Jensen Dining Hall at Wilson College following the ceremony.
The bride wore an ivory princess style gown covered in beaded lace and a regency sash to match the wedding party. The gown had a chapellength train. The ride also wore a matching ivory veil and a tiara adorned with pearls and rhinestones. She carried a cascade bouquet of lavender hydrangeas, white and dark purple stock, dark purple carnations, lavender spray roses an purple lisianthus.
The bride is the daughter of Clair and Kathy Hedrick of McConnellsburg. She is a 2004 graduate of McConnellsburg High School and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and education from Juniata College in 2008. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in school counseling at Shippensburg University and is employed as a graduate assistant for the school counseling department. The groom is the son of William and Jean Calhoun of Mont Alto. He is a 2005 graduate of A Beka Correspondence Academy and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Shippensburg University in 2009. He is employed as a fourth grade teacher t Fairview Elementary in Waynesboro.
Rebecca Krauss of Bedford was maid of honor and Allisa McCloskey of altoona was matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Jennifer Hartman of Washington, D.C., Julie Holsinger of Hagerstown, and Jessica Leggett of Highspire. Jordan Reed of Lebanon was the best man. Robert Shehan of McConnellsburg, Bryan Herr of Adamstown, Md., Aaron Robertson of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., and Benjamin Raffel of Waynesboro were groomsmen. James and Joshua Butts of McConnellsburg served as ringbearers. Leanna and Dani Young of Greencastle served as guestbook attendants. Rachel Calhoun of Mont Alto was the acolyte.
The stunning wedding flowers were designed by Summer Thyme Floral. The wedding cake was provided by Dawn Black. Coast 2 Coast Productions provided the entertainment at the reception. Kristen Earley photographed the precious moments of the day.
After a relaxing honeymoon in Hags Head, N.C., the couple resides in Chambersburg.


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Hot on the heels of Google's Nexus 7 tablet announcement, the news broke that Apple might, maybe, possibly release a smaller, cheaper version of the iPad. This rumor has been around since the original iPad was released but it gained momentum when claims emerged from Asia that Apple had ordered smaller tablet screens. Nothing has been confirmed by Apple or its suppliers, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from grinding on.
The iPad Mini is now expected to be announced in October alongside the new iPhone 5. It will supposedly have a similar form factor to the new Nexus 7 and analysts are incredibly excited by the prospect. Everyone is wondering how much power the new iPad will be packing and that all important price point.
Why wouldn't Apple release a 7 inch iPad?
In late 2010, Steve Jobs spoke out about the smaller iPad rumors. "The reason we won't make a seven-inch tablet isn't because we don't want to hit a lower price point, it's because we think the screen is too small to express the software," he claimed. If you're interested you'll find the full Jobs interview at Engadget.
It's perfectly possible that new CEO Tim Cook has decided to pursue a smaller form factor now that Jobs is gone, but the idea that Apple has to hit this segment of the market to compete with devices such as the Nexus 7 doesn't ring true.
Does Apple do budget?
Two years of smaller iPad rumors is nothing compared to the five years of rumors we've had about a budget iPhone, which has never materialized. The iPhone Nano or whatever you'd like to call it has never left the news despite the complete lack of evidence to support its existence. Apple appears to be quite content at the premium end of the market.
Taking a look at Apple's second quarter 2012 results, it isn't difficult to see why it feels the need to compete in the budget category. It made $11.6 billion profit largely on the back of selling 35.1 million iPhones and 11.8 million iPads. Sales of both devices are steadily increasing and its market share is very healthy. None of its competitors have anything close to the riches that Apple can boast and the gap is getting larger.
Why would Apple risk such a comfortable position to compete with devices that are being sold with far smaller profit margins? Let's face it — even if Apple releases a mini iPad, or a smaller iPhone for that matter, it's not going to be a budget device. There's no way they'll produce something similar to the Nexus 7 and sell it for as little as $200 — unless, somehow, it can produce such a device for much less than Asus and Google, who are selling the Nexus 7 almost at cost. Amazon is also willing to lose money on the Kindle Fire to try and get a toehold in the market.
The Apple brand is synonymous with quality and elegant design. Consumers seem willing to pay a little more for what is considered an aspirational brand. In the realm of PCs, it's already clear that Apple can and does charge more for comparable hardware specs than other brands, but with the iPad, Apple's prices are actually lower than most of its competitors. Google and Amazon's budget tablets are some of the only strong budget competitors.
But it makes sense
A smaller iPad makes sense for a couple of reasons.
If the smaller form factor is desirable to consumers because they want something more portable, then it's probably a space that Apple wants to enter. Much depends on why people are buying smaller tablets. If the size is more comfortable for reading then that would account for the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet successes. How the Nexus 7 performs will reveal more.
Smashing the competition could be another valid reason for a mini iPad release. Apple is engaged in an all-out war with Android on various fronts, not least in the courts. Perhaps the prospect of denting competitor's attempts to get into the tablet market is enough? Though a defensive move seems unlikely. As it stands according to IDC Apple holds a 68 percent share of the tablet market. The competition should be feeling the pressure, not Apple.
Fact or fiction?
Anyone who follows the tech world will know that rumors and analyst predictions are mostly speculation. People love to talk about Apple and what it might do next. Until they actually confirm a smaller iPad or a budget iPhone, we're in the dark.
I'll jump down from the fence for a minute and speculate myself. Yes, I think the iPad Mini might come to fruition, but it won't be at a budget price point because Apple won't sacrifice margins. As for the budget iPhone: I don't see it. If people want a cheap iPhone they will probably have to buy an old one. Budget devices don't fit with Apple's brand.
What do you think? Post a comment and tell us if you think the iPad Mini or budget iPhone will become a reality and why.
The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the beliefs of Digital Trends.


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ymjody necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 151 diseños de 31 diseñadores freelance.
Salem United Methodist Church (http://www.salemmethodist.org)
Description of Salem:
-we are a United Methodist Church located in Simpson, NC
-we are a small, diverse church connected to a very big God
-we are saved through Jesus Christ
The desired audience is a church body made up of infants through senior citizens (there's a large population of older members in the church so the design must appeal to them as well as young families to unite everyone together).
Our church is made up of members from different races and ethnic backgrounds.
The church would especially like to appeal to young families in the mid 20's to mid 40's age range to continue growth of the church now and into the future.
Looking for a stand alone symbol and wordmark
The United Methodist cross and flame (see it at http://www.umc.org) is important to some in our congregation so integration of the national United Methodist logo in some way (ex. background, shadowing, or other creative integration) would be a plus, but is not necessary.
Logo must have the ability to be used in multiple ways (print, collateral, web, digital video, signage, t-shirts, etc..)
Characteristic/Attributes to consider:
Simple, clean looking
Timeless, ageless - longevity
A place of purpose
Not a building, it's about people
The youth ministry of Salem UMC recently developed a logo for their name, Reach 42. See the design for possible (but not necessary) connection at their facebook page:
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
View All Calendars is the default. Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me button, and you will automatically be alerted about the latest events in our community.
February 17, 2018, 7:00 AM - February 18, 2018, 3:00 PM @ Jimmy Burke Activity Center
Discover your treasure at the city wide garage sale. Come at your leisure and browse this all indoor garage sale!


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[UPDATED 2-18-12 2000 HST] I found this on an "unrelated" site (seemingly unrelated, but thanks to that person who uncovered this in-the-public-domain news). I did verify the links. Now, I absolutely spend extremely NO time watching banks. And the most I've ever read about the "banking system", is with David Wilcock's Financial Tyranny articles (article 1, article 2). But this series of articles, none of which I fully read, but the titles give the gist, indicates to me that there really is a lot happening along the lines that David (and others) have talked about. Whether it's arrests or resignations, it appears to be a pulling apart at the seams of the old (cabal) system.
So I am just going to list these articles. No particular order. Date of publication, then the title (with link). So here goes. (I'm leaving comments open 2 days on this one; feel free to add your own links and comments)
2-15-12: World Bank President Zoellick Resigns
2-16-12: CFO of ANZ Bank Resigns Amid Turmoil
2-14-12: Nicaragua Central Bank Head Quits Amid Row
2-17-12: Credit Suisse's Private Bank Chief Asian Economist Tan Resigns
2-18-12: Embarrassment for Merkel as German president resigns in disgrace after trying to bag the press (okay, not a bank president, but a president, noetheless)
2-16-12: Andrew Chick to lead Royal Bank of Scotland's Australian arm
2-13-12: Kuwait central bank chief resigns amid political tensions
2-15-12: Slovenia's Two Biggest Banks' CEOs Step Down as Woes Mount
2-06-12: Dhanlaxmi Bank CEO Amitabh Chaturvedi quits
2-10-12: Tamilnad Mercantile Bank MD resigns
2-17-12: Blankfein out as Goldman Sachs CEO by summer? (not an actual resignation, but a possible pending one)
[UPDATE 2000 HST Just found this… thanks to Greg Giles]
2-16-12: Arrests in Olympus Scandal Point to Widening Inquiry Into a Cover-Up
[comments open 2 days]


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Alec Baldwin Lashes Out Against "Fundamentalist Wing Of Gay Advocacy" For Having His MSNBC Show Canceled
Alec Baldwin spoke to Gothamist to confirm news that his new MSNBC show Up Late had been canceled. In the process, Alec lashed out against the "fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy," whom he blames for his current troubles.
"Showing a video in which I call someone a 'cocksucking something'" he started, "you can't really tell what I'm saying, and we live in a world in which the phrase 'TMZ's enhanced audio' exists. 'TMZ's enhanced audio.' And then with The Post... there's nothing you can do when you get thrown in this washing machine, nothing. You know? Nothing. All you end up doing is just defending yourself all day long."
"Martin Bashir's on the air, and he made his comment on the air! I dispute half the comment I made," Alec added. "If I called him 'cocksucking maggot' or a 'cocksucking motherfucker'... 'faggot' is not the word that came out of my mouth. That I know. But you've got the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy—Rich Ferraro and Andrew Sullivan—they're out there, they've got you. Rich Ferraro, this is probably one of his greatest triumphs. They killed my show. And I have to take some responsibility for that myself."
What do you make of Alec's comments?
Alec had a great show, but not at the expense of slamming a minority. . ! Our world has been slow to learn that epitaphs that demean minorities are always hurtful and filled with hate no matter what the specific intent of the speaker. Just substitute "faggot" for the 'N' word, or other _ _ _ _ _ offensive words and how do we as a society react..? Alec could have admitted he screwed up, made a positive conciliatory speech with a donation to The Trevor Project or other affiliated group and be back on his show rather than having it canceled without remorse.
Alec Baldwin is just another casualty of our growing intolerance of hurtful "free" speech.
I like Alec Baldwin & if he called me a faggot I, personally, would get over it. I don't think I would like it particularly, but it may depend somewhat on the context. I do, however, think that it's important that celebrities & public figures be brought to task for using slurs, especially when it's a deliberate insult. If celebrities are not publicly called out for this, then no one learns. At the very least, people should see that what they say can have consequences.
Most of us can "take it". Almost all of us have been called a faggot by someone at some point in our lives. Many of us, many times. Sometimes in jest, sometimes by other gays, sometimes by "friends" & sometimes by people who want to hurt us on some level. Most of us have learned to ignore it, pretend that it doesn't matter, or taken away the power of these words in some other way, but sometimes it still stings when you hear these words used.
When I was a kid, I was called a lot of things, by other kids, by adults, including teachers & my own father. Over the years, I have learned some coping skills &, like I say, I can take it, but what about the kids who are growing up gay? If the revered & celebrated are allowed to throw these hateful words around about people like them, it grants permission to the world to subscribe to that point of view & to use those terms & gay kids get to see that it's ok for people to hate them for being who they are.
Trust me, these days I am not so very sensitive, but just because I can handle it, doesn't make it OK.
It's unacceptable & should be seen as unacceptable.
Whether Alec Baldwin said "faggot" or not is debatable, but clearly, calling a man a cock sucker was a way of demeaning him by inferring that he was gay. How is that ok?
It seems like a lot of people will take time to comment and say "get over it" as though to dismiss the seriousness of this issue and yes it is still a serious issue to us and the people who love, support and care for us in the LGBTQ community, It seems as though many people can't relate to anyone who is gay when they make statements like "get over it" and i believe this might come from not knowing any gay people therefore they can't empathize with the issue and if this is the case they should just keep they're opinions to themselves as with anything if you don't know anything about it don't try to have an opinion about it that is ignorant, a valid opinion of something comes from knowledge of a subject that someone knows about if you don't know anything about the gay community how do you have an opinion?. what Alec has done (and he has now done this repeatedly) is not proving anything except that he IS homophobic...PERIOD! I have a few people in my immediate family who have always "acted" like they were excepting of my homosexuality and that it was not an issue (I am not the only one of my sibling's out of 10 of us 3 are from the community) growing up i was called ALL the slur's and got all the typical bullying and NEVER got any support from a sister and a brother that went to the same school (one was older and one was younger both by one year) they never wanted to get involved and didn't EVER. Now as an older man i have realized that i still carry all the baggage that came from these experiences and the scars don't go away so when people say "get over it" try saying that to someone, anyone who has been through something that has been a struggle their whole life, saying that phrase does not help anyone in fact it's the weakest response i could think of because there is no thought put into that phrase anyone could say that without using any brain power at all. Another thing i think is an issue with Alec's situation is that he was raised in a very religious household and i believe his bigotry is just ingrained in him so deep that he can't ever be completely open minded enough to really be an ally for the gay community him and his brother's act like they're cool with everyone but we all know if your background is of a strong faith you will ALWAYS be judgmental even though you are not supposed to be because that is how religion is set up, anyway i believe he should just go away take some time and do some soul searching and work on where his anger is coming from and do something about that asap!
If he said some form of nigger , we would be calling him a racist and throwing all kinds of hell. He would probably need security.
So no he shouldn't of said faggot.
The cocksucker part isn't no big deal...
I don't care what u say wen cursing. But there are words, especially as a celeb u don't say. Faggot is one of them . as white people we make a point to never say nigger


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Mike Myers needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 59 designs submitted by 22 freelance designers.
This is another new software site for Genius Idea Studio. This site is for a new product line of software that extends the functionality of Rapid Action Profits by installing easy to use addons into the RAP software.
We need a logo that will be used on the site as well as on the sales pages for each of the products. It needs to be a professional but fun logo that is eye catching.
The site it will be used on is rap-tools.com. The site is not up yet and the final design will be around the colors used in this new logo.
Our target audience is any existing Rapid Action Profit user as well as potential new users who are looking for an automated solution for selling their products.
No clipart
must provide files in PSD format as well as JPG or PNG
provide sample with white and dark backgrounds
The logo should be fun yet professional. We are a fun company but take our customers success very seriously.
Logo must fit well on a website banner as well as a watermark in video.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Grades 9-12
Preparing a 1040EZ Income Tax Form
Many students in high school or in college have part time jobs and learn the concept of gross pay and net pay. Their employers take out taxes at the federal and state level. This lesson takes a common situation and helps students understand how to complete the 1040EZ form to get all or most of the money deducted for federal income tax refunded.
When students receive a W-2 form from their employer after January 1, they may feel a bit anxious. The form could be the result of a summer job or from a current job.In this lesson, students are given a hypothetical situation where they have to file their first income tax form. This form is usually a 1040EZ form. The 1040EZ is used in most cases because student(s) (1) wages are low, (2) don't itemize deductions, (3) usually do not have dependents, and (4) may or may not be claimed as a dependent on their parent's tax return.
Learning Objectives
- Complete a 1040EZ tax form using information from W-2 form.
- Explain what a W-2 form is and what it is used for.
- Define a taxable year.
Resource List
EconEdLink Lessons: These lessons can be used by teachers to provide a brief overview of federal budget, taxation, role of goverment, etc.
What Do You Get for Your $1,818,600,000,000?
Constitution Costs
1040EZ Tax Form: Here is a current version of the 1040EZ tax form for income tax return for single and joint filers with no dependents, and official intstuctions.
1040EZ Tax Form
Tax Tables: Here is a current version of the 1040 tax tables.
1040 Tax Tables
Current tax form and tax table: Tax forms can change. If the form provided is not the current form they can be found at the following links.
Tax Form
Tax Table
Teacher Answer Key: Here are the correct amounts that should be entered on each line of the 1040EZ tax form.
Teacher Answer Key
How to Fill and File IRS From 1040-EZ: This article provides easy to follow step by step instructions on filling out the 1040 EZ form.
Understanding Your W-2 Form: An infographic detailing each box of the W-2 form. Great information.
Current W-2 Form and Instructions: Have copies made (page 2) for the students to allow them practice at filling in the information, and then transcribing the information needed to fill out the 1040EZ form. The link also shows how many copies of the employees W-2 is distributed.
W-2 form
Completed 2012 1040EZ and W-2: These are separate examples of 2012 completed forms. Note: the information in the two forms do not correspond with each other.
1040EZ form
W-2 form
For educators who wish to provide a brief overview of federal budget, taxation, role of government, etc., please refer to the following lessons:
Tell students that they have been sent a W-2 form from their employer. Explain that a W-2 statement is a statement of earnings over the past taxable year (Jan 1 through Dec 31). This is a form filed with the federal government detailing how much money you were paid last year, and how much money was deducted for federal income tax withholding. You are required to file your taxes with the IRS to determine if you are entitled to a refund or if you have to pay additional money for income tax. Tell students that their taxable wages for the previous year were $11,357. The tax with held was $1,248. In addition they earned $488 in interest from their savings account.
Students need to follow the instructions on both sides of the 1040EZ form to determine if they are entitled to a refund or if an additional tax payment is due. Guide the students through the form and answer any questions that may arise. The 1040EZ Tax Form will give students a step by step approach for accurately filling out the form and filing their taxes. If the form itself is not enough, students should read this article called "How to Fill Out a US 1040EZ Tax Return". This article provides easy to follow step by step instructions on filling out the 1040 EZ form.
Students should understand the relationship between the W-2 statement and the 1040EZ form. Students will need to complete "Worksheet for Line 5 – Dependents who checked one or both boxes" when they are done answering the questions. This is located on the second page of the Tax Form.
Refer to the teacher answer key and make sure students have the correct information filled in on their tax form at the end of class. Line 1 wages $11,357. Line 2, taxable interest is $488. Line 4 adjusted gross income is $11,845. Line 5 should have "you" checked and the amount is $5700 from the worksheet on the back. The worksheet on the back, line A is $1,1657, line C is $1,1657, lines D and E are $5700, line F is zero, and line G is $5700. Line 6 Taxable income is $6,145. Line 7, tax withheld is $1,248. Line 10 is $1,248. Line 11 is $613 from the tax table. Subtracting line 11 from line 10 shows a refund of $635.
Are students engaged? When circulating around the classroom during the lesson, are students asking questions. It is not unusual for there to be some frustration on their part, as this is a new activity for them. Tax preparation services can charge as much as $150 to prepare this form.
Going through the form at the end of class helps to give students a better understanding of the form and the income tax process.
Extension Activity
How would the tax return change if the student could not be claimed as a dependent on their parent's tax return? Taxable income (Line 6) would change to $2,495. The tax (Line 11) would change to $249 and the refund (Line 12a) would change to $999.
After following the 1040Ez form students should be able to answer the following questions: View Interactive Activity
1. What are the important facts needed for filling out the form?
[Important facts needed for filling out the form is the income is $11,357, the interest on savings account is $488, and the file status is dependent on parent's tax return.]
2. What does it mean to be claimed as a dependent?
[To be claimed as a dependent means someone else (parents or guardian) are responsible for over 50% of their living expenses (food, clothing, housing, etc.)]
3. What is the difference between adjusted gross income and taxable income?
[Adjusted gross income is all the money earned during the taxable year. In this case, wages and interest on savings account. Taxable income is the portion of your income, after deductions, which is subject to tax. In this example, the adjusted gross income was $11,845 and the taxable income (the amount you look up on the tax table) was $6,145.]


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