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Consensus Report
Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy (2008)Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review; while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy. Learn more on our expert consensus reports.
Minerals are part of virtually every product we use. Common examples include copper used in electrical wiring and titanium used to make airplane frames and paint pigments. The Information Age has ushered in a number of new mineral uses in number of products including cell phones (e.g., tantalum) and liquid crystal displays (e.g., indium). For some minerals, such as the platinum group metals used to make cataytic converters in cars, there is no substitute. If the supply of any given mineral were to become restricted, consumers and sectors of the U.S. economy could be significantly affected. Risks to minerals supplies can include a sudden increase in demand or the possibility that natural ores can be exhausted or become too difficult to extract. Minerals are more vulnerable to supply restrictions if they come from a limited number of mines, mining companies, or nations. Baseline information on minerals is currently collected at the federal level, but no established methodology has existed to identify potentially critical minerals. This report develops such a methodology and suggests an enhanced federal initiative to collect and analyze the additional data needed to support this type of tool.
Key Messages
- All minerals and mineral products could be or could become critical to some degree, depending on their importance and availability.
- As an indicator of vulnerable supply, import dependence by itself is not a useful indicator of risk.
- Decision makers in both the public and the private sectors need continuous, unbiased, and thorough mineral information provided through a federally funded system of information collection and dissemination.
- From the federal perspective, a critical mineral is one that is both essential in use and subject to the risk of supply restriction.
- In employing the methodology, it is important to distinguish among three time or adjustment periods: the short term, the medium term, and the long term.
- In the short and medium terms, significant restrictions of mineral supply may be due to (1) significant increase in demand, (2) thin markets, (3) concentration of production, (4) production predominantly as a by-product, (5) lack of available old scrap for recycling or of the infrastructure required for recycling.
- More complete information needs to be collected, and more research needs to be conducted, on the full mineral life cycle.
- Of the 11 minerals or mineral families the committee examined, those that exhibit the highest degree of criticality at present are indium, manganese, niobium, PGMs, and REs.
- Over the longer term, the availability of minerals and mineral products is largely a function of investment and the various factors that influence the level of investment and its geographic allocation and success. The long-term availability of minerals and mineral products also requires continued investment in mineral education and research.
- The committee concludes that USGS Minerals Information Team activities are less robust than they might be, in part because it does not have the status or resources to function as a principal statistical agency.
- The criticality matrix methodology is a useful conceptual framework for evaluating a mineral's criticality in a balanced manner in a variety of circumstances that will be useful for decision makers in the public and private sectors. A more nuanced and quantitative version of the matrix could be established and used as part of the federal program for collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on minerals.
- The criticality of a specific mineral can and likely will change as production technologies evolve and new products are developed.
- The effectiveness of a government agency or program is dependent on the agency's or program's autonomy, its level of resources, and its authority to enforce data collection. Federal information gathering for minerals at present does not have sufficient authority and autonomy to appropriately carry out its data collection, dissemination, and analysis.
- The greater the difficulty, expense, or time it takes for material substitution to occur, the more critical a mineral is to a specific application or product or analogously, the greater is the impact of a mineral supply restriction.


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The basic procedure for using these programs is below. Please contact us with questions, and check out the Teacher Success stories on the right for examples of how teachers are using Arcademic games in their classrooms.
STEP 1: Establish Aims
Establishing an aim, or goal performance, for the student in the computer games is an excellent motivational technique. These are programmed for one minute stages; this seems to be the best time limit for proficiency and motivation in the game. By using the same time per game, the scores represent a consistent rate or frequency of hits and misses. This increases the degree of comparability from score to score.
STEP 2: Explain Procedure
Depending upon the student's experiences with the computer, you will need to spend some time explaining the object of the game being played and the way in which the game operates. After explaining these to the student and establishing a schedule for the work at the computer, observe the student for a few minutes to make sure he/she is operating the game correctly.
STEP 3: Chart Student Progress
The student's hits and misses are recorded in the scores on the screen. The 'detail' graphs at the end of the game can be used to note trends in the performance from which decisions on strategies for improvement can be made. It also predicts more clearly and easily if the student is likely to reach the aim set. It provides visual feedback of progress to both you and the student.
STEP 4: Interpret Student Progress
Interpreting the graph lines of hits and misses (trend lines) is important in setting strategies for improvement and establishing new goals. This should be done at the end of one or two weeks of performance. Interpreting both the correct (hits) and error (misses) responses will enable you to see the degree of accuracy the student is achieving as well as the absolute performance level. By interpreting both of these trend lines, you will have a learning picture from which you can plot strategies for further learning.
STEP 5: Provide Generalization Activities
Once a student has reached an aim within a game at skill level 'normal', you may want to provide some activities in which the student uses the skills. You can set up special activities that will demonstrate this use in practical applications. For example - ways of making change, calculating mileage, calculating miles per gallon used by an automobile, checking sales receipts from stores for accuracy, estimating various costs of groceries from newspaper ads.
Repeat Steps for Additional Games
The steps listed in this manual should be repeated for each game that the student plays. Use flashcards, worksheets, and other computer games to help the student reach specific aims based on information gained on the first trials with the program.
Our materials are designed to be used flexibly as the student's needs and learning situation warrant. Each person working with this product is encouraged to adapt the materials in any way possible to ensure a successful learning experience for the student.
Teacher Success
When I've done flash cards, they aren't in to it. This is more fun and colorful for them. I can tell they are wanting to learn their facts faster as a challenge.
View Success Story
Aligning the joy of gaming with practicing math transforms the experience and invites students to learn in an environment they are comfortable with.
View Success Story
Many of the students play video games all the time at home. This was a way to let them enjoy their playing time but to practice a skill at the same time.
View Success Story
The math games have improved the student's grades in timed tests and have boosted the student's confidence in their math abilities.
View Success Story

subset: commoncrawl


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Creating a New Account and Logging In
Whether you're a new or returning customer, we suggest you log in or create an account before you start shopping. When logged in, you are not just simply viewing your purchased order (Of course, your unpaid order is also listed). If you do not login before you begin shopping, you will not see the actual prices on many products, and if you don't login upon payment of your purchase, you will not receive the discount.
By creating an account, we will store your name, shipping and billing address for future reference. Credit card information is not entered until you actually place an order and is not saved.
When you are logged into your account, you can click on the "Account" button at the top of the screen to view details about your account and which brands are discounted.
On a side note, creating an account does not automatically subscribe you to email communications from us. You can subscribe to receive monthly offers here
Creating a New Account
Signing up for an account also lets you track your online orders, view your previous six months of order history, create a wish list of items you want to purchase later, share product reviews, and stores your billing and shipping address securely for future orders. If you are a new visitor or haven't created an account yet, you can easily create a new account by following these simple steps:
1. To create a new account, click on the "Join Free" button located at the top of the left hand navigation bar.
2. Once you arrive on the new account page, begin by filling in the required fields.
3. When you are finished filling out the proper fields, hit SAVE on the bottom. If you are missing any of the required fields, an error message will appear, and you will need to fill out the remaining highlighted fields. Once you hit SAVE you can begin shopping!
Logging In
If you are having trouble logging in or are new to logging in, you can follow these simple steps to help you through the process:
1. To Login, select the Sign in button located at the top of the left hand navigation bar.
2. Once you are on the next page, by filling in the required fields with your existing account. If you do not remember your sign in name or your password, simply click "Forgot password?" fill in the sections on the right and you will be sent an email with your login credentials or information on resetting your password.


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Will surplus burn a hole in state's pocket?
Every Wisconsin family faces financial choices similar to those being examined by the Republican controlled Legislature.
It sounds easy. State government has collected more money than was anticipated last year. In family finance it's like getting a pay raise or unexpected overtime. But every family knows that more cash brings debate on whether to spend it or save it.
Do we spend it for a new car or truck? Do we put it aside to send a son or daughter to college? Or do we save it so that we can retire? Do we save it in case our job disappears before we reach retirement age?
At the state level Gov. Scott Walker has proposed a $542-million program aimed largely at reducing taxes. "What do you do with a surplus – give it back to people who earned it; it's their money," Walker says. Indeed, most states are enjoying higherthan unexpected revenues as the American economy rebounds.
The responses of governors to their surpluses varies over party lines. Twenty-three governors want to put the bulk of their new money into so-called "rainy-day funds." The most eloquent plea in this area came from California Gov. Jerry Brown who referred to the Book of Genesis.
"Boom and bust is our lot, and we must follow the ancient advice that Joseph gave to the Pharaoh: put away your surplus during the years of great plenty so you will be ready for the lean years which are sure to follow," Brown said in his State of the State message to the California Legislature.
In Wisconsin the decisions will be made by Republicans. The Assembly GOP majority sounded like it was ready to give fast approval to Walker's return-the-surplus idea. The Senate Republican caucus took a more cautious approach – perhaps because many of its members have been in office longer than the average Assembly Republican. They remember days of economic downturn.
Much of Walker's plan goes to curbing property taxes. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates the governor's plan would reduce property taxes on a $151,000 home by $100 with the state treasury paying more of the cost of the vocational and technical colleges.
Cutting property taxes doesn't put any more money into the hands of renters; it flows to the owners of property including apartment and duplex residential buildings. More "relief" flows to the owners of property with higher values – be it residential, industrial or commercial structures.
In the past Wisconsin has provided assistance to renters through a refundable credit in the personal income-tax system. That has been championed in past years by Democrats concerned about low- and middle-income seniors.
But complaints about property taxes rarely come from those who rent. Criticism of the property tax often comes from senior citizens. Their incomes are lower and Social Security payments are exempt from Wisconsin's personal income tax. The property tax is their big tax burden.
Walker has sought to head off criticism that Republicans are more interested in the wealthy than the average citizen. His proposal for surplus funds includes decreasing the bottom income-tax rate from 4.4 percent to 4 percent. That would help all those who actually face income tax liabilities. And then there are low-earning, part-time workers such as students who file returns to get refunds of money withheld from paychecks but owe nothing in the end.
The Fiscal Bureau estimates that 71 percent of those filing income tax returns will benefit if the bottom rate is reduced as Walker suggests. A married couple filing jointly could see a $55 tax break, according to the analysis.
The governor's plan could increase the state's structural deficit – anticipated expenditures over projected revenues – to $807 million by mid-2017. That's $100 million more than anticipated at the start of 2014.The increase in the structural deficit would be offset by a $117 million increase in the state's rainy-day fund, pushing it to nearly $400 million by the end of this biennium.
The governor's proposals include a truck load of new numbers – the details of which will be largely ignored by the public. But what will attract attention is Walker's directive to the Department of Revenue to reduce the amount of state income taxes withheld on paychecks to Wisconsin workers.
That will mean higher take-home pay in 2014 but lower incometax refunds in the spring of 2015. That's super-Republican politics for the gubernatorial and legislative elections this November.


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HTC and Microsoft, two companies that have been struggling to keep up with their rivals in the smartphone race, are reportedly working on next-generation wearable technology.
Reports this week say the two tech companies are working on wearable gadgets similar to ones already announced by some of their rivals. This includes smartwatches and smartglasses.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is testing out prototypes for smartglasses that would rival Glass, a product Google announced last year and began releasing in a limited format in early 2013. The Journal report cites unnamed sources.
Previously, Microsoft has also been reported as working on a smartwatch that would rival current gadgets on the market, like the Sony SmartWatch 2, as well as those rumored to be in development, like Apple's rumored "iWatch."
Now, a Bloomberg report says HTC is also working on a smartwatch.
Citing unnamed sources, the report says HTC is hoping to launch a smartwatch device by the second half of 2014. The device will run on Google's Android software and it will be able to take pictures, just like the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch that made its U.S. debut earlier this month.
Smartphones are still the prime battlefield in the world of tech, but it's clear to all companies involved that wearable technology will be the next front.


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As financial power-broker Jon Corzine testified to Congress Thursday, the big theme regarding the eighth-largest bankruptcy in US history was "I don't know."
Mr. Corzine, former CEO of the investment firm MF Global, said he doesn't know "where the money is" that went missing from customer accounts. Regulators and attorneys said they're still trying to learn what happened to it. Members of Congress, for their part, struggled to understand complexities surrounding how MF Global was regulated, how it failed on Oct. 31, and how some $1.2 billion went missing from the firm's customer accounts in the process.
But beyond all the unknowns, the hearing convened by a House panel appeared to give a clear signal on one important point: Major levels of risk remain in the financial industry despite the chastening impact of the financial crisis of 2008.
[ Video is no longer available. ]
"It appears to me that no one has learned a thing; that Wall Street is operating as if 2008 never happened," Rep. Collin Peterson (D) of Minnesota said in his opening statement at the hearing.
MF Global's downfall came swiftly, ensnaring Corzine, a CEO who was well-known as a former governor and US senator from New Jersey, and as a former chairman of Goldman Sachs.
And the firm's collapse came in a manner that echoed some of the problems seen in 2008 at companies like Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers: unexpected losses followed by a loss of confidence among investors on whom the company relied.
When investors began withdrawing money, bankruptcy became unavoidable.
"Despite our best efforts to sell assets and generate liquidity, the marketplace lost confidence in the firm," Corzine said in his prepared testimony.
"I sincerely apologize," he said, "to our customers, our employees and our investors, who are bearing the brunt of the impact of the firm's bankruptcy."
Since the financial crisis, federal agencies have sought to enhance oversight of financial firms, Congress has passed a sweeping regulatory reform act, and many banks have worked to strengthen their base of capital.
Yet economists say many issues linked to the financial crisis still simmer. The Thursday hearing, and the wider questions surrounding MF Global, symbolize some of those issues:
A culture of risk. Corzine sought to downplay the role that MF Global's big bets on euro-zone sovereign debt played in the firm's bankruptcy. He emphasized that the lion's share of the firm's $191.6 million loss, reported for the quarter that ended Sept. 30, came from a change in the value of tax losses from previous years. At the same time, outsiders have characterized the firm's strategy on sovereign debt as an aggressive one.
Leverage. Risk depends not only on how volatile a firm's investments are, but also on how big they are in relation to the capital base. Corzine said that during his two-year tenure he brought the leverage ratio down from 37-to-1 to 30-to-1. But that level is still high, and Corzine said he had hoped to reduce it further.
Incentives. Corzine said "much of my compensation was in the form of options to purchase stock, which would have value only if the company prospered." Some critics of the financial industry say that pay remains too dependent on the "up" side (how well a firm does in ordinary or good times) and is not conditional enough on guarding against risk of failure.
Human fallibility. MF Global failed despite being led by the former head of the nation's leading investment bank, a former top-tier politician, and a man who has been named as a potential Treasury Secretary if Timothy Geithner were to step down. The company had financial troubles before Corzine came in. He was attempting to remake the firm, specializing in brokering agriculture-related "derivatives," into a full-fledged investment bank.
Ties of Wall Street to Washington. Part of the hearing focused on ties between Corzine and Gary Gensler, who heads the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Both are veterans of Goldman Sachs, and Mr. Gensler recused himself from testifying regarding MF Global, following a request from Sen. Charles Grassley (R) of Iowa. Their connection adds to a long list of links between Wall Street (and Goldman in particular) and Washington.
Two recent Treasury secretaries have been former leaders of Goldman Sachs, and the current head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York also hails from the investment bank.
Corzine, like other financial CEOs, sought to influence the tenor of new regulations coming from Washington. But at the hearing he said he had "no private conversations" with Gensler in the days just prior to the bankruptcy filing.
The CFTC is one of several regulatory bodies investigating MF Global's failure. CFTC Commissioner Jill Sommers said in testimony at the hearing that she expects the bankruptcy court on Friday to approve a funds transfer that would bring the firm's commodity customers "to at least two-thirds of their account values" on MF Global's books.
The other one-third of the money is the unsolved mystery that remains.
A good many of the account holders are farmers or ranchers, a point brought up repeatedly by lawmakers at the Agriculture Committee hearing, citing constituents who now face financial uncertainty.
Corzine said he was "hopeful that there will be effective recovery" of the funds, wherever they may be. Some others speaking at the hearing were less optimistic.
Although the firm is not considered "too big to fail," some outside observers say it offers a case study that supports recent regulatory reforms. One example in the Dodd-Frank legislation is called the Volcker Rule, designed to limit the exposure of large banks to high-risk trading activities.
"The collapse of MF Global shows why the so-called Volcker Rule contained in the new law is so necessary and why banks are intent on gutting it," a recent editorial in USA Today argued.


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Black unemployment fell in April
Black unemployment fell in April
By Freddie Allen
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NNPA) – The unemployment rate for Black men and women dipped slightly in April, with females showing the greatest progress between the two groups, according to the Labor Department's monthly report for April.
The unemployment rate for Black men over 20 years of age was 12.6 percent in April, barely down from 12.7 percent in March. The unemployment rate for white men over 20 years of age increased slightly, from 6.1 percent in March to 6.4 percent in April.
The unemployment rate for Black women fell from 12.2 percent in March to 11.6 percent in April, moving in the positive direction. More Black women joined the labor force in April, which helped boost the employment rate. Although the unemployment rate for white women over 20 years of age fell from 6.1 percent in March to 5.7 percent in April, their participation in the labor market remained stagnant, a possible indication that many white women have given up looking for work.
Overall, 165,000 jobs were created in April and the overall unemployment rate dropped by one-tenth of a percent to 7.5 percent in April. The April numbers released by the Labor Department is yet another indication that the economy continues to recover at a slow place. It is unclear what effect automatic across-the-board federal budget cuts, known as sequester, will have on future trends.
Even though economists resist making long-term pre-dictions based on a monthly un-employment snapshot, they note that the jobless rate for African Americans is higher now than when President Obama first assumed office in January 2009.
In a report titled, "The African-American Labor Force in the Recovery," the Labor Department stated: "In January 2007, the year the recession began, the unemployment rate for Black workers was 7.9 percent, compared to 4.2 percent for whites and 5.8 percent for Hispanics. By January 2009, the unemployment rates had climbed to 7.1 percent for whites, 12.7 percent for Blacks and 10.0 percent for Hispanics. By the end of 2010, the un-employment rate for Blacks had risen more than for either whites or Hispanics."
Nearly four years after the recession ended, the unemployment rate for Blacks is still in the double-digits. In April, the unemployment rate was 13.2 percent for Blacks, 9 percent for Latinos, and 6.7 percent for whites.
Bernard Anderson, an economist who served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, said that any strategy aimed at decreasing the Black unemployment rate has to address discrimination in the labor market.
"You've got to be sure that people are not discriminated against on the basis of race when they seek jobs," Anderson said in an earlier interview with the NNPA News Wire Service. "There is still a lot of employment discrimination."
Rep. Marcia Fudge, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said even though there are clear signs our economy continues to rebound 11.7 Americans – 2.4 million of them Black – are still unemployed.
Fudge said, "Congress can either work to help or hinder our economic progress. Sequestration remains a serious threat, and without a budget plan to address our nation's fiscal problems, uncertainty prevents employers from making decisions that will help put Americans back to work."


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GFMLLC needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 33 designs submitted by 17 freelance designers.
A thirteen-year veteran of the mortgage industry, Robert Griffin specializes in reverse mortgages and has earned the accolade of No. 1 reverse mortgage broker in the Southwest for three years in a row. The owner of Griffin Financial Mortgage LLC, based in Fort Worth, Texas, his memberships include the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NMRLA) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Robert Griffin is also co-author of "62 Senior Moments."
Homeowner's 62 & older. Also friends & family of these candidates for referrals.
We are open to new ideas. Currently using blue colors for the website. The 360 should refer to a concept of we cover 360 degrees of the reverse mortgage. In other words, we cover all aspects of the program. We are very knowledgeable in what we do.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The SitePoint PHP blog has posted a tutorial from Taylor Ren looking at the use of fixtures in Symfony2. Fixtures allow you to create a set of test (or just initial) data to populate the database in an automated way.
Back when I first started to learn Symfony (1.x) with its Jobeet project, I thought the ability to load a bunch of test data into the database very useful. In this article, we will revisit this feature, which has been completely re-modeled and thus has a lot to teach us.
He uses two third-party libraries to give the Symfony application a bit more "power" - the DoctrineFixturesBundle and PHPUnit. The second is used for testing the results of the fixtures, not the actual loading process. He walks you through the creation of your first fixture file for a book-based example. The fixture uses the Doctrine functionality to create "place" data. He includes the command to run the fixture (via the Symfony app/console command) and what the result should look like. He comes back around and shows the same process with other general book data, also talking about primary keys and references.


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I cannot help but feel that being a software developer in the Microsoft ecosystem requires me to spend half my time keeping up with new technologies that I might have to use, and the other half of the time I am actually working. It is frustrating to look at a landscape that is seemingly going through a 20% - 25% yearly churn rate on technologies. In the last 10 years, I count five native UI front end technologies: WinForms, WPF/XAML, Silverlight/XAML, Metro/XAML, and Metro/HTML. And if you count mobile, you get Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7's variant of Silverlight. While many of these systems are similar, each evolution requires substantial amounts of re-training to work with.
The fact is that keeping up with this churn is quite painful. I look enviously at PHP, Python, and Ruby developers who rarely go through these kinds of major changes. I am at the point where I've reached a critical level of frustration with Microsoft's inability to stay the course.
Keep your engineering skills up to date by signing up for TechRepublic's free Software Engineer newsletter, delivered each Tuesday.
Full Bio
Justin James is an OutSystems MVP, architect, and developer with expertise in SaaS applications and enterprise applications.


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The more he pitches, the better he gets. Even if he doesn't know how to grow a beard, he's showing he knows how to pitch.
Without Johan Santana, the Mets don't have an ace, but the closest they have is Jonathan Niese, who won his ninth game Saturday in an 11-2 rout of the Phillies.
Entering the season, it was thought Mike Pelfrey would continue to develop, but this has been a disappointing season for him. Conversely, Niese is making big strides, and beating the Phillies with seven strong innings was one of them.
Also a storyline was Scott Hairston, who homered and drove in five runs in an audition for the right field job in case the Mets deal Carlos Beltran, as they are likely to do.
Hairston was a late starter after Beltran came down with flu like symptoms. Beltran could sit again Sunday. Manager Terry Collins gave Hairston notice as soon as he got to the park, and unlike Jerry Manuel, didn't wait until game time to make a decision. Hairston said that's key for a role player.
"I found out I was in the lineup right away. It gave me a couple of hours to prepare,'' Hairston said. "I've played in this role for the last few years. It's a very difficult role. I rely on that experience.''
While Beltran said he wants to play out his career with the Mets, it is expected the team will trade him as this is the final year of his contract, one that doesn't offer arbitration which would give them compensatory draft picks.


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New without box: A brand-new, unused, and unworn item (including handmade items) that is not in original packaging or ... Read moreabout the condition
|Country/Region of Manufacture:
"But ITB Berlin is also all about love […] Love, and pride, in our community, who come together for an idea:
The idea that travel can be a force for good."
Elena from creativelena.com
"Discovering new countries and travel trends, meeting cooperation partners and other bloggers – the World's Leading Travel Trade Show is a compulsive event for me as a travel blogger every year."
Anja from travelontoast.de (german)
"The largest travel blogger class reunion of Germany. At ITB Berlin you meet many friends, colleagues and faces behind the Blogs,
who you have only known via the Internet or Social Media."
Kristina & Thomas from pixelschmitt.de (german)
"It's an amazing event which takes place every March at the Berlin Messe exhibition centre. 26 halls are filled with fantastic stands, representing 10,000 companies and organisations from over 100 countries."
Sally Akins
Sally Akins von Sally Akins
It's impossible to imagine the tourism industry without travel blogger. Via channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTubeblogger obtain reach that companies long for.
Where else can you gain as many new contacts, get inspiration for your blog content and meet fellow blogger buddies at one time in one place? Blogger should not miss the chance to make valuable contacts and establish cooperations at trade fairs!
ITB Berlin provides the perfect platform and a great deal of inspiration to meet valuable contacts e.g. at the ITB Blogger Speed Dating, at eTravel World, at ITB Berlin Convention or at those endless Happy Hours taking place during ITB Berlin.
An event you shouldn't miss!
ITB Berlin offers blogger this free opportunity, which can broadly increase their readership. Up to nine brief meetings with exhibitors from different areas can be pre-scheduled using the online Matchmaking Tool.
What an ideal event for introducing your blogs, making new contacts, discussing offers and launching new cooperative efforts!
What: ITB Blogger Speed Dating
When: 7 March 2019, 4.30 - 6pm
Where: City Cube Berlin, Level B
Who: Accredited, registered blogger of ITB Berlin 2019 get the chance to meet national and international exhibitors of ITB Berlin
Teresa Baumgarten
Phone: +49 (0)30 3038-2002
Julia Sonnemann
Phone: +49 (0)30 3038-2269
[email protected]


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Tree Planting Initiatives
Collectively we plant just ten per cent of the trees that we fell, burn or slash. This seems to be beyond reckless as trees support our lifestyles in a variety of ways, and most importantly when we breathe out and they breathe in; they breathe out and we can thus breathe in.
So many of our modern practices mean that the trees are in danger – we chop down forests so that we can breed cattle for beef, to plant palm oil plantations, to plant tea crops, to build houses, to burn as firewood, to make furniture, and we lose forests to fire, theft and disease.
When the trees leave, poverty, and drought move in. What Can We Learn From Trees? looks at all that trees give us. However, with a population that is rising at an alarming rate, who will need increasing quantities of wood to heat food and houses, built shelters and homes, and land to farm on, forests almost everywhere are threatened.
There are so many tree planting initiatives going on around the world today, which is really good news for the planet! The most ambitious one is beginning to happen across several countries in Africa, and is called the Great Green Wall of Africa, as depicted in the picture below.
Many organisations and charities are involved in this huge scheme, and the idea behind it is to prevent the spread of the desert in the region. It also aims to improve the livelihoods of many communities along the wall by providing work and all the benefits that planting trees brings to an area – see Why Trees? for more information on how trees are beneficial.
More than 20 countries are combining their resources to finance and implement the project. It is difficult to guess how many people this project will eventually derive help from this initiative, but even ten years after the completion of the project, much may have changed for the better. At over 4000 miles long and nine miles wide, it will travel through 11 different countries and they will be planting native drought loving plants that are most likely to survive in that environment. Thank you to newsbox.unccd.int for the picture.
When trees are planted on land that used to forested, as the saplings grow and provide shade, a natural phenomena begins to happen. Seeds and roots that may have lain dormant for decades begin to grow as the top soil becomes fertile and shaded. As the trees grow, other plants can begin to flourish in the protection of the trees.
A whole new eco system is brought to life. There is much hope that this enormous tree planting initiative will begin to slow the encroachment of the desert, and also bring life back to the area that is planted.
Planting trees is such a rewarding and enjoyable pastime that is also of utmost importance to our long term survival strategy. Wherever you can, get involved in a local project, or travel to Africa and help us with ours!
Tree Planting Holidays will be planting a million trees in Africa and offering accommodation to those who would like to come and plant them with us- take a look round the website to find out more about what we are planning. You are more than welcome to come and join us!
The Tree Planting Holiday Team.


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agulaid needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 30 designs submitted by 6 freelance designers.
Owner of a web design and development company
Small to large sized businesses.
I would like for this page to be redesigned, I do not like the icons that are used to depict the text messages as they are very boring and uninspiring... The slides that are on my website should give you an idea of what I am looking for as the Text styles are varied and really compliment the message that is being portrayed; I also like the use of different shades of grey. You can find the slides on my homepage: http://www.bestcoder.co.uk
I like the use of the various shades of grey on the slides that are located on the homepage of my website, I essentially would like for the new design to be exciting yet in keeping with the overall brand that has been established. Only colours used on my website should be used for the redesign.
The following leaflets will need to be redesigned and symbols should be added next to the main title tags in order reinforce what is being said, for example if it says speed a symbol that symbolises speed must be added to the page, the overall page design must show elements of speed in order to reinforce the message:
1-Accessibility Leaflet
2-Scalability Leaflet
3-Security Leaflet
4-SEO Leaflet
5-Speed Leaflet
The design should be easy to read and engaging, use the slides on my websit for inspiration if required. Only colours used on http://www.bestcoder.co.uk should be used to maintain brand consistency.


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George, the rabid evangelical Christian at work, seems to finally understand that his constant "ministering" to me is offensive. I used to freely initiate conversations with him, until I realized that he was incapable of leaving the conversation at an acceptable level.
I have noticed recently that he has not been doing it very much so I asked him, "George, I have noticed you are not talking to me as much about God. Is that in response to me asking you to not discuss it at work, or are you just too damn busy to get around to it?"
He said that he consciously stopped talking to me about it because he didn't want to keep hitting me over the head with it. This is good! I thanked him, and then he launched into his explanation of why he was trying to tell me about it in the first place. I said, "I know why you do it, and I understand, and thanks for stopping," before walking away.
My efforts have paid off! George, and the other Christians where I work, have now all given up on trying to convert me and, I hope, still respect me. This has taken years of not telling them off when I desperately wanted to. Ok, well maybe I did tell George off a few times, but I'm telling you the man is not easily thwarted.
The Christians know there is at least one atheist, unapologetic and not seeking their guidance, in their midst. As much as they have changed, so have I. I prefer to be quietly true to who I am, but not so much in their faces that they feel defensive. I think we all had a learning curve to go through. They know I don't care if they pray for me, will push me farther away by trying to talk me into moving one step closer to it, but I do appreciate kind thoughts in whatever form. I know they still have hope that I will be saved. That leaves us free to just get on with the work we are there to do. What a relief!
Views: 114
That sounds like a big relief. At least for me my curve has been shorter. No one hardly ever wants to pray for me. I usually give them a god to pray to whenever they chose to and then they research the names of those gods are pretty shaken for a while.
Whether they respect me or not I don't care much unless someone starts getting to my nerves then we have a big problem. I know no matter how eloquent. loud or silent a person is, there will always be someone bad mouthing them and with this knowledge I live my life as best as I can.
Whenever a Theist says that they will pray for me I ask them if they could sacrifice a goat for me instead.
I like that one, Reg! After all, the smell pleaseth the Lord, right?
Well thank heaven for small favors!
Seriously I am glad this troglodyte has finally decided to back off at least somewhat.
Thanks Brian! I have not always been that way and I am not always so graceful even these days. Others have inspired me to behave better in my interactions with theists. Believe me, I have had my share of ungraceful interactions. Something that helps me is to think that if they go away thinking, "There's another angry atheist!" I've not done what I was probably trying to do.
It's a bit of a game, and I don't like to lose. Sometimes I want to say very very ugly things because I am in such absolute disbelief of their idiocy.
I have a confession. I have been conversing with some Christians on the Calling All Atheist Facebook page. These people are amazing. One of them cannot stop putting forth stupid arguments and rejecting all answers. She was going on about how can science prove evolution if we don't have all the transitional yadda, yadda, yadda. Last night she said she rejected all of Richard Dawkins' writings because he is an atheist with an ax to grind. I told her that there are other authors, and it doesn't matter what their religious affiliations are - science is science. I gave her a link to this article:
Current Biology, Volume 17, Issue 22, 1925-1937, 20 November 2007
I think there was a bit of passive-aggressiveness on my part, but it was the first one I found and it was just too good to pass up.
Well in that case it sounds like that article was the perfect response! That is good stuff indeed. For folks like that, I'm perfectly happy with ripping them to shreds with logic, reason and good ol' fashioned fact with a dose of snarkiness. What i struggle with more is that I'm finding myself grouping normal folks who happen to be Christians (or other religious affiliations) with the fundamentalist whack-jobs, and let my irritations get the best of me, even when it was really unprompted on their part. I've certainly snapped at folks my share of times during the "I'll pray for you for ____" moments...when in reality most of these times they are just trying to express a kind thought.
I tend to say thanks, but how about having a drink to my health?
I really hope her brain twisted around on its stem and made her say, "Urrrnnnnhhhh?" when she read that article title. I have noticed she has not commented on it. She has also not commented on my link to a wiki article about the peppered moth. I believe I offered that in response to her request for evidence of evolution happening right in front of us, but I guess the point is lost on her.


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Bulldogs Tied for Eighth in ECAC Hockey Standings
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – With a 2-0 win over Colgate last Saturday in the annual "White Out for Mandi", the Yale women's ice hockey team lifted itself into the last available spot for the ECAC Hockey playoffs. With four weekends to go, though, the Bulldogs still have plenty of work to do. In addition to being tied for eighth with Colgate (Yale holds the tiebreaker on the Raiders), the Bulldogs' lead over the two teams tied for 10th (Brown and Princeton) is just one point. And six points separate them from seventh-place RPI. That all adds to the intensity as Yale hits the road for four conference games over the next two weekends, starting with visits to Princeton (Friday, 7:00 p.m.) and Quinnipiac (Saturday, 4:00 p.m.) this weekend.
Yale (4-16-1, 3-10-1 ECAC Hockey) has shown gradual improvement throughout the season. After going 1-5-0 in their first six ECAC Hockey games, the Bulldogs have picked up a pair of wins and a tie in their last eight conference games -- and three of their five losses in that span have been by just one goal.
The penalty killing unit in particular has been heating up. Yale has killed off 18 of 19 penalties in the last five games, and the Bulldogs have not allowed a power play goal in their last three.
Sophomore goaltender Jaimie Leonoff (Montreal, Que.) continues to be the backbone of Yale's defensive efforts. She is second in the nation in saves with 697, and while her numbers for the season are good (.922 save percentage, 2.93 goals-against average), her numbers since the start of December are even better (.934 save percentage, 2.22 goals-against average). Six of the 18 goals scored against her in that time frame have come on the power play.
Yale had a season high 31 shots on goal in Saturday's win, including a team-high six from freshman defenseman Kate Martini (King City, Ont.). Her line mate, senior defenseman Tara Tomimoto (Calgary, Alta.) wound up registering her eighth assist of the season to tie Martini for the team lead in that category. This is the first time since 2008-09 (Helen Resor '09 14, Alyssa Clarke '10 eight) that Yale has had two defensemen with at least eight assists.
Freshman forward Jamie Haddad (Wilbraham, Mass.) scored on a power play to help beat the Raiders, giving her a team-best seven goals overall and five goals on the power play this year. All of her scoring has come in conference games. Her line mate, freshman forward Janelle Ferrara (Winthrop, Mass.), leads the team in scoring (6-6-12).
Senior forward Alyssa Zupon (Basking Ridge, N.J.) also scored Saturday, moving into third place on the team in goals behind Haddad and Ferrara with four. Zupon, who is a nominee for the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award and was a semi-finalist for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, has more career goals (14) than any other player on the team right now.
Princeton (6-12-2, 2-10-2 ECAC Hockey) is finishing up a break for exams; the Tigers' game at Penn State Tuesday night will be their first since Jan. 12. Princeton skidded into the break with losses in five of its last six games, allowing four or more goals in four of them. Two senior forwards, Corey Stearns (4-17-21) and Kelly Cooke (11-5-16) lead the Tigers in scoring. The 5-foot-1 Cooke, winner of the team's most improved player award last year, has incurred only one penalty all season. Goalie Kimberly Newell, who won gold with Team Canada at the recent Under-18 championship, has a .908 save percentage and a 3.26 goals-against average.
Quinnipiac (14-9-2, 8-5-1 ECAC Hockey), which hosts Brown Friday night, had this past weekend off but was one of the hottest teams in the country entering that break. The Bobcats have gone 7-2-0 since Nov. 24, allowing more than two goals in a game just twice in that span. Forward Kelly Babstock is eighth in the country in goals per game and 11th in the country in points per game (21-22-43 in 25 games). She is Quinnipiac's all-time leader in goals, assists and points and was a second team All-ECAC Hockey pick and New England Hockey Writers' All-Star honoree last year.
Nicole Kosta, one of four Bobcats who have played for the Canadian Under-18 team, is 11th in the country in assists per game and second on her team in points (10-23-33 in 25 games). The Bobcats' primary power play scoring actually comes from three other players, as forward Brittany Lyons, defenseman Regan Boulton and forward Erica Uden Johansson have combined for 17 of the team's 25 power play goals. Boulton was a third team All-ECAC Hockey selection last year, and Johansson has played for the Swedish National Team. Goalie Victoria Vigilanti has a .895 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against average.
Friday Game Info:
- Live Stats Friday, 7:00 p.m. at Princeton
- Live Video Friday, 7:00 p.m. at Princeton
- Directions to Princeton's Baker Rink
Saturday Game Info:
- Live Stats Saturday, 4:00 p.m. at Quinnipiac
- Live Video Saturday, 4:00 p.m. at Quinnipiac
- Live Audio Saturday, 4:00 p.m. at Quinnipiac
- Directions to Quinnipiac's TD Bank Sports Center
More Info:
Report by Sam Rubin '95 (firstname.lastname@example.com), Yale Sports Publicity
Be the first to know what's going on with the Bulldogs -- Follow @YaleAthletics on Twitter, become a fan of Yale Athletics on Facebook!


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|Terms and Expressions
Apostolic College - the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ considered as a group. Also, their successors, the bishops of the Catholic Church, considered as a group.
Apostolic See/Holy See - a See is the seat or place of a bishop. Rome, being founded by the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, is the Holy and Apostolic See among all Sees. Canon 361 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law (CIC c.361) states that these terms apply "not only to the Roman Pontiff but also to the Secretariate of State, the Council for the Public Affairs of the Church and other institutions of the Roman Curia, unless the nature of the matter or the context of the words makes the contrary evident."
Cardinal - a title applied to those whom the Pope has designated papal electors should he die. They also serve as his advisors. The Cardinalate is usually conferred upon the Archbishops of major dioceses (such as Paris, Madrid, Chicago, Mexico City etc.) and also upon the heads of the Roman Curial offices. However, the Pope may give the honor to whom he wills, and John Paul II has conferred it on simply priests (e.g. theologian Henri de Lubac) and in history it has even been conferred on lay men. (see CIC cc.349-359)
Curia - originally the name of a ruling body and the place of its assembly (such as the Roman Senate in ancient times), it applies today to the offices and tribunals which assist the Pope, or any diocesan bishop, in the fulfillment of his ministry. (CIC cc.360-361)
Dicastery - an office or bureau of the Holy See, such as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Internal Forum - the arena of conscience, such as revealed to a confessor in the Sacrament of Penance, to a spiritual director or any other situation where there is an expectation of complete confidence from the clergy. The Church provides canonical sanctions for the violation of the internal Forum (automatic excommunication in the case of a priest revealing the contents of a confession identifiable with a particular penitent.) External Forum concerns matters of Church governance and of public record, marriage and its validity, for example.
Juridical Authority - the legal weight and binding authority of the decisions of the Roman Curia comes from the will of the Supreme Pontiff. Canon 360 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law states: The Supreme Pontiff conducts the business of the universal Church by means of the Roman Curia, which fulfills its duty in his name and by his authority.
Petrine - refers to the unique ministry of St. Peter as the Chief Apostle among the apostles. His successors as Bishop of Rome inherit his ministry to be the principle of unity among the bishops and thus for the whole Church and to guard and confirm the faith of his brother bishops and thus of the Church.
Supreme Pontiff - Pontifex (bridge builder) was a priestly title in ancient Rome, connoting the role of mediator between the gods and men. Applied to the Holy Father it points to the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ which he possesses in his capacity as bishop to the universal Church.


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Board of Trustees
Bryan T. Newland, '07
Elected 9/11/13
Bryan Newland is an attorney with Lansing-based Fletcher Law--a national firm focused on Indian law--and a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe) in northern Michigan. He represents tribal clients on issues including the regulation of gaming facilities, negotiation of tribal-state gaming compacts, the fee-to-trust process, and leasing of Indian lands.
In 2008, Newland served as the Michigan Native Vote Coordinator for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign, and was a member of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. From 2009 to 2012, he served as counselor and then senior policy advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior – Indian Affairs. In that capacity, he helped develop the Obama Administration's policies on Indian gaming and Indian lands, reforming the Department of the Interior's policy on reviewing tribal-state gaming compacts. He also led a team that reformed the BIA's Indian leasing regulations and worked with key officials to help enact the HEARTH Act of 2012.
Prior to federal service, Newland worked in private practice representing tribes and commercial gaming companies on gaming matters arising under both state and federal law. He worked with tribal colleges on unique intergovernmental issues, including chartering public schools under state law.
In addition to working on Indian and commercial gaming issues, Newland has also worked with public officials, political candidates, and ballot initiative organizations on campaign finance and election law compliance. Prior to law school, he worked with tribes, ballot initiative organizations, and private companies to provide political and public relations consulting services.
Newland has served as a featured speaker at a number of events, and has published an article addressing tribal-state gaming compacts and revenue sharing. He is a regular contributor to the TurtleTalk Indian Law Blog, and was the author of the regular column "On My Fishbox," which appeared in the Bay Mills News until 2007 and won the National Native American Journalists Association Award in 2005 for Best Column Writing (Monthly).
He graduated magna cum laude from Michigan State University College of Law and received his undergraduate degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University.
He is an adjunct professor of Indian Law at the Michigan State University College of Law.


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FTOOLS: The HEASARC Sub-package
The HEASARC sub-package of FTOOLS contains tasks for High Energy (X- & gamma-ray) astronomy that are not specific to a particular instrument.
The following HEASARC tasks were released in the latest distribution of the HEASARC's FTOOLS package. Each task is hyperlinked to the help file distributed with the task. The same information can be obtained while running FTOOLS by typing the command fhelp {taskname}.
If you require further, or more detailed information on the HEASARC sub-package of tasks, contact
HEASARC Tasks
If FTOOLS has been useful in your research, please reference this website (http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/ftools/) and the following:
Blackburn, J. K. 1995, in ASP Conf. Ser., Vol. 77, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems IV, ed. R. A. Shaw, H. E. Payne, and J. J. E. Hayes (San Francisco: ASP), 367.
Web page maintained by: Bryan K. Irby


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The Long History of the Condom
Curious about the history of the condom?
Here's a bit of the obvious for you: men and women have been having sex for as long as there have been humans. Discounting any origin of the species theories involving extraterrestrials, that works out to around 250,000 years for Homo sapiens as a distinct species of primate.
For the better part of our quarter-million-year tenure we've understood a whole lot more about the mechanics of sex than we have about its physiology. Consider that it wasn't so very long ago when it was commonly believed that babies happened because the male of the species injected fully formed human beings - albeit teeny, tiny, little human beings - into the female. The dutiful female, being the product of Adam's rib and all that, served as a convenient receptacle and nurturer of the man's blessed gift.
Human tadpoles, if you will.
Though our understanding of the reproductive process has been decidedly limited, it wasn't that long after discovering the pleasures associated with the sex act that we began to notice certain other, more serious aspects that seemed to follow on the heels of the act - chiefly pregnancy and childbirth. After all, we are an intelligent species, or so we keep telling ourselves.
Because of our ability to put one and one together, we eventually began to grasp the risks that went along with having sex in the midst of uncertain times, like famine or drought. Another one of those concepts that are inherent, like gravity. You don't need to know anything about Isaac Newton to know it's not a good idea to stand beneath a heavy object suspended in mid-air.
It probably wasn't very long after our ancestors developed a more fully-formed link between sex and procreation that some bright individual (more likely, several of them in several different places - perhaps a woman, or women, perhaps?) fashioned a crude sheath as a barrier to keep those pesky tadpole humans from making themselves at home inside the woman.
And so, more or less the condom was born.
Just as we have been unable to pin down the appearance of the condom to a specific time, place, or inventor, so too with the name we've affixed to it. The best we've been able to do so far is assume it comes from the Latin condos, meaning receptacle.
Etymologist William E. Kruck attempted to track down the origins of the word in his 1983 monogram, Looking for Dr. Condom. After encountering one dead end after another, he concluded, "As for the word 'condom,' I need state only that its origin remains completely unknown, and there ends this search for an etymology."
"Condom" is just the official name for this ancient birth control device. It has many other names that are far less formal. (See discussion on names for condoms here.)
Early Development
Early versions of the condom were used primarily for birth control, and were made of linen, or leather, or other naturally, soft, malleable materials.
The Japanese are said to have had a choice of two types, one made of thin leather, the other made of tortoise shell or horn. Yikes! The urge to have sex must have been truly overwhelming to compel a man to attach such a device to one of the most sensitive parts of his anatomy. One can only marvel at such determination.
It might help to explain the sullen and angry expressions depicted on the faces of Samurai warriors in Japanese art.
Images of sheaths have been found among the prehistoric drawings on cave walls in southwest France. Farther to the east in Egypt, it is unknown if the wearer depicted in the earliest known image - believed to date from around 1,000 B.C. - is planning to engage in everyday, normal, carnal relations, or something of a more ritualistic nature.
Of the birth control options available in the land of the Pharaoh, one would expect the sheath/condom to be more popular than another, reportedly, popular method involving the use of crocodile dung. Imagine being the first in history to be inspired to prepare for a heavy date (or nuptial celebration) with your own personal supply of crocodile poo. Once again, the determination to employ such measures is awe-inspiring.
In any event, the gathering of materials for a simple sheath would seem to be less risky than strolling along the riverbank on a dung-hunting expedition.
Citizens of ancient Rome used condoms made from goat bladders for birth control. Devices made from goat and sheep intestines would later be employed as a means of combating sexually transmitted diseases, like syphilis. The Chinese used oiled, silk paper as a preventative. After all, if it's strong enough for housing, right?
The use of the condom for disease prevention increased in the 16th and 17th centuries following the voyages of discovery and plunder to the New World. Columbus, and those who followed in his wake, returned to Spain with gold and other souvenirs. Some, like chocolate, were highly prized. Others - the unintended consequences of crewmembers' adventures with native peoples they didn't kill - were not as well appreciated. It was euphemistically dubbed, "the present from the New World," or "the Aborigines' Revenge."
Not surprisingly, the unwitting inhabitants of the Old World soon found themselves immersed in an epidemic of syphilis.
Enter Gabrielle Fallopio, an Italian physician frequently referred to by his Latin name, Fallopius. He is considered one of the most important anatomists of the 16th century. Despite the brevity of his life (1523-1562), he is responsible for many important advances in medical science.
Fallopius focused much of his study on the anatomy of the head, but also delved into the reproductive systems of both men and women. The Fallopian tube, connecting the ovary to the uterus, is named for him.
Because of his efforts to understand human reproductive anatomy, and for works such as his treatise on syphilis, Fallopius was recognized as an authority on sex and sexuality in his lifetime. He recommended the use of condoms for disease prevention, and only later as an effective method of birth control.
By the 1700s, condoms made from animal intestines were widely used. They were also expensive, and frequently reused, which may have been the basis for a popular saying of the time, which referred to the condom as "an armour against pleasure, and a cobweb against infection."
The word condom as a name for the sheath is believed to have originated around this time as well. Some attribute the word to a Dr. Condom or Conton, who reportedly kept randy King Charles II of England supplied with sheaths made from animal tissue to reduce the risk of infection during his many encounters with prostitutes. They also came in handy as a way to control the proliferation of royal bastards.
Others refer to a Dr. Condon or Colonel Cundum. Then there is condam, quandam, and even the Italian guantone from guanto, meaning 'glove.' All of these are interesting, and maybe even close ... but no cigar. We seem to be stuck with the Latin derivative.
The next major advance in the evolution of the condom took place in 1839 when Charles Goodyear developed a process for vulcanizing rubber. He received a patent in 1844.
by Gloria Campos
Very interesting.
by bottleslingguy
A horn?..................What would be the point?
Any connection with being "horny"?
by Anonymous
this definately helped out me and my friends with our extremely high wandering minds. thanks. =)
by Anonymous
I love condoms


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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles Clippers co-owner Donald Sterling on Tuesday sparred with his estranged wife's attorney at a trial over the $2 billion sale of the NBA franchise, interrupting and shouting during testimony and saying he wants to keep the team for financial reasons.
The 80-year-old real estate billionaire, who has been deemed by physicians to have Alzheimer's disease and is unable to handle business affairs, said he was blocking the sale brokered by his wife to former Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer because he believed the team's value could be more than double.
"I think we can get somewhere between $2.5 to $5 billion for that team," Sterling said, adding that rising television and media rights made the team more valuable to keep.
It is the first time Sterling has spoken publicly since a televised interview in May shortly after he was banned from the NBA for life for taped racist remarks that were made public.
Sterling had difficulty recalling dates and remembering past statements a day after he failed to appear when called to take the stand. He fought with celebrity attorney Bert Fields, repeatedly asking the lawyer his name.
An agitated Sterling, who often disputed Fields's questions, snapped at the lawyer: "Tell me if that's relevant, if you're not trying to be a smart ass."
"I think it showed you what this man is really like," Fields said outside court. "It showed you the enormous hypocrisy of this guy, who will spout all these things about how he loves his wife, but he's suing her."
Shelly Sterling, 79, has asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas to confirm her as the sole trustee of the family trust that owns the Clippers and to back the NBA-record deal.
At issue is whether Shelly Sterling properly removed her husband as trustee after he was deemed by physicians to have early Alzheimer's disease and unable to handle business affairs.
Sterling, who cried at one point speaking about his wife, repeatedly said he trusted her but that she lacked the ability to run his holdings, including the Clippers.
"It's ludicrous to think she could run a corporation that has a billion dollars of liabilities with different banks," he testified.
"My wife can't learn anything," Sterling added. "She's beautiful and wonderful and intelligent, but she's never had the experience that I have."
Sterling's attorneys say he was misled by his wife into submitting to medical examinations that removed him from control of the Clippers.
Sterling's attorney, Bobby Samini, said outside court that this was usual behavior for his client.
"He has a lot to say; he's got a lot on his chest," Samini said. "I think he wanted to use this opportunity to try and get some of it out."
The NBA has said it could seize the Clippers and put the franchise up for auction if the deal is not approved by Sept. 15.
Editing by Mary Milliken, Lisa Shumaker and Ken Wills


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Oh, do I have a large, menacing weapon on my back? I didn't notice…January 14, 2013
The world is driven by the deep insecurities of its people, regardless of whether those insecurities have any factual basis to them. I find this belief becoming more and more plausible as the post-Sandy Hook shooting discussion over guns in America has devolved to "THEYS COMIN' TO TAKE ALL OUR GUNS!" and "MAH ARSENAL IS THE ONLY THING KEEPING THE KING OF ENGLAND OUT OF MY REC ROOM!"
Front and center regarding my "insecurities as catalyst" theory is this story about two guys in Portland walking around the streets with assault rifles on their back for the purpose of, according to one of these geniuses, "exercising my rights with a rifle to try to decrease the demonizing of peacefully exercising your rights in public." Apparently it's legal to walk around in Oregon with a firearm in the open, but like with all things just because it's legal doesn't mean it's a good idea. People kept calling 911 to report seeing men with guns walking down the street, prompting the cops to keep coming out to make sure nothing was going on.
My first thought when I read about this story was "I bet these two are white." And sure enough they were. That's the joy of being white: honkeys can get away with doing crazy shit like this. When it comes to white people and ridiculous notions, there's no limit to level of absoludicriousness we can reach. But the flipside is that as nutball as white people can get, we also get freaked out just as easily. A member of the Black Panthers stands outside a voting precinct with a billy club and a scowl and the FOXNews crowd shits its pants like the Race War has started, but two crackers walk down a street with rifles on their backs and it registers nothing. We had people pissing themselves over Muslims having a cultural center a few blocks from where the World Trade Center used to be, so imagine the cardiac shit-fit that would have been cast if they had guns too. This is the shit you don't have to worry about when your complexion is lighter than a cup of coffee with four creamers in it.
Again, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's a good idea, as seen here:
Officers said carrying firearms openly is legal in Oregon and carrying a concealed gun is legal with a valid license. However, doing one or both may generate 911 calls and possibly tie up resources that are needed for a true emergency.
Warren said he hoped people would approach them and talk to them, instead of calling police.
"Hey, that man has a large gun, let's go up and talk to him," said no one ever. An exposed weapon is not a conversation starter with a stranger, it's a warning. And while you and your friend know that you're not going to start shooting people, the rest of us don't and we're not going to take your word for it. At least with concealed carry we don't have trust that you're not going to shoot up the place because we don't know that you have a weapon, and therefore have no basis to conceive you could do such a thing. You're actually taking other people's feelings into account when you don't peacock around with your semi-auto self-worth validator.
You don't trust your fellow man enough to leave your house without a rifle on your back, but you expect me to trust you?
And we get dumber with every passing day…
"What they really should do is observe the person to determine if the person is aggressive," (Warren) said of seeing someone with a gun in public. "We're not doing anything threatening to anyone."
Again, only you know that. We can't read your mind, we can only observe what we see and what we see is two guys armed with rifles that can easily be swung around into a firing position in less time than it takes to say the word Onomatopoeia. Are we to deny our instinct that someone with an exposed weapon is inherently dangerous, or are we to trick ourselves into thinking the counter-intuitive notion of "No, they can't be potentially dangerous, that's just what they'd be expecting."
And what is the precedence for this? What other country has random citizens walking around with rifles in the open? Somalia? Uganda? Mexico? They don't even do this bullshit in Israel, and they're surrounded by people who hate them. If someone's walking around in public with a rifle in Israel, they likely have a military rank high enough to warrant their doing so. In Oregon, it's just some insecure yahoo. And no one gets rockets shot at them in fucking Oregon.
It's probably another evolution of the "Fuck You" default setting that Americans come pre-loaded with upon birth, like so much useless software on your new computer. When you have so many people yelling "Fuck You" at each other, you need to find bigger ways to assert your "Fuck You" as the dominant one. And what better way than by strutting around with a big gun. Are you going to say "Fuck You" to the guy with semi-auto in plain view? "I'm gonna do what I want and you ain't gonna say shit to me because I got a gun and I want you to know it. Look how big my balls are! LOOK AT THEM! Don't call me insecure! I'VE GOT A GUN! I'M SECURE AS A MOTHERFUCKER!"
Bill Hicks told us that we have a simple choice to make if we want to change our lives – a choice between fear and love. I take that as a prompt to examine why we do the things we do. Are we doing something out of fear, or out of love? Adding to that notion is are you acting in ways that make people want to act out of fear or love toward you? Something tells me carrying a rifle on your back through town isn't something you're doing out of love, and it's not encouraging any love toward you either.


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10th September 2010, 07:17 PM
I know that recent talk has been about the health of the breed and I feel people will listen if there is a face. Diane Sawyer of Good Morning America has a Cavalier. If you want to get the message across, the best way to do it is by the press. The problem is, I think with the BBC special it did not say what could be done. I don't have the solution but I do think that people who love this breed needs to know the health concerns that they are facing. I am not the best person but I don't want to give up.


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Health insurance giant Aetna is planning to force up to 650,000 clients to drop their coverage next year as it seeks to raise additional revenue to meet profit expectations.
In a third-quarter earnings conference call in late October, officials at Aetna announced that in an effort to improve on a less-than-anticipated profit margin in 2009, they would be raising prices on their consumers in 2010. The insurance giant predicted that the company would subsequently lose between 300,000 and 350,000 members next year from its national account as well as another 300,000 from smaller group accounts.
"The pricing we put in place for 2009 turned out to not really be what we needed to achieve the results and margins that we had historically been delivering," said chairman and CEO Ron Williams. [...] Aetna's decision to downsize the number of clients in favor of higher premiums is, as one industry analyst told American Medical News, a "pretty candid" admission. It also reflects the major concerns offered by health care reform proponents and supporters of a public option for insurance coverage, who insist that the private health insurance industry is too consumed with the bottom line.
Note that it wasn't that Aetna wasn't already profitable under the lower fee structure. It just wasn't profitable enough to keep investors happy.
Ah, it's a pity Harry Reid is such a shitty Senate Majority Leader, because if he wasn't, we'd get a meaningful public health insurance plan and put these fuckers out of business. Or at least make them duke it out with a lean competitor.


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Mike Peterson wanted the local players attending his 10th annual football camp to leave with an open mind.
ALACHUA — After spending a soggy Saturday morning working through countless drills in the rain, Mike Peterson wanted the local players attending his 10th annual football camp to leave with an open mind.
While Peterson once had hopes of being a professional quarterback, he explained to the more than 100 campers taking a knee on Santa Fe High School's football field how a position switch out of high school translated into a 14-year NFL career.
As a former Santa Fe signal-caller and safety, Peterson was recruited to Florida in 1995 as a linebacker, despite being an all-state performer under center.
"You've got to be humble," Peterson said. "When I come home, I'm just Michael. ... I'm an everyday guy, so you try to tell these kids that and they become a little more accepting of what you have to say."
Peterson, who has played the last four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, is at a familiar crossroads as an unrestricted free agent following his team's 13-3 campaign in 2012.
At 37 years old, Peterson has compiled 1,206 tackles since being selected in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft but recorded just 14 total last season. Peterson said he's weighing both his retirement and playing options before Atlanta's training camp begins on July 25.
"I don't know yet. It's kind of up in the air," Peterson said. "I'll probably make a decision at the end of next month."
If he does choose retirement, Peterson said he would like to explore a coaching career.
Florida coach Will Muschamp mentioned Peterson as a possible candidate to help the team this fall during a speaking engagement at the Jacksonville Gator Club on May 14. Along with being named a second-team All-American in 1998, Peterson won three SEC titles and the 1996 national championship with the Gators.
"That's the rumor," he said. "My second career I want to get into coaching. I probably want to finish as an NFL coach or maybe in the front office somewhere, but I definitely want to get into some college coaching along the line."
For now, Peterson is focused on his charity, the Mike Peterson Foundation, which he formed in 2004 to improve educational standards in Alachua as well as his NFL hometowns of Jacksonville and Atlanta.
Joining Peterson at this year's football camp was his brother Adrian Peterson, 33, who played eight seasons in the NFL after a stellar career at Santa Fe High.
While Mike Peterson was holding the clinic for the first time at his former high school, he said having the support of his former UF teammates like Keith Kelsey Sr. and Gerard Warren has been a long-standing tradition at the camp.
"My son (Keith Kelsey Jr.) is playing linebacker for the University of Louisville, so hard work does pay off," said Kelsey, who played linebacker at UF from 1995-1999. "But it was just so fortunate that he was able to get some of the knowledge from myself. He speaks with Mike, Andra Davis and even Gerard Warren about the college atmosphere."
A Union County High School graduate, Warren said he is in his fourth year helping the Mike Peterson Foundation. After previously playing defensive tackle for the New England Patriots in 2011, Warren is an unrestricted free agent like Peterson. While he was released last August, the 34-year-old said he is enjoying living in Gainesville again.
"I'm open to any interest right now, but I'm not actively seeking," said Warren, who played 10 NFL seasons. "If someone gives me a phone call, there you go. But football has been good to me. I love the game, and the game has loved me back. It will forever be a part of my life."


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Select Industry
Whether you're in design, prepress or the pressroom, using film or digital, you're the master of color and printing when you use imaging technology by DuPont.
With so many options, at varying levels of sophistication, cost and technology - selecting the right products can be a real challenge. That's why DuPont will work with you to determine which system is best suited for your printing needs and capabilities. And when your business grows, we can also help you transition to the next level.
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Copyright © 2012 DuPont or its affiliates. All rights reserved. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™ and all products denoted with ® or ™ are registered trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.


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|Birth Date:
|Aug. 1, 1987
|Brentwood, Tenn.
|High School:
|David Lipscomb
Charlie returns to his starting role at fullback...the most
experienced of the players in the mix at that position...had an
outstanding spring...can really deliver some punishing
blocks...used primarily as a blocker but has proven he can be a
threat as a receiver or ball carrier...has worked extremely hard in
the weight room and has seen good development in his size and his
strength...a walk-on with a great attitude...potential to also see
playing time on special teams...will be on the field in short
yardage situations...a role player with good physical skills and
lots of hustle...a prototype blocking back...good team player and
very unselfish.
AT TECH (In 2009): Played in 10 games at fullback...didn't have any carries...caught one pass for a 16-yard gain at Kansas State.
(In 2008): Charlie played in a limited role at fullback in his first season on the field...caught one pass for six yards.
(In 2007): Was a redshirt on the 2007 squad in his first season with the Golden Eagles.
HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year letterman in both football and wrestling at David Lipscomb High School...played a variety of positions on the gridiron for coach Glenn MacAdams, including strong safety and defensive end, runningback and tight end...wrestled at five different weights, ranging from 145 to heavyweight...named all-region as a junior and senior in football...helped the team post a combined 52-7 four-year record, finishing as region champs all four years and state runnerup three times.
PERSONAL: The son of Eric and Marlese Stevens...full name is Charles Henry Stevens...birthdate is August 1, 1987...studying biochemistry.


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text:
Write some Software
Budget R$2250-4500 BRL
I am starting a Multi-Level Marketing on my startup. So I need a complete system that allow me to use (subscription monthly payment for members, if they dont pay, login is cancelled, tree, binary, unilevel, discount for special member on website, site replication)
34 frilansare har i genomsnitt lagt bud på R$4186 för detta jobb
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text:
Definitions of siren
n. - One of three sea nymphs, -- or, according to some writers, of two, -- said to frequent an island near the coast of Italy, and to sing with such sweetness that they lured mariners to destruction. 2
n. - An enticing, dangerous woman. 2
n. - Something which is insidious or deceptive. 2
n. - A mermaid. 2
n. - Any long, slender amphibian of the genus Siren or family Sirenidae, destitute of hind legs and pelvis, and having permanent external gills as well as lungs. They inhabit the swamps, lagoons, and ditches of the Southern United States. The more common species (Siren lacertina) is dull lead-gray in color, and becames two feet long. 2
n. - An instrument for producing musical tones and for ascertaining the number of sound waves or vibrations per second which produce a note of a given pitch. The sounds are produced by a perforated rotating disk or disks. A form with two disks operated by steam or highly compressed air is used sounding an alarm to vessels in fog. 2
a. - Of or pertaining to a siren; bewitching, like a siren; fascinating; alluring; as, a siren song. 2
The word "siren" uses 5 letters: E I N R S.
Direct anagrams of siren:
reins resin rinse risen serin
Words formed by adding one letter before or after siren (in bold), or to einrs in any order:
a - arisen arsine b - brines d - diners rinsed snider e - nereis seiner serein serine f - infers g - reigns renigs resign sering signer singer h - shiner shrine k - inkers reinks sinker l - liners m - miners n - inners renins sinner o - irones nosier senior p - repins ripens sniper r - rinser s - resins rinses serins sirens t - estrin inerts insert inters niters nitres sinter triens trines u - insure inures rusine urines ursine w - rewins y - resiny
Shorter words found within siren:
en ens er ern erns ers es in ins ire ires is ne re rei rein reis res rin rins rise sei sen ser si sin sine sir sire sri
List shorter words within siren, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in siren, plus an optional blank or existing letter
List all words starting with siren, words containing siren or words ending with siren
All words formed from siren by changing one letter
Other words with the same letter pairs: si ir re en
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Previous word in list: sirees
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Some random words: coeds futon prokaryote pe dink re popcorn
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After nearly 30 years form the last exhibition, held in the far 1982, the Civic Museum of Venice, from December 11, 2010 until April 25, 2011, shall organize a big exhibition dedicated to the glass art entitled "The Adventure of the Glass" in the fantastic stage of the Correr Museum. Some of the material on display will be borrowed from the homonymous exhibition which has terminated recently at the Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, in addition many other objects will be added in order to properly celebrate the millennium of the history of glass in Venice and its lagoon. With more than three hundred pieces on display, the great exhibition at the Correr Museum just in the St. Mark's Square covering all the stages of the extraordinary adventure of glass in Venice, from appearance on the lagoon, during the classical age, of glass coming from remote areas, to the ever-closer union between glass and design that represents the present and the future of the Murano glass production. Besides, for the first time in the city, a further selection of more than one hundred works coming from the private collection Maschietto will be added. These glass figurines, with Venetian and the comedy of art masks, charming female nudes, costumes and subjects of fantasy along with a selection of nineteenth-century drawings on Carnival, from the collections of the Correr Museum, will be placed in one of the sumptuous rooms on the first floor of the Museum. The Hotel Alle Guglie shall be more than pleased to let you have any additional information about this interesting exhibition and invite you to visit our Special Offer page as well to discover our prices and availability for your next holiday in Venice.
Del 11 diciembre 2010 al 25 abril 2011


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Heeding research findings can help brand managers interact with and influence physicians—especially during launch.
Manhattan Research conducted an online survey of 1,713 US physicians in 2010 to determine the latest trends in how physicians interact with pharma and biotech companies through digital channels and tech-enabled sales reps.
Their findings in these 4 areas can help you explore more effective ways of interacting with and influencing physicians during your biotech launch.
1. Physicians & iPads
An impressive share of physicians have either already bought an iPad or plan to buy one within the next 6 months. This trend creates a tremendous opportunity for you to develop an app for your biotech brand.
2. Content is Still King
More than 4 of 5 physicians use corporate and product sites, and about 50% of doctors use manufacturer portals.
The challenge for you is to figure out which communications channels to invest in, and which integrating and cross-promoting content will gain the most traction.
3. Communicating with Physicians in an On-Demand World
Your communications programs should use multiple channels, be seamlessly integrated, and be available on demand. These best practices are critical as physicians juggle multiple devices, channels, and media formats.
In 2010, nearly 75% of physicians used smartphones, and the majority of those who used them said these devices were essential to their practice. Impressive numbers of physicians also have digital media players, webcams, subscriptions to satellite radio, and iPads.
The data show that a substantial share of physicians is also very comfortable with various media formats—whether using apps or portable content on mobile phones; searching for videos on YouTube; or subscribing to an expert podcast on iTunes.
Today's physicians generally know where to find the content they want, in the format in which they want to consume it. Physicians are using the Internet at multiple points through the day—even during patient consultations—making the service cycle almost continuous.
4. Online Promotion, Customer Service & Sampling
Physicians are using the Internet more and decreasing their face-to-face interactions with sales reps. These trends have made digital HCP-focused promotion and service options increasingly attractive. Online promotional programs are resonating with physicians as well—nearly 75% of surveyed physicians had positive comments regarding their use.
As a biotech manager, you need to consider these 4 online communications points when you launch your first product.


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Para-celebrity Speakers, Paranormal Seminars, Paranormal Investigations, Vendor Booths, and Raffles!
Location: Ben Hur Shrine, (Anderson Ln. and Mopac), 7811 Rockwood Ln., Austin, TX
Speakers: Britt Griffith, Josh Gates, Jeff Belanger, Dr Rita, Larry Flaxman, Michael Swanson, Greg Lawson, The Klinge Brothers, The Booth Brothers
Central Texas Paranormal Conference, Austin, TX, 6-7 Oct
Started by carlotta , Aug 03 2012 02:41 AM
No replies to this topic
Posted 03 August 2012 - 02:41 AM
Who owns the land? Only the land knows. We mortals are passersby, and our lives are but a brief moment in the great span of time and space. We are born, we live out our lives, and most of us do the best we can with it, but the wind is forever, and the rivers flow forever to the sea, and all the seasons of the weathers will come and go after we are gone. But the Earth endures, the Earth is eternal" - Earl Hamner
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Image 1 of 1
Art of Collecting (2)
Photo (Anonymous) part of the 'Transit in Doubt — Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong' Exhibition.
The purpose of this exhibition was to see the world through their lenses. Through holding the cameras, the foreign domestic helpers move from being seen to seeing — a power transposition.
We don't believe that they should be condemned to a life of servitude. Rather, working as foreign domestic helpers is a process of transition, with contradicting emotions — frustrations, hope, uncertainties. From an aesthetic perspective, this is about changing perceptions and cultivating empathy.
- Copyright
- Lensational Photography
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- 2953x2953 / 4.2MB
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- Latest Exhibition


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I Can Do Bad By Myself (Starring Tyler Perry, Taraji P) [Movie Trailer]
When Madea, America's favorite pistol-packing grandma, catches sixteen-year-old Jennifer and her two younger brothers looting her home, she decides to take matters into her own hands and delivers the young delinquents to the only relative they have: their aunt April. A heavy-drinking nightclub singer who lives off of Raymond, her married boyfriend, April wants nothing to do with the kids. But her attitude begins to change when Sandino, a handsome Mexican immigrant looking for work, moves into Apri's basement room. Making amends for his own troubled past, Sandino challenges April to open her heart. And April soon realizes she must make the biggest choice of her life: between her old ways with Raymond and the new possibilities of family, faith... and even true love. Release Date: September 11, 2009
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[Editor's Note: The Book of Me is a series of writing prompts focusing on lifestreaming or preserving one's own memories rather than those of our ancestors and family members. Click here to read more.]
Who Am I?
Who Am I?
- I am Thomas.
- I am a child of G-d.
- I am living in the mid-20th to, hopefully, mid-21st centuries.
- I am living in Chicago, United States.
- I am gay.
- I am my mother's son and caretaker.
- I am a partner.
- I am the steward and keeper of my family's history.
- I am a genealogy professional.
- I am an educator.
- I am a techie.
- I am opinionated.
- I am inclusive.
- I am a thinker.
- I am a history geek.
- I am tireless.
- I am an observer.
- I am fearless.
- I am outspoken.
- I am a doer.
- I am an organizer.
- I am a curator.
- I am restless.
- I am unique.
- I am Thomas.


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EDITOR'S NOTE: Boris Epshteyn formerly served as a Senior Advisor to the Trump Campaign and served in the White House as Special Assistant to The President and Assistant Communications Director for Surrogate Operations.
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - The tax reform passed in December has a hidden gem. A provision deep in the tax bill is geared to revitalizing distressed communities throughout America.
We all remember the Great Recession of the late 2000s. From 2008 to 2010, 170,000 small businesses closed.
During the downturn, 8.7 million jobs were lost.
The general assumption is that jobs and businesses came back across the country. That is not the case.
Rural areas, however, have continued to struggle. Only 3 percent of job growth between 2010 and 2014 happened in rural communities. More businesses in those areas closed than were opened during that time.
The tax bill aims to change that in creating incentives by, of course, cutting taxes.
Each state and Washington, D.C. is going to designate "Opportunity Zones" in their most distressed sections. Opportunity Funds are being put together which will invest into starting new businesses in the Opportunity Zones, supporting current ones and developing real estate there.
Why would investors put their money in the Opportunity Funds? Tax breaks.
A tax on profits made from investments held for 12 months or longer is called the capital gains tax. That rate maxes out at 20 percent with a 3.8 percent surtax.
If a funder makes a new investment in an Opportunity Fund and keeps it there for 10 years or more they will pay no capital gains at all.
Moreover, many banks, hedge funds and individuals have investments which have appreciated but have not been sold, so the gains have not been realized. When the investment is sold and there is a gain, the capital gains tax will be applied.
Under the new tax bill, if the money is reinvested into an Opportunity Fund a portion of the tax would be deferred. If the investment remains in place for seven years, for example, only 85 percent of the original capital gains tax would be due. More than $2 trillion in capital gains have not been realized by companies and individuals in the United States. This could be a very significant tax savings while benefiting areas which need investment.
Past attempts to use specific zones to revitalize distressed communities have not moved the needle enough because they were narrow in scope and the tax breaks were not as significant.
Here is the bottom line: stimulating local economies by creating incentives works. Look at the scores of businesses and individuals which move to states with low tax rates. If implemented correctly Opportunity Zones should bring back businesses and jobs to rural areas and distressed communities throughout our country.