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A new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals the results of an in depth study into the competitiveness of each state's individual health insurance marketplace. The results will likely surprise you. This report is important because a "competitive" market is considered healthy and robust with no one insurer dominating the market place. Generally speaking, a more competitive market translates to more affordable medical insurance. The greater a health insurance company's market share, for example, the more leverage it has to [...]Read More » Authored by Pete S - Sr. Staff Writer in Alabama, Colorado, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin | Comments Off
Welcome to the New Healthcare Law Center and State News
The new healthcare law, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), represents comprehensive healthcare reform legislation signed into law on March 23, 2010. It contains numerous provisions designed to protect consumers and promote low cost medical insurance, including many new taxes to pay for the cost.
In this section of the site, you can also obtain the following information specific to your state: available medical insurance options, efforts to regulate medical insurance premiums, healthcare, the individual medical insurance marketplace and the new healthcare law.
Our objective is to help Americans make sense of the new healthcare law by explaining key provisions in plain English and assisting individuals, families and the self-employed in using this information to find and secure affordable medical insurance.
Low Cost Medical Insurance with an HSA
Health Saving Accounts (HSAs) paired with a high deductible medical insurance plan have significantly gained in popularity over the past several years for self employed individuals, families and employers of all sizes. These consumer driven health plans (CDHPs) offer low cost medical insurance and often lower out of pockets costs than traditional health insurance plans. In 2005, total HSA enrollment was only 1 million persons, while 11.4 million individuals as of January 2011 were enrolled in an HSA coupled with a high [...]Read More » Authored by Pete S - Sr. Staff Writer in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Health Saving Accounts, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin | Comments Off
Medical Insurance Options – Georgia
Having adequate, affordable medical insurance is essential because it helps ensure access to quality healthcare and helps pay for the high cost of medical services, supplies, surgery and hospitalization. You and your dependents may be eligible for one or more of the following alternatives in Georgia: Medical insurance for young adults less than age 26 – Georgia Under the new healthcare law, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), effective September 2010, young adults covered their parent's medical insurance are [...]Read More » Authored by Administrator in Georgia | Comments Off
Regulation of Medical Insurance Premiums – Georgia
The oversight of individual, self-employed and small employer medical insurance happens at the state level. Since every state has its own unique set of regulations aimed at maintaining low cost medical insurance, the laws governing health insurance contracts vary dramatically. Some states have the authority to regulate premiums charged by health insurance companies, while others simply review rates but do not have the authority to reject a premium increase. The laws also differ based on the type of medical insurance policy [...]Read More » Authored by Administrator in Georgia | Comments Off
Georgia State Health Ranking
Georgia ranked 36th in the nation for health status in 2010. Health is a result of our behaviors, our individual genetic predisposition to disease, the environment and the community in which we live, the clinical care we receive and the policies and practices of our health care and prevention systems. Each of us, individually, as a community, and as a society, strives to optimize these health determinants, so that all of us can have a long, disease-free and robust life [...]Read More » Authored by Administrator in Georgia | Comments Off


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subset: commoncrawl


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The pessimism that has been ruling the markets since the U.S. election may ease a little today. President Obama is set to meet with the leader of the Republicans in an effort to avoid the fiscal cliff. Bond yields are virtually unchanged, up just 1 basis point (bp).
We've been enjoying flat mortgage rates for a number of weeks now, with a downward trend in bond rates. We've come down 15 bps over the last month so that being said, there's little reason for mortgage rates to move up any time soon. There's been a bit of a cushion built into today's rates as the cost to the lenders has come down, yet mortgage rates have not moved with them.
The market is still adjusting to the recent B-20 underwriting changes that took effect the end of October. As we go into what is generally a seasonal slowdown, it's hard to really tell the impact it will have more immediately. Come the spring, that may be the true test of this latest round of changes.
One can only hope that all this government meddling hasn't caused more problems for the Canadian housing market. I can appreciate the intent of trying to provide a soft landing and reduce the household debt issues that have been raised, but needing to step into the market four times in as many years seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?
BEST RATES: 1yr 2.69% – 3yr 2.65% – 5yr 2.94% – 5yr Variable 2.65%
Lee Welbanks is a Mortgage Broker with Welbanks Financial Group, reach out to him if you have any questions about these changes and how they affect you. Heard about our awesome new home search tool? We've opened up the MLS just for you. Make sure you log-in to our custom Spring Realty Homefinder Tool and give it a spin! Find us on Facebook and Twitter too!


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The most well known case of Routh's triangle theorem is:
If the sides BC, CA,and AB are trisected at the points D, E, and F, respectively, then the area of the inside triangle formed by AD, BE, CF is $\dfrac{1}{7}$th of the area of that of the triangle ABC.
Here is my question: can Routh's theorem be generalized to a tetrahedron which is cut by 4 planes through its 4 vertices and cutting the opposite faces appropriately?
As far as I know, this question has never been contemplated in the literature.


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And this particular go will be gone before you know it.
What's this? Underworld: Awakening, the fourth installment in the more endless than endlessly entertaining series, may be followed by a fifth? What a surprise! Who would have guessed!
"Daddy needs a new boat," said director Len Wiseman, also known as Mr. Kate Beckinsale.
"We're hoping to make as many Underworlds as my other acting gigs permit, and that's an infinite number of Underworlds," said Kate.
"We're going to keep on trying until we get it right," said Wiseman. "Or until we get it again, whichever comes first."
Who doesn't love franchise with colons in the titles? "It's a sign of either creative bankruptcy or irritable bowel syndrome," said a Screen Gems executive who, like all Screen Gems executives, wished to remain anonymous.
"We're out of ideas," Kate acknowledged. "As a result all future Underworld titles will borrow the words after the colon in the Resident Evil series, since they're basically the same movies except we draw our cast from a different Starbucks."
Pity poor Scott Speedman who did the last Beckinsale-intensive Underworld and appears to be reduced in this one to recycled stock footage combined with stunt doubles and CG. He's a constant theme in the movie but is nowhere to be found in the cast. "That means I don't get paid," said a despondent Speedman on the set of his latest film which is being produced on his iPhone from the porch of his trailer home in Covina.
And while we're at it, pity even more poor Wes Bentley, who is dispatched so early in this flick one is left asking "Did I just see Wes Bentley's career flash before my eyes?"
Yes, Kate Beckinsale is back from a variety of forgettable roles to cement her claim as the world's favorite auburn-haired ass-kicking vampiress. She's also back from whatever cosmetic surgeon froze her forehead such that her face in an ice bucket can chill Len Wiseman's champagne.
"My forehead is my instrument," said Kate. "and this instrument plays one note."
This new chapter of Underworld adds humans to the mix. It also adds a daughter for Kate Beckinsale, and like all teenaged daughters, she's a hybrid.
"One day," Kate assures her, "you, too, will grow up to dress like a restaurant server in San Francisco."
What a great idea for the next chapter in the franchise: Underworld: Check Please.8


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Apple's iMac has gone from the bulbous fruit-coloured models to a glorious large flat screen with a computer bolted on to it over the last 10 years. But should you think about adorning your desk with one? We did just that to find out.
The new 27-inch model sits at the top of four standard out-of-the-box options. Two 21-inch models and two 27-inch versions and improves on the computer's first outing earlier this year.
Across the 27-inchers there are three processor options, Intel's Core 2 Duo chip, Intel's Core i5 chip and the Core i7 chip. An array of memory options accompany the available setups and we will address what you get and what you don't in a moment.
This review is based on the 2.66GHz Intel Core i5 version with 4GB ram, 1TB of storage and an ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. Off the shelf with zero customisation it costs £1599 in the UK and $1999 in the US.
The focus of the iMac, whether today or 10 years ago has always been the screen. As an all-in-one computer the display - the main course, the real deal - is the gateway to your desktop and because of that, it has to be good.
Here you get 27-inches of LED-powered screen with a glass design that, like the company's MacBook Pro models, runs edge-to-edge. It will dominate your desk space, light up your office or spare room without the need to have the lights on and means, thanks to the equally impressive resolution (2560 x 1440) that you can have two full webpages open and room to do other things. In short, it's big, damn big.
Aspect ratio is now 16:9 rather than 16:10 as on previous models and this means, combined with the anti-glare reflective screen (it's not really) that watching movies is a joy. The contrast and brightness at start-up is a bit on the strong side, however this is easily changed with a quick toggle of the settings.
Underneath that massive screen, is a aluminium panel (again with the same finish as the unibody MacBooks) that gives the monitor a more proportioned depth and a place for Apple to slap a silver Apple logo, so even if you've dual-installed Windows 7 on it you aren't going to forget where you've got it from. Luckily Jonathan Ive, lead designer at Apple, hasn't decided to make the thing glow, so it's fairly unobtrusive.
The whole device rests on a slim but sturdy stand that pivots on a horizontal axis to allow you to position the screen accordingly. It's handy as the glossy screen is very reflective so it allows you to combat any lights that are causing you issues. Disappointingly, the curved back doesn't allow for a wall mounting option - a trick that we think Apple have missed.
Ports, slots and other connectors are kept to a minimum. The right-hand side features the slot-loading 8x SuperDrive that supports DVD+-R DL/DVD+-RW and CD-RW formats. There is also a SD card slot as well - handy as with no front facing USB slots it saves you rummaging around the back to connect your digital camera. The connections you get are one FireWire 800 port, four USB 2.0, Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, headphones and Line in.
Those interested can, with the right cable (not supplied), use the iMac as a screen for another computer. Of course you lose functionality of the iMac itself but you could use this approach to give your laptop a bigger screen if need be, perhaps if a visiting friend really wants to use their laptop, or if you have an old desktop Windows PC for occasional use.
Connectivity is further boosted by a built-in Wireless 802.11n connection and Bluetooth, so you shouldn't have an issue getting the iMac connected to something.
Bundled in the box is Apple's Bluetooth wireless keyboard and the new Apple Magic Mouse that has a touch sensitive panel on top rather than a scroll wheel enabling you to swipe your way around the screen rather than scroll. Both are wireless meaning from a design point of view your desk is completely wire free. It's a small detail, but one that makes a lot of sense and certainly from a working perspective one that we like.
As for performance both do the job they've been tasked with. If you are ordering online you get the ability to swap out the keyboard for one with a number pad, which does help, and the Apple Magic Mouse offers you some elements of touch control. Either way neither are going to have you complaining.
Aesthetically the design is very impressive. This is a machine that oozes class. It has the standard wow factor Apple bring to their hardware and no one that we've shown in the office has looked and not commented (in a good way) on the looks.
Plug it in, there is just one cable to connect, and you'll be presented with Snow Leopard, Apple's latest OS. Simple and easy to use, it's aimed at getting you enjoying the Web or your digital content straight away.
Apple bundle its multimedia package iLife (the iPhoto a photo album package, iMovie a video editing package, and GarageBand music editing package) in the box. You also get Apple's attempt at office software - Pages and Numbers. They are basic, not fantastic. Keynote however is very good.
With plenty of processing power, RAM, graphics capabilities and storage, the machine flies in tasks you set it to do. In our tests we were easily able to edit multiple photoshop files, edit video quickly and easily with iMovie and of course watch HD movies at 1080p. In fact we were able to play six 1080p movie trailers at the same time without any issue, as well as do other tasks without a drop in performance, more than enough power for even the heavy user.
That doesn't mean to say you'll be able to do everything you might want to do, if you are a heavy video editor for example, but we can't see it giving the average consumer any problems for the moment.
As for games, while the machine works well, the main problem you will experience is a lack of choice, certainly in terms of anything that will push the system. We tested Bioshock and Tomb Raider on the iMac and were impressed with the results. While we acknowledge that both are rather old games that don't exactly push the machine to the boundaries of what is possible, with such limited choice on the Mac you aren't buying the iMac as a secondary games console. That's what your PS3 or Xbox 360 are for.
So what's not to like? Well a couple of things really, and ones that aren't necessarily wrong with the device, but that we would have liked. There is no Blu-Ray drive for watching your HD movies or a wall mount so you can get this bad boy off your desk.
Additionally the screen is so good that watching anything other than HD quality footage looks incredibly poor. We watched an SD version of Moon bought in the Apple iTunes store and were disappointed by the quality of the video.
The iMac 27-inch is a stunning computer that is only let down by how good it actually is. That crystal clear and clean screen performs beautifully, however that means that unless you are watching or working in HD, everything will look, well, just not up to par. It's a shame that there is no nod to Blu-ray for watching glorious HD content right from the off.
If you're looking to use this as an office or home computer then you'll find an all-in-one computer packing real power, able to handle intensive operations without slowing down, rivalling many standard desktop computers.


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At the espnW Summit for women's sports, we highlighted women's sports and their contributions to society and everyone's lives. Many of the women who attended were mothers, and many were working with kids or helping kids to be more fit or more self-assured through athletics and mastery of their bodies. I wrote a short intro to the conference and about Title 9 earlier.
A favorite panel of mine featured elite athletes sharing tips for managing the discipline and glories of both athletic success and day-to-day life. You can watch the entire presentation, but here I'll also share some excerpts from my notes.
Multi-tasking Elite Athletes (and Moms)
(This raises mysterious parallels between "Geek" and "Elite Athlete"...). Jemele Hill of ESPN hosted our panel of speakers.
Swin Cash: Three-time Olympic Gold medal basketball player and three-time WNBA champion, five-time WNBA All-Star (so far). Also the founder of the Cash for Kids charity to motivate, educate & elevate kids.
Gabrielle Reece: Former Beach Volleyball League champion, who has transitioned to a successful fitness guru, model, media personality, and mother. Gabrielle has two daughters.
Kristine Lilly: Two-time World Champion and a two-time Gold Medalist, also a 23-year veteran and former captain of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, and fundraiser and supporter of Special Olympics and Children's Hospital of Boston. Kristine missed World Cup play twice to give birth to her daughters.
Carmelita Jeter: (say "Jetter" not "Jeeter") At the 2012 Olympics, won Gold in the 4x100 meter relay, Silver in the 100m and Bronze in the 200m. Carmelita anchored the 2012 US Olympic 4x100m relay team that smashed the old record by more than a half of a second. For a pulse-racing reminiscence, watch (5o-minute mark) Carmelita's emotional retelling of realizing her relay team would win the Gold at the 2012 Olympics.
These women shared strategies for daily coping and personal success. We heard not only how they excelled on the field, court, and track, but also the tricks of getting up at eyes-shut a.m. and following through with discipline day in, day out, in some while also couriering the kids and getting to the PTA meetings. Here is some of their hard-won wisdom:
Kristine: Avoid guilt about whether you should be doing the thing you're not doing: focus on what you ARE doing. Whether you are working or you are playing with your kids, give it 100% focus. For multi-tasking like these athlete-moms achieve, it helps to have a system and to impose regimentation. This means she had better luck in-season, when the time is short and choices are fewer. We talked about this at our table and some of us agreed that we also had found it easier to blindly follow a regimented schedule with limited choices rather than having to constantly recommit among a richer set of choices. Not everyone had the same experience, of course.
Gabby: Her attitude is that her best day should always be ahead, not behind, her. Gabby recommends constantly reassessing which life areas are shortchanged and reprioritizing to keep areas in balance. She also says moms should defend our time for our personal development (gym time, in her case). Only a trip to Urgent Care trumps her gym time. She asks herself: "What do I need to do to make myself happier?"
Advice for younger people
Swin: It doesn't seem like it at the time, but people don't remember your setbacks, they remember how fast you get up, how fast you move on. Let go of your mistakes.
Carmelita: Handle your business in the classroom! I was one of the premier track athletes in Southern California in high school, but I lost my chance to select schools because my grades and test scores weren't good enough, and had to sit out a year of competition in college. With better high school academics, I could have achieved my goals sooner, gotten my Nike deal years sooner. Even elite athletes need good grades.
Gabby: Don't take things personally, don't dwell and hold grudges. Put your head down, compete, do your work and get over it. Don't feel self-conscious about taking advantage of opportunities: do it, say thank you, and move on. If someone doesn't like it, just move on.
Kristine: Be who you are, enjoy who you are and celebrate it because that's the only thing that is truly going to make you happy, especially for young girls out there. They have a lot going through their heads. Have passion and love for what you do.
Coming up next for the speakers
Swin Cash was enjoying her (brief) off-season binge and pursuing broadcasting and personal appearances. At the end of the year her book Humble Journey, will be released. It details the years she devoted to winning a spot on the Olympic basketball team by playing in China.
Gabby Reece will continue working on the company she and her husband Laird recently founded, Truition, providing nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle information and products. She has a book coming out in April, My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper.
Kristine Lilly is leading soccer camps with Mia Hamm and Tisha Venturini Hoch for Team First and teaching clinics. She has an ebook coming out soon about soccer that will include instructional videos.
Carmelita Jeter was enjoying no practice until November 5 and luxuriating in dressing up and wearing heels every single day. No sweats, no running tights. She has events to attend and is supporting Susan G. Komen activities.
We hope some of these tips help you manage your life, find success, and raise healthier, happier kids. If you have tips for GeekMoms on fitting everything into 24 hours without guilt, leave a comment to share it with other readers.


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This is a first check repair kit for the Wilkins 975XL series reduced pressure zone assemblies. This kit includes all parts to service the first check assembly. Use caution when servicing as the covers have spring tension against them. Genuine Zurn/Wilkins repair parts. A seat removal tool is available to assist in removal and installation of seats, see below.
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Job Information
Enterprise Holdings Sales Management Trainee Intern in Rockford, Illinois
Our Internships play an integral role in the success of Enterprise and are a comprehensive introduction to our Sales Management Training Program. For a college student, real-world professional business experience can put you above the rest when you enter the job market. Starting pay at $11.50 per hour!
It's Business 101 on 10 cups of coffee
Our interns go at a highly energized pace. From day one as a paid intern with Enterprise, you'll learn what it takes to run a successful business and acquire highly marketable skills and experience pertaining to every aspect of operating a business. And it's learning by doing, not by getting coffee or filing all day. Our college interns take on the same challenges as our first and second year full-time professionals. It's a team-based environment where the Enterprise employees are supportive and fun to work with.
This posting is for the Rockford, IL Area. (61016, 61101, 61102, 61103)
When you join our Sales Management Internship Program, you'll acquire highly marketable skills and experience pertaining to every aspect of running a successful business. You'll soon discover that every day is different because it is filled with so many new, exciting, rewarding and often unexpected challenges. There is one consistent aspect, however - everyday, you'll learn more about sales/marketing, customer service, business management, and administrative skills than you ever thought possible.
At Enterprise, you won't be a glorified gopher getting coffee or filing all day. Our interns go at the same energized pace and take on the same challenges and responsibilities as our Sales Management Trainees.
Not only is it a paid internship program, but interns may also be eligible for performance incentives and employee referral rewards. The business training you'll receive will be an amazing jumpstart to your career.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans
Must be a Senior enrolled full time for the up coming semester in a college or university.
Must have 6 months of sales and/or leadership experience.
Must have a valid driver's license with no more than 2 moving violations and/or at fault accidents in the past 3 years.
No drug or alcohol related conviction on your record in the past 5 years (i.e., DUI, DWI)
Must be authorized to work in the United States and not require work authorization sponsorship by our company for this position now or in the future.
10-11 week commitment (no more than 90 days) with the availability to start during May 2020.
External Company Name: Enterprise Holdings
External Company URL: www.erac.com
Requisition Number: 2019-298251
Posted Salary Min: USD $11.50/Hr.
Enterprise Holdings/Enterprise Rent-A-Car/Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental seeks and values people of all backgrounds because every employee, customer and business partner is important. Enterprise Holdings is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you have any difficulty using our online system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, you may use this alternative email address to contact us about your interest in employment.


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During loading screen there was a tip that said something about scared guards being an advantage, but I wasn't paying attention and I didn't really get to read it all. Now I've been noticing that a scared guard is more annoying then a normal guard. They move erratic, turn around right when I am about to stab them.
Am I missing something? Is there an advantage in scaring a guard?


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Dear Vanessa,
Should I avoid all anti-microbial products? (Part II of last week's question, What should I do with my pharmaceuticals?)
Dear Lewis,
On to your second question!
I personally avoid all commercial antimicrobials like the plague. I do so for my own and my children's health, and in consideration of everyone else's health and safety. That means I buy nothing sold with added "germ-killing" properties. No antimicrobial-infused cleaners or tissues, mattresses, cutting boards, clothing, toothpaste, or carpet … you get the point. That's not always easy — antimicrobial-infused products are spreading like … resistant bacteria.
Philip Dickey of the Washington Toxics Coalition (who seems far more tolerant than me) has written a fact sheet that lays out many of the issues and definitions surrounding antimicrobial products. As he points out, antimicrobial is a general term for products or ingredients that kill or inhibit bacteria, viruses, or molds, thereby it encompasses antibacterials, disinfectants and antiseptics.
Most products sold as "germ-fighting" are antibacterials; most common household illnesses such as colds and the flu are viral. In other words, don't expect your germ-fighting soap to keep you from getting the flu.
Consider, for instance, a carpet that contains antimicrobials to kill mold. Mold only grows in the presence of water. To combat it, you must remove the source of the water, regardless of what antimicrobial chemicals you've added to the fabric. Same goes for combating airborne enemies. You can't disinfect the air with a germ-fighting spray deodorizer, even if it is spring-fresh or just-logged pine scent. If something stinks, clean it up. Treated socks and underwear? Gross. What ever happened to simply washing things?
The last decade has seen the rise of triclosan as the antimicrobial of choice, so let's use it as an example. Triclosan is now used in most soaps and household products that boast germ-fighting powers — everything from soap to toothpaste. But plain soap and water are as effective in removing bacteria as triclosan. Triclosan won't keep your family's colds from spreading, as it is an agent that can kill some bacteria but has little or no effect on viruses. Resistance to triclosan has been observed in the laboratory, and its use is thought to cause bacterial resistance similar to a caused by the overuse of antibiotics. In addition, triclosan is structurally similar to the most toxic form of dioxin. Triclosan has also been found in breast milk and aquatic environments, and there's a possibility that it is an endocrine disruptor.
Where would we be without all those lovely germs? Yes, some lead to nasty diseases, but most keep us alive. Microbes in soil release nutrients for plants. Bacteria aid in digestion. Without bacteria, we wouldn't have the vitamin K needed to clot blood. Without bacteria, we wouldn't have wine, sourdough, yogurt, blue cheese or soy sauce. In fact, studies show an increase in allergies and asthma in people who were raised in an overly sterile environment. It's only logical that too much indiscriminate disinfection is harmful. Some exposure to bacteria is beneficial and helps the immune system develop.
Products containing antimicrobials are almost always more hazardous than their traditional counterparts and tend to be loosely regulated.
Why pay more, expose yourself to hazardous products, and contribute to the creation of treatment-resistant superbugs in the name of products whose efficacy is questionable at best?
But that's just my take.
Keep it Green (and a little dirty),
See also:


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Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 24
For the cupcakes:
250g plain flour
2 x 15ml tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g soft unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
1 x heaped 15ml tbsp red paste food colouring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
175ml buttermilk
1 tsp cider vinegar or other vinegar
Buttery Cream-cheese frosting
500g icing sugar, no need to sift if using a processor)
125g cream cheese
125g soft unsalted butter
1 tsp cider vinegar or lemon juice (I used vanilla extract)
red velvet cake crumbs or chocolate sprinkles or red sugar for decoration
Preheat the oven to 170oC/fan oven 150oC/gas mark 3 and line the muffin tins with paper cases.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating well, and when you have a soft pale mixture beat in the food colouring - yes, all of it - and the vanilla.
Into this vividly coloured mixture, still beating, add 1 spoonful of the dried ingredients, then 1 egg, followed by some more dried ingredients, then the other egg, followed by the rest of the dried ingredients.
Finally, beat in the buttermilk and vinegar and divide this extraordinary batter between the 24 cases. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes by which time the redcurrant-sorbet-coloured batter will have morphed into a more sombre, but still juicily tinted, sponge - more maroon acrylic than red velvet, to be honest.
Leave them to cool on a wire rack and do not ice with the frosting till absolutely cold.
Put the icing sugar into a processor and whizz to remove lumps.
Add the cream cheese and butter and process to mix. Pour in the cider vinegar (or lemon juice or vanilla extract) and process again to make a smooth icing.
Ice each cupcake, using a teaspoon or small spatula.
Decorate with red velvet cake crumbs or chocolate sprinkles or red sugar.
9 comments:
- Unknown said...
Looks lovely, the cupcakes have turned out perfectly Hopefully you have enjoyed your three course Valentines meal. I'm having date steak for one but could eat a cupcake or 3 (should of thought about making a sweet to go with it!. x
- 14 February 2012 at 18:25
- Nic's Notebook said...
These are my fav cupcakes in the world!!!
- 15 February 2012 at 14:58
- The Caked Crusader said...
I love the crumb decoration - it's so pretty!
- 15 February 2012 at 15:35
- Kelly-Jane said...
Just perfect for Valentines :)
- 15 February 2012 at 20:07
- Kate@whatkatebaked said...
Such a lovely, lovely romantic bake for Valentine's- and I really like the crumb decoration on the top, it really sets off the icing!
- 16 February 2012 at 08:32
- Choclette said...
These look fantastic Maria especially with the cake crumbs scattered on top. Lovely cupcake cases too.
- 16 February 2012 at 15:56
- Kim said...
These look gorgeous and perfect for Valentine's, I've never made red velvet cupcakes yet, I really need to give them a go.
- 18 February 2012 at 14:28
- Anna's kitchen table said...
Maria they look perfect!!
- 18 February 2012 at 14:42
- Chronicles of Dolliedaydream said...
These look delicious Maria - hope you had a sweet day.
I tried some red velvet cookies for a change - they looked cute but I prefer my cakes!
- 22 February 2012 at 11:08


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rest(redirected from Neural-restrictive silencer factor)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia.
To cease motion, exertion, or labor.
In a lawsuit, a party is said to "rest," or "rest her case," when that party indicates that she has produced all the evidence that she intends to offer at that stage and submits the case either finally, or subject to the right to offer rebutting evidence after her opponent has introduced her evidence.
rest(Be supported by), verb couch, lay, lean, lie, lounge, perch, prop, recline, squat
rest(Cease from action), verb abstain, be at ease, be peaceful, be quiet, be still, be tranquil, calm down, cease, come to a standstill, desist, discontinue, end, halt, idle, keep quiet, lounge, pause, recess, relax, repose, retire, settle, stand still, stay, stop, stop work, take a break, take time out, terminate
rest(End a legal case), verb cease to litigate, complete prosecution, conclude proceeding, end the introduction of evidence, end the presentation of evidence, finish litigaaion, submit the case, terminate a trial
Associated concepts: rest a case
See also: abeyance, absence, cessation, complement, composure, deposit, desist, extension, furlough, halt, hiatus, holiday, inaction, inertia, interval, leave, lodge, lull, moratorium, pause, place, recess, release, relief, remain, remainder, remission, repose, reside, respite, stay, stop


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Even a Prime Person who is not Odd can read thisShriramVenkatraman12 November 2012
Ok! This post is just a quick example on how a purely statistical Facebook Analysis might be of least value to a Social Science Researcher.
The following is numerical information produced based on the number of Facebook friends for a team of eight internet researchers (from information obtained on 11 November 2012).
- 87.5% had even number of friends
- While the minimum number of friends and the maximum number of friends are even numbers, the 81.25th percentile rank is an odd prime number.
- The Average number of friends and the median number of friends are Odd numbers. While the average is a prime number, the median is not.
- The sum of the total number of friends is 2939, which is again an odd prime number (goes with the simple Arithmetic rule that if you add an even number and an odd number then you end up with an odd number). But the chance of it being a prime number is impressive.
- When the odd prime number of friends was added to every other even number of friends to see if the sum would be an odd prime, it resulted that there was only a 25% possibility.
- None of the number of friends constitutes a Perfect Square
- None of the number of friends constitutes a Perfect Cube
- The sum of the difference between the closest perfect square to each of the person's friends was an odd prime number.
- The Range is an even number and is not a perfect square.
Furthermore, the number of facts in this post is an Odd Perfect Square!!!


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Used 2016 FordF-150 Lariat Truck
- Stock: 209553P
- Odometer
- 44,619 miles
- Fuel Economy
- 17.0/23.0 mpg City/Hwy
- Exterior Color
- White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat
- Interior Color
- Black
- Body
- Truck
- Transmission
- 6-Speed Automatic Electronic
- Drivetrain
- Engine
- 2.7 2.7L V6 EcoBoost
Detailed Specifications
- 1st and 2nd row curtain head airbags
- 4-wheel ABS Brakes
- ABS and Driveline Traction Control
- Anti-theft alarm system
- Audio controls on steering wheel
- Automatic front air conditioning
- Auxilliary transmission cooler
- Bluetooth wireless phone connectivity
- Braking Assist
- Compass
- Cruise control
- Cruise controls on steering wheel
- Daytime running lights
- Driver and passenger heated-cushion, driver and passenger heated-seatback
- Driver seat memory
- Driver's side electrochromatic auto-dimming mirrors
- Dual front air conditioning zones
- Dual illuminated vanity mirrors
- Electrochromatic rearview mirror
- External temperature display
- Fold-up cushion rear seats
- Front Ventilated disc brakes
- Front and rear reading lights
- Front fog/driving lights
- Front split-bench
- Fuel Consumption: City: 18 mpg
- Fuel Consumption: Highway: 23 mpg
- Heated driver mirror
- Heated passenger mirror
- In-Dash single CD player
- Leather seat upholstery
- Leather/metal-look steering wheel trim
- MP3 player
- Machined aluminum rims w/ painted accents
- Manufacturer's 0-60mph acceleration time (seconds): 6.2 s
- Memorized Settings for 2 drivers
- Memorized Settings including door mirror(s)
- Memorized Settings including pedals
- Passenger Airbag
- Power Adjustable Pedals
- Power remote driver mirror adjustment
- Power remote passenger mirror adjustment
- Power retractable mirrors
- Power windows
- Privacy glass: Deep
- Radio Data System
- Rear seats center armrest
- Remote, digital keypad power door locks
- Side airbag
- Simulated wood/metal-look dash trim
- Simulated wood/metal-look door trim
- SiriusXM AM/FM/Satellite Radio
- SiriusXM Satellite Radio(TM)
- Speed Sensitive Audio Volume Control
- Speed-proportional electric power steering
- Split rear bench
- Stability controll with anti-roll
- Suspension class: Regular
- Tachometer
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
- Total Number of Speakers: 7
- Trailer hitch
- Trip computer
- Turn signal in mirrors
- Urethane shift knob trim
- Video Monitor Location: Front
- Wheel Diameter: 18
- Wheel Width: 7.5
Dealer Notes
BALANCE OF ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER WARRANTY STILL APPLIES. Call Us Today (717) 755-2911. Apple Ford Lincoln of York 1801 Whiteford Road York, Pa. 17402.
* 2016 KBB.com Brand Image Awards
KBB.com Consumer Reviews
- 5.0
2015 F-150 5.0L SCrew is the best vehicle I've own
By Gunner on Thursday, December 19, 2019The F-150 is the Aluminum body Ford truck that came out in 2015. New Coyote 5.0L V-8 is the best engine Ford has put in their trucks. Zero problems, ZERO. Transmission has been flawless, engine never misses a beat. interior has been flawless, nothing has failed. Best F-150 ever. Period.
- 4.0
Auto On/Off
By Whitetiger on Tuesday, August 27, 2019Great truck the auto on/off is a little annoying but it probably does help with the MPG as I avg 15.6 most of the time around town and some hwy. When it rains just be careful on making a turn with the pavement being wet or accelerating too quick as the rear end will want to come around and see you very easily. Lots of compliments though!
- 5.0
Best Truck I have Ever owned
By Mike on Wednesday, February 05, 2020I could not be happier with my 2016 F-150 Lariat truck. I have had it for about 3 1/2 years and I have had no problem with it at all. I would highly recommend any Ford Truck from the F150, F250 and up to anyone.
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"It is brutal out - stranded at airport" is the caption that accompanied this photo on Dickie V's Instagram account.
Here we find the old man robbed of his schtick by the punishing cold, the usual cartoonishness of his persona replaced by the pained look that you find on the face of every old man who has been forced to leave Florida. This is the first time we've ever seen the real Dickie V.


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Request a Quote – Concrete
Tell us about your project so we can help you get the best performance and value.
Stained Concrete
A stained concrete floors add more than color to a home. It infuses the concrete floors, walls, and counter tops with rich, deep, and translucent tones adding a welcoming feeling to a home.
Staining concrete surfaces range from $2 to $4 per square foot. However, stained concrete cost usually vary depending on the type of staining project that the customer has requested. Elaborate projects involving special designs with multiple stained concrete color effects can shoot over $15 per square foot.
In addition, you are allowed to give us extra stained concrete ideas and talk with our specialists about the type of staining that will help you achieving the desirable results.
Apart from the staining concrete floors & countertops, staining can also be done on patios. Stained concrete floors patio bring a warm feeling to visitors making them feel at home.
Stamped Concrete Patterns
Stamped concrete is a beautiful addition to every home. The embellishment adds a rustic yet modern feeling to your outdoor space in a way that is both pleasing to the eye and affordable.
Concrete stamps patterns are available in an array of styles that make your outdoor concrete beautiful. By using stains and pigments we can make stamped concrete look identical to actual stone.
The wonderful thing about concrete stamps is that they are both more affordable and more versatile than using stone.
With concrete you can actually handpick your designs and colors so that you get the design that you've always wanted.
Concrete Paint
Concrete paint is one of the best forms of coats that promote the aesthetic value.
In essence, concrete paints are dynamic and can be used in multiples of locations. What is necessary is knowing what you need.
As a contractor, we pride ourselves with some of the best services when it comes to applying concrete paint and providing services in line with concrete paint. Our company focuses on the client's needs. In this case, we give the client first priority when it comes to deciding on the type of concrete paint that one wishes to have.
We have a team of experts who will offer you advice regarding the nature of services you would like to have. Our consistent pursuit of quality makes our services to stand out in a market that is awash with companies that are offering concrete painting services.
Ready Mix Concrete
Ready mix concrete is a precise mixture that is manufactured in a factory instead of being mixed on the work site. However, this kind of mixture is particularly advantageous when there is requirement of small quantities of concrete. In addition, ready mix concrete is ideal for large jobs where there is limited space and no enough room for a mixing plant and aggregate stockpiles. Another advantage of using ready mix concrete is that it significantly reduces the cost in construction by:
Lowering labor costs.
The number of laborers required is very small as compared with the production of concrete on the work site.
Reducing wastage of materials.
The ratio of all the ingredients required in production of concrete is accurately maintained hence reducing the wastage.
Reducing the cost of storage.
Storage of raw materials is cumbersome and expensive. However, using a ready mix concrete reduces hassle and cost by eliminating the need for on site storage.
Notably, ready mix concrete is often remixed the moment it arrives at the work site in order to ensure a proper slump is obtained. A remixed concrete tends to set more rapidly than the one that has been mixed only once.
Concrete Driveway
If you need to have your driveway resurface, the process does take quite a bit of effort, but it is fairly straightforward.
A concrete driveway is a very important part of a home or property, and it is important that it be kept in good shape. We can replace your driveway so you don`t waste money on a DIY project.
You should keep in mind that a great deal of sealing and resurfacing will need to be done in order to protect the concrete from damages that can be done through regular wear and tear, as well as weather over time.
Applying the sealer (similar to applying paint) will increase the concrete driveway cost but it will prevent the need for repair down the line.
Patio Concrete
Your home outdoor design is very vital since it is a reflection of you. Having a well paved parking lot or a walkway makes your exterior home look elegant and stunning. Giving your outdoor area an ideal facelift requires paving materials like the patio concrete slabs.
These patio concrete pavers should then be arranged in a given pattern that is eye catching. Pavers normally develop patio concrete stain due to weather factors and therefore you ought to apply patio concrete paint to restore the pavers' initial attractive look.
In order to give your aisle or walkway slabs a long life, ensure that the patio concrete thicknesses of the pavers' slabs are ideal. Thus give your outdoor home surroundings a new face with these patio concrete slabs from our company that comes in all shapes and dimensions. These paving materials are efficient, durable and long lasting. Improve your home now with patio concrete today at a pocket friendly cost.


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The Fantasy Cricket competition for World Cup 2011 has been created and is ready for the entry of your team. We bring it to you in association with Aurum Press who are kindly providing some prizes for this competition.
The World Cup starts on 19th February and finishes on 2nd April.
For those of you that are new to the Fantasy Cricket concept, we would suggest you have a read through our Game Guide which explains everything to you. Remember once you create a team, you can even create your own mini competition exclusive to friends and family!
Once you are ready to go, head on in and Register and don't forget it costs you absolutely nothing! If you have registered in the past for Cricket Web Fantasy Cricket or Cricket Web CW Games, you can login to your account through the Fantasy Cricket frontpage.
As we currently have the Australia v England, New Zealand v Pakistan and Sri Lanka v West Indies competitions in progress, the player rankings for these teams will be modified at the conclusion of each series. This will mean you may need to adjust your team accordingly to ensure you stay within budget. This will take place on the 4th and 7th of February.
1st Prize
- A $25 Amazon.com Gift Card
- The book "Ashes 2010-11: England's Record-Breaking Series Victory".
- Cricket Legends DVD & Book Set
2nd Prize
- A $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
- The book "Ashes 2010-11: England's Record-Breaking Series Victory".
3rd Prize
- A $15 Amazon.com Gift Card
- The book "Ashes 2010-11: England's Record-Breaking Series Victory".
4th Prize
A choice of one of the following:
5th Prize
A choice of one of the following:
In the event of a tie for any of the above positions, winners will be determined by when their team was created with the person getting their team in first being the winner.
Specific Details about the Competition
* Free no cost modifications until 19th February.
* 200 modifications allowed once the competition starts
* A captaincy change will cost 10 modifications. As explained on the Game Guide page, your captain earns you double points, but you also lose double points.
* Details on how you score points can be found on the Points Summary page.
If you have any questions please feel free to lodge a support ticket.


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See all Mercedes-Benzs >
Welcome to our Mercedes-Benz GLB page at Askaprice.com.
If you want to learn more about the GLB and the discounts and deals we can help you achieve then please select a variant from the list above. You will also have access to view Mercedes-Benz GLB specifications.
At Askaprice.com, we work hard to find you the best deals on new cars and vans. If you would like to get GLB prices and quotes from your local Mercedes-Benz franchised dealers then click the get quotes button above to make use of our free, no obligation service.
We can also arrange test drives for you with your local franchised Mercedes-Benz dealer or have a Mercedes-Benz GLB brochure posted out to you.
Following submission of your Mercedes-Benz GLB enquiry, one of our advisors will call you to discuss your exact requirements and to discuss any similar vehicles that may interest you. We will then contact our industry partners and Mercedes-Benz dealers in order to fulfil your GLB request. If you have requested a Mercedes-Benz GLB brochure then this will be sent out to your address. For test drive or quote requests, the selected Mercedes-Benz dealer will contact you with details. Should you need any further assistance form us please call at any time.


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Hello Unregistered ! Why not upload some of your pictures from your local events? Members can upload pictures to the Events gallery!
Most recent uploads in Image Gallery
This site is owned and operated by Team Compendium, Inc.All content is © 2000-2011 Team Compendium, Inc. The PokeGym is not affiliated with The Pokémon Company, International or any anime or video game companies.


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Designed for the professional "Networker", our system gives you the competitive edge you need to compete in the rapidly - changing digital world. Whether you are independent, or part of a global team, our system helps you to find, connect and stay connected with a greater number of people.
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Integrated communication from the phone, email, SMS, and chat combine with the social web sourcing tools to boost productivity. Identify people's goals and ambitions, follow people's movements and professional relationships, and easily develop representations of who a person knows and how they know them.
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Build groups and segment lists for easy development of E-mail campaigns and on-line surveys. Personalize all your communications for better response rates and link your communications seamlessly to your Career Portals.
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Easily import candidates into your Applicant Tracking Systems using custom XML or HR-XML. Combine our XML publisher with our SOAP or REST API widgets to easily integrate into Legacy Systems, where valuable assets often remain under utilize.


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Towson extends contract with Skerry
Tigers agree to coach through 2018-19 season
Towson University head men's basketball coach Pat Skerry has agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension. The new agreement will extend the term of Skerry's contract through the 2018-19 season.
"Watching Coach Skerry's historic turnaround with the Towson men's basketball program both academically and competitively in the last two years, we are excited to announce this extension," said interim Director of Athletics Tricia Turley Brandenburg. "Pat and his staff have done a tremendous job developing and recruiting the type of student-athletes that are willing to work hard on the court and in the classroom. With the opening of SECU Arena this year, Towson is poised to be an annual contender in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and carry the banner for its alumni and the city of Baltimore. A stable and winning basketball program will only provide more financial security to our department and provide all of our teams the resources needed to be successful."
Skerry took over the Towson program in the spring of 2011 and immediately faced steep uphill challenges as the program was coming off a 4-26 season and looking at NCAA sanctions for poor performances in the Academic Performance Rates (APR).
After facing a difficult rebuilding year in 2011-12 where the Tigers returned just one letterwinner and posted a mark of 1-31, Towson made NCAA history in 2012-13 as the team posted the largest single-season turnaround, going 18-13 overall and finishing in second place in the CAA. It was Towson's first winning basketball season in 17 years (1995-96) and the most wins since 1993-94. The Tigers were led by Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America selection and 2013 CAA Player of the Year Jerrelle Benimon (17.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg), who transferred to Towson from Georgetown along with two other former BIG EAST Conference players – Bilal Dixon (Providence College) and Mike Burwell (USF) – in Skerry's first recruiting class.
Skerry has also orchestrated the same kind of turnaround academically as the team posted a single-season APR scores of 939 in 2011-12 with a higher score expected for 2012-13. Towson is now eligible for CAA and NCAA postseason play. The team also holds a cumulative GPA of 2.928.
"I came here to Towson to build a basketball program that would represent this institution both athletically and academically and make our fans and alumni proud," said Skerry. "Our hard work and dedication as players and coaches is paying off and now we step into SECU Arena, one of the best facilities anywhere on the east coast.
"We would not be primed for greatness if it was not for the support of our President Maravene Loeschke and our athletics administration over the last two years. I also want to thank our interim Director of Athletics Tricia Turley Brandenburg for her time and persistence negotiating this contract extension. There has never been a better time to be a Tiger."
The Tigers officially open the 2013-14 season and the new SECU Arena on Friday, Nov. 8 as part of a men/women's doubleheader vs. Navy.


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North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island with approximately 11,500residents. The town was originally settled as a farming community in the mid17th century and has been incorporated since 1871. The town is made up of several villages, including the historic Slatersville—which is America's first planned industrial village.
Many of North Smithfield's attractions are historical such as Wright's Dairy Farm which has been selling Rhode Islanders local products since 1914. The farm is family owned and operated and everything is made right on the property.
North Smithfield is also home to Rhode Island's only DriveIn movie theater which has been open since 1951. The Rustic Tri Vue DriveIn is open yearly from late April through late September. Residents of North Smithfield enjoy many historical attractions as well as refurbished historical real estate. Unique to the town is the "Old Tupperware mill" that was built in 1904 and has been converted into condominiums. However, more traditional homes are for sale in contemporary styles such as Cape and Colonial.
North Smithfield has suburban character but has not lost its innate rural and historical qualities.
Slatersville is by most accounts the heart of the community, with its prim white houses and perfect picket fences all in a row. Complementing this image, however, is the fact that the very beginning of America's Industrial Revolution belongs to Slatersville, as America's "First planned industrial city". While other parts of Rhode Island also possess a mill town character to them, North Smithfield's Slatersville was the original. The town's history has been preserved with care, all the while allowing for modern development and services, including all the necessary stores and restaurants for in-town errand running. Some mills have been converted into upscale housing and many of North Smithfield's historic farms have become homes.
North Smithfield is made up of the villages of Branch Village, Crystal Lake, Forestdale, Primrose, Slatersville, Union Village, Waterford, Woonsocket Hill.
65 Turner Farm Road
Uxbridge, MA 01569 $474,900 | Single Family 3 Bed | 2 Bath
44 Merrimac Road
North Smithfield, RI 02896 $289,000 | Single Family 3 Bed | 2 Bath
49 Alpine Way, Unit 49
North Smithfield, RI 02896 $359,000 | Condominium/Co-Op 2 Bed | 2 Bath


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Here's the trailer:
The movie is set for a September 28 release, just in time for the Back to School crowd.
I can't tell if the target is the teachers, the system, or what. I did see a really evil teacher in this trailer and heard a reference to the 'poverty is the problem' that critics deem an excuse by bad teachers.
Watch and judge for yourself. Comment below.
Watch and judge for yourself. Comment below.
If you are looking for movies that follow real teachers through real issues, here are a few recommendations:
American Teacher: produced by Dave Eggers and the Teacher Salary Project.
What's it like to be a teacher in times of high stakes testing? Watch Mitchell 20 (you can get a ticket to watch it online. Follow the Mitchell 20 hyperlink.). This is produced by teachers, about teachers. It must have been too close to the truth since some teachers were punished for their role in this film.
A response to the highly produced Waiting for Superman, produced by New York city teachers who have been in the classroom through the corporate reforms. Definitely not highly produced, gritty. What do you expect on a teacher's salary?
Tired of bashing and want some solutions? Try these.
The Finland Phenomenon. Imagine what school could be like if we only spent our money on what we already knows works with kids and teachers. You can watch the whole movie here:
A short film on the vision proposed in CTQ's recently published Teaching 2030.


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There's plenty to like in Boston sports-talk radio. No, really. Varying doses of entertainment, humor and insight can be found on a daily basis. I'm not saying that tongue-in-cheek. It's true.
Think of your favorite show, the one to which you actually look forward to listening. It's almost always a worthy companion during your commute, right?
It's just that sometimes, among the selective ignorance, pretzel logic, and prefabricated disagreements, the good stuff gets sacrificed in the quest to keep the phones ringing and the ratings high. Substance and quality are lost.
In a week in which WEEI's John Dennis launched a pathetic Twitter attack on The Sports Hub's Marc Bertrand, peppering him with insults straight out of an insecure fourth-grade bully's handbook . . .
And in a week in which The Sports Hub's Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti took the art of baiting and trolling listeners to an aggravating low with cherry-picked stats and straw-man arguments about why the Red Sox deal for Jake Peavy was a dubious one . . .
And in a week . . . well, the examples are probably too abundant to list. Sometimes it's all too much, too exasperating, and maybe you find yourself seeking out a more organic and honest approach — an opposite approach — if only to resist ditching the genre altogether.
Not that we could quit sports radio, of course. Boston fans love sports to the degree that they're willing to listen beyond the point of annoyance. They know they've got us by the ears.
But it feels right, in this particularly irksome week of mainstream sports radio, to acknowledge and salute a program that's a long and welcome distance from the usual caterwauled "hot sports takes."
So let's spend a few words in worthwhile consideration of National Public Radio's "Only A Game,'' which originates from the studios of WBUR 90.9 and remains the only nationally syndicated sports show based in Boston or on public radio. The program, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has been hosted by Bill Littlefield for its entire run.
Its longstanding mission is not to be the devil's advocate or to chronically second-guess just about everything, which is the standard operating procedure for conventional sports radio.
Instead, the program, which airs locally every Saturday at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., has a truer aim: to tell and report on a compelling story, whether it's an interview with a sports luminary such as Oscar Robertson or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, thoughtful looks at milestones and issues such as the advent of Title IX or performance-enhancing drugs in sports, or human-interest features such as rugby matches in Cambridge.
"One of the things that's kind of unfortunate, and it's really one of the things that encouraged us to create 'Only A Game,' is that there are so many wonderful stories in sports, but the inclination of the media in general is to pay attention to only the big money sports,'' said Littlefield. "Either the most popular professional sports, with pro football of course at the top of the heap, or the college sports that involve a great deal of money, Division 1 football and men's basketball.
"We just have looked elsewhere. We haven't ignored big stories," he said, pausing for a beat. "We do Super Bowl haiku every year."
Littlefield and his "Only A Game'' crew – which includes Esquire and Grantland writer Charlie Pierce, senior producer Gary Waleik, producers Karen Given and Doug Tribou, and technical director John Perotti – tend to gravitate toward stories of athletic triumph that don't occur in the spotlight.
"If I go to a soccer camp, or a minor league baseball team, or a women's ice hockey team that is playing at 5 o'clock in the morning somewhere, the first thing I say to the people that I meet is, 'I don't necessarily need to talk to your best player, but I'd like to talk to your best talker,' '' said Littlefield. "I want to find the person who is the most thoughtful, who when I ask a question doesn't jump right in to the clichéd answer but thinks about the question, recognizes it as a question that might actually produce a thoughtful answer, and then comes up with that answer."
Sometimes, those stories are found in the mainstream. Littlefield was at Fenway Park Wednesday when the topic of the day was the Red Sox's acquisition of Jake Peavy. General manager Ben Cherington and a few players offered some standard-issue platitudes.
"But there were also some wonderful moments where the clouds parted and something other than a cliché came out,'' said Littlefield. "I was talking to Juan Nieves, the pitching coach for the Red Sox, and a lot of the stuff was what you would predict. Of course he's very excited about Peavy coming to Boston.
"But then all of a sudden, in the middle of conversation, he said, 'You know, it's always better when you're making a suit to have too much cloth so you can cut a little away. It's a lot better than to have too little.' And of course what he was talking about was there's never such a thing as having too much pitching. But that was a pretty good little figure of speech.''
It was just the kind of anecdote Littlefield and "Only A Game'' have spent 20 years recognizing and sharing, a welcome thoughtful moment amid the noise.
Not in running
Based on her surname alone, Leah Hextall would seem like a natural to replace Naoko Funayama as NESN's in-game Bruins reporter next season. And Hextall, who came to NESN from CTV in Canada last November, does know her hockey. Yet according to multiple industry sources, she is not a candidate for the position . . . Baseball writer Peter Gammons's independent website, GammonsDaily.com, launched Wednesday. The new site, which is in partnership with Boston-based TruMedia networks, is using a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo.com in its quest for financial backing of $25,000 . . . "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals" debuts Tuesday at 10 p.m. on HBO.
Chad Finn can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeChadFinn.


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Glad to hear it Charles!Charles Phipps wrote:Am reading with great interest!
Love the Pulp stuff!
I should note I made one slight error though. During the Pulp period the Fearless Five was actually the Fearless Four, they didn't become the Fearless Five until World War II until they added the Frankenstein's Monster to their ranks. Not the original monster mind you, this Monster was Frau Doktor Veronika von Frankenstein's sole successful attempt at duplicating her famous ancestor's work.


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- Artists work
- Exhibitions and Awards
- Delivery details
Sophocles was born in 1961 in Chelsea – not the posh part but in a basement and delivered by his father. A fitting start to life for someone who comes from a long line of peasants. Having Greek-Cypriot parents and growing up in a Cypriot community, there were only a few career options open for a smart Cypriot lad: Doctor, Lawyer or Teacher. Once it had been established that the gene-pool he had inherited would not stretch to such dizzy heights, great words of wisdom were spoken by his father – 'son, be a barber – everybody needs to have their haircut.'
Alas, the now established average Cypriot young man had become a Bouzouki player in a band playing at weddings and in the hashish dens of London. Ironically, this is where Sophocles developed his people skills so vital in social photography. The transition into photography was rapid and success followed quickly. The string of awards and qualifications he holds is proof of his passion for photography. So now his father and mother and the entire village back home are well pleased and thank God he gave up the Bouzouki playing – the night life was no life for a married man.
Sophocles has been lucky enough to have traveled the world with his assignments and during these trips he has finally compiled a collection of his own personal Fine Art Photography all available as Limited Edition Prints. Enjoy the collection.
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Job Title: Special Education Assistant - Bryn Mawr (2017-2018) and Requisition ID number: 49346
Close Date: 11:59 PM on 05/19/2017
Organizational Unit: Bryn Mawr Primary (10000013)
Site: Bryn Mawr Primary (0249)
FTE: 30.25 hours/week; this is based on full-time equivalency with 1.0 being full time
Union: ESP(28)
Functional Area: Paraprofessional
Resume and Cover Letter are mandatory to apply for any position. ****************************************************************************************
Following July 15th, current MPS Special Education Assistants are ineligible for voluntary transfers within their job title through the end of the school year. The SEA transfer process for the following school year will reopen in early spring. (MFT #59 Contract Article 20.3)
Under general supervision, provides a variety of services to assist students with special needs in a learning environment; assists MPS staff to develop and implement appropriate individualization lessons and activities for students with disabilities; helps students to meet their therapy and education goals.
Disability Focus: SPEN (FS3)
* Provide support services to children with moderate to severe disabilities and Assist MPS staff to facilitate educational functions and other services that maintains a safe and productive learning environment, sensitive to the needs and legal rights of Special Education students; work with students to improve personal skills and reinforce classroom learning.
* Assist students in learning processes through reinforcement of positive behavior, individual instruction, socialization and good communications.
* Monitor student activities, promote respect, explain social norms and disciplinary consequences, de-escalate personal confrontations.
* Maintain behavior documentation, written observations and anecdotal information files for Support and Advocacy for Independent Living Program (SAIL), Individualized Education Program (IEP), and Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA).
* Monitor work, correct papers and transition students for medications, meals, buses and classes.
* Attend to and provide for students' daily hygiene, personal and health related cares, as directed by licensed staff. Assist students in community, recreational, school and vocational training. Provide assistance to students in classrooms and after-school programs.
Intervention SEA: Provide support in the least restrictive environment so that students can be successful in resource settings; ensure that behavior support plans are being implemented with fidelity for students in special education resource settings. Personal transportation is required as position may move from site to site.
Associate's Degree AND two years of experience working with children. Associate's Degree in Education or Child Development is preferred.
First Aid/CPR/AED, Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training, and Special Education Orientation is required within one year.
A job in this category may require walking or standing to a significant degree, and working with special needs children. Must be able to frequently lift up to 50 pounds. Eligibility for position is based on passing the required pre-placement exam.
Final candidates may be invited to interview with a committee. Final appointment to this position will be contingent upon passing a criminal background check.COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:Diversity is one of Minneapolis Public Schools core values and is essential to our goal of putting children first and making them college-ready. Diversity of our workforce provides us with a competitive advantage and allows us to better understand, communicate with and educate our diverse student body. Minneapolis Public Schools will not deny anyone the opportunity for training or employment because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender or gender identity, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, sexual orientation, age, family care leave status, or veteran status.
Minneapolis Public Schools strongly encourages diverse candidates to apply.
Posting Notes: | 12:01 AM On 05/19/2017 | Bryn Mawr Primary (10000013) | Bryn Mawr Primary (0249) | Paraprofessional
Since 1994, the Minneapolis Public Schools has operated under site-based decision making to move decision making closest to the students served. The goal of site-based management is to improve student achievement.
Under site-based decision making, district and school efforts, theoretically, should complement each other. District offices set parameters, facilitate the sharing of information and best practices among schools, help evaluate progress, and give constructive feedback to both the schools and the Board. Schools have freedom (within approved decision-making parameters) to design site plans.
Although what site-based decision making looks like at each school may vary, schools typically have a team of representatives from all areas to serve as a "site council," "education council" or "shared leadership team." This will include principals, parents, students, teachers, specialist teachers, clerical, other building staff, business partners, and the community/neighborhood.
The councils meet monthly to make decisions and discuss long-range program goals for the school. Parents who are not on the council may attend and if they would like to have a subject discussed, may submit agenda items and talk to a member. Under the site-based decision making philosophy, these councils are to examine everything that might be standing in the way of student achievement-be it grade levels, student groupings, materials, or school policies and practice-and recommend keeping what is working and changing what is not.


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3) The promotion commences at 10:00 on 2/12/2016 and ends at 23:59 on 5/12/2016.
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- Replying to the competition Facebook post and giving their gifting dilemma
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7) The following prizes are up for grabs: 1 x FitBit Blaze.
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Irreversible Subcycle Generators
The irreversible generators are more numerous than the reversibles and they generally provide greater randomness for the same number of processor clock cycles. But their periods are shorter, so when used in 32-bit combination generators, they should be mixed with reversible generators to yield an acceptably large period. Irreversible generators are well-suited for 64-bit processors because their periods are large enough so as not to be an issue, and small enough to be obtainable by exhaustive search.
In Table 6, Per-32 and Per-64 refer to the ranges of periods you can get with 32 bits and 64 bits, respectively.
For 32-bit applications, I recommend only those with the longer periods, which means avoiding RA, RAR, RESDRA, and RERA. ISDLS and IESDLS can have large periods, but they are achieved at the expense of large shift-counts, which remove most of the bits (shifting in zeroes), thereby reducing randomness.
For 64 bits, all these generators are recommended. Note that I haven't tested IESDLS and IADLA with 64 bits yet, so I have no tables for them. A combination of three irreversible generators yields a period of over 2100, which is more than adequate for all uses.
CMRES: t = x; x = Multiplier*x; x = rotl(x,RL) – t;
CMRES is a variation of CMR with a final subtraction that makes it irreversible, reducing its period enough to be traversable. That subtraction also boosts its randomness enough that this 64-bit generator by itself (not in a combination) can pass BigCrush a surprising feat. A list of passing multipliers is shown in the Table 7. However, I recommend using this generator in a combination to get a longer period and to make seeding easier. Based on these test results, I'd say CMRES is the most random of all the subcycle generators I've tried. The combination of two of these subcycle generators in Listing Six passes BigCrush effortlessly:
Listing Six: A generator created from two irreversible subcycle generators.
void Seed2Cmres (uint32_t seed) { uint32_t n; uint64_t t; xx = 138563767ULL; for (n = (seed & 0x00ffffu) + 10; n>0; n--) { t = xx; xx = 3188803096312630803ULL * xx; xx = rotl(xx,33) - t; } yy = 2400589211ULL; for (n = (seed>>16) + 10; n>0; n--) { t = yy; yy = 14882990517504201107ULL * yy; yy = rotl(yy,30) - t; } } uint64_t Rand2Cmres () { // Combined period = 2^72.66 uint64_t t; t = xx; xx = 3188803096312630803ULL * xx; xx = rotl(xx,33) - t; t = yy; yy = 14882990517504201107ULL * yy; yy = rotl(yy,30) - t; return xx + yy; }
Although the 32-bit multiplication in most processors is fast, the 64-bit multiply might be slower. You are advised to check this, or run some timing tests. Note that modern Intel desktop processors can perform a 64-bit multiply in only 3 clock cycles [3] when running a 64-bit operating system. On such processors, this combination generator would be among the fastest, as well as have superb randomness. Table 7 shows some multipliers for CMRES that pass BigCrush, and also have large periods:
RA: x+=rotl(x,L));
RS: x-=rotl(x,L));
RES: x=rotl(x,L)-x);
RA was the first generator I invented, and while it works as well as the others, its period is among the shortest of all the irreversibles. RS and RES were the next generators I developed. All three are worthwhile because they're very fast (only two clock cycles of math) and provide good randomness.
RAR: x = x + rotl(x,R1); x = rotl(x,R2);
RSR: x = x - rotl(x,R1); x = rotl(x,R2);
RESR: x = rotl(x,R1) - x; x = rotl(x,R2);
RAR, RSR, and RESR are excellent generators for both 32 bits and 64 bits. The second rotation in them improves mixing of bits at a cost of only one clock cycle. In fact, these subcycle generators are good enough that the following 32-bit combination generator, which only uses one RSR and one RESR, passes the demanding BigCrush test-suite:
void SeedRsrResr (uint32_t seed) { uint32_t n; x = 542; y = 5981; for (n=(seed>>16 )+20; n>0; n--) { x -= rotl(x,11); x = rotl(x,27); } for (n=(seed&0xffff)+20; n>0; n--) { y = rotl(y,21) - y; y = rotl(y,20); } } uint32_t RandRsrResr () { // Combined period = 2^41.89 x -= rotl(x,11); x = rotl(x,27); // RSR: period=2847384=2^3*3^2*71*557 y = rotl(y,21) - y; y = rotl(y,20); // RESR:period=1435175=5^2*7*59*139 return x ^ y; }
This combination generator uses only 7 clock cycles of arithmetic and is superb for implementation in hardware due to the few gates it would use and its parallelizability. It provides both extremely high speed and good quality, but it has a relatively short period of 241.89. To boost its period, you could add a CERS generator to it. Or it could be implemented using 64 bits as in the following code:
void SeedRsrResr64 (uint32_t seed) { uint32_t n; xx = 981906ULL; yy = 590009ULL; for (n=(seed>>16 )+20; n>0; n--) { xx -= rotl(xx,11); xx = rotl(xx,27); } for (n=(seed&0xffff)+20; n>0; n--) { yy = rotl(yy,21) - yy; yy = rotl(yy,20); } } uint64_t RandRsrResr64 () { // Combined period = 2^85.01 xx -= rotl(xx,21); xx = rotl(xx,36); // RSR: period=3931871863377=3*733*1223*1462001 yy = rotl(yy,43) - yy; yy = rotl(yy,27); // RESR: period=9925159703554=2*53*93633582109 return xx ^ yy; }
On a 64-bit processor, this still uses only 7 clock cycles of math. But now it has a large period, and it still passes BigCrush. RAR, RSR, and RESR are excellent subcycle generators.
RESDRA: x = rotl(x,R1) - x; x = x + rotl(x,R2);
RSDRES: x = x - rotl(x,R1); x = rotl(x,R2) – x;
RESDRA and RSDRES are worthy generators for 64 bits, and should be a little more random than even RAR/RSR/RESR. You've already seen RESDRA in
RandRersResrResdra, and RSDRES is a similar fine performer. But they both consume 4 clock cycles of arithmetic, so avoid them if you need top speed.
RERA: x = rotl(x,R1) + rotl(x,R2);
RERA is simply the sum of two rotations, and it combines well with XORs. Try these three pairs of left rotations in a 32-bit combination generator: (25,27), (19,29), and (5,23). Initialize them to 1, 1, and 2 respectively, and seed with a loop. That combination generator has a period of 249.14, and passes all tests. But RERA is not as powerful as the similar RERS.
RERS: x = rotl(x,R1) – rot(x,R2);
RERS is the difference of two rotations, and includes the RS and RES generators as special cases when a rotation is zero. So RERS encompasses a useful family of generators, and you've seen several in combination generators presented earlier, such as
Rand2RersRs, which uses three of them. It's a good performer, but probably not quite as random as RAR/RSR/RESR. It's prudent to mix types of subcycle generators within a combination generator, and RERS is a good choice for mixing because its last operation is not a rotation, so it's fundamentally a different kind of generator than RAR/RSR/RESR perfect for adding to a mix. Table 8 presents a list of selected 64-bit generators of the types just described:
An annoying pattern you'll notice in this list is that the generators with the largest periods usually use a rotation of 21 or 43, reducing your ability to use a variety of rotations in the combination generator. This pattern is not true of RERS, making it that much more useful in a combination generator. The complete cycle tables for most of these generators took about a week each to compute due to their large maximum periods of about 243.
A few more generators use shifts instead of rotations. These are ISDLS, IESDLS, and IADLA, plus a couple more permutations obtained by changing the order of the add and subtract operators. They're fine generators, and I've created ISDLS generators in 64 bits as well as 32 bits. You can create a good 64-bit combination generator with three ISDLS subcycle generators using the following shift-pairs: (22,31), (11,13), and (7,19). Initialize each generator to 1 and seed with loops. All of these subcycle generators require 4 clock cycles of arithmetic, so I suggest they be used only when a rotate instruction is not available.
Theory Is Needed
Other than what we've gleaned from test results, we know very little about this new family of subcycle-based generators. There is no theory whatsoever about them. Most of these generators use a rotation and an add/subtract/multiply, which are difficult to analyze together because they function in the different number-theoretic fields of
GF(2) and integers (
mod 2w). I'm hoping that researchers in universities (and industry) who are expert in theoretical analysis will be able to provide some insights into these generators.
For example, a way of determining the period of the important CMR generator (and the other reversibles) would be especially helpful for 64-bit applications, because their average periods are 263, which is too large to traverse by brute force. Presently, the best we can do is spend hours of CPU-time traversing a portion of a cycle, say 245 numbers, and then we know the period is at least that large. And if that's larger than the number of random values required by an application, it's fine. It would be better to know the exact period, and that will require theoretical work. Even constraints on the period would be helpful. Will the period be odd or even? How large can the period be? Is 232-1 or the prime number 232-5 attainable? Are there anomalies in the numbers output by these generators? The spectral test [4] was devised to gauge the quality of multipliers for the LCG, and I suspect that other tests can be devised for some of these subcycle generators. Do some multipliers for CMR and CMRES produce better randomness than others? Probably, but we need some theory to reduce the search-time for good multipliers. For generators that do not use a multiply, do some constants and rotations produce better randomness than others? Again, probably so, but some theory is required to tease out the good constants. Does combining the outputs of multiple subcycle generators introduce anomalies? Testing indicates "no," but theory would tell us for certain.
My final recommendations are to use 64-bit combination generators if you have access to 64-bit instructions, and to start with the outstanding CMRES subcycle generator. For 32 bits, start with CMR, which is almost as good. If a multiplication is too slow, the various reversible generators using left-shifts work well, and for 64 bits, the irreversible generators with two rotations (RAR, RSR, RESR, etc.) are fine performers. But I consider CMR and CMRES to be the most important generators presented in this article. Use them if you can.
This article only begins to explore the possibilities of subcycle-based generators. I have tried many more primitive generators than I've reported here. Some were rejected because they were no better than these, some because their periods were too short, and the remainder because they failed tests. There are probably others awaiting discovery. Also, more work can be done with combinations of subcycle generators. For example, combining six 64-bit or eight 32-bit generators can produce a combination generator having a period of about 2256, which could be useful as a stream cipher in cryptography. An example is provided in the downloadable files.
Based on many rigorous tests, I am confident that subcycle-based generators will work well for most applications needing random numbers. I encourage those who explore these generators to publish their results for the benefit of the state of the art. If you publish an article or write a PhD dissertation about subcycle generators, I'd appreciate an email.
You can obtain my files containing tables of cycles for all the subcycle generators (both 32 bit and 64 bit) presented in this article, plus additional generators that might be worth investigating. The zip-file includes the source code for my cycle-finder program. It also includes source for my command-line interface to the TestU01 library, which contains all the 100-plus generators I tested. Click here to download the zip file.
[1] Pierre L'Ecuyer, Richard Simard, August 2007, TestU01: A C library for empirical testing of random number generators, ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software (TOMS), Volume 33 (Issue 4).
[2] Marsaglia, George, July 2003, Xorshift RNGs,Journal of Statistical Software, Volume 8 (Issue 14).
[3] Intel 64 and IA-32 Architectures Optimization Reference Manual [PDF], Order number 248966-023a, Jan. 2011, pg 724, Intel Corporation.
[4] Knuth, Donald, 1981, Seminumerical Algorithms, The Art of Computer Programming Vol 2, Second Edition, pp 89-113, Addison-Wesley.
Mark Overton is a lead Software Engineer at Northrop Grumman and has several patents in image processing. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Fast, High-Quality, Parallel Random Number Generators: Part 1


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Since we've been all about the empowering images around here lately, I want to make a note that B & Lu is using much bigger models than usual this season (or at least than I recall). Real, honest-to-goodness fat women, not your typical size 12/14 "plus" models. And they look terrific.
Go check out the site for more. And buy me a Lotus skirt while you're at it.


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At last we're getting hot. Well, not actually hot, at least not here in the moisty Willamette Valley. Elsewhere, all across the country (and wider world), people are baking in drought conditions, crops drying and dying, herds starving, swarms of locusts consuming every green leaf and shoot. "This is what global warming looks like," said one climatologist. Meanwhile, paid mouthpieces deny the problems (getting harder to do) and the perfectly apparent causes, doing their forked-tongue best to enable those who profit from destructive actions to continue reaping obscene levels of profit while, simultaneously, ensuring that the looming agonies will morph to nearly total disaster.
The deniers have friends in Oregon (thanks, Art, checks are in the mail), and our balmy conditions make it easier for sensitives among us to express our regrets for the sufferers while roaming our green fields and sipping sweet, clean air. And who can blame us? Certainly not I.
My grandchildren are healthy and beautiful, lean, brown and strong. They dash through our garden, laughing, shouting, singing silly songs, stopping at the blueberry bushes to gobble handsful of ripe fruit. Brian, the 5-year-old we call Little Bear, ravages the plants, and that's OK, better than OK. Meagan, our precocious 7-year-old, practices handstands until her grandparents are exhausted. The sun is mildly warm. A fine mist watered us this morning. Tonight, we'll barbeque with friends and nip cool wines and cherish these golden days.
The wines we'll sip will be rosés, but not those schlocky-pink "blush" wines. Nope, these're the real deal: dry, crisp, slightly chilled wines with complex flavors — but not so complex we have to talk about them — complements to summer's simpler foods, cold meats, fresh fish and salads.
Those wily French folk, especially those in the sweltering southern valleys of the Provence region, are masters of these pinkish beauties, but Oregonians have been quite successfully experimenting with rosies made from pinot noir (and others). Note: all rosés start with black/red grapes; contact with the red skins impart the colors, ranging from very pale, even colorless, to pink/salmon to intensely pink, actually light red. They can also be vinified as still wines or sparkling, with tasty results. Herewith, some of our faves:
Sparkles for the summer eve: Jaillance Cremant de Bordeaux Cuvée d l'Abbaye Brut Rose ($15) is just terrific. Cremant means this sparkler is under less pressure than usual, tending toward smooth and creamy. Flavors here touch on raspberries and strawberries with notes of vanilla.
Crowd pleaser: Bergstrom 2011 Rosé Oregon Pinot Noir ($19) is very pale but very pretty across the palate with delicate flavors of roses and red berries. Try with cold salmon — yum!
Picnic packer: Spindrift Cellars Pinot Noir Rosé 2011 ($14.50) is pale pink, but gold- medal quality. Taste for red berries, watermelon, whiff of peaches, tang of tangerine, well balanced to match with white cheeses, picnic fare. Screwcap adds portability — and plain good sense.
Traditional charm: Clos Cibonne 2010 Tibouren Cotes de Provence ($26): The ticket may be a bit steep, but this is Provencal rosé as it's always been: pale in color, complex in flavors, distinguished by that hint of orange zest. I'm thinkn' cold pasta salad with mussels (if available) or salmon.
Classic: Lovers of rosés hit the heights with Bandol Domaine du Gros Noré 2010 ($34), a blend of Rhone-valley powerhouse grapes — mourvedre, syrah, Grenache — to deliver complex flavors suitable to a wide range of summer grub — surf, turf or coop — served cold or hot. It's just the standard by which others are measured, a benchmark wine.
Let's take our pleasures while we may, friends. These are the wines that ease the pains. And send some love to our neighbors who are struggling in drying climes.


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Funny Friends
by: Friedemann Friese
Game Type(s):
Party game
Players: 3 - 6
Age: 17 +
Available Languages
Status: Out of Print
Stock Number: 057
What are your life goals? Are you willing to do what it takes to achieve them? In this game, fate select your goals, and changes them arbitrarily, so that after spending much time and effort to become a rock star, for example, fate decides you must now renounce that life and make the necessary life-style changes to become a, for example, a priest. Once you are pious and priestly, fate is likely to find another goal, which requires yet more significant changes in your life. This is a fun and fast-moving game that will leave you exhausted from the laughter and chaos!Because of some graphic content in the game, it is not recommended for players under 17.
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Halli Galli - special Christmas edition
Game Type(s): Card Games, Dexterity, Party game
Players: 3 - 6
Age: 17 +