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As the year winds down, WitOut collects lists from comedy performers and fans of their favorite moments, comedians, groups, shows, etc. from the last year in Philly comedy. Top 5 of 2012 lists will run throughout December–if you'd like to write one, pitch us your list at email@example.com!
The Feeko Brothers – Two Doctors
The opening to Crotch the Throne, one of my favorite shows of the year, Two Doctors is an amazing sketch both in premise and execution. Watching the Feeko Brothers (Billy Bob Thompson and Christian Alsis) say the exact same thing at the exact same time (and discover that they say the exact same thing at the exact same time at the exact same time, and discover that they discover…you get it) for an entire sketch is pure joy. The two doctors ask each other fantastically detailed questions to find out how similar they actually are, and their answers are as unexpected as they are hilarious ("I don't drive. It's dangerous. I power walk everywhere.") The sketch reaches its peak as the two sing together and try to harmonize their "all time favorite, trapped on a desert island forever with it" song; The Weight by The Band.
Camp Woods – Imposters
I think it's pretty safe to say that Camp Woods created more comedy in Philadelphia than anyone else in the past year. They challenged themselves with a monthly show at L'etage at which they promised a brand new set every month, and they more than met their goals. With that much material created I could have done a list of just my Top Five Favorite Camp Woods sketches from 2012 – but I think I talk about them enough. Imposters was a great sketch about a mother (played by Billy Bob Thompson) who throws an 18th birthday party for her daughter (Madonna Marie Refugia) and hires an Austin Powers impersonator (Pat Foy) as entertainment. The sad man slowly realizes exactly how sad his life is as he tries to hit on the girl every time her mom leaves the room to get the cake (which she keeps forgetting because she's "fucking stupid"). He finally realizes he is living his life in the past, as all of his choices in life have lead him to his fate as a "true impersonation" of the swingin' sixties spy character. Depressing, but hilarious.
Camp Woods – Mystery Science Andre 3000
This sketch made its debut at The Theme Show. I'll let it speak for itself.
Secret Pants – We're You, From the Future
Secret Pants really kept peeling back the layers on this onion-of-a-sketch they performed at November's Camp Woods Plus. The concept involved the Secret Pants of today travelling back into time to Meg and Rob's Last Show to inform the Secret Pants of that day that it would not, in fact, be Meg and Rob's last show. More visits from more versions of Secret Pants from more distant futures created a hilarious rapid fire back-and-forth between all of the groups that eventually lead to the discovery that even though Meg and Rob would not be gone forever Bryce would have to cry like they would, because the fate of all humanity depended on it. Thank you, Bryce, and thank you, Secret Pants.
ManiPedi – Suicide Gary
Suicide Gary is ManiPedi's cautionary tale of a man (Briana Kelly) who, after failing to commit suicide, is left to hang under the bridge where he tried to end his life as a lesson for teens that life is worth living. It's like an "it get's better" campaign, only nothing ever does. A teacher (Aubrie Williams) leads a group of students (Kaitlyn Thompson, Shannon Brown, Madonna Marie Refugia) to learn from Gary and ask him questions like "does it hurt" (it does) and "how do you eat" (sometimes a bird flies near his mouth). One of the more morbid students becomes infatuated with Gary's situation while another antagonizes and bullies him into trying to once again live up to his nickname. Neck-snappingly funny.
Aaron Hertzog will always be a Philly comedian. No matter where he may or may not currently live. You can be his #friend on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
2 Comments
All the more reason to take Kevin MacDonald's class next time he comes around. That's where 'Suicide Gary' debuted.
[…] included two of our sketches — "MSA3000″ and "Imposters" — in his Top 5 Sketches of 2012 list. Thanks, Big Time Comedy […]


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Those searching for sunny economic news might look toward the Space Needle, since help truly is wanted in the Emerald City.
"We needed extra staff," says Gerry Leonard, the general manager of Fado Irish Pub in Seattle. "We've already hired extra guys for the kitchen, extra guys for the front of the house."
So does this indicate that the nation is turning the fiscal corner?
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Not really.
It just means that plenty of people in Seattle like watching corner kicks. Seattle is a city where support for Major League Soccer's Sounders is as strong as — or stronger than — for Major League Baseball's Mariners, with average crowds greater than 35,000 per match. And Fado's is ranked the No. 1 soccer bar by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
So the World Cup is responsible for this job creation.
Soccer is the stimulus.
"We're going to show every single game live," Leonard says.
In that effort, Fado's managers, cooks, bartenders and servers promise sleeplessness, virtually from the start of the World Cup's month-long South Africa run. The tournament begins Friday, and Saturday, matches commence as early as 4:30 a.m. Pacific time. Leonard — or one of his employees — will open the doors 15 minutes before that, seven hours earlier than usual. During most of the day, Leonard is expecting crowds close to the pub's 400-person capacity, especially during the United States' highly anticipated matchup with England (which starts at 11:30 a.m. local time). The pub will close at 2 a.m., as usual.
"Then it's time to clean the place up, and start all over again," Leonard says.
The expected bustle at Fado's might suggest to some that soccer's time, in this country, has finally come. The question, however, is whether the excitement in that one spot, in one soccer-crazed city, can spread down the coast and across the plains. The World Cup is always a huge event internationally. But how big can it be domestically, in the country the world watches to see if it's watching?
"My sense is that America is going to be very passionate about it," says Alan Black, the Scotland-born co-author of the whimsical but reverential The Glorious World Cup: A Fanatic's Guide. "Soccer has matured in this country over a period of 30 years. What's interesting to me is that many American soccer fans have come to love the game through participating instead of through the media. This has created an understanding of the game. There's a stealth wave that the traditional sports media have ignored."
The sport does have many factors in his favor, perhaps more than ever before.
More than 4 million children in the United States are registered players. The U.S. is increasingly Hispanic, a portion of the population that tends to be passionate about the sport. Major League Soccer has been established for 15 years, and now includes 16 teams, many based in major cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C., Houston and Los Angeles.
ESPN, which has been bombarding viewers with World Cup promotion through commercials and on its signature show SportsCenter, will produce more than 250 hours of original programming and is presenting matches in high definition. The U.S. team has now qualified for six straight World Cups after missing the tournament for 40 years.
This year, the U.S. has a deep squad featuring players — Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey — who have fared well in international leagues and competition, and those players have been placed by FIFA in a favorable group, with the toughest match likely to come in the opener, a highly-awaited contest against traditional historical rival England. And major U.S. figures, from Henry Kissinger to Bill Clinton to Brad Pitt, has all taken an active interest in the bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
So is soccer primed for an explosion in popularity in America?
"There is no comparison as to the support, the exposure, the fan base and the knowledge, eight years ago to where it is today," says ESPN analyst and former U.S. captain John Harkes. "It has grown tremendously. The core group of fans, but also the ones on the perimeter, are so interested as to how our team does. And the U.S. has done such a good job of growing the game the right way, and setting up resources for players, so they can be successful. My debut was May 23, 1987, and I can remember washing our own uniforms. Now look at the fields they have, the setup. (Coach) Bob Bradley has a great situation at Princeton."
Harkes believes that the MLS's existence and the U.S.'s consistent World Cup participation have provided a springboard, particularly with youth. "It was the most populated sport, but now it's an educated sport," Harkes says. "Kids are mimicking players across the entire MLS. Now they are starting to want to be the players that they see."
That would be a major change. For years, kids have flocked to soccer fields in suburbs and cities, and even attended camps and clinics, in an effort to perfect their skills as strikers and stoppers. But that love of playing hasn't generally translated into a genuine interest in watching, or dreaming. The best young athletes, even those with specific talents best suited for soccer, have been far more likely to idolize the likes of Alex Rodriguez, LeBron James or Peyton Manning. And soccer has struggled to capture the imagination of American sports spectators — and followers — in the same way as other team sports, particularly baseball, basketball and football.
So why the slow evolution?
David Henry Sterry, Black's co-author, is the son of English immigrants. He grew up in Texas, playing fullback and rooting for the NASL's Texas Tornadoes. "It was usually the long-haired freaky kids who played the game," Sterry says. "The sport had a certain outsider quality that I loved."
Over time, that "outsider" status became more of a curiosity to him. He's encountered many sports fans, and even sportswriters, who have acted "threatened by the game. It didn't make any sense to them. "'The game ends 0-0, where is the excitement in that?' People want to see the longball, and lots of points and runs, and that kind of action that is quantifiable. And in soccer, that's not the way it's set up. The old guard, it was kind of strange, I observed it again and again, there was almost this violent reaction against soccer, over the top attacking this game."
Andy Markovits, a comparative politics professor at the University of Michigan, has heard all the arguments about what makes soccer unpalatable to many Americans, starting with those about the sport's relative lack of offensive gratification. He doesn't buy them.
"This is all historical," says Marvokits, author of the new book Gaming the World: How Sports are Reshaping Global Politics and Culture. "It has nothing to do with the fact there's no timeouts, and it's low scoring. Baseball and hockey are low-scoring as well. I'm totally convinced that it has nothing to do with the sport itself. It is all about history. Basically, these are all sports languages. And soccer is a language Americans don't speak. It has nothing to do with 'they have no attention span.' They have attention spans for baseball games. My gosh, four hours."
Marvokits argues that America's sports languages were created during a roughly 50-year period starting in 1860. Those preferred sports developed their own culture, statistics and heroes. And over time, each became even more entrenched, making it a challenge for other sports to break through. Yet, he adds, "There's no reason for these languages to remain immutable. I don't see a reason why, in 2050, the U.S. can't be the best soccer nation. Or why Holland can't be the best in baseball. Or Japan in basketball. These things switch. One day, people here will speak it. We are much better than we were 10 years ago. And we will be much better in 10 years. The trajectory has been phenomenal."
Sterry noticed the "shift in the zeitgeist" during a recent interview by an older sportswriter: "The tone was not what's wrong with soccer, but it's like, 'what's wrong with me? Explain the game to me.'"
Markovits expects the World Cup to be "a big deal" in America, "maybe even watercooler talk," because the tournament has been gradually Olympianized, with the pull of national identity making many care about a sport they might otherwise ignore.
But there's one thing that Markovits, Sterry and Black all agree is most necessary to send the sport really soaring... through June, and July, and beyond.
"I think a lot depends on June 12th," Sterry says. "When the U.S. plays England."
"Very critical," Black says. "That is the liftoff. It will propel the rocket fire."
Some are calling it the biggest game in American soccer history. And it comes up first, before the U.S. plays Slovenia or Algeria.
"A rivalry with an old colonial master, and now we have a chance to defeat them on the world stage," says Black, who identifies himself as American after living half his life here. "And I think the rest of the world, I think, will be supporting the United States in this game. We are the underdog here, and the U.S. usually doesn't get treated like underdog on world stage. The England's superiority complex is larger than their beer gut. They tend to think everybody else should be on bended knee, in front of great crown of soccer they have put on their heads. So we have the opportunity to knock it off."
And should the U.S. lose or, worse, fall to advance out of the first round?
"People will say, 'Oh well, same old thing it always was. All this and for what?'" Sterry says. "America likes winners."
America won the U.S. women's World Cup in 1991 and 1999.
"But it has to come from the men's side," Markovits says. "Our women are sensational, but that is just not going to create sports culture. If the U.S. excels in it, it will have a major spillover to soccer. Soccer is not going to touch the big three in my lifetime — I just turned 60. But it might become like hockey."
And it could create a virtuous cycle, where the success of the U.S. team inspires even more gifted youngsters to stay with a sport they already play, but didn't once view as a potential career.
"In a couple of generations, you are going to see more great athletes play soccer," Sperry says. "I envision a day when (athletes like) Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are twin strikers, and Ray Lewis as a central defender, and Derek Jeter running the football. When we gravitate toward soccer, then we will win the World Cup. And I don't think it's that far away."
Markovits won't go that far. But he does believe as more kids learn to "speak soccer" as well as they speak baseball and basketball and football, then they'll be less prone to abandon a sport for which they may best suited in favor of one in which they are less likely to excel.
"Here's the thing," Markovits says. "There is a 20 million person supply. People play it. And they play it the way they bowl or fish or bicycle. Of these, very few will have the ability but also connect in a way that is part of culture. If in fact we win, more of these 12-year-old kids connect. The pool enlarges. And yes, I think we will get better."
If so, soccer is sure to get bigger.
And Fado Irish Pub's competition — for top soccer bar — is sure to get tougher.

subset: commoncrawl


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1 January 2020
In 2020 we bring you a public beta of the New BT!
11 November 2013
Sorry for the recent outages!
Once the new server got under the pressure of spam bots, the caching module malfunctioned. All should be well now and we will continue to work on other caching solutions to speed the things up. If you experience slow response times or downtime, please let us know. Early feedback means early resolution.
6 November 2013
Major data & software update and server upgrade:
29 July 2011
Performance Issues:
Change in Word-list ordering:
Spelling dictionaries for MS Word:
If you cite the online dictionary or use it in classes, please let us know through the Guestbook, it will help us to keep the site running.
Pronunciation is now included as an experimental feature. It is generated by a neat OE pronunciation algorithm developed by Daniel Marek as a part of his BA thesis "Phonological Changes between Old and Middle English (An Algorithmic Approach)". The algorithm takes very little heed of some morphological features and it does not work with etymological or suprasegmental features. The results are therefore accurate only to a limited extent. Check out the pronunciation of "scildan" for an example.
After a few more hiccups a new feature again:
Sorry for the short black-out, the server was updated without any notice (which crashed the site). All should be up & running now.
Several updates happened meanwhile:
This is the first beta-version of the site and we will be glad for your feedback. You can reach us through the general Contact Form, or at the Forums.
Please accept our apologies for the inexcusably long time this site has taken to construct and the data behind it to process. We hope you will not be very much disappointed.
Ondřej Tichý, 2010


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I always admire the young and talented, especially if they also bake very well because I am such a klutz when it comes to baking. Hannah of Honey & Jam is the uber talented 19 years old from Georgia and a star in baking, food photography, blogging, and writing.
Honey & Jam is one of those blogs that I just want to linger all day—a welcoming design with luscious and vivid photography, and I feel like I could smell the sweet aroma of her baked goods whenever I visit her site. She is truly gifted.
Honey & Jam bakes us some vanilla cheesecake today. Please welcome Hannah of Honey & Jam to Rasa Malaysia. Now, let's dig in to those cheesecakes!
Hi Rasa Malaysia readers! I come to you today with one of my very favorite desserts, cheesecake. It's one of those desserts that connected with so many memories for me, like the years when my little brother was totally obsessed with it, he had to have it every time we went out to eat, and usually ended up licking the plate when he finished!
It's also the dessert I bake every year for my dad's birthday. It's delicious, rich and creamy, and pretty easy!
This is the most basic cheesecake recipe you can work with, but with a couple of touches that kick it up a bit. Firstly, start with really good ingredients, especially the cream cheese.
That's the only way you're going to get a really fabulous cheesecake. Also, considering making your own graham crackers! It sounds like a lot of work, but it's totally worth it. I made my own for the first time for this recipe, and it really added a lot of great flavor…
What's great about cheesecake is you can top it with pretty much anything, fresh fruit, caramel, chocolate shavings, or my favorite, jam. I topped one a traditional cherry and the other with scrumptious orange-elderflower marmalade. Have fun with it!
SUBSCRIBE TO RASA MALAYSIA NEWSLETTER AND GET EASY AND DELICIOUS RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. If you try my recipe, please use hashtag #rasamalaysia on social media so I can see your creations! Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter for new recipes, giveaways and more.


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Composting – Nearly 35 per cent of the material dumped in our landfill is biodegradable waste that produces methane due to decomposition in anaerobic conditions. Methane is a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide – a major contributor to climate change. Home composting can easily divert organic waste into useful fertilizer for your garden. It's a convenient disposal mechanism for kitchen scraps, leaves and other yard waste. There are many options available including apartment-sized worm bins, self-contained units (pictured) and permanent sectional garden structures. For information on starting your own compost, the Campbell River Compost Education Centre is open from April to October.
Curbside Collection – Weekly curbside yard waste collection is available throughout the spring and summer and fall (March to November). Exact program dates can be found here.
Outdoor trimmings and leaves are accepted, along with sod and small amounts of soil. Kitchen waste, animal feces and non-biodegradable materials are not accepted. Material will need to be placed in either compostable bags or clearly-labeled open-top rigid containers (max 80L).
Yard Waste Drop-off Centre– The Yard Waste Drop-off Centre is open year round, Friday to Tuesday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. It is located on the We Wai Kai Nation land off Willis Rd behind the Shell Station ~ follow the signs. For more information on the Drop-Off Centre or to find out more about curbside pickup click here.
Illegal Dumping Dangers – While biodegradable, incorrectly disposed yard waste has a serious impact on our environment and biodiversity conservation. Piles of yard waste attract rats and pests that spread disease and venture into our homes. It only takes one spark to ignite dried out piles of branches and prunings. Dumped yard waste smothers seedlings, carries plant disease, and causes nitrogen deficiencies in the soil that can kill native plants. Not only are non-native species like Scotch Broom introduced from yard waste, dumping creates "dead zones" that become entry points for invasive species. Read more...
301 St. Ann's Road, Campbell River, BC,
V9W 4C7 | Tel. 250-286-5700 |


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★ What is『The transformation』of the world?
▽ This world (to be more accurate, it was this country) was controlled by『The eight million gods』.『The eight million gods』were different from Christianity which had faith in a single God or Greek mythology which believed in the legends of polytheism, it was based on the idea that everything in this world had『A god』residing in it.
▽ Based on that idea, for example: a pebble on the roadside, a building, a handicraft, an animal or a weed, and even large-scale concepts, such as the weather, physical law and cities —— each one of them had『A god』residing within it.『Eight million』had the meaning of『A lot』, of course, it would be impossible to count if『A god』even resided in something like trash.
▽『Gods』and expressive might sound suspicious, but to put it simply, they had『Ego』. They had『Self-awareness』,『Heart』, and『Personality』. When thinking about『The eight million gods』, they had emotions, they were what we called personified gods. This applied without exception from Amaterasu, the supreme deity who ruled the sun, to『A god』of smaller things, such as an eraser. By observing『The personalities』it could be possible to identify『The god』.
▽ When thinking about『The human world』from what we know, or『Common sense』, the fact about『The gods reside in everything』wasn't really well-known. I'll explain in details later, but it was the fact that we naturally thought『The world could be "transformed" in a way that was convenient for humans』, that was why humans felt nervous about『The gods』which could act as they pleased (sometimes when an incident related to a spiritual phenomenon by『The gods』occurred, they just handed it to the specialized organization.)
▽『The gods』weren't friends with each other to begin with. It was easier to understand when looking at groups of humans. Many『Personalities』gave birth to love-hate relations and factions, which led to quarrels and difference in the influential voices. Of course,『The eight million』of『Gods』got along with each other under the same common cause —— I didn't say, that given the chance,『The gods』wouldn't push for their own view, causing『Their own convenient world』.
▽ However, the scope of the control『The gods』had was only within『Themselves』. For『The god of pebble』,『The self』was nothing but『The pebble』. For the other『Gods』to become『Other person』was, of course, unheard of.
▽ But there was hierarchy among『The gods』. For example, let's say there was a wooden desk.『The desk』was assembled from『Lumbers』and 『Screws』. Then『The desk』,『The lumbers』, and『The screws』all had『The gods』residing within them.『The lumbers』had『The god of lumbers』, and also acted as『A part of the god of desk』. Now『The god of desk』was also a part of『The god of furniture』(The desk was a kind of furniture, thus it fell under control of furniture as well).
▽ It was like molecules, the smaller『Gods』assembled to form a bigger『God』, and became more generic, for example『The god of desk』→『The god of house』→『The god of town』→『The god of country』→『The god of the world』, or it could be thought as the『God』of『The section』was『A part』of the『God』of『The whole』.
▽ It could be thought off in a way that resembles the relations between individuals and an organization as well. Each one of the employees『Self』was『Individual』, but when they assembled together as『The whole』, a single『Individuality』=『Corporation』occurred. In normal case, the employee couldn't go against the company. The company had the authority to order its employees, it had controlling power even to force its employees to obey. In the case of『The gods』, this was even more obvious.
▽『A god of the whole』could make『A god of the section』obey. That was almost an absolute rights to order. The greater『God』(the higher the divinity, the more expressive as well) could control『The gods』on the lower hierarchy, and alter them freely. This alteration was called『The transformation』.
▽ I mentioned earlier that『The god』had『Personality』and that『One's comfort led to a convenient world』. So if each one of『The gods』did that as they liked, the world would fall into a lawless chaos —— but that didn't happen.
▽ If all humans acted on their whims, the state would fail to function. No, a world without regulations wouldn't be able to form a state in the first place. It was the same with『The gods』. Regulations existed among『The gods』to prevent them from acting for their own self-satisfactions. A so-called ruler of『The gods』—— and that was『The supreme deity Amaterasu』.
▽ It was as the name『The supreme deity』implied, in terms of divinity, Amaterasu was number one. All other『Gods』had to obey her. In other words, Amaterasu regulated『The world』, and the other『Gods』regulated themselves based on that. According to the desire of Amaterasu, the form of this『World』could be altered, from a pebble to the laws of physics.
▽ Let me continue on『The convenient world of humans』for a bit, if this Amaterasu was confined in『A human』, she would have to abide to that human. So『The human』in a special position had sealed『The supreme deity』using their own tools. With the acquired power of Amaterasu, they could use that authority to maintain the human world to be『Convenient for themselves』.
▽ I'll describe in details later, but the existence of that Amaterasu was within the body of Onii-chan, of all people. Or should I say absorbed. It could be thought as『Onii-chan = the supreme deity Amaterasu』. To give an example easier to understand for some, it's『Onii-chan = Suzumiya Haruhi』. However, Onii-chan didn't realize he had all the power of the gods, let alone utilizing it with his idiocy —— The reign of the incompetent ruler would lead『The world』into a mess.
▽ The current composition was, well, because of that. As to why such a stupid situation occurred, I'd save that for my next report. Moreover, I still couldn't stop thinking about the turmoil a few days ago —— namely『The Valentine's Tragedy』incident.
★ About『The Valentine's Tragedy』
▽ The first large-scaled『Transformation』which led to『The Valentine's Tragedy』was caused by the motion of『The supreme deity Amaterasu』within Onii-chan's body. About that stupid incident which turned the entire world into chocolate —— when thinking and investigating it afterward, it was then that I started to be able to grasp its outline.
▽ Onii-chan, who had a manservant constitution, didn't have a single desire for himself. In spite the various circumstances of his selflessness,『He didn't exist』, he was a person who rarely had thoughts or feelings for himself. Hiding his face was also probably to deny his own『Self』, or to keep himself from noticing it.
▽ With that said, even though he possessed『The power of the supreme deity』, Onii-chan would never use it for his self-interest. One might think it was a waste of talent, but serious usage of『The power of the supreme deity』could potentially destroy the world.
▽ For this reason, I couldn't be negligent. I used『Onii-chan Observation Tool』in order to see that Onii-chan wasn't doing anything funny, or desiring something troublesome, that was the reason I watched over Onii-chan (if that wasn't the case, who would spend day and night watching that pervert anyway) —— But, that shouldn't be necessary, as Onii-chan spent every day doing nothing but continuing his casual ordinary life anyway.
▽ However, this time Onii-chan bore a desire. While that desire might sound stupid, as it was『I want chocolate』—— but due to the three Yagami sisters whom fed him too much knowledge, he was somehow filled with an unusual『Want』.
▽ I need to say this out front in order to prevent a misunderstanding, Onii-chan never gave out an order『Turn the entire world into chocolate~♪』. That was『The gods』around him acting on their own.『The gods』observed『I want chocolate』from Onii-chan, then they thought "Let's make『The supreme deity』-sama pleased." and turned themselves into chocolate while insisting to him "Eat me, eat me~♪" (currently『Onii-chan = the supreme deity Amaterasu』, I couldn't distinguish the other gods from each other).
▽ Everyone wanted to be employed in a good company, living a wealthy life in a peaceful country —— it was the same for『The gods』. Pleasing『The supreme deity』would raise their own status, increasing their divinity. With more freedom, they could live in greed. That was why『The gods』wanted nothing but to answer Onii-chan's wish. In short, they wanted to be liked by Onii-chan by using flattery.
▽ As the result,『The gods』turned their bodies into chocolate, and the world was completely changed into a very strange scene full of chocolate. All just for Onii-chan. Just to please Onii-chan. There was surely no one but Onii-chan whom was given this much chocolate on Valentine's.
▽ With『The gods』changing themselves into chocolate without thinking about the consequences, those who knew that it wouldn't be good were the three Yagami sisters. Those girls, who were far higher in divinity than the ordinary『Gods』, and seemed to be in a somewhat special position —— knew that『The transformation』was due to『The supreme deity』, but still forcibly intervened.
▽ Those girls caused the world to return to normal. That much was certain. I understood their feelings. I wouldn't want a world full of chocolate either. However, the actions of those three sisters were judged by the surrounding『Gods』as "clearly hostile acts towards us, who are trying to please『The supreme deity』".
▽ Due to this reason, in order to return the world to normal, those girls attacked『The gods』that turned into chocolate. They were the light brown muddy stream which swept violently in my house (although the three sisters called the hostile『Gods』as『Evil gods』…… there was some details I still couldn't really understand at this point, I'll save that for the next report.)
▽ With that said, when facing the lower class of『The material gods』(the smallest unit of『The gods』. Or the so-called『The section god』. If it was the same small unit of animals or plants,『The creature gods』, their treatment would be slightly different) the three Yagami sisters, who were far higher in divinity, weren't taken aback. After cleaning up the small fries, they then settled this『Strangeness』(referring to the inconvenient event that occurred by『The transformation』).
▽ To put it simply, the incident this time was caused by the feeling of "I want chocolate!" by Onii-chan. In order to end it, that desire had to be fulfilled. That was why the three Yagami sisters politely coated me in chocolate and gave me to Onii-chan. I was a sacrifice.
▽ When Onii-chan mistaken that it was "Chocolate is…… m-y-s-e-l-f♪" from me, he was satisfied. The result was Onii-chan had his desire fulfilled, as『The gods』felt that there was no point doing it any longer, they returned to normal (if Onii-chan had the feeling that "I want to live like usual", the world would return to normal on its own in order to fulfill his desire).
★ Conclusion
▽ Well, if just a trivial desire of "I want chocolate!" could lead to 『The transformation』of such grand-scale,『The power of the supreme deity』is really absurd…… I think I have to strengthen the observation of Onii-chan even further to prevent such a stupid situation like this from happening ever again.
▽ As for the true identities of the three Yagami sisters, there were still many unconfirmed facts about them. I also need to be on my guard when investigating, and interacting with them. Why do I have to do something so troublesome —— while I might think so, I could say that I also have a reason that I don't want the world to fall into chaos, so, well… it can't be helped……
▽ And I won't be eating chocolate for a while.


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Kevin Federline is done with being overweight.
Access Hollywood has confirmed Britney Spears' ex-husband is joining the cast of the next installment of VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Latest Star Sightings
Federline, a former back-up dancer, has been spotted looking less than trim in recent months.
The move may come as a surprise as many suspected the father of Britney's two children – Sean Preston and Jayden James – was rumored to be doing his own reality show. He has remained coy thus far about that prospect.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Keepin' It Real With TV's Hottest Reality Stars!
Making his move to the show even more interesting is that his ex, Shar Jackson, is rumored to be a fellow contestant this season, along with Bobby Brown and former "Baywatch" babe Nicole Eggert, according to TMZ.
"Celebrity Fit Club" is entering its seventh season on the network.
Previous stars who have slimmed down on the show included Danie Baldwin, Kim Coles, Gary Busey, Kelly LeBrock, Tina Yothers, Warren G., Dustin Diamond and Chastity Bono.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Kevin Federline
PLAY IT NOW: Kevin Federline's Attorney Gives Post-Court Press Conference (May 6, 2008)
PLAY IT NOW: Kevin Federline's Commando
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Kevin Federline - Reality TV - Celebrities - TV - Bobby Brown


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In just a few weeks, they have had requests from over 90 medical students for help in being matched with a rare family! These students represent dozens of medical schools all over the U.S. as well as Canada and the U.K.
Global Genes is asking our help in finding rare families we can match for this program. This is a wonderful way to create awareness for your disorder within the medical education community and possibly create a relationship that could shape the med student's future career focus. The IPPF would love to have pemphigus and pemphigoid families represented in this fantastic program! What a great way to help spread awareness to the future of the medical community about pemphigus and pemphigoid! To let Global Genes know that you are interested in being a rare family for this program please email Carrie Ostrea firstname.lastname@example.com
Please help us spread the word about their med student matching program by going to http://globalgenes.org/cox-prize-family to see what locations are currently asking for requests. This list gets updated weekly, so please check back often to see what new cities are requested.
Thank you so much for your support! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Carrie Ostrea
Advocacy Director / Parent Advocate
Global Genes – Allies in Rare Disease
(949) 248-RARE x110


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ORLANDO, Fla. – A dog is being credited with helping save a family after the animal alerted its owner to a car on fire just outside their recreational vehicle in an Orlando RV park.
The Volkswagen Beetle burst into flames for an unknown reason around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Lake Breeze RV Park off Lee Road near Edgewater Drive and Orange Blossom Trail.
A dog named Jo-Jo awakened its owner, who was in a nearby camper.
"(Jo-Jo) jumped up on the bed, whining a little bit, just sitting, propped up on the bed next to me," said the dog's owner, who also called 911. "I thought he needed to go outside, so I looked out the window and I saw flames coming out. I ran to his door and banged on his door and said, 'Your car's on fire.'"
The fire, which didn't spread to the RV, was extinguished, and the cause of the blaze is under investigation. Fire officials said the car had last been driven about four hours earlier.
No one was injured.


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Thank you for all your responses to the request for pathfinding test cases. We've made some systemic changes to the pathfinder which will be in tomorrow's public test build. Some of the changes are experimental in nature, so if you could test tomorrow's build and give feedback on the pathfinding in this thread that would be very helpful.
Thank you!


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If you hang around this blog, or Blog Azeroth, you've probably heard my spiel about blogging. You know, how it's great for improving your writing skills, for boosting confidence, for reflecting about stuff, for giving your skin that sexy, healthy glow you've always wanted. If you haven't heard it yet, you will at some point.
As a result of my lengthy ramblings about blogging and my tendency to frequent corners of the internet that encourage such discourses, I get asked lot of questions about blogging. The same questions often come up (apparently us bloggers all share the same worries when we're first starting out) so I thought I'd compile the more popular ones (and ask on Twitter if anyone had special requests) and, because I'm nice like that, my answers to them.
As I was trying to give each question the attention it deserved, I realized pretty fast that I had way too much content for one post. Turns out blogging is such a mysterious and complicated endeavour that an FAQ cannot fit comfortably into the ideal 500 to 1000 word length (see below) so we've got two parts: Part 1 on getting started and part 2 with all you wanted to know about content.
You get part 1 today and you might get part 2 tomorrow or Friday IF YOU ALL BEHAVE.


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Contact Executive Director
Anne-Marie Edgar
Anne-Marie Edgar is the Executive Director for Make A Change Canada. Reporting to the Board of Directors, she is responsible for the overall management of our programs and the effective administration of the organization.
Anne-Marie has been with Make A Change Canada since January 2007, with her prior role as Financial Manager for the organization. Anne-Marie's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master in Business Administration. With over 20 years' experience working with persons living with a disability, Anne-Marie has a strong understanding and regard for those facing certain challenges in life.
Having worked previously as an instructional designer, as the owner-operator of a construction business, and as a management consultant, Anne-Marie brings specific and pertinent expertise to Make A Change Canada. While working in the IT field Anne-Marie developed online training, conducted training sessions, and managed courseware development teams. Clients included the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Transport Canada, BNR, TRW, Workers' Compensation Board of BC, and Sprint.
Outside of work hours you will find Anne-Marie enjoying gardening and furthering her knowledge through reading, lifelong learning, and watching documentary films.


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Northgate YouthFriends
YouthFriends are mentors who support students academically. Applicants are trained, interviewed and complete two background screenings prior to being placed with district students.
YouthFriend volunteers must commit to serving in one of the below capacities for at least an hour each month.
Northgate YouthFriend Activities:
Before or After School Activities: Coach a group of students in a specific activity or share a skill with students such as acting, sewing, etc.
Breakfast or Lunch Buddy: Meet with students during breakfast or lunch and take time to have a conversation with them about what's going on in life. Encourage students to always be and do their best in all they do.
Classroom Helper: Assist students in the classroom with various academic activities.
Library Assistant: Help students as they come to the library media center looking for books or researching information for a class assignment.
Tutor: Help students build self-esteem and confidence to succeed in school through supporting them with the academic studies.
For more information about becoming a YouthFriends volunteer at Northgate Middle School, please contact Brandi Stout, Northgate Partners in Education Building Facilitator, at (816) 321-6215 or contact the Partners in Education office at (816) 321-5018 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Click here to view the YouthFriends flyer for Northgate Middle School.
To become a YouthFriends volunteer, please click here.
Other School Involvement Opportunities
NKC Schools welcomes family involvement in our schools. Opportunities to make a difference in our schools include getting involved with a school-parent organization, participating in classroom activities and planning special events. We recognize the significant contributions families can make toward promoting student and classroom excellence.
*Families interested in supporting students in the capacities listed below should check-in at the school utilizing the Raptor visitor system for screening and DO NOT need to go through the process of becoming a YouthFriend volunteer.
*Attending breakfast or lunch with own child/relation
*Book Fairs (set-up, take-down, check-out)
*Class Parties
*Field Day Events
*PTA/Booster Club
*School Carnivals/Family Fun Night
*Staff Appreciation Events


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February 29, 2012 -- Updated 0255 GMT (1055 HKT)
(CNN) -- T.J. Lane didn't belong to any particular clique in the schools he attended, fellow students said. Those who knew him described him as quiet, someone who was guarded and rarely spoke about his tumultuous family life.
- The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, police chief says
- A newspaper reports that Lane's father was arrested for violent crimes
- Witnesses say T.J. Lane shot 5 people, 3 fatally
- "He never would go into detail. He just said he had family trouble," a friend says
But they never would have thought that he'd be described as a killer -- until Monday, when students say they saw Lane walk up to a table in the cafeteria of Ohio's Chardon High School with a gun.
Police have not named the alleged gunman, a juvenile, but many witnesses have identified the attacker as Lane.
One victim died Monday. Two others were declared dead on Tuesday. One other remained hospitalized Tuesday. A fifth victim was released, officials said.
Lane made an initial juvenile court appearance Tuesday afternoon, during which he was ordered to remain in custody. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Tuesday that the suspect would likely be tried as an adult.
Psychologist looks at shooter's poem
Attorney: Shooting suspect 'remorseful'
Shooting suspect to remain in detention
Ohio student: 'We were at a loss'
Shooting suspect went to other school
Friend: Alleged gunman had sad lookProsecutor David Joyce predicted that the 17-year-old sophomore will face three counts of aggravated murder "as well as other counts."
He said Lane has admitted taking a .22-caliber gun and a knife into Chardon High School on Monday morning and firing 10 rounds, choosing his victims randomly.
All Chardon schools closed Tuesday; counselors on hand
Teresa Hunt said her niece rode the school bus each day with Lane, and he displayed no warning signs of the violence allegedly to come.
"He was a really nice kid to her," Hunt said. "He wouldn't start up a conversation, but if she talked to him, he would hold the conversation with her.
She said her niece noted no personality changes in Lane in the weeks leading up to Monday's shooting.
Haley Kovacik, a friend who talked with Lane a few times a week, said the violence left her and others who knew him in "complete shock."
"He seemed like a very normal, just teenage boy," Kovacik said of Lane. "He did have a sad look in his eyes a lot of the time, but he talked normally, he never said anything strange."
Yet for all their talks, Kovacik noted there was a lot she didn't know about Lane.
Lane lived with his grandparents and was slow to open up about his personal life, according to friends. While he was known by many around Chardon High School, located 30 miles east of Cleveland, at the time of the shooting he was there to be transported to Lake Academy Alternative School in nearby Willoughby.
The school describes itself as a place for "at risk" students who are "reluctant learners" struggling with problems such as "substance abuse /chemical dependency, anger issues, mental health issues, truancy, delinquency, difficulties with attention/organization, and academic deficiencies."
Lane may have been dealing with his own family problems, according to reports by The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland.
Lane's father, Thomas Lane Jr., has been arrested several times for violent crimes against female acquaintances, including Lane's mother, the newspaper reported citing court documents. Between 1995 and 1997, the first two years of Lane's life, his father and his mother were both arrested for domestic violence against each other, the paper reported.
His father also served prison time for assaulting a police officer and he also was charged with holding a different woman under running water and bashing her head into a wall, the newspaper reported.
It was unclear how much contact Lane had with his father. He rarely opened up about his family, some said.
"I've asked him once or twice, but he never would go into detail. He just said he had family trouble," Kovacik said
Evan Erasmus, who said his family knew Lane's family, was among several students who said what happened Monday took them totally by surprise.
"I was really shocked when I found out it was him," Erasmus said. "He was quiet, but was one of the nicest kids there. You could talk to him really easily. He was funny."
According to Kovacik, Lane told her that "he enjoyed hunting, he enjoyed video games, just normal things."
"Everybody was in disbelief. Nobody could believe that T.J. (shot the students)," Kovacik said.
Recent posts on Lane's Facebook page show him sharing links to music videos from groups like Grimes and Blood on the Dance Floor, listing his sister in his profile and uploading photos of himself.
Yet one long, poetic rant, from December 30, appears to be darker.
The post refers to "a quaint lonely town, (where there) sits a man with a frown (who) longed for only one thing, the world to bow at his feet."
"He was better than the rest, all those ones he detests, within their castles, so vain," he wrote.
Lane then writes about going through "the castle ... like an ominous breeze through the trees," past guards -- all leading up to the post's dramatic conclusion.
"Feel death, not just mocking you. Not just stalking you but inside of you," he writes. "Wriggle and writhe. Feel smaller beneath my might. Seizure in the Pestilence that is my scythe. Die, all of you."
After getting three positive reviews, Lane wrote: "much obliged to all who 'liked' this. Wrote it myself in class one day ..."
CNN's Martin Savidge and Lisa Sylvester contributed to this report.


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Clothes modification: How fashion defines us
A woman I used to work with had a bad clothes reputation. Her problem wasn't overt sexiness or mindless trendiness. Rather, it was that she dramatically changed her "look" every few months.
One season she seemed desperate to be the office's arty romantic, wearing lots of floral skirts, peasant tops, and bangles, and carrying around huge volumes of W.H. Auden. The next she apparently decided that a sophisticated international businesswoman suited her better: The office soon saw her in a lot of short fitted skirts, Jil Sander jackets, toting sleek briefcases.
At the time, we all found this sadly amusing– she was the Madonna of the magazine, desperate to find both herself and our regard through her choice of clothing. But while this woman certainly represents an extreme case, I have since come to believe that she may have been onto something: Sartorial experimentation may actually be good for women. Not only does it allow us the ability to draw out our individuality, but it can help us work toward the women we'd like to become.
In many respects, using clothes as a means of self-development was inevitable a result of the fact that both femininity and fashion have become hugely elastic in the past few decades. Women no longer have to sit, stand, talk, and dress in a certain way in order to be considered properly female. This freedom can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Constructing an identity from scratch necessitates the kind of emotional investigation that most of us would rather avoid.
Meanwhile, the high priestesses of fashion no longer force us to wear only one set trend romantic or minimalist or exotic or one set hemline each season. Indeed, mixing periods and price categories is now "in."
Nevertheless, many women still hide in the uniform of their peers uptown women cover themselves head to toe in couture logos; downtown women won't be seen without the frayed jean du jour; midtown women do sleek minimalism day into night.
Clearly, certain clothes can make us feel more confident, and it's not just because they make us look thinner or taller or more beautiful. Yet while uniforms may get you an approving nod from others similarly attired, they do nothing to help you figure out who you really are, or, more important, who you want to be.
For the longest time I fit myself into the Euro-bohemian camp black turtlenecks and black jeans were my stock in trade. A few years ago, I began to feel that this get-up was way too limiting. Not only did it represent only one side of me (I do more than just sit in smoky cafés), but it hardly represented the woman I (hoped) I was becoming.
So I started to experiment. One day I wore a skirt and blouse that gave me the bearing of an Italian aristocrat. Another day I wore a scarf that made me look like a Spanish dancer. One sweater I bought made me feel like an Argentinian art dealer. (Yes, I have Mediterranean coloring.)
All of these "looks" began to merge into a broader style, one you could call arty sophisticate. Whenever I wore them, not only did I feel more confident and self-assured, but I would actually act in a more, well, sophisticated way more poised, self-possessed, in control. Soon, more than half my wardrobe was filled with these clothes, and they began to almost literally take on a life of their own. I began to imagine in detail– the kind of woman who would wear them all the time. Whenever I was confronted with difficult situations I started to ask, how would "she" cope?
Much of the time I still didn't feel as though I lived up to the clothes I didn't feel or act as in control of my life as I imagined "this woman" was. But as silly as this may sound, the clothes helped strengthen and focus me whenever I felt a bit lost. I would admonish myself: Can you imagine Her acting this pathetically? This imaginary arty sophisticate woman my clothes– had become a role model.
I've come to call the theory behind this process clothes modification: If you dress like an independent, worldly woman, you will begin to feel like an independent, worldly woman, and you will ultimately begin to act like an independent, worldly woman. People always say "Dress for the job you want to have." Why not dress for the person you want to be?
Behavior modification– which has its roots in the "learned optimism" school of psychology (if you continually look at the positive aspects of situations, you will be happier), is not limited to clothes, of course. You can eat like the woman you want to be, exercise like the woman you want to be, work, shop, and take vacations like the woman you want to be. (I once bought a soap container that I didn't need because I thought it so perfectly reflected my ideal woman.) But clothes are more direct– they're with you all the time and sit right next to your skin.
In the end, of course, clothes are not even skin deep. They may help us to feel confident while we're wearing them and help us figure out what type of woman we each want to be. But they won't do us much good in the long term if we're not simultaneously working on developing internal strength. Yet using clothes as a supplemental tool to help find and transform yourself is far more healthy and effective (not to mention efficient) than, say, using men changing your personality every time you're with a different guy.
So next time you're about to hide in a trendy uniform, try experimenting with different moods, styles, looks– until you find one that sets you apart from the others, that maximizes your individuality and feels somewhat like a more self-assured version of yourself. Watch how you act when you wear these clothes. I guarantee that they will help propel you to become the person you want to be.
Karen Lehrman, author of The Lipstick Proviso: Women, Sex, & Power in the Real World, is writing a book on style.


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Every Sunday, The Simple Dollar reviews a personal finance or other book of interest. Also available is a complete list of the hundreds of book reviews that have appeared on The Simple Dollar over the years.
One of the best books I've ever read is Keith Ferrazzi's Never Eat Alone (here are some of my notes on Never Eat Alone). It really opened my eyes to the idea of how building lots of relationships based on something real can be really valuable and useful for all parties involved.
Prior to that, "networking" really seemed… cheesy to me. I'd been around people who seemed to be "networking," but it constantly felt like I was just another person to push a business card on and call a "contact" while their eyes were searching the room for a bigger fish to talk to. It felt almost deceptive, and it felt like something I didn't want to have any part in.
Since then, I've been slowly building my list of personal relationships that I value, which, in the end, is what networking really is. If the relationship you're building has no real value (and value is built by exchanging things of worth with each other, whether it be time, information, assistance, or other things), then that relationship is worthless.
This brings us to Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty. This book by Harvey Mackay has been recommended to me more times than I can count by people who have read my Never Eat Alone articles. I always resisted it because I had this general impression that it espoused the type of networking that I didn't really like.
I finally gave this book a shot when a great reader sent me his copy of the book, insisting that I read it. Was it worthwhile? Let's dig in.
Jump In, the Water's Fine
You can't accomplish really great things alone. You might write the great American novel all by yourself, but you can't publish it and get it noticed without others. Every big thing you really want to accomplish in life, at some level, relies on the people around you. Thus, one important element of making those things happen is to build good relationships with lots of people. The more good relationships you have, the easier it will be to achieve the things you want to achieve.
Time to Prime the Well
If you want to start building these relationships, you can't stay at home. You have to get out there and interact with people. This means doing things you might not have otherwise chosen, like going to conventions related to your field, going to community events, and so on. It also means that, when you go to these events, you have to interact with those people. Don't worry, the more you do this, the easier it gets.
Start Digging
You can't expect others to start the relationships, either. You have to start, and the best way to start is to provide positive value for others. First, figure out a problem that the other person has. Then, offer your expertise. Offer a bit of your time. Offer a connection you already have. Help that person solve the problem they have. Mackay uses a "well" metaphor throughout the book, and he makes the point that each time you do this, you dig your "well" a bit deeper. In other words, every time you do this kind of positive thing, you build a new relationship or strengthen an old one.
Sharpen Your Edge
Your life is full of chances to build relationships. Think about how many people you see or interact with every day. There are likely many people in your work place. There are many people in your neighborhood. Each one of them is an opportunity for building a connection. You've got to make the first step, though. Each one of them is an opportunity, even if that opportunity is nothing more than the chance to sharpen your social skills and interaction skills.
Excavate Your Unique Skills
What kinds of things can you offer that are unique or at least fairly unusual? Everyone is good at certain things. Almost everyone is trained in a particular narrow area. What can be mined from that area that would be of use to others? What skills have you built throughout your life in other areas that sets you apart? Having a skill set that's actually of broad use is perhaps the most valuable tool you can have in building professional and social relationships.
Dig Deeper
Success doesn't happen overnight. It also doesn't happen from merely having a circle of relationships that doesn't have any outside connections. You need to build relationships with a wide variety of people and feed those relationships over time. Don't just associate with the people in your department at work. Know people in other departments. Know people in other organizations. Know people outside your workplace, like your neighbors and people in the community. If you know someone who knows someone that seems interesting to you, don't hesitate to ask for an introduction. Use your spouse's social network, too.
Don't Fall In
Some people, like the sleazy networking guy I mentioned at the start of this article, think that having a network is all that matters. It's not. It might help open a door just a bit for you, but you have to have the character and the skills and the value to pull that door the rest of the way open. A network is just a network. It's still up to you to be the right kind of person to handle whatever's behind that door.
Minding the Well
If you want a relationship to be valuable, you have to maintain it. That means you have to maintain some degree of contact with that person. Perhaps even more important, you should maintain that relationship when things are up and particularly when things are down. When the chips are down, people remember who was still there for them and who didn't have the time of day for them.
Is Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty Worth Reading?
I was surprised to find that Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty covers much of the same ground that Never Eat Alone covers. They both espouse building relationships that provide real value instead of merely "networking."
For me, the biggest difference in the two books was the way I perceived the authors. Mackay, the author of Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty, feels like an extrovert. Ferrazzi, the author of Never Eat Alone, comes off as an introvert. This bleeds over into the value of the book, in my opinion.
If you find starting conversations to be easy but haven't ever really thought how that all comes together for you in terms of building a big set of relationships, Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty is a great book to read. On the other hand, if you find the mere mechanics of human interaction to be difficult at times, Never Eat Alone will perhaps click better.
Check out additional reviews and notes of Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty on Amazon.com.


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Few issues have prompted more negative responses than our coverage of the Grassley-Dorgan amendment. Sun Belt farmers have become accustomed to reading vitriolic criticism from politicians and editorial writers about "the top 5 percent of farmers receiving 49 percent of the payments." What might surprise you, however, is the number of such e-mails from farmers and persons close to farming.
A fair number have originated in the Midwest where growers must be enjoying a different farm economy than in the Sun Belt, judging from their letters. But many are from producers and businessmen closer to home, taking us to task for "trying to help big farmers get bigger."
That is a common theme in many — that higher payment limits will only exacerbate the trend to larger and larger farms in regions like the Mississippi Delta.
"When riding through the Delta, it is daunting to see the abandoned headquarters signifying the consolidation that occurred within the last 15 to 20 years, much of it resulting from purchases by 'trust fund farmers,'" said one writer.
"Unfortunately, your magazine seems to be promoting this consolidation of farms by these trust fund babies without realizing that payment limitations help the owners of small to medium-size farms to compete on a balanced economic playing field," he said.
As someone who grew up on a farm with a 13.6-acre cotton allotment, I can easily relate to the thinking expressed by the letter writer — except for the fact that his premise is faulty. The writer assumes that the operator of a 600- to 800-acre cotton farm stands a better chance of survival if his larger neighbors are prevented from receiving more farm payments than he does.
In fact, the smaller operator is more likely to have higher costs per acre because he can't spread them over a larger number of acres. That's not to imply that good managers of smaller farms can't survive; just that they face tougher odds.
But to blame all of the consolidation not only in the Delta but across the entire country on farm program payments ignores the economic realities of high-input farming.
Another theme is that a new farm bill isn't necessary now; that the reports of the demise of many farmers have been greatly exaggerated.
These supporters of the "Richard Lugar" school — named for the Indiana senator who loves to downplay the financial problems in agriculture — look at USDA's net farm income projections and ask how farmers could be facing any difficulty.
The answer goes back to the earlier line about the different economy in the Midwest. For all their complaints about big payments to cotton and rice farmers, Midwest growers, as a whole, are receiving a much higher percentage of farm payments than farmers in any other region of the country.
If you look at the payment rates in the assistance bill introduced by Sen. Pat Roberts on March 21 and multiply the corn rate by the average yield and number of base acres in the 11 Midwestern states, you come up with a total of $2.66 billion. That's more than half of the money allocated for all farm program payments for 2000.


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- User Name: Varda_Morrigan
- Member Since: Wednesday, July 6, 2005, 10:15 AM
- Name: Joanna
- Studio: The Last Of ...
- Location: Kraków, Poland
- Homepage: http://www.vardamorrigan.blogspot.com/
- Last Login: 2019-08-24 02:33:31
- Forum Info: Profile Posts (11)
- Usefulness: 114.9 with
24 opinions
[average 119.5 of 231678 opinions; standard deviation 432.2 ]
- Profile: OLD:
My favorite anime is Sailor Moon, special SM S, and SM Stars. My AMVs include this anime.
I like The last of Mohicans, so music is from this film.
I read my description today, and I say to my sister: "It isn't true".
My sister's friend borrow to us a lot of animes. My favorite anime is still Sailor Moon Stars, but I very like Spiral, Elfen Lied, Green Green, Escaflowne, Please Teacher, DNAngel, Midori no Hibi, and Haibane Renmei.
I still love music from The last of Mohicans, but I also use other music in my AMVs.
My favorite studio is Saturn Studio - special AMV Stars.
I did a few AMVs. In my opinion the best is AliEN, or Where, but in yours opinion Only Hope - I don't know why.
Studio The Last Of... constist of me and my elder sister Just.


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Frontlinesms is SMS gateaway server that enables users to send, receive and manage SMS over a mobile network. The interface is web based so you can make it run with a laptop for small volume messages or with a server for larger volume of messages. You don't need an internet connection to run the frontlinesms. The text message is sent via mobile phone, GSM modem or SMS aggregator. So, the users only pay based on the standard text message charges from the mobile provider.
FrontLineSMS version 2 is release in summer 2012.
I will show you how to install Frontlinesms in your computer.
Step 1. Make "frontlinesms" folder in "/opt" directory.
In linux terminal, type:
"cd /opt"
"mkdir frontlinesms"
then copy the frontlinesms installer "frontlinesms2_unix_2.1.3.sh" into this folder.
Installer program can be download from this link:
Before you start, make sure that you have Java installed in your system because frontlinesms is built using Java SDK.
In linux terminal, type: "java -version" to check.


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Critical Blast is dedicated to delivering news, reviews, opinions and interviews from the field of entertainment and pop culture.
Publisher: Howard Price
Staff: About Us
ANNOUNCING: Critical Blast Publishing!
Follow us on LinkedIn
Subscribe to our weekly mail newsletter and stay informed with the recent news!
Copyright 2014. Articles copyrights retained by contributors. CriticalBlast.com logo developed by Troy Riser.


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There is no sound when using a TV or audio system with the Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature.
This solution is designed to assist when the ARC feature is not working and both the TV and audio system are compatible with the ARC feature.
IMPORTANT: To use the ARC feature, both the TV and audio system need to support ARC. If one of the products doesn't support ARC, the connection of an optical audio or audio cable will be needed. For details, refer to the How to hear the television sound through the speakers of a stereo receiver or home theater system article.
To fix this issue, check these suggestions.
NOTE: If model-specific information is needed to complete any of these steps or determine if your product supports ARC, refer to the manual supplied with the product.
The TV or the audio system must have the latest software installed.
Make sure the Control for HDMI or BRAVIA Sync options of both products is set to On in the menu systems.
In the HDMI related settings of the audio system, set the Audio Return Channel (ARC) or TV Audio Input Mode to On or Auto.
NOTE: Depending on the product used, this setting may not exist.
Make sure that a high-speed HDMI cable is being used and that it is securely connected to the HDMI ports labeled ARC on both products. On the audio system side, connect the HDMI cable to the HDMI output terminal.
NOTE: On some TVs with multiple HDMI inputs, the ARC feature will only be support on one of the inputs. In these cases, the input will be marked with the letters ARC.
If the issue persists even after completing all the steps above, follow these additional troubleshooting steps:
Disconnect the HDMI cable from both products and then reconnect it.
On the TV, change the audio output destination setting from TV Speakers to Audio System.
NOTE: Just connecting the TV and audio system with a cable will not produce sound from the Audio system.
Press the INPUT button or TV button on the audio system remote control to switch the input to the TV.
Turn on the TV and the audio system in the following order: TV first, then the audio system.
Change the TV's Digital Audio Output setting to PCM. If the audio system connected to the TV does not support compressed audio such as DTS or Dolby Digital, depending on the type of broadcast or video, audio may not be output.
NOTE: For Android TV™, follow these steps to change the Digital Audio Output setting to PCM:
- Press the Home button on the remote control.
- Select Settings.
- Select Sound, Display & Sound, or BRAVIA Settings.
- Select Audio output.
NOTE: If Audio output is not shown, skip this step.
- Select Digital audio out, then set to PCM.
For Android TV, perform a Clear Data or Clear Cache procedure.
NOTE: For details, refer to the How to perform the Clear Data and Clear Cache for app article.
Perform a power reset on the TV and audio system, as follows:
- Turn off the TV and the audio system.
- Disconnect the power cords (mains lead) and HDMI cable from both the TV and audio system. Leave it disconnected for about a minute.
- Reconnect the HDMI cable to the ARC HDMI input of the TV and the ARC HDMI out of the audio system.
- Connect the power cords of both the TV and audio system, and turn on the power to both.
Disconnect any third-party external devices like cable boxes, satellite receivers, or gaming consoles and perform the troubleshooting steps just with the audio system (Soundbar, Home Theater, or A/V Receiver) connected to the TV.
NOTE: Third-party devices may cause the Control for HDMI or BRAVIA Sync function of the TV and the audio device to quit working.


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - nikkie Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in nikkie Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Family View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message NIKKIEJoined: 05 Apr 2004Posts: 1Location: KAOHSOUNG.TAIWAN Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2004 7:57 am Post subject: nikkie Hi,I am Nikkie.I come from Taiwan.There are 4 people in my family, Mother,Father,an older sister. I love my family.My mother is a teacher,and she is a hero in my mind.It is seems that nothing is hard for her.my father is a friendly man.He has a good temper so that can stands me.My sister is 2 years older than me.We are kind to each other.it always full of happiness in my family.So I consider them not only families but also friends. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Family All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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RADIUS Support for Proxy Mobile IPv6
RFC - Proposed Standard
(June 2012; No errata)
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Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) F. Xia Request for Comments: 6572 B. Sarikaya Category: Standards Track Huawei USA ISSN: 2070-1721 J. Korhonen, Ed. Nokia Siemens Networks S. Gundavelli Cisco D. Damic Siemens June 2012 RADIUS Support for Proxy Mobile IPv6 Abstract This document defines new attributes to facilitate Proxy Mobile IPv6 operations using the RADIUS infrastructure. The protocol defined in this document uses RADIUS-based interfaces of the mobile access gateway and the local mobility anchor with the AAA server for authentication, authorization, and policy functions. The RADIUS interactions between the mobile access gateway and the RADIUS-based AAA server take place when the mobile node (MN) attaches, authenticates, and authorizes to a Proxy Mobile IPv6 domain. Furthermore, this document defines the RADIUS-based interface between the local mobility anchor and the AAA RADIUS server for authorizing received Proxy Binding Update messages for the mobile node's mobility session. In addition to the interactions related to mobility session setup, this document defines the baseline for the mobile access gateway and the local mobility anchor generated accounting. Status of This Memo This is an Internet Standards Track document. This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has received public review and has been approved for publication by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741. Information about the current status of this document, any errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6572. Xia, et al. Standards Track [Page 1] RFC 6572 RADIUS PMIPv6 June 2012 Copyright Notice Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the document authors. All rights reserved. This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License. Xia, et al. Standards Track [Page 2] RFC 6572 RADIUS PMIPv6 June 2012 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................4 2. Terminology .....................................................4 3. Solution Overview ...............................................5 4. Attribute Definitions ...........................................9 4.1. MIP6-Feature-Vector ........................................9 4.2. Mobile-Node-Identifier ....................................11 4.3. Service-Selection .........................................12 4.4. PMIP6-Home-LMA-IPv6-Address ...............................12 4.5. PMIP6-Visited-LMA-IPv6-Address ............................13 4.6. PMIP6-Home-LMA-IPv4-Address ...............................14 4.7. PMIP6-Visited-LMA-IPv4-Address ............................15 4.8. PMIP6-Home-HN-Prefix ......................................15 4.9. PMIP6-Visited-HN-Prefix ...................................16 4.10. PMIP6-Home-Interface-ID ..................................18 4.11. PMIP6-Visited-Interface-ID ...............................18 4.12. PMIP6-Home-IPv4-HoA ......................................19 4.13. PMIP6-Visited-IPv4-HoA ...................................20 4.14. PMIP6-Home-DHCP4-Server-Address ..........................21 4.15. PMIP6-Visited-DHCP4-Server-Address .......................22 4.16. PMIP6-Home-DHCP6-Server-Address ..........................22 4.17. PMIP6-Visited-DHCP6-Server-Address .......................23 4.18. Calling-Station-Id .......................................24Show full document text


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The Qatar oil emirate, encouraged by its successful participation in the campaign to overthrow Libya's Muammar Qaddafi, has established a Sunni Arab intervention force to expedite the drive for Syrian President Bashar Assad's ouster, DEBKAfile's military sources report. The new highly mobile force boosts the anti-Assad Free Syrian Army, whose numbers have jumped to 20,000 fighters, armed and funded by Qatar and now forming into military battalions and brigades at their bases in Turkey.
When they saw the Syrian massacre continuing unabated this month, the Qatari and Saudi rulers approved a crash program for the Qatari chief of staff Maj.-Gen Hamas Ali al-Attiya to weld this mobile intervention Sunni Muslim force out of al Qaeda linked-operatives for rapid deployment on the Turkish-Syrian border.
A force of 2,500 has been recruited up until now, our sources report. The hard core is made up of 1,000 members of the Islamic Fighting Group in Libya-IFGL, which fought Qaddafi, and 1,000 operatives of the Ansar al-Sunna, the Iraqi Islamists which carried out 15 coordinated bomb attacks in Baghdad last Thursday killing 72 people and injuring 200.
Qatar has just had them airlifted from Libya and Iraq to the southern Turkish town of Antakya (Antioch) in the border province of Hatay.
It is in this town of quarter-of-a- million inhabitants that the new Sunni force has located its command center and separate camps for the two main contingents to undergo intensive training for combat missions in the embattled Syrian towns and provinces of Idlib, Homs, Jabal al-Zawiya, scenes of the fiercest clashes between Syrian troops and rebels.
(Source: DebkaFile)


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Gain skills, promote positive aging, and help older adults retain their health and well-being so they can achieve their highest potential.
This program is the only one of its kind nationally, and is delivered entirely online. Leading a senior living community is challenging, exciting, and rewarding.
Ph.D. Wayne State University
M.A. Wayne State University
734-432-5554, 2402
She teaches a variety of undergraduate political science and cross listed history courses and also selected graduate classes in the Master of Arts History program.
In addition to her love of teaching, her research interests include political engagement, political discussion, political interest and knowledge and political tolerance with a particular focus on gender differences. She regularly presents papers at the Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference in Chicago, IL as well as other political science conferences.
Her research has been published and she is actively engaged in ongoing research projects including a current study examining the effect of conversation format on political discussion, comparing the frequency and intensity of debate among university students in an online environment versus a face-to-face environment.
Ph.D. Miami University
M.S. Miami University
734-432-5531, 2212
Dr. Denise Brothers has been a faculty member of the Aging Studies Department since 2013. She holds a M.S. in Exercise and Health Studies and a Ph.D. in Social Gerontology, both from Miami University of Ohio. She also earned a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Michigan, School of Business Administration.
Denise teaches the introductory course in aging studies, psychology and aging, global aging, educational program planning, and programs and services for older adults. Her professional interests include understanding how race, class, and gender impact later-life outcomes, such as health, wealth, and social networks. Her research has included exploring how changing demographics and marital patterns are altering the ways in which older men and women are forming and maintaining new relationships in later life.
Earlier in her career, she assisted with a number of research projects on long-term care services and support in the state of Ohio. This research included a qualitative study on the experiences of consumers and caregivers receiving home-and-community based services as well as identifying current and future capacity needs for long-term care. She also engages in public scholarship through her participation on advisory groups within Michigan's aging network.
Master of Public Health & Graduate Specialist Certificate University of Michigan
M.A. University of Detroit Mercy
734-432-5528, 2209
Ms. Sue-Anne Sweeney has been a faculty member of the Aging Studies Department since 2005, previously the Chair for the Department. In addition to her academic credentials, she is certified as a senior human resources professional with both national HR certification bodies.
Ms. Sweeney teaches courses in physical aging, psychology and mental health of older adults, care management, and professional development for aging services. Her professional interests include negotiating the psychological challenges of later life, positive aging, family caregiving, later life family dynamics, the interrelationship of mind and body in promoting health or illness, and organizational development and change management.
Her research has focused on institutional concerns such as academic advising and faculty research. She also engages in public scholarship through her participation on non-profit boards and advisory groups, and community and professional education. She maintains the Madonna gerontology blog at madonnaugerontology.wordpress.com


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Lionsgate, the Hollywood studio behind blockbusters such as "The Hunger Games" and Netflix TV series "Orange is the New Black," announced that it optioned the rights to "Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal" by New York Times writer Nick Bilton for a TV series.
"Twitter has transformed almost every aspect of our lives from politics to business to friendship, and I can't think of a more compelling story to adapt for television right now," said Kevin Beggs, chairman of Lionsgate's TV group . "Nick's book has all the elements of a great drama with its complex characters, high-stakes power struggles and betrayed friendships."
The studio named Allison Shearmur as executive producer, but Bilton will get a producer credit and write the pilot.
U.S. & World
The book garnered a lot of publicity when it debuted last month, with several tech sites rating it as one of the books of the year. Its strong narrative, which some say was purposefully done for a screenplay, made compelling reading. Last month, we reported on one of the golden quotes from the book pulled by Bloomberg TV contributing editor Paul Kedrosky, who reviewed the book.


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Scorned: Love Kills
Scorned: Love Kills
Scorned: Love Kills
Scorned: Love Kills
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OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - Washington state Governor Jay Inslee declared a moratorium on Tuesday on carrying out the death penalty in his Pacific Northwest state, citing concerns about unequal application of justice in determining who is executed.
The action marked a victory for opponents of capital punishment who have seen a growing number of U.S. states take steps in recent years to end executions, either by legislation or through suspensions issued by governors or the courts.
"Equal justice under the law is the state's primary responsibility," Inslee, a first-term Democrat, told a news conference announcing the suspension of capital punishment. "And in death penalty cases, I'm not convinced equal justice is being served."
But Inslee stopped short of commuting to life in prison the sentences of the nine inmates currently on death row in Washington state, leaving open the possibility they could still be executed should a future governor lift the moratorium. The next election for governor will be held in 2016.
Eighteen U.S. states have already legally ended executions, with Maryland last year becoming the sixth state in six years to
abolish capital punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. A number of others have temporary execution bans in place.
Inslee's move was welcomed by civil liberties activists who want to stop all executions even as death penalty proponents argued the governor was out of touch with the majority of Americans who polls have shown continue to support capital punishment.
"It was a courageous act of leadership based on practical considerations of the death penalty's enormous costs and its unfairness," Kathleen Taylor, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington state, said of the decision.
"Who receives the death penalty depends more on geography and economic means more than anything else," she added.
Washington state Senator Mark Schoesler, the leader of the Republicans in the Senate, criticized the moratorium.
"If the people and legislature wanted the death penalty to be gone they would have acted," Schoesler said in a telephone interview.
State Representative Reuven Carlyle, a Democrat who has introduced past bills to eliminate the death penalty, said the governor's move would lend momentum to a push to legally outlaw capital punishment in the state, although it was too late in the legislative calendar to pursue such a measure this year.
"Now we have a really genuine breakthrough in the governor being willing to help frame this public dialogue," Carlyle said. "Public sentiment is profoundly shifting."
While a clear majority of Americans - or about 60 percent - support the death penalty for convicted murderers, support for capital punishment nationally has been on the decline, according to a Gallup poll released in October.
The 60 percent figure marks the lowest level of support for the death penalty Gallup has measured since November 1972, when 57 percent were in favor. Death penalty support peaked at 80 percent in 1994.
The United States saw 39 inmates sent to the death chamber last year, down from 43 in each of the past two years, with a small number of states such as Texas, Florida and Oklahoma accounting for most executions.
In Washington state, only five inmates have been put to death since 1981, when the state's current laws allowing capital punishment for aggravated murder went into effect. The most recent execution occurred in 2010, said Norah West, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections.
Since 1981, one death row inmate in Washington state had a conviction overturned. In that case, a federal judge in 1994 vacated the murder conviction of Benjamin Harris on the grounds that his original trial lawyer was incompetent, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Harris was later set free after prosecutors failed to have him confined as insane.
Reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky in Olympia, Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Diane Craft and Bernard Orr


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Being a team game, football doesn't always lend itself to those with an individualistic streak or a propensity for the unconventional. With an interest in a wide variety of music and literature Thomas Broich was dubbed 'Mozart' early in his career.
Indeed, the richly talented wide midfielder has a natural penchant for the road less travelled, but invariably it is a route that presents its own particular potential for pitfall. So it proved for the Munich-born Broich. Having represented the Germany U-21 team and signing a deal with ambitious Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, Broich was at one stage among a core group of young players earmarked for possible selection in the home nation's tilt at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.
However a couple of appearances in 'B' internationals was as close as Broich ever came to such heady heights. A succession of injuries and the odd personality clash – notably with notoriously hard-nosed Dutch coach Dick Advocaat – were to hinder Broich's career. There followed stints at Cologne and Nuremberg with varying degrees of success, but increasingly the silky-skilled left-footer was finding the pressure in the sometimes monochrome world of professional football not to his liking.
"Every day there was pressure," Broich tells FIFA.comof his time in the Bundesliga, accentuating the final word of the sentence as if partially reprising the angst. "If you didn't do well in a game you got hammered. I just wasn't built for it. I couldn't handle it. I was close to quitting football completely."
Down Under adventure
Broich though had a hankering to travel and, in particular, to visit Australia. Then came a fork in the road. An opportunity to sign for A-League club Brisbane Roar arose, and Broich's journey down that 'road less travelled' suddenly became a happier one. "Before I signed my contract at Brisbane I had already made up my mind that this [football] wasn't for me. I wasn't loving my job anymore."
Broich, however, was an instant hit in Australia. He provided a league-leading 12 assists as Brisbane won their maiden championship with the club playing a dynamic short-passing brand of football, earning the moniker 'Roarcelona' from local media. And Broich was an integral figure in the A-League's football revolution led by Brisbane.
The following season Brisbane retained their crown and Broich was named player of the season. The then Brisbane coach, and now Australia mentor Ange Postecoglou, described Broich as the best import the league has ever seen.
People appreciated what I'm doing all of a sudden. I can give back a lot and it seems to work for both sides.
One thing is clear. Broich is thriving in Australian football, and revelling in the local way of life. "It is like being reborn," Broich says, encapsulating the dramatic shift in his career in just a few short words. "People appreciated what I'm doing all of a sudden. I can give back a lot and it seems to work for both sides.
"I guess the fact the game is not as big as in Europe.... You can have a bad game or season but they don't question your integrity as a person. Or they don't take anything anyway from you as a player. Last season was good for me to see... even though I didn't play so well, people still appreciated me as a player and that kind of stuff helps.
"When I was playing in Germany and I did something like bring a guitar to training camp, they didn't like that and thought it would take away something from the football focus. It is different here. People here embrace the fact I have interests outside football, and actually encourage players to do so.
"Plus, in general I think players are not so narrow-minded anymore. Twenty years back maybe it was the case that every footballer was pretty much obsessed with football. That is not the case anymore. Plenty of players, especially the young ones, study on the side and have a broad range of interests which is pleasing to see."
Such is Broich's colourful personality and intriguing career that a German film crew documented his football odyssey over an eight-year period. So how did the 32-year-old enjoy seeing himself on film? "Not so much," Broich says with a unassuming smile. "When I agreed to it I didn't quite know what I was getting myself into. I liked the end product, but it is a little weird to see myself on TV. Some of things I said and did, is just a little embarrassing for me."
Smiling in the sun
Broich has struck up a magnificent on-field synchronicity with another German-raised player at the Roar; prolific Albanian striker Besart Berisha. The 32-year-old Broich also enjoys strong combinations with Australia midfielders Matt McKay and Ivan Franjic, the latter of whom is making an unlikely late run for 2014 FIFA World Cup selection. The combined output has the Roar currently leading the competition and on track for an unprecedented third A-League title in four years.
And whatever the many reasons may be, Broich is now playing with a smile on his face. So what does he like about living in Brisbane? "That it is never cold," says Broich emphatically. "The fact that there is not one freezing day in a year is unbelievable. You don't imagine such a thing when you grow up [in Germany] because it [the cold] is a given. I thought it would be boring to have only one season, but even in winter I was relaxing by the pool, and that is priceless."


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Zither Newsletters
In 1879, Franz Waldecker published the first newsletter in the United States for the zither community. The Zitherplayer, in its way, brought together zither players throughout the states and Europe by sharing music, news and other articles of interest to promote the art of zither playing. From this time, several periodicals emerged and this page shares many of these early examples. If the reader is aware of others not presented here, email email@example.com or use the provided contact form to help build a more contiguous picture.