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Air Pollution Costs the West Almost $1 Trillion Annually | 07/12/14
by John Brian Shannon
Air pollution has a very real cost to our civilization via increased healthcare costs, premature deaths, lowered productivity, environmental degradation with resultant lowered crop yields, increased water consumption and higher taxation.
However, air pollution is only one cost associated with fossil fuel use.
There are three main costs associated with energy
- The retail price that you pay at the gas pump or on your utility bill for example (which is paid by consumers)
- The subsidy cost that governments pay energy producers and utility companies (which is ultimately paid by taxpayers)
- The externality cost of each type of energy (which is paid by taxpayers, by increased prices for consumers, and the impact on, or the cost to, the environment)
Externality cost in Europe and the U.S.A.
A recent report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) states that high air pollution levels (one type of externality) in the EU cost society €189 billion every year and it's a number that increases every year. (That's $235 billion when converted to U.S. dollars)
To put that number in some kind of context, the cost of the air pollution externality in the EU annually, is equal to the annual GDP of Finland.
Let's state that even more clearly. The amount of taxation paid by EU taxpayers every year to pay for airborne fossil fuel damage is equal to Finland's entire annual economic output!
It's getting worse, not better, notwithstanding recent renewable energy programs and incentives. Even the admirable German Energiewende program is barely making an impact when we look at the overall EU air quality index.
Of the 30 biggest facilities it identified as causing the most damage, 26 were power plants, mainly fueled by coal in Germany and eastern Europe. — Barbara Lewis (Reuters)
That's just Europe. It's even worse in the U.S., according to a landmark Harvard University report which says coal-fired power generation alone costs the U.S. taxpayer over $500 billion/yr in externality cost.
Each stage in the life cycle of coal—extraction, transport, processing, and combustion—generates a waste stream and carries multiple hazards for health and the environment. These costs are external to the coal industry and thus are often considered as "externalities."
We estimate that the life cycle effects of coal and the waste stream generated are costing the U.S. public a third to over one-half of a trillion dollars annually.
Many of these so-called externalities are, moreover, cumulative.
Accounting for the damages conservatively doubles to triples the price of electricity from coal per kWh generated, making wind, solar, and other forms of non fossil fuel power generation, along with investments in efficiency and electricity conservation methods, economically competitive.
We focus on Appalachia, though coal is mined in other regions of the United States and is burned throughout the world." — Full Cost Accounting for the Life Cycle of Coal by Dr. Paul Epstein, the Director of Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment, and eleven other co-authors
The report also notes that electricity rates would need to rise by another .09 to .27 cents per kilowatt hour in the U.S. to cover the externality cost of American coal-fired electricity production.
The externality cost for solar or wind power plants is zero, just for the record
Dr. Epstein and his team notes: "Coal burning produces one and a half times the CO2 emissions of oil combustion and twice that from burning natural gas (for an equal amount of energy produced)."
There's the argument to switch from coal to natural gas right there
Also in the Harvard report in regards to the intrinsic inefficiency of coal:
Energy specialist Amory Lovins estimates that after mining, processing, transporting and burning coal, and transmitting the electricity, only about 3% of the energy in the coal is used in incandescent light bulbs.
…In the United States in 2005, coal produced 50% of the nation's electricity but 81% of the CO2 emissions.
For 2030, coal is projected to produce 53% of U.S. power and 85% of the U.S. CO2 emissions from electricity generation.
None of these figures includes the additional life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from coal, including methane from coal mines, emissions from coal transport, other GHG emissions (e.g., particulates or black carbon), and carbon and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from land transformation in the case of MTR coal mining." — Full Cost Accounting for the Life Cycle of Coal report
It's not like this information is secret. All European, American, and Asian policymakers now know about the externality costs of coal vs. renewable energy. It's just that until recently everyone thought that the cost of switching to renewable energy, was higher than the cost of fossil externalities.
It's not only an economic problem, it's also a health problem
Air pollution impacts human health, resulting in extra healthcare costs, lost productivity, and fewer work days. Other impacts are reduced crop yields and building damage.
Particulate matter and ground-level ozone are two of the main pollutants that come from coal.
90% or more of Europeans living in cities are exposed to harmful air pollution. Bulgaria and Poland have some of the worst pollution of the European countries.
An estimated 400,000 premature deaths in European cities were linked to air pollution in 2011. — CleanTechnica
Externality cost in China
Remember the Beijing Olympics where the city's industry and commercial business were shut down to allow visitors and athletes to breathe clean air during their stay (and Wow!) look at their clear blue sky for the first time in decades. Great for tourists! Bad for Beijing business and industry, with the exception of the tourism industry (for one month) of course.
The Common Language Project reported in 2008 that premature deaths in China resulting from fossil fuel air pollution were surpassing 400,000 per year.
China faces a number of serious environmental issues caused by overpopulation and rapid industrial growth. Water pollution and a resulting shortage of drinking water is one such issue, as is air pollution caused by an over-reliance on coal as fuel. It has been estimated that 410,000 Chinese die as a result of pollution each year. — clpmag.org
The die is cast since it is becoming common knowledge that renewable energy merely requires a small subsidy to assist with power plant construction and grid harmonization — while fossil fuels continue to require truly massive and ongoing subsidies to continue operations.
Subsidy cost of fossil fuels
Already there is talk of ending fossil fuel subsidies, which in 2014 will top $600 billion worldwide
Want to add up the total costs (direct economic subsidy and externality cost subsidy) of fossil fuels?
Add the $600 billion global fossil fuel subsidy to the to the $2 trillion dollars of global externality cost and you arrive at (approx) $2.5 trillion dollars per year. Then there is the more than 1 million premature deaths globally caused by air pollution. All of that is subsidized by the world's taxpayers.
Compare that to the total costs of renewable energy. Well, for starters, the economic subsidy dollar amount for renewable energy is much less (about $100 billion per year globally) and there are no externality costs.
No deaths. No illness. No direct or related productivity loss due to a host of fossil fuel related issues (oil spills, coal car derailment, river contamination, explosions in pipelines or factories) for just a very few examples.
The fossil fuel industry is a very mature industry, it has found ways to do more with ever-fewer employees, and it gets more subsidy dollars than any other economic segment on the planet.
By comparison, the renewable energy industry is a new segment, one that requires many thousands of workers and it gets only relative handfuls of subsidy dollars. And, no externalities.
It becomes clearer every day that high-carbon fossil must be displaced by renewable energy
No longer is it some arcane moral argument that we should switch to renewables for the good of the Earth; Fossil fuel is proving to be a major factor in human illness/premature deaths, it sends our money abroad to purchase energy instead of keeping our money in our own countries, and the wholly-taxpayer-funded subsidy cost of fossil is out of control and getting worse with each passing year.
The time for dithering is past. It's time to make the switch to renewable energy, and to start, we need to remove the worst polluting power plants from the grid (and at the very least, replace them with natural gas powered plants) or even better, replace them with hybrid wind and solar power plants.
To accomplish this, governments need to begin diverting some of the tens of billions of dollars annually paid to the fossil fuel industry to the renewable energy industry.
Germany's Energiewende program was (and still is) an admirable first step. Once Germany has completed it's energy transition away from oil, coal and nuclear — having replaced all of that generation capacity with renewable energy and natural gas, only then can it be hailed a complete success — and German leaders should go down in history as being instrumental in changing the world's 21st century energy paradigm.
Dank an unsere deutschen Freunde! (With thanks to our German friends!)
If only every nation would sign-on to matching or exceeding the ongoing German example, we wouldn't have 1 million premature deaths globally due to fossil fuel burning, we wouldn't have almost 2 trillion dollars of externality cost, we wouldn't need $600 billion dollars of direct subsidies for fossil fuel producers — and we would all live in a healthier environment, and our plant, animal, and aquatic life would return to their normally thriving state.
Taxes would reflect the global $2.5 trillion drop in combined fossil fuel subsidy and fossil fuel externality costs, employment stats would improve, productivity would increase, the tourism industry would receive a boost, and enjoyment of life for individuals would rebound.
It's a truism in the energy industry that all energy is subsidized, of that there is no doubt. Even renewable energy receives tiny amounts of subsidy, relative to fossil.
But it is now apparent that over the past 100 years, getting 'the best (energy) bang for the buck' has been our nemesis. The energy world that we once knew, is about to change.
The world didn't come to an end when air travel began to replace rail travel in the 1950's. Now almost everyone travels by air, and only few travel by train. And what about the railway investors didn't they lose their money when the age of rail tapered-off? No, they simply moved their money to the new transportation mode and made as much or more money in the airline business.
Likewise, the world will not come to an end now that renewable energy is beginning to displace coal and oil. Investors will simply reallocate their money and make as much or more money in renewable energy.


text:
Electrons may not radiate emr
as they orbit,
but they do radiate.
They are changing direction
rapidly and continuously in Space.
Space is not empty; Space is as full
as full can be.
Space is Infinitely Full: there is and can
be no smallest thing, and everything is made
of something, all the turtles Russian Dolls way
Electrons everywhere give off ripples in
this Infinitely-recurring Space,
and it is this pressure from all matter that
is absorbed by matter and results in Gravity
and Inertia.

subset: commoncrawl


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SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Two cousins exploring a stream in Shelby Township found something very old. It was more than 10,000 years-old.
Eleven-year-old cousins Eric Stamatin and Andrew Gainarlu found what they at first thought was an odd-looking rock, but they looked at it more closely.
"At first it just looked like a rock but it had a hole in it, so we thought it was a bone," Stamatin said.
Cranbrook Institute of Science geologist John Zawiskie confirmed it was a bone belonging to the extinct American Mastodon.
Zawiskie identified it as an axis bone.
"The bone is likely between 13,000 and 14,000 years-old and is the fourth record of the American mastodon from Macomb County. The axis is one of two specialized vertebrae that secure the head to the vertebral column, and judging from the size of this find the animal was probably an adult around 8 or 9 feet high at the shoulders and weighing roughly 6 tons," Zawiskie said.
Mastodons became extinct about 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last glacial period.
The steam where the cousins found the bone is near 24 Mile and Dequindre Roads and cuts through the sand and gravel of an old glacial lake plain, near the source of the Clinton River.
The cousins were joined by a team from the Cranbrook Institute of Science in another exploration of the site, but found no other bones.
The mastodon is the official state fossil of Michigan.


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ComponentOne Ultimate
A complete toolkit of fast, flexible UI controls for JavaScript, .NET & Xamarin.
.NET Controls - Build complete experiences in Visual Studio with fast, flexible .NET UI controls for mobile, web, and desktop. Add touch support to your desktop apps and keep your UI current with Microsoft UI & Office themes.


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Official OS 188.8.131.527 has been released for the Torch 9850 from Sprint. If you have a Torch 9850 its time once again to get out that USB cord and give your device a fresh OS. And as always, please remember to let us know about any findings/fixes in the comments below.
Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld.
- Download Official OS 18.104.22.1687 for Torch 9850 from Sprint
- How to upgrade your device (pictures and video)


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Pepsi Font
Kind of surprised that we haven't done a post on him yet, but Gerard Huerta is one designer with a heck of experience under his belt. Born and raised in Southern California, he graduated from the Art Center College of Design and did some logo work for some highly recognizable brands like Pepsi (Not this Pepsi), AC/DC, Rolling Rock, Swiss Army brands, Ringling Brothers, et cetera et cetera. Additionally, hes done mastheads, magazine covers, and really great letter form and illustration for other big brands that I'm sure you have all come across.
I think its safe to say Gerard has played a significant role in developing the visual brand perception for these companies that are very relevant to contemporary society. Everyone can now say thank you to Gerard for making life better.
Good Friday.
Don't forget to send in your work to us at email@example.com!


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BBC News
- Vouchers of up to £5,000 for home insulation
- Coronavirus: Pubs close after positive tests
- Duchess of Cornwall 'can't wait to hug' her grandchildren
- Coronavirus: Boris Johnson criticised over 'cowardly' care home comments
- Coronavirus: Don't leave home without a face covering, says science body
- Coronavirus: Clear masks made to help lip-reading deaf people
- Uber: Taxi refusals make man feel 'second-class citizen'
- Domestic Abuse Bill: MPs back ban on 'chilling rough sex defence'
- London's North Circular drivers rescued as water floods route
- Coronavirus: Dad reunited with family after three months
- Coronavirus: 'Confused picture' as some salons unable to open
- Dog saved by cave rescue team after Merthyr Tydfil fall
- Workers not eligible for furlough: "It's been very stressful'
- Coronavirus lockdown: Eight ways the lockdown has changed the UK
- Arts industry welcomes £1.57bn govt support package
- Wales tourism hopes as five-mile travel limit ends
- The North Korean refugees supplying PPE to care homes
- Coronavirus lockdowns: Where is next after Leicester?
- Coronavirus doctor's diary: Bradford worries about the whack-a-mole mallet
- Coronavirus: How will London's economy look after lockdown?
- Coronavirus: Contact tracing 'a steep learning curve'
- Coronavirus: Widnes couple say 'I do' after clock strikes midnight
- Racism and statues: How the toxic legacy of empire still affects us
- Rishi Sunak's summer statement: Five things he may do
- Coronavirus: 'Long-haulers' face lengthy recovery
- Working from home: 'I'm a bit brainier than he thought I was'
- Coronavirus: Two Metres of Separation
- Coronavirus: 'Super Saturday' tales as bars reopen
- Friends embrace 'Super Saturday' as pubs and bars reopen
- Coronavirus: Before and after portraits of haircuts as hairdressers reopen
- The Vulcan: memories and mysteries uncovered as Cardiff pub is rebuilt
- 'They paused my chemo because of Covid'
- Racism and statues: How the toxic legacy of empire still affects us
- Nigel Slater's Toast returns in digital production
- Bianca Williams and partner Ricardo dos Santos stopped by Met Police
- The West End's longest running show to reopen
- Body positivity movement: 'Why is my body not important?'
- Newspaper headlines: China's warning to UK and 'naughty Tory' on trial
- New Brighton sea death victim 'trying to help dog rescuer'
- Stormont: Flags body to submit delayed report within weeks
- Coronavirus: Climate change 'bigger threat' than Covid-19
- Paignton boat builder had to remove patio door to launch vessel
Our traditional ANY-Village websites can still be found at their original location:
Below we are listing some of the most popular UK property websites advertising homes for sale in the Loveacott area:
Nestoria (LOVEACOTT Map Search)
Vebra.com (LOVEACOTT Map Search)
Rightmove (LOVEACOTT Map Search)
Zoopla (Loveacott Map Search)
Homes for SALE / Flats for SALE in LOVEACOTT
Homes for RENT / Flats for RENT in LOVEACOTT


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Hi Team,
Today, I'm excited to be releasing the Mystery Module to you.
Monitor Your Site's Rankings with the Market Samurai Rank Tracker
Just like every other module inside Market Samurai, our Rank Tracker's function is simple.
It doesn't just monitor and track your position in the search engines…
It helps you to make more money, with less time, and less effort, from your online business.
Let me show you what I mean, and reveal 2 specific strategies for cutting down the time and effort that you put into your web-site, while you get better rankings, traffic and sales:
If you don't own Market Samurai yet, click here purchase your copy now to get instant access to Market Samurai's new Rank Tracking module.
The Importance of Rankings
In simple terms, the reason you should monitor your rankings is because every tiny increase in rankings that you receive gives you a substantial increase in traffic.
These are the top 10 results inside Google, and the percentage of times that they get clicked.
|% of Clicks
|Visits per 1,000
What Do You Notice About The Clicks?
It doesn't take much more than a glance to see that the closer we are to the top of the listings, the more potential customers visit our web-site.
Visitors select higher results far more often than they select results below.
So if the search engines were sending out 1,000 visitors per day for a keyword, the #1 result would receive 421 of them.
But each time you step down that ladder, there's a massive drop in the amount of traffic that you get.
Here's where ranking matters – big time!
Position #1 might get 421 visitors…
But position #2 might only get 119 (just over 1/4 of the visitors of position #1);
Position #3 would get just 81 visitors (1/5th of the visitors of position #1);
Position #6 would receive just 41 visitors per day (1/10th of the visitors of position #1);
So to step up from position 2, to position 1, could result in 3 or 4 times more sales for us.
Or to step from position 6 to 1 could mean we earn TEN TIMES more sales.
These are tiny steps in rankings – but GIANT LEAPS for your bank balance.
STEP 1: Know Your Rankings
You can't improve something if you're not tracking it.
And this is the first thing that Market Samurai's Rank Tracker module will do for you..
With the click of a button, you can now get up-to-date data on:
- Where all of your web-pages rank in your market;
- In all 3 major search engines Google, Yahoo and Bing (MSN);
- Tracking your rank in any one of 234 countries and regions;
- For as many keywords as you choose;
- Including the details of all multiple listings that you have – not just the first listing;
- Right down to the 1,000th result – the deepest rank tracking analysis of any rank tracker available today
You'll also get up-to-date PageRank and Backlink data for all of your ranking pages
You will be able to see how many pages are indexed by the search engines on your site…
You can monitor the rankings of ANY Web 2.0 content alongside your website's rankings – including your YouTube videos, Squidoo lenses and Ezine Articles…
AND – most importantly – you can see at a glance which pages are rising, and which are falling in the search engines, with color-coded charts, and graphs that show your site's rankings over time:
STEP 2: Focus on the areas of Maximum Results
Once we see where our strongest rankings are, we can focus our efforts on these pages and get the maximum return from our efforts.
That's because you will have two things working in your favour:
1) The Search Engine Numbers
Remember how we saw that a site ranked #2 in Google could get THREE to FOUR times more potential customers from that keyword if they were ranked #1?
Or if we were ranked #6, we could get a TEN FOLD increase by hitting that top spot?
In both cases, we're making small improvements to already strong numbers – and seeing BIG returns as a reward.
That's because it's not going from position 900 to position 100 in the search engines that gives you the biggest returns – it's going from position 2 or 3 to position 1 that creates the biggest results for us.
2) SOMETHING must be working already!
The second reason you want to focus on improving already positive rankings is because it's a great sign if you're ALREADY getting good results from a keyword…
If you're already ranking well for a keyword, you're either doing something right – or you're in a weak market.
Whatever the reason is, this is a good sign. From here, it's easy to go the next step – and rank even better.
This is the first thing you should check in Rank Tracker
So Market Samurai's Rank Tracker tells us where we should be focussing our efforts – by identifying the keywords we rank well for, we can create substantial increases in profits through tiny shifts in our rankings.
That's the first obvious step to maximise your profits with the minimum amount of effort – to focus on where we can get the maximum profits.
Now, it's time to be lazy…
Let's get those results with the minimum amount of effort…
STEP 3: Only Do The Things That Create Results
If you're an engineer you'll know that one of the best ways to avoid unnecessary work and delays is to avoid waste.
We want to avoid wasting time and effort on things that don't work and don't give us results.
But the problem with SEO is that there are SO MANY conflicting opinions on what works and what doesn't – and the truth is, many of the "opinions" and "theories" out there are dead wrong!
So let me cut through the confusion, and give you one simple rule…
One Simple Rule for Getting Rankings
Just take one strategy – it doesn't matter what it is – and do it.
Pick something simple, something that doesn't take much time and effort, and do it.
Then track it in Rank Tracker.
If your site's ranking rises, keep doing it.
Do it over and over again until that one thing stops working.
Then, try something else.
Simple, common sense thinking – isn't it? But it's only possible if you are actually tracking where you rank in the search engines.
It's the END of "Hoping" to Rank
That's the beauty of Rank Tracker… It takes the guesswork out of SEO strategies.
- You'll see search engines as they discover your backlinks – and see whether or not those backlinks result in better rankings.
- You can put up lots of fresh, new content – and find out whether the volume of content on your site affects rankings.
- You can monitor the affect of new backlinks on your PageRank – then monitor the affect of PageRank on your rankings. Is it SEO voodoo?
- You can test different link building strategies – which ones work, and which ones don't?
And whatever you do, you can see almost instantly.
It All Comes Down To This One Simple Question…
"Did this increase my rankings in the search engines?"
If it does, keep doing it.
If it doesn't – stop and try something else.
It's THAT simple.
The Samurai Edge for Tracking Your Site
Not only are we launching a Rank Tracker inside Market Samurai today – we're leading the market – launching the most fully-featured rank tracking tool available ANYWHERE.
While most other search engine rank tracking software costs between $99 and $389:
- No other software will track your rankings as DEEP as Market Samurai's rank tracker – which can monitor down to 1,000 results.
- No other software will give you as much data on your rankings
- No other software will track the rankings ALL of your sites, and ALL of your content – including content on 3rd party sites – like content that you upload YouTube, Squidoo and Ezine Articles.
PLUS – Most other search engine rank tracking software will make you pay to stay updated.
So you might pay $250 to get started for the first year – but to keep your software running 12 months later, expect to pay $250 again (or worse, get locked into a subscription plan!) to get required upgrades every year that you do rank tracking – for as long as you're running your online business.
But we're NOT going to do it that way.
As of today, our Rank Tracker is being released as a core part of Market Samurai.
That means there are no subscription costs to pay.
You get full access to the Market Samurai Rank Tracker for a single one-time payment.
So if you already own Market Samurai, you'll pay no more to get access to this feature – it's already yours. Just download the latest update, and begin using it right away.
If you don't already own Market Samurai, you will receive Rank Tracker today at no additional cost as part of your Market Samurai purchase.
This is something that we can only "give away" for a limited time.
The reason all other rank trackers make you pay ongoing fees for updates is because those updates come at a cost.
Right now, we're absorbing these costs ourselves…
But this can't happen forever.
Sooner or later, we will need to raise our costs, or begin charging subscription fees in order to keep up with our exponentially-growing user base.
So if you want the benefits of Rank Tracker, full access to all other Market Samurai tools, and free lifetime access to all updates – make sure you purchase your copy right now, while the price is so low.
Click here to get your copy now – and begin using Rank Tracker right away.
Want More Information on How To Use Rank Tracker?
Head over to the Rank Tracker section of our Tutorials area.
We have created a series of short videos for you view there, designed to take you through how to set up Rank Tracker and begin tracking your rankings.
Edit: Competition winners from our "Guess the Mystery Module" competition have not been announced yet. Unfortunately, with an incredible 1,338 responses, it's taking us longer than we expected to read all of the responses submitted. We will be announcing winners ASAP.


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It turns out that people get oddly passionate about card lists, which is honestly a pretty great sign for Hearthstone. The first list we dropped two weeks ago was met with agreement, and also a lot of 'where is this card?!', despite warnings that there would be more to come. There was also some disagreement with the Wild Pyromancer choice, but I'm hoping that Amaz and his skilled use of the fiery minion at Dreamhack Summer has opened some eyes. It's incredibly powerful with the right complements.
This week we'll take a look at another five sub-epic cards no one should be without. The only ranking to the list is mana cost, so we're not saying that one's more important than another. That decision is up to you and what decks you want to play.


text:
What Is Entrusters?
We make it possible for you to purchase the best products at the best prices from anywhere in the world. We connect you with travelers who deliver your products safely and securely.
How It Works
Shop From Anywhere
Order at the best prices, from any store in the world.
Get Connected
We'll connect you with a Traveler to deliver your item.
Meet & Collect
Meet with your traveler on arrival and collect your shopping.
Why Shop With Entrusters?
The Best Prices
Why pay more? Products are sourced at US retail prices meaning you pay much less than your local alternatives.
The Newest Releases
Order the latest products as soon as they come in the USA and have them delivered to you faster than any other supplier.
The Widest Choice
Order almost any product from any reputable US retailer, as long as it can be carried as accompanied baggage.
Secure Online Payments
Your payment is secured using state-of-art encryption, data protection and fraud detection technology.
Range of Payment Options
Pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express and many other cards. We also accept PayPal and Bitcoin.
Guaranteed Delivery
If your product is incorrect, damaged or doesn't arrive, we return your payment in full, guaranteed.
No Surprise Fees
We calculate all fees and taxes in advance so you always pay the price you see. No hidden charges.
Home Delivery
Delivery to your door, anywhere in the the country with the help of our domestic shipping partners.
Awesome Support
Our customer service and support teams are available to help you at every step. Just open a chat to get help.


text:
Relocation to London – A World of Education
If you're one of the many Americans moving to London each year, the question of education and schools is an important one. Your choice of schools will have an impact of every aspect of planning for your relocation to London.
Many Americans are keen to find a school that offers the American curriculum, but others are extremely happy to give their children the opportunity to experience international education.


text:
Businesses today must make quick, accurate decisions and implement them faster than ever before. Doing that well requires being able to combine multiple data sets and gain insight from them as quickly as possible. Speed2Insight can help.
Speed2Insight (S2I) is a new approach to data analytics and reporting that results in a holistic picture of a company's corporate data, along with strategic implications. It's designed to create commercial excellence, improve operational efficiency, and drive business model innovation.
Not only that, S2I also:
S2I helps clients identify relevant business questions. It then collects, combines, and analyzes data to uncover results. Finally, it visualizes the results for easier understanding. S2I is based on a real-time analytics engine. With access to a strategic perspective, broad industry insight, and a real-time analytics platform, clients can generate value quickly—often in as few as eight weeks.


text:
Monday, March 8, 2010
shopping in my closet, part 1 (in which I convert an old pair of bootcut jeans into a new pair of skinny jeans)
I've been admiring so many in the blogosphere that are taking old/unwearable clothes and remaking them into new, beautiful things. I'd really like to try a pretty ruffle shirt like the one my BFF made from her husband's old dress shirt. But first things first, as I have a growing mountain of clothing in my craft room that needs fixing or updating.
My most urgent need is jeans to wear tucked inside my newish lovely boots. I didn't own a pair of skinny jeans until a couple of weeks ago. After I bought one pair I got the idea to convert my old bootcut jeans (which are too short now anyway) into skinny jeans from some similar transformations I've seen on several great YouTube videos.
People, this is the easiest wardrobe revamp you could hope for. Really. It takes like twenty minutes and can save you some serious jean money.
This is the process in a nutshell:
1) Turn your old pair of bootcut jeans inside out and lay them down flat. Lay your favorite pair of skinny jeans on top.
2) Find out which seam on your old jeans has the pretty topstitching. Align the edges of the skinny legs along the bootcut seam that is topstitched (this could be the outside seam or the inside seam). You don't want to take in the seam that is topstitched. It will look funny since you can't replicate the topstitching. You want to take in the side that has a regular seam so your new one will blend in. As it happens, the pair I was working with didn't have topstitching on either side.
3) Once it is all aligned carefully and you have the seams nice and flat, trace along the edge of the skinny leg to mark your new seam line on the bootcut leg. Pin in place, taking care to match up the hem of your old jeans nicely.
4) Using a heavy duty needle on your machine (really. don't skip this step), sew your new seams on each leg. Now before you trim and finish the new seams, try the jeans on to be sure they fit the way you like. You may need to make minor adjustments before you finish and press your seams.
Voila. You really can't tell where my new seam starts and the old one ends. Just saved myself some money. Oh, yeah.
30 comments:
1. Great idea. I've played with some of my jeans' fit, too. Very liberating. If only I could alter my thighs so easily.ReplyDelete
2. You must now cease all boot related blog posts. You know I decided against buying new boots this year. Why must you torture me???
Bob, yes, I was wondering if I could take in my hips a bit. Now that WOULD certainly require a heavy duty needle.ReplyDelete
And I am sorry for the boot envy. Perhaps you need to rethink your decision. I have decided to wear my boots all spring and summer, maybe even swimming.
such a good idea! hmmm, if I redo a pair of jeans, i'll need some boots to wear with them. I'm sure we could find some really good sales right now, Robyn!ReplyDelete
Great tutorial!! My mother used to do something similar to my jeans back when I was in jr. high and tapered jeans were all the rage.ReplyDelete
I linked to your project at Craft Gossip Sewing:
Hmmm ... me thinks this means a trip to the thrift store. I always have problems getting jeans to fit through my hips and thighs - the calves are the least of my worries. So I could find anything that fit and turn them into skinny jeans to go with my boots for not much dinero. On the other hand, that would mean buying myself a sewing machine, too, or going over to a girlfriend's house to borrow hers. Neither option is a bad one. :)ReplyDelete
Jessica, man yeah! deals galore.ReplyDelete
Anne, wow, thanks again. I remember those jeans too. Very very straight. Ugh, and stirrup pants! egads.
S, not a bad idea at all. My biggest problem is finding the length to fit at the same time the waist and bootie fits. Ooh, also this could work to make some cool skinny capris for the summer.ReplyDelete
Awesome jeans transformation!ReplyDelete
I just totally love your kids room too! I spy some totally cute softies behind you!!!
thank you!!! i'll have to try it. i got some j.crew "so last year" bootcuts at their outlet for $20. look out, they are getting skinny-ized :)ReplyDelete
now to find some great boots to go with :)
have a happy week!
Love the skinny jeans. But alas, that cut will never be the most flattering on me.ReplyDelete
But what I am loving even more are those fantastic headboards! They are exactly what I have been looking for in my little girls' room. Please tell me you got those recently at a store near me!
- AnonymousMarch 8, 2010 at 12:33 PM
Such a good idea and such a good result! (And the beds look perfect to me)ReplyDelete
hat a clever idea! I have new great boots as well and I also bought my very first straight Jeans (at least the "first" for about 20 years)... and I have to have a new pair of Jeans as well. BUT nearly all my Jeans have a hole at the right knee (due to kneeing a lot with the two little ones - so that is my problem with my beloved old jeans - any good idea for that anybody (I mean I just cover the whole inside and sew over it so it is closed and won't get bigger).ReplyDelete
Jessica, trust me, I've been looking for boot deals. The problem is, I found my perfect boots way back a few months ago (remember Larissa?) then hemmed and hawed about buying them so long that they sold out. Now all other pairs pale in comparison. Unless they cost $200. Which I can't justify since it's already spring weather here. And, well, since it's $200.ReplyDelete
And Larissa, please do send pics if you do decide to take the plunge.
Kim, I don't actually think it is a very flattering cut for anyone unless they are a human stringbean. That is why I so love long tunics and must make myself some to wear with my newish skinny jeans. :-)ReplyDelete
As for the headboards, aren't you lucky I never throw away emails. It was from onewayfurniture.com, but I don't see anything similar on there right now. If I were you, I'd do a google image search for wrought iron headboard, then let the image lead you to the retail site.
I think that is what I did. HTH.
Nö, Robyn has a great patching tutorial on her blog here:ReplyDelete
Turned out great! Love your boots! Mind sharing where you got them? I think skinny jeans look great with boots but am afraid my hips and rear are too wide to pull them off :).ReplyDelete
Katie, hence my quest for bootie and hip concealing tunics. :-) as for the boots, I bought them on Piperlime and they are by Miz Mooz.ReplyDelete
Sooo clever! My bootlegs always look a little too flary, so this will be perfect to try out on them :DReplyDelete
Thanks! Gonna try it tonight!ReplyDelete
really very very good!ReplyDelete
This is great! Now only if I had a pair of skinny jeans to copy!ReplyDelete
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this idea!ReplyDelete
great upportunaty touse my favo jeans to turn into a skinny... A great fitting jeans only, ..., bootcut.
Thanks for the tutorial Larissa - this is the easiest one I've seen. The pics REALLY help me - I need visuals. I can't wait to try this out. But first, I have to decide which jeans to alter! =)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 9, 2010 at 7:02 PM
Fabulous! Now if only I wasn't 7 months pregnant and could even think about wearing skinny jeans...ReplyDelete
Thank you for this post! I want to do the same to several of my old jeans, but I've been so afraid to try! This is the push I needed!ReplyDelete
Thank you Larissa (and Robyn), so I might want to work on repairing my old Jeans (which I like so very much because all the companies seemed to have changed their models since I last time bought Jeans).ReplyDelete
totally fantastic -- what a great project! :^DReplyDelete
I'm taking the plunge tomorrow -- not skinny jeans legs, but slimmer legs. you're such an enabler.ReplyDelete
I ofund this on craft gossip ages ago, but I'm ready for it today so I wanted to say THANK YOU, u make it look ez. I'm off to get my heavy duty needle.ReplyDelete
Thanks so much for this! My son has a pile of boot cuts from an older relative. He likes "retro cool" for some, but really wanted me to fix the others I'd I could. Now, I know I can :)ReplyDelete
Hello. Enough about me. Let's hear from you! If you post a question, I answer with a reply comment, so be sure to click the 'notify me' box as you post your question to receive the answer via email. Thanks!


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Gee I wonder who Jeff likes in this episode?
Omg Erinn in trouble right from the opening scene.
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Railers hope to end Tornadoes' hot start
By Justin Tierney
Send a link to a friend
[November 30, 2012]
It would seem easy for the
Lincoln Railer basketball team to overlook their opponent in
tonight's Central State Eight conference opener.
If the Railers do look past the Tornadoes tonight, they could
very well be handed a loss.
Taylorville enters the game as the surprise of the Central State
Eight conference after the first week of play. After six years of
struggling mightily to be competitive, the Tornadoes have started
this season with a perfect 4-0 record, winning the Stove Top
Stuffing Classic at Troy Triad last week.
Taylorville has not won a Central State Eight conference game
since 2006 but appears poised to do so this year.
Lincoln coach Neil Alexander has warned his team that, if they
don't come ready to play, the Tornadoes' streak could end tonight.
"They are 4-0. It's a little bit scary. They've got some good
young talent and so do we," said Alexander. "We've got more
experience, but we're going to their place, so that kind of washes
everything out.
"I think we've got our work cut out for us. I've told our kids,
Taylorville is going to break that Central State Eight winning
streak this year. I'd hate for it to be against us."
Alexander attributes part of Taylorville's fast start to their
new coach, Carey McVickers. McVickers is in his first season as the
head boys basketball coach at Taylorville, after previously leading
the successful girls basketball program.
"They are fundamentally sound. They have a couple of guys who can
really shoot it," said Alexander. "And now, they have a veteran
coach in Carey McVickers, who is a very good coach."
Alexander also said he expects the atmosphere at Taylorville to
be much different than in past years. It is the Tornadoes' home
opener and their first opportunity to show many of their fans that
their losing ways are a thing of the past.
[to top of second column]
"It'll be challenging to go all the way there and get a win,"
said Alexander. "I hope some of our fans will follow us, because I
expect their gym will be full of people because they're off to a
good start."
It's also the first road game for the Railers this season. But,
Alexander says that isn't a major concern, because most of the
roster has experience in road games last season.
"I'm very comfortable with this group because most of them were
on the roster last year," said Alexander. "I think they'll be ready
for the step up. I feel good about it. We've had a good week of
Lincoln will hope to continue its performance from the Eaton
Electrical Thanksgiving Round Robin Tournament, which the Railers
finished with a 4-1 record.
The Railers had the look of a dangerous offensive team in their
season-opening tournament, with four different players reaching
double figures in five games.
Alexander said he expects the balanced offensive output to be a
theme of this season.
"I think we've got four or five guys who can score and be around
that 10 to 12 points per game mark," said Alexander. "I think we are
a team where you can't focus on one guy. We might be tough to
prepare for, because you won't know where our scoring is going to
come from on any night.
"But, it also requires us getting the ball to whoever has the hot
hand on that night and executing how we want to execute."
[By JUSTIN TIERNEY]
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Those of you in the Los Angeles area need no reminder of the station fire burning just northeast of us. Here are some unbelievable photos from the ever impressive photo journalism of the Boston Globe. Note the helicopter in this one:
This National Forest has been very important to me over the years I've spent in Los Angeles. I've easily been there hundreds of times road riding, mountain biking, hiking, swimming, running, taking Angeles Crest as a shortcut to the 14….
Recently I was discussing with a friend how we seek out contrast. We were laughing that we had both done hikes in the desert (him in Death Valley, myself in Joshua Tree) to springs to see the greenery that arises from the smallest amount of water. Why go to the desert to see green? We didn't really come up with an adequate answer, but didn't feel the need to. There is something magical to experiencing that part of nature that refuses to be like the rest and finds a way to be itself in the harshest circumstances. And this explains what I love about Los Angeles: all of the parks and green space, the surrounding mountains; the places that feel the most un-LA. If I love these parts why not live in Missoula or Portland? Because of the contrast.
This doesn't have much to do with the fire, and I'm sorry I can't add anything to those discussions. I'm just taking the time to reflect on the spaces that are so valuable to me. Here are some previous posts from times spent in the Angeles Forest:
Gabrielino trail(mountain biking)
Strawberry peak loop(mountain biking)
Midnight Express ride (over Angeles Crest at night to Acton and back)
The running and road bike mountain bike shuttle trip
LA Bike Coalition article with photo of Echo Mountain
To Mt. Wilson on dirt with the cross bike
Crazy to think it won't be the same for generations.


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Orla Healy (And More?) Out at New York Daily News
We hear from multiple sources that Orla Healy, the legendarily-disliked features editor at the New York Daily News, has been let go. Since Martin Dunn left the paper, Healy's clock has been ticking. Time's up. We hear. [UPDATED below].
We're also hearing that William Goldschlag, the NYDN's managing editor for politics, is out as well. Says one insider: "DC wasn't happy with his editing." We've left a message with the paper's spokesperson and we'll update when we know more. [Know more? Email me.]


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By Staff Writer | October 17, 2013
Send Feedback
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Vertical Aviation has received approval from Robinson Helicopter to serve as an R66 service center. The location is also a service center for the Rolls-Royce RR300, which powers the R66. Vertical Aviation is a sales and service center for Eurocopter, Turbomeca, Rolls-Royce and a dealer for Guardian automated flight following (AFF) and flight data monitoring (FDM) systems.
Related: Maintenance News


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Amy, I read your post and thought I would add that Rosa was first married in Minnesota to John's younger brother, Joseph Davis. They had 3 children and then Joseph died of pneumonia at a young age in 1900. In those days I believe it was not unusual for a bachelor brother to assume responsibilities of the deceased brother's family. Therefore, the 3 oldest children were John's nieces and nephews as well as his step children!
So this explains the three oldest children and their relationship to John.
I'd like to thank John's granddaughter for contribution to this project. I couldn't have told his story so well with out her. Don't worry though. There will be more on the way. I can tell he was a very interesting man, and we are still working on getting his picture on here too.


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Even with "The Deathly Hallows – Part 2" looming, fans aren't about to let Harry Potter end, between churning out their own fiction and forming wizard rock bands. But perhaps some of the oddest – and most entertaining – DIY tributes have come in musical video parodies.
We've enjoyed "A Very Potter Musical," which helped launch "Glee" star Darren Criss' career, and the "Potter Puppet Pals" short, which has notched more than 105 million views on YouTube since 2007. This week, though, we're getting a kick out of a new effort that's an unlikely mash-up between the boy wizard and the irreverent Tony-winning musical, "The Book of Mormon."
In the video, a very talented young woman who posts to YouTube as "tessaROXX" plays various Potter characters – Voldemort included – on a "Brady Bunch"-style split-screen grid, singing "Hello!" from the musical by the duo behind "South Park." She turns the tune from a pitch for Joseph Smith into a plea for Potter ("I would like to share with you the most amazing book!").
We're predicting viral success for the video, which is as sweet as it is silly. But the Potter parody has some catching up to do to match the YouTube hits racked up by another new mash-up, a spoof inspired by "The Lord of the Rings" series, which sparks similar strong feelings – and creative efforts – from fans.
The video features the evil Saruman, who confounds Gandalf and friends by bursting into song from atop the Tower of Isengard. His tune of choice, a 1960s Russian nonsense novelty hit known as "Trololo," emerged as an Internet meme a couple years ago, turning up in unexpected places, as kind of a Soviet-era version of the Rickroll.
Speaking of memes, a new one may be in the offing, thanks to another recent mash-up that makes comedic use of an intense scene from the 1979 George C. Scott drama "Hardcore," about a man who discovers his runaway daughter has become a porn star.
The scene in which Scott's character breaks down while watching one of his child's movies in a theater is interspersed with the trailer for Adam Sandler's latest comedy, "Jack & Jill," in which he plays a man and his twin sister. "Turn it off," Scott cries. "Turn it off!"
Sandler might want to hope his film is better than the trailer suggests – or least funnier than this very clever video. With all this fan work for free on YouTube, who needs to go to the movies – except, perhaps, for inspiration for new mash-ups. Check out some of our latest favorites below:
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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100 GB to 30,000 GB: Size, Speed, and Benchmarks
Anyone who's spent much time around software designers and developers knows they often compare the merits of various database systems. Those discussions usually focus on differentiators such as performance and ease of programming. This was true as long ago as the famous database debate between two ACM Turing Award winners, Charles Bachman and Edgar F. Codd.
Performance, data integrity, and ease of use are key characteristics to look for when comparing database systems. (In this context, ease of use is often a function of the tools available for modeling, design, and programming.)
When comparing database systems, we often make subjective judgments. At the same time, we yearn for an objective yardstick for measuring a database management system (DBMS) and database applications that use it.
Many in the database community have a strong interest in instrumentation and measurement of database performance. For developers and DBMS providers, performance is a characteristic we want to measure and quantify in terms that permit comparisons.
System architects are worth their weight in gold when they can identify and eliminate performance penalties. Numerous factors can hinder performance, including less than optimal hardware, shoddy database design, network latency, inferior database drivers, poor application coding, and queries that require optimization.
Benchmarks have proven to be a valuable tool for studying performance under different database workloads. They can provide information that's useful for identifying and isolating problems. They can be used in combination with regression testing as a quality assurance tool for new software releases. But the most high-profile use of database benchmarks is providing a quantitative comparison of differences between hardware and software used for database work.
Database Benchmarks
The computing industry has funded the Transaction Processing Council (TPC) to produce foremost benchmarks for database performance measurement, but there are others.
The Open Source Database Benchmark (OSDB) is a community-maintained benchmark that's modeled after AS3AP, the ANSI SQL Scalable and Portable Benchmark. There's been very little recent activity in the OSDB community since the 2010 announcement of version 0.90. PolePosition is a benchmark for comparing a combination of database engines with object-relational mapping technology.
Yahoo! Research created a benchmark that's well known in the NoSQL community. The Yahoo Cloud Serving Benchmark provides common workloads for comparing key-value stores and other cloud databases, such as Cassandra, HBase, and Sherpa. This benchmark is not designed for testing complex query operations, but it provides useful metrics for CRUD-type operations (read and write latency).
The gold standard of database benchmarks is the collection developed by the TPC. Computer manufacturers frequently cite the TPC results for publication when they've established a new price-performance record. The people who develop the TPC benchmarks include representatives of member organizations, such as Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Sybase, and VMware.


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Rory McIlroy has taken the Golf Writers Trophy for 2012 ahead of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team.
The 23-year-old Northern Irishman became the sport's undisputed world number one during a season which saw him win the USPGA Championship - his second major - by a runaway eight-shot margin just like last year's US Open. He also won four other tournaments and emulated Luke Donald by topping the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Ryder Cup side of which McIlroy was part of came second in the voting, followed by their star man Ian Poulter, 53-year-old Roger Chapman and the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team.
McIlroy, named last week as the PGA Tour's Player of the Year, said: "The 2012 season was a superb one for every aspect of European golf and that comes across when you look at the names of the players in contention for the Golf Writers Trophy this year - therefore to come out on top of that list is a great honour."
Poulter was one of the key architects of the Chicago comeback, making five birdies in a row to win a vital fourball match alongside McIlroy and finishing the event with four points out of four.
Chapman enjoyed a fairytale season when he won the Senior PGA Championship and the US Senior Open, a double only previously achieved by Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin.
The Curtis Cup victory at Nairn completed an unprecedented clean sweep of all four of the main trans-Atlantic trophies - Ryder, Solheim, Walker and Curtis Cups.


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It's time to talk about mental health.
Mothers and mental health advocates talk about how mental illness affects families, and why — and how — we need to talk about it.
The free community …
Postpartum Support International — Call 1-800-944-4773, press #1 for Spanish or #2 for English, or text 503-894-9453. The organization has a Colorado chapter that provides local resources for mothers. Mary Schroeter, coordinator for the Littleton area, can be reached at 303-883-7271. Laurel Hicks is coordinator for the greater Denver area and can be reached by phone or text at 303-974-8295. The group's website is at http://www.postpartum.net/
Healthy Expectations Perinatal Mental Health Program — Call 303-864-5252 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. For mothers in the perinatal period, the program at Children's Hospital Colorado offers medical and psychological evaluations, couples and individual counseling, and support groups. Some services, including a moms support group called MAMAS Connect, are offered at the Highlands Ranch campus, 1811 Plaza Drive.
You Are Not Alone Mom 2 Mom (YANAM2M) — Call 303-229-3678 or email email@example.com. The free support group for moms meets weekly at locations in Highlands Ranch. To view a calendar, visit www.yanam2m.org/calendar.
AllHealth Network — Call 303-730-8858. South metro Denver's community health center offers behavioral inpatient and outpatient services as well as group and individual or family counseling. For a list of locations, visit www.allhealthnetwork.org/about-us/contact-us-locations.
Colorado Crisis Services — Call 844-493-8255 or text "TALK" to 38255. You will be connected to a crisis-trained counselor who will provide immediate and confidential support. For in-person support, visit a walk-in location at 6509 S. Santa Fe Drive in Littleton.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana use can lead to a marijuana dependency and, in extreme cases, addiction.
About 30 percent of marijuana users are believed to have some degree of a marijuana-use disorder. This is often associated with "dependence," NIDA says on its website, in which a person feels withdrawals when not using.
Frequent users report symptoms such as irritability, difficulty sleeping, moodiness, low appetite, cravings and physical discomfort after quitting.
If a person cannot stop using marijuana and it is interfering with his or her life, he or she may be addicted.
"Estimates of the number of people addicted to marijuana are controversial, in part because epidemiological studies of substance use often use dependence as a proxy for addiction," NIDA says, "even though it is possible to be dependent without being addicted."
Check out a Time to Talk community conversation about mental health and youth: Andrew Romanoff, CEO of Mental Health Colorado, talked about the importance of early intervention. Kristen Torres, a CSU sophomore and Douglas County graduate, and Kirstie June, a senior at Chaparral High School, shared their personal mental health struggles and how they've overcome them. You can watch video of the forum here.
Hosted by Colorado Community Media on April 26 at Lone Tree Library in partnership with Douglas County Libraries and the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative.
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Withdrawing from activities
• Isolating from family and friends
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Giving away prized possessions
• Aggression
• Fatigue
• Displaying depression, anxiety, irritability, shame or anger
• Displaying relief or sudden improvement in mood
• Talking about feelings of hopelessness, being a burden to others or having no reason to live
Source: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Award-winning reporter Alex DeWind, 25, reports primarily on Highlands Ranch and the Douglas County School District, but has focused much of her time since November reporting on the state of mental health in Douglas County. A native of Basalt, a small mountain town outside of Aspen, she graduated from University of Colorado-Boulder in May 2015 and joined Colorado Community Media that fall. Reporting the stories in this segment — being privileged to listen to the very personal stories people have shared — has been an emotional journey, DeWind said. "These tragedies forever change the lives of everyone left behind," she said. "People need to know that they are loved, cared for and that they matter in this world. There are so many things that make life worth living."
Jessica Gibbs, 25, began for Colorado Community Media in August 2016, and has already earned statewide awards for her writing. Originally from DeWitt, a small town in southeast Nebraska, she graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and covers Douglas County, Castle Rock and nearby communities.
"As officials on the forefront of the issue have said, there is no perfect answer for improving the mental health system or law enforcement's role in policing the mentally ill," Gibbs said. "Let's keep asking the tough questions until those answers can be found, so those with mental illness have the resources they need and the public rests assured the system is working at its best."
Nick Puckett, 22, began covering Parker and Lone Tree in May, after his graduation from the University of Montana, where he earned a journalism degree.He spent the past couple of months reporting on how and why businesses are responding to the challenge of mental illness in the workplace."The whole experience was pretty eye-opening," said Puckett, who grew up in Castle Rock. "I learned mental health can look so different from person to person. I was impressed with the creative ways different businesses went about supporting mental health, but also realized there's still so far to go."
Let's Talk Colorado, launched in May, is a statewide campaign created by Tri-County Health Department and other partner organizations to combat the stigma of mental illness. In English and Spanish, Letstalkco.org defines mental health and stigma, as well as provides links to local and statewide resources.
The campaign also provides tips on how to talk about mental health, such as:• Be nice.• Keep in contact.• Offer help.• Listen.• Keep the conversation moving.• Don't ignore it.
MakeItOk.org is a national campaign to combat the stigma of mental illness. On its website, visitors can learn about mental illness, answer a questionnaire on stigmatic behaviors and read about individual experiences with stigma. The campaign provides resources that can be used to teach, share, learn and speak about mental illness and stigma. Below are phrases the campaign recommends to use and to avoid when discussing mental health.
Try saying:• "Thanks for opening up to me."• "How can I help?"• "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be tough."• "I'm here for you when you need me."• "I can't imagine what you're going through."• "People do get better."• "Can I drive you to an appointment?"• "How are you feeling today?"• "I love you."
Avoid saying:• "It could be worse."• "Just deal with it."• "Snap out of it."• "Everyone feels that way sometimes."• "You may have brought this on yourself."• "We've all been there."• "You've got to pull yourself together."• "Maybe try thinking happier thoughts."
There is one problem in society today that knows no boundaries, affecting rich and poor, conservative and liberal, young and old, all alike. It doesn't discriminate based on ethnicity or nationality or any other method by which we usually divide ourselves.We all can suffer from mental illness. In fact, one in five of us will experience a mental health issue in our lifetime. But for such a widespread problem, there is a strange silence that accompanies the problem. It isn't talked about, or if it is, only in hushed tones, or laughed off as a punchline to a joke. Likewise, too often those actively searching for mental health medical care often find their calls for help met with silence too — a lack of funding, or insurance support, or adequate laws to blame. So it's time to talk about it, and really look at mental health in our communities. What's working? What's not? What can all of us do to make things better?
The Douglas County Mental Health Initiative
Supported by the Douglas County Commissioners, in response to several tragic mental health related incidents, the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative has worked to unite community partners to address unmet mental health needs, connect people to mental health services and prevent those in need from falling through the cracks of the mental health system.
100 Third Street
Castle Rock, CO 80104
Click here to go to their web site
Let's talk Colorado
The goal of the Let's Talk Colorado media campaign is to initiate an inclusive conversation. All Coloradans benefit when we learn to discuss our mental health, and those of us who need treatment are more likely to seek it when we all agree that mental health is everyone's responsibility.
Spanish language web site.
English language web site.
Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
The Douglas County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition was established in March of 2016 as a component of the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative. The coalition is comprised of numerous agencies in Douglas County that have a stake in youth substance abuse prevention or treatment.
The Coalition is built around the community and meant to provide a cross-sectional representation of community members. The goal of the coalition is to reduce drug and alcohol use among the youth of the county.
Mental Health Colorado
Mental Health Colorado is the state's leading advocate for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and an affiliate of Mental Health America.
Statewide help hotline: 1-844-493-TALK (8255)
County and state mental health and substance abuse facts
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Single Strands Jewel Necklace
Description: The Single Strand Jewel Necklace incorporates a rustic approach to jewelry with a simplistic design that enhances its beauty. This piece is an original design that is constructed to elongate the neck. It is made up of strands of black, brown, and gold with an accented jewel. The Single Strand Jewel Necklace is diverse in fashion. It can be worn with many different clothing styles!
Price: $60.00


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No In-person appointments are offered at this time. We are working toward TeleMental Health Services. To speak with a counselor, please call CPS at 740-593-1616
B rief
A lcohol and Other Drugs
S creening and
I ntervention for
C ollege
S tudents
How to register
Missed Appointment Policy
BASICS is a two-session program, consisting of an initial two-hour assessment session, followed by a two-week period of self-monitoring, and finalized in a one-hour feedback session. It typically takes 4 weeks for the entire process.
The BASICS Program provides:
- A confidential, safe setting for students to openly explore their alcohol and other drug involvement.
- An assessment of risk for continued alcohol and other drug related problems.
- Personalized written and verbal feedback to promote reduced risk for alcohol and other drug related problems.
- A letter of completion/incompletion to the Ohio University of Community Standards and Student Responsibility or Athletics Department, or court/probation officer regarding a student's participation in BASICS.
The BASICS Program DOES NOT:
- Conduct a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of alcohol and drug use.
- Transmit personal information or details about a student's participation in the program to outside referral sources. This creates a level of safety that most students need in order to honestly assess their alcohol use problems.
- Result in treatment recommendations or diagnosis that might be required by your court or probation officer; you will need to seek this type of service elsewhere.
Is BASICS Right For Me?
If you have been asked by your judge or probation officer to get an alcohol and/or drug use evaluation, you may be wondering, "Can I do that here"?
Maybe. The service that we offer, the BASICS program, may be a viable alternative – or not. Most students are referred to BASICS through the Ohio University Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility. Court referrals require consideration on a case-by-case basis. You can use this information about the BASICS program, about what it does and does not provide, so you can discuss this option with the person who asked you to obtain an evaluation.
If you learn that the BASICS program is an acceptable way to fulfill your obligation, contact CPS to register for the program.
Note: The BASICS program includes a $100.00 fee charged to your student account.
If you learn that the BASICS program is not an option, you could fulfill your obligation with a community-based agency or with a qualified professional. In Athens, Health Recovery Services or Hopewell Mental Health may be able to assist you. You can look up their phone numbers in the telephone book or on the internet.
For any questions regarding BASICS, please contact:
Alex Reed
Counseling and Psychological Services
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
ph: 740-593-1616
fax: 740-593-0091


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Open Studio at Pinot's Palette
Tuesday, June 30
per guest
Learn more
Class Details
It's an Open Studio at Pinot's Palette today.
Open House and Self-Guided Paintings - Sign-ups recommended, but not necessary. Walk-ins welcome.
$15 to paint a Mini 8x8. $25 to paint a larger 16x20 canvas. Paint your denim, wine glasses or bottles, too!
We have over self-guided paintings to choose from. There will be artists available to assist you. Children welcome.
Pinot's Palette is a pioneer of the paint and sip experience – a revolutionary way to enjoy art and wine, meet new people and bond with friends.
Guests enjoy a no-experience-required art class—all supplies included—directed by trained, local artists, who guide guests step-by-step through a featured painting.
The more the merrier, INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!
Thank you for supporting our small business!
The Perfect Night Out
Enjoy drinks, upbeat music and hanging out with your favorite people while you paint! It's as fun for first-time painters as it is for experienced artists.
Fun Atmosphere
From the moment you walk in, the mood is light, the music is fun and the conversation comes easy!
Easy to Do
You don't need to be a seasoned painter — we make it easy for everyone to find their inner artist!
Sit Together
You'll get seats with all your friends, even if you book separately. Just tell us your friends' names when you register.
Paint Your Way
There's no rule that says you have to follow the artist's steps. It's your art, so paint it however you like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our FAQs to learn more about what to expect from your Pinot's Palette experience or feel free to call the studio to speak to a member of our staff.
What are your studio hours?
We are open from 10-6 for business hours every day (except major holidays). The Studio is usually open from 12:00 p.m.. to 10:00 p.m with public classes almost every day. Check our Event Calendar for more information. Private parties can be held any day of the week 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.2
How do I sign up for a class?
Signing up is easy. Click the "Classes" link on the side of the page to view our calendar of paintings. Select which painting you would like to paint and click "Add Painting to Cart." Follow the on-screen directions to complete the order. Contact us if you have trouble completing your order and we will walk you through the process.
What do I need to bring to class?
We provide the canvas, easel, brushes, paints, and apron for the class. We have a bar where you can purchase beer and wine or our special drink of the night. You are welcome to bring your own appetizers. There will be bar snacks available to purchase.
Is there an age limit for the normal public classes?
Yes, we are an art entertainment studio. We do have kid's specific classes, but the normal public classes have the following requirements: 13 to 17 years old with an adult at our 3:00 pm, 4: 30 pm and 7:00 pm classes - Must be 21 to purchase alcohol. Check our calendar for kids classes where the age requirement is seven and up. We recommend five and up for our Open Studio Events.
What does a class cost?
Two Hours classes are $39 per painter. Three Hour classes are $45 per painter. Our wood board paintings are also $45 per painter.


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Tagged: Brian Anderson
The Unforgotten
When Chicagoans have lost interest in a political scandal, then it's safe to say, so has the rest of the country.
Anything wrong with that? Not in my opinion. In a world full of greed, hate, debauchery and Cubs baseball, I find solace knowing that even the tireless spin-doctoring and smoke-screening of Rod Blagojevich eventually falls on the deaf ears of a nation distracted with the task of rebuilding itself.
Blago's days as governor are as numbered as Joe Morgan is annoying; and soon, he will just be another political coelacanth — a footnote in the oppression and wasted tax-dollars of a people.
Good riddance.
In my fervent bidding adieu, I refuse to let Blago's self-indulgent, gloomy demise get me down. The older I get, the more I realize how little my brain can actually remember if not trained otherwise; thus, I find it best to replace negativity with post-partisan positivity. So it is, on this four degree Sunday afternoon, with a broken heart and three cups of coffee too many, that I find grace in the baseball-politico memories dearest to me.
Of course, there are always the Joe Carters, the Kirk Gibsons, the Ozzie Smiths… the inauguration of a new hope for my country… those are all givens. Today I focus on the obscure, the seemingly minute, the more poignant personal moments that help me to forget about what an awful place this earth can be sometimes. And so I begin…
Ozzie Guillen Goes to Bobby Jenks
A move he's made several times, but never as interesting as it was during the 2005 post-season when Ozzie motioned for Jenks by extending his arms out sideways as if to say: "Bring in the fat fella."
Talking to Carlos Lee Outside Wrigley Field
Having gone hitless against Ted Lilly that night, I was stunned to see a smiling Carlos Lee on the corner of Sheffield and Addison waiting to get on the Astros player's bus. I approached him — all gargantuan 230 plus pounds of him — and flippantly asked: "Caballo, what happened?"
"Ball move too much, man."
I'm still laughing at that one.
"Yes We Can" Viral Video
Sure, I admit I'm a sucker for inspirational acts of creativity… this one still gets me.
Brian Anderson's Catch
Picture it, October 1, 2008… a one game playoff between the White Sox and Twins to crown the AL Central winner, and a Jim Thome homerun is all that separates the two when we reach the top of the ninth and two outs. A sharp flare streamlines to right center field, in comes Brian Anderson… instant party on the Southside.
Bill Clinton on Carroll Quigley, DNC 1992
As a young, impressionable, questioning 12 year-old, this quote pushed me in to politics… to stay.
Adam Wainwright's Curveball
Whether it was striking out Carlos Beltran looking or Brandon Inge swinging, I've never seen a more devastating hook — ever.
Barack Obama's 2004 DNC Keynote Address
I thought a change was a comin'… didn't know it was going to take so long, but it got me revved up nonetheless.
Yadier Molina Hitting .304 in 2008
After the rocket homerun he hit off Aaron Heilman to beat the Mets in the 2006 NLCS, Molina became my indisputable hero. To see him blossom into a true hitter in conjunction with his unrivaled defensive skills just makes me want to hug the guy any chance I get. Yadi, you out there, pal? Let's hook that up.
Grandma Lois Talking Baseball
May she rest in peace, my beloved grandmother was talking Cardinals baseball like no other 84 year-old I knew. Before the 2004 season, she told me: "It'd be nice to see Edmonds and Rolen have really good years." She died on April 20, 2004; Jimmy and Scott both put up career numbers and vied for the MVP. I know she's still smiling about that one.
Post 9/11 Baseball in New York
I'd be hard pressed to find a more inspiring, more electric, more communal surge of patriotic energy and overall bipartisan goodwill towards all through the greatest game on earth than what took place in New York City that fall.
I still get goosebumps just thinking of it.
Don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.


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Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is the senior U.S. Senator from South Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously he served as the U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 3rd congressional district.
Graham was born in Central, South Carolina, where his parents, Millie and Florence James Graham, ran a liquor store, the Sanitary Cafe. After graduating from D. W. Daniel High School, Graham became the first member of his family to attend college and joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. When he was 21 his mother died, and his father died 15 months later. Because his sister was left orphaned, the service allowed Graham to attend University of South Carolina in Columbia so he could be near home and care for his sister, whom he adopted. During his studies, he became a member of the fraternity Pi Kappa Phi.
Graham graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Psychology in 1977 and from the University of South Carolina School of Law with a J.D. in 1981. Upon graduating, Graham was sent to Europe as a military prosecutor, and eventually entered private practice as a lawyer.


text: First post here and I need some help. I aquired a copy of NOF with 1and1 hosting. I'm no longer with 1and1 and just got a new computer. I tried to install NOF 11 on my new system (window's 7) when I try to start a new site NOF is saying that the disk is full. I guess 1and1 has a time limit somehow on NOF and won't let me start a new site. I have given fusion-lite.exe administrative permissions and still the same thing. I would be interested in purchasing an upgrade version of the software however, I don't know if I'm eligible for the upgrade version. any Help please. Thanks, Jeff


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Top 10 questionable tactics from the Obama campaign
The president will say anything to get re-elected and his strategy includes this list of outright falsehoods, distortions, smears and lies.
1. Make wild charges
President Obama's campaign team's incessant attacks on Romney's record at Bain Capital are a textbook example of trying to divert attention by exaggerating and distorting their opponent's record. With the assistance of the mainstream media, President Obama is trying to make Romney look like the second coming of Simon Legree, with his campaign going so far as to accuse Romney of committing felonies.
2. Lie about opponents
At this stage in the race, desperate Democrats are starting to make things up. At a Democratic fundraiser in Seattle, Vice President Joe Biden tried to slip an outright falsehood past the crowd. Citing efforts in several states to cleanse voter rolls of the dead and felonious, Biden said, "Republicans have changed the law so you get arrested if you do vote."
3. Play the blame game
"The buck stops here" is not exactly the motto of the Barack Obama presidency as he continually tries to shift the blame for his poor record to others. The moribund economy and lack of job creation is the result of the Bush tax cuts, the Arab Spring, the Japanese tsunami, greedy Wall Street bankers, uncooperative Republicans and ATM machines.
4. Class warfare
Even some Democrats are beginning to wonder about the president's incessant class warfare remarks. He demonizes Wall Street, bankers, corporate America and the wealthy—sending record amounts of campaign donations into the coffers of Mitt Romney. But that's all the 'hope and change' candidate from 2008 has left: an appeal to the cynicism of the Occupy Wall Street crowd.
5. Deny, deny, deny
One tried-and-true campaign tactic is denial. Take Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's view on the economy. Instead of acknowledging the depth of economic pain that still exists for millions of Americans, Wasserman Schultz said, "I am pretty happy about 28 straight months of job growth in the private sector." Some job growth, with an 8.2 percent unemployment rate that shows no sign of abating.
6. Pander to special interests
President Obama is the master at appealing to the collection of special interest groups that has become the Democratic Party. Promise to support same-sex marriage for the gay lobby, stop the Keystone pipeline for the environmentalists, give Hispanics immigration relief, use the race card whenever possible to energize blacks, scare women about contraception and give sweetheart deals to Big Labor.
7. Attack the messenger
No better way to deflect from your own lack of accomplishments than to blame the messenger and President Obama's favorite bogeyman is Fox News. Recently on the campaign trail, the president said, "So just in case some of your friends or neighbors or Uncle Jim is a little stubborn, has been watching Fox News, if he thinks that somehow I raised taxes, let's just be clear, we've lowered taxes for middle class families." Not quite.
8. Play the race card
In liberal land, the contempt of Congress vote on Attorney General Eric Holder was really a way for evil Republicans to eviscerate the Voting Rights Act. A new liberal group called "The Message" made a YouTube video, saying that Romney is so white he makes "Wonder Bread look like pumpernickel." The president often aids and abets the divisiveness, even setting up a national campaign organization, "African Americans for Obama."
9. Run against George W. Bush
All through his presidency, President Obama has blamed his predecessor for all that was going wrong during his own administration and loved to tell audiences about the mess he inherited. Now, by linking Romney to Bush, he can run against a more unpopular figure. Vice President Joe Biden opened that door in a speech calling Romney "George Bush on steroids."
10. Create phony issues
In order to scare single women to the voting booth, President Obama and his team wants to pretend that Republicans want to roll back the clock to another era. Republicans "have a social policy right out of the 1950s," says Joe Biden. So the campaign twists its own strong-armed tactics against religious groups into a fake attack by Republicans on contraceptives. Then it makes a campaign ad that lies about Romney's abortion policy and, voila, you suddenly have a "war on women."


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Story highlights
- Chicana author Sandra Cisneros wrote a new book, "Have You Seen Marie?"
- Her book "The House on Mango Street" was banned from Tucson schools
- Cisneros is planning to move to Mexico for the first time
- "I just need to be in an environment where all I hear is Spanish," she said
Chicana author Sandra Cisneros is perhaps best-known for her 1984 coming of age novel, "The House on Mango Street," a story about a young Latina who leaves behind her barrio for a chance at a better life. The novel, also released in Spanish, has sold more than 4 million copies and is a considered a classic of Chicano literature.
But not everyone is a fan, specifically the Tucson Unified School District in Arizona, which banned Cisneros' book in its suspension of its Mexican-American studies program. It still bewilders Cisneros and her fans: How can a character who spends most of her time at the library and shares her experiences with her mother and blind aunt offend a school district?
Cisneros is on a national book tour this month for "Have You Seen Marie?" a tale about a woman's search for a cat who goes missing in the wake of her mother's death. It's a fable for grieving grown-ups, and at less than 100 pages, she hopes the book will be medicine for hearts broken from loss.
California-based artist Ester Hernandez, known for her depiction of Latina and Chicana women through prints and pastels, represented the unique and colorful characters, all based on Cisneros' neighbors. They make up the quirky King William district of San Antonio, Texas, where the story is based.
Cisneros tell us what inspired the tale, why she is planning a move to Mexico and how she feels about her famous book being banned.
CNN: What inspired you to write "Have You Seen Marie?"
Cisneros: I was working on the 25th anniversary tour of "The House on Mango Street." I wanted to make a small book that people could have or give to someone in a place of grief. My mother had just passed, but I still felt the need to create something. My friend and artist of the book, Ester Hernandez, had just lost her mother too, and I proposed that she join me, and she very reluctantly joined the project.
CNN: What do you want your readers to take away after reading this book?
Cisneros: I hope that they understand that when they are in a time of grief, there is something to be gained during the time, even though we tend to focus on what we've lost. But when you have your heart broken wide, you are also open to things of beauty as well as things of sadness. Once people are not here physically, the spiritual remains, we still connect, we can communicate, we can give and receive love and forgiveness. There is love after someone dies.
CNN: Were you surprised to hear that "The House on Mango Street" was the list of banned books in Arizona? Have you ever considered yourself a controversial writer?
Cisneros: Gosh, no! I don't think they read the books. They just eliminated the entire whole Mexican-American studies without thinking. It should be called American studies, and all the books should be re-introduced. Then there would be less of an uproar. The fact that there is a hyphen there tells you a lot about our times. And our whole relationship with Mexico, which has always been very controversial, especially now.
CNN: There has been talk about you wanting to improve your Spanish; is that true? And por qué?
Cisneros: What's always a challenge for me is that my Spanish is not the level of my English. Nor do I read in Spanish the way I read in English. I want my Spanish to be like that of a newscaster. ... That's a different kind of Spanish. I feel comfortable in Spanish, I chat like a parrot, but I don't have the confidence in Spanish that I do in English. I'm perfectly fine in the mercado, and I can make people laugh and tell a story, but my vocabulary is limited. For example, I don't know the Spanish word for "contractor."
But I'm going to Mexico to live for a year! This is the first time I'm going to live there. I just need to be in an environment where all I hear is Spanish.
CNN: There's a lot of debate of whether or not knowing Spanish makes you a "less Latino." How do you feel about that?
Cisneros: It doesn't make you less. You are just missing out on one of your senses if you don't have the language. It's like not having any taste buds. You are missing out on the pleasure of Latino food. The more you speak more languages, the more you understand about yourself.
It's like being blind. You aren't less of a person, but you're missing out on wonderful things.
CNN: Finally, what you are reading right now?
Cisneros: I'm read essays, poetry, fiction, art books and more all at the same time! On my various bookshelves in my home are: "The Five Acts of Diego Leon: A Novel" by Alex Espinoza; "The Distance Between Us" by Reyna Grande and "What You See in the Dark" by Manuel Munoz; "I (Heart) Babylon, Tenochtitlan and Ysteléi" by Richard Villegas Jr.; "Slow Lightning" by Eduardo Corral and "Looking for The Gulf Motel" by Richard Blanco. And I just finished Marie Arana's "American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood."
Is that a lot?


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Currently, I am trying to use JD2XX class to retrieve a listing of the USB devices on my computer, but I cannot get past a certain point. When I try to run TestingUSB, I get the following error:
I have uploaded a .zip file of my Project, called "The Project". TestingUSB is supposed to do is display a list of USB devices connected to your computer by description.Exception in thread "main" java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: E:\NY\NY eclipse indigo\workspace\jd2xx\JD2XX.dll: Can't find dependent libraries
at java.lang.ClassLoader$NativeLibrary.load(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadLibrary0(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadLibrary(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Runtime.loadLibrary0(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.System.loadLibrary(Unknown Source)
at jd2xx.JD2XX.<clinit>(JD2XX.java:506)
at TestingUSB.main(TestingUSB.java:8)
Also, I am using Eclipse Indigo.
Basically, my question is: How do I get Eclipse to recognize the JD2XX.dll file that is in the \src folder for The Project?
Sorry, I just realized this was put in the wrong forum, can I get a mod to move it please?


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MySpace has a million new users in the last 60 days and it has Facebook and Twitter to thank for them.
The gain in users is largely because of its integration with Facebook and Twitter, Chris Vanderhook, chief operating officer told The Telegraph (U.K.).
The social network, now owned by Specific Media and pop star Justin Timberlake, was revamped to include the integration and keep the troubled social network relevant. Specific Media and Timberlake paid $35 million for the site.
U.S. & World
MySpace has relaunched as a music player with a social music discovery engine competing with services like Spotify -- which is also available on Facebook.
News Corp. bought MySpace for $580 million in 2005, but took a dramatic loss ($545 million to be exact) when the corporation sold it to Specific Media and Timberlake last June.
It's too early to tell if the social network is worth $35 million or more right now or if this was all just a boondoggle by Specific Media and Timberlake. But if the site keeps growing, its value can only increase.


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Skip to Content
August 24, 2011
CONTACT: Richard Penny, (425) 352-3395, firstname.lastname@example.com
BOTHELL, Wash. – UW Bothell alumnus, Raul Biascoechea, was named Manager of the Year by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Biascoechea earned his MBA from UW Bothell in 2002.
As the Chief Customer Engineer, 747/767/777 Airplane Programs for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Biascoechea leads a team of approximately 80 engineers, engineering technicians, and managers. Biascoechea said that "a lot of credit for this honor goes to the excellent education that I received in the UW Bothell MBA program."
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers is a national organization originally formed to help the Hispanic community realize its fullest potential and impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development.
The organization announced the winners of its prestigious STAR Awards on August 22. The STAR Awards is a national program that recognizes outstanding Hispanic professionals in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
About UW Bothell: The University of Washington Bothell combines the benefits of a small campus with the resources and prestige of a world-renowned university. Offering over 30 degrees, options, certificates and concentrations, its curriculum emphasizes close student-faculty interaction, collaboration among students, and hands-on learning.For more information, visit www.uwb.edu.


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How you feel about yourself colors your dealings with the world. Confidence gives you the courage to set high expectations, to risk, to grow, to achieve desired personal and professional goals.
Those who lack confidence take jobs that are too easy or lovers who won't ask for too much. They're losing out on work opportunities, fun, and growth.
How confident are you?
Answer "yes" or "no."
- When I do a job, I do it well.
- I worry about what others think of me.
- I feel good about myself.
- I'm as or more successful as most of my graduating class.
- I rarely think positively about myself.
- I welcome constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth.
- I have a contribution to make to my employer and community.
- I'm nervous around important people that I want to like me.
- I can accomplish almost anything I desire if I work hard.
- I'm secure in my interpersonal relationships.
- I get nervous when called upon to speak to a group of people.
- I'm not afraid of taking a stand even though it may be unpopular.
Scoring: One point for each yes to items 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12; and one point for each no to items 2, 5, 8, and 11. Add your points.
The highest possible score is 12. A score of 9 or higher suggests you like and respect yourself. You're content with life, work, and accept your positive and negative qualities. You're enthusiastic, and may be attaining desired career and life goals.
5 to 8 suggests you're confident in some areas and vulnerable in others. Or, your mood, when you completed this quiz, was down. You may also be a perfectionist who sets high standards resulting in inadequate feelings.
4 or lower indicates you have low self confidence. You're not having much fun and may dislike your job. Your level of confidence is probably the result of negative experiences. You can change this.
Liking yourself and doing things to please yourself doesn't mean you're selfish or egotistical. It does mean, however, that you can be a better employee, parent, colleague or partner than someone who lacks confidence.
Building Confidence
- Know and accept yourself. Acknowledge your accomplishments. Prepare a list of positive achievements and personality characteristics. Post this where you can read it daily.
Don't change to please others. Don't compare yourself to or compete with others.
Affirm yourself. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Say, "I can accomplish this easily and effortlessly." "I'm confident, intelligent, caring and attractive" (or whatever you want to be). Speak up. Share your thoughts, opinions and preferences.
Set goals, make plans, then take needed steps to attain desired goals. Realize that you may have setbacks which may require re-evaluating and adjusting goals to get to where you want to go. Visualize your goals. Imagine yourself going through a happy, productive work day with competence and confidence.
Preparation and focus are key to goal attainment. Look ahead and attend to given challenges. Persevere.
- Reward yourself. Each morning think of something positive to do for yourself. Every time you pull through a challenging or negative experience, give yourself a treat.
- Enjoy success. Measure yourself by what you have accomplished, what you are accomplishing, and what you want to achieve. Keep a daily, weekly, or monthly record of your accomplishments and build on these. Each day do something a little better than yesterday. The exhilaration of achievement will make you feel good.
- Maintain perspective. Time and distance can make mountains seem like molehills. Don't let what happened yesterday affect what will happen tomorrow. Face each challenge with an open mind. Depersonalize failure. Look upon failure as one step toward growth. Next time you'll succeed.
- Develop strong, supportive relationships. Evaluate your relationships. Are they supporting or sabotaging you? Sever ties with non supportive people and develop relationships with those that give support, constructive feedback and offer learning or other positive experiences.
- Use your power. You are an intelligent person who has succeeded in the past and will succeed again and again. Exercise your confidence, nurture it, delight in it. You can make anything happen!
- Accept responsibility for your life, decisions, and behaviors. Although you may not always have control over what happens in your life, you do have control over how you respond to situations.
- Act despite fears. This demonstrates courage. We all have fears—fear of failure, fear of not measuring up, fear of appearing stupid. It's part of the human condition. But don't let fear keep you from living fully, from claiming your power.
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every challenging experience faced. Step out of your comfort zone and give your best shot to a new, challenging experience, despite anxieties or fears.
- Be tolerant. We tend to lose patience with friends, co-workers, family, and even strangers at times. That's human nature. But confident people are usually willing to lend support, give constructive feedback, or sometimes just give another person a hand up.
- Give praise and recognition. Don't take all the credit. Willingly share it. Recognise and appreciate those behind the scenes that did their job to attain specified goals.
- Be proud of a job well done, and graciously accept praise and recognition. Learn to accept compliments. Say, "Thank you," to those who praise your work or appearance.
- Stand up for your beliefs even though they may be unpopular. Confident people place their beliefs above their need to be popular. Be willing to compromise to attain goals, but do not compromise your values.