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Investment in agriculture can accelerate economic growth, generate jobs
Investment in agriculture can accelerate economic growth, generate jobs
KABUL (Pajhwok): Despite its huge economic potential, both government and private investors have neglected agriculture for over a decade.
Around four percent of private investment in Afghanistan in the past 14 years has gone to the agriculture sector even though it is relatively low risk sector with high job creation. A third of all of Afghanistan's land has the potential for agricultural production.
Investment in agriculture is desperately needed in order to combat poverty and economic stangantion. According to the World Bank (WB) Afghanistan's economy has stagnated, with an economic growth rate of just 0.5% in 2016. According to the Central Statistics Organisation (CSO), more than 11 million job-seekers are unemployed or have no permanent employment.
Abundant water resources, a conducive climate for agriculture and the availability of more than 21 million hectares of arable land means that Afghanistan has the potential to attract billions of dollars in investment. Experts criticize the government and the private sector for paying inadequate attention to agricultural development. They believed Afghanistan could attain economic independence by boosting the agriculture sector. Most Afghans are dependent on farming.
Government officials also acknowledge little work has been done in the past to motivate the private sector to invest in agriculture. However, they claim more attention is now being paid to it.
According to a private sector investment data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI), over $10.8 billion was invested in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2016. Investment in agriculture by the private sector was trivial.
A February 2015 the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) report also measured investment from 2003 to the first quarter of 2013. It explained that lack of government support was one of the primary deterrents for private sector investment in the sector.
Short-term returns and the need for small-scale investment drove government spending decisions and prompted a surge in investment in industrial sector with. Construction projects supported by foreign and domestic donors drew funds toward the infrastructure sector.
The mining sector witnessed surge in investment because the private sector believe it to be more lucrative and unregulated. The government would give them more independence in mining rights so they could reap more of the profits.
The sale of agriculture products has increased slights over the last 15 years because of the minimal investment, adoption of proper processing of some agriculture products and the exploration of global markets for agro-products. But the growth falls far short of its potential, according to most reports.
Nasratullah Akbarzada, agriculture department lecture at Kabul University, viewed insecurity as a main reason for lack of agricultural growth in particular and the economy in general. The return on investment timeline is also longer for agriculture, which can scare away potential investors. The case is different in other sectors such as industry or construction.
He argued that considering the importance of the agriculture sector for the country, the government should encourage investment and provide subsidies to counteract market forces.
Ghulam Hazrat Halimi, advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, acknowledged little work had been done in the past to encourage investment in the sector. He however, over the past two years, that has begun to change.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture was striving to develop a proper infrastructure in the form of dams and other facilities to facilitate and lure investors into agriculture. Policies were being formulated to encourage entrepreneurs and provide them investment licenses quickly.
The government's development budget
Statistics of the annual development budgets for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 show the government has paid little attention to the agriculture sector.
Based on the statistics, on average, less than five percent of the development budget was allocated to the Agriculture Livestock and Irrigation Ministry.
According to Akbarzada, the government was more focused on the security situation in the past, and did not give the development of agriculture proper attention. In addition, the involvement of few professionals in the policymaking process was another problem. The officials concerned could not convince the government to allocate more development funds for agriculture in order to encourage long-term growth of the economy.
Ajmal Abdul Rahimzai, spokesman for the Ministry of Finance, described the development of agriculture as the government's top priority. He said they allocated development funds to ministries in line with annual development schemes they suggest but some ministries are unable to spend allocated funds.
He said the Agriculture Ministry only managed to spend 65 percent its development budget in 2014 and 69 percent in 2015. Now the capacity of the ministry has improved and it spent 80 percent of the development budget last year.
He said in line with the Finance Ministry's new policy, more development funds could be released to a ministry that expend funds before the end of a fiscal year.
Lutfullah Rashid, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, said there had been a shortage of professional individuals at the ministry in the past but the current government had resolved the issue and improvement had been made.
He called agriculture a vital sector for the country, believing it could play an important role in Afghanistan's economic development and creation of jobs.
Investment opportunities for unexploited land to meet food demand
Because of lack of investment, huge amounts of natural resources for agriculture are underutilized.
Million hectares of agriculture land are not being cultivated due to lack of proper infrastructure and resources. Much of the land requires initial investment to prepare it for cultivation.
A report from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) divided Afghanistan's land into 11 parts -- rangeland, barren land, sand cover, rain-fed, irrigated, marshland, forests and shrubs, permanent snow, built-up, fruit trees and vineyards.
The Agriculture Ministry says over 3.8 million hectares of land in the country is under cultivation. This land included vineyards, fruit trees and part of irrigated and rain-fed farms. That means only about one out of every six hectares that is suitable for agriculture is currently being cultivated.
A third of all of Afghanistan's land has the potential for agricultural production. Over 21 million hectares of land, including barren land and part of rain-fed and irrigated, is arable, meaning it has the potential for production, but is not yet ready to for cultivation. The remaining 39 million hectares of land is part of sand cover, forest, marshes, range, and snow-covered. This land cannot be cultivated.
The ministry spokesman said considering the immense need for both cultivation and distribution, there were investment opportunities worth billions of dollars in creation of cold stores, processing factories and human resource deployment.
Additionally, he added, Afghanistan itself was in dire need of agriculture products and thus there was need for more investment and development of agriculture for internal consumption.
Attiqullah Nusrat, head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) delegation, said during the last solar year Afghanistan imported over $7 million worth of goods while its exports accounted for $500 million. He explained 70 percent of the exports and 57 percent imports were agricultural products.
Lack of attention on the part of the government and a decline in investment in the agriculture sector were the main reasons for the imbalance between exports and imports, he continued.
Gul Jan, head of a national businesswomen's association, remarked: "It is a crying shame that we imported even vegetables from other countries. But we still claim Afghanistan is an agricultural country."
She said investment opportunities in the agriculture sector were available for women as well, but the people of Afghanistan still imported vegetables from other countries due to government neglect.
Limited use of water resources
Getting water to the millions of hectares of arable land is one of the areas ripe for investment. Keeping in mind the population of the country, the current level of water resources -- if properly managed and utilized -- could be instrumental in Afghanistan's development schemes and the expansion of the agriculture sector.
Abdul BasirAzimi, Energy and Water Ministry spokesman, said that Afghanistan being a mountainous country had underground and aboveground water resources. The country, with five water zones, produces 57 million cubic metres of flowing water and 18 billion cubic metres of underground water resources annually.
Due to mismanagement only 30 percent of water was being used and the remaining flowed into Iran and Pakistan, he explained.
He said the incumbent government was committed to better water management and work on several dams was underway.
Earlier, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in reference to the construction of 21 dams said agriculture development and water management were his government priority.
Pajhwok Afghan News report show that a feasibility study of 21 small dams has been completed. It would take seven years to complete the dams and develop irrigation systems for 500 hectares of land. The dams will be completed at a cost of $2.1 billion.
Capacity for economic growth &job creation
A World Bank (WB) analysis of Afghanistan's economy presented at the 2016 Brussels Conference shows that the potential for economic growth and job creations in the agriculture sector is higher than in other areas.
According to the baseline (country current situation) in the World Bank (WB) report, Afghanistan's economic growth will increase to 3.8 percent until 2030
Afghanistan's economic growth was stagnant at 0.5 percent in 2016 according to WB.
However, the analysis reveals the country's economic growth would rise to 6.5 percents in 2030, due to a short-term influx of foreign aid and the long-term growth of domestic revenue. The foreign aid would taper off as domestic revenue soars.
Attaining a 6.5 percent economic growth would depend on government's non-military expenses soaring from 35 to 50 percent, with employment programmes for Afghan refugees abroad managed more efficiently, the report said.
The World Bank said there was a high potential for job creation and low risk for investors in the agriculture sector.
Despite the immense potential in agriculture and other sectors, unemployment is still a huge problem in Afghanistan.
According to Afghanistan's Central Statistics Organization (CSO), the country's population is 29.2 million of which half (13.1 million) were qualified for work.
Hasibullah Mohid deputy of (CSO) Said around one in 12 people who had the ability to work were jobless.
Four in 12 people who are eligible to work do not earn enough to meet their needs and are seeking better opportunities, he added.
Moahid said, in line with the international definition of employment, a person is not jobless if he has worked an hour in a week ahead of being surveyed, according to Mowahid. Based on the national definition, a person is not called jobless if he/she has worked eight hours in a week before being surveyed.
Dr. Sikandar Hussaini, head of chemistry, biology and agriculture at the Sciences Academy of Afghanistan, called unemployment a major problem facing the country.
He said joblessness was one of the main factors behind insecurity in Afghanistan. Many jobless people either swell the ranks of militants or commit criminal activities, he claimed.
Without providing exact figures, he admitted a large number of Afghan youth had left the country and some of them drowned at sea while illegally migrating to Europe last year due to joblessness.
The government should devote at least as many resources to the agriculture sector as it the military sector because agriculture development would decrease joblessness and improve people's economic situation compare to other sectors, he said.
A fresh figure of Afghan migrants was not available but a report showed 250,000 Afghan sought asylums in 44 foreign countries in 2015.
Based on reports, more than four million Afghans are living abroad -- most of them in Iran and Pakistan.
A number of people who emigrated complain about joblessness and the government's inattention to resolving the problem.
Ahmad QaisHamidi who received his bachelor in economy from the Maiwand University in Kabul, said: "We were happy that President Ashraf Ghani as an economist would pay more attention to youths' situation, but he did not. Thousands of youth like me are jobless today."
The graduate said he previously worked at the Independent Election Commission (IEC). But for the past two years, he has been jobless. "I have no relatives in any office to find me a job, so I have to suffer unemployment and serious economic problems," he said.
Proper utilization of current resources can improve Afghanistan's agriculture and transform the country into an exporter of agricultural products both through internal and external investment.
The Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) in a report -- Afghanistan in 2001-2015, published in February, suggested agriculture should be made an economic priority by the government.
It suggested increasing the national budget for agriculture, actively incentivizing foreign investments and modernizing agricultural equipment.
The RCSS also stressed water management and extension of farmlands, asking the government to strive for self-sufficiency in agriculture, improved quality and regulation of products and development of lucrative markets in the region and the world.
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Pirates sign Yankees free agent Russell Martin
Catcher gets two-year deal in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Pirates filled their hole at catcher on Friday with Russell Martin, a free agent who played the last two years with the New York Yankees.
Martin signed a two-year, $17 million contract, one that takes him from a team with 26 World Series titles to one with 20 straight losing seasons.
"It's going to be different," the 29-year-old Martin said. "It's going to be a challenge but I think the Pirates have a young and electric club. There is a lot of talent there and I don't think we're as far away as winning as maybe people outside baseball think we are."
Martin had a career-low .211 batting average last season, with 21 home runs and 53 RBI. He'll be reunited with starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, a former teammate in New York.
"It wasn't a very good year," Martin said, "and I know I'm capable of doing better."
The Pirates needed a veteran catcher to replace free agent Rod Barajas. Michael McKenry will still play a significant role as a backup.
"There is a lot to like about Russell," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "He handles a pitching staff well, he calls a good game, he throws well, he is capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark. We're very excited to be able to add him to our club."
Martin threw out 24 runners last year. Huntington said he has "good arm strength and a quick release but we're going to have to give him help, too. Our pitchers have to do a better job of holding runners."
Martin was offered a three-year, $20 million deal by New York in spring training and did not accept it. The Yankees did not make him an offer after the season ended.
"I like Russell Martin. I'm a big Russell Martin fan," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "But ultimately we have a lot of holes to fill, and we have to be very careful how we spend our money. The market for Russell was aggressive as it should have been, and again our focus has been our pitching."

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Sports have always been a keystone of our active community. Our members enjoy year-round access to outdoor and indoor tennis courts, newly-renovated squash courts, a collection of championship golf courses, and a number of full-size basketball courts. Whether your ideal day is spent on the greens or shooting hoops, you'll find endless ways to play at the Bay Club.
We believe that health and happiness go hand-in-hand-- choices make us happy, and happy lives are built on choices. At the Bay Club, you'll find what keeps you fit, right alongside what makes you happy. Whether you join a group class, train with a pro, challenge yourself on your favorite equipment, or get your endorphins in the pool, our fitness offerings are unparalleled.
No matter if you're a guest or member, we want everyone to experience the hospitality that makes the Bay Club truly unique. And while hospitality here certainly includes the highest level of amenities and services, it also means a personalized experience. From enjoying a smoothie that's made just the way you like it, to greeting a friendly face every time you walk in, making you feel welcome and appreciated is our highest priority.
Family is at the heart of the Bay Club. Whether spending poolside days playing with your kids, or enjoying a family meal together, you'll find family-friendly amenities at every turn. Our wide variety of family-focused programs include in-club childcare, camps during summers and holiday breaks, and so much more.


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AUTISM Awareness 1" Bottle Cap Images Printable DOWNLOAD
Designed by: Colette Bomsta (My Computer is My Canvas)
- 1" bottle cap images as shown
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- One with a multi collection = SIX 4x6's in all (see image #3).
*Photos of finished products are for demo purposes only.
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Effective Date: 1/1/2001
A. Proof of Rehabilitation. Reinstatement following suspension of six months or less does not require proof of rehabilitation. Reinstatement following suspension of more than six months or disbarment requires that proof of rehabilitation be demonstrated in a reinstatement proceeding culminating in a court order of reinstatement.
B. Short Suspension. A lawyer suspended for six months or less may resume practice at the end of the period of suspension by filing with the court and serving upon counsel an affidavit stating that the lawyer has fully complied with the requirements of the suspension order and has paid all required fees, costs, and expenses.
C. Long Suspension. A lawyer who has been suspended for more than six months may not apply for reinstatement until 60 days before the expiration of the period set forth in the suspension order.
D. Following Disbarment. A lawyer who has been disbarred may not apply for reinstatement until the expiration of at least five years from the effective date of the disbarment. Reinstatement must be conditioned upon the certification by the bar examiners of the successful completion, after the order for reinstatement,of an examination for admission to practice , not including a character and fitness investigation.
E. Successive Petitions. A petition for reinstatement may not be filed for one year following an adverse judgment upon a petition for reinstatement.
F. Hearing on Application. Petitions for reinstatement of a disbarred or suspended lawyer under this rule must be filed with the board and served upon counsel. Upon receiving the petition the board shall promptly refer the petition to a hearing panel. Notice that a petition for reinstatement is pending must be mailed by counsel to the last known address of the complainant in the proceeding leading to the lawyer's disbarment or suspension, and any other known or ascertainable victim of the lawyer's misconduct, and any known immediate family member of a deceased complainant or a deceased other victim. Each person receiving notice under this section is entitled to submit comments or other information concerning the petition for reinstatement. The hearing panel shall conduct a hearing at which the petitioner has the burden of demonstrating the petitioner's qualifications for reinstatement or readmission. Factors that may be considered include evidence of the following:
1.The petitioner's fitness and competence to practice law;
2.The petitioner has fully complied with the terms and conditions of all applicable disciplinary orders and rules;
3.The petitioner has not engaged or attempted to engage in the unauthorized practice of law during the period of suspension or disbarment;
4.Where alcohol or drug abuse was a causative factor in the lawyer's misconduct, the petitioner must show that the petitioner has been successfully rehabilitated or is pursuing appropriate rehabilitative treatment;
5.The petitioner recognizes the wrongfulness and seriousness of the misconduct for which the petitioner was suspended or disbarred;
6.The petitioner has not engaged in any other professional misconduct since suspension or disbarment; or
7.Notwithstanding the conduct for which the petitioner was disciplined, the petitioner has the requisite honesty and integrity to practice law.
The hearing panel shall file a report containing findings, recommendations, and the record with the court. A copy of the report must be served upon the lawyer and counsel. Within 20 days of service of the report, the lawyer and counsel may file objections to the report. Within 50 days after service of the report, the lawyer and counsel may file briefs. Oral arguments may be set on the court's own motion. Briefing and oral argument will be as provided in the North Dakota Rules of Appellate Procedure.
G. Deposit for Costs. Petitions for reinstatement under this rule must be accompanied by an advance cost deposit in an amount to be set from time to time by the board to cover anticipated costs of the reinstatement proceeding.
H. Conditions of Reinstatement. If the petitioner fails to establish qualification for reinstatement, the petition must be dismissed. If the court determines that the petitioner is qualified to again practice law, the court shall order reinstatement, provided that the court may impose conditions upon the petitioner's reinstatement or readmission where the court reasonably believes that further precautions should be taken to ensure that the public will be protected upon the petitioner's return to practice.
The court may impose any conditions that are reasonably related to the grounds for the petitioner's original suspension or disbarment, or to evidence presented at the hearing regarding the petitioner's failure to meet the criteria for reinstatement or readmission. Conditions imposed by the court may include any of the following:
1.Payment of all or part of the costs of the proceedings;
3.Proof of competency, including certification by the bar examiners of the successful completion of an examination for admission to practice administered subsequent to the order for reinstatement;
4.Limitation upon practice to one area of law or through association with an experienced supervising lawyer;
5.Compliance with continuing legal education requirements of the admission to practice rules, which may include participation in specific continuing legal education courses;
6.Monitoring of the lawyer's practice for compliance with trust account rules, accounting procedures, or office management procedures;
7.Abstention from the use of drugs or alcohol;
8.Active participation in Alcoholics Anonymous or other alcohol or drug rehabilitation program; or
9.Monitoring of the lawyer's compliance with any other orders, such as abstinence from alcohol or drugs, or participation in alcohol or drug rehabilitation programs.If the monitoring lawyer determines that the reinstated or readmitted lawyer's compliance with any condition of reinstatement or readmission is unsatisfactory and that there exists a potential for harm to the public, the monitoring lawyer shall notify the court and counsel and, where necessary to protect the public, the lawyer may be suspended from practice under Rule 3.4.
I. Reciprocal Reinstatement or Readmission. If the court has imposed a suspension or disbarment solely on the basis of imposition of discipline in another jurisdiction and the lawyer gives notice to the court that the lawyer has been, without condition or probation, reinstated or readmitted in the other jurisdiction, the court shall determine whether the lawyer should be reinstated or readmitted. Unless disciplinary counsel presents evidence demonstrating procedural irregularities in the other jurisdiction's proceeding or presents other compelling reasons, the court shall reinstate or readmit a lawyer who has been reinstated or readmitted in the jurisdiction where the misconduct occurred.
Rule 4.5 was adopted January 1, 1995, amended effective July 1, 1999; March 1, 2017.
Section F was amended effective March 1, 2017, to make a technical correction.


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Victor Sullivan wrote:Personally, Robinette, I think you have one of the most difficult medals to achieve in all of Conquer Club: your specific General Contribution medal. No one can even attempt to fill the slot you'd leave empty, should you ever leave. How can an institution stay standing if its foundation gives out? How can a daisy show its petals in the spring if it has no roots to absorb the nutrients it needs? It takes a certain kind of person to have such an impact with no tools.
If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure if I deserve to be in your game. You should have your game be a game for those that have contributed as you have, like AndyDufresne, Woodruff, and Fruitcake.
I'm just the Newsletter guy.
We have a newsletter?
but your idea, what a fun idea it would be...
perhaps we should do this for my 201st win


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Baltimore Ravens Nike Sideline Property Of Performance Pullover Hoodie - Black
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Seared Scallops with Roasted Caulifower Soup, Peppery Olive Oil & Fresh Parsley!
Scallops are like the tenderloin of the sea. If I spot a seared scallop dish on a menu…it'll be hard to steer me in another direction. Seared in butter, with a nutty sweetness and tender texture…I could eat them right out of the pan, but plop them in a delicious soup with a little something extra…and, I'm DONE! Stick-a-fork-in-me-done! And just one bowl of soup, simply presented is completely satisfying.
Instructions are simple:
Take one head of cauliflower, cut it up into rough chunks, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 375º oven for 20 minutes, or until brown around the edges and your kitchen smells wonderful. Prep the scallops by letting them rest on a plate on a counter so they come to room temperature, which helps with sear. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit. The salt actually helps bring soluble proteins to the surface which will also help develop a nice crust. Once the cauliflower is cooked, let cool and then toss into a soup pot, add in chicken or vegetable broth to almost cover. If you want a little more complex flavor, you could sweat some onions in the pot first and then dump the rest in. Bring it to a boil and then break out your immersion blender. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you don't know what you're missing…it's one of my favorite kitchen appliances and is a very inexpensive addition to your culinary toolbox.) Purée the bejeezus out of it…the silkier the better. And if you really want to get fancy you can break out a chinois, or strainer and make sure you've caught any sneaky chunks. Season again with salt and pepper and any additional flavors you want; truffle salt would be interesting…maybe some smoked paprika…fresh herbs…you could go a lot of directions. Keep the soup warm and sear the scallops in butter with at least a touch of oil which will help prevent the butter from burning. When the pan is hot, add in the scallops, and make sure to not crowd the pan. Leave the little guys be in the pan…don't move them around, don't peek underneath. Just 2-4 minutes on the first side, flip them and cook for another 2 minutes and they will be done. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE SCALLOPS! It would be an atrocity of great proportion and the scallop police would come find you, take you away and feed you rubbery overcooked seafood for the rest of your life to prove a point. Don't do it!
Portion the soup out into shallow bowls, drop in the scallops, drizzle with a favorite olive oil and finish with a scattering of parsley and just a touch of sea salt! Voilá!
You can thank me later!


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When and Where?
Thursday, October 10, 4:30-6:30, CTLR, LIB 225
What are we doing?
- "Working with Multilingual (ESL) Students" ~ Dr. Shawna Shapiro
- Problems Students Face
Who needs to come?
- All new PWTs and new FYMs (not previously trained as PWTs)
- Trained PWTs and FYSMs who did not attend session 4, need to come to this session, or session 6, or a Research Workshop with Librarian Carrie Macfarlane on Monday, Oct 28th (time and location TBD)
Make-up sessions are only for those who have received prior approval. E-mail Emily Colton for prior approval.


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(CNN) - In an opinion piece published online Tuesday, Mitt Romney defended a comment he made in Israel that drew the ire of Palestinians.
On Monday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee pointed to a wealth disparity between Israelis and Palestinians and referenced a book which argued that "culture makes all the difference."
(CNN) - Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and his wife announced on Tuesday their intention to separate.
"After years of marriage that have added tremendous love and depth to both of our lives, we have decided to separate," Hickenlooper and his wife, Helen Thorpe, said in a joint statement distributed by his office. "This decision is mutual and amicable. We continue to have the utmost respect for each other, and we remain close friends. We intend to continue functioning as a family that spends a great deal of time together."
(CNN) – National conservatives and tea party-allied organizations congratulated Texas Republican Ted Cruz on Tuesday for winning his party's nomination for a U.S. Senate seat.
"Wow," Cruz, a former state solicitor general making his first run for office, told supporters Tuesday evening. "We did it."
(CNN) - Former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark and Richard Grenell, a former foreign policy spokesman for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, sparred Tuesday on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" over the role of politics in Romney's recent three-country tour.
"The trip really was for political purposes, not for foreign-policy purposes," said Clark, who also makes appearances as a surrogate for President Barack Obama's campaign. He added, "There must be some horserace reason why he is leaving the country."
(CNN) - CNN Chief National Correspondent John King travels the key battleground of Ohio and looks at how conditions and attitudes in this state could influence the election.
(CNN) – Rep. Michele Bachmann's controversial charges against a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appears to have paid off in the form of money flowing into her re-election campaign.
According to her campaign, the Minnesota Republican raised over one million dollars in a 25 day period in July – the same time that controversy brewed over a letter she sent with four other GOP Members to the State Department Inspector General, requesting an investigation into Huma Abedin's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
(CNN) – Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania defended Mitt Romney's recent overseas trip for its overall strength Tuesday and stated he expected to receive a speaking slot at the upcoming Republican National Convention.
Interviewed by CNN's senior correspondent Joe Johns on "The Situation Room," Santorum put aside their bitter Republican primary battles to laud Romney's support of U.S. allies.
(CNN) - President Barack Obama's re-election campaign knocks Republican challenger Mitt Romney's vision for tax cuts and military spending in a new ad released Tuesday.
The 30-second spot, "Worried," begins with references to what could be interpreted as George W. Bush-era policies.
Washington (CNN) - Mitt Romney's high-profile trip to England, Israel and Poland featured cheering crowds, iconic settings and forceful speeches, but may be remembered more for diplomatic gaffes.
Whether any of it will matter when American voters choose between Romney and President Barack Obama three months from now is less clear.FULL STORY
(CNN) - In an interview with CNN's Joe Johns, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis respond to the sharp language an aide to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney aimed at reporters.


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We're as tired as you are of cheap multi-tools with bits that round off instantly if you aren't paying a surgeon's attention to what you're doing. We're betting that you hardly ever reach for your micro-multi-tool when you're wrenching at home. Why would you? Full-size tools are tougher, give you better leverage, and just feel better than minis. The designers at Lezyne aren't buying into that thinking. In the V-10 Multi-Tool, they've designed a lightweight, durable, ergonomically-designed multi-tool that can stand up to the shop-quality tools that are hanging proudly in your garage.
Lezyne uses nickel-plated chrome vanadium bits to make sure you have the toughest tool possible. The CNC-machined bits are unbelievably precise, so you don't have to fight to keep them from rounding your hardware. They'll never rust, either, even if you forget them in your pack over the winter. In order to keep weight down, Lezyne uses CNC-machined 7075 aluminum side plates and a forged and CNC'd chain breaker.
The most important difference between the V-10 and most other multi-tools is Lezyne's clever center-pivot bit design. This design allows Lezyne to make low profile tools that are lighter, stiffer, stronger, and more ergonomic than the more common wraparound design. Look closely at the joint area of each bit. The center-pivot design keeps the axis of the bit in line with the plane of the tool to make it feel more like a full-size tool. The natural-feeling pivot point is more comfortable and it gives you more torque.
The Lezyne V-10 Multi-Tool includes all the tools that you'll need for common road- and trail-side adjustments and light repairs. 90% of the time you're making adjustments with Allen wrenches, and Lezyne includes all the common sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8mm. The Phillips screwdriver comes in handy more often than you'd think (just take a few rides without one), and we all know how annoying it can be to be caught miles from home with a broken chain and no chain tool. Torx T25 and T30 hardware is becoming more and more common these days, especially on SRAM drivetrains, so Lezyne made sure to include it on this comprehensive multi-tool.
- Precision CNC'd chrome vanadium bits for strength
- 7075 aluminum sideplates and chain breaker for weight reduction
- Included tool sheath to keep it clean, and secure
- Item #LED0036
- Material
- aluminum, chrome vanadium
- Chain Tool
- yes
- Hex Wrench
- 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm
- Other Tools
- T25, T30 Torx, philips screwdriver, Chain Breaker (9, 10, 11 speeds)
- Claimed Weight
- 4lb 12oz
- Recommended Use
- cycling, mountain biking
- Manufacturer Warranty
- lifetime
Tech Specs
What do you think about this product?
May 1, 2017
Great tool
- Familiarity:
- I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
Just added this tool to my pack. It's the perfect size, has the right tools. Won't leave home without it.
Justin Henderson
November 7, 2016
Very sturdy very compact
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
Impressed with all of the items packed into this small package.
Tyler E.
June 7, 2016
Like it so much I have two
Great tool, picked up an extra. All you need.
Brian Dobias
June 16, 2014
Awesome. Abused
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
This tool started off its life with great functionality, compact sizing, and ease of use. It was always thrown in a tool pouch, stuffed in a jersey pocket, never flinched that it was there and always handed when needed. Just awesome. Then, I started abusing it. For over 2 years this was exposed day-in and day-out to the elements sweat, food and liquid spilling in my commute/camping/hiking/etc backpack. Those elements took their toll on the tool a bit. Some rust/deposits started developing and making the moving elements a bit tighter to open, but nothing that caused me to stop carrying and using it. After 2 years of abuse. it's functioning quite adequately. I still carry, still use it. Could I buy a new one? Sure. But, this one still works. Great purchase indeed.
Joshua VonTrapp
September 4, 2012
Great Tool
This tool has everything I need to work on full-on DH bikes on the side of the trail (including the 8mm hex which most tools don't have). I occasionally would like a knife of pliers, but I'm not sure you would really want to add either to this tool.
Adam Riser


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Marching band clipart silhouette
You can get acquainted with the presented collection of Marching band clipart silhouette to choose suitable ideas for your business or design interface.
Today we have 23 cliparts and vectors for this category.
Advice on how to make a good presentation
Create a story for your presentation
Of course we do not mean, that you need to create a fairy tale in order to have a successful presentation. It's rather along the lines of giving your presentation a proper frame as to how to represent it. Let's show you how to do this:
- The fact is PowerPoint today is boring. Unless you spice it up with incredible looking images, key sentences or phrases which have an effect on the thinking and to use videos, gifs and anything which can successfully support your presentation.
- Use more images than words on your slides – however make sure these connect well and they are not too much for your topic.
- Think out of the box but also consider your audience. Don't be too alternative when it's about a job related presentation. All in all you need to know when it's about a good-old presentation and when you have the chance to represent your media skills.


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(I knew I should've gone with Slave Leia like JediMAC suggested...)
What I'd really like to see is a McQuarrie "concept" figure thrown in of each character somehow, too, that way you could work in some more of the iconic characters that don't change much through the OT...
You think you're funny?!
A Gungan, Wookie, Ewok pack would be interesting I think, since people draw parallels to those 3 in the films.
Page created in 0.039 seconds with 19 queries.


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The Blue Cocoon
The Making of Blue Cocoon
We went behind the scenes at May Lindstrom to see how they make her fabled Blue Cocoon.Read More
About the Brand
May Lindstrom's nourishing skin-care line comes from years of testing natural beauty on her own super sensitive skin. She thinks of all of the products as soothing for those with problematic skin—and even for those without, they make good skin even more radiant. The luxurious, small-batch, fully artisanal formulas treat your skin and mind to a beautiful (and beautifying) ritual. Her cult-favorite Problem Solver mask is mixed with water in a special bowl just before you apply it, then painted on with a brush; the calming, nourishing Blue Cocoon balm revitalizes even the driest skin. Every product feels fantastic.


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Setting the Mahmud
RSBS Special Correspondent and Podcast Warrior, Mr. Johanna Mahmud reports:
It's Math. Don't Fight It.
Clint Hurdle isn't here to save you and lead the White Sox to 20 wins in a row to finish out the season a la the Rockies in 2000 whatever year that was. Jim Thome isn't walking through that door to be the anti-Adam Dunn. I'm sorry. Just accept it.
As of Tuesday, via Baseball Prospectus, the White Sox have an 11.8% chance of making the playoffs. The Detroit Tigers have an 86.8% chance. If you're a Sox fan and want to hold onto that 11%, that's your business. I just don't want to hear about it. I know they've been just good enough in this awful division to keep us interested, but it's over.
If I have to listen to one more smelly Sox fan chewin his Kodiak, botherin me while I'm TRYIN TO PEE, sayin stuff like "Hey der guy… we're goin sweep these next few series and we will be der in the end… darrrrr…"
Well, you know what? BITE ME. CUZ IT'S OVAAA…
This team started out so bad that the whole inching their way back up possibility almost felt real. I even got on board, thinking that at some point they'd stop winning three games and losing four. I assumed Adam Dunn would have to, at some point, regress to the mean and start hitting again. I even thought Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham might stop resembling human bowel movements.
As for Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams? Those two guys are pathetic. A once great union of minds is now in complete ruin. They go back and forth at each other like a homeless man's Martin and Steinbrenner. Word is the Sox have already started looking for managerial candidates and compensation from the Marlins for Ozzie. I know sometimes the Oz man sounds like an ignorant mofo, but he's a hell of a manager if the Sox can keep him. But if there's any chance of Guillen staying with the team he and Kenny have to stop being Lindsey Lohan and Samantha Ronson.
–Johanna Mahmud
Follow Johanna on Twitter!


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Intel® C242 Chipset
- 12 USB Ports
- 10 PCI Express Lanes (max)
Intel® Enterprise-class chipsets for servers, workstations, networking, and other devices are used in a wide range of applications from large-scale cloud data centers and HPC clusters, to networking and storage, to small and medium business. These chipsets enable many capabilities with additional support for enterprise storage and additional I/O bandwidth to address highly demanding enterprise workloads.
Fast track your imagination on a workstation.
Workload-optimized to support cloud infrastructure and high-demand applications.
Ideal for business versatility.
Reliable solutions made easier.


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Before Helicon, the only way for me to get DOF was with a view camera. Now I use a Hasselblad H3D for landscapes and I finally got their HTS -- tilt/shift adapter. The problem is the tiny LCD does not help me refocus AFTER tilting. Tethered using the computer screen, yes -- wonderfully. But untethered in the field, for more portable work -- no. Now, Helicon gives me the tool I need to achieve better-than-view camera results in post production, though that is not my favorite part of photography!
My question is whether there are other photographers on this board who use tilt lenses, and what can you say about that? i.e. How many frames in a landscape stack, with and without a tilt lens, etc.?
I just got Helicon, so after testing with a regular lens, I will use the tilt lens and report back here.
Thanks in advance.
Focus stacking with tilt/shift lens
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Post Reply
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I have some content types for documents. It would be neat if I could have the Version and Date Modified properties attached or replicated to the Content Type.
My goal is to be able to use the property data in words quickparts. the usual Information management policy solution won't do the trick!
Any advice?


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Posts tagged 'I Site'
- Tararua I-Site on Facebook on September 24, 2009
We welcome contributing writers to submit original content!
Submission Guidelines
There is no minimum word count, although the ideal post runs between 200 and 800 words, or 4-5 paragraphs.
Since we do not compensate contributors, we're more than happy to include a short bio of each contributing writer, including a byline and links to non-sales sites.
All supporting images should be attached to the submission email, along with image sourced links below the images. Please submit articles as an MS Word document to firstname.lastname@example.com
Please note that your submission may be lightly edited and by submitting to Tararua District Library, you agree to this type of editing. Although we not support censorship, if the submission is wholly inappropriate for this platform, we will ask you to edit it or decline to publish it.


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Warning: What follows is a lot of numbers, but the main takeaway is that it is indefensible for advisors to use active portfolios for their clients' money because it is all but guaranteed that they will underperform.
That is one conclusion from an exhaustive study that veteran ETF advisor Rick Ferri presented at ETF.com's Inside ETFs conference Tuesday in Hollywood, Fla.
Ferri, working with Betterment's Alex Benke, published the study last year, comparing passive funds against 5,000 randomly selected active portfolios and viewing them across 32 different portfolio strategies.
The indexing solution won 82.9% of the time on average, and in the small percentage where active funds outperformed the median outperformance was 0.5%, leading the Troy, Mich.-based advisor to declare: "You weren't paid enough to take that risk."
He added that, theoretically, if outperformance were high, then investing in active funds just might be worthwhile despite the low probability of a payoff.
But outperformance, which varied across the 32 portfolio strategies, was never high, and Ferri pointed out that if an advisor correctly chose a winning active strategy, there was a high likelihood of giving back that alpha by realizing an even greater loss in an active category with large underperformance.
So, for example, if an advisor chose one of the few active bond funds that beat bond index funds — and the median outperformance of such a fund was just .23% in one of the scenarios — that same advisor choosing one of the losing active equity funds (and most active funds were losers) purchased a -2.01% median underperformance on the stock side.
In conducting the study, Ferri and Benke went out of their way to be fair by using investor share Vanguard funds (rather than cheaper Admiral shares) while scrubbing out the highest-cost active funds such as B and C shares, redemption fees and taxes; only no-load and A-share active portfolios were considered. They also used data scrubbed of no longer extant funds to further eliminate any bias.
Despite not factoring all of active funds' potential disadvantages, Ferri says that passive funds outperformed in all asset classes and across time.
"The longer clients are in all-index portfolios, the higher the probability of outperformance," Ferri said.
Just as more time improved the investment returns, so too did more asset classes improve results.
So in a test involving 10 asset classes, including such exotica as real estate investment trust index funds or tax-exempt bond funds, passive outperformance over active funds rose to 90% vs. 87.7% for three-asset funds.
This finding is particularly relevant for your typical 401(k) investor presented with a wide variety of fund choices, Ferri said, adding that a broad portfolio of active funds was merely providing "de-worsification," a term he credited to Peter Lynch of Fidelity.
Unsurprisingly, when Ferri plugged in passive funds that had lower average fees than the ones used in his study, the results were even more lopsided. And when he plugged in the lowest-cost active funds, the gap narrowed.
In a nod to righteous active funds, Ferri conceded that if an active manager is within 50 basis points of an index fund, then the probability of beating the index fund rises to 50%.
"The bottom line is a fee. Fees matter," Ferri said.
The advisor's other bottom line was that the best active funds' alpha is just too meager to justify those fees.
In response to a question from the audience, Ferri, whose study did not account for the effects of taxes, added that passive funds' advantage over active funds would rise much farther still if taxes were considered.
Check out How Indexing Distorts Investment Reality on ThinkAdvisor.


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First, let me apologize for the long delay between posts. I'm busy in life, and I am not afforded the free time to do research and write extensively that I had as a student at university. Also, I am posting this because it is a subject that particularly touched me, though I do have several posts regarding economics and democracy that I've had lined up for quite some time. There have been plenty of subjects I would have loved to write about since I put my writing on hold. But this I would like to address right now.
The question I pose in the title seems like an easy one to answer. To any decent human being, the answer should be no. The conclusion seems to go unquestioned. The idea that the killing of innocent lives is morally wrong and unjust is so embedded in the mores and norms of our culture, and countless others across the globe, the questions seems nearly absurd on its face. Yet, I've recently found myself asking the question and defending the forgoing conclusion in a Facebook discussion. Surely, though, the only opposition would be from a militant extremist, some brainwashed fascist, or simply a troll?
Actually, the tiff was with none other than Fouzi Slisli, a human relations professor at SCSU. (This is the same professor whom, by the way, I vehemently defended on this blog and in the SCSU University Chronicle regarding a presentation he and others had gave on the attack on Gaza in 2009, which was interrupted by professor Edelheit. This is also the same professor I praised, both here and in the University Chronicle, for their trip to Palestine and their presentation of that trip.) I do not pretend to admit that Dr. Slisli does not take outspoken stances on several issues, some of which I agree with, but this one goes beyond the pale.
This started when the professor posted a link to a Telegraph article titled "Muslim group claims royal wedding is legitimate terror target." Seemingly approving the notion, he says, "They're not saying they are going to target the wedding; they're just saying the wedding is a legitimate target and might be targeted by others…" I reply, saying, "No such thing as a legitimate target that has as its essence a civilian population." The conclusion seems obvious enough. But not for Dr. Slisli.
Dr. Slisli contends that the U.S.—and the West in general—has targeted civilians and has deliberately killed civilians. This is undoubtedly true. I agree with the professor here. In fact, I wrote on this blog about the criminal bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, describing them as "One of the worst terrorist attacks in human history." The intentional killing of civilians is a sad reality of U.S. foreign policy and is a reason why the U.S. is one of the leading terror states. However, the fact that the West attacks civilians in no way justifies the position that killing civilians is okay. It should seem obvious enough that the actions of the West do not dictate morality. A moral theory based on such a concept would be shallow, as only a few moments of thought and reflection evidences.
Certainly the West's behavior vis-à-vis its rhetoric makes it hypocritical. But as logic might remind us, hypocrisy does not validate an argument. Tu quoque ("you too") is a kind of fallacious argument that aims to discredit a conclusion because its arguer does not adhere to said conclusion. But the fact that the U.S. has engaged or is currently engaged in targeting civilians has no bearing on the question of its legality or its morality. As I stated to him, "The question, though, isn't whether the West has attacked civilians. The question is what is the proper response? Is it proper to attack the civilians of the offending nation—say you or I? That is to say, is it legitimate [to] deliberately target civilians for any reason? The answer is no. And the answer doesn't change just because Western governments have violated the rule. Sure, it tells us a lot about the moral culture of Western nations. But if it's wrong for the West that also means its wrong for everyone else. That's just the elementary principle of moral universality." (Many readers know that I've repeatedly mentioned the principle of moral universalism on this blog, and I'll return to it here later.) The principle of universalism dictates that you apply to yourself the standards you apply to others (more stringent ones, in fact) and vice-versa. If it's wrong for the West to kill civilians, it is wrong for you and your cohorts to do the same; if it is right for you to kill civilians, it is right for the U.S.
Dr. Slisli contends that moral universalism, "lofty as it is, does not capture the complexity of the issue." While I believe the principle is both basic and elementary (far from lofty)—the necessary basis for any decent moral theory—the professor takes issue with it. He claims I am "making the weaker sides to a conflict uphold a morality that you know full well the stronger side does not/will not uphold." But again, that has no bearing on the question of either its legality or its morality. In any case, Dr. Slisli says Islam offers a "contingency plan" that universalism does not in situations for those who suffer the transgressions of others: "the law of equality." This law states, "If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, Transgress ye likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves." Those from the Christian tradition can think of a similar idea found in the Bible ("an eye for an eye"). Thus, "if anyone transgresses this universal law against you, the Qur'an instructs, then Muslims are allowed to transgress likewise against the enemy," posits Dr. Slisli. (Of course, "Allah prefers if Muslims have restraint.") He therefore concludes that, while it's preferable to have restraint, it is not necessary when "ONE HAS TO PROTECT ONESELF" (emphasis his). He does claim, however, "I am not stating my own opinion here" and that he is "merely explaining the legal frameworks that the Qur'an sets for the rules of war and the legal status of civilians and civilian infrastructure." I'll leave the latter claim for more competent scholars.
In any case, the phrase that Muslims ought to show restraint unless "ONE HAS TO PROTECT ONESELF" in an important one because it requires the person using force to demonstrate that in fact it is for the purpose of protecting oneself. So certainly the onus is on the attacker to demonstrate that attacking innocent civilians is an act of "protecting oneself." And quite frankly I don't think the onus can be met. In fact, I would venture to say that it would have the opposite effect: it would endanger oneself more. The reason should be obvious, but I'll return to it later.
At this point, the discussions turns ugly. Dr. Slisli perverts my statements, saying my act of "Preaching non-violence while the powerful is sawing through the weak is, in practical terms, nothing but a complicity by inaction." Careful readers will note that at no point do I ever "preach non-violence," and most certainly not to those stricken by violence. In fact, I do believe violence is legitimate, but only under very certain circumstances, and the onus is on the perpetrator to demonstrate that violence is appropriate. So, for example, the use of force for the purpose of self-defense is legitimate. You can find this precedence in article 51 of the UN Charter. Self-defense has always been a legitimate act. Thus, I fully support the Quaranic injunction that allows for the use force to "protect oneself." Again, though, one has to demonstrate that the use of force is, in fact, self-defense.
To attack innocent civilian populations under the guise of self-defense is an act reserved only for the most morally depraved. And I do not pretend that this is an uncommon excuse for violence and terror. Take, say, Hitler when he invaded Poland and began his slaughter of Jews and millions of others; he did so under the pretense of self-defense. That's always the pretense. We could go through a long list, but I doubt that would be necessary.
So let's summarize. According international law, Quaranic injunctions, and elementary morality, self-defense is legitimate. The use of force, violence, etc. is legitimate insofar as it can be demonstrated to be legitimate, for example for the purpose of self-defense. Attacking those who have not attacked you does not qualify as self-defense. Ergo, the killing of innocent civilian lives is illegitimate and is deeply immoral. It is for this reason that such acts are outlawed, condemned (nearly) universally, is considered terrorism, and is a grave abuse against human rights.
Yet, the professor is having none of it. He clings to the claim that, because the U.S. does it, it's okay for everyone else to do it. He ponders, "If the West refuses to apply the universal laws of common decency with people A, B and C, why should people A and B and C apply the laws of common decency with the West?" He gives two reason why A, B, and C might. He says either they would because "the balance of power OBLIGES THEM to uphold the laws of common decency" while the other side does not—i.e., they are too weak to retaliate. The second is because "People A, B and C are 'better people' and although the West doesn't deal with them decently, they CHOOSE to act and be better." He admits the latter case demonstrates "admirable strength because it produces moral rectitude." Yet, he says this is not the path to follow, because it is a deceit by the West to prevent its victims from retaliating. He wonders, "Is it a coincidence you think that intellectuals in colonial societies have always advised the colonized to use non-violence?" He claims the idea that we ought not attack innocent civilians has "sinister uses as a weapon to disarm populations …"
Therefore, Dr. Slisli concludes, the proper order of things is for A, B, and C to "apply common decency with People D, E and F and EVERY OTHER people who submit to the universal laws of common decency." But should someone not adhere to the "universal laws," then A, B, and C "also HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECLARE THAT COMMITMENT VOID IF THE OTHER SIDE FLAGRANTLY VIOLATES IT." There's a problem with this argument, though. A law is not "universal" if it is not applied universally. Of course, what the professor really meant to say, if he were being a little more honest, is, "it's wrong for them to do it to me, but it's okay for me to do it to them." And it's a demonstration of the sheer hypocrisy found in those defending the attacks on innocent lives. And that's a vile maxim that operates nearly everywhere: it's a crime if they do it, but not when I do it. If you think about it, that's the exact opposite of what one might call a "universal law."
Finally, an argument made by others (and hinted at by Dr. Slisli when he accuses me of "a complicity by inaction") is that innocent civilians really aren't innocent at all. (In a separate posting, Dr. Slisli contends the innocents being targeted by al-Qaeda, including Muslims, are "the Crusader-Zionist alliance and those who collaborate with them," thus fair game. But, "At any rate, this is an inter-Muslim debate in which Americans have no business sticking their nose." When innocent American lives are at stake, I believe this to be an issue in which we might have the right to stick our nose, so I'll continue.) One commenter notes, "We are all party to what our government/military does until it stops," as if it's a valid argument for attacks on civilians. But if they commenter, whom I've also defended elsewhere, agrees with me that the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were wrong, as I suspect they do, then it is wrong for terrorists to bomb us here. Just because these were citizens of Imperial Japan make them no more a legitimate target than you or I simply because we are U.S. citizens. So in the same vein, the attack on the World Trade Center was no more legitimate than the U.S. and Israel's punishment of Gazan citizens for voting the wrong way in a free election. They both represent an illegitimate and immoral use of force.
So back to the original topic of the royal wedding, just because the spectators of the royal wedding are citizens of the country, or merely residents, or merely tourists, or merely bystanders does not make them a legitimate target. And, as it was hinted in the previous sentence, attacks on civilian populations do not even assure one that those targeted are only nationals of that country, as there could very easily be non-associated agents within the same population. But even if we could assume it was only nationals within the civilian population being targeted, is nationality ever a legitimate basis for attack? I suspect the commenter who says we are all party to our government's crimes also believes that other discriminations based on nationality are wrong. So if I asked her if it's okay for us to make certain nationalities pay more in taxes or if it's okay for us to put certain nationalities in internment camps or maybe even okay for us to toss certain nationalities into furnaces (because of the crimes their nations committed, of course), I'm confident she'd say no. Yet there is such a disconnect to the point that she see nothing wrong in the idea that it's okay for innocent civilians to be subjected to terror attacks because of what their government has done. And that brings me to the final point, which I've discussed throughout this blog, which is that, even to the extent that I do live in a "democracy," my influence on policy is basically near zero. Democracy is mostly nominal and is defined in procedural terms: I pull a lever every four years and keep quiet and to myself in the time in between. Does that make me responsible to some extent? Maybe one could argue so. But it certainly does not make me a legitimate target for attacks, nor does it make Dr. Slisli, nor the aforementioned commenter—neither of whom, I'm sure, are ready to admit they are vile war criminals deserving death.
I understand the importance of criticizing one's own crimes. Again, to the extent that I do live in a democracy and free society, I can make some effort to address them. I take seriously Dr. Slisli's argument that, "If you want to talk universalism, then you should make the aggressor stop aggression FIRST …" Those who have read my blog know well my critique of state crimes, particularly those of the U.S. That has always been my focus. A dishonest person is one who criticizes the crimes of others but does not reflect on his own. But that does not make the crimes of others any less of a crime. This is a moral truism we should not easily let escape from our minds.


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"I'm pro-choice and I shoot back."
It's not strictly true since I don't own a gun.
I love how Bill O'Reilly freely tosses around incendiary rhetoric (arguably, "inciting violence") but is so incapable of taking responsibility or acknowledging his own words. Why is he a frickin' pundit talking head if he thinks his words are so meaningless? Other than his ginormous ego? War Room has relevant excerpts and links to O'Reilly's non-apology.
update: More informative is Rachel Maddow's review of anti-abortion violence.


text:
Illustration copyright 2000 by Nucleus
Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
The temporomandibular (TM) joints join the skull and lower jawbone
(mandible). These gliding "ball and socket" joints are located just in front of
each ear, and they move when a person opens and closes his or her mouth.
The TM joints are stabilized by muscles that attach directly to the
jawbone. They are separated by a disc made of cartilage, which keeps the two
bones from rubbing together.
Last Revised:
January 11, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Arden Christen, DDS, MSD, MA, FACD - Dentistry
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Poppy-seed muffins were among my favorites growing up - I've mentioned before that in junior high, my sister and I started doing a little cooking, consisting mostly of boxed muffin mixes and canned beef stew over rice - and we probably made lemon poppy-seed muffins for dinner just about every week.
I've been wanting to make an orange muffin lately, and was dreaming up a recipe for Chocolate Chip Orange Muffins, but those will come another time. Having a three-day weekend (with both Jamie and I having President's Day off work), we really needed a completely relaxing Saturday morning, and relaxing it was.
We started the morning with cold mimosas, in fancy champagne glasses and everything! Then I baked these scrumptious muffins, which were surprisingly low in WW points (good thing I didn't include the chocolate chips), and to spread on the muffins, a slightly sweet and tangy orange curd with a hint of vanilla from the vanilla sugar I used. You can easily make vanilla sugar by placing a leftover vanilla bean (one that you've already scraped the seeds out of) into a 2-cup glass jar and filling it up with granulated sugar. Put the lid on and put it away for a few weeks or a month, and you'll have a deliciously scented vanilla sugar. (The sugar will absorb a little moisture from the vanilla bean, so you may have to use a whisk to break up any lumps before using it.) The vanilla sugar was just perfect in this orange curd recipe. Of course, if you don't have vanilla sugar, you could also just whisk in a little vanilla at the end, after you add the butter.
Jamie loved these muffins with the orange curd, and they are now some of my favorites as well.
It was a wonderfully relaxing day in our PJs of mimosas and episodes of Entourage. And for dinner, we were thrilled to realize we could get sushi delivered from our local sushi restaurant. So we didn't even have to get dressed. Sometimes, you just need one of those days.
Orange Poppy-Seed Muffins
printable recipe
- 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- Grated zest of 1 large orange
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons poppy-seeds
Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare 12 muffin cups with non-stick spray or paper liners. (Note, I used paper liners that were fairly small, so this ended up yielding 12 muffins that were a little smaller. Slightly larger liners, or just spooning the batter directly into the pan might yield about 8 larger muffins.)
Whisk together the yogurt, orange juice, orange zest, sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and almond extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves and poppy-seeds. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined.
Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Yields 12 muffins.
Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 5 points for two muffins (Note: If making fewer/larger muffins, be sure to recalculate the points value - the points for the entire batch is 30.)
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen
Orange Curd
printable recipe
printable recipe
- 6 egg yolks (reserve whites for another use)
- 1 cup granulated vanilla sugar
- 1/3 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium to medium low.
In a heat-proof metal mixing bowl (one that can sit on top of the saucepan without touching the water) whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, orange juice and orange zest until smooth (1-2 minutes). (Note that 2 large navel oranges will yield enough zest and juice for this recipe).
Place the bowl over the saucepan. Stirring constantly with a silicone whisk or spatula, cook the mixture until thick enough to coat a spoon. (Note that this process can take anywhere from 7-15 minutes, depending on how fast the water is simmering, how close the bowl is to the water, etc. The mixture will not appear as thick and jellied as store-bought citrus curd, but will have the consistency of warm pudding. It will also thicken more when it cools.)
Remove the bowl from the heat, and add the slices of butter, one at a time, whisking well after each slice until the butter disappears. Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer, pushing it through with a spatula, to strain out the zest. (Note, it's fine if you want to skip this step, but straining out the zest yields a beautifully smooth and creamy curd.)
Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge until ready to use. It will be at a spreadable consistency straight from the fridge, or you can gently rewarm it for a "pourable" consistency.
Yields about 1 2/3 cups.
Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 2 points, per tablespoon
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen


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The Latest Research from the SEI
As part of an ongoing effort to keep you informed about our latest work, I would like to let you know about some recently published SEI technical reports and notes. These reports highlight the latest work of SEI technologists in acquisition, socio-adaptive systems, application virtualization, insider threat, software assurance, and the Personal Software Process (PSP). This post includes a listing of each report, author(s), and links where the published reports can be accessed on the SEI website.
Isolating Patterns of Failure in Department of Defense Acquisition
By Lisa Brownsword, Cecilia Albert, David J. Carney, Patrick R. Place, Charles Bud Hammons, and John J. Hudak
This report documents an investigation into issues related to aligning acquisition strategies with business and mission goals. The investigation was motivated by the observation that a significant contributing factor in troubled or failing acquisitions was the misalignment between the software architecture and the acquisition strategy. An examination of a number of acquisition programs led to the discovery of seven repeatable patterns of failure to: (1) document business goals, (2) resolve conflicts between goals, (3) adapt to changing needs, (4) accommodate turbulence in the acquisition environment, (5) give due consideration to software needs, (6) use appropriate acquisition strategies, and (7) understand and use software quality attributes to create the architecture.
In addition to a detailed description of these patterns, the authors define the artifacts and the relationships that would have to hold between these artifacts to combat the failure patterns. Finally, they offer some suggestions on a method, woven from existing methods, for developing the artifacts with sufficient content that one can reason about the strength of the necessary relationships.
PDF Download
Socio-Adaptive Systems Challenge Problems Workshop Report
By Scott Hissam, Gabriel Moreno, and Mark H. Klein
Socio-adaptive systems are systems in which human and computational elements interact as peers. The behavior of the system arises from the properties of both types of elements and the nature of their collective reaction to changes in their environment, the mission they support, and the availability of resources they use. The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) held the Socio-Adaptive Systems Challenge Problem Workshop in Pittsburgh, PA, on April 12-13, 2012. The workshop's goal was to identify the challenges associated with resource allocation for warfighters operating at the tactical edge, where networks are often unreliable, and bandwidth limited and inconsistent. This report presents a summary of the workshop findings.
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Application Virtualizaton as a Strategy for Cyber Foraging in Resource-Constrained Environments
By Grace Lewis and Dominik Messinger
Modern mobile devices create new opportunities to interact with their surrounding environment, but their computational power and battery capacity is limited. Code offloading to external servers located in clouds or data centers can help overcome these limitations. However, in hostile environments, it is not possible to guarantee reliable networks, and thus stable cloud accessibility is not available. Cyber foraging is a technique for offloading resource-intensive tasks from mobile devices to resource-rich surrogate machines in close wireless proximity. One type of such surrogate machines is a cloudlet--a generic server that runs one or more virtual machines (VMs) located in single-hop distance to the mobile device. Cloudlet-based cyber foraging can compensate for missing cloud access in the context of hostile environments. One strategy for cloudlet provisioning is VM synthesis. Unfortunately, it is time consuming and battery draining due to large file transfers. This technical note explores application virtualization as a more lightweight alternative to VM synthesis for cloudlet provisioning. A corresponding implementation is presented and evaluated. A quantitative analysis describes performance results in terms of time and energy consumption; a qualitative analysis compares implementation characteristics to VM synthesis. The evaluation shows that application virtualization is a valid strategy for cyber foraging in hostile environments.
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Spotlight On: Insider Theft of Intellectual Property Inside the United States Involving Foreign Governments or Organizations
Matthew L. Collins, Derrick Spooner, Dawn Cappelli, Andrew P. Moore, and Randall F. Trzeciak
This is the sixth entry in the Spotlight On series published by the CERT® Insider Threat Center. Each entry focuses on a specific area of threat to organizations from their current or former employees, contractors, or business partners and presents analysis based on hundreds of actual insider threat cases cataloged in the CERT insider threat database. This entry in the series focuses on insiders who stole intellectual property (IP), such as source code, scientific formulas, engineering drawings, strategic plans, or proposals, from their organizations to benefit a foreign entity. This technical note defines IP and insider theft of IP, explains the criteria used to select cases for this examination, gives a snapshot of the insiders involved in these cases, and summarizes some of the cases themselves. Finally, it provides recommendations for mitigating the risk of similar incidents of insider threat.
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Software Assurance Competency Model
By Thomas B. Hilburn (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), Mark A. Ardis (Stevens Institute of Technology), Glenn Johnson ((ISC)2), Andrew J. Kornecki (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), and Nancy R. Mead
This Software Assurance (SwA) Competency Model was developed to create a foundation for assessing and advancing the capability of software assurance professionals. To help organizations and individuals determine SwA competency across a range of knowledge areas and units, this model provides a span of competency levels 1 through 5, as well as a decomposition into individual competencies based on knowledge and skills. This model also provides a framework for an organization to adapt the model's features to the organization's particular domain, culture, or structure.
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PSP-VDC: An Adaptation of the PSP that Incorporates Verified Design by Contract
By Silvana Moreno (Universidad de la República), Álvaro Tasistro (Universidad ORT Uruguay), Diego Vallespir (Universidad de la República), and William Nichols
The Personal Software Process (PSP) promotes the use of careful procedures during all stages of development with the aim of increasing an individual's productivity and producing high quality final products. Formal methods use the same methodological strategy as the PSP: emphasizing care in development procedures as opposed to relying on testing and debugging. They also establish the radical requirement of proving mathematically that the programs produced satisfy their specifications. Design by Contract (DbC) is a technique for designing components of a software system by establishing their conditions of use and behavioral requirements in a formal language. When appropriate techniques and tools are incorporated to prove that the components satisfy the established requirements, the method is called Verified Design by Contract (VDbC).
This paper describes a proposal for integrating VDbC into PSP to reduce the number of defects present at the unit testing phase, while preserving or improving productivity. The resulting adaptation of the PSP, called PSPVDC, incorporates new phases, modifies others, and adds new scripts and checklists to the infrastructure. Specifically, the phases of Formal Specification, Formal Specification Review, Formal Specification Compile, Test Case Construct, Pseudo Code, Pseudo Code Review, and Proof are added.
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Additional Resources
For the latest SEI technical reports and papers, please visit https://resources.sei.cmu.edu/library/.


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Late-night TV talk show host Conan O'Brien is headed to Boston to discuss his life and work during a special forum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
O'Brien, a Brookline native and Harvard graduate, will also discuss the art of comedy with National Public Radio's Scott Simon. Caroline Kennedy will introduce O'Brien at the forum, to be held Thursday evening.
O'Brien is a member of the board of directors of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the honorary chair of the foundation's "New Frontier Network," which brings together young leaders committed to advancing President Kennedy's ideals of civic engagement and public service to new generations.
U.S. & World
O'Brien is the host of "Conan," a late-night talk show on TBS.
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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This content has been marked as final. Show 1 reply
1. Re: Documentation restructureobjectiser Jun 19, 2011 3:30 PM (in response to objectiser)
The Getting Started Guide has not been fully ported: https://docs.jboss.org/author/display/SAVARA/Getting+Started+Guide - so this should make collaborative editing easier.
I need to update the BPEL example based on the new purchasing four participant version, so this section isn't finished yet.
As it may take a bit longer to sort out service validators for AS7 (switchyard/jbossas), I have removed the runtime validation sections from the getting started guide, and will probably change the downloads section to just point to the Eclipse update site. Once we start getting server side runtime validation components on AS7, then I will re-introduce those sections.


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Mango & passion fruit roulade
There's no need to say 'no' to this fruity roulade, whisked sponges are famously low in fat – especially if you use yogurt instead of cream
Nutrition and extra info
- sponge only
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal153
- fat3g
- saturates1g
- carbs28g
- sugars21g
- fibre2g
- protein5g
- salt0.26g
- 3 eggs
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition packed with protein and a…
- 85g golden caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp
- 85g plain flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder, sifted
Baking powderbay-king pow-dah
Baking powder is a raising agent that is commonly used in cake-making. It is made from an alkali…
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
- flesh from 2 large, ripe passion fruits
- 2 mangoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 250g frozen raspberry, defrosted
A member of the rose family, raspberries have a wonderfully intense, sweet taste, and many…
- 200g tub 2% Greek yogurt or very low-fat fromage frais
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Grease and line a 30 x 24cm Swiss roll tin with nonstick paper. Put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and beat with electric beaters until thick and light, about 5 mins. Fold in the flour and baking powder, then the vanilla. Tip into the tin, tilt to level the mix, then bake for 12-15 mins until golden and just springy. Turn onto another sheet of paper, dusted with 1 tbsp caster sugar. Roll the paper up inside the sponge, then leave to cool completely. Sponge can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Fold sugar, passion fruit pulp and one-third of the mango and raspberries into the yogurt. Unroll the sponge, spread with filling, then roll up. Serve with the rest of the fruit on the side. Roulade can be filled and rolled up to 2 hrs before serving and kept in the fridge.


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Occupational Hazards
Erin is rattled when an unknown assailant breaks into her apartment and also attacks her co-worker. Meanwhile, Jamie and Eddie discover a pipe bomb in an elderly woman's apartment, and Frank looks into a charity that is soliciting money for the NYPD, on BLUE BLOODS, Friday, March 6 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Sami Gayle as Nicki Reagan-Boyle, Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan. Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS ©2015CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals gave manager Mike Matheny a three-year contract extension through 2017 on Wednesday, rewarding him for deep postseason runs in his first two seasons in the job.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals gave manager Mike Matheny a three-year contract extension through 2017 on Wednesday, rewarding him for deep postseason runs in his first two seasons in the job.
The team also said that 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter is retiring after missing this season with a recurring nerve issue in his shoulder.
Matheny led the Cardinals to the World Series this year, losing in six games to Boston. In 2012, his first season managing at any level, St. Louis fell one game shy of reaching the Fall Classic. The 43-year-old Matheny was a four-time Gold Glove catcher with St. Louis and had one year left on his deal.
"We didn't want any distractions, we knew we wanted Mike to be a part of this organization for a long time," general manager John Mozeliak said Wednesday. "So we might as well deal with it and get it behind us.
"Obviously, with the success he's had he deserves this contract," Mozeliak added.
Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. characterized Matheny's first two seasons as "pretty historic." Matheny called it an "amazing ride."
Matheny's managed 30 postseason games the last two seasons and is among eight managers in major league history to lead a team to the postseason his first two full seasons. The Cardinals picked up Matheny's option for 2014 in February.
"You look at how everything's kind of unfolded and you just never know," the manager added. "Opportunities come up and fortunately I've been surrounded by some very, very good people."
Mozeliak said the team hoped to "identify a future role" in the organization for the 38-year-old Carpenter.
"When you think back to everything this organization has been through in regard to his ups and downs, he will still go down as one of the greatest we've ever had," Mozeliak said.
Carpenter went 95-44 with a 3.07 ERA in nine seasons in St. Louis despite making only seven starts combined between 2007-08 and 2012. His began his career in 1997 with Toronto, signing with the Cardinals after the 2002 season. He missed all of 2003 with an injury and was 144-94 overall.
"We think back to his career and what an amazing one it was," Mozeliak said. "He was part of so many highlights and I think he really created a culture of higher expectations."
Carpenter won 21 games in 2005 and led the league in ERA in 2009, the same year he was named the NL comeback player of the year — after having Tommy John surgery. He's the franchise career leader with 10 postseason victories, the most memorable is his 1-0 win over the Phillies and Roy Halladay in Game 5 of the NL division series in 2011.
"Chris will always be remembered as the leader of the pitching staff during one of the great eras of Cardinals baseball," DeWitt said.
The Cardinals also purchased the contract of outfielders Oscar Taveras and Mike O'Neill, and infielder Greg Garcia. St. Louis has 36 players on the 40-man roster.
Taveras is the franchise's top prospect and is coming off right ankle surgery after batting .306 in just 46 games at Triple-A Memphis. O'Neill hit .320 in 98 games at Double-A Springfield and finished the year at Memphis where he batted .295, and the versatile Garcia batted .271 at Memphis and played second base, third base and shortstop.
The Cardinals took left-hander John Gast, outfielder Jermaine Curtis and shortstop Ryan Jackson off the 40-man roster. Gast and Curtis were outrighted to Memphis and Jackson was claimed by the Houston Astros. Mozeliak called it a roster "clean up" prior to the winter Rule 5 draft.
The team is seeking a replacement for Bengie Molina, an assistant hitting coach this year who last week was hired as the Texas Rangers' first base coach and catching instructor.


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A branch on our family tree has stretched to New Jersey for the second time. One of the silver linings of grown children moving far away is that you discover places you might not otherwise visit.
Jersey is a difficult place to describe to those who have never been there.
There is the Jersey you see on the news with the boardwalk, the crime, the hurricane fury and the big and bold and popular governor, Chris Christie. There is the Newark airport, a cramped, gerbil-tunnel sort of affair that sits across the street from a prison. There is the Jersey that is old brick, shipping ports, box cars and towering cranes.
And then there is the other side of Jersey. It is the unexpected Jersey, the quiet Jersey.
Borough after borough, small town after small town seamlessly fold into one another. The very old blends with the mildly old and the new. A third-generation Italian bakery sits sandwiched between two new storefronts with crisp awnings. A pizzeria with a 93-year-old oven is next to a house built in the 1700s and adjacent to a mini-mart with a fresh facelift.
Sidewalks serve pedestrians, restaurants, delis, small shops and professional offices. A jumble of above-ground power lines border the streets, dipping to homes and businesses and linking each utility pole to the next.
Wander a half mile or so off one of these main thoroughfares and you are suddenly on winding roads that hug the rivers and creeks. These two-lanes weave through woods, dappled sunlight and over rolling hills. This is the Garden State, so named for lush fields and good soil. Farmers markets and produce stands punctuate the countryside.
Deer are thick in these parts. They bound across fields and roads and leap fences, their white tails held high like the feather plumes of can-can dancers. In Central Jersey skunks are the opossums of the Midwest, mighty in number but frequently flattened.
Stately colonial homes sit precariously close to the road, while others are back a stretch, down a gravel lane or behind a low stone wall. It is easy to picture a rider on horseback clip clopping from one place to another.
Horse barns and dairy barns and homes in their shadows have a gracious amount of space between them, but there are few wide expanses of open land. They've been building for centuries in this neck of the woods.
Old and crumbling buildings are undisturbed. They just stand there, slouching, sighing, boards buckling. Nothing appears subject to the wrecking ball. Someone just sticks a plaque in front of a dilapidated structure and declares it history.
May we humans fare as well in old age.
It is always a pleasure to have reason to travel an unfamiliar road. Most of us are partial to the place we are from and, consequently, reluctant to leave. It is good to be jarred loose, tugged from the familiar and led somewhere new. There is a satisfying enjoyment in seeing that no nook or cranny has escaped the beauty of God's brush.


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Talk about the novels, new and used books that Kremena has written!
Author Kremena's Book Reviews
Sex, Scars and a Superheroine with Scoliosis
The superheroine of Sex, Scars and a Superheroine with Scoliosis is a smart, sassy and self-deprecating young woman who doesn't let the spinal condition Scoliosis get in the way of living her life to the full. Diagnosed with Scoliosis while living in under-resourced Eastern Europe, she is encased in a plastic 'bucket' as part of her treatment. She migrates to Australia where she is taunted by the other children not only because of her bucket, but also ...


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I might as well come right out and say it: I don't ride motorcycles. I have done, years in the past, but an incident involving the long arm of the law and my riding a large-ish Honda road bike "like a damn fool," in the words of the officer that cited me for riding without a license, somewhat soured me on the whole deal. With that in mind, it is understandable that I approached Tate Multimedia's Urban Trial Freestyle with no small measure of trepidation. Motorcycles. Police. Obstacles to climbed over. Jumps. Flips. Seriously, this was frightening stuff indeed.
It needn't have been. For as daunting as the courses appear, it isn't all that difficult to complete them, although completing them well is a completely different thing. As the rider of a small, waspy-sounding motorcycle, you only have a few controls to contend with. The A button for the throttle, the X button for the brakes, and left/right on the left thumbstick to maintain fore and aft balance. That's it. It sounds trivially easy and, in fact, it starts out that way. While the 3D-ish obstacle courses look completely impassable, your bike is superb at at progressing through/over just about anything in your path.
It is definitely not the case that you can just plant your thumb on the accelerate button and pound your way through, though. It takes a few tries with each new course to learn where the places are that require a bit of finesse. Sometimes it is best to approach slowly, while other situations demand as much speed as you can get. The balance front to back can be just as critical. And sometimes you need to manage both speed and the balance to achieve the best result. This is most apparent when it comes to the longest jump challenges - you need to gauge your speed and angle perfectly as you reach whichever part of the topology is acting as the ramp.
It is very definitely the case that there are parts of the courses that you will have to try over and over to get just the right approach nailed, especially on the ones that have moving obstacles to deal with. In some cases, being too slow will cause you to miss an opportunity to avoid tragedy, while in others it is best to approach more slowly to allow better timing. The thing is, though, that this is one of those games that you don't (much) mind having to try the same stage over and over. It is relatively easy to achieve a high enough score to move on to the next level if you so choose, but the levels are short enough and the checkpoints close enough together that is isn't all that tiring or burdensome to just keep attempting to get that last star. That said, the difference between achieving four stars versus getting the ever-elusive fifth star is immense; I never once managed to get that fifth star, probably because I could not master the art of jumping.
As is typical with games of this nature, there are achievements to be had, and in-game money can be collected in aid of upgrading your motorcycle. Your rider's helmet and clothing can also be customized if you're into that kind of narcissistic thing. There are also online leaderboards, although I personally paid no attention to them. Which, considering my paltry scores as compared to those on the leaderboards, was more a matter of maintaining a modicum of self-esteem than anything else.
Steam currently has Urban Trial Freestyle priced at a reasonable $15, which seems about right. It has fairly compelling game play in an arcade sense and the scenery is, well…. scenic. There's no gratuitous swearing to worry about if you want to buy it for the kids. All in all, as low cost games go this one was just about what you would expect.
* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.
I've been fascinated with video games and computers for as long as I can remember. It was always a treat to get dragged to the mall with my parents because I'd get to play for a few minutes on the Atari 2600. I partially blame Asteroids, the crack cocaine of arcade games, for my low GPA in college which eventually led me to temporarily ditch academics and join the USAF to "see the world." The rest of the blame goes to my passion for all things aviation, and the opportunity to work on work on the truly awesome SR-71 Blackbird sealed the deal.
My first computer was a TRS-80 Model 1 that I bought in 1977 when they first came out. At that time you had to order them through a Radio Shack store - Tandy didn't think they'd sell enough to justify stocking them in the retail stores. My favorite game then was the SubLogic Flight Simulator, which was the great Grandaddy of the Microsoft flight sims.
While I was in the military, I bought a Commodore 64. From there I moved on up through the PC line, always buying just enough machine to support the latest version of the flight sims. I never really paid much attention to consoles until the Dreamcast came out. I now have an Xbox for my console games, and a 1ghz Celeron with a GeForce4 for graphics. Being married and having a very expensive toy (my airplane) means I don't get to spend a lot of money on the lastest/greatest PC and console hardware.
My interests these days are primarily auto racing and flying sims on the PC. I'm too old and slow to do well at the FPS twitchers or fighting games, but I do enjoy online Rainbow 6 or the like now and then, although I had to give up Americas Army due to my complete inability to discern friend from foe. I have the Xbox mostly to play games with my daughter and for the sports games.
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Trouble, the pampered pooch that Leona Helmsley bequeathed $12 million to, died in luxury at age 12.
The Maltese had the rare ability to melt the icy heart of the hotel boss dubbed the Queen of Mean.
When she died in 2007, she left the staggering sum to the pup, even though several of her heirs got zilch.
A judge later knocked the inheritance down to $2 million.
The rich pup had been cared for since her owner's death by the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle hotel in Sarasota.
According to the New York Daily News, caretakers spent $8,000 on grooming and $1,200 on food each year for the dog..
U.S. & World
Helmsley had wanted the dog interred with her in the family's 12,000-square-foot mausoleum in tony Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., but pets are not allowed there.
Spokeswoman Eileen Sullivan says the dog's remains were cremated.
Funds left over from the dog's care reverted to The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Trouble's fortune paled in comparison to that of Gunther IV, a German dog left $372 million by his owner, according to Business Insider.
And a cocker spaniel named Miss Charlie Brown is due $130 million when her South Dakota mining magnate owners die.


text: Anybody notice any haters on here? I just noticed today that, it looks like, someone went through and rated ALL of my recent photos 1star status. The pics aren't necessarily Surfer's Journal worthy, but they are better than alot I see. Anyway, just curious. Whomever it was, was either jealous of the waves we got or I must have pissed them off one day in the water or afterwards. It's kinda sad someone is living life that way....... just worrying about hating on people.