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If you're staying on Koh Touch, the main tourist area on Koh Rong Island, and would like to see some outstanding scenery during your stay, there is one walk in particular that we would definitely recommend you do. It will take up a good portion of your day (perhaps try to set off early), but the views are truly superb – Breathtaking ocean expanses, beautiful white sandy beaches, glistening tropical lagoons, and exotic jungle wilderness.
Beautiful Views on Long Set Beach
The walk we have in mind is towards Pura Vita and Longset Resort, heading right as you get off the ferry on the main pier of Koh Touch. Now, in general, if you are looking for a quieter destination on Koh Rong, there are some fantastic resorts on this part of Koh Touch (we recommend White Beach Bungalows and Tree House Resort, as well as Paradise Bungalows). However, even if you choose not to stay here, you should definitely try to see this area during your stay, as the beach is in a great condition and the ocean waters are fantastic.
White Beach on Koh Rong
If you head past Paradise Bungalows and White Beach Bungalows on your left hand side, the next resort is Tree House. Keep walking following the beach area around, and you will pass Star Fish Resort. At times you will need to go off the actual beach itself into the forest, but the path is very easy to follow. After about 15 minutes you will walk out onto a large beach expanse (about 4km or so) with little development (there are plans for a couple of new resorts along this beach front but they are currently at very early stages).
Long Set Beach on Koh Rong
Pura Vita and Longset are a good 1 hour walk along this beach, and the sights on the way are mesmerising. You really feel as if you are on a tropical desert island isolated from the world. The beach is in pristine condition, the waters glisten with beautiful colours, and there is no one around you except perhaps an occasional tent.
Long Set Beach on Koh Rong
At one point you will pass the lagoon on your left hand side, and will have to cross a stretch of ocean water. There is also a small shop along the way where you can purchase some cold beverages.
We recommend that you go all the way to Pura Vita and relax there for lunch and some drinks. The restaurant is a little pricey relative to some of the places to eat on Koh Touch (around $7 per person), but the food quality is of a good standard – Try the fish and chips, as it is one of the best we've had for a very long time (though the portion was a little small).
All in all, the trip will take about 3-4 hours, if you stop off for lunch. But it is definitely worth it!
- Q: How big is Koh Rong?
- Q: Where exactly is it?
- Q: How do I get to Koh Rong?
- Q: When is the best time to visit?
- Q: Is Koh Rong a party place?
- Q: Where is Koh Rong Samloem?
- Q: Where can I see the glowing plankton?
- Q: Where are the best beaches?
- Q: What should I bring with me?
- Q: Is it easy to get a Cambodian Visa?
- Q: Is there an ATM on the islands?
- Q: What activities are there?
- Q: Is there a medical facility on Koh Rong?
- Q: Is it a family-friendly place?
- Q: When is the rainy season?
- Q: Where was Survivor Kaoh Rong filmed?
There are four village communities on the island: Koh Touch (south-east), Prek Svay (north-east), Daem Thkov (Sangkat village) (east), and Sok San (west). Most locals live from fishing (70%) and small scale crop cultivation (30%). As of 2019, tourist businesses outnumber residential homes on Koh Touch.
The terrain is predominantly hilly, with a 316m mountain (1,037ft) in the north-west. Most of the island's interior is covered in jungle forestry, with several waterfalls, bays, capes, and sandstone rock formations adding to the wonderful scenery.
Exposed to the weather and open sea, the south side of Koh Rong is particularly beautiful, while the east side is characterized by smooth hills that gently slope towards the crescent-shaped beaches, inlets, and bays.
Koh Rong's neighbouring islands include Koh Tuich in the south-east, the twin islands of Koh Bong-Po'own (Koh Song-Saa) in the north-east, and Koh Koun and Koh Rong Samloem in the south. These five islands make up the Sangkat Koh Rong (or Commune 5 of Mittakpheap District).
It will take about 40 minutes to get to your destination if it's the first stop. If the boat first stops elsewhere, it may take 1 hour or so.
All 5 services will charge roughly $25 return, though prices can vary depending on time of year, special offers, etc. All services leave from the Ochheuteal (AKA 'Serendipity') pier in Sihanoukville and go to the main tourist beaches on the islands. If your hotel is not on the main beaches (Koh Touch / Saracen Bay), please read Sihanoukville to Koh Rong.
The 5 services offer modern speed boats with comfortable chairs, life jackets, and the option to buy food and drink on board. Not all of the ferries have air-conditioning, but once the boats set off there is a strong cool breeze throughout the sitting areas which more than makes up for it.
All ferry services tend to be very busy – we strongly recommend you buy your tickets in advance. You can buy your tickets online now here: Book Ferry Tickets Online Now
Middle of November / December / January / February: Warm and dry. 25°C daytime.
March / April / May: Hot and dry. 35°C daytime.
June / July / August: Hot and wet. 35°C daytime.
September / October / Early November: Warm and wet. 25°C daytime.
Please see our Weather Guide for more information.
Koh Rong Samloem is Koh Rong's stunning sister island – a short 20 minute ferry trip away. It is a peaceful relaxing destination with breathtaking scenery – Pristine white beaches, clear turquoise ocean waters, and a tropical jungle wilderness.
As such, if you're staying on Koh Touch (the main tourist area on Koh Rong) or on Saracen Bay (the main tourist area on Koh Rong Samloem), the easiest way for you to see the plankton is by booking a boat tour (you can also walk to Police Beach on non-party nights (15 minutes left from the main pier) and Tree House Bungalows (15 minutes right from the main pier) on Koh Touch, or make your way to Long Set Beach around the corner from Koh Touch).
For more information, please read: Glowing Plankton on Koh Rong
1) Lonely Beach – Possibly the best beach on the islands (even bettering Lazy Beach on Koh Rong Samloem), is Lonely Beach to the northern side of Koh Rong Island. Although it is not in the most convenient location, it really is absolutely stunning. The small alcove feels like a real island-paradise, with crystal clear ocean waters, soft white sandy beaches, and tall palm trees all around. The atmosphere is quite serene – so peaceful and quiet with just a few crickets chirping in the background. There are very few people around, so you feel quite isolated and secluded out in a truly beautiful setting.
2) 4K Beach (Long Set Beach) – We would say that 4K beach is number two on the list, though there are now several resorts built along this wonderful stretch of white sand, sparkling turquoise ocean, and tropical jungle wilderness. What's great about this beach, apart from the stunning scenery and inviting pristine waters, is that it's a short walk away from the main tourist area on Koh Rong Island (Koh Touch).
3) White Beach – At number 3 we are going to put White Beach – A 10 minute walk from the main pier on Koh Touch. Admittedly, there are probably better beaches, but the convenience of White Beach and the quality of the resorts around this area push it up a place or two. Despite what you might read elsewhere, this far side of Koh Touch is not a party location and does not suffer from the same setbacks that other more popular areas experience. The beach on this part of the touristy stretch is clean and well-kept, with soft white sands and beautiful clear ocean waters.
The islands are known for their stunning underwater panorama. Whether it's snorkeling or scuba diving that you're after, there are plenty of superb locations.
Kayaking & Paddle Boarding
Enjoy the crystal clear ocean waters by Kayaking or paddle boarding your way around – An ideal activity for couples and families alike.
Mountain Biking & Jungle Trekking
Explore the exotic jungle habitat by foot or via a mountain bike.
Bioluminescent Plankton
Sparkling like a starry sky all around you, the bioluminescent plankton are a wonderful sight to behold at night times.
Jet Skiing & Windsurfing
For some fast paced action on the beautiful clear waters, hire Jetskis or Windsurf.
To learn more, please read our Activities Guide.
For example, those that visit during the rainy season get to enjoy half-priced accommodation and beautiful rainy scenes, and because it never gets too cold in Cambodia, swimming in the ocean is still a very pleasurable experience (the water rarely drops beneath 25°C). Take a look at this article for more information: 5 Reasons to Visit Koh Rong Island in Rainy Season
In 2012, a special edition of the French Survivor ('Koh Lanta') was filmed near Sok San Village with an All-Star cast. The production team returned in 2013 and again in 2016 to film the regular editions.
In 2015, the American version of Survivor produced Season 31 (Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance) and season 32 (Survivor: Kaoh Rong – Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty) on Koh Rong Island.
The 16th edition of Expedition Robinson (Sweden's Survivor) was also filmed on the island.


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"How long will the Jewish role in slavery be hidden?"In an attempt to absolve white America of it's dominant role in Chattel Slavery, Illuminati white nationalist David Duke asks.
But according to Eli Faber's author of Jews, Slaves, and the Slave Trade is the Jewish role in the trade was minimal. In critique of Faber's documentations, Suny College History Professor Sanford Gutman writes:
Eli Faber offers the least polemical and arguably the most important contribution to the new literature on (fake) Jews and the slave trade. An indefatigable researcher into the history of Anglo-American Jewry, Faber deploys his mastery of archival materials on both sides of the Atlantic to reinforce the conslusion, alreay reached by Jacob Rader Marcus over a quarter century ago, that the Jewish role in the trade was minimal. He breaks ground by showing not only that British and American Jews were marginal players in the Atlantic slave trade, buth that this odious traffice did not contribute significantly to the economi development of either old world or new world Jewry. Faber's focus is on Great Britian's trans-Atlantic commerce during its prememinent period as a slave trading power. Between the late 17th and early 19th centuries, nearly half of the almost seven million slaves transported from Africa to the Americas were carried on British ships."
Below, NBFSN Coutner Terrorism Minister Malachi Louis dismantles the subliminal ideology suggesting that because some (fake) Jews owned slave ships whites should not be held accountable for the generational racial terrorism they inflicted upon blacks.
"So the fake Jews owned the slave ships. But who made you strip our names, cultures and identities? Who made yours dehumanize ours & brand us "niggers." Also, what of the beating, killings and rapes: are the fake Jews responsible for those and your hatred too?"
The denial of reparations to our forefathers was done through duplicitous manipulation of the United States government.
The first generation of our people who could even demand them without reprisal of lynching, social castigation, being sprayed by water hoses and having dogs sicced on them was in the 1970s.

subset: commoncrawl


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The January 2011 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert.
With a fancy-pants title composed of dessert techiques I had never heard of I was pretty sure that this was going to be a difficult challenge. But making one of these delicious treats is way more straightforward than it appears. Basically this dessert is made of:
- A thin sponge cake that you line a spring form pan with.
- Any delicious filling that you want to fill it with. (I chose kahula chocolate mousse and whipped cream)
The result is both delicious and impressive.
To make the sponge cake you first make a paste that you can use to pipe a design with. It can be tinted any colour so I used some coco powder to make it chocolate. I wanted the cake to look like birtch tree bark so I just piped random uneven lines. You can make stripes, hearts, swirls... the list goes on.
The piped design goes into the freezer to harden while you make the sponge batter. Then you spread the sponge batter over the frozen paste and pop it in the oven.
The cake bakes in 6 to 12 minutes. I didn't have a silicon baking sheet so I used parchment paper instead which worked just as well. My cake didn't stick at all when I carefully flipped it over onto another piece of parchment which had been sprinkled with icing sugar to prevent sticking.
While the sponge cools you prepare your filling. Other members of the Daring Bakers used mousses, ice creams, cakes, gelled fruit juices, marshmallows, and lots of interesting flavor combinations. I decided to make a Kahlua chocolate mousse with semi sweet chocolate and top it off with whipped cream.
I lined a spring form pan with plastic wrap and then cut a piece of paper into a strip that fit around the inside of the pan but leaving a bit of room at the top for the mousse to peek out of the cake. I then used that paper as a template to cut a strip of cake to line the pan with. I did the same for the bottom of the pan and cut a circle of cake out to be the bake of the dessert.
It was easier than I thought it would be to press the cake into the springform pan. I put the bottom in first and then pressed the strip along the sides and especially where the ends joined. This cake is really flexible and it creates a good seam. Plus once you fill and the filling sets it will hold the cake together as well.
Then the mousse got poured in and it went into the fridge to set. I let it set overnight and unmolded it in the morning.
For the next layer I made a stabilized whipped cream. It tastes and feels exactly the same as regular whipped cream but it has a small amount of gelatin whipped into it. The gelatin prevents the water in the whipped cream from 'weeping' or separating which is what happens when whipping cream sits too long. It keeps its form better than regular whipped cream and you can even use it to ice cakes with instead of icing.
For the top I cut a little heart out of paper and then dusted the whipped cream with powdered chocolate.
Then comes the fun part..cutting it open to see the different layers!
..and eating it. That part is fun too.
...chocolate mouse was a wise choice.
I made a mini joconde for this challenge, cake was only a little bit bigger than a cupcake but I'm already planning a much bigger one with multiple layers in it for an upcoming birthday.
This is something that I would have never tried to make if it hadn't been presented to me through the Daring Bakers. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily it came together and I have to thank Astheroshe for picking such an awesome recipe and technique for us.
Joconde-Décor Paste
Many people found the original amount of paste that the recipe made to be waaay way too much. I cut the recipe down to 1/4 using my mad math skills (actually I just halved the amounts, then halved them again)
This makes enough paste to decorate a regular cookie sheet.
3.5 tbsp butter
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup icing sugar
2 egg whites
4tsp + 1/4 cup flour
To make chocolate decorating paste replace 2 of the 4 tsp of flour with coco powder
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
- Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
- Fold in sifted flour.
- Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation
- Line a cookie sheet with either a silicon baking mat or a piece of parchment paper help down with a few dots of the paste. Spread or pipe the paste on in any design you want
- Place tray in freezer to harden while you make the sponge
Joconde Sponge
I made half this recipe because I was using such a small spring form pan that I wanted the sponge to be thinner. If you are making a larger dessert then use the whole recipe because you will need a thicker sponge. A half recipe will bake much faster than a whole one so keep your eye on it. Mine baked in just under 6 minutes
¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar
¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour
3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g
3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g
2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar
2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 475
- In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.
- Sift almond flour, confectioner's sugar, cake flour. (This can be done into your dirty egg white bowl)
- On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light. (If using a stand mixer use blade attachment. If hand held a whisk attachment is fine, or by hand. )
- Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.
- Fold in melted butter.
- Spread over the chilled paste and put in the oven. The cake will bake in anywhere from 6 to 15 minutes. Once the edges are slightly browned and the sponge bounces back when slightly pressed it is done.
- Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from the parchment or mat.
- Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove parchment or mat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing. (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)
While the cake cools you prepare your filling(s) of choice and line a spring form pan with plastic wrap. Cutting out pieces of paper that are the same size as the inside of your pan will make it easy for you to cut pieces of cake out to the line the pan with.
Press the bottom into the form first and then the strip that lines the side. Make sure to press the edges together to make a seal and help the dessert keep its form. Then you're ready to fill it with whatever you choose!
Sponge that isn't used right away can be wrapped up tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and frozen for later use.


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Family clearly matters to Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer. The Australian couple, who have only vaguely addressed rumors that they separated last fall, spent a relaxing evening together with their sons and a few pals at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills on Thursday, June 27.
Crowe and Spencer, who sat with a group of about 10 people outside in the restaurant's courtyard, "were both talking to their kids and being attentive," an onlooker tells Us Weekly of the parents to sons Charles, 8, and Tennyson, 6.
"Russell and Danielle were sitting next to each other and seemed to get along well — but were never affectionate," the eyewitness added.
Later in the evening, after the children had left the table, the pair continued to chat with another couple in a "loud conversation," with Crowe "smoking a cigarette and talking very animatedly, [seemingly] about politics."
The Oscar-winning actor, 49, and musician, 44, were first rumored to have split after a nine-year marriage back in October 2012, according to Australia's Sydney Morning Herald. The paper reported that the split was amicable, and that Spencer was staying in Sydney with the boys while Crowe was focusing more on his career.
Neither individuals ever addressed the rumors, except in very vague comments on social media.
PHOTOS: Russell's pre-marriage fling with Meg Ryan
"As soon as I finish this job and can get home, my priority is to try to bring my family back together," the Man of Steel actor wrote on Twitter in December, referring to shooting Winter's Tale in New York City and traveling to promote Les Miserables. "I need to go home & be with my children. Cannot believe how f–ked up my schedule has become this year."
Spencer took to Facebook to address her fans as well, mildly acknowledging a tumultuous past couple of months, though she never addressed the split rumors head-on.
"Hi Everyone! I'm sorry I haven't visited here for a while, things have been keeping me somewhat busy of late," she wrote. "I just wanted to thank you all for bearing with me and also for your messages of support, it means a lot to me."
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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Anyway, I write for Berkley Prime Crime under the guise of Hannah Reed. They own rights and haven't offered to distribute my stories as audio books. I also write as Deb Baker and have reissued my out-of-print titles as an independent author, making all the publishing decisions myself.
The other day I had an email from a man who has read my Gertie books and wanted to share them with his wife, who has a debilitating disease that doesn't allow her to read. He wanted to know if he could get them as audio books. That got me thinking. Should I make the investment in audio books? I'd have to hire a voice-over artist to do the reading. They aren't cheap. But I'd be perfectly happy just breaking even. Would I?
So help me make the decision. Do you listen to audio books? And in what format?


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Award Winning Poseidon Jewellery
Samira Mazloom Shares The Poseidon Jewellery
Samira Mazloom, the project leader of the displayed design Award Winning Poseidon Jewellery explains, The Jewellery I design expresses my feelings. It represents me as an artist,designer and also as a person. The trigger to create Poseidon was set in the darkest hours of my life when I felt frightened,vulnerable and in need of protection. Primarily I designed this collection to be used in self defense. Even though that notion has faded throughout this project,it still does exist. Poseidon (the god of the sea and "Earth-Shaker,"of earthquakes in Greek mythology) is my first official collection and is aimed at strong women,meant to give the wearer the feeling of power and confidence..
Award Winning Poseidon Jewellery Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to Design Industrial homepage.


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Five-Star Prospects
1. Chris Sale, LHP
Four-Star Prospects
2. Eduardo Escobar, SS
3. Brent Morel, 3B
Three-Star Prospects
4. Dayan Viciedo, 1B/3B
5. Jared Mitchell, CF
6. Jacob Petricka, RHP
7. Greg Infante, RHP
8. Trayce Thompson, OF
Two-Star Prospects
9. Addison Reed, RHP
10. Thomas Royse, RHP
11. Andre Rienzo, RHP
9 more and Goldstein's scouting report on Chris Sale at the link.
UPDATE: Goldstein discusses the White Sox Top 11/20 on Episode 25 of his podcast (mp3). The White Sox discussion is at the 72:30 mark and runs for about 12 minutes.


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Zack Snyder has cranked up the "Sucker Punch" publicity machine with the first trailer for his "'Alice in Wonderland' with machine guns" extravaganza.
The official synopsis isn't terribly helpful, but just for laughs, here it is:
"Sucker Punch" is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, but her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary…with potentially tragic consequences.
The film stars Emily Browning as Baby Doll, a young woman in the 1950s whose evil stepfather has her institutionalized and scheduled for a lobotomy. As near as we can tell, Baby Doll retreats into a fantasy word where she hones the skills she'll need to make a real-world escape.
Joining Browning in her adventures are Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone and Carla Gugino, whose characters were all introduced via posters that were released on line during Comic-Con.
Snyder ("300," "Watchmen") has established himself as a director with a distinct eye, but "Sucker Punch" is his first attempt at bringing an original story of his own to life. The clip is 86 seconds of WW II, "Moulin Rouge!," "Kill Bill," "Brazil" and a host of other elements coming together to form a gleaming ball of pure eye candy.
"Sucker Punch" hits theaters March 25, 2011.


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The owners of Planet Fitness, Newington, NH, are close to reaching a settlement in their lawsuit with their New York franchisee partners in PFNY LLC.
According to a joint motion filed May 31 in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire, the two parties engaged in mediation on May 24 and 25 before a retired judge and reached an agreement that they will resolve their issues.
All proceedings in the case were put on hold for a 45-day period, including a hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday. Over the course of the month, the parties and their attorneys will be working to resolve their disputes, and afterward, they anticipate filing a notice of settlement, according to the court filing.
Both sides declined to comment on the status of the case.
Planet Fitness owners Mike Grondahl, Marc Grondahl and Chris Rondeau filed a lawsuit last December against franchisees James Innocenti, Jeffery Innocenti and Luigi "Gino" LaVerghetta, claiming the franchisees conducted business with real-estate companies and a contractor without the knowledge of the Grondahls and Rondeau. The Innocentis and LaVerghetta deny the allegations and filed a countersuit in January.
Court documents revealed that Planet Fitness had had discussions with the Innocentis and LaVerghetta about taking the company public with an initial public offering (IPO). Planet Fitness later confirmed that an IPO was discussed, but it tabled those plans until it resolved its issues with its PFNY partners. The New York Post reported today that Planet Fitness is seeking to hire bankers in hopes of going public.
In other news, Planet Fitness confirmed to Club Industry that CFO Jayne Conway is no longer with the company. Conway was hired in April 2010 from Gulf Oil LP. She also held leadership roles at Dunkin Brands, Bain and General Electric for 10 years. Marc Grondahl has assumed the duties of the CFO, a position he held prior to Conway's arrival.


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Press Release: Statement by an IMF Mission on ECCU Common Policies: Discussions with Antigua and Barbuda
February 9, 2009Press Release No. 09/30
Mr. Paul Cashin, head of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff mission to the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) countries, issued the following statement today after the conclusion of the mission:
"An IMF mission is visiting the members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union during January - March to conduct the Fund's 2009 discussions on ECCU policies. This mission augments the work of the individual country Article IV consultation discussions and covers issues that cut across the region. The mission team will visit the six IMF-member countries of the ECCU—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—and key regional institutions, including the Caribbean Development Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). For the first time the mission will also visit Anguilla and Montserrat, two U.K. overseas territories and non-IMF members of the ECCU. In this context, the IMF mission visited Antigua and Barbuda during February 3-4, 2009.
"The regional discussions will focus on the economic prospects, opportunities, and challenges facing the ECCU region. A concluding statement that outlines the policy recommendations will be presented in March for consideration by the members of the ECCU. A report reflecting these discussions will be prepared subsequently and presented to the IMF's Executive Board. The reports for 2006 and 2007 are publicly available on the IMF website.
"Facing a volatile and weakening external environment in 2008, the region has come off a period of strong growth during 2004-07. Although the global financial crisis has so far had little impact on ECCU financial markets, growth is estimated to have decelerated to about 2½ percent in 2008, reflecting sluggish activity in tourism and construction. Inflation accelerated during the first three quarters of 2008, but eased toward end-2008 with the retreat of world commodity prices and slowing economic activity. Limited fiscal consolidation achieved in 2007—reflecting higher tax revenues and lower capital expenditure—is estimated to have unwound in 2008 due to a decline in revenues and an increase in current expenditure, with public debt standing at about 93 percent of regional GDP at year end.
"Growth in the region is expected to remain flat in 2009, with risks tilted to the downside. Navigating through the turbulent environment requires carefully managing risks arising from the global financial crisis and economic downturn, while continuing to address fundamental issues facing the ECCU, particularly fiscal and debt sustainability. Key risks include a deep and protracted global downturn weighing heavily on the ECCU growth prospects, and sharp falls of capital flows to the region (particularly foreign direct investment), further dampening economic activity and threatening external stability. The ECCU's high vulnerability to shocks, exacerbated by its elevated public debt level, highlights the importance of further enhancing crisis preparedness. Additional and sustained efforts to push through structural reforms, such as tax reform, improving the business climate, and deepening regional integration, are key to enhance competitiveness and underpin the currency union.
"Despite recent progress in financial sector reforms, the long-enjoyed financial stability in the region cannot be taken for granted going forward. Waning economic growth after a period of rapid private credit expansion poses a major risk to the stability of banking system, through the deterioration of banks' asset quality. There is an urgent need to intensify oversight of banks and bring the nonbank financial sector under effective supervision. The significance of foreign banks in the ECCU also calls for strengthened cross-border regulatory cooperation and information sharing, which the ECCB has been pursuing.
"With very high public debt levels, there is little, if any, room for counter-cyclical fiscal policy in the ECCU. Minimizing fiscal slippages would require following through on revenue reforms (including the introduction and successful implementation of value-added taxes), containing expenditures and enhancing efficiency (particularly public investment and civil service wage bills), and strengthening debt management. Within this framework, a well-targeted social safety net is crucial for mitigating the disproportionate impact of economic hardships on the poor. Strengthening the currency union will also require establishing and meeting annual fiscal targets that can credibly achieve the ECCB's public debt to GDP target of 60 percent by 2020.
"It is in this context that the mission is discussing policy options with national and regional authorities. Macroeconomic outcomes in Antigua and Barbuda have strengthened significantly in recent years, with six consecutive years of sizeable real GDP growth achieved during 2003-08. While the primary fiscal deficit has remained high, public debt has declined by about 45 percentage points of GDP since 2003, mainly due to the strong growth performance and external debt forgiveness. Looking ahead, the authorities reiterated their intention to focus on maintaining macroeconomic stability amid the global downturn. The mission welcomes the authorities' commitment to contain expenditures and strengthen debt management, and bolster social spending by implementing an unemployment insurance scheme. The IMF team would like to thank the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda for the constructive discussions held during their visit. In particular, the IMF team met with Hon. Dr. Errol Cort, Minister of Finance and Economy, Financial Secretary Whitfield Harris, and representatives of the financial and tourism sectors. We wish the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda every success in their efforts to raise economic growth and achieve sustained social progress."
|Public Affairs
|Media Relations


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Chestnut Hill has remained a vital community since its annexation with the City more than 100 years ago. In 1947 local residents established a formal organization, the Chestnut Hill Community Association, dedicated to the social and economic well-being of the neighborhood.
The goal of the CHCA is to encourage a sense of community in Chestnut Hill and to improve the quality of life in the community.
The CHCA focuses on achieving six objectives: Leadership, Long-Range Solutions, Education, Community Fund, Participation, and Finances. To meet these ends:
* The CHCA provides leadership by accepting and sharing responsibility for the solution of problems that affect the quality of life of the Chestnut Hill community.
* The CHCA seeks comprehensive and long-range solutions which include developing priorities, identifying resources, making studies, initiating programs, cooperating with other entities, seeking to have others take responsibility, coordinating community efforts, and following other, appropriate courses of action.
* The CHCA conducts informative and educational activities, including public meetings and publication of a weekly newspaper, the award-winning Chestnut Hill Local, to inform the community about educational, environmental, social, religious, and political concerns and other issues that affect the community. The Chestnut Hill Local is an integral function of the CHCA and serves as a forum for community discourse by publishing all responsible points of view on issues affecting the community.
* The CHCA endeavors to be an active participant in all community issues and therefore maintains a permanent endowment, the Chestnut Hill Community Fund, for the preservation of the beauty of the community and improving the quality of life for its members.
* The CHCA encourages members of the community to participate in forming its policies and in carrying out its activities.
* The CHCA is dedicated to transparency in its finances by regularly balancing budgets and reporting on financial issues at all meetings.
For more information, visit chestnuthill.org.


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Started this discussion. Last reply by Pat Jun 20, 2012. 6 Replies 0 Likes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18503550 A Saudi man has been beheaded on charges of sorcery and witchcraft, the state…Continue
Tags: arabia, saudi, execution, witchcraft
Started this discussion. Last reply by ChrisC Jun 22, 2012. 12 Replies 0 Likes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUe0_4rdj0U&feature=relatedDiscussion with Richard Dawkins & Lawrence Krauss.Enjoy!Continue
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Relationships with
Photo Credit: Amerie's picture is courtesy of Banjig Net. Photographic illustrations of Amerie are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Amerie is derived from astrological interpretation of Amerie's date, time, and place of birth.


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KFG..M....+924/+486 for industrial applications
Download on this page specific material for the KFG pump for industrial applications. You can also configure the pump according your needs and download as CAD file for easy integration into your engineering software.
Related documents
- Product brochure: 1-3030 (1.1 MB)
- Assembly/operating instructions: 951-170-212 (4.0 MB)
Configure the KFG pump for industrial applications according your needs


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The Series 68300B Synthesized Signal Generator are microprocessor-based, synthesized signal sources with high resolution phase-lock capability. They generate both discrete CW frequencies and broad (full range) and narrow band sweeps across the frequency range of 10 MHz to 65 GHz. The 68300B front panel is divided into two main areasthe data display area and the data entry area.The series 68300B signal generator has two sweep frequency modesstep sweep and manual sweep. The 68300B provides up to 20 independent, pre-settable markers, F0-F9 and M0-M9, that can be used in the analog and step sweep frequency modes for precise frequency identification. Marker frequency accuracy is the same as sweep frequency accuracy. The markers are visible on a CRT display. The 68300B generates video and intensity markers.
• Frequency: 2,000 MHz to 26.5 GHz
• Channels: 1
• Form Factor: RackmountDatasheet
Frequency: 2,000 MHz to 26.5 GHz
Channels: 1
Form Factor: Rackmount
Frequency: 2,000 MHz to 40 GHz
Channels: 1
Form Factor: Rackmount
Frequency: 0.3 MHz to 2.75 GHz
Channels: 5
Form Factor: Benchtop


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Boston High School Teacher Fired For Starring In Gay Porn!
"This guy edited book I Rise by Trans Toni Newman Public high school teacher starred in porno movies released last year" - G Reporter
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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The latest news about 74-year-old Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is that there exists photographic evidence of him frolicking with showgirls in the infamous "bunga bunga" room.
Despite the fact that no one really wants to see said images, it appears that they have prompted a bidding war. Starting price? One miiiiillion Euros! Of course, Berlusconi denies any wrongdoing, denies that he photographs exist, and his legal team swears if they do exist, they are "fakes, manipulated pictures, photo montages." Yay?
More Berlusconi Drama: Are There Naked Photos? [Newser]
Mystery Over Claims Of Naked Silvio Berlusconi Photographs [Telegraph]


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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States. Now the American Dental Association has new recommendations to try to keep kids cavity free as long as possible.
The ADA says children should begin using toothpaste with fluoride as soon as they get their first tooth to help fight cavities.
For kids under 3, parents should use just a smear of paste.
For children 3 to 6, a pea-sized amount is suggested.
Previous guidelines recommended fluoride toothpaste only after age 2.
"Not having the fluoride, you would be more susceptible to decay," said Dentist Mark Hochburg.
One-in-four children have cavities by the time they enter kindergarten.
Dentists say use only small amounts of fluoride because if it's swallowed it can discolor permanent teeth.
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Send an Instant Message to TaiRei Using...
About to head out to my FLGS and pick up yet another rule book, and maybe look at some dice bags. Its been a busy week, since spring term is in full swing now I have to get into that groove of doing homework and taking quizzes. Once I've got my cycle down I have no problem with the workload.
On the gaming side, I'm GM'ing a W:tF game on the boards here titled 'A Den of Rage'. Still in recruitment phase, but getting there. Locally, my House Games group is entertaining as always. Since
Because I'm taking a writing class right now I really don't feel like posting much. I hate that. I have to write an essay a week plus the 3 graded essays for the class itself. Blargh. Teach says to mix up the sentence structure a bit to make things more exciting. I say, bah! It seems I'm doing alright so far. The teacher has responded to my discussion posts on our website saying that my style is 'superior' so I guess that's a good thing? It may or may not be. He might have higher expectations of
Well, spring term started last week and now I'm taking another writing class, which is annoying cause I have to figure out grammar again and I hate doing that(run on sentence anybody?). Our class focus will be Alternative Media, our first essay is to choose a topic from the Infowars website and read an article on there we find interesting a couple of time then lay down our thoughts about it. In order to quote facts, we need to find a second article from another site talking about the same subject.
It was an ordinary day, much like other days. I got up, showered, shaved, brushed my teeth and walked into the kitchen to brew some espresso. Naturally, I switch on my laptop and go skimming my usual news sites(mostly gaming related, hee), everything seemed normal enough, so I glanced over at the espresso machine and began to make my way over there when something caught my eye. It was a news item about Star Wars Saga Edition. I stopped, went back to my laptop and clicked it open.
Just finished watching Season One of Darker than Black and I've gotta say I might have a new favorite anime here.
The story is set in the near future where a secret group of people known as contractors run around behind the scenes and the general public have no idea they exist. The governments, of course, do know they exist and exploit their special abilities.
These abilities come at a cost, known as Renumeration. Say a contractor uses his/her ability, whatever it may be,


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A Daytona Beach man used a stun gun on a Papa John's deliveryman in a failed attempt to grab his pizzas, police said.
Volusia County Corrections
Christopher Collins
Christopher Collins, 19, faces a charge of armed robbery with a weapon for the Monday night incident, Daytona Beach Police said in an arrest affidavit.
The Papa John's employee went to deliver two pies to a unit at 525 N. Halifax Avenue that was dark, but Collins eventually met him outside. He asked what the total was, the deliveryman said $26.09, and Collins went back toward the unit before returning seconds later, police said.
Collins then again asked "How much?," the deliveryman took out a small flashlight to illuminate the receipt, and Collins shocked him in the stomach with a stun gun, according to police.
He tried to grab the pizzas, but the Papa John's employee forcefully pulled them from Collins, who ran west toward the river, police said.
More from NBCMiami.com: Man accused of choking pregnant woman
They said they learned that the same phone number had made pizza orders previously at an apartment at 100 Seabreeze Blvd. As officers stood in the hallway, they heard several people talking inside the apartment, with one saying, "I tried to get the pizza but he wouldn't give it up," police said.
They found Collins and his two brothers inside, and after the victim identified Collins as the man who tried to rob him, Collins admitted that he committed the robbery attempt, according to police.
He "stated that he was hungry and was just trying to rob the pizza guy of the pizza," police reported.
Collins said he threw the stun gun in the river, but police found a stun gun inside the apartment, they said.
It was not immediately known whether Collins has an attorney. He was being held in custody on Wednesday, according to online Volusia County Corrections records.
More Weird News from NBCMiami.com
More content from NBCNews.com:
- BP, Obama administration reportedly near deal on Gulf spill
- Three dead after Florida parking garage collapse; 1 still missing
- Why did environmental nonprofit donate to conservative pro-coal group?
- Video: Drought brings skunks to golf course
- Doping agency claims proof of cheating by cyclist Armstrong
- Death of cockroach-eating contest winner in Florida puzzles experts
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group that supports civil liberties in the electronic world, rated 26 companies based on how they handle user information when faced with government requests and found that while most Silicon Valley companies did well, a few weren't protecting user information.
The EFF rated several companies with perfect scores including Apple, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Yahoo, according to the electronic rights group. The report, called "Who Has Your Back?" ranks each companies based on the following criteria:
U.S. & World
1. Require a warrant for content of communications. Companies must require the government to obtain a warrant from a "neutral magistrate" and have probable cause before giving out user information.2. Tell users about government data requests. Digital companies must disclose to users when the government is asking to see their information unless prohibited by law. The EFF requests that users be notified before information is turned over so users can fight the demand in court.3. Publish transparency reports. Companies get a star if they publish data about government requests and when they hand over the information.4. Publish law enforcement guidelines. If companies make their policies public or publish guidelines for law enforcement, they get a start5. Fight for users' privacy rights in courts. Companies must show they have resisted overreaching government demands in court.6. Publicly oppose mass surveillance. Internet companies are scored on whether or not they publicly oppose "mass surveillance."
The EFF said it saw big changes in the tech industry this year, and for the first time since it began compiling the report in 2011, each company succeeded in getting a star in at least one category. In 2011, Comcast, Myspace, Skype and Verizon received no stars.
Nine companies earned stars in all categories: Apple, CREDO Mobile, Dropbox, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Sonic, Twitter and Yahoo. Others, such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Tumblr, scored stars except in fighting for users privacy rights in court. One company, the startup messaging service Snapchat, was highlighted as being particularly bad at protecting user data. "Given the large number of users and nonusers whose photos end up on Snapchat, Snapchat should publicly commit to requiring a warrant before turning over the content of its users' communications to law enforcement," the EFF wrote in its executive summary.
Apple seemed to have improved the most. In 2013, Apple had only one start and now it earns all six.
It's likely the very public outcry over the National Security Administration searching through data caused many Internet companies to rethink their policies about handing over data to the government. The upside is that more user data is safer than before.


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Dome to be installed on Lanihuli Observatory on June 25Windward Community College
Department of Natural Sciences
The Lanihuli Observatory will be used by students enrolled in the college's astronomy courses and Hawaii Space Grant program, as well as by the thousands of K-12 students who visit the Imaginarium and Aerospace Exploration Lab at Windward Community College. The observatory will also be made available to the community after public Imaginarium shows.
Visitors will be able to view the planets, moon and stars through a 16-inch optical telescope, listen to the sounds of Jupiter, the sun and Milky Way galaxy with the college's radio telescope operated in affiliation with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and watch real-time images of the weather conditions surrounding the Hawaiian Islands with the observatory's weather satellite tracking station. The facility also includes a 6-inch solar heliostat for extra large-scale views of the sun. While the optical telescope will be used primarily for evening viewing, the solar telescope will allow thousands of school children to observe the sun in a safe and unique way during the day.
In addition, a radio telescope for listening in on Jupiter and the sun will operate from the control room in affiliation with NASA's Radio Jove Project. Data collected from this radio telescope is already available to classrooms across the country via the Internet. A NOAA weather satellite tracking station will allow students to view live images of Hawaiʻi's cloud cover and weather.
"The Lanihuli Observatory will open up the wonders of the universe to the 12,000 K-12 student visitors who already visit WCC's Imaginarium each year," Astronomy Professor Dr. Joseph Ciotti said. "The observatory will bring them intimately closer to the rich heritage of Polynesian navigation and modern astronomical discoveries on Mauna Kea. Its 'wow' factor will inspire the natural curiosity of our youth to explore, to learn, and to appreciate."
The project's total budget is just under $850,000.
"One of the exciting aspects of this project is that it has been almost entirely constructed with private donations. Our community has recognized the value of the observatory for our students and the students of tomorrow, and has stepped up to make it happen," said WCC Chancellor Angela Meixell.
Along with dozens of individuals and families, the following private foundations, corporations and state agencies have helped WCC's dream of Lanihuli Observatory become a reality:
American Savings Bank
First Hawaiian Bank Foundation
Harold K.L. Castle Foundation
Hardware Hawaiʻi
Hawaii State Capital Improvements Projects
Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium
Hawaiian Electric Company
Kamaʻaina Kids
Minami Community Foundation
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 AFL-CIO
Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training Grant
University of Hawaiʻi Facilities Management
Physical Facilities, Planning and Construction (UHCC)UH Foundation
The following contractors were involved in the design and building of Lanihuli Observatory: Engineering Solutions (architectural firm), Western Engineering (building contractor), Ash Manufacturing Company (dome manufacturer) and High Tide Builders (installation).
Major instrumentation was purchased from the following companies: Meade Instruments Corporation (16-inch optical telescope), ObservatoryScope (solar heliostat), Telonics (NOAA satellite tracking station) and Richard Flagg Associates & Radio-Sky Publishing (radio telescope).
WCC is currently home to a unique science outreach program that serves approximately 12,000 children, parents, and teachers annually and includes: The Aerospace Exploration Lab—A hands-on science exploratorium where teachers from public and private schools can bring students to experience enrichment activities, including static and interactive exhibits and a lending library. Hōkūlani Imaginarium—This multi-media facility has the capacity to project 3-dimensional animated images of virtually any object or environment. Audiences experience a simulated educational experience such as voyaging across the surface of a planet or a journey into the vent of an active volcano. NASA Flight Training Aerospace Education Laboratory—This lab houses ten computer stations, each equipped with a different educational program (e.g., flight simulator, aerodynamics with a wind tunnel, weather analysis, GPS unit, and a zero-g drop tower). This training facility, which operates in affiliation with NASA Glenn Research Center, offers both self-guided and instructor-led learning tools for grades 6 and above.
For more information about the Lanihuli Observatory, please contact Dr. Joe Ciotti at 236-9111 or email@example.com or visit http://jupiter.wcc.hawaii.edu/newradiojove/lanihuli.html.
For more information, visit: http://jupiter.wcc.hawaii.edu/newradiojove/lanihuli.html


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Budget woes forcing layoffs at USM
School cutting $5 million from budget
The University of Southern Maine is facing layoffs, eliminating positions and cuts to programs for fiscal year 2014.
USM officials said they're not the only ones trying to keep their costs down.
Colleges across the country are making cuts when the market is only becoming more competitive and resources are becoming harder to get a hold of.
For students, they said there is nothing left to cut and it's not fair to them or future students to keep slicing.
Matthew Cloutier said he chose USM as an undergrad because of the music school's prestigious reputation.
"You get that high quality education you want for an in-state price and you don't have that opportunity for a lot of other in-state colleges that have music programs," said Cloutier.
A university spokesperson said the USM School of Music will likely need to cut between $600,000 and $700,000, eliminating faculty positions and laying off teachers.
Cloutier said that sort of cut will deter students from coming to the university.
"The school itself is going to lose a lot more money than they think they're going to lose over the next couple of years," said Cloutier.
Other parts of the university are facing cuts too.
USM is still informing faculty and staff about layoffs, so officials have not released the total number of job cuts yet.
The school has figured out where it can chop $4.4 million and also how it will maintain certain things like scholarships.
"We want to make sure we are taking the opportunity to make some reinvestments in different parts of the institution, scholarships included, so we're better positioned over the longer term," said Bob Caswell, director of media and communications at USM.
School officials said layoffs and cuts aren't ideal, but they're trying to remain competitive with other school while remaining affordable.
"Its really difficult, easy for me to say sitting here, but it is difficult, especially for the people impacted and the students involved, but what we're trying to make sure this over the long term doesn't adversely affect the education the students receive," said Caswell.
USM is currently in a tuition freeze, which means the school can't raise tuition for the next two years in order to avoid these cuts.
As for the remaining $600,000 that the school wants to cut, officials said if they can find it, they will. If not, it could be deferred to next year.


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Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw have both told Saints they want to move this summer.
But they both look set to remain as Saints players going into the World Cup with the club resisting their desire to be sold.
Lallana is the subject of a 'take it or leave it' £25m bid from Liverpool, while Manchester United have already lodged a £27m approach for Shaw.
Both players are understood to have informed Saints of their wishes to speak with the respective clubs about a switch.
Ideally, they would like the opportunity to do so before departing for Brazil next weekend – although they have not submitted formal transfer requests.
Lallana, though, is reportedly unhappy that Saints didn't return his calls last weekend as he tried to engineer talks with Liverpool.
Saints have now publicly declared that they intend to stand firm when it comes to their futures.
The club do not want to conduct any transfer dealings until a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino is appointed, saying they only allowed Rickie Lambert to leave for Liverpool yesterday as they felt that was a special case.
Saints are confident they are in a stronger position when it comes to Lallana and Shaw, and would also like to hold off until after the World Cup, knowing that there is strong interest in both and that, if they do have to sell them, their values could increase during the tournament.
Lallana and Shaw would both like their futures sorted before the World Cup begins, in which case a deal would need to be struck this week.
England, who are currently on a training camp in Miami, play warm-up matches against Ecuador and Honduras over the coming days, before they are due to arrive in Brazil on Sunday.
The national team manager, Roy Hodgson, has said he will allow clubs to fly staff out to Florida to conduct medicals, if necessary, as long as it is on the players' free time.
But, while not certain, there is an increasing sense that such a point will not be reached with Lallana or Shaw, and both would be reluctant to take the step of handing in a formal transfer request - as Wayne Bridge was forced to do back in the summer of 2003.
From Saints' point of view, the obvious downside to retaining the two players for now is that, should they be sold later this summer, as seems increasingly likely, it would reduce the time the club has to buy replacements, which could impact on their own pre-season preparations.


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And last October, we had put up a post and picture showing how the logo of our Big 10 brethren from Iowa reminded us of one of our favorite cartoon characters.
So we got to thinking that there had to be more. More college sports logos that, upon closer inspection, bore a resemblance to something or someone else. Sort of an M Zone Logo Rorschach Test if you will.
For instance, you've all read here on the M Zone about the never-ending sex scandals at Arizona State. Well, maybe the school is partially to blame. Maybe they are sub-consciously promoting sex at ASU. In fact, maybe it has something to do with the Sun Devil mascot. Call us crazy, but it does look a bit like a certain adult film performer...
Hell, we have even gone to the trouble of re-designing the ASU logo to stop trying to fool people:
And have you ever taken a good look at the Ole Miss Rebel mascot? Is it just us or does it look a hell of a lot like actor Sam Elliot?
And as immigrant protests sweep across America, props to Oklahoma State for honoring Mexican President Vicente Fox with their mascot.
This next one was a bit of a stretch but we saw it: The Notre Dame Fighting James Liptons.
And not all were people. You say Standford Cardinal, we say Stanford Satellite Views of Lake Mead.
Finally, we give to you the South Carolina GameChinese Dragons:


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Twenty-six Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards ago, Pixar was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs eye.
The Apple CEO did not find the company in the true sense of the word but he did not find it in 1986, seven years after it was launched, in another sense.
Jobs purchased Pixar from "Star Wars" legend George Lucas for $5 million in 1986 shortly after Jobs left Apple.
In a 2003 interview with "60 Minutes," Jobs said he purchased Pixar partly to fulfill the dream of the company's current chief creative officer, Ed Catmull, to develop the world's first full feature animated movie.
Under Jobs guidance, the company was transformed from one whose focus was on hardware to one that brought the world "Toy Story" and "Up."
Pixar's true financial success came when Jobs decided not to sell the company and instead partner with Disney to distribute the films.
The move proved profitable for both companies -- though they would later have their differences -- and it landed Jobs a spot on Disney's board and the position of the company's largest stock holder.
Wednesday, Pixar put out a statement about Jobs impact on the Emeryville-based company, calling him its "guiding light.'
John Lasseter, the chief creative Officer, and Ed Catmull, the president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios put out the following statement:
Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time.
You can watch the full clip from "60 Minutes" for more on Jobs history with Pixar.
Local news from across Southern California


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Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Norman Vincent Peale
We had an amazing Xmas! Everything was truly perfect! No, there weren't a ton of presents. No, there wasn't a visit down the chimney from Good Ole St. Nick. What there was was a perfect meal, if I do say so myself. The ham was absolutely tender and all the side dishes were marvelous! I am not tooting my own horn, but I am a wicked cook. 🙂 I even managed to screw up the stuffing and by some bizarre mistake that I usually don't make figured out how to make my stuffing even more fluffy. See I put in the butter, onions, leeks and celery but spaced out the water. LOL, silly me. So I added the stuffing to the sauteed ingredients minus the water. After I realized that I had forgotten the water I added just about 1 cup and the stuffing came out absolutely buttery and fluffy. What a cool mistake. The German Chocolate Cake I made from scratch was a big hit also. We had great company, wonderful food and it even managed to snow! I have a ton of pics to share with all my WordPress friends. I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Related articles
- Traditional Sage Stuffing (foodforays.com)
- Steaming Piles Of Stuffing (bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com)


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Bashir Sultani, who in all seriousness I am about to label a salt artist, likes to draw things using salt. Like Minecraft creepers.
We saw him last year going all Modern Warfare on us, but I think I like this better. It's quainter. Which fits, since the dude is drawing pictures with salt. Which is right up there next to collages and papier mache on the "quaint" scale.


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Nona Varnado, cycling fashion designer and blogger at The Birdwheel is hosting a skill sharing tonight on how to organize a (legal) bike ride in NYC.
Where: Red Lantern Bicycles (Bicycle-Brew-Know How)
345 Myrtle Avenue, between Adelphi and Carlton. Brooklyn.
When: Wednesday, Bike Month-May 23rd, 2012
More about the event:
Just in time for Summer learn how to successfully organize large and small group fun rides. We'll go over the best routes for safe and easy bike lane navigation, NYC legal requirements, local resources, how to avoid mechanical trouble, creative themes, safety tips, best promotional options for good attendance and more.
Red Lantern is Brooklyn's original Bike Cafe, who will have coffee, tea, beer and goodies available during and after class for socializing with other future ride organizers!
Source: http://www.skillshare.com/How-to-Organize-Legal-Bike-Rides-in-NYC/790687760


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Vintage Gold on Sterling Sapphire Pierced Earrings Excellent Workmanship Holiday Gift Marque cut stones Hoop
.75" long
4 Sapphire in each earring
Estate in Indiana
Latch working
Marked 925
Please make payment within 4 days of purchase. This insures we can get it to you on time.. We sell many one of a kind vintage items that have photographs taken to capture the best qualities and true appearance of the items. Please ask questions before you purchase if you have concerns. We appreciate no cancellations, no deadbeat buyers- please only buy it if you are going to pay within 4 days. Thank You!
Shipping from United States
If you want added insurance please let us know, on occasion there may be an extra fee for added insurance or request for faster shipping. *If you are outside of the US email us for confirmed shipping cost.* We reserve the right to cancel an order with immediate refund if the shipping cost outside of the USA is not met with payment. Unfortunately we are no longer shipping to Australia, due to shipping complications. Another way to ship can sometimes be more cost effective. Thank You!
Returns & Exchanges
I don't accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Returns and exchange details
We would prefer not having returns on our vintage items because they are sold as is with some age etc. We like to insure some more expensive or fragile items.


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UNIQUE CLOTH: unique size, unique color, unique design.
Hand embroidered by hand.
MATERIAL: soft cotton outside, warm polyester inside
Sweat green Hoodie
Wash inside out.
Hand wash with mild soap.
Do not use drying machine. Lay flat to dry.
Do not iron directly onto screen printing. Iron inside out.
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, item must be returned within 7 days of receipt and be in the same condition in which it was received. Shipping costs will not be refunded and buyer is responsible for shipping items back to the seller. We will issue a full refund on receipt, excluding the original delivery charge. Alternatively, if preferred, we will exchange the item, buyer is responsible for the new shipping. If parcel lost upon return, or sent to the wrong address, we will not refund or exchange.


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Western blot analysis of extracts from rat brain using Phospho-NMDA Receptor 2B (GluN2B) (Ser1284) Antibody. The phospho-specificity of the antibody was verified by blocking with a phospho or non-phosphopeptide.
|Product #
|100 µl
|$ 312
|MW (kDa)
Product Information
|Western Blotting
Supplied in 10 mM sodium HEPES (pH 7.5), 150 mM NaCl, 100 µg/ml BSA and 50% glycerol. Store at –20°C. Do not aliquot the antibody.
For western blots, incubate membrane with diluted primary antibody in 5% w/v BSA, 1X TBS, 0.1% Tween® 20 at 4°C with gentle shaking, overnight.
NOTE: Please refer to primary antibody product webpage for recommended antibody dilution.
From sample preparation to detection, the reagents you need for your Western Blot are now in one convenient kit: #12957 Western Blotting Application Solutions Kit
NOTE: Prepare solutions with reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) or equivalent grade water.
Load 20 µl onto SDS-PAGE gel (10 cm x 10 cm).
NOTE: Loading of prestained molecular weight markers (#13953, 5 µl/lane) to verify electrotransfer and biotinylated protein ladder (#7727, 10 µl/lane) to determine molecular weights are recommended.
NOTE: Volumes are for 10 cm x 10 cm (100 cm2) of membrane; for different sized membranes, adjust volumes accordingly.
* Avoid repeated exposure to skin.
posted June 2005
revised June 2020
Protocol Id: 10
This protocol is intended for immunoprecipitation of native proteins for analysis by western immunoblot or kinase activity utilizing Protein A magnetic separation.
NOTE: Prepare solutions with reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) or equivalent grade water.
10X Cell Lysis Buffer: (#9803) To prepare 10 ml of 1X cell lysis buffer, add 1 ml cell lysis buffer to 9 ml dH2O, mix.
NOTE: Add 1 mM PMSF (#8553) immediately prior to use.
A cell lysate pre-clearing step is highly recommended to reduce non-specific protein binding to the Protein A Magnetic beads. Pre-clear enough lysate for test samples and isotype controls.
IMPORTANT: Pre-wash #73778 magnetic beads just prior to use:
Carefully remove the buffer once the solution is clear. Add 500 μl of 1X cell lysis buffer to the magnetic bead pellet, briefly vortex to wash the beads. Place tube back in magnetic separation rack. Remove buffer once solution is clear. Repeat washing step once more.
IMPORTANT: The optimal lysate concentration will depend on the expression level of the protein of interest. A starting concentration between 250 μg/ml-1.0 mg/ml is recommended.
IMPORTANT: Appropriate isotype controls are highly recommended in order to show specific binding in your primary antibody immunoprecipitation. Use Normal Rabbit IgG #2729 for rabbit polyclonal primary antibodies, Rabbit (DA1E) mAb IgG XP® Isotype Control #3900 for rabbit monoclonal primary antibodies, and Mouse (G3A1) mAb IgG1 Isotype Control #5415 for mouse monoclonal primary antibodies. Isotype controls should be concentration matched and run alongside the primary antibody samples
Proceed to one of the following specific set of steps.
NOTE: To minimize masking caused by denatured IgG heavy chains (~50 kDa), we recommend using Mouse Anti-Rabbit IgG (Light-Chain Specific) (D4W3E) mAb (#45262) or Mouse Anti-Rabbit IgG (Conformation Specific) (L27A9) mAb (#3678) (or HRP conjugate #5127). To minimize masking caused by denatured IgG light chains (~25 kDa), we recommend using Mouse Anti-Rabbit IgG (Conformation Specific) (L27A9) mAb (#3678) (or HRP conjugate #5127).
posted December 2008
revised April 2018
Protocol Id: 410
Phospho-NMDA Receptor 2B (GluN2B) (Ser1284) Antibody recognizes endogenous levels of NMDA Recpetor 2B (GluN2B) protein only when phosphorylated at Ser1284.
Mouse, Rat
Polyclonal antibodies are produced by immunizing animals with a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues surrounding Ser1284 of human NMDA Recpetor 2B (GluN2B) protein. Antibodies are purified by protein A and peptide affinity chromatography.
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) forms a heterodimer of at least one NR1 and one NR2A-D subunit. Multiple receptor isoforms with distinct brain distributions and functional properties arise by selective splicing of the NR1 transcripts and differential expression of the NR2 subunits. NR1 subunits bind the co-agonist glycine and NR2 subunits bind the neurotransmitter glutamate. Activation of the NMDA receptor or opening of the ion channel allows flow of Na+ and Ca2+ ions into the cell, and K+ out of the cell (1). Each subunit has a cytoplasmic domain that can be directly modified by the protein kinase/phosphatase (2). PKC can phosphorylate the NR1 subunit (NMDAR1) of the receptor at Ser890/Ser896, and PKA can phosphorylate NR1 at Ser897 (3). The phosphorylation of NR1 by PKC decreases its affinity for calmodulin, thus preventing the inhibitory effect of calmodulin on NMDAR (4). The phosphorylation of NR1 by PKA probably counteracts the inhibitory effect of calcineurin on the receptor (5). NMDAR mediates long-term potentiation and slow postsynaptic excitation, which play central roles in learning, neurodevelopment, and neuroplasticity (6).
Ephrin-B2 binding to its receptor EphB leads to the activation of Src family tyrosine kinases, which phosphorylate NMDAR2B at Tyr1252, Tyr1336, and Tyr1472. In turn, phosphorylated NMDAR2B enhances the ability of the functional NMDA receptor to regulate Ca2+ influx in response to glutamate (7). Phosphorylation of NMDAR2B at Ser1284 was identified at Cell Signaling Technology (CST) using PhosphoScan®, an MS/MS platform for phosphorylation site discovery. Phosphorylation of NMDAR2B at Ser1284 was observed in extracts isolated from embryo and adult mouse brain. For additional information please visit PhosphoSitePlus®, a CST modification site knowledgebase, at www.phosphosite.org.
Explore pathways + proteins related to this product.
UniProt ID: Q13224
Entrez-Gene Id: 2904
Cell Signaling Technology is a trademark of Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.


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Locals Advocate for Two Jefferson City High Schools
Related Story
JEFFERSON CITY - Members of the group "Citizens for 2 Public High Schools" are speaking out against the Jefferson City School District's plan to move students to one large high school.
The district has purchased land for a new high school and is selling the current building to Lincoln University and Linn State Technical College. Under the current plan, the new high school will facilitate a new academy style learning. However, some locals said the plan is flawed.
Stephanie Biggs is a lifetime Jefferson City resident and a local realtor. She said two smaller schools would be better for the future of the community.
"People moving into the community and even people in the community would feel better if their child were in a smaller school," Biggs said. "We want our kids in Jefferson City to have the very best education they can have."
Biggs said having two schools will allow student to have double the opportunities and provide a better learning environment.
According the the group's Facebook page, the community does not support the school board's current plan. The Board of Education plans to hold at least two more town hall meetings to discuss future plans for the school.
Voters still have to pass the bond and levy to fund the new high school's construction on the April ballot. School officials said, if it passes, the school could open its doors in 2016.


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With only one game left in the Dynamo's penultimate season in Robertson Stadium, the Dynamo are partnering with the greater East End community to bring out residents and business owners to Saturday's match against the Seattle Sounders. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to hear from Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear and Chief Operating Officer Chris Canetti about the Dynamo's new stadium project and the impact the development will have on their community.
"The East End community is very important to not only the present, but the future of the Dynamo," Canetti said. "With the location of the new stadium, we want to give residents and business owners the opportunity to be a part of the process from Day 1."
The postgame event will be held in the Aztec Events & Tents VIP Tent at Robertson Stadium, in conjunction with the Greater East End Management District (GEEMD), EaDo, the Houston Chamber of Commerce, and Councilman James Rodriguez.
"The Dynamo are already establishing themselves as a good neighbor in East Downtown," said Councilman Rodriguez. "They remain committed to working with my constituents to promote and improve the quality of life for Greater East End residents."
Ahead of Saturday's contest, the Dynamo will take part in a graffiti clean-up event on Polk Street in east downtown Houston on Wednesday. With the use of GEEMD's Graffiti Mobile, Canetti and Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell will partner with Councilman Rodriguez and a representative from Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia's office to clean graffiti in the neighborhood surrounding the new Dynamo stadium.
"The Dynamo are more than just a sports team, and we've shown that over our first five years in Houston," Canetti said. "This is an important opportunity for us to make a positive difference in a community that has supported us over the past five years and that will become our home in the next few years."


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|Friday 01 February 2019
|Following Day
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|Friday 01 February 2019
|Following Day
RT @Masonic_Charity: 🍴Throughout #lockdown feeding vulnerable people has been a priority for #Freemasons. Thanks to @PGLSomerset who alloca…
RT @ByronLodge4014: #ByronFactFriday. The primus WM G. Bonser wrote to the PGL @NottsMasons on the issue. ""I know some objection is made t…
https://t.co/CFtfgH302M A joint statement from: The Grand Secretary, United Grand Lodge of England The Grand S… https://t.co/IMyXuThvgb
RT @UGLE_DrDStaples: Enjoyed looking at the restoration works to the mosaic yesterday. King Solomon looking mighty sparkly.... ✨ #Freemaso…
RT @UGLE_GrandLodge: In today's First Rising, we have released General Guidance for the Resumption of Masonic Meetings. You can find out m…


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Balloon-Headed Boy 1
It's Balloon-Headed Boy's Birthday, and the King of the Balloons has arranged a huge party for him at Balloon Castle.
All of the balloons in Balloon Town have been invited and everyone is very excited.
However! The night before the party, there is a terrible and sinister storm. Magical winds rip through Balloon Town, scattering the inhabitants throughout the land. And worse! It rains frogs - each one hopping mad, and quite intent on popping all inflated lifeforms they find!
Help Balloon-Headed Boy race through 36 levels of rubberised madness - collect farty flowers to inflate his head and soar between the platforms, thwop those frogs, keep your head above the rising waters, and rescue the balloons so the birthday party can go ahead as intended!


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Video Conversations With Emeriti Featured on Augustana Website
The new "Conversations with Emeriti" feature includes interviews with Augustana legends Dr. Arie Gaalswyk, J. Earl Lee, Clara Lee, Milton Harvey, Dr. Palmer Eide and Margaret Cashman.
Eide/Dalrymple Gallery to Feature Ceramics by Thelen, Dean
Ceramic works from the collection of Todd Thelen and Eric Dean will be displayed at the Eide/Dalrymple Gallery from Wednesday, Sept. 8, through Saturday, Oct. 2. A gallery reception is set for Friday, Sept. 10.
Augustana Ranked No. 6 in the Nation by Washington Monthly
Augustana is ranked the No. 6 baccalaureate college in the nation for its efforts to advance social mobility, research and service, according to Washington Monthly's 2010 College Rankings.
Augustana to Celebrate Sesquicentennial Day
Augustana will mark its 150th anniversary, and the beginning of the academic year, on Sesquicentennial Day, Wednesday, Sept. 8. The community is invited to attend Opening Convocation at 2 p.m. in the Elmen Center.
Augustana Ranked Among Best Regional Colleges
Augustana is ranked No. 5 among the Best Regional Colleges and No. 2 among "great schools with great prices" in the Midwest, according to the 2011 edition of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group.
Fall Workshops Offered
Augustana will offer a series of Continuing Education workshops from September through December. The workshops apply toward undergraduate or graduate college credit and meet teacher certification/re-certification requirements from the South Dakota State Department of Education.
Augustana Fund Reaches Record $1 Million
Despite the lingering challenges still facing our economy, the Augustana Fund raised a record $1 million for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2010, a 24 percent increase over the prior year.
Undergraduates Pave New Frontiers in Research
Fifty-nine Augustana students are participating in undergraduate research projects on- and off-campus this summer.
Student-Run Augie Garden Serves People in Need
In its second year, the student-run Augie Garden is providing fresh produce to people in need, while helping students and members of the community connect with nature.
Augustana Named 'A Best in the Midwest' by The Princeton Review
Augustana College has again been named one of the best colleges in the Midwest, according to The Princeton Review, a nationally known education services company.


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Hetepu Family.
Summer is almost here and I hope to be travelling to some historic places where our ancestors once stood. A few years back I visited Jamestown and Williamsburg, VA where the Williamsburg Museum actually acknowledge how the first Africans on North American shores were from the Kongo Angolan region. For those of you who don't know and are new to my blog, the Kongo people prior to be taken to the Americas were not forced into Christianity. Many of them willingly converted to the new faith before the start of the Maafa (the Africa Slave Trade/Holocaust). At the Williamsburg Muesuem they actually have a Kongo rosary from the late 1600s or early 1700s. The interesting thing about this rosary was that it didn't have Jesus on it but instead Queen Nzinga. (I wish I could have taken a picture…I really tried and even tried sketching it but lost the drawing). It was a clear fact, that the Kongo people actually Africanized Christianity prior to their arrival. So this year my family reunion is in Atlanta, GA and I hope to visit Savannah, GA to see the First African Baptist Church.
First African Baptist Church was built in 1775. It claims to have been the first church originally founded in 1773, but it is contested by First Baptist of Virginia. My interests in this church is that this is where the Kongo floor diagram was found.
According to historians, the church was also on one of the stations on the Underground Railroad. Escapees were hidden under the church and the holes in the floor boards acted as vents. It appears that in typical African thinking to identify where the runaways were they marked the spot with an X.
But, I was wondering if there were more signs of the Kongo influence that have gone unnoticed. Since the money to build the church was donated by slaves who were saving to purchase their freedom and everything was hand built by them also.
A look at Fist African Baptist sanctuary is very similar to the Kongo court. Can you see the Kongo Upper Land and how it was converted using the archway?
The lights above give an allusion that something glorious is taken place, while something within is sacred. This is where the idea appears to have originated from.
Notice how the enclosure begins or opens up at the bottom.
If you will recall, the Kongo Cross or Cosmogram begins from the Musoni moment as well.
Also, in the Kamitic / Kemetic traditions, Amun Ra is said to be the True Creator. Correction, not Creator but the Originator because the Kamitic thinkers liked to personify concepts in order to better understand them. Amun Ra as you can see is not a god nor is he The God. The God in the Kamitic / Kemetic language was called Nebertcher or "Lord of Everything". Amun Ra we see simply means the Hidden Ra (Energy or Force). Now, a closer look behind the pulpit of First African Baptist and there are stain glass windows of their pastors.
Notice how it forms a cross, but here's where it stretches back to Kamit/Kemet (Ancient Egypt). Notice that there are nine marks or small discs encircling the image. Again, it should be noted that these were made around the late 1700s and early 1800s by ex-slaves and enslaved African Americans.
This same number also appears in the patchwork ceiling, which resembles a quilt.
The number nine is a sacred number in Kamit/Kemet because it refers to the Kamitc Tree of Life also called the Paut Neteru, which was introduced by Ra Un Nefer Amen in his Metu Neter series. The number nine is also sacred in various African traditions as it refers to the gestation period and thus the completion of a cycle. When you look at the ceiling you see that each segment is composed of nine smaller segments. It is another way of drawing the Kongo Cross using diamonds and squares. It basically is another illustration of an individual's life term.
The fact that the ceiling is white gives another meaning, which reveals African cosmology at its best in North America. This is because remember, the color white in African thinking symbolizes the ancestral dead. Remember, this is a symbolic concept that early Africans as far back as Kamit / Kemet created, which is why Osar's (Asar, Ausar, Osiris in Greek) is known as the Lord of the Dead (Ancestors). The name of Osar's backbone or column is called djet, the symbol of strength. Even the root term of Osar's crown 'djet' refers to inner strength. Are you starting to see the picture?
When we put together the color white with the concept of completed cycles on the ceiling. What we have here is the Kongo Cross turned upside down. The larger squares symbolize those who completed their cycle in the land of the living. That's right. What we have above is an African view of Heaven. Where one would hope to die and see their deceased loved ones, but there's a double meaning. This means the reason the pastors each have nine marks surrounding their image is because the Africans found another way of honoring those who lived a full term.
The other meaning or I should say the most important interpretation is that the ancestors above are looking over (protecting) their descendants, thus the church itself has just become a Kongo Cross or Maa Aankh, and in case you're wondering. Above the ceiling of course is where the Almighty God Nebertcher or Nzambi is imagined to be over it all, hence the Lord of Everything.
Of course, all of this is just my theory but, when you look at the floor of the sanctuary, which is red or reddish brown.
What comes to my mind is the land of the living or TASETT on the Maa Aankh.
It should be clear that our ancestors thought about God, their ancestors, and the heavenly realm on a daily basis as indicated by this quilt, which also resembles the patchwork ceiling.
Now, another interesting fact that I have found about African First Baptist is that even their logo is a Kongo design. Of course, it is not known if the artist was aware of this or not (most likely not). Whatever the case, that is not the point.
The point is that our ancestors really did leave instructions for us in stone.
We just need to take the time and investigate our culture, practices and traditions, instead of running behind everyone else's.
No we do not need imitate, mimic, resurrect or reconstruct an exact replica of what our ancestors did because culture is not static, it is always evolving.
This is what the Kongo Yowa Cross (above) and Maa Aankh (below) indicate.
All we have to do, is search for God and we will find our ancestors there waiting to point us in our cultural direction.
Hope this helps.
Like this post? You may want to check out: Ancient Ancient BaNtu Connection:
Kamitic/Kemetic Color Symbolism and African Cosmology I,
So Early Christian Stole From Kamit/Kemet Now What? Part 1 or So Early Christian Stole From Kamit/Kemet Now What? Part 2.
To learn more visit the Land of Kam or 1 SoL Alliance.


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Christ Is Risen!
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Fire Breaks Out At Historic Holy Name CathedralAn extra-alarm fire broke out early this morning at the historic Holy Name Cathedral, and flames were seen shooting through the roof. The fire broke out around 5:30 a.m. at the cathedral at 735 N. State St., which just reopened in November after a series of renovations. The cathedral is a city landmark and the seat of the Chicago Archdiocese....
Lord have mercy. Perhaps we should move this to the prayer forum.
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The 2008 figure, however, includes extraordinary profit from selling Gamesa's solar division. Factoring out extraordinary items, core business profits in first-half 2009 were EUR80 million, the same as last year. Sales, almost all from turbines, totalled EUR1.6 billion, also nearly the same as last year. With 1.6 GW of turbine capacity sold by end-June, 11% down year-on-year, CEO Guillemo Ulacia maintains last year's forecast of 3.3-3.6 GW for year-end 2009.
Ulacia highlights Gamesa's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), which finished the period at EUR119 million, 6% up year-on-year. The margin of EBIT over sales was 7.4%, up from 6.7% in 2008. Gamesa says it has identified over 130 areas for reducing cost and expects an EBIT margin of 11% in 2011. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were EUR219 million, 2% higher, translating to a 13.6% EBITDA margin, up from 12.9%.
Mixed signals
After the announcement, Gamesa's share price dropped by around 2.8% by day end, to EUR14. The following day, however, shares shot up 8%. "With such a complex mix of signals, Gamesa's long-term solidity probably took time to sink in," says Luis Merino of renewables consultants and publishers, Energias Renovables.
Looking ahead, Ulacia says the company is able to clearly forecast sales because of relationships with reliable long-term clients, particularly in the world's top two growth markets: the United States and China. Gamesa has factories in both. In the US, Gamesa installed 278 MW - 17% less than the same period in 2008. But Ulacia said he is reassured by the recent federal call for wind project grant applications. Gamesa's largest client, Iberdrola, hopes to put up 800 MW this year with grant aid, while Gamesa itself has 400 MW at an advanced stage.
In China, where Gamesa has a 1 GW turbine factory, the company recently clinched agreements to jointly develop 453 MW of wind capacity to 2011 with local energy groups Huadian and Guangdong Nuclear. It plans 200 MW with Huadian and 253 MW with Guangdong Nuclear, of which it has already begun building 45 MW. This already boosted Gamesa's share price in mid-July. Another upward notch followed Gamesa confirmation that a 4.5 MW prototype turbine is now up and running in Zaragoza and that it plans to mass produce the machine by 2011 in Navarra, "a key to the long-term future," says Ulacia.


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Not satisfied with it's test of the Chrysler faithful, Fiat has delivered a customized Ducato van to the Papal motorpool for use in touring parts of the Italian countryside destroyed by the recent earthquake.
From the outside, the Ducato appears to be any other run-of-the-mill Italian Civil Defense Force vehicle, wearing the proper paint job to fit right in, but inside it's outfitted for Pope Benedict XVI and his phalanx of minders. Instead of narrow and industrious rows of bench seats, the Ducato has white leather couches set up lounge-style, extra deep running boards for easier access, and a rear view camera.
The vehicle will be used to visit the zones affected by the devastating April 6th earthquake in Italy's mountainous Abruzzo region, which also happens to be the area where the Ducato is built.
From Abruzzo a special Fiat Ducato for the visit of the Holy Father
The vehicle to be used by Pope Benedict XVI today for his visit to the areas hit by the earthquake was produced in the largest factory in Abruzzo.
The special version of the Ducato Panorama, manufactured at the Sevel Val di Sangro plant located around one hundred kilometres from L'Aquila, has been provided by Fiat to the Civil Defence for the Pope's transportation.
This initiative continues the collaboration initiated between various Fiat Group companies and the Civil Defence in the first phase of the disaster relief effort to enable a prompt and effective response to various needs arising.
The Ducato will be used to transport the Holy Father to various sites which are symbolic of the recent tragedy in Abruzzo: the tent camp in Onna, the Basilica of Collemaggio, the ruins of the student dormitory and finally the academy of the Guardia di Finanza in Coppito, which is serving as headquarters for the disaster relief effort.
This one-of-a-kind vehicle was specially-equipped for the occasion: A white exterior featuring the insignia of the Civil Defence and a white leather-upholstered interior. This seven seat vehicle (including five seats in the rear in a divan/lounge-style configuration) is equipped with rear-view camera, side footboard and the most advanced systems for safety and low environmental impact.
Sevel, the 50/50 joint venture between Fiat Group and PSA-Peugeot Citroën, began its activities in 1981 and, with 3.8 million vehicles produced to date and nearly six thousand employees, is the largest industrial facility in the Region.


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Crostata is an Italian baked dessert tart, and a form of pie. It is traditionally prepared by folding the edges of the dough over the top of the jam/marmalade filling, creating a more "rough" look, rather than a uniform, circular shape. The jams that are traditionally used as a filling are cherries, peaches, apricots, berries. The crostata can also be filled with pieces of fresh fruit and pastry cream (crema pasticcera), but then it is called torta di frutta.
The December 2010 issue of Saveur arrived in the mail in the nick of time for Thanksgiving and the November Daring Bakers' challenge. When I saw the photograph of this gorgeous apple, red wine and cinnamon crostata, a traditional Occitan dessert from the northern Italian village of Oulx, I knew it was destined to appear on the Thanksgiving dessert table next to an encore presentation of Bobby Flay's Throwdown Pumpkin Pie. I also felt it would be a striking contribution to the array of Daring Bakers' crostate going to press on "reveal" day.
The base of a crostata is pasta frolla (or pastafrolla), sweet short crust pastry (or sweet tart dough) made of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Pasta frolla is versatile: it provides the base to make crostata with fruit preserves, pastry cream, fresh fruit, ricotta, and other ingredients, and, by itself, it makes very nice cookies.
|Kitchen Toys R & M Industries 5920 Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer
|Peeled, cored and sliced
Granny Smith apples stew in red wine, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest until the apples have absorbed the deep burgundy of the wine.
A tart pan with a removable bottom is used to hold the crostata, and the edges of the dough are folded over the top of the apples to achieve a rough, rustic look.
To make the garnish, dough scraps are rolled out and cut into grape and leaf shapes.
|A pastry tip provided the right size "grapes"
Torta di Sant' Antonio
Slightly adapted from Saveur, December 2010
Serves 8
2 cups flour
7 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup milk, plus a few tablespoons more if needed
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of 1 orange
1 egg white, lightly beaten
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and baking soda. Add butter and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk and yolks. Add to flour mixture and pulse until it just starts to hold together. Add another tablespoon or two of milk if it seems too dry. Transfer to a floured surface; knead into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
In the meantime, bring the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, wine, cinnamon and orange zest to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the apples, reduce heat, and simmer until wine is reduced to a syrup, 25-30 minutes. Stir the apples occasionally so they are evenly coated with the wine mixture. Let cool.
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place dough on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8" thickness. Transfer dough to tart pan with a removable bottom and press into bottom and sides. Trim dough edges and reserve scraps. Spoon apple mixture into tart shell and fold the edges of the dough over the apples.
To make garnish, roll out scraps to 1/4" thickness, cut out leaf and grape shapes, and arrange on top of apples. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes.
Serve plain, or with whipped cream or ice cream.
The Saveur pastry recipe differs slightly from the Daring Bakers' pasta frolla recipe. You can find the complete Daring Bakers' Crostata recipes and links here, along with a slideshow of the creative and exquisite variations prepared by the DB chefs. You can also go to the Daring Bakers blogroll, for links to our members' blogs. Grazie, Simona!
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Matt Giraud: "I never came in wanting to be the American Idol"
How was that for a headline?
Yes, that's exactly what Matt Giraud told reporters during his media conference call today…
"I never came in wanting to be the American Idol. My dream was to play piano on that stage." I'm honestly not sure what he said immediately after that because I was so surprised he would actually admit that to us. Matt later added, "I'm not kicking myself for not winning. All hope is not lost."
Matt also made another interesting comment that I think may have been a slam at Adam Lambert. When a reporter asked him about who helped with the arrangements, Matt said, "A lot of the arrangements have been done before and they're not really well known and people get a lot of credit for them." Hmmm…
But I have to say that Matt still doesn't get it, telling reporters several times that he'd like to do rock music along the lines of "The Fray"…
Here's a sample of some of the other things Matt had to say today…
On Simon loving his performance Tuesday, while Kara and Randy didn't: "Kara's usually on my side. But [having Simon say I was brilliant] was a great way to go out."
On whether he knew he was going home when he and Adam ended up in the bottom two: "I wasn't for sure. I was ready for it and I was preparing what to say."
On what he was thinking during his final performance: "I was at complete peace with myself because I went out doing what I loved to do with jazz week."
On the judges' save: "It's a great thing. I don't think it's a waste of time at all." Matt said the save helps contestants the judges see something in, adding, "The judges didn't pick me for my looks…"
On Adam being in the bottom two: "Definitely surprised that Adam was down there with me. [Kris and I] kind of played with him backstage, 'why didn't you pick us [as the top group]?'…Matt later said that Adam didn't like his performance…
On the biggest challenge of the show: "Song choice. Picking a song that you sing well is the harder part…I'm gonna still keep doing the music that moves me."
On the music he'd like to do: "I'd actually like to get more into the rock—soulful rock. I'd love to see myself playing the piano with a band around me."
On whether the judges' comments affected his song choices: "A little bit. I still picked the songs if they moved me. At the end of the day, I'm not gonna change who I am."
On why he didn't play the piano more: "The piano doesn't really help you on the show. It's more of a prop."
On what he would have done if he had to choose a twosome like Adam did Wednesday night: "I would've pulled an Archuleta and just sat down."
His favorite performance: "Part-Time Lover"
His most memorable Mansion moment: Dueling pianos with Scott
His message to my fans: "Thank you very much for helping me to believe in myself and thank you for believing in me."
On why he didn't do "Georgia On My Mind" during movie week: "It had to be a song written for a movie. But I did think about it."
On what he will take away from the show: "I believe in myself more than ever, [I know] what I'm best at and what my weaknesses are, and [I can] deal with the pressure. The bad comments roll off me more than ever."
On what happened after the results show: "It was kind of an emotional night, but I think I handled it well."
His song choice for next week: "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was going to do a bluesy version with the piano.
On being saved: "Can't wait to see my name on a trivia card. Being saved, I've never felt that much love in one room. It's one of the greatest moments in my life." Matt said a security guard told him he'd never heard the room get that loud.
On how he's changed: "I haven't changed at all personally. The only thing that has changed is my surroundings."
On what he would have done differently this week: "I still think it was my week. I wouldn't really change a thing."
On the mentors: "Jamie Foxx was one of the most helpful…but Smokey Robinson was the most influential."
On who is going to win: "I was joking today, I think they're going to be bringing me back. I have no idea. I endorse all of them…At this point, it's more popularity than talent, of course. Whoever can rub America the right way"…
Photo Credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX