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Even water moccasins are kind of cute when they're babies.
Kind of.
However, it doesn't take too long before they turn into fat, stinky, ugly poisonous death dealers that will come at you over the water like they were on patrol.
If they bite you, I guarantee that it will ruin your day, your week, possibly your life.
But they do look harmless when they're babies. As, I would imagine, do Black Mambas and Gaboon Vipers.
Everything has its harmless-appearing phase. But some things are snakes right from the beginning, and if you take them in and try to cuddle up with them, it's a matter of time before they teach you the reality of what they are and the damage they can do.
It's much the same with blind hatred of groups of people. It can seem kinda cute at the beginning, when comedians and quipsters are making funny comments at their targets' expense. It can even seem a good thing when social custom and the first few laws start the process of tamping down on what seems to the rest of the world as the excesses of behavior of the group in question.
After all, it's reasonable. And besides, they're bringing it on themselves.
But somewhere — and it's not too far — along the line, the baby snake proves that even when it's a baby it can kill you. Cuddle a baby rattler, and you'll find out. It's much the same with hatred of a group of people. Almost before you know it, you've tripped over into the dehumanizing concept of they-bring-it-on-themselves so saying-hateful-things-about-them and limiting-their-freedoms-is-reasonable-and-good.
The first serious victim of the poison of prejudice and discrimination is the purveyor of the prejudice, the practitioner of the discrimination. Once you believe it's ok to hurt people just because, you've successfully chipped a bit of the gold-plate off your own goodness and let the cheap clay that's inside come through.
You damage your own soul long before you begin to really damage the people you decide it's ok to attack and hate.
I've said this a number of times, but the idea seems to float by some of the readers here without latching on and growing roots. Violent persecution is not the beginning of the process. It is the end result. It begins as the cute little snakey thingy of quips, mockery and derision that make up social practice.
I don't know if it's a refusal to see, or the concept really is difficult for some people. But life is not just a frozen section we call right now. It is a continuum. In fact, what we call right now is already past when we say the words.
Little hatreds grow into big prejudices, and big prejudices turn into discriminatory practices and laws, which turn into discrimination, which, over time, becomes persecution that leads to violence and ends, ultimately in genocide.
It really is almost like a row of dominoes falling over.
That's why I find myself scratching my head and wondering "Are they for real?" every time I read a comment saying that, yes, there may be "some" violent persecution of Christians in "other places," but in America, there is no such thing.
While it's true enough that Christians are not jerked from their beds and drug into the streets to be beaten, raped and tortured here in America, it is also true that we are being subjected to overt pressure from our government and from social practice to restrict our beliefs to behind closed doors. It is true that what began just a few years ago as trendy criticism, some of which was even true, has, in some quarters, become nasty, Christian-baiting hatred that seeks to intimidate and isolate Christians.
We are faced with an increasing number of regulations and laws that seek to limit Christians in the free exercise of their Constitutional rights.
This is happening in America and in much of the rest of the Western world.
I am putting a brief video below about a street preacher in Britain who was arrested for saying that homosexuality is a sin. It doesn't matter whether you agree with what he said or not, the question is, does he have the right to say it? If the same restrictions had been placed on homosexuals a decade or so ago, they would not have been able to conduct their movement.
I would have been up in arms if anyone had arrested a gay activist for saying any of the many wacky things they've said down through the years, including when a queen in full drag sang "Your son will come out tomorrow" outside the National Democratic convention a few years ago. They've got a right to do this.
And so, if the West is going to continue to have free speech, does this preacher.


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It is very easy to burn the warm market. After all, our personal and professional networks are not limitless. But what happens next after your local networks are exhausted? Do you start thinking of generating new leads or wind up your network marketing business? There is a third option that is just as viable-buying. If you are feeling uneasy about trying out this path to leads prospecting, here are some top reasons why you should seriously consider it as an option for expanding your network marketing business:
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Get Better Conversion Rates
IF you can do the legwork and choose from the most reputable vendors, it is possible to attain very significant conversion rates for your network marketing business. The best vendors will go the extra mile to capture very high quality leads that are verified and prequalified and which can offer you better returns on your investment.
It makes business sense
Moneywise, it makes a lot of sense to buy leads. If you factor in the personal time and resources that you will invest in generating your own leads, assuming you will succeed at it, then the purchase option becomes a more desirable option. The best way to determine this is by calculating the cost per hour of generation effort. IF you do not have the skills, then you will have to hire an expert internet marketer to assist you with the setup of the web infrastructure, the marketing and generation process. Add this all up and you will realize purchasing from reputable vendors makes more financial sense.
Free up more time and energies
To focus on other areas of your MLM business or even your life. The main aim of investing in an MLM business is to free up time to live a desired lifestyle while still making good money from your lifestyle. If you are spending at least 8 hours on your network marketing business prospecting rather than selling the business opportunity, then it certainly beats the purpose of taking up the network marketing business in the first place.
The top network marketers do it
Some of the best network marketers in the industry buy MLM leads for their network marketing business and use these to scale up their businesses so why not you? Buying your prospects is the best way to gain a massive competitive edge in your niche of operation. Building the web infrastructure that will generate the desired leads will take you months or even years before you begin seeing some fruits in terms of quality leads captured. Buying is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve in your market niche. Looking to grow your home business opportunity the easier way? Check out http://apacheleads.com.au to buy quality MLM Australia leads.

subset: commoncrawl


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755 Kilogram Force to Joule/Centimeter Conversion
Kilogram Force to Joule/Centimeter - Force - Conversion
You are currently converting Force units from Kilogram Force to Joule/Centimeter
755 Kilogram Force (kgf)
740402.075 Joule/Centimeter (J/cm)
Kilogram Force : The kilogram-force, or called kilopond, is a gravitational metric unit of force. Its symbols are kgf and kgF. A kilogram-force is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by one kilogram of mass in a 9.80665 m/s2 gravitational field. Therefore one kilogram-force is by definition equal to 9.80665 N. One kilogram-force is approximately 2.204622 pounds-force.
Joule/Centimeter : Joule per centimeter is a unit of force with official symbol "J/cm". It is equal to 0.01 newtons, or 10 millinewtons.
Force Conversion Calculator
Most popular convertion pairs of force
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Telephone Record Retrieval
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Contact us today by email at [email protected] or call (800) 801-4091.


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Join CatholicWeb Singles Today!
A week doesn't go by without several newspapers writing about the expanding use of online dating services. Millions of single people have, and many more millions will, use at least one online dating site in 2005. Despite the increased societal acceptance, several myths continue to persist.
Myth #3: Meeting someone long-distance doesn't work.
So, you finally work up the courage to create a profile online, pay your subscription fee, and even upload a couple of flattering photos. Low and behold you get a few emails from some potential matches. Instantly you notice a problem: these electronic love seekers come from Houston, TX, Podunk, MO and Hacienda, CA while you sit in your Boston, MA one bedroom apartment.
For many people this is an immediate let down and elicits a common response, "What good does it do me to meet someone so far away?" The easiest and most direct answer is that it might do you a lot of good, especially if one of those people turns out to be your future spouse. Distance, not unlike other challenges that come up in a relationship, is tolerated in degrees which vary from person to person. Very few people go looking for a long distance relationship. Then again, God does not always send us gifts in the packaging we expect or even want.
Another often overlooked reason to consider people from great distances is that much can be learned through getting to know someone from a different part of the country or the world. OK, so maybe this person is not your prince charming or princess bride, but you might learn a lot from them, and even have a pen pal or friend for life. Bottom line: Keep your options open. God works in strange ways, even online.
Not everyone is cut out for such an endeavor, but there is a certain openness that each person should possess. As Christians we understand that God can choose to work in extraordinary ways such as a great sign or unexplainable healing. But more often than not God works in ordinary ways. Thus an email from a person could be God's simple way of introducing you to your future spouse regardless of the distance the message had to travel. In over five years of working with CatholicMatch.com many of the couples that found their spouse on our site did not go looking for a long distance romance. The openness paid off in spades, or in their cases, wedding bells.
Myth #2: Everyone online pretends to be something they're not.
Yes, they can. That is about as succinct an answer as I can give. Some individuals also pretend to be someone else at the office, in school, the bar, and at Church. How many stories are in the news about people leading double, sometimes even triple lives? The Internet (including online dating services) can make it easier for people to pretend, but often times their disguises are revealed once you meet them in person.
Here are some suggestions that can help you screen out people who might be less than honest:
1. Ask for a reference. If the person says they are a practicing Catholic then in all likelihood they should have a good relationship with a priest at their parish. Call or email the priest at his office, explain the situation, and just ask some general questions about the person which a priest could answer.
2. After a certain amount of time of corresponding, ask for photos of friends or family. Most people have photos of the things that are important to them: family, hobbies, activities, etc. This helps confirm the image the person is portraying about themselves.
3. Google them! There is no guarantee that there will be information about them in Google, Yahoo or any major search engine but it certainly can't hurt.
4. If you decide to meet in person, make it a public place. If you can meet their friends and family as soon as possible that is a plus, because it can tell you a lot about the person.
5. Use common sense, be alert, look for inconsistencies, and pray that God will give you guidance.
The bottom line: Use common sense and don't let your emotions override basic logic.
Myth #1: Online dating sites are for losers.
Despite great progress over the last several years this continues to be the number one response. Here is the beginning to a typical conversation that I have had with hundreds of people.
Me: "Do you know about CatholicMatch.com?"
Them: "Yea, isn't that one of those online dating sites?"
Me: "Yes although we like to think of it more as an online community for single Catholics."
Them: "Well that's great, but I don't have trouble getting dates and I am not desperate."
Me: "Well neither are most of the people who use our site."
The majority of people that use an online dating service are usually determined, not desperate. Just browse the profiles and photos of people on Catholic Match, or even a secular site, and they just don't look like desperate people. As single adults many, if not most, have had a thought such as "I wonder if I will ever meet that special someone?" or "God, why haven't I met my husband/wife yet?" Not everyone will admit to it, but these are the kinds of questions normal single people ask themselves.
The reality is that most people use Catholic Match and other sites because they are looking for something more. Our members are usually seeking someone with a deep faith and strong moral convictions. Services like ours provide single people with tools unavailable to them in traditional dating settings. I often tell people that using an online dating service merely supplements meeting people in the "real world." Being able to look for people who have similar interests and values often eliminates those early worries on a first date when you know little about the person. The snap shot of a profile and a few email exchanges or phone calls can be a fantastic early indicator as to how successful a first date might be.
If you are single and have never tried an online dating site then I hope this article has given you some encouragement and answered a few of the more common objections. If you are already using a service or have in the past then I hope you have a renewed spirit.
Brian R. Barcaro is the co-founder of Acolyte, LLC a high-end Internet software development company. He is also the co-founder of CatholicMatch.com, the largest online web based service for single Catholics. Brian has given talks to a variety of groups especially youth & young adults. You can email him at: firstname.lastname@example.com. If you are interested in Brian speaking at your group, parish or event contact Kristen at email@example.com
Published with permission of Catholic Match, LLC. Copyright 2005 All rights reserved.
Try online dating today and visit: CatholicWeb Singles


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The laser occasionally stops during the play mode for a few seconds. This allows your pet to 'catch' the laser before it starts moving again.Close
DART has four different speed settings and four different timer settings. When the DART is first turned on, it is on the first speed and the 5 minute timer. To adjust the timer from 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes, simply push the 'Timer' button. To increase the speed interval, push the 'Speeds' button.Close
All of our laser toys use low-level lasers. BOLT operates with 4 AA batteries. DART, DART DUO™, and POUNCE toys operate with 3 AA batteries.Close
The length of the DART play mode can be adjusted using the timer. The DART timer can be set to turn off after 5, 10, 15, or 20 minutes.Close
|Random laser patterns on floor or wall
|Circular random laser patterns on the floor
|Place on a shelf, table, or hand
|Place on the floor
|Perfect for cats or dogs
|Perfect for cats and dogs
|Auto or manual mode
|Auto mode only
|1 speed setting
|4 speed settings
|15 minute playtime
|5, 10, 15, or 20 minute playtime
Veterinarians recommend you supervise pets while playing with laser toys. Always use toys in accordance with the instructions in the user manual.
It is also important to provide tangible rewards such as treats and affection during play with lasers.
When first starting out, we recommend starting in Manual Mode to observe your pet's reactions to the new toy.Close
FroliCat Replacement Teasers are for the FroliCat SWAY and FroliCat TWITCH only.Close


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Animal rights stunt-group PETA' is protesting Canada's culling of adorable baby seals this year by hosting a battle royale in World of Warcraft.
This Saturday, PETA is calling on activist gamers to combat a team of Horde "seal killers" set on bashing soft, furry heads on WoW's Whisperwind server. The demonstration takes place in the high-level zone of The Howling Fjord on the glaciers where baby seals frolic unassumingly.
PETA has cooked up a little story for the event:
Thrall refused to ban the slaughter of seals, despite multiple requests from the Alliance to do so, because Orgrimmar stands to make a large profit from the fur.
Activists from across the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor are banding together to put a stop to the atrocious seal slaughter. Anyone who slaughters baby seals for their fur must surely be in service to the evil Lich King.
The event takes place in a PVE server, meaning players on WoW's Horde faction can't do violence against Alliance players until they flag themselves for combat. But PETA's blog posting indicates the event is a "battleground to stop the slaughter" against a team of four Horde, so there's a very decent chance that's going to happen and end in a clusterfuck of violence.
After all, PETA is catering to an enormous audience of players that will raid a funeral service on WoW for laughs. Not to mention it's a game where players spend untold hours slaughtering the wildlife for fun and profit.
Here's a promotional video PETA has made for the event:
Note the accurate representation of Canadians as the undead — although their US southern accents are a bit baffling, eh?
PETA's sealing protest begins Saturday, April 11 at 1 PM EST. ®


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Jellyfish End Table
Furniture Design Focus: Jellyfish End Table
A Good Furniture design example, the Jellyfish is a creative End Table design. Jellyfish was designed in 2009, and here is a how it is described by its designer: The Jellyfish is a new and bluer version of the previous Gun Es end-table, the design is kind of nostalgic for those always want to be at sea and under sunshine, I was inspired by the waves of the sea, sunshine and the jellyfish and therefore the name.
Jellyfish End Table Images:
End of the article, click here to go back to previous page, or alternatively go back to A Design News homepage.


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New York Yankees (3-1) at Philadelphia Phillies (1-3)
A.J. Burnett, RHP, vs. Cliff Lee, LHP
Time: 7:57 p.m at Citizens Bank Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 47 degrees
Twitter: Phillies Nation
Journey made popular the phrase "Don't Stop Believin'". So, Phillies fans, just as the song preaches, don't give up just yet.
The New York Yankees may have jammed the dagger into this series, by way of a 7-4 comeback victory last night, but that doesn't mean it's over. The Phillies have work to do, and that beings tonight with Cliff Lee going against A.J. Burnett.
Lee has been absolutely spectacular throughout the playoffs; he's been everything the Phillies hoped for and more. He needs to be every bit as perfect tonight as he has been through the first four starts this postseason. His complete-game six-hitter in Game 1 seems like ages ago, but it's something to start with. If Lee can shut New York down and go deep into this game, the Phillies could be looking at a Game 6 in the Bronx.
The man to try and finish out this World Series on enemy soil is A.J. Burnett. We saw what he is capable of in Game 2 of the World Series (7 inn, 1 ER, 9 K) but we know he can be wild and at times will fall apart as he did in the Angels series. Phillies fans need to be as loud as humanly possible and knock this guy off his perch.
Offensively, the front four need to do a little bit of damage. Jimmy Rollins has been absent, rarely able to hit anything hard, and Shane Victorino is struggling as well. Chase Utley has been the most consistent of the bunch, and the Phillies need more of the same from him. Ryan Howard is the most heartbreaking of all. He is just 3-for-17 in the series with 10 brutal punchouts. If he has something left in the tank, now would be the time to burn it.
Interesting stat: A.J. Burnett threw 84.6 percent of his first pitches for strikes in Game 2. Over the course of the regular season, he tossed just 54 percent of first pitch strikes. Was Game 2 a fluke? It's very possible.
Don't stop being a fan, don't stop the love you have for this team, and for at least one more night, don't stop believin'. Three wins in a row is absolutely possible.
High hopes, everyone…
Your Gameday Beer – Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale
I've purposely stayed away from Barleywines, but tonight with the Phillies' backs against the wall, it's time to bring out the big guns. At 9% ABV, Bigfoot is a relatively tame foray into the category but certainly stronger than most traditional beers. Sierra Nevada boasts its "dense, fruity bouquet, an intense flavor palate and a deep reddish-brown color." The strong malt flavor is balanced by bittersweet hops making for an interesting Ale. This type of brew goes well with desserts like all those cheesecakes Sen. Spector has coming his way. – By Brian


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The Chiropractor - Part 5
The Chiropractor explained it again. This man, whom I had never seen outside of the confines of the teeny Hot Sun Gallery, had just offered me one thousand and five hundred dollars in cash to follow him on a date with a woman he called his "Lady Friend" because said Lady Friend had a fantasy about not just being followed, but also being watched. And when I say watched, I don't just mean that she wanted to be observed in her ordinary, every day life. She wanted someone to watch her engaging in, umm, activities with her Gentleman Friend. Or at least he said she did. So yes, this man had just offered me a crazy sum to both stalk and be a Peeping Tom to one of his erotic encounters and there is nothing about this which I didn't find disturbing.
"No," I said.
"I didn't ask for an answer," Ira replied, "I merely proposed this idea and asked you to think about it and give your answer to me within a week. You should never make a decision without thinking about it first."
But why did I need to think about this? No. No. No. I had no desire to watch anyone in an intimate moment. I had seen plenty of that inadvertently during the part of a semester I spent at a fancy Northeastern college and I hadn't liked it when it was attractive, trust-funded eighteen year olds, so I certainly wouldn't like it when it was nebbishy 50 year olds.
Did I say that though? No. This is what I found coming out of my mouth instead:
"So how would it all work? I mean, would she know I was there?"
"Yes, but you'd have to pretend like you weren't and she'd pretend like she didn't know you were there either."
"So could I just not be there and you could pretend like I was and then pretend like you didn't know I was there anyway? This IS a fantasy right?"
"No that wouldn't work at all. You'd have to really be there."
"Ok and so you want me to follow you on a date right?"
"Then you're going to go somewhere from there to umm, do the deed?"
"That is precise."
"Ok, so how would I get there to watch this? Do I just go in with you guys? Because wouldn't that ruin it if she's supposed to be pretending that I wasn't really there? I don't get the logistics."
What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I asking this? I wanted to smack myself in the head for even entertaining this idea, but my curiosity and fascination with the absurdity of the situation got the best of me.
"I would get a hotel room earlier in the day," Ira explained, "Then I would give you a key ahead of time. You would follow us on the date. I would give you a secret cue when it was time for you to leave. You'd leave ahead of us, go to the hotel room, let yourself in and hide in the closet until we got there. Then you'd watch us, we'd leave when we were ready and you could keep the room til morning or leave then. That part is your choice."
"You want me to HIDE IN THE CLOSET?? Like a serial killer or something?"
"Yes, I think that would work best."
"What if I have to go to the bathroom? What am I supposed to wear Depends or something? I mean, is this going to be a wham bam thank you ma'am or are you like Sting over here and this would go on for six hours straight? Because I can't go six hours stuck in a closet without going to the bathroom."
Of course these are the things I think of. The Chiropractor clearly hadn't taken this into consideration at all, or maybe he had and that's why he was offering me so much money.
"This wouldn't be a lengthy endeavor. The furtiveness and passionate heightened eroticism of the event would surely make for a shorter encounter."
"Furtiveness? Do you mean ferventness?"
"Both. It would be both furtive and fervent."
"I suppose it would. Hmm."
"For someone with a tenth grade education and a GED I'm shocked you know those words," he said.
"Well it was a good tenth grade, but that's besides the point. What about the money?"
"What about it? I said I would pay you one thousand five hundred dollars to do this. Do you want more?"
"In cash or what?"
"So...you'd pay me before? I could rip you off. I could take the money and never show up."
Again, why did I say these things? What was wrong with me? Why didn't I throw him out of the gallery and get back to Harry Potter and crosswords?
"I could pay you half before and half after."
"That makes sense I guess."
"You could use the money to go to Paris."
And with that, The Chiropractor abruptly turned and walked out of the store leaving me absolutely stunned. Had this really just happened?
Often very odd things happen to me. Usually they are not my fault and mostly beyond my control. Commonly, the strange occurrences are in some way related to my parents, but this one clearly was not. This one, I had a feeling, was all my fault. I had invited this one right on in the front door and hadn't asked it to leave. The Chiropractor had asked me to do this because I had unloaded all of my emotional baggage on him in several moments of extreme boredom and lonely desperation and my doing so had caused him to think that I was maybe open to this sort of thing. I had, after all, confessed openly to having worked in a strip club for a year. I had also admitted my irresponsibility with and therefore current desperation for money. I'd told him all about my bad luck with men as well as some other poor decisions I'd made, so naturally he was going to think I was someone who could be taken advantage of in a sense. I came off as a person who might behave impulsively and not consider normal moral and social implications of her actions.
Well, that wasn't the person I wanted to be anymore.
Except, the person I now wanted to be also wanted to go to Paris. And I had worked in a strip club for a year. I was already making a big change, so what was one more episode of accepting money for something sex related? It's not like I was actually doing anything with anyone. I'd just be in a closet. It was clearly far from prostitution and lord knows, I knew plenty of girls who accepted cash and gifts for doing a lot worse. It was one last time. It was kind of like how in movies the thief who wants to reform gets sucked back in for one last heist before retirement. I could do one last bad thing before I finally settled down and became the responsible, upstanding young woman I imagined myself one day being.
I set about making a list of pros and cons. Here is a close recreation of that list.
1. Money
2. Something to write about one day.
3. Don't really have to do anything.
1. Ewww
2. Could be a plot. What if he's a serial killer or a rapist and this is a trick to kidnap me and turn me into a sex slave? What if he's going to sell me overseas?
3. I don't really want to watch people have sex. But I mean, I'd just be in the closet. They'd be busy. I could sleep or read. Note: ask him if he's going to do it lights on or lights off. If lights are on I can bring a book.
4. Having to pee while in the closet.
5. I am claustrophobic. I don't like being in closets. I have never been in a closet.
6. This seems morally wrong though I can't think of the commandment that says Thou Shalt Not Watch People Do It.
7. Could I rip him off? Could I pull off just letting him see me on the date part and not go to the hotel room? How would he know if I was in the closet or not anyway? Would he check? Note: ask how he will know if I'm there. Note: On second thought, don't give him ideas. Remember not to ask.
8. Why am I even considering this? See #1 under Pros. Money. Does the pro of money trump all cons?
Then I made another list.
Things I Could Do with $1500
1. Go to Paris. I have no one to go with or anyone to see there.
2. Clothes.
3. Personal trainer and lose this weight.
4. Security deposit on apartment.
5. Trip someplace else. Almost anywhere else really. Where can I go? I have no one to go anywhere with.
6. Makeover so someone will find me attractive.
7. Save it. Yeah right. For what?
8. School tuition. Nevermind. Can't pass math.
9. So why do I even need 1500$ if I can't think of something to do with it???
10. Wait. I've got it. THERAPY.
And then I was interrupted in my compulsive list making by Harlan who had come in to exchange some cds. He took a stack home and added a new stack and as he did so, it occurred to me how truly trivial this man's life must be if he actually created an errand out of exchanging stacks of cds. I'll bet he actually sat around and worried about what music was playing in the gallery even though I was the only person who ever listened to it.
"Did you take home that cd that I asked you to leave in the store?" he asked me.
"No, you told me not to, so I left it here."
"It's not back there," he said.
"Oh my gosh. I didn't do anything with it. Let's go look again."
We looked all over the place for the missing cd. I thought it might be stuck in the player, but it wasn't.
"You're certain you didn't take the cd home?"
"Of course. You said not to so I didn't."
"And it isn't in your car."
"No. I never touched the cd. I left the cd here. You said I couldn't borrow it so I didn't."
"Ok, well if you find it, let me know."
Harlan stood looking out the glass front window for an uncomfortably long time. He pulled on his earlobes and shifted his weight and rubbed his forehead.
"You have no idea where the cd is?" he repeated.
"Can you just look around for it and if it shows up call me immediately?"
"You know, like maybe it can just reappear tomorrow and I can stop by for it?"
"Harlan, I do not have the cd."
"No no. I'm not saying you do. I'm just saying if it turns up..."
"Yeah, ok."
"In fact, maybe just close up early tonight? Like right now. Go ahead and close up right now. It's almost 6 anyway."
Harlan left and I closed the store, perplexed by the odd behavior of everyone around me, including myself.
I decided to go home and call everyone I knew to ask their opinion on what decision I should make regarding The Chiropractor's proposition. And what was up with Harlan and that cd? Weird day.
To Be Continued...
11 comments:
WOW. This is really good!!
Cannot wait to know what you decided. Almost surprised nothing of the sort happened at the HOA.
You eventually did get through the math. Any advice for those of us paralyzed with fear over the quantitative portion of the GRE?
Argh. This is driving me crazy. Can you put "Final Chapter" in the title when it's actually done? I'd rather hold off and read them all at once.
- lowwall
Dear me. I would read a book of this day's events and chew my cuticles to a nub. Can't wait to see what's next!
- Wide Lawns said...
Vic, yes I did eventually get through math and the GRE.
I'm kind of ashamed of how I got through the GRE.
I already knew I was going to a school with low standards for grad admission. I already knew I was going for English. I went in there and aced the English section and essay section. I scored in the 700s and got a 5.5 on the essay. That meant I only needed about a 300 on the math. My school only wanted I think a 1000 to 1100 minimum score.
I admit it - I Christmas treed it. I knew there was no way I could even begin to figure out how to do those problems so I just filled in the bubbles in what seemed like a logical sequence. Lo and behold, I got the score I needed to get in to grad school and never had to take another math class again.
Obviously this wouldn't have worked if I'd have wanted to go to MIT, but I just wanted an MFA so no one cared that I suck at math.
You stories are awesome (or rather you write them awesomely well) In case you are wondering, I the one that's going though your archives the last week! :-) Can't wait for this one to end.
- Erica said...
Too bad the GRE's all electronic these days and get this...if you get questions right, they give you HARDER QUESTIONS. It's awful.
@Vic, I recommend taking as many practice exams in the back of the study books as possible, and actually timing yourself and taking it properly. Then go back and correct your work and look up the ones you got wrong. Lather, rinse, repeat as necessary. I had to take em twice, no fun.
Also, I would have held out for more money, not because I'd do it, but just to see how much he was willing to offer.
- Unknown said...
OK I think I figured it out! Funny thing is it came to me a few hours after reading this entry.
The chiropractor took the CD on purpose hoping your boss would accuse you of stealing and fire you. Then you would be even more desperate for the $1,500 making you more likely to take the chiropractor up on his offer.
Am I totally off?
Maria, you could be the next Carolyn Keene! (I read a lot of Nancy Drew books while I was growing up)
This could be the start of a movie. You go to the wrong room and witness a murder. Or you tell a friend about this, and she says she'll do the closet part for half the cash---and her body turns up a few days later.
But I think what might be more plausible is that the chiropractor's date is not the one into voyeurism and will know nothing about this arrangement.
My guess is that you agree to do it, only to get to the hotel room first and find the cd playing in the room along with the wine, candles, etc, that the chiropractor put there. You get so pissed off that you run out of room as dr. and lady friend are coming out of elevator and it's Harlan's wife?
Am I close???
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I guess seeing as symantec has acquired sygate im guessing there will no longer be updates to there firewall software am i correct?.
For a long time i have been using sygate personal firewall so if this is correct this can leave me wide open to attack seeing as there are no longer going to be updates.
If i ditch sygate what are the other alternatives for windows firewalls?.
I am usually quite choosy when it comes to windows firewalls.
I have used tiny personal firewall in the past but when i used to do many scans at pcflank.com the firewall log used to fill up and tiny personal firewall starting to hang.
I also used to use outpost but i heard that it is no longer free and i am only interested in free software firewalls.
What are your recommendations?.


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In the collective mind of the Utah Legislature's Republican majority, it is no big deal for a child to see someone waving a gun outside his or her school classroom. But if that same child sees a bartender pouring an alcoholic drink at a restaurant, the damage could be permanent.
That strange and mysterious collective mind also is aghast at the idea of a school buffer zone where openly carried weapons would be prohibited but favors a prohibition of restaurants that serve alcohol within 200 feet of a school or church.
The 2011 Legislature, on a party-line vote, did away with a 1,000-foot buffer zone around schools so that gun owners could openly display weapons, with proponents of the legislation arguing that the Second Amendment right to possess a firearm cannot be abridged.
The only Republican in the Senate to vote against the bill was Lyle Hillyard, who asked during the floor debate if it was OK for someone to be waving an AK-47 outside a school classroom. The bill's Senate sponsor, Sen. David Hinkins, R-Orangeville, answered, "Pretty much."
When Hillyard said his grandchildren would "freak out" if they saw someone carrying a gun outside their school, then-Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, said he didn't understand Hillyard's reasoning.
But Buttars, along with most of his Republican colleagues, voted for legislation requiring bartenders in restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks behind a barricade so diners couldn't see the dirty deed. The logic was that children would want to drink if they saw the pouring take place, even though they could see the drink once it is taken to a table.
Many of the same legislators who supported the repeal of a school buffer zone for guns voted for a bill in 2008 that barred restaurants from serving alcohol if they were within 200 feet of a school or church, even if there was no community opposition to the restaurant having a liquor license.
Opponents of that bill said it hurt economic development, while proponents said it was designed to curb underage drinking.
Behind closed doors • The sentiments of the National Rifle Association-tethered Utah congressional delegation against any restrictions on semiautomatic assault rifles or 30-round ammunition clips remind me of a story involving Rep. Rob Bishop when he was the speaker of the Utah House.
An elementary school class had gone to the Legislature several times, in front of TV cameras, to lobby for a bill that would enhance punishments for someone whose negligent storage of firearms led to the accidental death or injury of a child.
That put the Republicans in the Legislature in a bind. They didn't want to be seen voting against a bill to protect children, but they didn't want to vote for a bill that would anger gun-rights lobbyists.
The solution: The Senate would pass it and it would die in the House Rules Committee. Deals like that are not uncommon.
But the kids were persistent. They were on television so much the House Rules Committee had to let it out for a vote near the end of the session. But that wasn't a problem either. Bishop, the speaker, just didn't put the bill on the board for a vote until very late on the last night, ensuring the session would come to a close before it came to a vote.
Bishop later got a job as a paid lobbyist for a gun-rights organization.
Safety first • All the talk about how more people carrying guns will make us all safer reminds me of another incident a few years ago in the Utah Senate. One of the concealed weapon permit holders in the Senate had a momentary coordination problem on the Senate floor, and his gun came tumbling out of its concealed place and bounced onto the floor.
That should make everyone observing Senate action feel just that much safer.


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Champion Pet Foods Acana Lamb & Apple
Date of last review
Mon April 6, 2009
Recommended By
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ME (metabolizable energy) = 3950 kcal/kg (390 kcal per 250 ml cup) with 33% of energy
from protein, 34% from fat and 33% from fruits, vegetables & steel-cut oats.
New Zealand lamb meal, steamed oats, peas, sunflower oil, de-boned New Zealand
lamb, red delicious apples, natural lamb flavor, flaxseed, alfalfa leaf, pumpkin, turnip
greens, cranberries, saskatoon berries, organic sea vegetables (kelp, bladderwrack,
dulse), burdock root, marshmallow root, juniper berries, fenugreek, sweet fennel,
angelica root, sea buckthorn, chicory root, stinging nettle, red raspberry leaf, milk
thistle, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers, chamomile flowers, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.
Vitamins (vit. A, vit. D3, vit. E, niacin, riboflavin, lysine, thiamine mononitrate, vit. B12,
pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin). Minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese
proteinate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate).
Guaranteed analysis
Protein .....................................27 %
Fat ..........................................15 %
Fiber .........................................3 %
Calcium .................................. 1.8 %
Phosphorus ............................. 1.2 %
Omega-6................................. 2.5 %
Omega-3 ................................ 0.5 %
Glucosamine ....................700 mg/kg
Chondroitin .......................500 mg/kg
Carbohydrate ...........................30 %
Typical analysis
Sodium ................................. 0.33 %
Chloride................................. 0.49 %
Potassium.............................. 0.52 %
Magnesium ............................. 0.1 %
Iron ..................................350 mg/kg
Zinc .................................250 mg/kg
Copper...............................15 mg/kg
Manganese.........................45 mg/kg
Cobalt ..................................... 0.5 %
Iodine................................2.3 mg/kg
Selenium.........................0.25 mg/kg
Vitamin B3 (niacin).............225 mg/kg
Vitamin B5 (pan. acid) ..........40 mg/kg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) ........30 mg/kg
Vit. B12 (cyanocobalamin) ..400 ug/kg
Biotin ................................0.6 mg/kg
Folic Acid...........................3.3 mg/kg
Choline...........................1850 mg/kg
Vitamin A ..............................18 IU/kg
Vitamin D3........................2000 IU/kg
Vitamin E ............................400 IU/kg
Vitamin K...........................800 ug/kg
Vitamin C............................85 mg/kg
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)...........72 mg/kg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) ......... 42 mg/kg
Lysine ......................................1.6 %
Threonine ................................0.9 %
Methionine .............................. 0.8 %
Isoleucine .................................0.8 %
Leucine ....................................1.8 %
Valine ......................................1.3 %
Arginine....................................1.9 %
Phenylalanine ...........................1.2 %
Histidine ...................................0.8 %
Cystine ....................................0.8 %
Taurine ................................... 0.5 %%
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Registered: October 2005
Posts: 3953
Review Date:
Mon April 6, 2009
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First and fifth ingredients are named meat products, good quality ingredients
The first ingredient in this food is a named meat product, in meal form. There is a further named meat product fifth on the ingredient list, but this is inclusive of water content. Once water content is removed, as it must be to produce a dehydrated product, the ingredient will weigh around 20% of the wet weight and may then be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list (ingredients are listed in order of weight). We are thus not convinced that the food contains as much meat as first glance at the ingredient list may suggest, but at the same time note that the ingredient list is still headed by a meat meal product.
The main grain in the food is oats, which is a good quality grain. We appreciate the inclusion of a range of fruits and vegetables. There is a good range of probiotics.
Overall, this product appears to use good quality ingredients. Our sole concern with the product is in meat content, and users may choose to supplement the food with real meat.
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It's the trending question of the week, and one Republicans are using to try to persuade voters to give Mitt Romney a chance:
Are we better off now than we were four years ago?
We posed the question to moms at the Democratic convention. Check out our video after the jump and find out what they had to say, then tell us in the comments whether you're think we're better off now.
As a staunch independent voter myself, I'd have to say we are better off now than we were four years ago, although like most everyone else, I would have liked to see even more improvement.
Today, though, my family is doing better financially than we were four years ago, and so are most of the families we know. I'm no longer quite so afraid of hearing news of massive layoffs, and I'm seeing families move in to the houses around us that has foreclosure notices on them four years ago. I'm not hearing as many stories from my friends of losing their jobs or their homes. And I'm seeing construction pick back up on projects in my area that stalled during the recession.
We're not out of the woods yet, but I think we're headed in the right direction. And I won't speculate as to why that's the case, or who would keep things headed that way -- I'll leave that to you!
So what do you think?
Are we better off now than we were four years ago?


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Estimating leptospirosis incidence using hospital-based surveillance and a population-based health care utilization survey in Tanzania.
(PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2013)
BACKGROUND: The incidence of leptospirosis, a neglected zoonotic disease, is uncertain in Tanzania and much of sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in scarce data on which to prioritize resources for public health interventions ...
Leptospirosis and human immunodeficiency virus co-infection among febrile inpatients in northern Tanzania.
(Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 2013-08)
BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are prevalent in many areas, including northern Tanzania, yet little is known about their interaction. METHODS: We enrolled febrile inpatients at ...
Etiology of severe non-malaria febrile illness in Northern Tanzania: a prospective cohort study.
(PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2013)
INTRODUCTION: The syndrome of fever is a commonly presenting complaint among persons seeking healthcare in low-resource areas, yet the public health community has not approached fever in a comprehensive manner. In many areas, ...


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Hurley, Wendy is the author of 'Research Methods : A Framework for Evidence-Based Clinical Practice', published 2010 under ISBN 9780781797689 and ISBN 0781797683.[read more]
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Morgan Platt is the embodiment of courage.
After being diagnosed with a brain tumor in June 2011, the 10-year-old Avon, Conn., girl decided to fight back and inspire others along her journey.
During an appointment at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, she decided to make a music video, using Katy Perry's "Roar."
Morgan and mom, Kathy, managed to get nurses, physicians, other patients and parents involved and you just have to see the results.
Morgan hopes the video will go viral and raise awareness about her condition and the other types of cancers being treated at the local hospital.
"It's these little bursts of greatness for these kids that keep them going. I'm so proud of Morgan. She's defying the odds!," Kathy Platt said.
Hole In The Wall Gang, a New Haven based non-profit that actor Paul Newman founded in 1988, helped shoot and edit the video.
Click here to see Morgan's video and help spread her inspiring message.


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In the Nikon camp, the changes in resolution are even more dramatic. Nikon's Coolpix, S01 is about $150 dollars and has 10.34 megapixel sensor. At the high end, they have the Nikon D800 with a 36.3 megapixel full-frame sensor for around $3000 for the camera body alone.
The question is whether or not this increase in relatively low-cost digital camera resolution has now reached the point of replacing the traditional flatbed scanner? Or, is possibly the case, only the high-end cameras have the quality to compete with flatbed scanners?
Scanners are often advertised using an inappropriate measure of resolution, that is, dots per inch or DPI. The reason it is inappropriate is rather simple, dots per inch refers to printing, i.e. a laser printer puts 300 dpi of toner on a piece of paper. Scanners use a bank of CCDs (charge-coupled devices) to capture the image. A CCD is a collection of tiny light-sensitive diodes, which convert photons (light) into electrons (electrical charge). There are other technologies, including the CIS (Contact Image Sensor), and the PMT (photomultiplier tube) which are found, respectively, in the low and high ends of the scanner market. No matter which type of sensor is used, the scanning mechanism shines a light on the object or document being digitized and through a series of mirrors and/or lenses, projects the image on the sensors.
The key to understanding scanner technology is that the resolution of the scanner can be effectively no greater than the number of sensors in the imaging array and the precision of the stepping motor that moves the array across the object or document to be scanned. Here is a quote from howstuffworks.com that explains the issue:
Let's take a simple example: If a scanner's resolution is 300x300 dpi, and that scanner is capable of scanning a letter-sized (8.5x11-inch) document, then the CCD has 2,550 sensors arranged in each horizontal row -- 8.5 (inches across) x 300 (x-direction sampling rate) = 2,550. A single-pass scanner would have three of these rows for a total of 7,650 sensors. The stepper motor in our example is able to move in increments equal to 1/300ths of an inch.If you look at the technical specifications for scanners, it is extremely difficult to get an accurate idea of the total number of sensors. Sometimes the total number of sensors is disguised as "optical resolution." Optical resolution is a measure of maximum hardware sampling resolution, based on ISO 14473 standard. For example, the CanoScan 9000F film scanner from Canon, claims an optical resolution of 9600x9600 dpi. Since this a one pass scanner, in order to have a true resolution of 9600 dpi, the scanner will need a bank of three sensors that would have 8.5 (inches across) x 9600 (x-direction sampling rate) or 81,600 sensors. This is really not the case. Despite the characterization of the resolution as "optical" cramming more sensors into the horizontal CCD sensor is not physically possible.
In effect, different arrangements of the scanning sensors and software interpolations give the appearance of a higher resolution. But you can't beat physics. There are limitations to any optical system such as the wave length of the light involved and more importantly, the resolution power of the human eye.
So if DPI aren't realistic, then how do we measure resolution? Simple. Through scanning or photographing a standardized test pattern made up of small groups of parallel lines at different sizes. The target looks something like this:
|SilverFast_Resolution_Target_USAF_1951.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SilverFast_Resolution_Target_USAF_1951.
As they say, the proof is in the pudding, the way to determine if either a scanner or a digital camera will effectively produce a better image is to try both methods and compare them carefully at high magnification on the computer screen. As I did this with each digital camera I purchased, the flatbed scanner always produced a superior image. Finally, when the camera got to over 20 megapixels, with a full-size 35mm equivalent sensor, the resolution of the camera exceeded that of the flatbed scanner.
But for most purposes they are of equal quality, especially if you are trying to reproduce documents. The digital camera at about 10 megapixels, matched the flatbed scanner.
If I get some time, I will post some comparisons at high magnifications.


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Ja Rule Knew What 50 Cent Was Doing! "He Pulled A Sham Of A Lifetime, This Nicca Is Not A Street Dude"
Ja Rule speaking on 50 cent. Courtesy of the lifestyle dvd
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CORVALLIS, OR -- The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), announced the nine recipients of its 2006 Outstanding Sports Facilities (OSF) awards. The winners for 2006 include: Recreation Center, Florida International University; Kern Center, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Adventure Recreation Center, The Ohio State University; Student Recreation and Wellness Center, University of Akron; Campus Recreation Center, The University of Alabama at Birmingham; Activities and Recreation Center, University of California, Davis; Campus Recreation Center – East, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Missouri Student Recreation Complex, University of Missouri-Columbia; and the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Washburn University.
"These nine facilities represent the very best and the very latest in collegiate recreational centers," said Jeff Lopez, Director of Recreation at Illinois State University and Chair of NIRSA's 2005-2006 Facilities Committee, which oversees the award process. "These institutions really understand that students who use fitness centers and get involved in recreational activities are more successful students and more satisfied with their overall college experience."
To be eligible for an Outstanding Sports Facilities Award, the facility must belong to a NIRSA member institution, must be no more than two years old, total construction costs (excluding design and land fees) must be at least $2 million and the facility must be more than 20,000 square feet.
The judges are recreational sports directors from member institutions and associate members who are designers or architects. They evaluate each facility for its architectural design, functionality and how well it meets its intended purpose. The facilities selected exhibit a significant amount of space for intramural/recreational sports, club sports fitness and other wellness programs for the majority of students, as well as unique architectural features and activity areas.
NIRSA began presenting annual OSF awards for creative, innovative designs of new or expanded facilities in 1988. Each winner is considered a standard or model by which other collegiate recreational facilities should be measured and from which others can benefit. NIRSA selects and publishes information on these facilities as a resource for campus master planners, recreational sports directors, designers, architects, contractors and recreational sports students.


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We love the great outdoors (and indoors) here at Bluestone National Park Resort, and so did many of the guests enjoying a short break with us over the weekend here in glorious Pembrokeshire as they helped plant our new Diamond Jubilee Wood.
Broadcaster and wildlife presenter Iolo Williams joined over 120 guests and friends to plant a a range of indigenous trees that will form a new woodland to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Bluestone is one of just two Diamond Woods in Wales and 60 being planted throughout the UK this year as part of a scheme co-ordinated by the Woodland Trust.
The new wood will bring together the historic Canaston and Minwear woods for the first time in centuries, securing an important habitat for wildlife in the area.
"This is a great way to create new habitats for wildlife, flora and fauna as well as marking the Queen's Diamond Jubilee," said Iolo. "It'll provide a legacy for generations to come and brings together two very important existing woods here in the heart of Pembrokeshire."
He added: "The Bluestone Diamond Wood, with its 35,000 new trees, demonstrates how we can work together to safeguard our environment and it's good to see so many people wanting to be involved in such an important scheme here in West Wales."
Sixty new Diamond Woods, each around 60 acres in size, plus hundreds of smaller Jubilee Woods are being created across the UK. The aim is to plant six million trees and to involve millions of people in the planting.
Mr McNamara said: "We're privileged to be involved in the Diamond Wood scheme. As guardians of this important part of Pembrokeshire appreciate just how important our responsibilities are.
"The creation of a new woodland will not only enhance what is already an important habitat, but it will build our legacy for generations to come."
A range of native trees are being planted following consultation with the Woodland Trust, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Wildlife Trust, Countryside Council for Wales and the Forestry Commission.
They include Ash, Oak, Rowan, Hazel, Wild Cherry,Guelder Rose, Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Field Maple, Common Alder, Downy Birch, Blackthorn, Alder Buckthorn, Elder, Spindle and Aspen.
The project is being funded by Bluestone with part funding from Forestry Commission Wales through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013. The plan is funded through the Welsh Government and European Union.
Categories:Environment, Events and Whats On
At the Business in the Community 2010 awards held in Cardiff this week, Bluestone CEO William McNamara was presented with the Wales Environment Award.
The Diamond Wood project is part of a Woodland Trust initative to plant 60 woodlands throughout the UK to mark the royal occasion. Bluestone has started planting 35,000 trees at our 500 acre countryside estate.


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An Sang
- Yield
- Makes 36 sandwich cookies
- Sugar Cookie Dough
- 6 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- Heat oven to 350°F. Cut dough in half; roll out both halves to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a round 1-inch cookie cutter, rerolling scraps to get 72 cookies. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray; place cookies on sheets 1 inch apart and bake 1 batch at a time until firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Simmer chocolate chips and half-and-half in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring once or twice, until chocolate melts and is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let cool 1 minute. Spread 1/2 teaspoon chocolate ganache on a cookie; press a second cookie on top to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and ganache.
Per serving (1 cookie): 53 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated, 8 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein


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While the standards for SBA-qualifying loans are more flexible than those for other types of loans, lenders should still require extensive documentation to evaluate loan requests.
There are many different formats to use for a loan proposal. Lenders may need to consult with borrowers to determine which format is best for them. Lenders should look for industry-specific details to properly understand how the borrower's business is run and what industry trends affect it.
In addition to consulting the information in this section, you can take a free online course on How to Prepare a Loan Package.
SBA Forms
The loan application must include certain SBA Forms. The primary forms for the Basic 7(a) program include:
- Form 4: Application for Business Loan
- Form 4-a: Schedule of Collateral – Schedule A
- Form 413: Personal Financial Statement
- Form 912: Statement of Personal History
- Form 1624: Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion Lower Tier Covered Transactions
- Form 1846: Statement Regarding Lobbying
Loan Documents
Most lenders include the following elements. Additional specific requirements may be added by individual lenders.
Executive Summary
The borrower should begin the proposal with a simple and direct cover letter or executive summary. This should clearly and briefly explain who they are, their business background, the nature of their business, the amount and purpose of their loan request, their requested terms of repayment, how the funds will benefit their business, and how they will repay the loan.
Business Profile
The borrower should provide a written description of the history of their business, including:
- Type of business
- Location
- Product or service
- Brief history (including length of time in business and ownership)
- Annual sales
- Number of employees
- Proposed future operation
- Competition
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Date of information
Management Experience
Include resumes of each owner and key member of management.
Loan Request: SBA Form 4
This description of how the loan funds will be used should include purpose, amount and type of loan.
Loan Repayment
A brief statement indicating how the loan will be repaid, including repayment sources and time requirements. Cash-flow schedules, budgets, and other appropriate information should support this statement.
Collateral: SBA Form 4-a
List real property and other assets to be held as collateral. Few financial institutions will provide non-collateral-based loans. All loans should have at least two identifiable sources of repayment. The first source is ordinarily cash flow generated from profitable operations of the business. The second source is usually collateral pledged to secure the loan.
Personal Financial Statement: SBA Form 413
SBA requires financial statements for all owners, partners, officers and stockholders owning 20 percent or more of the business. These statements (listing all personal assets, liabilities and monthly payments) should not be more than 90 days old. Federal income tax returns for the past three years must also be submitted.
Business Financial Statements
Borrowers should provide complete financial statements for the last three years (including balance sheets, income statements, and a reconciliation of net worth) plus a current (no more than 90 days old) interim financial statement. They should also include a schedule of term debt and aging of accounts payable and accounts receivable (broken into 30-, 60-, 90-, and past-90-day-old categories). If they are just starting out, provide a projected balance sheet and income statement. The strength and accuracy of their financial statements will be the primary basis for the lending decision. (Formats for constructing a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement can be found in Forms.)
Proposed Business
The borrower should provide a pro-forma balance sheet reflecting sources and uses of both equity and borrowed funds.
The borrower should provide a projection of future operations for at least one year or until positive cash flow can be shown. Include earnings, expenses, and reasoning for these estimates. The projections should be in profit and loss format. The borrower should explain the assumptions they use if they are different from trend or industry standards and support your projected figures with clear, documentable explanations.
Other Items (as They Apply)
- Lease (copies of proposal)
- Franchise agreement
- Purchase agreement
- Articles of incorporation
- Plans, specifications
- Copies of licenses
- Letters of reference
- Letters of intent
- Contracts
- Partnership agreement
If you have any questions or need any further information, contact the SBA District Office nearest you.


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Symantec Protection Suite Small Business Edition is an easy to use, all-in-one suite that protects critical business assets by securing against today�s complex malware and spam threats and by rapidly recovering data or computer systems. It includes proven technologies that provide multiple layers of protection to ensure your computer systems and information are secure and readily available at all times.
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The Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) in cooperation with the Energy Community produced the 6th edition of the MMR. The Annual Report on the Results of Monitoring the Internal Electricity and Natural Gas Markets consists of four volumes: the Electricity Wholesale Market, the Gas Wholesale Market, the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets, and Customer Protection and Empowerment.
Access the presentation on the overall MMR
Access the press release
Access the summary
The Electricity Wholesale Market Volume looks at the performance of European Union (EU) electricity markets. The Volume starts with a review of the main developments that affected electricity wholesale markets in 2016. Second, it shows, in the context of the relevant network code, the level of cross-zonal capacities made available for trade including an in depth assessment of the factors impacting cross-zonal capacities. Third, it assesses the respective performance of forward, day-ahead, intraday and balancing markets at EU level, with a focus on the use of cross-border capacity. Finally, the Volume provides an update on the situation of capacity mechanisms with a focus on the treatment of interconnectors in the national adequacy assessments.
Access the gas wholesale market volume for 2016
here Access the underlying data of this volume
here and here
The Consumer Protection and Empowerment volume looks at the performance of European energy markets from the final household consumer perspective. The volume explores how the relevant Third Package provisions were transposed into national legislation. It analyse in depth public service obligations, consumer information rights, consumer choice, consumer complaints and the protection of vulnerable consumers. The report also elaborates on the existence and effectiveness of consumer protection mechanisms and includes a set of recommendations on how to further enhance consumer rights.
Access the consumer protection and empowerment volume for 2016
Agency for the Cooperationof Energy Regulators
Trg republike 3
1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
tel. +386 (0) 8 205 34 00fax +386 (0) 8 205 34 13
Comments and feedback
© Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, 2019.


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Omar Powell
Grand Ledge Gazette Writer In early November, Grand Ledge teachers reached a tentative agreement as part of an attempt to settle the teachers' contract situation in Grand Ledge. Parents of the Grand Ledge community and members of other institutions and establishments weigh in on the state of education in Michigan.
In October, several Grand Ledge teachers stood in front of the GLPS Board of Education fighting, pleading, and imploring the Board to reconsider removing "steps" from their contracts. Steps are negotiated incremental pay increases in the union contract based on teacher performance, years of experience and educational levels.
The possible elimination of steps was a major stumbling block in the negotiations between the teachers and the school district. The teachers also expressed concern about the possible elimination of TAs (teacher's assistants) and the salary levels of incoming teachers.
In Michigan, the average beginning teacher salary is $35,164 and the average teacher salary $57,327 according to the NEA (National Education Association).
Parents' perspectives
"I think Grand Ledge schools are the best in Eaton County. My children used to attend another district within the county, and I was less than impressed with their education. Oh, and did I mention I used to work for that district?" said Renae Lugibihl, Grand Ledge parent.
The Michigan Department of Education cites teacher evaluation and pay for performance as closely linked, stating "pay for performance depends, in part, on a teacher's evaluation which must be tied to student growth." (cited in their spring 2011 teacher evaluation and pay for performance power point)
"In the last year we were at the other district, one of the children did not learn a thing the last six months we were there. We came to Grand Ledge and ALL of my children are thriving," said Lugibihl.
"There is something about the support and attitude of people who live and are drawn to the community of Grand Ledge," said Vene Yates, Grand Ledge citizen.
One thing that the Grand Ledge teachers stressed at GLPS Board of Education meeting in October was that the students are the ones who are truly hurt by the effects of low professional pay. Students miss out on valuable educations because good teachers are leaving the profession.
"Low teacher pay comes at a high cost for schools and kids, who lose good teachers to better-paying professions," says the NEA on their website stating their position on professional pay.
10 states with highest & lowest teacher salaries
"I know that part of the new Grand Ledge teachers' contract was to allow school administration to have more flexibility with classroom sizes. Kids cannot learn and teachers cannot teach with that many kids in a class," said Lugibihl.
The current job market includes a lack of teachers in fields such as special education, math, science, foreign language and art. These holes are most evident in rural and urban schools in Michigan, says the NEA. (under quick facts)
"Having highly qualified teachers is essential to student success – but who in the future will be lured into a profession with wages that start low and fail to keep pace with comparable careers?," the NEA asks.
Neither the Grand Ledge teachers nor the GLPS Board of Education were available for comment on the current state of the contract.


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How to use FutureLearn
This may be the first course that you have undertaken on FutureLearn, or perhaps it is the first course you have taken online. Don't worry: the platform is designed to be easy to navigate.
You can learn whenever and wherever you like, on any desktop, mobile or tablet device. You will be learning by watching videos with leading academics as well as reading teaching material, attempting quizzes, and taking part in discussions.
Finding your way around
There are three icons at the top of each step to help you make the most from your learning experience.
To Do
The first icon takes you to your to do list for the course you're in. This shows all the steps for that week. You can take a look ahead to see what's coming up in the following weeks and if you don't manage to complete all the steps in a week, you can go back to previous weeks and catch up. You will have free access to the course for six weeks so you can learn at your own pace within that time.
The second icon takes you to the activity feed, which shows the most recent comments posted by learners on this course.
The third icon takes you to your progress page, where you'll see what percentage of the course steps you've marked as complete.
Comments and discussions
Learning from conversations is an important part of the FutureLearn approach. You will learn from discussions with other people taking part in the course, by reading their comments and responding with your own thoughts, which you can do on nearly all steps. On some steps there will be a more structured discussion. Although they will not be able to respond to every question, you may see comments and replies from the lead educators and course facilitators throughout the course.
Anyone enrolled on the course can comment and discuss the course material. To see all the comments on a particular step, click the pink speech bubble icon and the comments will be revealed. The number next to this icon tells you how many comments there are for this step. Found a comment which was really useful or interesting? Click the Like button!
Don't forget, whilst robust debate is encouraged, it's important that you follow the FutureLearn code of conduct and are respectful of your fellow learners.
Follow others
If you want to keep track of another learner's comments easily, click the Follow button next to their name (on their profile page). We recommend that you follow the educators and mentors profiles on this course.
Filtering comments
You can click to filter the comments on a step to only see:
- comments by people you are following
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You might like to read these tips and tools for social learning, to help you get the most from FutureLearn's features.
Mark as Complete
When you reach the end of a step and have understood everything, click the pink Mark as Complete button at the bottom. This will update your progress page, and will help you to keep track of which steps you've done. Any steps you've completed will turn blue on your To Do list.
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If you still have a question about how the site works, have a look at the FutureLearn help pages. If your query hasn't been answered, please don't hesitate to click the grey question mark icon on the bottom right of each step to ask for help.
Get extra benefits, upgrade your course
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Strong Anti-corruption Watch-dog in Ukraine II, 2011
30.01.2012 / 23:05 | Aktualizováno: 30.01.2013 / 23:12
Transparency International – Czech Republic
The aim of the project was to encourage the development of the organization TOROwhich is in the process of full accreditation to the branch ("chapter") Transparency International. The second aim was to support independent media, which understand the issue of corruption, investigate the corruption cases and influence public opinion against corruption. The project included the support of the critically-constructive relations between state authorities responsible for combating corruption and non-governmental sector. These objectives were implemented through seminars held in Ukraine, study visits in the CR and online consultations.
The basis of the project was to support the development of non-governmental organization TORO. By working with TIC TORO joined to its most significant stepin 2011 - establishment of a "Partnership for the integrity of public procurement in Ukraine" in March 2011. Partnership,which is supported by participation of representatives of TIC at its meetings,contributed significantly to the establishment of TORO at the position of the governmental anti-corruption operators in Ukraine. To the domestic presentation of TORO also contribute to a joint press conferenceTIC (April 2011 to National Integrity Study).
The most significant events that took place in the framework of cooperation TIC and TORO and contributed to the development of partner organizations and cultivating social spawn anti-corruption in Ukraine include:
- PerformanceTORO representative at the film festival One World Human Rights in Prague in March 2011 on the occasion of the film "The Other Chelsea"on the situation in eastern Ukraine;
- Seminar on "Civic Council"
- Seminar for NGOsworking with the Ukrainian partner in a civil alliance"For the integrity of public procurement in Ukraine" on the topic of Openness index of public procurement
- Discussions with the staff of NGOs cooperating with the TORO in Lviv
The second goal of the project was methodical and professional support of an independent anti-corruption journalismin Ukraine, in 2011 focused mainly on the monitoring of public procurement.Actions implemented under the project significantly contributed to the creation of group of journalists dealing with public procurement. Following the seminar for journalists on public procurement, implemented the project in November 2010, study tour of Ukrainian journalists to the CR with rich and intensive program took place in December 2011. During the tour, Ukrainian journalists had an opportunity to discuss corruption issues among others with Daniela Drtinova from the CT and Ondřej Kundra from the Respect magazine.
The project was implemented through two missions of TIC to Ukraine (Kievand Lvov), two study tours of Ukrainian partners in the Czech Republic,meeting of management of TIC and TORO in Romania on the occasion of the regional meeting of Transparency International and ongoing e-mail and telephone communication.
Financial contribution of MZV: 879.998,85 CZK


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Vanity Fair interviewed members of the wolf pack as part of their ongoing series. First up is Alex Meraz (photo credit John Russo):
"You didn't have stunt doubles at all?
No! They were pushing for it, we were pushing against; we wanted to do our own stuff. We had to train for a good two days, eight hours each day just practicing jumping, making sure we were landing safely. On the day [of shooting], we were actually jumping from a green screen cliff but it was actually taller and a little bit more dangerous because there was foliage and grass on top of it—it was a little slippery. We were fine, and it was really fun.
What was it like having to come together and bond as the Wolf Pack?
We were entirely new, and it was a lot easier. We relied on each other to get through everything. There was so much to learn, but it was organic. We spent a lot of time together at the gym, and that's what helped. As far as the original cast from Twilight, they were really cool. We didn't spend much time with them because all of our scenes were really just with the Wolf Pack. It was easy."
Get the rest of Alex's interview here.
Vanity Fair will be adding more later today. Stay tuned and we'll insert the extra info here when it becomes available.


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Rosetta factsheet
Name: Rosetta
To rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and study the nucleus of the comet and its environment for nearly two years, and land a probe on its surface.
Launch date: 2 March 2004
Journey milestones:
1st Earth gravity assist: 4 March 2005
Mars gravity assist: 25 February 2007
2nd Earth gravity assist: 13 November 2007
Asteroid Steins flyby: 5 September 2008
3rd Earth gravity assist: 13 November 2009
Asteroid Lutetia flyby: 10 July 2010
Enter deep space hibernation: 8 June 2011
Exit deep space hibernation: 20 January 2014
Comet rendezvous manoeuvres: May - August 2014
Arrival at comet: 6 August 2014
Philae lander delivery: November 2014
Closest approach to Sun: 13 August 2015
Mission end: 30 September 2016
Launch vehicle: Ariane-5 G+
Launch mass: Orbiter: 2900 kg (including 1670 kg propellant and 165 kg science payload); Lander (Philae): 100 kg
Dimensions: Orbiter: 2.8 x 2.1 x 2.0 m with two 14 metre long solar panels
Orbiter (11 science instrument packages):
ALICE Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer
CONSERT Comet Nucleus Sounding
COSIMA Cometary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser
GIADA Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator
MIDAS Micro-Imaging Analysis System
MIRO Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter
OSIRIS Rosetta Orbiter Imaging System
ROSINA Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis
RPC Rosetta Plasma Consortium
RSI Radio Science Investigation
VIRTIS Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer
Philae lander (10 science instrument packages):
APXS Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer
ÇIVA / ROLIS Rosetta Lander Imaging System
CONSERT Comet Nucleus Sounding
COSAC Cometary Sampling and Composition experiment
MODULUS PTOLEMY Evolved Gas Analyser
MUPUS Multi-Purpose Sensor for Surface and Subsurface Science
ROMAP RoLand Magnetometer and Plasma Monitor
SD2 Sample and Distribution Device
SESAME Surface Electrical Sounding and Acoustic Monitoring Experiment
Partnerships: The orbiter's scientific payload is provided by scientific consortia from institutes across Europe and the United States. The lander is provided by a European consortium headed by the German Aerospace Research Institute (DLR). Other members of the consortium are ESA, CNES and institutes from Austria, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Primary mission objectives:
- Undertake a lengthy exploration of a comet at close quarters to watch how it is transformed by the warmth of the Sun along its elliptical orbit
- Land a probe on a comet's nucleus for in-situ analysis
Rosetta mission facts:
- Rosetta gets its name from the famous Rosetta stone that led to the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphics almost 200 years ago.
- Rosetta's original target was comet 46P/Wirtanen, but after postponement of the initial launch a new target was set: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
- Rosetta was the first spacecraft to fly close to Jupiter's orbit using only solar cells as its main power source.
- Rosetta is the first spacecraft to orbit a comet and land on its surface
- The Philae lander is named for the island in the river Nile on which an obelisk was found that had a bilingual inscription that enabled the hieroglyphs of the Rosetta Stone to be deciphered.


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Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane said prairie dog complaints are on the rise. He offered suggestions on putting them down.
Lane said it was routine to see an increase in complaints this time of year, and that most nuisance calls were from landowners who have witnessed an invasion of prairie dogs onto their property from nearby vacant lots.
"At this point, there have been no health issues," said Lane. "This is just a friendly reminder."
Lane said there were several methods that could be utilized to rid lots of the burrowing rodents. Avenues to control prairie dog numbers include hiring a professional service, applying toxins or using a concussive device.
"There are advantages and disadvantages to any method applied," Lane said.
An advantage to a shock wave device is that the deceased animals usually remain buried, which generally requires no cleanup. The disadvantage is a loud noise that could disturb neighbors or panic pets.
Before using a shock wave device, Lane reminded residents to notify city officials by calling Cortez dispatch at 565-8441. Officials could then advise residents of the use of such a device through Nixle.
Area residents who wish to be notified can sign up with Nixle at www.nixle.com. Nixle is a free informative communication system that can keep residents apprised of severe weather advisories, traffic alerts and local crime information.
Toxins, Lane said, were also highly effective, but he warned that pets or other animals could be affected.
"The city doesn't have any preference in which way residents handle the issue," said Lane.
Lane reminded residents that it was illegal to shoot prairie dogs inside city limits.


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|From L to R: Craig W. Floyd, Chairman & CEO of the NLEOMF; Arthur Blank, Owner of the Atlanta Falcons; Jasmine Sherman, daughter of Officer Gail Thomas; and The Honorable George Turner, Chief of the Atlanta Police Department.
Launched in the summer of 2012, the Recorded Memorial Tribute Program is designed to share the stories of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. The program provides a special way for all citizens to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Now, thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, Officer Gail Thomas will forever be remembered for her infectious smile and devotion to policing in this touching tribute. Watch the full Recorded Memorial Tribute.
Special thanks to Bob McDonough, Chief Security Officer of the Atlanta Falcons, and Bill McClain, Chief Security Officer for Home Depot, Inc. for coordinating this presentation, and to the Atlanta Falcons for sponsoring the creation of Officer Gail Thomas's Recorded Memorial Tribute.


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California Watch is reporting that Michael Kirst, who served as president of the state board of education during Jerry Brown's first governorship, is returning to the post. Brown's office has yet to confirm the appointment.
Kirst is a prominent thinker on education policy, from a perch on Stanford. If he's Brown's choice, it would be just another blast from the past for the once and future governor. Brown previously announced he would name an aide from his first governorship as health secretary.
At last week's education budget summit at UCLA, Brown compared himself to Rip Van Winkle, the character from the Washington Irving short story who wanderedi into the mountains and fell asleep -- and didn't wake up for another 20 years. This may be shaping up as an administration of Rip Van Winkles.


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ByMichael Calia
Horror and mystery go hand in hand on HBO's "True Detective." The hit series — which stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as Detectives Martin Hart and Rustin Cohle, respectively — is rich in dread similar to the kind inherent in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, and it has featured words and imagery derived from Robert W. Chambers' story anthology "The King in Yellow." As a result, the show has opened up the worlds of weird fiction and cosmic horror to broader audiences.
Executive producer and writer Nic Pizzolatto, responding through email, commented to Speakeasy about some of the more ominous literary and philosophical influences on "True Detective," as well as some of his favorite horror writers. Read the Q&A.
Speakeasy: If you could recommend any single work of weird fiction and/or horror to people, what would it be?
Pizzolatto: That's tough — on the one hand I want to name one of the blue-chip classics, and on the other I'd like to give an endorsement to people who may not usually get enough attention. I mean, I'd suggest Lovecraft or Poe, but everybody knows them already. More recently, I'd point people in the direction of Thomas Ligotti, Laird Barron, John Langan, Simon Strantzas and others. For fans of the show who'd like to see what contemporary voices have done with Chambers' "King in Yellow," I'd point them toward Karl Edward Wagner's short story "The River of Night's Dreaming" or the recent anthology "A Season in Carcosa."
When did you first hear of and read Ligotti?
I first heard of Ligotti maybe six years ago, when Laird Barron's first collection alerted me to this whole world of new weird fiction that I hadn't known existed. I started looking around for the best contemporary stuff to read, and in any discussion of that kind, the name "Ligotti" comes up first. I couldn't find any of his books in print, and their used prices were prohibitive for me at the time. But I located a couple at libraries, and his nightmare lyricism was enthralling and visionary.
What work of his do you find the most influential? Are you more attracted to his fiction or his nonfictional writing? Have you read his nonfiction book, "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race"?
I read "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race" and found it incredibly powerful writing. For me as a reader, it was less impactful as philosophy than as one writer's ultimate confessional: an absolute horror story, where the self is the monster. In episode one [of "True Detective"] there are two lines in particular (and it would have been nothing to re-word them) that were specifically phrased in such a way as to signal Ligotti admirers. Which, of course, you got.
The philosophy Cohle promotes in the show's earliest episodes is a kind of anti-natalist nihilism, and in that regard all cats should be unbagged: "Confessions of an Antinatalist," "Nihil Unbound," "In the Dust of this Planet," "Better to Have Never Been," and lots of Cioran were all on the reading list. This is before I came out to Hollywood, but I knew that in my next work I would have a detective who was (or thought he was) a nihilist. I'd already been reading E.M. Cioran for years and consider him one of my all-time favorite and, oddly, most nourishing writers. As an aphorist, Cioran has no rivals other than perhaps Nietzsche, and many of his philosophies are echoed by Ligotti. But Ligotti is far more disturbing than Cioran, who is actually very funny. In exploring these philosophies, nobody I've read has expressed the idea of humanity as aberration more powerfully than Cioran and Ligotti.
How do you feel about the philosophy in general?
To answer your question about my personal views, I'm about as far from a nihilist as you can get, though at times my personal philosophy would be deemed pessimistic. I would label it realist, though. Maybe beleaguered romantic. However, to openly confront the ideas of artists like Cioran and Ligotti, without defense, is to be riveted and increased by the power of their vision of the unspeakable, of annihilation at the most intimate level.
And if we're talking about hard-boiled detectives, too, what could be more hardboiled than the worldview of Ligotti or Cioran? They make the grittiest of crime writers seem like dilettantes. Next to "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race," Mickey Spillane seems about as hard-boiled as bubble gum.
I've put off going into the philosophy Cohle espouses in the early episodes because I don't want people making assumptions about the character of Cohle, or the ultimate aim of this season. The totality of Cohle's character and the show's agenda won't be clear until the eighth episode has ended. It's also important to me that the mass audience doesn't need to know or engage these associations in order to enjoy the show. Likewise, I wouldn't want any viewers to assume we had some nihilistic agenda, or reduce Cohle to an anti-natalist or nihilist. Cohle is more complicated than that. As I've said recently, Cohle may claim to be a nihilist, but an observation of him reveals otherwise. Far from "nothing meaning anything" to him, it's almost as though everything means too much to him. He's too passionate, too acutely sensitive, and he cares too much to be labeled a successful nihilist. And in his monologues, don't we detect a whiff of desperation akin to someone who protests too much? When Cohle speaks of the unspeakable, is it with the same illusory perspective as when Hart speaks about the importance of having rules and boundaries? Perhaps that is what Hart references when he tells Cohle in episode 3, "You sound panicked."
That doesn't lessen the potential validity of the ideas he expresses, and that is what I finally think is disturbing about the show so far. It's not the serial killer that's unsettling; television shows you far worse than that all the time. What unsettles are the aspects of being human which the show chooses to highlight. That this stuff is being delivered through actors as instantly amiable and comforting as Harrelson and McConaughey makes it doubly subversive. And then I think you'll find, as we go forward, the show keeps subverting its own subversions.
Nic Pizzolatto is also the author of the story collection "Between Here and the Yellow Sea" and the novel "Galveston," which was published in 2010 and is slated to be adapted into a film.
Be sure to read Marshall Crook's recap of "True Detective" episode three here.
Follow @michael_calia on Twitter.


text: Last time im posting in here. I replaced my screen with a brand new digitizer, lcd and touch screen. When I put the battery in it lights up the whole screen plus the bottom buttons. WHen its fully on, it takes alot of pressure to push down and when i touch the screen mutltiple things highlight at once. The bottom buttons are unresposive. they light up but thats it. what do i do, how do i fix this


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