text:
ALS Environmental may or may not test for PCB 159 (CAS # 39635-35-3). Information is subject to change; please contact us for the latest available analytes for which we test.
ALS Environmental does not sell chemicals, but offers analytical lab testing to determine the presence of various elements and chemical compounds.
Analyte: PCB 159
Alternate Name: 2,3,3',4,5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
Abbreviation: 2,3,3',4,5,5'-HexaCB
CAS Number or ID: 39635-35-3
Department: Organics
EC Number (EINECS): 39635-35-3
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Preparing for The GMAT
This article goes to all who are preparing for the GMAT or are planning to apply to B-schools and yet to start their GMAT preparation. I have scored a 710 in the GMAT, although not that great according to Indian standards. Indians on the whole have become very competitive and are scoring very high.
In this article, I wanted to discuss the strategies I used and I believe are sufficient for an average Indian GMAT taker.
Time required: Frankly speaking, this depends on individual to individual. I prepared for one month and I believe it was too less a time if your job is demanding in terms of time and effort. Because in that case, your per day contribution to GMAT preparation reduces. What I suggest is go through a standard book: Princeton Review or Kaplan, familiarize yourself with GMAT pattern and judge for yourself according to your capabilities how much time you need to devote.
Still, if I am to generalize, I feel, 2-3 months is sufficient time to familiarize with the GMAT pattern and practice enough. There comes a level after which there will not be a significant improvement.
Study material and Strategy: I strongly feel that if you go through a study material methodically, it's the best GMAT preparation one can do. Do not run after randomly collected material that is spread all over the Internet. Because in GMAT, the strategy and fundamentals for each and every section is important. So if there is bogus material with wrong answers, you will get yourself confused and fundamentals will not be strong.
I suggest fix a study plan for yourself and stick to it. The material I prefer is (in order):
1. Take up a basic GMAT prep book, preferably Princeton Review or Kaplan. Manhattan GMAT has recently gained a lot of popularity
but I haven't seen it, so I'm not sure how it is and Manhattan SC guide is the best available book for improving your Sentence Correction. But since it is expensive, I'll stick to the earlier options. OK, after picking them, get yourself familiarized with the GMAT pattern and take a feel of it. Divide your preparation into various sections:
- Basic Math (QA)
- Data Sufficiency (DS)
- Sentence Correction (SC)
- Critical Reasoning (CR)
- Reading Comprehension (RC)
Now comes the Verbal section. This becomes a little tough but with logic and presence of mind, it becomes a cakewalk.
2. Now once you have familiarized yourself with GMAT pattern and difficulty level, go through basic fundas of each of the above mentioned sections through the basic prep books. Then take up a diagnostic test. Once you register for the test, you will get a CD from Pearson which will have some practice section tests and 2 full length tests. Take the first full length test. Utilize the full time available for each section. See where you stand and start prep.
3. Online resources: There are plenty of online resources available but the ones which are more popular are:
www.scoretop.com http://www.sentencecorrection.com/(for the toughest section, and the most interesting one)
- www.gmatclub.com
- www.pagalguy.com
4. Official Guide: The most important resource. The Official Guide, or OG as it is commonly referred to as, contains a whole lot of questions to practice from each sections. this is prepared the people who prepare the GMAT tests and contain questions which have already come in earlier tests. I suggest spending daily at least 1 hour on this and keep a not of every question you did wrong. Revise those at the end and remember the mistakes you did.
IMPORTANT: Do check out the explanation for each and every question, even those you did right. this will help you know why other choices are wrong and whether your reason was the correct one.
All the best for your GMAT preparation. I will post more on specific details later.

subset: commoncrawl


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This item of gossip caught my eye, because it gets at the heart of the ways sex occupies both the public and private spheres, often straddling them, moving from one to the other at our whim. Some of us like to let it all hang out (raising my hand) and some of us prefer to keep people guessing, but even if you count yourself among the latter, your sex life is still fair game for speculation.
Especially when it comes to taboo topics we fear might get us in trouble, many people, even those who've publicly staked a claim to sexuality, are not comfortable being so "out there." Three writers who've written books about sex have asked me to remove YouTube videos of them reading at my former reading series In The Flesh, because they feared repercussions at work or in their relationships. Potential erotica authors frequently query me concerned about privacy issues around pseudonyms, because were their erotica persona to become public, they too could lose jobs, friendships and respect. We may like to think we are living in an anything-goes era when it comes to sex, but we aren't quite there yet. I wonder what our world would look like — and if couples like Moore and Kutcher would still be together — if we were less judgmental and more open to an array of sexual desires. Instead, topics like crossdressing, bisexuality, and BDSM still trigger shame in many people. I get the need for secrecy, especially if it's about a topic that one fears (or is sure) will be misunderstood, all the more so with something like role-playing, which has the potential to reveal so much about who you are as a person, not just what you like to do.
It's not just those with a secret life, who want to stay under wraps, who are affected by these double standards; recently, I found myself making assumptions about someone else's sex life. Susie Bright posted an interview on her blog she conducted with sex educator and Opening Up author Tristan Taormino, and I was surprised to read about her own jealousy issues. "I am often too quick to say 'YES' to my partner's request to do something with someone else. It's like I want to facilitate his pleasure and happiness and not be jealous, so I jump right to 'Sure, that's great! Go for it!' without actually thinking it through," said Taormino. Of course it makes sense that even Taormino would have dealt with "some major doozies," in her words, when it comes to jealousy, but I, myself, fell into the trap of thinking along the lines that since she's an expert on the topic, she never faces the same trials and tribulations as the rest of us.
Anyone even marginally in the public eye, not just those of us who work in the field of sexuality, is going to be subject to some speculation, whether to your face or not, about what your sex life is like. That curiosity is natural, but it can create a gap between other people's fantasies about our sex lives (or perhaps our own idealized visions of them) and reality. This begs the question of whether we're secure enough in our own sexual desires to not care about what others might project onto us.
It makes sense that what we might tolerate within the confines of a relationship might not be something we can tolerate out in the open, where we are subject to judgment and prejudice. Sadly, I suspect many people still hear "open relationship" and process it as "nonstop orgy seven nights a week," even though it may more likely mean a once-in-a-while hookup, or several dedicated relationships (or perhaps you are enjoying that nonstop orgy, and more power to you!).
The nuances of polyamory are still not quite accepted, even though we know that the divorce rate in the United States is extremely high; cheating seems more understood, at least as a necessary evil, than actually doing the work of negotiating some variation of nonmonogamy. Plus, if you're in a heterosexual marriage, the default assumption is that you are monogamous; I know plenty of couples who from the outside look like the typical man and wife, and reap all the benefits of societal blessings as such, but practice nonmonogamy. I'm not criticizing that arrangement, but I would love to see more famous and non-famous folks acknowledge the challenges of relationships generally, open and otherwise. Yet when they do, they're skewered with I-told-you-so scolds, like Chelsea Handler's not-so-smart quip to Piers Morgan, "They probably had a lot of threesomes that led to twosomes without Demi and that leads to a divorce." The notoriously sexually conservative tabloid Hollywood Life did their best to sound aghast about this utterly sensible quote by Angelina Jolie: "I doubt that fidelity is absolutely essential for a relationship…It's worse to leave your partner and talk badly about him afterwards. Neither Brad nor I have ever claimed that living together means to be chained together. We make sure that we never restrict each other."
On a personal note, because I've written extensively about my sex life, plenty of people I meet, whether we're familiar with each other on an intimate basis or not, think they know exactly what I'm up to — or want to be up to. The fact is, even I don't know until I'm in the moment. Sex occupies a special place in our society in that we all think about it, and we are all subject to the larger culture's ideas of what sex is, and what it isn't, what's acceptable and what's not. We may not agree with those terms, but they do shape our sexual educations (in school and in practice), our laws and our societal taboos. I don't want to see a total collapse of public and private, because there is something special about the private moments and memories, the ways a particular erotic revelation can make you feel instantly closer to a lover. But I do want to see us open up the public space to talk about sex and acknowledge that it's not a one-size fits all endeavor. Otherwise the schism between public and private will continue to challenge us, rather than us challenging it back.


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Simon Posford Mix - PsyAmb 18
Greetings. The new "Shpongle" (Simon Posford , Raja Ram ) album has landed at "Twisted Records" and I have to say it is awesome. I would go so far as to say their best album to date.
Shpongle's debut album, "Are You Shpongled ?" , exploded on the psytrance scene back in 1998 and was hailed worldwide as the finest album of psychedelic electronic ambient music to date. The following two releases , "Tales Of The Inexpressible" ( 2001 ) and "Nothing Lasts" ( 2005 ) were met with a little less enthusiasm as the group's sound deviated somewhat from the the formula that worked so well in their debut effort. Fortunately for all us Shpongle fans they are back on track and better than ever. In this mix you can hear tunes from various projects that Simon Posford has been involved in over the last 15 years or so.
Big breath ..... here we go ...
1.Anubis - Invocation - 1998
Members : Simon Posford , Chris Deckker
This is from a compilation titled "Eclipse - A Journey Of Permanence & Impermanence". A really great CD that I highly recommend to anyone who loves long dubby tunes. Chris Deckker doesn't seem to be producing tunes anymore however as founder of "Earthdance" I'm sure he is very busy. Earthdance, the Global Dance Festival for Peace has grown to become the world's largest simultaneous music and dance event. Founded in 1996, with 22 cities and 18 countries participating, Earthdance has grown to over 200 locations in 50 countries. Every year, in alignment with the International Day of Peace, over 200,000 people unite in dance with hundreds of thousands more joining online in support of global peace, sustainable culture and humanitarian aims.
2. North Central Positronics - Smell The Glove ( Slight Return ) - 1994
Members : Simon Posford , Ben Kempton
Possibly the earliest ambient work in my Simon Posford collection this one. Simon Posford teams up with Ben Kempton, who also did some additional production work on the original Posford goatrance tune "LSD" that became a monster hit back in the mid 90s. This is really a lovely tune that hints at what is to come from Posford's ambient work in the following years. Track down the release if you can as there is an awesome thumping old-school goa tune on it called "The Great Bear".
3. Binah - Crescent Suns - 1999
Members : Simon Posford, George Barker & Jewel Stanbridge
A somewhat Shponglishy sound in this tune and another step in the evolution of Simon Posford's swirly synth based psychedelia. From the "Caribbean Eclipse" compilation released by Flying Rhino Records. I quite like Jewel's vocals - almost Bjork-like. Check out her MySpace page for more music from this Swedish goddess. George Barker is a member of psytrance superstars Slinky Wizard. This was the only tune that they created - such a shame really.
4. Hallucinogen - The Herb Garden - 1999
Members : Simon Posford
Hallucinogen , Simon Posford's solo trance project had been around since 1994 ,producing goatrance tunes that were melting brains around the world. This little gem of a tune popped up in 1999 and showed us just how wacky and brilliant his tunes can be when you strip back the four-four beats. At over 14 minutes long , incredibly, it isn't the longest tune he has produced - more of that later. If you like this then you just have to get a hold of "The Mystery of The Yeti - Part 2" compilation from Tip.World Records. Freakin amazing album for it's time and still delights the senses 10 years later.
5. Walter Ego - We're High - 2000
Members : Simon Posford
I'm not sure if this was actually produced in 2000 but the CD it comes from was released in 2000. It sounds a bit older to me in terms of Posford's production skills for that period. Anyway , this is a nice dub number with a funny bit of sampling from Jurrasic Park. Like Hallucinogen , Walter Ego is another name for Simon's early solo work. Other great tunes include "Dub Stuff" and "Purple Pygmies".
6 . Dub Trees - Magnetica - 2000
Members : Simon Posford, Greg Hunter & Martin Glover
Dub Trees are somewhat something of a psychedelic dub super-group. This tune comes from their phenomenal dubadelic 2000 release titled "Nature Never Did Betray The Heart That Loved Her". Greg Hunter was featured here at PsyAmb back in episode 14 . Martin Glover ( a.k.a Youth ) is known to many psydub fans as the original founding member of Butterfly records , Dragonfly records and Liquid Sound Records. Those three labels released some of the best psychedelic ambient music over the last two decades or so. Dragonfly was also the label through which Posford released his first solo albumn, "Twisted", back in 1995. One could fill an encyclopedia on the life of Youth , his labels , popstar shoulder rubbing etc. so hit up Wikipedia if you want to know more.
7. Purple Om - Armageddon Dub - 1999
Members : Simon Posford , Nick Barber
This is a terrific tune from the "Liquid Dub - Vol 7" compilation albumn. As discussed in episode 14 , "Purple Om" only made one tune however another equally stupendous tune under the name of "Nomads of Dub" was released on the same album. Nick Barber is also a member of "Third Ear Audio" which released one of this year's best albums - the much loved ,self titled "Third Ear Audio" from Dubmission Records.
8. Shpongle - Divine Moments Of Truth - 1998
Members : Simon Posford, Raja Ram
Now we are getting into some serious mind melding melodies here. This comes from the debut "Are You Shpongled ?" album which I'm sure a great many PsyAmb listeners know of and love. There is not much to say here except that it doesn't get much better than this , well perhaps the CD's closing tune "...And The Day Turned To Night" but at close to 20 minutes in length I wasn't about to add that to the mix ;>. I remember some guy did a cool fan video for this song years ago.... ahhh... here is it :
9. Younger Brother - Crumblenaut - 2003
Members : Simon Posford & Benji Vaughn
Formed in 2000, Younger Brother didn't take long to establish themselves as a true musical force on the dance floor and the chillstage. Benji Vaughn had previously been producing loads of psytrance under the name of "Prometheus" but also showed his ambient production skills on the Mystery Of The Yeti album with his track "Under Mount Kailash". The first track the collaboration produced was "Evil & Harm" in 2003. The success of this tune gave them encouragement to continue on and they released their debut album , "A Flock of Bleeps" in 2003. Last year saw the release of their second CD , "Last Days of Gravity" with extra members added to the group and the introduction of more of a live band feel. Think Pink Floyd meets The Cure meets Shpongle.
10. Gargoyles - Evil Do'ers - 2003
Members : Simon Posford & Ott
This was always going to be an interesting project. Ott , fresh after having produced his mega hit remix CD of Hallucinogen tracks called "Hallucinogen In Dub", teamed up with Simon to produce this great squelchy dub tune. Sadly , to this point , only one other tune has been produced by the duo. Ott himself has not ruled out the idea of a Gargoyles project CD however given Simon's workload it may be some years away.
Ott has two of his own CDs available called "Blumenkraft" and "Skylon". Both are fantastic and you can hear plenty of tunes in previous episodes of PsyAmb.
11. Celtic Cross - Jade Gates (Beauty Knows No Pain Mix) - 2009
Members : Simon Posford, Saul Davies & Martin Glover
This is taken from the 2009 remix CD of Celtic Cross' debut release of 1998 titled "Hicksville". Hicksville was released around the same time as Shpongle's debut CD and togther made for many hours of listening pleasure. Martin Glover is back again and this time we are also joined by Saul Davies of UK indies group "James" fame ( I used to really like that band ). The new remixed CD is awesome - everything sounds so much fuller. All the tunes sound like they have gone through a sonic car wash and come out sparkling and rinse free. Recommended.
12. Hallucinogen - LSD (world sheet of closed string mix) - 2002
Members : Simon Posford
This tune is a remix of Hallucinogen's classic goa anthem "LSD" by Ott. I recommend checking out the Twisted Records DVD which contains interviews with various Twisted artists including Ott. On the DVD Ott talks about his work with Simon on making the "In Dub" album that this track comes from , his studio setup and why people can't believe his name in just "Ott" , nothing more , nothing less ... just "Ott". Anyway , the album is simply gorgeous and has some really fat bass dubby remixes throughout. Let's hope for another "In Dub" album by Ott , perhaps after Simon releases the new Hallucinogen album which he is currently working on.
13. Younger Brother - All I Want - 2007
Members : Simon Posford & Benji Vaughn
Another YB track here to provide a bit of contrast to their earlier song. In this tune you can hear how the band has evolved into having more of a typical band type sound but still maintaining the original electronic shenanigans.
In the photo , left , we have Simon in the foreground pondering which nob to twiddle on the mixing desk while Benji reads all the positive feedback the new album is receiving online.
14. Shpongle - Around The World In A Tea Daze (OTT rmx)
Members : Simon Posford, Raja Ram
This is remix by Ott of a track from Shpongle's second album , "Tales of the Inexpressible". To some the second album was a bit of a dissapointment and I must admit I too felt a bit let down initially. Gone were the long hypnotic trance inducing excursions and in their place we had shorter tunes with more traditional instrumentation. It was obvious to many Shpongle fans that the group was aiming for a more universal appeal by doing away with the way out psychedelia of the debut CD. Still there were one or two great tunes on their but I much prefer this remix by Ott.
15. Shpongle - Circuits Of The Imagination/Linguistic Mystic/Mentalism - 2001
Members : Simon Posford, Raja Ram
Shpongle's third album saw the group change their sound once again. In an attempt to get back to their original sound from their debut they ditched the traditional instruments and came up with a full on experimental electronic psychedelic extravaganza. This was much more like it ! Only disappointment was that the songs them selves were quite short and sometimes the sonic experimentation went a bit over the top. Still , most people agreed that it was a stronger effort this time around.
16. Shpongle - I Am You - 2009
Members : Simon Posford, Raja Ram
What a delight this song is. Full of glimmering melodies , mind warping percussion and ethereal vocals , "I Am You" is but one of the many standout tunes on the fourth and latest Shpongle album "Ineffable Mysteries" . Shpongle are back in a big , big way ! Possibly my album of the year. You can listen to samples of the albumn on line at the Twisted Records website.
I recommend getting yourself a quality pair of headphones , a nice comfortable place to rest without distractions and listen to this CD from start to finish. The production levels are through the roof . Each microsecond of sound clearly and crisply manifests within your mind. I The sheer amount of different sounds going on is phenomenal. A+
17. Hallucinogen - E - 2001
Members : Simon Posford
This is taken from the Tip.World concept compilation titled "Twelve". Very Eno-esque if you ask me. I think it's a nice one to cool things off with. I wouldn't mind seeing Simon do an entire album of music in this style. Perhaps a new solo project ?
Well , there you have it. A brief look into the musical mind of Simon Posford. There were so many tunes I wanted to add to this mix but for purposes of download speeds and disk space limits and what have you I just couldn't fit any more in, no matter how "waffer thin" they were. Perhaps a "part 2" in the future. I hope you enjoy it. For now , peace to you all and spread the Shpongle love and light.
Artist - Track
- 01. Anubis - Invocation
- 02. North Central Positronics - Smell The Glove (Slight Return)
- 03. Binah - Crescent Suns
- 04. Hallucinogen - The Herb Garden
- 05. Walter Ego - We're High
- 06. Dub Trees - Magnetica
- 07. Purple Om - Armageddon Dub
- 08. Shpongle - DMT Divine Moments Of Truth
- 09. Younger Brother - Crumblenaut
- 10. Gargoyles - Evil Do'ers
- 11. Celtic Cross - Jade Gates (Beauty Knows No Pain Mix)
- 12. Hallucinogen - LSD (world sheet of closed string mix)
- 13. Younger Brother - All I Want
- 14. Shpongle - Around The World In A Tea Daze (OTT rmx)
- 15. Shpongle - Circuits Of The Imagination/Linguistic Mystic/Mentalism
- 16. Shpongle - I Am You
- 17. Hallucinogen - E
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applied science
(Redirected from Engineer)
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes.
- Quotes are arranged alphabetically by author
fhhhfhhv cdfgbv30214-N-DU438-007.jpg|thumb|Engineering is too important to wait for science. ~ Benoît Mandelbrot]]
- Incorrigible humanity, therefore, led astray by the giant Nimrod, presumed in its heart to outdo in skill not only nature but the source of its own nature, who is God; and began to build a tower in Sennaar, which afterwards was called Babel (that is, 'confusion'). By this means human beings hoped to climb up to heaven, intending in their foolishness not to equal but to excel their creator.
- Dante Alighieri, De vulgari eloquentia, Chapter VII
- Only among those who were engaged in a particular activity did their language remain unchanged; so, for instance, there was one for all the architects, one for all the carriers of stones, one for all the stone-breakers, and so on for all the different operations. As many as were the types of work involved in the enterprise, so many were the languages by which the human race was fragmented; and the more skill required for the type of work, the more rudimentary and barbaric the language they now spoke. But the holy tongue remained to those who had neither joined in the project nor praised it, but instead, thoroughly disdaining it, had made fun of the builders' stupidity.
- Dante Alighieri, De vulgari eloquentia, Chapter VII
- When I looked at the science of engineering and saw that it had disappeared after its ancient heritage, that its masters have perished, and that their memories are now forgotten, I worked my wits and thoughts in secrecy about philosophical shapes and figures, which could move the mind, with effort, from nothingness to being and from idleness to motion. And I arranged these shapes one by one in drawings and explained them
- Al-Muradi, The Book of Secrets in the Results of Ideas, 11th century; Translated and cited at leonardo3.net/bookofsecrets/index, 2015
- [Engineering concerns] the creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation and safety to life and property."
- American Engineers' Council for Professional Development (1941) as cited in: Danny Greefhorst, Erik Proper (2011) Architecture Principles: The Cornerstones of Enterprise Architecture. p. 9
- The civil engineer is the real 19th century architect.
- William Burges in: The Ecclesiologist, Vol. 28, 1867, p. 156:
- Engineers should press forward with development to meet the diversified needs of people
- Harold Chestnut (1981) attributed in: Dr. Harold Chestnut: 1981 Honda Prize Laureate in: Honda Prize Ecotechnology Quote
- A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering.
- Freeman Dyson in Freeman J. Dyson. Disturbing the universe. Harper & Row. ISBN 978-0-06-090771-6.
- I was originally supposed to become an engineer but the thought of having to expend my creative energy on things that make practical everyday life even more refined, with a loathsome capital gain as the goal, was unbearable to me.
- Albert Einstein to Heinrich Zangger, ca. August 1918. CPAE, Vol. 8, Doc. 597
- As quoted in Albert Einstein; Alice Calaprice; Freeman Dyson (14 July 2011). The Ultimate Quotable Einstein. Princeton University Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-691-13817-6. Retrieved on 30 December 2011.
- There are two laws discrete,
Not reconciled,—
Law for man, and law for thing;
The last builds town and fleet,
But it runs wild,
And doth the man unking.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ode, Inscrproblem of economic production.
- Halbert Powers Gillette (1910). cited in: T.J. Hoover & J.C. Lounsbury Fish. The Engineering Profession. Stanford University Press, 1941. p. 463
- The metalworker encourages the goldsmith,
and the one who smooths with the hammer
spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.
One says of the welding, "It is good."
The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.
- It is a fight to the death between Big Oil and everybody else. Everybody else will benefit from HSR (high speed rail). It cleans up the air. It opens up all kind of new possibilities where you can live a more affordable life and get jobs further away... Everyone is going to benefit, except the oil industry, and that's where the problem is.... There are some major changes needed to our transportation sector, which means that we need to electrify it. That will mean a whole lot of work for engineers... This is a huge project that the engineering profession needs to step up and be the leaders on.
It's not just an opportunity that means lots of jobs. It means the engineering profession gets to be front and center when solving this humongous problem that everyone looks at as almost unsolvable. It's not unsolvable. It's very solvable..
- Andy Kunz, president of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSRA) quoted ih public consent, public approval and often public money.
- John Prebble, in Disaster at Dundee, 1956. p. 16
- As a guide to engineering ethics, I should like to commend to you a liberal adaptation of the injunction contained in the oath of Hippocrates that the professional man do nothing that will harm his client. Since engineering is a profession which affects the material basis of everyone's life, there is almost always an unconsulted third party involved in any contact between the engineer and those who employ him — and that is the country, the people as a whole. These, too, are the engineer's clients, albeit involuntarily. Engineering ethics ought therefore to safeguard their interests most carefully. Knowing more about the public effects his work will have, the engineer ought to consider himself an "officer of the court" and keep the general interest always in mind.
- Hyman G. Rickover in: The Rickover Effect (1992) by Theodore Rockwell.
S - ZEdit
- A key characteristic of the engineering culture is that the individual engineer's commitment is to technical challenge rather than to a given company. There is no intrinsic loyalty to an employer as such. An employer is good only for providing the sandbox in which to play. If there is no challenge or if resources fail to be provided, the engineer will seek employment elsewhere. In the engineering culture, people, organization, and bureaucracy are constraints to be overcome. In the ideal organization everything is automated so that people cannot screw it up. There is a joke that says it all. A plant is being managed by one man and one dog. It is the job of the man to feed the dog, and it is the job of the dog to keep the man from touching the equipment. Or, as two Boeing engineers were overheard to say during a landing at Seattle, "What a waste it is to have those people in the cockpit when the plane could land itself perfectly well." Just as there is no loyalty to an employer, there is no loyalty to the customer. As we will see later, if trade-offs had to be made between building the next generation of "fun" computers and meeting the needs of "dumb" customers who wanted turnkey products, the engineers at DEC always opted for technological advancement and paid attention only to those customers who provided a technical challenge.
- Edgar H. Schein (2010). Dec Is Dead, Long Live Dec: The Lasting Legacy of Digital Equiment Corporation. p. 60
- A man should build a house with his own hands before he calls himself an engineer.
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1963), One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, p. 98
- Engineering: The art of organizing and directing men, and of controlling the forces and materials of nature for the benefit of the human race.
- Henry Gordon Stott. Presidential address, 1908, to American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Cited in: Halbert Powers Gillette (1920) Engineering and Contracting. Vol. 54. p. 97
- Also attributed to National Engineering Societies Library (1907) in: T.J. Hoover & J.C. Lounsbury Fish. The Engineering Profession. Stanford University Press, 1941. p. 463
- Any job I do—if it doesn't work, somebody pays. Possibly hundreds or thousands of somebodies. That's the price of good engineering; nobody notices you did your job right.
- Charles Stross, Singularity Sky (2003), Chapter 5
- Engineering is the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man.
- Thomas Tredgold (1828), used in the Royal Charter of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) published in: The Times, London, article CS102127326, 30 June 1828.
- These experiences are not 'religious' in the ordinary sense. They are natural, and can be studied naturally. They are not 'ineffable' in the sense the sense of incommunicable by language. Maslow also came to believe that they are far commoner than one might expect, that many people tend to suppress them, to ignore them, and certain people seem actually afraid of them, as if they were somehow feminine, illogical, dangerous. 'One sees such attitudes more often in engineers, in mathematicians, in analytic philosophers, in book keepers and accountants, and generally in obsessional people'.
The peak experience tends to be a kind of bubbling-over of delight, a moment of pure happiness. 'For instance, a young mother scurrying around her kitchen and getting breakfast for her husband and young children. The sun was streaming in, the children clean and nicely dressed, were chattering as they ate. The husband was casually playing with the children: but as she looked at them she was suddenly so overwhelmed with their beauty and her great love for them, and her feeling of good fortune, that she went into a peak experience . . .
- Colin Wilson in New Pathways In Psychology, p. 17


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I believe that, back in the dim and ill-storied pre-history of this blog, I promised a forthcoming review of this very novel. My somewhat eccentric grasp of the word 'forthcoming' notwithstanding, here is that very review. Not before time, but why unduly rush a good thing?
Gail Carriger's first novel in her "Parasol Protectorate" series of Steampunk/Paranormal Romance/Historical tales concerns the adventures of Victorian spinster Alexia Tarabotti, the unfashionably free-thinking and vaguely tolerated eldest daughter of a well-to-do family who has secrets.
Preternatural, 'I don't actually have a soul'-type secrets. The sort that can really put a crimp in one's social standing and must be kept under wraps at all costs. Putting aside the notion that the soul is kind of a nebulous, hard-to-grasp concept that you might not really believe in, making Alexia devoid of a soul does serve a neat, plot-friendly purpose in this novel, as it's her most effective weapon against the other supernatural creatures walking openly through Carriger's subtly be-Steampunked Victorian London.
You see, Vampires and Werewolves are out of the closet in this series and don't skulk in the shadows as they would in other fantasy novels – they're tolerated, if not entirely accepted, and quite the fashionable inclusion at society parties, albeit under certain strictures and with the eye of civil service-like organisations always on them.
Alexia's path towards ignoble and anonymous spinsterdom is interrupted rudely by a vampire attack at a social occasion, a state of affairs made much worse by the unfortunate fact that the vampire in question is a rove (or unregistered) creature of the night. It's just not the done thing to have a vampire roaming the streets of London who doesn't belong to a hive and who isn't under the strict command of a queen – so the question on Alexia's lips (after she accidentally stakes the creature with her trusty parasol) is 'where did he come from?'.
And that's the jumping off point for the book – somebody in London is very interested in creating supernatural creatures and nobody – not annoyingly sexy Scottish Alpha Werewolf Conall Maccon, nor socially connected, camp-as-Christmas Vampire Lord Akeldama – knows what's going on and the local Vampire Hive is acting as only Vampire societies in genre fiction can do (by being uptight, nose-in-the-air ancient elitists who want to handle their own murky business and don't mind if that means that blameless folk die whilst they get to the bottom of things).
Stating upfront that I genuinely enjoyed the novel – I've got the next two books in the series in my bedside reading pile, all ready to go – I do have some minor reservations to address about the book.
A minor thing for me – the male characters are a little too archetypal at times. Lord Akeldama, Alexia's vampire confidante, is the camp, fashion-fixated Creature of the Night who is equal parts Perez Hilton-esque, networking gossip monger and scheming supernatural king-maker and is accordingly politely ostracised by the society he finds himself in – too supernatural for the night-time world, not proper enough for the daytime establishment. If your Character Generator bingo card has Akeldama firmly in the 'Fabulous, Fierce and Fanged' category, be sure to tick it off now.
Maccon the werewolf is a rough-around-the-edges Scotsman whose habit for speaking his mind puts him on the outs with the genteel social circles which he finds himself moving in. He's a sketch rather than a character, but he does become more likeable as the book draws on – and I enjoyed the way that Alexia's preternatural talent (she can stop vampires in their tracks by touching them, likewise reversing lycanthropic effects in one so cursed by being in physical contact) prevented him from fulfilling the 'lusty Celtic rogue' template which he could otherwise have fallen into.
I had to keep reminding myself that a large aspect of the book is its treatment of romance and relationships in a time where no easy roadmap for such territory existed and perhaps my misgivings are drawn from the fact that I don't usually read fiction where love and sex (or the confusions which arise thereafter) figure greatly.
One thing which irked me, which isn't due to my gender or previous reading habits, is some of the language used by characters. A defensive fan might cite the fact that this novel has a sense of anachronism about it by virtue of having Steampunk elements in play and so some relaxation of concern for the speech patterns and idioms of the characters is fair.
Nice try, but no – as it were – cigar.
Even in this period of time, no British person of my acquaintance would use the word 'figure' in the context of discovering or mentally juggling with a complex issue. We don't 'figure things out' – we work things out or solve a problem. It's a minor point but it jumps out at a British reader, particularly as the world being drawn is so particular to our history and sense of ourselves. I know that Alexia is partly of Italian parentage but we're never told that she's had any particular contact with America, Americans or American vernacular so it just seems jarring to have her (and other characters) use linguistic forms which probably hadn't been devised yet.
I know that this is nit-picking of the most mundane variety but it did distract me and it may do the same for you, too.
That minor issue done and dusted with, I have to say that I really enjoyed and recommend the book to you if you like your adventures fast-paced, romantic and witty. It's a very well-paced and energetic novel which has to undertake some world-building initially but does so in a really fairly subtle, quick way which doesn't burden the reader with retaining lots of information Which Will Become More Important Later On.
I've jumped into the next book in the series, "Changeless", and in the 10 to 15 pages that I've read so far Ms Carriger has addressed some of the issues that I've had with the language and tone of the characters – it reads as the work of somebody who is more comfortable with her characters, with the idioms she's choosing to work with and knows that she has a readership who is going to follow Alexia Tarrabotti's adventures wherever they might lead.


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No matter how green you think you are, there's probably one hallowed place where concern for the environment doesn't even enter your mind: the bathroom. It's almost certain that the roll of toilet paper you're using is made not of recycled fiber but from felled trees often from North America's virgin forests, which are as rare as they are rich in wildlife. "The paper industry is the No. 1 industrial pressure on forests," says Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). "Using toilet paper made from virgin trees is the paper-industry equivalent of driving a Hummer."
Americans don't need to use an SUV every time they go to the bathroom. Which helps explain why this spring a mainstream brand, Scott, started offering toilet paper made with 40% recycled fiber. Switching to such material could make a big difference: the NRDC estimates that if every household in the U.S. replaced just one 500-sheet roll of virgin-fiber TP a year with a roll made from 100% recycled paper, nearly 425,000 trees would be saved annually. (See pictures of the world's most polluted places.)
Hence Greenpeace's four-year-long campaign to pressure paper companies like Kimberly-Clark which makes Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle, among other brands to stop cutting down virgin forests. Says Lindsey Allen, Greenpeace's forest campaigner: "We know it's possible to act differently."
It's possible but few Americans are doing it. Toilet paper containing 100% recycled fiber makes up less than 2% of the U.S. market, while sales of three-ply luxury brands like Cottonelle Ultra and Charmin Ultra Soft shot up 40% in 2008. Compare the U.S. desire for an ever plusher flush with the more austere bathroom habits of Europe and Latin America, where recycled TP makes up about 20% of the at-home market. Recycled material simply can't match the level of comfort that virgin fiber provides and that U.S. consumers have come to expect. "They won't go for a green product unless you can make it equal to or better than the conventional alternative," says Kimberly-Clark spokesman Dave Dickson.
So is there a decent hybrid? Not from an environmental perspective. Greenpeace isn't a fan of Scott's new Naturals line because less than half the toilet paper is recycled material and because its manufacturer has yet to adopt a less toxic bleaching process. And the group is only lukewarm about Marcal's Small Steps, which is 100% recycled but contains less than 50% postconsumer material, i.e., the paper you recycle at the office as opposed to scraps from manufacturing and other sources that have never been processed into consumer goods.
It's hard to argue against Greenpeace for taking such a hard line. Yes, recycled TP is not the world's softest, but next time you're on the can, ask yourself whether it's really worth tapping an ancient forest to create the ultimate disposable product.
See pictures of the effects of global warming.


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Have a look at their website to find out more about the other winners from Canada, USA, UK and about the company.
Have a look at their website to find out more about the other winners from Canada, USA, UK and about the company.
If you wish to contact me please do so on the following email address
"Photography has broken free from being secondary and imitating the techniques of etching, painting or carpet-making. Having found its own way it is blossoming and fresh breezes bring a scent that is particular only to photography. New possibilities lie ahead."
Alexander Rodchenko, for the Soviertskoye foto, 31st October 1934.
"It is the artist's job to stay ahead of the curve, producing complex and nuanced worked that advance discourse. And it is the critic's job to see the contained, not the container, and to produce a more accurate and generative framework for understanding the diversity and complexity of contemporary photographic practices."
Carter Mull, notes in reponse to "foRm" by Kevin Moore.
"Farewell to my only friend
You've been so good to me
Now the carnival has ended
Let's set the tigers free"
Lyrics by Villagers
"Spanning many years, this epic tale of determination leaves a rousing message: be true to yourself and your dreams and one day, you shall succeed. Even if success means merely taking a decent picture of your best friend."
Erik Kessels
" a vast methodical fragment of an unknown planet's entire history, with its architecture and its playing cards, with the dread of its mythologies and the murmur of its languages."
Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius – Jorge Luis Borges
"To live,' wrote Pessoa in his posthumously published The Book of Disquiet (1982), 'is to be someone else.' Oscar Wilde's famous dictum is also apt here: 'Man', he wrote, 'is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."
Jennifer Higgie, Frieze Editors Blog about Krakow Photomonth.
"We have an internet full of inspiration: The profound, the beautiful, the disturbing, the ridiculous, the trivial, the vernacular and the intimate. We have next-to-nothing cameras that record the lightest light, the darkest dark. This technological potential has creative consequences. It changes our sense of what it means to make. It results in work that feels like play, work that turns old into new elevates the banal...."
"Look after me and I will look after you
That's something we both forgot to do
I find it hard to see your face,
Cannot remember it well enough, only the details such, then I see it in my head,
When I am with you its familiar and beautiful, and?
As night comes in I know it better, seeing it clear again."
Lyrics by Hot Chip
"I am the servant of my practice, it's an adventure."
" with its emperors ad its seas, with its minerals and its birds and its fish, with its algebra and its fire, with its theological and metaphysical controversy."
Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius – Jorge Luis Borges
"Sometimes when I get overexcited about this dematerialized moment, I think, 'Could you consider photography as a way of thinking?"
Charlotte Cotton, from a conversation with Aaron Schuman in What's Next
"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
"If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done."
Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)
"And beyond the considered post, there is a need for even slower forms of communication like the research report, the documentary story and even (god forbid!) the academic monograph. These "old media" (a problematic concept, but more on that later) are essential because "new media" (an equally problematic concept) depend upon them for the material they re-mediate and circulate."
David Campbell, from Twitter test article, 13th May 2009
"The true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths."
Wrote Bruce Nauman, in a 1967 neon sign.
"I know a way out!
If you catch my drift
"Hold it close to your heart
Let's just breathe
So just count it off
The worst is over
At worst we standstill
Through the night"
Lyrics by The Morning Benders
Lyrics by Bright Eyes
"With tricky subject matter, there is always a delicacy and often an idiosyncrasy to Wolfgang's eye that belongs only to him."
"All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"Everybody knows, Everybody knows, Everybody knows, You only live a day
Lyrics by Elliot Smith
"No one ever imagined that Polaroid would go bankrupt," William Ewing, director of Lausanne's Musée de l'Elysée,"It's like imagining Apple [computers] not being with us in 2025."
"Artists to my mind are the real architects of change, and not the political legislators who implement change after the fact."
William S. Burroughs
"The art of storytelling is reaching its end because the epic side of truth, wisdom, is dying out."
Walter Benjamin
"The truth is that there is no terror untempered by some great moral idea."
Jean-Luc Godard
"……ontologically, a photograph is a unique kind of picture, but a picture nonetheless, one that has radically transformed the piece of the world it describes, whether for artistic or journalistic or any other ends, but (obviously) has not transported it out of its picture-state into some nebulous truth-state."
Tod Papageorge and the 'truth' of photography, January 8th 2010
"There are moments that I've had some real brilliance, you know, but I think they are moments. And sometimes, in a career, moments are enough."
Dennis Hooper died 29th May 2010.
"Miss me - but let me go
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room.
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little--but not too long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me--but let me go……"
Mary Frye (Proposed authorship as it is contested)
"The reasons for which 'this' world has been characterized as 'apparent' are the very reasons which indicate its reality; any other kind of reality is absolutely indemonstrable."
"The reasons for which 'this' world has been characterized as 'apparent' are the very reasons which indicate its reality; any other kind of reality is absolutely indemonstrable."
From Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols, ch.3, s.6, Walter Kaufmann translation.
From Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols, ch.3, s.6, Walter Kaufmann translation.
"My painting is visible images which conceal nothing; they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question 'What does that mean'? It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable."
René Magritte
"Why does man not see things? He is himself standing in the way: he conceals things."
From Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols, ch.3, s.6, Walter Kaufmann translation.
There is only one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad."
Salvador Dali, From Diary of a Genius.
"Modernity radically alters the nature of day-to-day social life and affects the most personal aspects of our experience."
Anthony Giddens, Introduction, "Modernity and Self Identity", 1991.
"Now here we are, enjoying this part of his work. Images like clouds of butterflies around the eyes of someone who felt the brevity of life, a perception unconnected with his illness, which as yet lay in the future, but linked to his awareness that everything is made up of fleeting glances, to be kept close at hand for a journey that sometimes get rough."
Tonino Guerra, "A fond farewell, Instant Light, Tarkovsky Polaroids", 2004.
"You realise that you can't represent reality at all- that what you make represents nothing but itself, and therefore is itself reality."
Gerhard Richter, Exert taken from the Exhibition catalogue from "Gerhard Richter Portraits" at National Portrait Gallery, 2009.
"An artistic image
is one that ensures its own development
its historical viability.
An image is a grain,
A self-evolving retroactive organism.
It is a symbol of the actual life,
As opposed to life itself.
Life contains death.
An image of life, by contrast,
Excludes it, or else sees in it
A unique potential
For the affirmation of life."
Pg 56, "Instant Light, Tarkovsky Polaroids", 2004.
"Art becomes a nostalgia for a potential experience, for what we might have had and might have experienced."
Martin Heidegger, quote taken from an interview with John Stezaker.
"In all arts there is a physical component which can no longer be considered or treated as it used to be, which cannot remain unaffected by our modern knowledge and power……We must expect great innovations to transform the entire technique of the arts….."
Paul Valéry, 'La Conquéte de l'abiquité,' Paris. Taken from Pg. 211 "The Work of Art in the Age of mechanical reproduction." Illuminations, Walter Benjamin, 1968.
"as the leaves of the hedge store the light
that the moment thought it had lost
as the nest of her wrists beats like the chest of a wren in the turning air
as the chorus of the earth find their eye in the sky
and unwrap them to each other in the teeming dark
hold everything dear"
Gareth Evans, 19th May 2005, taken from "Hold everything dear; Dispatches on survival and resistance" by John Berger" 2007.


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Well, that didn't last very long.
Three weeks after boasting about her engagement to boyfriend William "Willie" Wilkerson, the Queen of Soul has put the brakes on her wedding plans.
"Will and I have decided we were moving a little too fast," Aretha Franklin said in a statement Monday. "There were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly."
U.S. & World
What she had thought through quite thoroughly was the ceremony itself. Shortly after New Year's, Franklin told the media that she was considering a summer wedding in Miami, a Vera Wang (or Valentino or Donna Karan) dress, and a reception on a private yacht.
It's not clear if the 69-year-old has cut ties with her beau completely.
"We will not comment on it any further because of the very personal and sensitive nature of it. We appreciate all of the many well wishes from friends."
Perhaps the recent spate of short-lived marriages (Sinead O'Connor, 16 days; Kim Kardashian, 72 days; Katy Perry; 14 months) inspired the "Respect" singer think more critically about her plans.
This would have been Franklin's third marriage.


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16 April 2015 - STAMFORD, Conn. and LUCCA, Italy.
Former Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver and 'Invincible' Inspiration Vince Papale Will Keynote Tagetik North America User Conference
Two day event will highlight Tagetik's latest product and technology innovations and trends in cloud, mobility, and analytics
Tagetik, a visionary leader in global performance management software solutions, today announced it will host its North America User Conference from April 23-24 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. During the event, CFOs and finance professionals will learn about recent advancements to Tagetik's corporate performance management solution, and gain better understanding as to how even the most complex finance organizations can take advantage of the cloud, resulting in reduced risk and greater efficiency.
The conference will include five tracks over the course of two days with more than 20 sessions focused on helping finance professionals discover the latest best practices and processes to address their specific needs. Sessions offer a deep dive into Tagetik Cloud and how to best optimize and leverage Tagetik's CPM software solution for budgeting, planning, forecasting, financial close and reporting. The conference will also highlight financial analytics including Tagetik's native capabilities and partnerships with Microsoft, SAP and Qlik.
"We are excited to showcase Tagetik's new features and highlight the tremendous benefits our customers receive by using our corporate performance management platform," said Manuel Vellutini, co-CEO, Tagetik. "We've incorporated a mix of formats, including thought leader presentations and interactive roundtables, to further create an engaging and collaborative event atmosphere with meaningful and valuable discussions."
"Our user conference is a way to add value to Tagetik's solutions and services by sharing with our customers the various capabilities, and some underutilized functionality, which can take their budgeting, planning, consolidation, disclosure and additional financial processes to the next level," said Marco Pierallini, co-CEO, Tagetik. "Finance executives have a multitude of obstacles to conquer. Our goal is to help overcome them and reach higher standards of excellence and innovation."
In addition to exploring the hurdles that the office of finance encounters, attendees will hear from the inspirational keynote speaker, Vince Papale, former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver on whom the Disney movie Invincible was based. Vince is a sought after speaker whose rise from obscurity to NFL team captain personifies what it means to defy the odds with sheer determination, unrelenting focus and hard work.
Financial leaders from Altair Engineering, LAZ Parking, LS travel retail North America, Luminator Technology, Nelnet, Rabobank Consolidated US Operations, Resources Global Professionals North America, The Gorman-Rupp Company, The Parking Spot, Vinson & Elkins and Timex Group will be among those in attendance. Customers from last year's conference rated the overall value of the event at 95 percent, and 100 percent of those surveyed said they would attend again.
In tandem with the conference, Tagetik will also be hosting a company-wide charity run the afternoon of April 22, benefiting the local Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. The run will begin at the Ritz-Carlton and end at the top steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a world-renowned landmark.
The conference is expected to draw more than 100 attendees, including customers, partners and financial industry professionals.
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Actresses are constantly talking about their diet and fitness routines, but very rarely does one actually reveal their exact weight.
Which is why Allure's decision to print Zoe Saldana's three-digit number on their cover has created quite the stir.
NEWS: Wendy Williams talks 20-Pound weight loss
U.S. & World
The cover line question reads: "Zoe Saldana: 115 Pounds of Grit And Heartache." Then, inside the issue the star's tiny figure is on full display as she poses nude in the mag.
NEWS: Zoe says she "worships men"
This caption has set the internet into a tizzy over the glorification of such a wee number, especially in the already thin-obsessed culture that is Hollywood.
Of course, it doesn't help that the big reveals comes during the same Star Trek: Into Darkness press tour in which Zoe's costar Alice Eve revealed she ate nothing but spinach for five months in order to slim down for the film.
NEWS: Alice talks about her clumspy moment on-set
To be fair, Zoe isn't a fan of crash diets and her own fitness choices seem to air on the more balanced side of things. In 2011 she told Women's Health her workout includes Pilates three times a week.
She also dished to O, The Oprah Magazine about splurging on greasy takeout while at home. "There's nothing like New York Chinese food!" she said.
So the actress herself is clearly not to blame for the promotion of her very thin physique.
Do you think it was unnecessary or an irresponsible move on Allure's part?


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Hi everyone. Let's take a look at the last year and what's coming up next year.
Tickling Butterflies
During 2013, I serialized at this website my epic fantasy novel, Tickling Butterflies.
The book follows King John, who was born with a prophecy of death over his head. King John struggles to save The Land of All Legends by finding out all its secrets. In doing so, he follows the fairy tales back to their source: the magical planet Earth.
Tickling Butterflies is made out of 128 separate fairy tales that together form one epic story.
The Indestructibles
In 2013, I finished work on The Indestructibles, an independent, underground science fiction web-series. The Indestructibles premiered in UtopiaFest 2013 as a short film.
You can see all 7 episodes at The Indestructibles website, here.
New Worlds Comics
In 2013 I started a comic book company called New Worlds Comics. New Worlds Comics should premiere by February, 2014. The plan is to create some of the best fantasy and science fiction around, in both story and art. Four different series are in the works. Here are some teaser covers from the first two series: Wynter, a dark SF story, and Goof, a superhero comedy.
Stories in Russian
Hatchling, which has already appeared in four languages (I think), was translated into Russian and won Best Translated Story category in the Today Is Tomorrow competition. This led to two more stories that have appeared in Russian and more on the way.
Digital Kingmakers
The online magazine, SF Signal, was kind enough to allow me to publish a trilogy of 3 humorous SF stories, masquerading as non-fiction articles, all having to do with a high-tech company called Digital Kingmakers.
Each of the posts was chosen by the magazine as one of the best posts of that month. And recently, 2 of the 3 articles appeared in SF Signal's list of Top 25 Guest Posts of 2013.
Here are links to all 3 articles in order:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Neil Gaiman, and Guy Hasson Walk into a Bar…
How to Blow the Minds of SF Fans
What to Look Forward to in the Beginning of 2014?
- We're going to launch New Worlds Comics.
- Tickling Butterflies is going to come out in hard cover in Israel.
- In 2014, in a few weeks, I'm going to serialize my science fiction novel for young adults, Life: the Video Game, which was originally published by Bitan Publishers in 2003. You're going to love the premise.


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New model computers are introduced in Sahuarita Arizona daily. You may love a certain brand and purchase it. But if you forget or be careless about repairing and maintaining them then you will face various technical problems.
Computers are machines made of electronic parts. It's a machine which includes both software and hardware. If there isn't proper maintenance your computer will fail to operate and you may end up with data loss and other critical errors.
If you need best computer repair and maintenance services in Sahuarita , DataMetrics™ is at your service. We are world's best technicians. We provide unlimited tech support. DataMetrics™ guarantees you an outstanding experience. Register with us as a customer and we will show you the true essence of remote computer support.
Laptop Repairs
Laptop repair isn't always easy, but sometimes it can be. If the laptop isn't under warranty and you dont feel comfortable replacing some of these parts yourself, youll have to find a professional to do it. If you only want to upgrade then you cant send it back to the manufacturer and you'll have to find a tech to do it. You can bring it to a well known retailer like Best Buy and have their Geek Squad work on it since they're pretty well trained and always do a good job on repairs, or you can find a professional someplace else to do it for you.
Easy to replace parts:
Wireless adapter- if your wireless stops working for some reason, you can just go out and get a USB wireless adapter or a PCMCIA wireless adapter to put in the card slot.
RAM/Memory- Memory is pretty easy to install and fairly inexpensive. In many cases, you can drastically improve the performance of your laptop just by adding some more memory. Most places that sell laptops can install it for you, or if you feel comfortable installing it yourself you can put it in. There's an enclosure on the bottom that you unscrew in order to install the memory.
Hard Drive: A hard drive can be a little more tricky to upgrade. If your hard drive gets corrupted, youll probably lose most of your data unless a professional can recover it. Then you'd just have to toss it out and buy a new one and have it installed. The #1 reason for hard drive corruption is abuse, so be careful with your laptop if you want to keep your hard drive safe. If you just want to uprgrade to have more space, first youd need to back up your data and then take the old drive out and put the new one in. A hard drive upgrade is similar to a RAM upgrade. There is an enclosure usually on the bottom that contains the hard drive. In Gateway laptops it's usually in the front for easy access.
Not so easy to replace parts:
For these repairs you'll definitely have to take it to a professional, or sometimes it'll actually be more worth it and less hassle just to junk it and buy a new one
CPU: If you want to upgrade the CPU in your laptop, you're going to have a hard time because usually the motherboard has to be changed as well. You'd be better off just buying a new laptop. On the other hand, if your processor goes bad for some strange reason and you want to install the same one or even a higher speed version of the same processor, it is doable. Youll probably have to ship it out or find a professional to do this.
Motherboard: Upgrading or replacing the motherboard can be a hassle as well, and costly. Again, you'd probably be better off just buying a new laptop unless you have a good warranty and you're willing to go through the hassle of shipping it out.
Keyboard Keys: When a key pops off the keyboard, it usually cant be put back on, so if your laptop is under warranty youll need to send it out for repair. Otherwise you can take it to a tech and have them order the keys you need.
Graphics card: Since laptops dont have as much room as a desktop computer, the graphics card is usually integrated onto the motherboard. If you really think it's worth it to spend the money and replace the guts of your laptop, go right ahead. Otherwise I'd say buy a new laptop with a very good graphics card so you'll never feel the need to upgrade.
Various other upgrades and add-ons can be done through USB or the PCMCIA card slot. For example, if you get more involved with things like sound and video, there are certain expansion cards you can buy depending on what you're trying to accomplish. They're usually plug and play and very easy to install.
The Importance of Laptop Repair
The cyber-world is full of threats such as viruses, spyware, Trojans, Worms and etc. These can affect your PC and even steal your personal information. These cyber-threats can cause huge dilemmas to your PC. Always have an anti-virus guard installed. Upgrade the program and schedule regular updates. Your software's database should be updated for a full-protection.
Laptop Backlight Repair In Sahuarita Arizona
As my life has drastically changed in the last 5 years I have had to look into new outlets for making money. In my spare time I began researching different ideas on the web and tried to find something I could really relate to. I'd like to tell you I had success from the start but unfortunately it was quite the long road before I began to see any substantial return.
Recently I was looking online for a way to repair my laptop and stumbled upon a laptop repair training course. After doing some research it seemed that the program was actually legit and it sparked a business idea for me. I figured if I could learn how to effectively repair laptops and than I could have a very lucrative trade in our heavily computerized world.
Once I get the wheels turning it is usually hard to stop me and I downloaded the course within the next few days and began to study relentlessly. I must say overall I was very impressed with the course and it gave me a solid foundation to take off with. The videos are 10 hours long consisting of 40 different parts and really help you get the fundamentals of laptop repair down as well as an understanding for some of the more common issues.
At first I started small and just helped with friends laptops before actually fixing anything for a fee. I would definitely recommend you take it slow with this process and get your hands on a few laptops first before you get to the business side of things. There is no need to overwhelm yourself from the beginning, just take on the first task of learning the trade and move forward from there.
You can also find several other resources on the web for repairing computers, but this is definitely a great pace to start. If you decide to give it a go than the learning process will be ongoing and you will always have to be searching for information on specific models and brands because each machine is always different. One of the great things about fixing laptops and the video series I watched is that it really helps you get the fundamentals down with the inner workings of a laptop and teaches you to how to find the most common problems which is the best way to get started.


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Lee has spent over 25 years in the sports and fitness industry. Working with a range of different age groups from young groups to the over 50's, both in groups or 1-2-1 classes.
Lee has worked in gyms, fitness centres both for the county council and privately owned. She has also worked with a large franchise group in the past, dealing with people's fitness and nutrition. Helping people to achieve weight loss, toning, fitness and personal development.
Having worked across a number of different exercise disciplines in the past, over the last 10 years her focus has moved to Pilates in order to develop core strength, toning for her clients.
Classes are mat based and tailored to individual needs. Each class has different ability levels and during the class alternatives are given to ensure everyone is fully comfortable with their class.
Classes are suitable for all ages both ladies and gentleman as well as the over 50's.
Please bring water and a small towel.
Mats, pillows and small weights will be provided.
Classes are bookable in 6 week blocks at £42 so just £7 per class
However classes can be pay as you go charge at £8 per class
Wednesday 09:15-10:00
Thame(Chinnor) Rugby Club
Kingsey Road
For more information you can visit www.leecaulfieldpilates.co.uk alternatively you can call 07889742130 or email firstname.lastname@example.com .


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Proselytizing in Orthodox Lands
By Frederica Mathewes-Green
Originally published by Beliefnet, Jul 13, 2000. Reproduced here courtesy of the author.
Is it right to proselytize?
Already it's a loaded question. "Proselytism" has about as many appealing connotations as "root canal." It's more pointed than "evangelism," which means exposition of the Gospel to any and everyone, particularly those of no faith at all. Proselytizing implies undermining an existing faith in order to clear ground for a new one.
Is it right to proselytize?
Yes. People who believe that they've found the best spiritual path have a right to share what they've found—maybe even an obligation. Those who lend them an ear can decide for themselves whether or not they agree. Only itchy sensitivities get offended at such sharing, and only paranoid ones whine that it's coercive. Expressing a belief, even with persuasive intent, is a first amendment right, not coercion.
The truth is that we all benefit from hearing other people talk honestly about their deeply-held faith. There's nothing wrong with closing such a personal testimony with "and you should try it too." It's somewhat analogous to sharing a favorite recipe. I can taste your shrimp-chocolate-chip cookies and decide for myself whether they're heavenly. Then I can invite you to Sunday services, and you can decide the same about my Church.
It is right to proselytize. But there are situations in which people of faith should refrain from doing so. I believe such is the case with Protestant missionaries in formerly-communist, historically-Orthodox countries.
Some American Protestants have written with surprise and anger about the hostility, and even legal action, brought against them by native Orthodox. They find puzzling the great bitterness Orthodox in these lands feel toward Protestant missionaries. After all, they go at great personal expense and with good will for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. Can't we live and let live? Are Orthodox just jealous, trying to protect their territory from competition?
But from the perspective of those Orthodox things seem completely different. The actions of Protestant missionaries are seen as intentionally cruel and rude—which, of course, they are not. Missionaries will benefit from grasping this different perspective.
In the first place, a phrase like "traditionally Orthodox lands," which may seem nonsensical to Westerners, has a rich and positive meaning to Orthodox. It does not mean that other faiths (Christian and non-Christian) don't co-exist there, but that the Orthodox, as the original Christians to evangelize that land, feel a primary spiritual responsibility. We might say similarly that Italy is a "traditionally Roman Catholic land," or that Sweden is "traditionally Lutheran." However this sense of spiritually "parenting" is historically even stronger in Orthodox countries, however.
Thus, if Protestant missionaries come in to care for their own indigenous Protestant congregations it's of no concern. Orthodox resentment springs up over attempts to proselytize— to convert people who are of Orthodox lineage, so to speak, to Protestant faiths.
Now the whole concept of a faith "lineage" has little weight in America. Here we switch easily from one denomination to another, without feeling an obligation to uphold the church of our grandparents. But in some other lands loyal upholding of one's inherited faith is viewed as vital. These lands have been Christian a long time: Russia recently celebrated a thousand years of Orthodox faith, and other formerly-communist nations go back centuries more. This spiritual inheritance is deemed alive and important to Orthodox, and continuing it is an obligation and honor. Americans may see this as silly, but failure to understand the Orthodox viewpoint makes for unintentional wounding.
One more factor complicates this picture. It is that these Orthodox lands have just emerged from decades of oppression and persecution. Some twenty million died in Russia alone, as brave Protestant missionaries like Pastor Richard Wurmbrand tried to tell Westerners at the time. American response to this persecution was somewhat weak and confused because it was hard to see what, in practical terms, we could do; also, due to general Cold War prejudice against Russians, that the fate of Russian Christians did not seem pressing.
During this persecution the church in these lands was severely depleted, to an extent we cannot imagine. Most of its leaders were killed, in horrible ways and unimaginable numbers; forty thousand Russian pastors were killed under Stalin, so that at the end of his dictatorship only two hundred remained. Churches were desecrated, possessions confiscated, and the faith was openly and officially attacked. (One young Russian woman recently told me she grew up hearing, "Study hard, or else you'll be stupid and then you'll turn into a Christian.") The antagonism of state and culture to Christian faith was many times more explicit and extreme than what American Christians bridle at now.
As that miserable time recedes the Orthodox Church is severely crippled and in desperate need of support to rebuild. Like the church of Macedonia it might well say to America, "Come over here and help us." But most outreach to these lands has not been to strengthen what remains, but to establish new, separate churches. To the Orthodox, this is like kicking them when they're down. Orthodox feel that what the Communists started, Americans are bent on completing: the destruction of their cherished faith.
Moreover, it seems to Orthodox that Americans have unfair advantages, stirring more bitterness. American financial resources are huge compared to what the diminished Orthodox Church is able to gather. While Orthodox churches are still impoverished and in shambles, new Protestant churches are able to look as nice as new American churches. Also, since anything American is fashionable, the church struggles against another frustrating disadvantage, that of mere faddishness. It's no doubt unintentional, but this well-intentioned Protestant missionary activity is debilitating an already-struggling church, rather than helping it rebuild.
It is right to proselytize. But in some situations, it is merciful to refrain. Instead, missionaries should go to formerly communist lands and seek out those who have held the faith through years of great danger. Perhaps we Westerners, whose response to such persecution has never been tested, can learn something from so heroic a faith. Ask how you can help them. Work together. If Protestant missionaries believe that Orthodox Christians are fellow members of Christ, working together fulfills their mission just as well as working separately.
But some Protestant missionaries might not feel that way. They may believe that Orthodox are not "real" Christians, and that the Church should die. This could be due to ignorance about the tenets of Orthodoxy, or a mistaken presumption that it is the same as Roman Catholicism. Not everyone is trained as well as they should be. One Protestant missionary to Russia lectured me that "anybody who prays to icons can't know Jesus as Lord," showing that, even after her trip, she still did not know that Orthodox don't pray to icons.
Yes, it is your right to proselytize, and you are not obligated to care about any of this. At least be aware of these factors, however, so you can make decisions in awareness of "the law of unintended consequences." The dilemma is summed up by a missionary t-shirt a friend of mine observed. It read, "Bringing the light of the Gospel where it has never shown before." Below this there was an image of a church with onion domes—topped by crosses.


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MWC 15 Special
Following the previous patent infringement lawsuit against HTC Corporation and HTC Europe Co. Ltd, with reservations, HTC can continue to sell its affected UMTS smartphones (namely its Windows Mobile and Android smartpones) in Germany.A German appellate court has suspended the initially obtained decision IP-Com was able to obtain two weeks ago. The court plans to continue to listen to the companies in four weeks. HTC said it was very pleased about the courts decision and further assumes that the patent in question was neither hurt nor ever was valid. IP-Com raised that HTC, with its UMTS mobile phones, has infringed patents.
The alleged infringing technology is present in the baseband chipset component supplied by HTC's chipset vendor and does not involve HTC technology or intellectual property. This court decision will not impact HTC's core competency or current HTC customers in Germany or devices already on sale in Germany. Nevertheless, HTC already said it's working with its chipset supplier to identify an alternative solution.
Cheers ~ Arne
Article Source
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"Less than one second into the superb Belle & Sebastian homage "Eighth Avenue," on Hospitality's self-titled debut, there's a tiny mistake—a botched guitar strum from a player whose grip slipped just so. Hospitality is a sharp, well-rehearsed guitar-pop collection, hardly the work of bedroom amateurs, so that chord sticks out: Like a pair of beat-up Chucks or a dog-eared book, it feels lived-in and personalized.
Hospitality is full of these moments, flashes of raucous, messy humanity trampling through otherwise flawlessly melodic songwriting. "Friends Of Friends" is a reminder that saxophone blurts had a role in rock decades before Hall And Oates, and then there's the knowingly mock-punk way singer Amber Papini declares "I don't care, I don't care," in "Betty Wang." "The Right Profession" diverts a sneering lead guitar into the open arms of major-key arpeggios. Later, "Sleepover" goes unexpectedly bittersweet: "Let's pretend we're married," sings Papini, a deft-tongued vocalist who sounds like Karen O with more 30 Rock DVDs. Like "Eighth Avenue," "Liberal Arts" nods to Stuart Murdoch: It finds Papini gently chastising a dude-friend for idling away his semesters majoring in English and "fingering your girlfriend." (Is she jealous? Is she rooting for him to make it to home plate? It's left unsaid.)
Beyond the twee signifiers, Hospitality's balance of happiness and melancholia gives weight to its soaring melodies. Mostly, the subjects of these songs just want to be loved. Hospitality is already well on its way." – AV Club


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Mobile Discos In Four Elms From JMF Disco
JMF Disco hires superb mobile discos in Four Elms and throughout the Sevenoaks district of Kent.
If you are looking for:-
- mobile disco Four Elms
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or disco mobile in Four Elms then JMF Disco can help.
We aim to provide you with your perfect party entertainment, providing you with all the help you need, from your initial enquiry to seeing you and your happy guests leaving after having enjoyed a fantastic evening, dancing the night away to all your favourite songs. with a good expert DJ, with a neat and tidy disco set up and impressive disco lighting.
JMF Disco have been providing clients with experienced, reliable mobile DJs and discos at wonderful parties in the Four Elms area for many years.
As part of our comprehensive disco service we will provide you with a good experienced DJ, a neat and tidy looking disco set up and our special Party Planner Pack to help set out how we can help you to bring your party ideas to life, playing all your favourite tunes.
Having other DJs working with me also provides you with great assurance that no matter what happens, you and your guests will still be dancing the night away to all your favourite tunes – something that many other solo DJs cannot offer.
As well as providing you with a reliable, experienced party DJ with a wealth of knowledge gained over the years, who will ensure your evening will be a memorable occasion for you and your guests, I will help you with your arrangements from this initial enquiry until your guests leave singing and dancing out of the door at the end of your evening, suggesting ideas for you to consider to make your evening particularly special.
An Overview of Four Elms
Our Special Party Planner Pack For Mobile Discos In Four Elms
As part of our personalized mobile disco service I will provide you with our special Party Planner Pack.
Our Party Planner Pack (this is a document not a person!) helps to gather your thoughts on how you want your birthday party, wedding reception or children's party to run, and gives a bit of help and guidance if you need it, it sets out a 'timetable' (a guideline really as timetable sounds too rigid) for your special evening.
Start and finish times, maybe our special surprise entrance, cake cutting, happy birthday sing along, speeches, opening of buffet, etc and any other 'spotlight moments' you would like to happen at your event – you may have your friend singing a song with his guitar, you may be having a band as well, you might want us to run your raffle – whatever you want to happen at your party or event can be catered for. Your celebration can be as formal or as informal as you want to suit the party style you want. It's your special day and I will ensure you get just that!
The initial Party Planner I send to you aims to get you thinking about your special evening – alter it as you want to and send it back to me and I will update it as many times as you want to provide you with the mobile disco party entertainment you want.
Within the Party Planner Pack you can list out the songs you want played during your party (and the songs you don't want to hear!!), the artists you like, the styles of music you like etc. You party may have a theme – maybe a ska and reggae night, soul and Motown, a groovy 60's feel, a 70's disco night, an 80's party night, rewind to the 90's, a noughties and now night – whatever you want we can bring it to life.
You can have as much input on the music selection you want played on the night as you want – we will be playing the music you want – not what we want and it certainly won't be the same as 'last weeks' wedding that some resident DJs churn out!
If you have a specific list of songs you want us to play that's not a problem – it's your party and we'll play what you want us to!
When we have the Party Planner Pack in a nearly firm format, I'll contact you to discuss any refinements if required, discuss access, timings etc so there are no surprises on the day.
Nearer the day I will contact you again well before the special day just to make sure everything is going to plan and offer any advise you may need.
On the day we promise to turn up and be on time to set when required – I get phone calls all the time from people who have been let down by 'cowboy' discos (booked because they were a few quid cheaper) who have been phoned a few days before the event that the DJ can't make it, they are double booked, their uncle has died again or they send their 'roadie' to cover for them while they take on another better paying job. I shouldn't have to mention this but you hear these stories all the time – rest assured we will be there.
Your DJ will turn up appropriately dressed for your event – our standard outfit is a smart polo shirt, black trousers and black shoes or suit/tie/bow tie if required – you may not mind what we wear but we won't be turning up wearing a scruffy T-shirt, ripped jeans and a baseball cap worn the wrong way round unless you want us in fancy dress…… You indicate the dress standard you want your DJ to wear in the Party Planner Pack.
We will provide a microphone for speeches/cake cutting/presentation of gifts, opening of buffet etc in the evening – if required.
We will make any necessary introductions, announcements, dedications etc acting as your MC for the evening – there is no substitute for the extra pair of hands an official Toastmaster can provide – but we do a pretty good job!
It will be a fantastic evening – it's a bit of a cliché but a night to remember.
A few photos of previous events can be seen here https://www.facebook.com/JMFDisco/photos_stream
We will provide copies of certificates for our Public Liability Insurance and PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) Certificate required by the venue management (Do not book a disco who does not have this insurance or PAT certificates the venue might not let them set up without it!).
Your booking will be confirmed in writing setting out performance and payment terms for your peace of mind and ours.
Some of the points above you may not of thought of or may not be bothered about but I like to provide my clients with that little bit more – I provide them with what they want, need and deserve for their parties – it is a special occasion and should be treated as such.
Doing it right first time with everything as you want it to be requires an experienced DJ with the right skills and resources that we will bring to your special day.
Map of the Four Elms Area
Information About Four Elms, Kent
Party Venues In The Four Elms TN8 postcode district.
JMF Disco offers a special Mobile Disco service in Four Elms and surrounding areas. Venues that have been performed at or are available for your celebration:
Four Elms Village Hall
The Four Elms Inn
Sweetwoods Park Golf Club
Edenbridge WI Hall
Chiddingstone Castle
Hever Castle Golf Club
Royal British Legion Edenbridge
Crockham Hill Village Hall
Mark Beech Village Hall
Hever Castle
Edenbridge Rugby Club
as well as your home, local favourite pub, club, hall or marquee.
Get A Quote For A Mobile Disco In Four Elms And A Great party!!
So if you like what we have to offer, including
- a good experience reliable DJ
- a neat and tidy disco set up
- impressive disco lighting
- provision of my Planner Pack to ensure you get exactly what you want for your special day and provide you with some guidance if you need it
- the advantages of using a full-time professional DJ service
- telephone/email advice
- providing PAT and PLI Certificates to venue
- liaising with venue with regard to arrangements
- discussing with you to fine tune arrangements and musical choices for the main part of the evening's entertainment
- making announcements and introductions if required
- providing a microphone for your speeches etc
- setting up just before the performance
- performing when required playing the music you and your guests will dance the night away to
Get in contact with us today for a quote.
We will require a small deposit to secure the booking date (and the firm fixed quoted price) – deductible from the overall cost – the balance to be paid by cheque or bank transfer at least 7 days before, by instalments leading up to the event to help with your budgeting or cash on the day before we press play!
As a thank you for your enquiry I will provide you with a copy of my Party Planner Tips with hints and tips to help you organise the party you want. When you book I will provide you with my detailed Party Planner Pack to help arrange the detailed programme of events and entertainment on the night – it's your special celebration and the music and arrangements will be as you want them.
I hope this gives you a good idea of the great service I provide and I hope it meets your needs.
If you require any more information please ask – I'm here to help with all your mobile discos in Four Elms requirements.
Recent News
28.04.19 Wedding fair at Hever Hotel, Hever Rd, Edenbridge TN8 7NP Phone: 01732 700700
Check out other local areas and party venues we provide mobile discos in the Sevenoaks area here.


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Demi Lovato Records Mystery Duet – With Nick Jonas?
Demi Lovato has hit the studio with a mystery man!
The 21-year-old singer teased fans yesterday when she tweeted a photo of her hand giving a thumbs-up next to another thumbs-up with the message that she had just finished recording a duet. But who does the second thumb belong to?
So far there are a couple of contenders. Demi's uppercase "KILLER" could be a hint that the hand belongs to Brandon Flowers of the Killers. Who doesn't love a cryptic tweet with a pun, right?
Or maybe the thumb belongs to Nick Jonas! Demi and the former Jonas Brother have had a long-term working relationship, so it wouldn't be all that surprising. Plus, fans-turned-detectives pointed out that the duet hand in the Twitter photo is wearing a gray suit and white shirt, which just happens to be the outfit that Nick had been seen sporting earlier in the day.
Does Nick's gray suit match up to the one in Demi's pic?
What do you think, PopCrushers — does the mystery thumb belong to Brandon, Nick or someone else entirely?


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Whoa! In the wake of St. Patrick's Day madness, we're loading our site up with lots (and we mean LOTS) of new content.
Our birthday section is looking a little spiffier now that we've got such gems as…
Insane Talking Cake
Born in the 80's
Zorro's Pinata
Our love eCards are now overstocked with goodies, you may want to check out…
I Fing Love You
You're My Boing
Farting Soulmates
I'm Glad I Found You
Opposites Attract
Even our good luck category has been beefed up, with the addition of…
Shock Gibson
Crossing Everything
Good Luck from All of Us
There are even more updates all over our eCards section in almost every category, so check them out! We'll leave you with this diamond in the rough from our engagement section to wet your whistle…
Vodpod videos no longer available.


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If you take your canine best friend everywhere and do everything with him–including swim–then it's time to get him a life vest of his own, just in case. What better one than this Shark Fin life jacket that keeps him afloat while making him look like the most adorable doggy that ever lived?
As the name implies, the life jacket has a little shark's fin at the back, which you can use to help pull your dog out of the water if you need to. The life jacket keeps your dog afloat, whether or not he's doing the doggie paddle or not. With the life jacket on, you don't have to worry about him going under, although you should keep a close eye on him while he's in the water with you.
The Shark Fin life jacket costs $39.98.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Green Head ]


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The former England captain has admitted that he is enjoying himself at the Parc des Princes and is proud that Carlo Ancelotti wants him to sign on for another season
David Beckham has refused to rule out the possibility of him extending his stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
The former England captain arrived in the French capital on a short-term contract in January but coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted earlier this week that he would like to retain the services of the veteran midfielder beyond the end of the season.
Beckham, who turns 38 in May, is remaining coy on the issue, but admits that he is enjoying life at the Parc des Princes.
"At my age, we need to take one season at a time," he told BeIn Sport. "But for now, I feel very comfortable here.
"I have great respect for Carlo as a manager and as a person. If he says he wants to keep me, that makes me very proud."
Beckham came in for stern criticism for travelling to China in an ambassadorial role during the recent international break, but does not believe that the trip betrayed a lack of professionalism.
"I have not heard anything in terms of the critics," he declared. "But if this is the case, I am professional and I always have been.
"It was a very special moment. I got to represent the Chinese League and PSG. I missed just two days of training; I'm back and I caught up. What counts is the team, the manager, players and fans.
"Physically, I feel great. I always look after myself. I have always been professional in all the clubs. I am very happy to be in Paris and the club treats me as if I've been here 10 years."
Beckham explained that the two main reasons why he is enjoying plying his trade in Paris is his role within Ancelotti's side. There is also the fact that he is getting to line out alongside so many world-class stars, chief among them Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"There is not only Ibra; I have a good relationship with all players," he explained. "But it is true that he has a special talent.
"But I love this midfield position because I hit a lot of passes and I can make assists."
Having played his part in PSG moving eight points clear in Ligue 1 with a crucial 1-0 victory over Montpellier on Friday night, Beckham is now hoping to be involved in next week's eagerly-awaited Champions League showdown with Barcelona.
"Of course this is a huge game," he conceded. "Everyone was super excited to play Barca; it is both an honor and a challenge.
"But we must say that we can meet the challenge. This is perhaps the best team in the world.
"There is Lionel Messi, but not only him. They are very united and each player plays for everyone else. It is a harmonious team.
"It will be a great match and we are delighted to have Ibra for this game. People want to see the best players play against the best teams."
Beckham, who has 115 England caps to his name, joined PSG after the expiration of his contract with LA Galaxy.