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Study Abroad Policy
Summer or Part-time Coursework at other Law Schools
- Students desiring to receive credit towards the degree requirements of the College of Law through study at another law school must apply for and obtain the permission of the Associate Dean of the College of Law
- Transient status will routinely be granted up to the equivalent of one semester's worth of credits for students requesting permission to take courses on a part-time basis at another American Bar Association accredited law school or at a program sponsored by such a law school abroad.
- Credit will be granted only for courses in which a grade of "C" or better is achieved. Courses thus accepted for credit by the College of Law will normally be given credit toward graduation only; the grade itself will not be transferred.
- The student must follow all application procedures of the other institution and make financial arrangements directly with them. Ohio Northern scholarships cannot be applied to studies at other institutions. The Ohio Northern Financial Aid Office will assist in processing financial aid for study abroad programs only.
- At the conclusion of the program the student must arrange for the Registrar of the other institution to send an official transcript of the student's grades to the Associate Dean of the College of Law.
- Fill out a Transient Student Request Form available in the front office.
- List the Name, Address and the Term of the Institution you wish to attend.
- List the courses you wish to take and attach the catalogue course descriptions of the other institution.
- Submit the form to the Associate Dean for approval.
- Fill out a Letter of Good Standing Request Form available in the front office. The Associate Dean will prepare and send the letter to the other institution.
- At the conclusion of the program, request the Registrar of the other institution to send an official transcript of grades to the Associate Dean of the College of Law.


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This thread is for announcing your absence from the forum, or your return after being gone for some time. Too many threads of this sort are popping up in The Pub, and for the sake of organization please post them to this thread instead.
In most cases, threads that should have been added to this thread but were instead posted to The Pub will be closed and redirected. The exception being if the thread also contains an important message (that was discussed with a moderator in advance) or if the poster is actually a moderator (so members know where the forum leadership is).
The old thread was pruned because of the amount of spam. Please don't post here unless you have to.

subset: commoncrawl


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Photography by Greg Autry c 2013
Additional Photos may be seen at Greg Autry Art & Photo on Facebook
Come to the Speakeasy. Come to the Sypher Studios Noir Lounge with Dames, Flames, and a whole bunch of sultry spectacular Partying. Come to The Golden Stag.
And so on the 2oth day of the 12th month, in the thirteenth year, of the second millennium I did go. Last year's rousing kick off on New Year's Eve foretold of big things for this Period Costume Party delight. Changed this year from New Years Eve, I know not why, it was at once an intimate Party, with only a few hundred of your closest friends. I donned my finest red velvet jacket with `sparklies', polished my two tones, and bandied about my D700. Camera, not a gun !
Sypher Art Studios, ala `Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball', and other amazing Events, is the Event Organizer and Producer. Sasha Travis and Shawn Strider put together a core of artist, unified in the love of arts and storytelling. I will be my pleasure to present my next article in Splash Magazine, all about Sypher Art Studios. Look for it next January.
Never sparing the details that makes their events truly Special, the Sypher team offers PLENTY in entertainment. Staged in the Main Ballroom at the legendary Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, we entered the ornate Lobby to climb the largest staircase on the West Coast. When I arrive I look to see all the amazing and beautiful people in their Period dress from the 20's and 40's. As I climb the grand staircase, I come upon a lovely Goddess, Renee Christine, playing her Harp. A Goddess I see, she has taken me to heaven.
I come back to consciousness and hear a Big Band Beat, and I must go forth. Into the Ballroom I glide. And the evening never fails to Impress and to deliver entertainment galore. There are Ladies and Gents dressed To the Nines. And a few Dames, for which I shall ever be grateful.
We were promised a `Time that never really existed. Something between the speakeasy lounges of the turn of the century and a modern entertainment experience.' Again, Sypher and The Golden Stag never fails to deliver.
From Stage Performances, to troubadours and Chanteuses of the Alice Underground. The Sypher Elite Dance Company performed electrifying and sensual numbers throughout the evening. The Hollywood Hotshots hit the dance floor Swinging in the Party Year and breaking down all the limits. Playing it cool were the hip gents of Dean Mora's California Poppies Band.
What I find so amazing is the story, and the backstories, told throughout the evening in all the performances. In costumes, in dance, and through the music. Be sure to check out the website for The Golden Stag. I'm already looking forward to The Golden Stag for 2014 which I can't believe could possibly be any better. Yet, I know it will .
I loved everything about the evening. The Big Band Orchestra, the sensuality of the dancers on, and off, stage, the singers. And the ever sultry Sasha Travis on stage is always a delicious and eye popping treat. I hope you enjoy the pictures from the event. I tried to get a range of images, including on stage performers, along with candid's of patrons and guest. It's always a challenge, to portray what an amazing job all the performers, as well as the staff and crew have done. Next Year my wife's costume will be scandalous, I'm sure.


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1. Nestor Molina, RHP 01/09/1989 H: 6'1" W: 180 – (Nathaniel's take) Nestor Molina had a breakout season in 2011, posting unbelievable strikeout-to-walk ratios at both High-A Dunedin (115/14 in 108 1/3 IP) and Double-A New Hampshire (33/2 in 22 IP). Originally a third baseman/outfielder, Molina converted to pitching in 2008, and wasn't even a starting pitcher until this season, so his huge year caught many by surprise. While Molina's pure "stuff" isn't quite as good as his numbers suggest, it's no slouch, either: he works at 89-94 mph and boasts a very good splitter. Molina will probably start 2012 in either Double-A or Triple-A, but he's very polished and should end up in Chicago at some point during the season. Don't be surprised if Chicago initially lets his two pitches work in relief upon his reaching the majors.
Our Video
Our Instinct: We had Molina #3 in our Blue Jays Top 10 and scouted him ourselves. Tom Belmont took the above video of Molina in July, and it's been used on several notable sites. We love what Molina brings to the table, but as Tom said in his Prospect Instinct|Nestor Molina article, he's not going to be an ace, nor does he have the body to be a workhorse in the middle. He figures to be a nice fit as a #4, however, as Nathaniel suggested, he could end up in the White Sox bullpen.
Reports for the other prospects (2. Addison Reed, 3. Tyler Saladino, 4. Trayce Thompson, 5. Jeff Soptic, 6. Jacob Petricka, 7. Rangel Ravelo, 8. Kevan Smith, 9. Jared Mitchell, 10. Keenyn Walker, and Dylan Axelrod) at the link.


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Emma Thompson-Much ado about Nothing with Michael Keaton-Batman With Danny Devito-Man on the moon with Jim Carrey.
Next: Verna Bloom < --- This is a hard one.
You are here: Home ‹ Board index ‹ Welcome ‹ JCOs Playground
The Six Degrees of Jim Carrey
All games, quizzes, and other fun 'spam' (not advertisements) goes here!
Verna Bloom was in "Animal House" with Tim Matheson
Tim Matheson was in "Fletch" with Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase was in "Orange County" with Jack Black
Jack Black was in "Cable Guy" with Jim
next: Vanessa Williams
I'm gonna do this one the hard way. . .
Vanessa Williams was in Shaft with Samuel L. Jackson who was in xXx with Vin Diesel who was in Fast And Furious with Paul Walker who was in Meet the Deedle with Robert Englund Who was in A Nightmare on Elm Street with Jonny Depp who was in Finding never land with Kate Winslet Who was in ESOTSM with Jim Carrey!!
If you don't count Jim and Kate then it's only six, So i think it counts.
Next : ZERO MOSTEL
Good one!
Zero Mostel was in "The Producers" with Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder was in "The Woman in Red" with Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin was in "Ishtar" with Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman was in "Lemony Snickets..." with Jim Carrey
next Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster worked with Anthony Hopkins in Silence of The Lamb.
Anthony Hopkins worked with Julian Moore in the Cannibal.
Julian Moore worked in The Hours with Meryl Streep.
Meryl Strip worked with Jim Carrey in Lemony Snickets.
Next Orlando Bloom
[i][b]Somebody to luv me(Jim)[/b][/i]
Orlando Bloom is in Elizabethtown with Kirsten Dunst who is in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carrey.
Next: Quentin Tarantino
Wait was Lauren Holly in What Woman want? Who was she? Helen Hunt Played the lead
Robert Downey Jr. was in Air America with Mel Gibson,
Mel Gibson was in What Women Want with Lauren Holly,
Lauren Holly was in Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey
Lucille Ball was in "Yours, Mine and Ours" with Henry Fonda
Henry fonda was in "On Golden Pond" with Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda was in "Electric Horseman" with Robert Redford
Robert Redford was in "An Unfinished Life" with Jennifer Lopez
J Lo was on "In Living Color" with Jim Carrey
next Kiera Knightly
Keira Knightly was in Love Actually with Collin Firth who was in Bridget Jones Diary with Renee Zelwegger (sp--sorry!) who was in Me, Myself and Irene with Jim Carrey.
Next: Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs was in the patriot with Mel Gibson, Mel Gibson was in What women want with Lauren Holly, who was in Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey.
Next: Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta was in Forget Paris with Billy Crystal who was in America's Sweethearts with Catherine Zeta-Jones who was in Chicago with Renee Zelwegger who was in Me, Myself and Irene with Jim Carrey.
Next: Rachel McAdams
Eminiem was in Eight Mile with Brittany Murphy who was in Clueless with Paul Rudd who was in 40year old virgin with Steve Carell who was in Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey
Next: Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis was in "Starsky & Hutch" with Owen Wilson & Ben Stiller
Owen Wilson & Ben Stiller were in "Cable Guy" with Jim
next Fred Willard
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It may be the ultimate thrift shop. Everything is free. Or at least, no money changes hands.
"When the economy took a turn for the worse, people started thinking outside the box," said Desiree Kannel, an organizer for the Catalyst Network of Communities. "They said, 'hey, how can we share resources?'"
The Free Store is really based on free exchange. If you bring something in, you can take something out. You go through your closet, then you can go through theirs.
"This is great," shouted Maria D'Ambrosio, clutching a yellow, print skirt. "I love anything from the 1960s."
Local news from across Southern California
In addition to enjoying its stock of merchandise, D'Ambrosio volunteers at the store.
The concept is part of the community organization called Catalyst. There's really more to the concept than just trading stuff. There are also volunteer and networking opportunities. And you can exchange more than goods. You can also trade out services.
"Say you had 50 people and they could all do something different," explains Mark Pike, another volunteer. "Say, I wanted my car fixed and I knew someone in the time exchange who could fix my car. So I go to him and I exchange a couple of time dollars for whatever he wants for his services to put the piece in the car."
Not only is Mark Pike banking time and services. He's also making contacts that could help him find a job.
And Mark's story is not unique. The concept is catching on.
The Free Store, located at 430 E. 1st St. in Long Beach, is only open four days a week. With more volunteers, it could be open more often. Meanwhile, it doubles as a yoga studio and community center. Organizers say they like it that way. It's a simple concept that can help people solve complicated problems.


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Tips to manage holidays during illness
Turning holiday blues into season's smiles
The holidays are often fun and exciting, but they can also be exhausting and stressful. For anyone struggling with a chronic or newly diagnosed disease such as cancer, a big concern may be — "how will I have enough energy for events, gift-buying, socializing and planning?" Angela Usher, a UC Davis licensed clinical social worker, explains that if you are feeling overwhelmed with too much pressure to be involved during the family celebrations, you may have the "holiday blues." She offers some practical advice for anyone feeling blue this holiday season.
Accept that things will be different. No matter what stage you are with regards to your illness, your holidays will be affected. It is important to realize that things will be different from the past and adjust your expectations accordingly. Understand your limitations and accept that you may not be as able, willing or interested in participating in the holidays as you were in previous years.
Talk about what you are going through. Open up the discussion with your loved ones about how this season feels different. This will help you take care of yourself, state your needs and clear up expectations as early as possible. Your loved ones need to know what it is like for you this time of year, what you want to do and what feels like too much. Even if you do not have a lot of specific information about your condition, just let them know, "This time of year feels different to me than it has before. I want to celebrate the holidays, at the same time I want to acknowledge that I need to slow down, too. I am going to let you know that what works best for me and let you know what I can and cannot handle which will depend on how I feel each day."
Try a new tradition. You may be able to come up with some festive activities that do not require a good deal of preparation or energy. Instead of shopping for gifts for each important person in your life, perhaps exchange gift cards or create a certificate of a future event you and that person can share together. Also remember that the holidays are a great time to express love and appreciation for the blessings in your life. The people who help you and provide you love and care will enjoy knowing that you appreciate them. Words of love and gratitude are a meaningful gift.
Think of some activities you can do with family and friends that don't require a lot of energy or preparation. Perhaps watch a holiday movie together, drive around and look at holiday lights or order a yummy "to go" meal from a favorite restaurant.
Celebrate what is important to you. Be careful not to isolate yourself, even if you don't have the energy or you aren't in the right mental space for a big holiday gathering. You can still connect with people important in your life, and celebrate the year together in a way that is more tailored to your needs.
There is a risk of depression over the holidays. It is important to recognize the difference between the "holiday blues" and clinical depression. If you are worried that you may have a serious depression, please seek help from a health-care or mental health professional without delay.
The holidays can be stressful for all of us. These feelings may increase for those with a serious illness and those who love them. To manage fatigue and stress through the holidays, discuss expectations and limitations and open those lines of communication early. Finding creative — and less stressful — ways to celebrate the holidays may build new traditions that you continue to enjoy.


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If you or a loved one is in need of in home care in Warfordsburg, you can find and compare multiple high quality and affordable in home care services for seniors located in Warfordsburg, here.
Whether you or a loved one is in need of adult day care, memory care, or other skilled in home care services in Warfordsburg, or nearby, you will find them here.
At Ensocare, we have teamed up with A Place for Mom to provide a senior living advisor, who strives to help seniors and families make informed decisions and save time when searching for affordable in home care services for seniors who need dementia care, home health care, disability care, or other senior home care services in and around the city of Warfordsburg.
A Place for Mom's in home care services are completely free of charge for the elderly and their families here in Warfordsburg. We have researched Warfordsburg home care service agencies and strive to make the process of finding the best in home care services for your loved one as easy and painless as possible for everyone that is involved.


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Planning Commission
Kuczynski, Chris
- Divisions:Planning Commission
- Title:Commissioner
- Phone:(949) 361-6184
- Email:email@example.com
- Elected and Appointed OfficialsNo
What is the purpose of the Planning Commission?
The purpose of the Planning Commission is to advise the City Council on land use policies and laws, and to make final decisions on certain kinds of development and use permits.
When and where do they meet?
The Planning Commission meets on the Wednesday night which follows the City Council's normal Tuesday night meetings. Their public hearing agenda begins at 7:00 PM. Click on the following link for a map to our normal meeting location.
Click here for a map to City Hall
How can I present my comments to the Planning Commission?
The Planning Commission conducts its business in public hearings. Your input is very important. You may contact the Planning Commission via the City's Planning Division at (949) 361-6184. You may also e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Who is on the Planning Commission and how do they get their positions?
The Planning Commission consists of seven citizens who are appointed by the City Council to 2 year terms. Click on the links at the top of this page to meet the current Commissioners.
I want to speak at a Planning Commission Meeting. What do I do?
To speak at a Planning Commission meeting, you are asked to fill out a speakers slip at the meeting, prior to the time the agenda item you are interested in begins. Speakers usually are allotted three minutes to testify. You will be asked to provide your name and city of residence for the record. The agenda also has a time for 'public comment' to the Planning Commission on matters within the responsibility of the Planning Commission but which are not subject to a particular public hearing that night.
How can I serve on the Planning Commission?
To become a member of the Planning Commission citizens are asked to file an application with the City Clerk, prior to an interview and selection by the City Council. These selections normally occur in June of each year, or at other times when an vacancy on the Commission occurs. For more information on applications for Planning Commission please send an email to email@example.com or Click Here to get more information.
How do I get an agenda or minutes of the Planning Commission Meetings?
Agendas and minutes are available on line under the Meetings / Planning Commission menu items. Agendas should be available by the Friday before the next scheduled meeting. Note the links under meetings for agendas, packets, and minutes.
Where do I find out more information about the Planning Commission?
You are welcome to email email@example.com or call us for more information at (949)361-6185.
Link to Planning Division website


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Joshua is available during office hours to talk to you about any of his favorite topics, listed below, or just ask him to rant about Java.
Ask me about HTML Canvas, mobile apps, and visual design. Or 3D printing and wearable computing. Or just ask me to rant about Java.
Josh Marinacci is a blogger and co-author of "Swing Hacks" and "Building Mobile Apps with Java" for O'Reilly. He is currently a researcher for Nokia.
He previously worked on webOS at Palm and JavaFX, Swing, NetBeans, and the Java Store at Sun Microsystems.
Josh lives in Eugene, Oregon and is passionate about open source technology & great user experiences.
For exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, contact Sharon Cordesse at firstname.lastname@example.com
For information on trade opportunities with O'Reilly conferences contact email@example.com
For media-related inquiries, contact Maureen Jennings at email@example.com
View a complete list of OSCON contacts


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By guest author, Ken Steacy
Years ago, I discovered a remarkable novel titled Brooks Wilson Ltd. written in 1966 by J.M. Ryan. What initially attracted me to the book was the cover, adorned with one of Robert McGinnis' best efforts; a wraparound that featured the titular hero (or anti-hero, as it turned out!) surrounded by a bevy of beauties.
But what made this book truly fascinating was that Brooks is a freelance illustrator, and the story concerns his trials and tribulations right when photography was ascendant, and the life of an illustrator was fraught with uncertainty - kinda like today!
A mid-level illustrator, Brooks struggles with work, his wife and kids, numerous affairs both real and imagined, the commute to NYC, and the ever-present bottle.
If he can just nail The Big Account (for Lepridon, a fictitious truckmaker) all will be well, but he's kept on hold by his agent, who we discover has also been repping photographers. Guess who gets the account!
Most chapters open with notes from the agent, an obsequious nitwit whose concern is pleasing the client at all cost, Wilson's mental, physical, and financial well-being notwithstanding. Typical comments:
"Brooks, they don't feel the guy's hat sits on his head right. It looks O.K. to me, but they feel it isn't right. I don't know what to tell you."
"Brooks, the client wasn't happy with it and it ain't gonna run after all. They want to know if you'll play ball and settle for half price. You've gotta see their side of it."
"Brooks, as near as I can figure, you bitched up the job by doing what he told you to do."
The attention to detail about fees (usually paltry, with endless revisions built in), billing (90 days net!), and the cut-throat culture of the industry is quite amazing. Again, it's weird how little has changed!
It turns out that J.M. Ryan is the pseudonym of Jim McDermott, an in-betweener at Disney way back in the 1930s. He obviously didn't enjoyed the experience (he was there during the strike) and made that plain in his follow-up novel, The Rat Factory, a very unsubtle indictment of life working for The Mouse. Which begs the question; what was McDermott up to during the intervening decades, and just how autobiographical is Brooks Wilson Ltd.?
Tomorrow: Brooks Wilson Strikes Back, the feature film directed by Irving Kirshner!


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Dr. Span Ragan* died on January 24, 1875 in Georgia. He was born on April 1, 1818 and was the son of Elizabeth Span Regan Bryan and her first husband, Joseph Regan. This tiny piece of paper was found in Terrell and Harriet's Bryan's family bible.
*Note that Span changed the spelling of his last name from Regan to Ragan. The spelling of his first name varies as Span or Spann from document to document.
© 2012


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'JPUSA' tag.
They announced it a few weeks ago and I think everyone who has gone there is a little sad, myself included. Cornerstone was such a heart of the Christian music scene and in a lot of ways for me was a symbol of what it meant to be a Christian in junior high, high school and college. It was also a great place for Christian music that wasn't part of the CCM mainstream, whether that was the older bands such as LSU, the Choir, Daniel Amos, etc. or the newer Tooth and Nail bands. I think it will be truly missed because it was such a great part of the summer and there were so many good times there. So thank you JPUSA, the bands, the chaperones in the church vans and all the other people that made it a memorable experience. The festival may be ending, but the memories will live on.


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In the June 2008 issue of the Cactus & Co magazine Jaroslav Šnicer, Jaroslav Bohata, and Vojtěch Myšák described a new Lophophora species, Lophophora alberto-vojtechii, characterized by its small size, adult plants typically reaching just about 2 cm (less than one inch) in diameter.
Flowering Lophophora alberto-vojtechii at the type locality. Scale is indicated by the coin that is 23 mm in diameter
The full description of the lilliputian species reads:
The stem is a greyish green with a touch of mauve (greenish, greenish grey to mauve), for the most part concealed in the ground. The aerial part (crown) is flat to slightly convex, 18 mm wide (10 to 50 mm in adult plants); the subterranean part of the stem is cylindrical, extending 25 mm down from the base of the crown (the depth in adult plants increases with age). The stem is distinctively small and divided into five ribs (up to eight ribs in exceptional cases). The trichomes are visible only near the apical meristem; they drop off early, leaving the areoles inconspicuous.
The root is thick and bulbous, 30 mm long and 16 mm in diameter where it joins the subterranean stem, smooth, and a dirty white to creamy yellow colour.
The flower is 23 mm wide (15 mm to 35 mm). The tepals and style are long, the same as in other members of the Diffusae section. The filaments are white, the anthers a yellowish orange. The style is white, while the stigma is yellowish (white to yellowish or pinkish). The tepals are light pink with a distinctive darker stripe (white to dirty pink, rarely creamy yellowish with a stripe in a brownish, salmon or darker pink shade) on the adaxial surface.
The fruit is round to slightly claviform, and dries out over time. The fruit is a dirty white colour, ranging to yellowish or pinkish.
The seed is black, round, 1.45 mm long (1.15 to 1.45 mm) and 1.45 mm wide (1.0 to 1.45 mm). The hilum is compressed into a broad V-shape. The perimeter of the hilum consists of a pronounced edge. The testa is nodulated with protruding outer cell walls. The individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated.
Type locality: northern San Luís Potosí, Mexico, 1700 metres above sea level.
The type specimen was collected by G. B. Hinton on 1st August 2007 and is kept at the G. B. Hinton herbarium filed under number 28642.
We are naming the plant alberto-vojtechii in honour of two persons, the late prominent Czech traveler and cactus-hunter Alberto Vojtěch Frič and the current Lophophora enthusiast Vojtěch Myšák.
Lophophora alberto-vojtechii just finished flowering. At this size plants flower regularly
The authors place L. alberto-vojtechii within the section Diffusae (see the Kaktusy 2005, Lophophora Special) along with L. diffusa, L. fricii, and L. koehresii. Based on similarities in habitat (mud flats), growth form, body, fruit, and flower morphology, and loss of trichomes in older areoles, Šnicer et al. conclude that L. alberto-vojtechii is closest related to L. koehresii. However the two species differ in size, the color of the epidermis, seed morphology, and the number of ribs.
Flowering Lophophora alberto-vojtechii at the site in Zacatecas
Šnicer et al. argue that even though the small Lophophora alberto-vojtechii plants might look immature at a first glance they are not, as is evident by old growth epidermis at the ground level and the subterranean part of the shoot.
Lophophora alberto-vojtechii (a) Flat, photosynthetic crown (b) Subterranean part of stem (c) The root
The habitat comprises flat, alluvial sediments, as in the case of Lophophora koehresii. Lophophora alberto-vojtechii has a distinctively geophytic lifestyle, withdrawing into small cavities below ground during dry periods. Here the plants are covered with dust and dry leaves, protected from the sun until the next rains.
The type locality of Lophophora alberto-vojtechii is in the northern part of San Luís Potosí, but it has also been found growing in the states of Zacatecas and Coahuila. The flowers of the Zacatecas plants are more white than those of the plants at the type locality (see picture above).
Flowering Lophophora alberto-vojtechii at the type locality
All in all the description is credible and well argued. Adding to the credibility is the fact that George Hinton collected the holotype and stores it in his herbarium, I doubt he would do that if he wasn't convinced that this new taxon is for real.
The flower buds are visible very early, as they are not hidden in the wool.
Jaroslav Šnicer, Jaroslav Bohata, and Vojtěch Myšák (2008), "Lophophora alberto-vojtechii - an exquisite new miniature from the genus Lophophora", Cactus & Co 12 (2), 105-117


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By now, it's a cliché: work smarter, not harder.
Yet for Canada, the reverse is often true. Canada ranks among the world's Top 5 nations for prosperity but its workers lag many developed nations in generating rewards for their efforts.
Workers in the United States, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and Italy are more productive, based on gross domestic product (GDP) per hour worked. Compared to workers in the U.S., our per capita GDP shortfall has more than tripled in the past 30 years and verges on $10,000 a person each year.
"For each hour we work in Canada, we generate less value from our efforts than our counterparts in the United States," said a recent study by the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity. "This prosperity gap is a productivity gap, and the productivity gap is an innovation gap. We are laggards in creating economic value per hour worked."
The Jenkins report on Canadian innovation, submitted to the federal government in October 2010, has a similar message.
"Studies have repeatedly documented that business innovation in Canada lags behind other highly developed countries," the Jenkins report said. "This gap is of vital concern because innovation is the ultimate source of the long-term competitiveness of business and the quality of life of Canadians."
Canadian business expenditure on research and development has been falling since 2006 and now sits lower than it did in 2000 when it was merely an average performer in the OECD.
That means for Canada, even if private sector R&D expands, university-based research remains critical to economic prosperity.
The total value of all R&D performed in Canada in 2009 was just under $30 billion — and that amount was almost evenly split between business ($15.2 billion) and the public sector including higher education ($11.2 billion) and government ($3 billion), Jenkins reported.
Universities "perform the great majority of basic research, although basic and applied research activities are increasingly intertwined," the Jenkins report said.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia and more recently the University of Northern B.C., have advanced the province's forestry industry through both technological and forest management innovation. UBC attracts the greatest amount of forestry research funding of any university in Canada.
In the province next door, oil producers around Fort McMurray still rely on the "hot water method" developed in 1925 by University of Alberta engineering professor Karl Clark for the commercial production of heavy crude oil from oilsands — and today some 800 industry and university researchers continue to explore ways to curtail the industry's environmental impact.
Revolutionary cattle breeding programs established by UAlberta animal geneticist Roy Berg in the 1960s made Alberta a world leader in the beef industry with a 30- to 40-per-cent increase in beef production.
Innovative thinking about social and economic issues, rather than technological advance, has also wrought change in recent decades — such as the restructuring of B.C.'s commercial fishery and forestry sectors as a result of government inquiries led by UBC resource economist Peter Pearse.
Roger Martin, dean of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, believes we can narrow Canada's prosperity gap by spurring innovation through, among other things, restructuring taxes to encourage more private sector research and development, expanding international trade, implementing technology changes in business, and greater investment in education.
"One of the challenges for Canada is getting higher business R&D and business innovation activity generally," Martin said in an interview.
Government and university R&D are helpful — "and they're helpful in every modern economy but I don't think that they can save the day," said Martin, who is also chairman of the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity.
"Hopefully at their best, universities are working on farther-out stuff which may not have obvious practical implications. It's only relatively infrequently that somebody's own personal curiosity happens to be what everybody else's curiosity is, and therefore creates something fabulously interesting to all those other people."
Meanwhile, he wonders if Canada's business sector is taking full advantage of the opportunities that the university R&D sector creates. More effective collaboration between businesses and universities could bring more commercially viable new products and services to market.
"I think we're still a little bit too stuck on the notion that you can (support) R&D that's done at a university and if you push it far enough, hard enough, you'll commercialize it. I think that is more like pushing on a string than we'd ever like to believe," Martin said.
"What we need, to a much greater extent, is somebody aggressively pulling (innovations) out of the universities. That's when somebody outside the university says 'Our customers need the following ... and wow, I see this thing at the university that I could pull out.'
"That is more likely to be successful than commercialization offices at universities saying 'OK we think this invention is great and we are going to put more money behind it and we are going to keep pushing and pushing and hopefully (the private sector) will find something useful to do with it. That just rarely works."
Martin's Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity has suggested that when a university works within a "regional innovation system" such as a provincial economy, then the benefits flow to the private sector where they can be commercialized and "drive economic progress."
"Historically, people have thought of forest products as an old-economy product — it's low value-add," Paul Davidson, president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), said in an interview. "But, in fact, through the benefit of research and innovation you see improvements in the supply chain, you see new products, development of new markets, and developing new policies and regulations to ensure that the forest sector is globally competitive and globally innovative."
At present, the challenge for universities is to do more work with relatively fewer resources. Faced with an aging population, Canada has been spending more per capita on health care than education since 1998.
Meanwhile, he said, "provincial operating support per student is actually half what it was in 1977."
"In the last 10 years, Canada's universities have welcomed, and absorbed, and are educating 350,000 more students. That would be like taking the largest (post-secondary) institution in each province and building it again," Davidson said.
In a pre-budget submission last October to federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, AUCC asked the Harper government to consider a 10-per-cent increase ($110 million) in funding to research-granting councils — including National Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Canadian Institutes of Health Research — "to strengthen core discovery research programs."
On top of that, it asked for an additional $40 million for research-granting councils to "increase emphasis on international research collaboration, through their existing programs."
Small- and medium-sized enterprises account for 75 per cent of private sector employment in Canada (compared to 50 per cent in the U.S.), and lack the resources to conduct their own research or hire forward-thinking university grads without federal assistance, the report added. It recommend a $15-million investment, matched by the private sector, on internship opportunities.
"We recognize it's a tight fiscal climate and there are tough choices to be made, but it's important that there be continued investment as a signal to Canada's researchers that this is a place to do good research, and to be involved in the innovative economy," Davidson said. "And also as a signal to the world that this is a place to conduct research, be innovative, and frankly to attract investment."
Data published annually by NSERC indicates that, since 2008, UAlberta has led Canadian universities in funding for research chairs, specifically industrial research chairs.
"Research and development is absolutely the lifeblood of the knowledge economy and for a province like Alberta that depends heavily on energy resources and agriculture," Indira Samarasekera, president of University of Alberta, said in an interview.
"Much of Alberta's prosperity has benefited from the knowledge and the people that the University of Alberta has been instrumental in creating."
Samarasekera, who was vice-president of research at UBC before moving to Edmonton, noted that UAlberta branded itself as an international hub for innovative research.
"We have, by the way, more (research) chairs than any university in the country, many of them largely in engineering although we do have chairs in science and in agriculture, life and environmental sciences," she said.
Oilsands technology and agriculture development have been the drivers but the university also pursues innovation in areas including medicine, nanotechnology, software design and environmental science because "that will allow Alberta to transition someday from being largely an energy-producing province to one that has a burgeoning and strong high technology sector."
"I would say if you look across Canada, the University of Alberta has distinguished itself by virtue of being able to be at the frontiers, a pioneer in some of the very key strategic areas of importance to Canada. It is a conscious decision.
"We are one of the Top 20 engineering schools in North America. We have grown very rapidly and it is in direct response to the enormous needs of the industry sector in Alberta."
Rather than rely solely on a licensing and commercialization office, "industry sectors are partnering with the university, and are in and out of our labs and therefore getting access to that technology in a far more dynamic way than the sort of 'Let's throw it over the wall and see who catches it' approach.
"If you take, for example, the oilsands, enormous strides have been made in reducing the water required by the oilsands. The energy required by the oilsands is down by a third. There have been enormous improvements in tailings ponds and so on, with fairly likely scenarios where we may not have tailings ponds in the future at all because of the use of new solvents. All of this research has had roots at the University of Alberta through many of these chairs. That goes back 30 years, almost."
The payback for the university, she added, is that research-based collaboration with industries ultimately benefits students.
"These industries provide significant funding for scholarships for students, internships in the summer which then connect them again with job opportunities — everything from environmental areas, which young people are very passionate about, to technology sectors wherever they may be across the province.
"Lester Thurow, who is a great economist out of MIT, said that much of economic growth in the last 60-70 years, certainly since the 1950s, has been due to technology change and new knowledge.
"That is really what we call innovation. It's the application of new knowledge to create new economic opportunities or possibilities. If you take that as a given, then the response of universities is to create that kind of new knowledge from absolutely basic research where no one has any clue about where that knowledge may apply, to more applied research where the results could be beneficial in five to 10 years.
"We work right across the spectrum, and the entire spectrum is important because oftentimes basic research gives you absolutely unexpected outcomes that you very quickly translate into technology."


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Despite Defenses, Asia Remains Vulnerable to Capital Outflows
Global portfolio flows are coursing into emerging Asia again, buoying asset prices and pulling down the cost of borrowing.
When it ends – and economists and investors agree it almost certainly will – the ensuing riptide of capital is likely to hit some economies harder than others.
Last year's market turmoil prompted policymakers to redouble efforts to redress potential weaknesses, such as India's efforts to reduce its current account deficit and additional moves by Singapore and Hong Kong to curtail property speculation.
But the surge of inflows has, according to Citigroup, pushed interest rates into negative territory in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. With rates lower than inflation, domestic borrowing has surged, particularly for property investment. HSBC notes that household debt relative to gross domestic product is higher in Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand than in the United States.
"The issue is troubling," Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economic research at HSBC, wrote in a research note. "It implies that consumer spending is to a large extent driven by leverage, and hence sensitive to a tightening in financial conditions, whether because of regulatory scrutiny or a broader rise in funding costs."
In the most extreme cases, rapid capital outflows can cause the kind of currency devaluations seen during the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and 1998, push up local interest rates and trigger a wave of credit defaults and an economic recession.
A balance-of-payments crisis seems unlikely now. Central banks have amassed huge foreign-exchange reserves against such an event, and devised a variety of financial circuit-breakers to minimize damage in case foreign investors stampede for the exits.
But some economies are more insulated than others. China is perhaps the least vulnerable to outflows because it doesn't allow money to flow freely in and out of its economy, and because it fixes the value of its currency.
Other small, open economies look more vulnerable. Current-account deficits are most problematic for poorer economies like India and Indonesia with high levels of foreign debt maturing in the next two years. If funds flow out they can quickly run out of foreign currency, limiting their ability to pay for crucial imports and service this debt.
India's new central bank governor, Raghuram Rajan, took aim at the problem last year by boosting interest rates to stem capital outflows, support the rupee and reduce the current-account deficit. That has helped pull the deficit in from a record 4.7% of GDP to a projected 1.7% this year. But economists predict the deficit will grow again as the economy improves and imports pick back up.
When foreign investors flee it's generally a combination of factors that come into play, and even developed economies can be at risk. Malaysia, for example, runs a current-account surplus, but borrows heavily offshore, with $117 billion in gross external debt. Both its households and government have relatively high debt.
Malaysia's household debt has climbed to 87% of GDP from just 66% in 2007, leaving consumers highly vulnerable to higher interest rates. Government debt was at 58% of GDP last year, according to the International Monetary Fund.
If interest rates rise and Malaysia's ringgit falls, capital outflows are likely to push up local borrowing rates, making life tough for indebted households. The government would have less room to offset any shock to its economy with fiscal spending: A sudden increase in its budget deficit, which the IMF projects will be 3.5% of GDP this year, could exacerbate foreign outflows and sharpen declines in its currency.
Hong Kong and Singapore have among the region's highest short-term external debt and portfolio inflows, vulnerabilities offset by their role as regional financial centers: Much of the money flowing in is destined for other countries. Nonetheless, strong inflows have fueled local property booms that policymakers have addressed by imposing macroprudential measures, limiting the amount banks can lend for real-estate investment and, in Hong Kong, imposing additional taxes on second-home purchases and foreign home buyers.
Asia may be better insulated from a financial shock now than it was in 1997, therefore, but some economies could still suffer a painful correction when global investors lose their appetite for Asia-related risk.
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There aren't too many similarities that jump to mind between San Diego and Cleveland, but it's looking like the Browns staff will be familiar to those who follow the Chargers.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Browns have their eyes on Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano to take over that job in Cleveland. With Rob Chudzinski installed as the new head coach, the Browns are expected to part ways with defensive coordinator Dick Jauron.
Pagano has been on the San Diego staff since 2005, which means he and Chudzinski were on the staff together when Chudzinski coached the team's tight ends in 2005-2006 and 2009-2010. They both worked under Norv Turner, who was fired by the Chargers at the end of the regular season and is set to become the offensive coordinator in Cleveland.
Schefter reports that the Chiefs were also interested in Pagano, but the Chargers wouldn't let him out of his contract at that point. Their choice of a head coach will likely determine whether that changes in the coming days or if Pagano will have to miss out on the San Diego reunion being put together in Ohio.


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Warren Co. residents can register for special assistance during emergencies
County wants to know who needs more assistance
County workers are gathering information on who needs help the most when bad weather or an emergency happens.
The Warren County Emergency Management Agency wants to know who needs extra assistance in the county. It is launching a registry for people with disabilities or special needs.
"People that don't speak English or don't understand English very well, anybody with special needs such as wheel chair, oxygen, single parents," Warren County EMA director Mike Bunner said.
That includes people like Linda Wolf who, despite having both knees replaced, considers herself self-sufficient. But she admitted bad weather makes her nervous.
"Yes, it scares me, the tornado stuff especially," Wolf said. "For me to have to get up and out of the house and walk, especially if it's inclement weather it would be really difficult."
By registering residents, emergency crews will be able to quickly identify people who need extra assistance during a storm. That includes special evacuation needs or other necessary resources.
"Depending on the size and severity of the storm of what we're projecting, the local chiefs can take a proactive measure if they feel that's necessary," Bunner said.
Bunner said preventative measures could help people like Wolf in the long run.
"Just knowing that somebody is there, that you can count on them, it makes all the difference in the world," Wolf said.
In order to register, Warren County residents need to fill out an online form. It is available here.


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Area items of interest
Woodmen rep presents flag
Lynn Hill, a field representative with Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, presented the United States flag to Union Baptist Church Nov. 11.
Aubrey Jones, pastor, was surrounded by Kyle Owens and other church members as he accepted the flag. Hill explained that Woodmen of the World is one of the largest presenters of flags in the country.
For more information, call Hill at 252-523-1800.
Hospital to sponsor jewelry sale
Volunteers with the Lenoir Memorial Hospital Auxiliary will have a $5 Masquerade jewelry and accessories sale Wednesday through Friday in the Oxford Rom of the hospital.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. Cash, checks, credit cards and payroll deduction are acceptable forms of payment. While shopping, enter a drawing to win 10 free pieces of jewelry.
This event is one of the group�s major fundraising projects, held just in time for the holidays. For more information, call Glenda Phillips, Cheer Corner Gift Shop manager, at 252-522-7022.
Farmer�s market to extend hours
The Lenoir County Farmer�s Market will have extended holiday hours the last few days before Christmas. At this point, plans are to have someone there on Sunday and Monday, in addition to the regular Saturday market before Christmas.
Today would be a good time to pre-order baked goods to be assured that you will have that cake or pie or whatever on your table for Christmas dinner.
Take advantage of the locally grown fall produce while pre-ordering.
Global worship service set
A Global Day of Worship has been set for 12-12-12. This is a time when churches around the world will worship at 7 p.m. on Dec. 12, whenever that falls in their time zone.
Southwood Memorial Christian Church will participate with a service from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Family Life Center, 1027 N.C. 58 S. The community is invited.
For more information, call Ryan Vernon, youth pastor, at 252-643-4201.
Have a pet pose with Santa
Santa Paws pet photos will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at PetSense on Highway 70.
Photos cost $15 for three 4- by 6-inch photos, printed on the spot. Donations of food, litter and used towels for bedding are appreciated. Proceeds will benefit the 77 special needs felines at Marley House.
For more information, contact Joy Eubanks at 252-661-6369 or marleyfund.com.
The Village to have open house
The Village of Kinston Assisted Living will have a Christmas Open House from 3 to 5 p.m. today with a Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m.
The community is invited to see the changes that have been made at The Village of Kinston through tours, holiday refreshments, Christmas music and the chance to meet the employees and representatives of Victorian Senior Care, which operates the facility.
The Village of Kinston is at 1935 Idlewild Drive. Call Jennifer Turner at 252-208-7103.


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Difference between revisions of "Hugin Preview window"
(→displayed images)
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Every input image in the preview has ''toggle'' button where display can be disabled or enabled.
Every input image in the preview has ''toggle'' button where display can be disabled or enabled.
= Preview =
= Preview =
Latest revision as of 22:14, 26 October 2015
hugin provides two pop-up windows showing previews of the final stitched result, the difference between these previews that the Hugin Preview window shows a more accurate image but takes time to redraw, the Hugin Fast Preview window shows updates almost instantaneously and has some useful new features.
The preview window is a smaller version of the output created by saving to a file in the hugin Stitcher tab with some differences:
- Reduced resolution input images are used, so some areas can appear blurred that will be sharp in the final output.
- Seams are not created, images are simply overlaid with the first image at the bottom of the stack and the last at the top.
- Blending by a tool such as enblend isn't shown.
- The brightness display of HDR and 16bit images is controlled by settings in the hugin Preferences, these settings are not used when stitching.
The preview window shows the result of panorama creation with the settings chosen by the software. Through the various buttons and slides of the preview window this settings can be changed according to one's taste and needs. This changes will affect the way the final panorama will be created.
When satisfied with the preview result, the window can be closed. Attention must be paid not to close the preview window with the preview window not showing what the user wants.
This button horizontally pans the output, changing the yaw of the remapped images so they fit to the centre of the output frame. This is useful if there is a lot of black space on the left or right of the output. This also performs a Fit, equivalent to the next button.
Note that centering a Rectilinear Projection or Fisheye Projection panorama will change the perspective, this may be unwanted.
This doesn't change any input image parameters, it just readjusts the output Field of View such that all the input images are visible. If the images are all off-centre, then there will be a lot of black space.
Straightening the panorama optimises the roll and pitch of the input images without changing their relative positions, levelling the panorama in the process. This normally produces good results, if you need more accurate positioning, try adding vertical control points in the hugin Control Points tab.
Num. Transf.
This opens up a pop-up window that allows you to enter a numerical transform to rotate the input images without changing their relative positions - Effectively this rotates the entire panorama.
Enter roll, pitch and yaw values in degrees, note that you can also realign the panorama by left and right-clicking in the preview image itself, though this is not so precise.
Setting Auto will regenerate the preview every time something changes in the project. This can be slow with large preview windows, so you may want to disable Auto or reduce the size of the window.
When Auto is unset, the preview doesn't regenerate when something changes in the project. Click Update to force a regeneration manually.
By default all input images are shown in the preview, however individual images can be enabled and disabled in the Displayed images section. Use the All button to return to the default and display all the images.
Similarly, hide all images with the None button, use this if you want to enable preview images one by one.
displayed images
Every input image in the preview has toggle button where display can be disabled or enabled.
The image window itself shows a representation of the final stitched output panorama, use the scroll bars to change the horizontal and vertical Field of View.
A Left-Click with the mouse in this image window will shift all the images, without changing their relative positions, such that the clicked point becomes the centre of the panorama.
A Right-Click with the mouse will rotate all the images, without changing their relative positions, such that the clicked point is level with the central horizon line.
Preview options
Use the drop down list to change the output projection of the panorama, the list is exactly the same as that in the Stitcher tab. Note that for some projections, the scroll-bar sliders to change the Field of View are disabled. If you are having trouble, switch to Equirectangular Projection, adjust the field of view and switch back.
Blend mode
- normal blend mode simply shows all selected images as a stack.
- difference blend mode highlights differences between overlapping images. If the images are well aligned, there will be few differences and the overlap will appear mostly black.
Changing the Output here tells hugin if you intend to create a low dynamic range (LDR) or high dynamic range (HDR) output panorama - If in doubt select LDR as this is the format of a normal photo, HDR images are only viewable with additional specialist processing.
Selecting HDR will change the preview display to a logarithmic photometric view - This allows you to see something from both dark and bright areas of the scene, though the contrast will be very low.
EV stands for Exposure Value, clicking the Reset button will set it to the average of all the input image exposures or setting it to 0 (zero) will result in no exposure change being applied to the panorama.
EV is a standard photographic scale, each increase or decrease by one unit will change the exposure by the equivalent of one f-stop (ie. halving or doubling the exposure). It is worth adjusting the exposure here in hugin rather than later in an external image editor, since hugin uses the camera response curve calculated in the hugin Exposure tab to perform the correction in a linear colour space.
The average value isn't always wanted. If you see colour artefacts in bright sky areas, set this to the negative of the darkest input image - This has a side-effect of clipping brighter images.


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BEAVER CREEK, CO - Having the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in your backyard has its benefits. Just ask Olympic slalom gold medalist and World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin. The Eagle-Vail local hopped on Raptor for a few days of super G training in April with speed skiers Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith, Laurenne Ross.
While it's not yet determined if Shiffrin will race super G or super combined at the Feb. 2-15 big show, she and her teammates certainly benefitted from bonus time on the World Champs slope.
"The extra time was huge," said Cook, a three-time Olympian, who also trained on the venue in April of 2013. "The conditions in April where more similar to what we'll see in February and I left the camp with a good feeling. I know that I can ski that hill fast. I'm excited to go back there."
The key factor for the camps success – snow, and lots of it. According to Cook, Raptor is was a "technical masterpiece" during the November 2013 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup test events, but after a solid winter of snow in the Rockies, the terrain had filled out to allow more flow to the slope.
"It became more of a downhill," said Cook. "If it runs in February like it ran during our training camp, it will be an amazing race with a lot of contenders. More snow definitely levels the playing field."
Smith agrees, but felt the most critical factor for the team was simply more time on the course.
"The more time I get on that course, the less chance there is for curve balls to be thrown at me. It's a bad-ass hill – the real deal – it's not something you can get on once and feel comfortable," said Smith. "We now know that when we go there for the World Championships the snow is going to be firm and you have to be on top of your game. You're going to have to be really dynamic in your skiing because everything is going to come at you quickly."
With luck the women's team plans to gain a few more bonus laps on Raptor this December during a holiday camp before the slope closes completely for final preparation for the championships.


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If spending 10 minutes trying to navigate through an automated call centre gives you nightmares, imagine making 12,000 calls to these centres over seven years.
Nigel Clarke, an IT manager, documented each call to build a database of "shortcuts" to help people skip the endless lists of call centre options at leading companies.
He found that some firms had more than 80 options in their phone menus, with up to seven levels of menu to work through – something he described as "the modern equivalent of Dante's circles of hell".
It comes as research by consumer group Which? also found problems with call centre phone systems.
Which? investigated tested the phone systems of BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media in February and April this year. In the worst cases it took eight minutes to get through to an operator at Sky, and 17 minutes for a BT adviser to answer simple questions.
Mr Clarke, 53, said his crusade against the call centres started "naturally", with notes taped to his computer.
He said: "I told a few friends and family and the database started to grow.
"As I researched it, I realised the reaction from people was always the same – that there were too many options, too many levels, and it took too long to get through.
"If you know what numbers to press, you can get through in seconds rather than minutes."
For example, a Lloyds TSB home insurance customer who wants to report a water leak would normally have to spend more than four minutes wading through 78 menu options over seven levels, according to Mr Clarke.
Instead, dialling 1-3-2-1-1-5-4 as you progress through the levels will take you through in seconds.
The guide, at pleasepress1.com, lists the option menus for 560 services from 130 leading companies.
During his research, Mr Clarke also found that two thirds of companies used introductions or additional advertising between options.
Mr Clarke, who lives in Fawkham, Kent, said that with better menu design at least 3million caller hours could be saved.
He said HM Revenue & Customs was one of the worst offenders, with callers taking up to six minutes to reach the correct department.
As one of Britain's busiest call centres, HMRC receives up to 60million calls a year.
An HMRC spokesman said the tax office was preparing to introduce speech-recognition technology this year, a solution that did not impress Mr Clarke.
"In my experience, voice recognition is hated even more than menu systems," he said.
"If they just improved the design and published the options on their website, it would help their customers a lot."
Richard Lloyd, Which?'s executive director, said: "It is maddening to be asked to choose from a series of options by a machine when you just want to speak to a human, especially when you want to complain.
"Six in 10 of us say we avoid using companies because of a reputation for poor customer service, so firms should try harder to get it right and stop wasting their customers' time."
The consumer group's research found several ways to cut through the call centre menus.
For example, randomly pressing a sequence of keys confuses Sky's interactive voice response (IVR) system and will put you through to an operator, as will pressing the # key twice.
Which? also recommends tools on mobile phones that can help. The WeQ4u app, which can be downloaded to smartphones for free, keeps your place in a queue and calls you back when an operator is available.
TalkTalk customers can try the sales number and then ask to be transferred to customer services, and BT customers can use the same trick by dialling the "calling from overseas" number, where they will need to state their account number before being put straight through to an adviser.
If you want to avoid call centres altogether, Which? recommends using "chat" services on companies' websites. Sky said this was the quickest way to get an answer from its customer service operators. BT claims that an adviser will respond to a web chat request within 30 seconds.
Alternatively, customers can send an email or tweet their query or complaint, which has the added advantage of providing a written record should you wish to challenge or prove communication in future.
Mr Clarke, who now works full time on the shortcuts website, has not kept count of how much he spent on the research calls.
"It's taken quite a bit of time and money and effort, but I think it's worthwhile," he said.
"It was an itch I've been trying to scratch for many years. I knew something had to be done, and if it helps companies think about the consumer, that would be nice."
Mr Clarke would like to see firms submitting their menu options to create a "verified" directory of shortcuts. "It's so simple to do," he said, "and it shows that the company cares about its customers. At least they can see the options before they dial."


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The Ruger 5700 Ballistics Weather Meter works with your factory Ruger rifle to give you the confidence to shoot further, in the wind, at any altitude, right out of the box.$399.00
2 Items


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Decorative Show Caps
Decorative Show Caps - These bolt and fastener
covers are a great way to hide ugly screw heads. They have a cap and washer that snaps together
for a corrosion proof seal. Shipped 10 per package. Available in Show Chrome or Gold Electroplate.
19mm Riser Bolt Covers
#8126 19mm Riser Bolt Covers - Perfection lies in
the details. Often ignored, but glaringly obvious, your stock zinc plated riser bolts peer out
from under your top triple tree. Our chrome Riser Bolt Covers go on in seconds and right this
wrong. These covers fit 19mm bolt heads, and add a beautiful chrome touch to an otherwise dull
Chrome Star Washers
Chrome Star Washers - These chrome star washers
are a great way to dress up stud mounted accessories, like rear trunk racks, grab handles, etc. They
distribute the load across a much larger area, minimizing the possibility of fiberglass or plastic
body panel cracks where accessories are installed. They have a 1/4" diameter hole in the
center, and are 1 1/4" in outside diameter. Shipped in packs of 10, this is a whale of a deal!
Universal Eagle Lights
Universal Eagle Lights - Here's the original. A
Küryakyn exclusive! Style, function and added visibility, all in the same light. Eagle lights
can be mounted on any motorcycle, trailer, mirror, caliper or frame cover, light bar, etc.
This 12-volt light draws very little juice and has a super-long life. Approximately 2"W x
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Flame Accents- Chrome plated laser cut steel FLAME
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Chrome Flame Accents -
3-1/4" flame (pair) $11.35
Chrome Flame Accents -
6" flame (pair) $24.65
Chrome Flame Accents -
8" flame (pair) $33.20


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Grand Bahama Bonefishing
in Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama Bonefishing offers top Freeport Grand Bahama Island Bonefishing Guides with fly fishing the flats for Bonefish, Permit, Barracuda, Jacks, Snapper, Sharks.
Lacaya Freeport, Grand Bahama
Garrison Sports
in Garrison
Garrison Sports offers a Mille Lacs Minnesota fishing charters and Ice Fishing rental for Yellow Perch, Muskies, Eelpout (Burbot), Smallmouth Bass, Bullheads, Carp, Perch, Walleye
Garrison, Minnesota 56450
United States
Sidewinder Charters
in Cathlamet
Jet Boat fishing charter in Cathlamet and the Columbia River in Washington fishing for Salmon, Sturgeon, Steelhead, Chinook.
Cathlamet, Washington
United States
Northern Lights Resort & Outfitting
in Kabetogama
Fishing Resort with cabins and fishing for Walleye, Bass, Perch and Crappie.
12723 Northern Lights Road
Kabetogama, Minnesota 56669
United States
Makaira Fishing Charters
in Rincon
Makaira Fishing Charters is a Rincon Puerto Rico deep sea fishing charter for tuna, kingfish, marlin, wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna, sailfish, snapper.
P.O. Box 257
Rincón, Rincón Municipio 00677
Puerto Rico


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Artist Randy Queen's Darkchylde collection is now available from Image Comics.
I received my copy and love it.
And thinking of this as a potential John Carpenter film is pretty sweet.
Click below for more information:
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Darkchylde Collection
Artist Randy Queen's Darkchylde collection is now available from Image Comics.
Posted by Rot at 8:45 PM
Labels: art, artist, comics, darkchylde, john carpenter, randy queen
2 comments:
- The Gill-Man said...
Is this the first Darkchylde story arc, or one that occurs later on in the continuity? I want to start picking up the trades, but I want to start at the beginning. They subtitle it "Volume 1", so that leads me to believe that this is the "origin" tale, but I know it could also be the first volume of a new series.
- January 31, 2011 at 8:34 AM
- Rot said...
Nah, These are two storylines from later in the series...
The entire listing of releases is at the following link:
- January 31, 2011 at 8:38 AM
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We've had countless discussions on here about the religious colloquialisms and sayings that others say that we tolerate (e.g. many don't mind something like, ("I hope you get better soon - I'll pray for you", or something as simple as "bless you" after a sneeze). But what about the other end of the spectrum?
What are the xian, or religious for that matter, sayings that drive you crazy or get under your skin? For instance, here are a couple of mine...
You get the idea.
Can't wait to read your thoughts on this!
Views: 6182
@Gabriela - I'm certainly not a New Ager, in fact, I'm not sure I fall into any particular pigeon hole, but I do think that there's more to the philosophy you speak of, than you realize.
Let me offer you two hastily constructed scenarios, one general, the other more personal. Let's say you have one person, just living life as it comes - various things happen to him/her that aren't taken advantage of, because he doesn't have a clear goal. A second person may say, "I want to own my own home by the time I'm 30," or, "One day, I want to stand at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris." From that point on, every opportunity that arises, that could bring that person closer to his goal, is noticed and acted upon, whereas the first person may well have not perceived the occasions as significant.
On a more personal level, we, of both sexes, give off subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) signals when we're interested in someone. There are women, and I'm sure you know at least one, who are attracted to "bad boys," for the excitement and unpredictability. Such a woman will bypass a half-dozen "nice guys," deemed too boring, to get to the "bad boy," who, being misogynistic, uses her, dumps her, and leaves her cursing all men for the treatment she received. A more positive attitude would have been more likely to send out a different set of signals to less abusive men, that could well have led to a much more satisfying relationship. In this case, the thoughts actually did attract a certain type of person, because they chose that type of person as their goal.
I guess what I'm trying to say, poorly, is that if you're clear as to what you want, you'll focus on that objective, by-pass blind alleys that lead in unproductive directions, and come closer to achieving your goal (whether that objective is good for you or not, is another issue entirely). That's what I would consider a positive attitude. The opposite of that would be, "Oh, I could never do that (or attract a person like that), so why even bother to try?"
"As if a child born in most extreme poverty thought about it before being born and then he attracted it..."
No, but as that child matures, his attitude will play a large part in whether or not he remains in extreme poverty.
@mohammed - that doesn't sound very submissive! If you haven't already, you might enjoy meeting some of these people:
Welcome to the Group "الملحـدين المصـريين - Egyptian Atheists" on Think Atheist
To view this group, visit:
It might interest you to learn that the member, "Hope" is from Saudi as well --
"America was founded on Christian principles"
My typical response (or something like it)-
To which specific "principles" are you referring? Christian "principles" seem to include a virgin birth, resurrection(s), vicarious redemption via human sacrifice (predicated on animal sacrifice), heaven/hell, judgment day, imaginary friends/enemies, magical thinking/superstition, prayer, homophobia, scientific illiteracy, etc. Which of these is in our Constitution?
Now, there's a fair amount of genocide and slavery in the Old Testament, and there was a signficant amount of that in the "founding" of the USA.
The only "Christian principle" that is worth anything, imo, is "do unto others." And that is not even a uniquely Christian concept and the USA was certainly not founded on "do unto others."
The only mention of god/religion in our Constitution is exclusionary - enough of the Christian rhetorical BS and Christian theocratic nonsense.
I just explained to my mom that the proofs for god are faulty and so belief in god is based on blind faith. Her response: "what's wrong with blind faith?" I mean really? After what's been going on recently in the Middle East...what's wrong with blind faith? Of course I quickly jumped at her saying that to point out what blind faith can produce - 9/11/01, 9/11/12. And then she says "oh that's just Islam"... bothered me off to no end that she wouldn't change her mind about blind faith being a good thing.
If you can equate 'blind faith' with 'stupidity', it might work, but you could be uninvited to Thanksgiving Dinner.
I did take part in a conversation, on a long trip to ski once. A woman that worked with retarded folks, attempted to build a case for such people being happier. I suggested that this could be true, but geting a prefrontal lobatamy to test the idea, would not be the smartest thing to do during an elected surgery! Your insurance carrier could see it as a good idea if you are wealthy, but uncovered if not. LOL
There was another conversation concerning the relationship between intelligence and depression. A few friends suggested that having too many brain cells could make humans morose and moody. Not knowing that you are going to die, that life sometimes sucks, and TV has gotten old, could be nice. No such luck....
Haha if I was going to be uninvited to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, I would have expected it to have happened a long time ago. They're still trying to get me to go back to catholicism...and meat.
It might just be that it's late but I have NO idea what you're talking about! lol sorryyy
No wonder I'm pessimistic? Maybe you're saying blind faith is good when it prevents apathy and keeps people happy... I don't know? But if that's its only function, there are plenty of other things a person can do which do not have the negative results of blind faith.
I was suggesting that 'blind faith' and 'stupidity' could be equated. 'Stupidity' could be equated to 'Ignorance'. If your mom would dislike be considered either 'stupid' or 'Ignorant', then kick back could happen. If 'Stupid' could be equated to 'retarded', and if retarded people are happier, then maybe 'blind faith' could be reasonable. Else we could be condemned to our morose/moody intelligence or elected psychosurgery. Under some conditions 'blind faith' might act like elected psychosurgery. After watching the Benny Hinn videos, this seems very likely. The American Psychlogical Association might like to know this, as well as the Religious Right. I expect that the NSA already has a file concerning this..;p)
You do realize that I am trying to 'make sense out of non-sense'. This is about the best I can do after two glasses of wine and rewatching the movie 'Powder', which is a tear jerker for me. Or maybe it was the home made plum sauce.....LOL
@JC -that was an incredibly beautiful movie about tolerance, in the vein of The Little Prince. It should be a classic, but few have ever heard of it.
Yes, 'The Little prince' is also one of my favorites. My HS english teacher compaired me to the Prince.
Over the last 12 years, it appears that I have married onto my asteroid, and even have placed a few demanding plants under glass. Our asteroid/hill seems crowded at times, but I can play the steward as the seasons roll. It seems clear that, while visiting other places can be enlightening, I would much rather stay on the asteroid where we seem far from the maddening crowd and socially accepted ugliness.
If it was not for the, most times, mis-placed value of money, I would just pursue my science and environmental hobbies. I am about to run another MFC experiment, this time with a Nickel catalyist.
Don't feel alone, money has never had any value for me, which likely explains why I never have any --
The most ridiculous, idiotic and insane comment is this one: "Well, everything happens for a reason!" This just infuriates me. For starters, whenever I hear people say this, something has just happened within their little world, they didn't get a job they wanted, or they attended a party that they didn't want to go to and then ended up meeting someone they enjoyed, etc. Let's look outside our narrow field of vision and test that theory. A child is kidnapped and murdered....what's the reason for that? How about a houseful of children dying in a house fire? Or thousands dying in a famine? A mother of five dying of breast cancer? A suicide bomber killing 25 people? Airplanes as weapons killing over 3,000? You're looking me in the eye and saying EVERYTHING happens for a reason? You have never given that statement any thought, have you? Just spouting it out cuz you heard someone else say it.


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Also, according to some older Disney collectibles magazines as well as some conversations with Disney product purchasers, not only is this line supposed to be carded on the blue Saga cards, but also Series 1 and 2 are due to be recarded. The recarding is still up in the air though. Ultimately, they want their displays to match and think green and blue cards are going to throw off the casual customer, thus they want to take everything over to blue (which ties it to Star Wars right now)
But Adam's right - this is NOT that droid, nor was it meant to be.
R5-D4 is a down-on-his luck astromech that is first seen in A New Hope with an explosively faulty motivator. While he has gotten away from the Jawas, the carbon scoring on his shell reveals he's still working a hard existence. This edition of R5-D4, true to its theme park incarnation, features a unique head design.
it looks like you're going to have to go out again (Matt) and hook me up with some MOMC Star Tours Droids (again).
Same here. Get ready to go hunting Matt.
...and if you use comon sense...
So basically this is R5D4, except it has a new head design, and more scoring... I guess this would fall into the EU category.
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Hammond's Ferry is slated for 850 units of residential housing, in addition to a few retailers. Housing is already up for sale and the first unit sold went for $855,475; the second brought in $129,525. However, the project is already about a year behind schedule. The area has many wetlands, most old clay pits dug by the brick manufacturers. Only a couple are going to be set aside. I don't know if this (admittedly not a clay pit) is one of them.
Another hold-up on the development was an archaeological dig. Since Hammond's Ferry had been a river crossing it was thought that there might be some interesting artifacts in the area. I managed to find some on my own just walking around. For instance, this television set is clearly an antique. Notice the keypad that was used to change channels. Barbaric.
I have no idea how this sink got here. There wasn't much debris in this particular area. I also don't know what sorts of real artifacts, if any, the archaelogical dig yielded. No one seems to have said. Anyway, the dig is over and things can really get moving now.
When the development project began in earnest turtles crawled out of the clay pits and committed suicide en masse in protest. Honestly, there were quite a few large bleached turtle shells lying around, all upside down. Maybe they fell victim to raccoons or something. Anyway, these turtles were probably better off getting out before things got really tough. Next time we'll visit Henry Clay's favorite swimming hole.


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Oman Air's Engineering and Maintenance Division has efficiently registered to provide aircraft certification services for Swiss International Aircraft, transiting at Seeb international Airport.
In this regard, Engineer Ali Redha Mohammed Baqir Al Lawatiya, Senior Manager Third Party & Technical Support said: "Oman Air has capably completed Swiss International Audits associated with safety and quality standards. The successful completion of the audit verifies Oman Air's Engineering and Maintenance Division prominence, besides affirming our status providing the highest quality maintenance and the most reliable services, comparable to those set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)".
Eng. Ali added: "Our high standard and competent services has increased our third party handling business Customers. We currently provide Technical Ground Handling to 30 Airline customers and other ad-hoc operators transiting via Seeb International Airport, and Aircraft certification services to 13 customer airlines".
"Accomplishing and sustaining our internationally recognized standards of quality and safety is evidence that OAS has in place a management structure and corporate philosophy that actively promotes best practices in operational safety. Safety of airline operations has always been and will remain the highest priority for our companyand the high estimation by the specialists that Oman Air received during the audit is a clear evidence of our success in that sphere.' He further said.
Oman Air's Corporate Communications and Media Department stated that Oman Air, is continuously growing every day, and has always given the top priority to flight safety, whereby initiated the process of becoming included within the IOSA Program, which introduces the standard of high Operational Safety Level among the IATA member airlines, and has successfully passed from the audits applied by the independent audit organization. Oman Air achieved the distinction of being the 24th airline worldwide, and the 3rd in the Arab world to be registered with IOSA (www.iata.org/registry).This itself is a matter of pride for Oman Air's management and staff, and is particularly creditable considering the fact that IATA represents some 240 airlines comprising 94% of the international scheduled air traffic."
They explained that the Third Party & Technical Support Department was formed to maintain high Standards of quality engineering services provided to customer airlines transiting at Seeb International airport and their main responsibilities consist of providing effectual Airworthiness Certification support to third party contractual customers operators transiting through Seeb Airport, such as: Kuwait Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Egypt Air, Qatar Airways, Air India Express, Etihad, Emirates, Air Arabia, Jazeerah Airways, Turkish Airways - Travel Services to various types of Aircrafts : A320, A310, A330, A340, A319, A321, B737, B777. They added saying that the department is also in charge for developing business opportunities, hence strategically decided to increase its B3 business further, and inducted new-experienced Aircraft Maintenance Engineers with multiple wide and narrow body type ratings to enhance its standing in the region, by assuring provision of Quality Services to the Operators in the region.
It is worth mentioning that the department recently has again gone through the audit phase of major European carriers and has successfully achieved the accreditations of qualifying to certify their fleet of Aircraft for Airlines like: KLM/Martin Air and Lufthansa, regional operators Royal Jordanian, Saudi Arabian Airlines & Biman are in negotiation to award Oman Air Third Party & Tech support department to certify their aircraft at Seeb International Airport.


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Biotechs strike partnerships to spread their costs, risks
The Boston Globe
January 15, 2012
In long days packed with back-to-back meetings last week, Tillman Gerngross pressed drug company leaders from around the world to farm out some specialized research and development to his New Hampshire start-up, Adimab LLC.
Gerngross even bought advertisements promoting his biotech firm on this city's fabled cable cars to catch executives' attention as the cars rumbled down Powell Street past the Westin St. Francis hotel, where more than 8,000 life sciences movers and shakers congregated for the 30th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.
"Pharmaceutical companies are tuning down their internal R&D,'' said Gerngross, an engineering professor at Dartmouth, who has booked business from Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Novartis AG, and Weston-based Biogen Idec Inc., and other drug makers. "That's very positive for companies like ours.''
Adimab, of Lebanon, N.H., was one of hundreds of smaller biotechnology and medical device firms seeking to find research partners, strike collaborations, raise money, buy other companies, or be acquired themselves in the nonstop deal making that surrounded the annual conference. After several sluggish years, life sciences deal making has begun to rebound, with investors and companies increasingly turning to partnerships to share the costs and risks of bringing expensive new therapies to market.


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Extracted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Qi
"He and Sun Tzu are often listed in the same sentence (Sun-Wu,孙吴) as great military strategists."
My question is why are both of them listed in the same sentence? Is it purely coincidence or these surnames have a special affinity to each other?
For example, During the 3 kingdoms period, the eastern state of wu was also called Sun-Wu,孙吴.


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2013 Pittsburgh Marathon countdown is on
The Pittsburgh Marathon continues to grow as it prepares to celebrate its fifth year back in existence, and organizers say the impact goes beyond a mere sporting event.
A news conference was held Tuesday in Market Square, not far from the starting point, to talk more about the 2013 marathon. It's expected to fill city streets with 30,000 runners and generate an $8 million economic impact for the region -- including $5 million for local charities.
"We're going to bridge together 13 Pittsburgh communities to create one of the biggest festivals in the history of Pittsburgh in true marathon style," director Patrice Matamoros said. (See this year's course map.)
The marathon touts involvement with more than 50 local and national charities. Among those represented at Tuesday's event were the Animal Rescue League, Genre's Kids with Cancer Fund, the Pittsburgh Promise, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the Oasis Recovery Center of Western Pennsylvania.
The annual race will be held May 5. It has sold out every year since being revived in 2009, and organizers say they're nearing a sellout again in 2013.
Registration for the marathon and half-marathon is still open at a cost of $120 and $110, respectively. More information on the race and how to get involved is posted at PittsburghMarathon.com.


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Seven Rules for a Secure Retirement
Millions of Americans were already alarmingly ill-prepared for their so-called "golden" years when the stock market crashed and the housing market melted down. Now, just as many people are finally recovering some of their losses, retirement savings face a host of new threats: states halting pension payments, high levels of unemployment, changes to Social Security and Medicare (thanks to our record deficit).
The bottom line is that if you want a crack at the happy and secure retirement we all dream of, you must take control of your retirement planning today. Here's our road map of seven simple, proven tips to planning for a worry-free retirement.Rule #1: Hands Off Your Retirement Funds!
Your 401(k), 403(b) or IRA plan is not a piggy bank! Don't borrow from your retirement plan unless it's a dire emergency.
At the end of 2009, a whopping 21% of all people in 401(k) plans that allowed loans had an outstanding loan balance. Very often, money borrowed from retirement plans never gets repaid.
You are mortgaging your future when you tap into a savings plan -- money meant to help fund a happy retirement.
When you are looking for a way to pay off debt, pay for college and just make ends meet, we know it can be tempting to borrow from your nest egg. Don't do it! Treat your retirement funds as a locked vault, not a piggy bank.
Rule #2: Cut Expenses and Ramp Up Your Savings
You always hear people talk about needing to save more for retirement, but everyone ignores the other half of the equation: spend less!
We're not telling you to live like a pauper now so you can retire in style later. Instead, we want you to spend smarter. A huge chunk of your hard-earned money is drained away on necessary-and costly-everyday items. Once you cut your spending on these money-guzzlers, you can plow that "found" money into your nest egg.
Need a jump-start? Here are a dozen easy ways to spend less on life's necessities.
Rule #3: Know the Right Time to Start Taking Social Security Benefits
Retire at 65 and start taking Social Security ... right?
Maybe, maybe not. Your ability to receive a full monthly Social Security benefit depends on your year of birth.
Start your Social Security payments at the wrong time and it can cost you a small fortune. For example, if you are turning 62 between now and 2016, and start your benefits at age 62, you will get 25% less than if you started your benefits at age 66. But wait until you are 70 to start taking benefits and you'll get 132% more than you would if you started at 66!
So there can be a huge financial plus to delaying your Social Security benefits, but your strategy depends highly on your age since the "normal" retirement age ranges from 65 to 67 depending on when you were born.
Use this chart to determine your "real" retirement age so you know when you will qualify for maximum Social Security benefits.
Rule #4: Forget the Old Rule of Thumb
Forget the old retirement "chestnut" that you'll need only 70% to 80% of your pre-retirement income to maintain the same standard of living in retirement.
That may have worked years ago, but not now. Ignore this outdated formula and plan on needing 100% of your income.
Yes, you'll have some expenses that go away-like dry cleaning for work clothes and commuting costs. But think about new expenses you will incur, like travel, increased health care costs, potential long-term care and more.
Plus in today's new reality, there is one big factor you must consider ...
Rule #5: Don't Forget About Inflation
Have you been shopping lately? $4 a gallon gas ... record prices for corn, sugar and cotton ... food prices up 25% over last year. Anyone who tells you not to worry too much about inflation rearing its ugly head isn't paying attention.
Inflation is here, and we expect it to get worse.
We have increased the inflation rate we recommend you use in your retirement planning to 4%. It may be higher or lower at times, but that's about where we believe it will average out over the long run.
That means the 8% return you are counting on, for example, gets cut in half after you factor in inflation. That makes a huge impact on your bottom line.
Rule #6: Pay Yourself First
This is one of those retirement planning "secrets" that receives little attention. But if you can make this one a habit, you'll see your savings grow faster than you can say, "Show me the money!"
When you get your paycheck, put a pre-designated chunk directly into your savings or investments immediately -- before you spend one red cent on anything else.
We know that saving money for a long-term retirement goal can be tough with so many priorities competing for your money every day. So use this secret weapon: set up an automatic investment plan (AIP) that takes a piece of your paycheck and deposits it directly into your retirement account before you ever see the money.
This is a simple way to pay yourself first each month and create a regular investment you never even have to think about. You can set up an AIP with most banks and mutual funds.
Rule #7: Contribute the Maximum to Qualified Retirement Plans
We know, we know ... easier said than done.
But, a little sacrifice now will pay dividends years from now. Investing in your IRA, 401(k), Roth, or 403(b) gives you tax benefits you won't get by stashing your nest egg elsewhere. And if you are fortunate enough to work for a company that offers matching contributions, that's free money toward your retirement.
Whether you are 30 or 60 years old, use these tips today to build a financially secure retirement.
They days of depending on your employer or your union or your government to take care of you in retirement are long gone. You can still achieve a safe, secure retirement, but only one person can make it happen: you. In addition to these seven retirement planning tips, check out ways to:


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Some of us took risks. Some of us played it safe. Read about our writers' great (and terrible) 2010 financial decisions, and what they learned from them.
You can enter a room where you could find wealth immediately, or one where you'll definitely find it...but the search might take years. Which do you choose?
Discover why some analysts think you should buy stocks now...and why you should ignore them.
Welcome to the November 4, 2009 Cavalcade of Risk — the How Much Assurance Does Your Insurance Offer edition! There were a large number of insurance related topics. Does that mean
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"We enter a forest - it is like someone has thrown a green blanket over us. We are in a whole new world." - National Geographic Traveller
The most spectacular part of Mount Gorongosa is its lush, verdant rainforest, likely to be the largest continuous Afromontane forest in southern Africa. The transition from grasslands to the forest happens quite abruptly at the elevation of about 500 m on the eastern slope, higher on the western one. After a hike from the foothills of the mountain in the hot, African sun, entering the dense, towering forest brings an immediate relief. The lower portions of the rainforest are composed of huge, tropical trees that form a closed canopy 20-30 m high. An occasional giant tree, known as the emergent, may pierce this layer and extend even higher. Some of the dominant species here are Fluted milkwood and the massive Forest newtonia, the trunk of which is supported with expansive buttresses.
The cool, humid environment of the Gorongosa rainforest supports abundant, rich flora of mosses and ferns, which form a luxuriant, green coating on every rock and fallen log. At least 104 species of ferns have been recorded from the rainforest, but this number is certainly much higher. The lower layers of the forest are dominated by the Dracaena, a popular houseplant, which flourishes in its native environment.


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Acal BFi in Iberia
We closed our Acal BFi sales office in Madrid at the end of 2016.
For our customers in Iberia we will be pleased to support your future requirements from our specialist teams at Acal BFi in France and Italy.
For Imaging and Photonics products, solutions and queries, please see our French website or email our French specialist team.
For Communications, Magnetics, Power and Sensor products, solutions and queries, please see our Italian website or email our Italian specialist team.


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Focus 14 Blue 5th generation Fitted Leather case with strap
Features: Softer Leather and E-Rings
A new case for the Focus 14 Blue 5th generation, a custom fitted case. Our new soft leather case for the Focus 14 Blue display is a fitted case designed to hold your unit securely in the case. It is a custom fitted leather case, designed to enable the user to easily utilize the display while the case is on the unit and allow the unit to be carried on a comfortable strap. The face of the unit is covered with a zipper pocket cover which may be opened / closed with three magnet closures. The zipper pocket cover may be flipped on to the rear and secured under the unit if the user needs to utilize the display while walking. The large zipper pocket can store your ear buds and other items which provide security and protection. It is designed to enable the user to utilize their display while the case is on. The case is equipped with black plastic hooks to provide security, durability and safety. EPI continues the tradition of creating functional, durable and beautiful fitted cases. The strap that comes with this case has a loop on the strap so that you can attach your iPhone 4/5. Made in the U.S.A.
Magnetic closure.
The Focus Blue 40 will not slip out of this case
Accessibility to data ports, headphone, all keys and other ports.
The zipper pocket may be used to store date cards, ear buds, etc.
Keyboard is exposed while the cover is open
Extremely durable with a superior design.
See Other Accessories for Straps/Handles and other items.
To Purchase our products in:
Canada: Terry Scott at 877-724-4922 or www.specialneedscomputers.ca
Australia/New Zealand Contact David Allen at firstname.lastname@example.com
Europe Customer can purchase our products via www.comproon.co.uk or contact email@example.com
Available on GSA Schedule, contract number GS07F6046R
With further modifications by Electron Jungle LLC.