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Merrill Shindler, KABC radio host, editor of the Los Angeles Zagat Survey and food critic for our trio of sister papers in the San Gabriel Valley (San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News and Whittier Daily News), will be bringing his "Taste Buds" show to Claremont next Saturday (November 10) and you're invited to participate!
Sponsored by Discover Claremont, the special event will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. at Hotel Casa 425, 425 W. First St.
In addition to the live broadcast, participants will be able to try small plates from a variety of Claremont eateries (including Lounge 425 at Hotel Casa 425, Orchard at the DoubleTree by Hilton Claremont, Packing House Wine Merchants, Tutti Mangia, and La Parolaccia) and sip wine samples.
Admission is $25 at the door, and proceeds will benefit Inland Valley Hope Partners, which provides food, shelter and supportive services for no- and low-income families.
Entry is limited to the first 100 guests, so reservations via email are recommended.
Doors open at 3:30 p.m., and the tastings last until 5 p.m. Guests can stay and enjoy drinks and small plates at the hotel's Lounge 425.
For more information, click here, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or call 562-596-4466.


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familychannelChildren's centresRemove
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Information, help and advice
Anna Freud Centre- Schools' Outreach Therapy Service
The Outreach Therapy Service is comprised of a team of qualified psychotherapists who deliver child and family focused therapeutic interventions and programmes in schools. The aim is to help children who are presenting with emotional, behavioural and relationship difficulties at school and who are not…
Schools Outreach Therapy Service12 Maresfield GardensNW3 5SU
020 7794 2313
Baby Buddy App
Baby Buddy is our free AXA PPP and RCM Midwifery award-winning mobile phone app for parents-to-be and new parents. Baby Buddy is your personal baby expert who will guide you through your pregnancy and the first six months of your baby's life. It has been designed…
Beethoven Centre
Community space for social and health activities. For all ages 0 to 90. The following timetable is targetted for 10-19 year olds. DAY TIME SPORT/ACTIVITY LOCATION PROVIDER Wednesday 15:00 -16:30 MULTI SPORTS BEETHOVEN CENTRE LONDON YOUTH TRUST Thursday 15:00 - 16:30 MULTI SPORTS BEETHOVEN CENTRE…
020 3214 3118 020 8825 1067
Bessborough Family Hub
We're improving the support you and your family receive in Westminster. As part of this, we are creating three Family Hubs offering more support and advice that now includes families with children up to 19 years of age. The first one has opened at the…
Bessborough Centre, 1Bessborough StreetLondonSW1V 2JD
079 6619 4597 - manager 020 7641 5923 - office
Bookstart gives free books to every child in England and Wales at two key stages before school, as well as free packs for children with additional needs, tips and guidance on reading together, resources and activities, and much more. Families: Find out everything you need…
020 7801 8800
Charing Cross Library
Charing Cross Library is a busy library serving residents, commuters and the local Chinese community, and is home to our CD collection. Please click here for the opening hours of the libary and here for events.
020 7641 6200
Church Street Children's Centre
Church Street Children's Centre offers the following services: daily drop-in play sessions health advice and development checks from our community health nurses ante-natal, breastfeeding and new baby sessions -inf ormation about infant feeding. story time sessions Westminster adult education classes – English and literacy with crèche facilities…
Portman Early Childhood Centre, Lead Setting for the Church Street Children's Centre4 Lilestone StreetLondonNW8 8SU
020 7641 5435 or 020 7641 5436
Church Street Library
Community Library all are welcome. Please see here for opening hours.
CHURCH STREET LIBRARY67 Church StreetLondonNW8 8EU
020 7641 6200
Diddi Dance
Diddi Dance is a funky pre-school dance class for girls and boys aged from 18 months – 4 years of age. At Diddi Dance we realise and encourage endless enthusiasm and energy in an action packed, full of fun 45 minute dance class. Using various…
07426 009 179
Doorstep Library (SW1V)
Doorstep Library volunteers will come to your door once a week, after school, to read a story with your children and/or lend them books to borrow for the week. Our aim is to instill a love of reading for pleasure in children from babies up to 11…
PimlicoLondonSW1V 3AA
020 8870 1476

subset: commoncrawl


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Triple homicide suspect's trainer: "He's a good guy"
No court date set for Jaren Kuester; investigators still processing evidence
WIOTA, Wis. — A guy like Adrian Serrano is used to hard hits.
But when he heard the news, and when he saw his student's name connected with killings, it rocked Serrano harder than any take-down.
"My first reaction was the name had to be wrong," Serrano said. "Somebody messed up the name."
Jaren Kuester, 31, was arrested Sunday in connection with a triple homicide in Lafayette County. Three people – Gary Thoreson, 70, Chloe Thoreson, 66, and Dean Thoreson, 76 – were found dead in a home on Philippine Drive in the town of Wiota. After two days of being blocked off, the road is no longer closed. Lafayette County Sheriff Scott Pedley met with the victims' family Tuesday.
Waukesha police took Kuester into custody Sunday night. He is being held at the Lafayette County Jail on three tentative charges of first-degree intentional homicide.
Serrano has trained Jaren Kuester to reach his life goal. Serrano said Kuester wanted nothing more than to be a professional mixed martial arts fighter. No surprise, Serrano said, because the Kuester clan is filled with natural wrestlers. Serrano trained Jaren's brother, Jacob, to a championship level.
"They're just from a good family in Waukesha. All five brothers wrestled, and I think all five of them dabbled in this sport a little bit, his brother Jacob the most," Serrano said.
Serrano never knew Kuester to be violent outside of the ring. He said he kept careful track of his diet, worked out intensely, and didn't seem to have issues with drugs or alcohol.
"Jaren was a good guy, working hard to make a living, working hard at the gym to get to the point to be a professional MMA fighter, and never knew him to be in any trouble.
Kuester was booked in the Waukesha County Jail on Thursday before the three victims were found dead. According to jail records, there was a warrant out for his arrest for resisting and obstructing and officer. Kuester paid a $303 bail and jail officials let him go.
The connection between the suspect and the three family members found dead in Lafayette County is still unclear. Investigators say the victims didn't know their alleged assailant. Serrano didn't know of any connection between Kuester and that area. He considered that one of the biggest mysteries of this case.
"The most bizarre thing is what happened way out there in southwest Wisconsin? I never heard him talk about, he's a Waukesha and Milwaukee guy," Serrano said. "I never heard of him talk about going anywhere. So just the fact that this incident happened so far away is probably more shocking than anything else."
Serrano has been in touch with Jaren's brother, Jacob Kuester, since the arrest was made. However, Serrano said it was only a short exchange offering his support to the family.
"Whatever happened that day doesn't change the way I feel about him. He was always a good guy in the gym, and hopefully this is a mistake, and he'll be back in the gym next week," Serrano said.


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Lesson 8: Allah the Self-sufficient
A Testable and Irrefutable Law
The world we see with our eyes is a material world composed of atoms. Every object has a special place and special properties, which vary from situation to situation and according to their orientation. Distance plays a role in the actions of these properties and the nearer the cause is to the effect the stronger the effect is; the further away it is, the weaker the effect, until a distance is reached where the cause has no action at all. To elucidate this point consider the following.
1. The power of a magnet is not the same at all distances: the nearer the metal is to the magnet, the stronger the power of attraction. If a nail is placed at a distance of two centimeters from a magnet, the attraction will be stronger than if it is placed at a distance of ten centimetres.
2. The heat of the sun on the surface of the planet Venus is not the same as it is on the surface of the Earth. Since Venus is nearer the sun it receives more heat and is therefore hotter than the Earth.
3. The light of a lamp may reach a hundred meters but within this distance the intensity is not uniform. The nearer to the lamp we are the greater the intensity of its light.
4. The voice of a public speaker may reach fifty meters but like the light it is not uniform within this distance. The nearer to him we are the louder his voice, the further away we are, the more difficult it is to hear.
5. If a leader wishes to exert his influence without using agents or modern methods of communication, he cannot succeed, because his own efforts have an effect in a certain place and cannot influence those who are far from him. On the other hand, by using modern methods he can exert his influence on all people. Of course, this depends not only on his own activity, but also on the power of his supporters and, in the same way, his power varies in relation to the distance he is from his supporters.
These examples show that all things, which are situated in a certain place, do not have an equal effect at all distances, the nearer we are to the centre of something, the greater its effect will be and vice versa.
Does God Have a Centre?
Some people may possibly think that like the sun and other material things God has a place, and that He has a seat from which He exerts His influence over His Creation. However, this is not the case, because His influence on creation, which is His work, is the same in every place, from the depths of the oceans to the furthest parts of the universe. There is no place to which His influence does not reach in sufficiency.
This influence is not such as has a centre, such that the further we go from it the weaker it becomes, until we reach a point where there is no trace of His influence and chaos reigns. For if God had a place like other material things, His influence would vary throughout the universe. Therefore we can deduce from this that the creator of this world has no location and no centre. Indeed, God is the creator of "place" and it is impossible that the creator should be dependent on what He has created.
God cannot be compared with an inventor, because, as we explained previously, an inventor is not a creator. His only genius is that he understands the properties of things and is successful in bringing together certain elements to make something, which, in some cases, he is himself in need of. But God, Who is the creator of all creation, is not in need of what He has created.
Is God visible?
Now, since we have seen that God has no place, it is clear that he has no body either. Because a body needs a place, and there can be no body which has no place. Since God has no body, He cannot be seen, because our eyes can see only bodies.
God does not need the creatures
Since God is the creator of nourishment and other necessities of life of all existents, we must agree that He needs none of these things.
God therefore, is the entire Truth Who does not need the creatures. Unlike human beings, He does not need shelter nourishment, and the other necessities of life. Rather all people and things are in need of Him. You may ask: "If God has no body, occupies no space and cannot be seen then what is He and how can we say that He exists?"
To understand this, take the following example. Electricity is neither solid, nor liquid, nor gas. These negations do not deny the existence of electricity. And it could never be true to say that because electricity is none of these things, therefore it does not exist. We have to admit that electricity is a fact, which cannot be describable by any of the afore-mentioned conditions.
God who is Self-sufficient and has neither body, nor place, nor can He be seen, nor He needs any of the creatures is perfect and free of these imperfections. The unlimited Being, God is the source of all existence, Perfect and Self-sufficient.
These properties distinguish His Being from other beings, and in God we must believe. Intelligence and human nature acknowledge the existence of God. Wise and honest person does not deny His Existence. Comparing this with the belief that God is on a level with man, having a body, children and other such attributes and appendages, shows the supremacy of Islamic thinking.
In fact, many materialists reject God because the true God (i.e. Allah as He is understood through Islam) has not been made known to them, and what they have considered is not the real God.
The greatness of the universe is a clear evidence of the existence of the Self-sufficient creator.
One who would need something, anything could never guard and control this huge creature, the whole universe.
"Allah, God is Self-sufficient and Almighty." Ch. 112:2.
1. Can the force of a piece of magnate be the same on a piece of iron from one and four inches apart?
2. Can the intensity of heat remain the same passing through space and objects?
3. Can the intensity of light passing through space and objects remain the same?
4. Can the intensity of sound passing through space and objects remain the same?
5. Does a ruler close to his subjects and centre have greater control or one far away from them?
6. Does God have a centre to control His creatures?
7. Can space stop the power of its creator?
8. Can any obstacle like that in Question one through seven become a problem for the Creator?
9. Can the eyes see the creator?
10. Does the creator need any body or anything?
11. What the phenomenon that is neither solid, nor liquid and nor gas is called?
12. In what way the Islamic guidance leads to the real creator?


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There are a wide variety of automotive technician training programs, schools and courses within the state of Delaware, and online. See below for a sample listing of these schools and their programs. Be sure to click on the school or schools that interest you and complete the simple form for free details on start dates and tuition fees.
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Need More Auto Mechanic Programs In Delaware?
**Additional states can be found here if you are unsure of regional zip codes.


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18f-ft-12130-chinese-newyears - Chinese New Year Decorations & History The Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year because it begins with the new moon on the first day of the new year. The celebration concludes with a full moon 15 days later and is celebrated with the Lantern Festival with festive and gorgeous Chinese lanterns that light up the night. Since the New Year is based on the solar calendar, the celebrations falls on a different date every year. Red and gold are popular colors for the Chinese New Year and decorations like Chinese New Years flowers and plants are a popular gift as they are symbolic of growth. Flowers represent wealth and fortune and are lucky to give as gifts. Bonsai and Bamboo plants are also popular gifts to give with their symbolism of rebirth for a fresh new year. Each year is represented by an animal and each animal has certain characteristics. Animals represented in the Chinese solar calendar include the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig. <a style=margin-top:0px; display:inline;text-align:center; href=#top>Back to Top ***


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Returning students choose their housing for the subsequent academic year during the room selection process in the spring semester. Students are given a randomly generated number based on their academic class year. (Class year is determined by the earned credits as of the completion of the fall semester.) Students choose their room in order of their numbers starting with senior students down to freshmen students.
Housing is guaranteed for all students who appropriately follow the room selection procedures and pay and return paperwork by the stated deadlines. A brief description of the room selection process is as follows:


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Continuing the case method on MBA Mondays, I am going to tell a story about a business model pivot that was not a full business pivot.
In the lull between Flatiron and Union Square Ventures, I made a few angel investments and the best one was in a company called TACODA that went on to become a Union Square Ventures portfolio company and in many ways directly led to the creation of Union Square Ventures. My partner Brad who I founded Union Square Ventures with had left the venture capital business temporarily and was involved in the creation of TACODA, having provided the initial seed capital to Dave Morgan, the founder of TACODA.
Dave had previously founded Real Media, one of the early ad server companies, and he had seen the need for better targeting of display ads on the Internet. His idea was to build a companion to an ad server that could collect behavioral data and target dispay ads to the people who actually wanted to see them. This became known as behavioral targeting. The intital business model was to sell the behavioral targeting engine to publishers who would then sell the behavioral segments to their agency customers.
The software cost between $10k a month and $20k a month and was sold as a SAAS service to publishers. TACODA closed a few big deals early on and got validation of the product and the market from that. But it got harder and harder to close these deals as publishers were wary of coming out of pocket big dollars on a new technology that they weren't sure would help them make more money.
After six or nine months of disappointing numbers, I recall a meeting with Dave where Brad pointed out that the team was "working too hard and not getting anywhere." Brad suggested that the company try a new business model in which it would operate the targeting engine in the cloud and sell the advertising in an ad network model and then share the revenue with the publishers. In effect, Brad proposed that we send the publishers checks instead of asking them to send us checks.
Dave saw the logic of Brad's arguments and slowly but surely pivoted the company into an ad network. And once the business model pivot was completed, revenue took off. In less than three years after the business model pivot, the company was doing north of $50mm in revenues and was bought by AOL for $275mm.
The moral of this story is sometimes you have the right product but the wrong business model. Fixing the business model can fix the company. It certainly did in the case of TACODA.
Read more posts on A VC »


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I think that religion didn't cause anything good but only start wars, create gilt , hold science back , repressing women's rights, repress sexual subjects , promotes violence racism sectrianism backwardness discrimination ignorance , violates human rights , opression of homosexuals , bigotry , hatred , extremism , terrorism . But sometimes it helps people cope with their problems. I want to hear your opinions and arguments. Plus excuse my English since it's a second language.
PS : I meant abolish not by forcing but using logic and reason.
Views: 4948
If it wasn't for religion we would not know the term, the 'devils advocate.'
Furthermore, religion has lead to more paid holidays such as Christmas and Easter. I know that it holds science back and causes oppression and war but this does not affect me personally. I was educated by the Marist Brothers, the Christian brothers and the Marx brothers, and only came across two paedophiles. I didn't get tagged.
There are many poor, uneducated peasants who have incorrigible supernatural beliefs and religion institutionalises them and keeps them in their place.
So next time you think about religion think about Joseph Stalin and the position of religion in Russia today.
In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."
If I could wake up tomorrow and religion never existed I would say yes. I'm a firm believer in Natural Selection, even if that means I'm not selected. In regards to our current situation, If all religion just slowly faded into the abyss I would be ok with that. For it to just be taken away suddenly would cause chaos beyond comprehension. My hopes are that someday everyone can learn to be human without an imaginary friend.
Yes it should be abolished. It's a demonstrable abysmal failure and it's now utterly redundant apart from in the oppression department, possibly.
Well stated.
Pat that is well put. I would not want that.
I agree with Pat on this.
You cannot be a FreeThinker (Which I prefer as a simili to Atheist) if there is some legal impediment to you expressing non-violently your beliefs.
So long as religious observance is fully optional for all participants and so long as the outward expression of religion does not encroach on the property, person or rights of others then it should be allowed.
There is one particular religion that I know of that does incite followers to violence and to persecution of others. This does raise an interesting problem..
Yes I would like to see it abolished but not by denying people their right to practice their chosen religion. If we did that then we are no better than the religious fundamentalist who want to impost their religion on us. As much as I oppose religion I support our Constitution.
I would not mind religion per se if believers would leave it a private matter and not try, sometimes vigorously, to spread their delusion to others. Christians, for example, are mandated (supposedly) by Jesus to spread the gospel everywhere, and they believe that gives them the right to go knocking door-to-door to spread the good news. Religion in America and in Islamic countries is also having a detrimental effect on politics that effects not only every American, but the whole world.
I forgot to mention that we can only abolish religion by using logic and reason like now for example. I agree with you Napolean I say that we can still celebrate these holidays as secular . Remember that Stalin abolished religion to become a god like figure. To me I think that people should say whatever they like , to write whatever they want , to believe in anything within reason.
Sorry. I added my reply today, before I had read all the responses. You do more clearly define what you mean by "abolish" here. I would still recommend chosing a different word, as this one has too many meanings.
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They say waste not, want not, and there's no better example of that than a WVO or bio-diesel-powered car. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Mercedes can go vegan, but does its price make you say, what a waste?
It turns out Ned Flanders isn't the role model he was cracked up to be, as yesterday his choice of wheels - represented by a PCH Geo Metro - racked up an okalie-dokalie 60% Crack Pipe loss. Safety and durability issues, plus the crushing loss of personal dignity when driving a Metro, were the primary reasons behind the vote. But are those all inescapable foibles of lowering your fuel consumption and sticking it to the oil companies?
Today's 1981 Mercedes Benz 300SD is evidence otherwise, despite its smelling of french fries and sounding like it has a rock tumbler under hood. As was pointed out by Monday's diesel VW, one way to lower your fuel bill is by going high-mileage, although that truck's price proved too high to make it a viable cost-saver. This W126 Benz is not only a diesel, but it has been converted to run on the dregs of your local Fat Burger fryer or Stridex pad pressings. And not only will it burn nearly anything vegisaurus-related but producing fuel for it also will mean artery-clogging fried fare for you, which as we all know is damn tasty.
The S-Class has represented the top of the Benz food chain for decades, and this decades-old 300 remains as close to driving a bank vault as you are going to come without the threat of asphyxiation and those meddling kids. Appropriately beige and with enough plastic cladding to make contemporary Pontiacs green with envy, the body looks solid and lacking in major issues. The front bumper - as is the case with many '80s cars saddled with the 5-mph rams - seems to jut out excessively, and that combined with its discoloring, gives the car the awkward appearance of Popeye the Sailor having just polished off some creamed spinach.
Popeye's girlfriend was the pipe cleaner-like Olive Oyl, and not only is the turbo 5-pot in this Benz able to run on her namesake, but it likely will do so for decades to come. The OM617 turbo diesel weighs in at 2,998-ccs and 125-bhp. That may not seem like enough to get the 3,680-lb car rolling, but its 180 lb-ft of torque assures that it will. And, not only that but it may just be the most durable automotive engine. . . in the woooorld.
The engine will still run on diesel, but it has what is claimed to be an Elsbett Vegetable Oil System allowing it to also run on that goopy stuff from KFC - and I don't mean their gravy. They say variety is the spice of life, and if so, this multi-oil burning Benz is habanero considering all you could stick down its fuel pipe. You might not feel that way while sitting in its somewhat austere interior, but even 30-years down the road it still exudes class. There are some cracks in the dash, and the passenger's seat is sort of a different shade of beige, giving the interior a kind of trucker's tan appearance. Other than that, it's roomy and should ride with the authority and dignity of an Aryan aristocrat what with its new tie rods and alignment. With only 174,000 on the clock, it's surprising those needed replacing.
What's the downside to this amazing, frugal and potentially OPEC-free luxury sedan? Well, the seller says that the odometer doesn't always work, and that one of the back windows is stuck in place- but at least it's stuck up. There's mention of some ominous CarFax information regarding rebuilds although it doesn't appear to have a salvage title. Finally, there's the fact that you're unlikely to get the same BTU content in bio-diesel or EVOO (damn you, Rachael Ray!) than in the real thing, so YMMV.
But if you're filling the tank by milking teenagers' foreheads rather than getting SUNOCO'd up the keister, that's less important- eat all you want, we'll make more. That makes this a substantially different paradigm than Monday's Vee-Dub, and, unlike yesterday's paper mache Metro, this 300 will share the cockroaches post-apocalyptic survival. Amortize its $3,950 price over that upcoming bug-infested millennium and it works out to just pennies a month. Sadly, few of you will be joining me in living forever, so you'll probably need to plug a shorter term into your actuarial tables.
In that case, what do you think about $3,950 for this Mercedes Veg? Is that a good price for so much choice in fuels? Or, does that make it a bio-hazard?
You decide!
eBay or go here if the ad disappears.
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DescriptionMeet The Bug Squasher, a beautifully innovative tool that empowers users to track, report, and annotate website bugs by adding just a single line of code to their site. With The Bug Squasher app, clients can video record website bugs and annotate screenshots, giving your team a treasure trove of precious info to diagnose site issues–all with a single click. The Bug Squasher works on any framework and comes with a streamlined dashboard for managing bugs and tracking your team's work.
System Requirements
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Ozzie Guillen accused White Sox players of quitting, and he meant even before Wednesday's regularly scheduled choke against Detroit.
Quitting is a serious charge, maybe the worst thing you can say about a player, other than "He'd be a perfect Cub.''
Quitting. Man, where do kids learn such things?
Perhaps Sox players learned it from their manager who spouted off two weeks ago that he'll likely quit on next year's contract unless he gets an extension.
You want players to follow their manager's lead, but do the Sox want that type of leader — the kind who is with you win or extension? …
That was a funny read!
Other White Sox links:


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It's the most important question in the multiverse: Which spaceship is the greatest? Which flies the fastest, has the best weaponry, and has the coolest design. Only you can decide: What is the greatest fictional spaceship in the entire multiverse?
Please include a picture or clip (or book cover) for your chosen spaceship. And please mention its name, and where it comes from. (Also, you can star other people's entries, to help bump them up.) Thanks!
Top image: U.S.S. Enterprise vs. Millennium Falcon, by Alain Rivard aka al3d. Download it here!


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Waka Flocka Flame - Hi Jacking Planes (Streets Most Wanted Mini-Series Part 1)
Waka Flocka "Hi Jacking Planes" music video
Off the "Streets Most Wanted" 3 part mini series
Directed by @BlindFolksFilms & @Willgates
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Edwardsville, ILL. –The Tennessee State track and field teams wrapped up the action at the 2014 OVC Outdoor Championship, each finishing in fourth place.
Reigning Freshman of the Year Amber Hughes won the 100-meter hurdles, besting her prelim time of 13.52 seconds with a 13.46 showing in the finals.
Hughes later placed second in the women's 200-meter dash following a sprint of 24.19 seconds, while fellow Tigerbelle Ashontae Jackson also picked up a silver medal in the 400 (54.83).
Sophomore Clairwin Dameus continued TSU's impressive outing by placing first in the 400-meter hurdles (1:00.74), long jump (6.22 meters) and heptathlon (5,399 points).
In the final women's events of the day, Dameus, Hughes and Jackson teamed with Quanisha Sales to take home the 4x400 (3:39.99) and 4x100 (45.05) titles while also breaking the old Ohio Valley Conference records.
Jerome Henderson started the Flying Tigers' second day of the championship by winning the 100-meter dash after a run of 10.42 seconds and Micahel Johnson extended the solid opening by placing fourth in the 400-meter (47.79).
In the 800-meter, Quamel Prince shaved nearly two seconds off of his preliminary time the day before to come in third in the finals (1:50.90).
Jahleel Michael picked up a second-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles (52.48), while Daryl Rice placed fourth in the high jump (2.05 meters).
Johnson, Michael and Prince ended the day by teaming with Emmanuel Thornton to secure a second-place finish in the 4x400 relay after a final time of 3:14.04.
SEMO took home both women and men's titles.


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Three additional national associations, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, the Tile Contractors Association of America, and the International Masonry Institute, have endorsed a Position Statement on floor flatness tolerances written by the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC). The position statement had previously been endorsed by the National Wood Flooring Association and the Flooring Contractors Association. Members of all seven associations will use the document to help resolve this ongoing construction issue.
The statement explains that flooring contractors (Division 9) and concrete contractors (Division 3) measure floor flatness by different means. In addition, floor flatness changes with time, due to a process called curling. Curling makes it impossible to predict what the flatness of a slab will be when the floor coverings are installed.
The solution to this, the associations agree, is for the owner to provide a bid allowance, established by the designer and based on the floor covering requirements, for grinding and patching necessary to close the gap between Division 3 tolerances and Division 9 tolerances.
"The difference between how Division 3 and Division 9 measure floor flatness, and the changes that occur in a concrete slab between pouring and the time the floor covering is applied, have been the source of many arguments, much misspent time and numerous lawsuits," says Bruce Suprenant, technical director of ASCC.
"We believe an allowance in the bid would accomplish two things," says Suprenant. "First, it would cover the cost of the patching and grinding that is almost always required. Second, it brings the issue to the attention of the owner and designer early on, hopefully forcing them to acknowledge that the point in question does in fact exist."
"Many members of the ASCC have successfully used this Position Statement to drive home this point with owners," says Mike Poppoff, president of the ASCC. "We believe a joint statement from Division 3 and Division 9 contractors will carry even more weight. The intent of all seven organizations is that it will be used to make the construction process go more smoothly for all involved."
The Floor Flatness Position Statement may be downloaded at www.ascconline.org.
For more information, visit ascconline.org or call the ASCC office at (866) 788-2722.


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Hilary Duff Skinny Jeans
Hilary Duff knows that balance is the key to fashion. The star balance out her loose sweater with a pair of skinny jeans.
Hilary Duff Crewneck Sweater
Hilary Duff is all about casual style these days, as the busy mom and actress sported this loose, striped sweater.
Browse: Hilary Duff | Skinny Jeans | Crewneck Sweater
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text:
The A-Rod Dress-Up Doll!
It's the biggest new game in the country - even bigger than the World Series!
Seriously, I thought the World Series was really draaaging on, and I pretty much knew the Red Sox were gonna win, so I was like, can we please talk about something else?
Like an angel from heaven, super agent Scott Boras emailed the AP and let them know A-Rod was opting out of his contract, which of course got to my men Tim McCarver and Joe Buck, and thankfully they spared us amost a whole inning of baseball so we could listen to this fascinating story.
Which brings me to my new game...
Scotty Boras - you reading this post?
Listen, I believe I've hit one out of the park with this doll idea.
Dude, you're not just hooked up with sports guys, are you?
'Cause I could use an agent with your skills.
I think I'd like, oh say...GI JOE money for this thing, dude.
Call me.


text:
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Back to Running
He's been a bit stir crazy lately, not to mention his running partner. The antibiotics and pain meds he had been on tend to compromise joints and tendons. His vet strongly suggested no running until he finished his meds.
When I arrived home from Duluth (congratulations to my clients Deb and Kate - finished Grandmas Marathon, first marathon at sub four hours!!) and saw him running around our pool while the boys were swimming I gently reminded everyone that he was supposed to take it easy. Steve looked at me and said "Right. That is like telling you to take it easy", in a not so gentle manner. Point well taken.
Since his surgery I have only run out at the trail once. It was depressing. I wanted to be running with Topaz and only thought about him while running. Since then I have run the roads around home and the track at school. He goes absolutely berserk when I leave. I can hear him howling as I pull out of the driveway. He knows I'm going running without him.
Today while Topaz was beating my bed with his tail this morning I was finally able to say 'go for a run?" He nearly jumped out of his fur in excitement. He was at the garage door waiting for me while I quickly changed. I didn't even bother with a cup of coffee.
His first run post surgery was wonderful. He was filled with joy. I was filled with joy. He frolicked. I frolicked. He chased after a family of turkeys. I stood and laughed.
The only black cloud upon our run was that the deer flies have hatched. I'll have to dig out that horse spray that worked so well on him last year.
He's a happy pup. I'm a happy pup owner.
Happy Father's Day to all of the Dad's out there. Do something you enjoy today!
5 comments:
- Londell said...
That is a happy ending to a difficult time. Thanks for sharing.
- Iris said...
I've been reading your blog for awhile and was happy to hear the news about Topaz and his return to running! I recently adopted a 4 year old Border Collie who's now learning to run with me. Even after a short time, I'm attached to this new running partner. Glad you have yours back.
Yay!! So glad to hear Topaz is healthy and a happy runner again!!
- Helen said...
Great to hear your running buddy is back to full strength again!
Yay, Topaz!
Julie, tell us what you thought of the Food, Inc. movie! I wanted to go but was traveling on business. I have reserved the book at the library and should be able to pick it up soon.
Also, I'm surprised to hear that you only got two layers out of the pina colada cake. I have made half a dozen cakes from the Sky High book and they've all turned out exactly as promised. I'm a little wary of the pina colada one now. The next one I'll be trying is the chocolate gianduja cake, for which I had to search all over to get hazelnuts and the right kind of chocolate. But now I have everything and will make it this weekend.
Keep on running!


text:
The following comes from Kare11.com:
At various times in our lives many of us find ourselves searching.
That time came three years ago for Greg Thomas. "When I found out that I had cancer, they told my family to go ahead and start planning my funeral."
Diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer at the age of 57, then let go from his propane delivery job, Thomas began passing the hours on long walks from his home alone with his dog and his thoughts.
"It's a nightmare you can't wake up out of," he recalls.
Then the daily walks down a gravel road led him to the wood-framed country church that would change his life.
Though Thomas would have loved to go inside, the doors on the old Catholic church were locked tight.
Thomas wanted desperately to go inside. "I tried it more than once," he says. But the church was always locked.
Built in 1868 by Czech settlers who later moved to a bigger parish in Montgomery, the Budejovice Church had not been home to a congregation in more than a century.
The foundation was crumbling, the paint peeling, but it was there on the church steps, a man crumbling himself came to pray.
Then one day the stranger on the steps walked next door.
"He went to the neighbor and said he wanted to paint the church, and who does he talk to, so the neighbor sent him to talk to me," is the way Don Rynda recollects his first meeting with Thomas.
As treasurer of the foundation that keeps up the church cemetery, Rynda could barely believe it.
Before Thomas climbed a ladder and went to work, Rynda had feared the church's days might be numbered. "It was a godsend, yes," says Rynda.
One hundred and forty years worth of paint - 15 layers thick in places - came peeling off as Thomas worked through the lingering effects of radiation and chemotherapy that robbed him of his energy, his saliva glands and his teeth.
"I've been on a feeding tube now for three years," says Thomas, lifting his shirt, "and this is how I feed myself."
Before Thomas started painting, he asked for a key to the locked church. That too is how Thomas now feeds himself - spiritually.
"That was the first thing I wanted to try when I walked in here is to see if the bell still worked," he says, reaching for the rope. "It still does."
Inside, Thomas found intact an 1860s interior, complete with wooden pews and Christian statuary - a dust covered museum in need of his care.
"We desperately need a roof," says Thomas, pointing out rotted wood in both the ceiling and floor.
He looks past both, for a minute and imagines the possibilities. "It's going to be beautiful."
A transplant to the area, Thomas has no family ties to the church but to those who do, he's been a blessing - heaven sent.
"One of the beads on my rosary is reserved for him," smiles Blanche Zellmer, who has lived near the church for more than 90 years.
For those like Blanche Zellmer, who believe in the power of prayer, this next part will come as no shock: the old church is newly clothed in white and Greg's cancer is now in remission.
Rynda believes something larger than the church itself is at work. "You can't help but not think otherwise."
Tears come as Thomas pauses to consider what has transpired since his diagnosis. "It's what he's done for me," he says, glance toward a statue of Jesus, "and this is my way of saying thank you."
Once the exterior painting is finished, Thomas has plans for the leaky roof, and then the church's interior.
He can pray inside now whenever he wants but there's something about the concrete pew in front of the church doors.
"There's been a lot of tears shed on these steps and they've been tears of joy, tears of pain, but tears of blessings too," says Thomas, as he wipes away new tears.
Greg Thomas is restoring the old church, that's true. But it's hard to discern who's saving who.
NOTE: Greg Thomas has set up a fund at a local bank to help cover the costs of the needed roof repair and the interior work he's planning for the church.
Donations can be sent to:
St. John's Chapel Fundraiser
Frandsen Bank & Trust
125 1st Street South
Montgomery, MN 56069
Frandsen Bank & Trust
125 1st Street South
Montgomery, MN 56069


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Blue Orchid
Handmade glycerin soap#05433
with Organic Argan Oil
Handmade glycerin soap BLUE ORCHID contains organic argan oil that is known as the liquid gold of Morocco.
This "life-giving elixir" is rich in vitamin A and vitamin E, which makes it an effective antioxidant.
It contains omega-6 fatty acids that account for its regenerative properties. It is a natural skin moisturizer acting as a softening and conditioning ingredient.
The argan oil makes the soap foam delicate and softens the soap effect.
Elegant design, magnetic orchid scent and fluffy foam - pleasures worth indulging in.


text:
About this Look
Inspired by this glitter called Dreamcatcher by Jazzy Glitter to create this look
We earn commission on sales tracked from our links and codes. Thank you for your support! We earn commission from affiliate links/codes. Thank you!
Inspired by this glitter called Dreamcatcher by Jazzy Glitter to create this look
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text:
A wrapper and minimal UI for a cross-platform, fixed-position banner showing a call-to-action to install an app.
Required Scripts

Supported Layouts
Includes conditional logic to direct to the right app on the right platform, and to hide permanently if the user dismisses the banner.
amp-app-banner is a wrapper and minimal UI for a cross-platform, fixed-position banner showing a call-to-action to install an app. Includes conditional logic to direct to the right app on the right platform, and to hide permanently if the user dismisses the banner.
Data Sources
To extend and promote the usage of the natively supported app banners on iOS and Android, we are using the exact data-sources the native app banners use on the respective platforms. iOS uses a
<meta name="apple-itunes-app"> tag in the head of the document and Android uses a
<link rel="manifest">.
The AMP runtime parses the meta tag content attribute on iOS extracting the App ID and
app-argument (usually used for deep-linking URIs - app-protocols like
whatsapp:// or
medium://). On Android, the AMP runtimes makes an XHR request to fetch the
manifest.json file, and parses its content to extract
app_id from
related_applications and it calculates the app store URL as well as open-in-app URL:
Note: The protocol/host/pathname are calculated from the canonical URL of the AMP document, and your native app needs to register the links in their manifest as documented here.
App manifest example
<activity android:name="com.example.android.GizmosActivity" android:label="@string/title_gizmos" > <intent-filter android:label="@string/view_article">  <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />  <data android:scheme="https" android:host="CANONICAL_HOST" android:pathPrefix="/" /> </intent-filter> </activity>
manifest.json example
{ "prefer_related_applications": true, // This is not necessary for <amp-app-banner>, but signals a preference on non-AMP pages using the same manifest.json file for the native app over a web app if available "related_applications": [ { "platform": "play", "id": "com.app.path", "url": "android-app://com.app.path/https/host.com/path/to/app-content" } ] }
Appearance Behavior
amp-app-banner provides no default UI and leaves the UI to the developer. The developer can build any kind of UI inside the banner and style it accordingly. There is one UI element that has limits to the amount of customization--the "X" button that dismisses the banner. This button can be styled with the
.amp-app-banner-dismiss-button class. It should be kept visible and easily accessible on mobile devices, to avoid blocking content.
One required UI element is the
button[open-button] button, which is the click target for the banner to install the app, or open the deep-link if the app is already installed.
OS/Browser/Viewer Dependencies
Because native app banners currently are not shown in the viewer context,
<amp-app-banner> is shown inside of the viewer when the appropriate markup is present. Because system-level app banners are already shown in Android/Chrome and iOS/Safari OS/Browser combinations,
<amp-app-banner> is hidden in those contexts to avoid redundancy.
|Android + Chrome
|iOS + Safari
|Other OS + browser
|In AMP viewer
|Show amp-app-banner
|Show amp-app-banner
|Show amp-app-banner
|Outside of AMP viewer
|Show system banner
|Show system banner
|Show amp-app-banner
Dismissal Persistence
Currently, the banner will be displayed always unless it was dismissed. Once dismissed, the banner will never be displayed on that domain unless the user visits on a different browser or clears their local storage.
At least one of:
meta[name="apple-itunes-app"] or
- The
<meta>tag must have the
- The value of the
contentattribute must contain
- The
<link>tag must have the
"rel='manifest'"attribute and value, as well as the
Attributes on
|id (Required)
|A unique identifier for an amp-app-banner; used for persistence logic.
|layout (Required)
|The value must be
Attributes on
button descendant element
|open-button (Required)
|The click target for the banner to install the app, or open the deep-link if the app is already installed.
Not permitted: disabled
Additional Validations
- Cannot have
<amp-embed>, or
<amp-iframe>as descendants
- Height cannot exceed 100px
- Must be a direct child of
- Android manifest
hrefmust be served over
- Cannot have more than one
<amp-app-banner>on a single page
 <meta name="apple-itunes-app" content="app-id=123456789, app-argument=app-name://link/to/app-content" /> <link rel="manifest" href="https://link/to/manifest.json" />  . . .  <amp-app-banner layout="nodisplay" id="demo-app-banner-2134"> <amp-img src="https://example.com/icon.png" width="60" height="51"> </amp-img>
App Name

Experience a richer experience on our mobile app!

 <button open-button>Get the app</button>
 </amp-app-banner>
See amp-app-banner rules in the AMP validator specification.
您多次阅读的资料未能涵盖您的所有问题?也许其他人也这么觉得 在 Stack Overflow 上与他们取得联系。前往 Stack Overflow 找到一个 bug 或者缺失某项功能?
AMP 项目强烈鼓励您参与其中并作出贡献!我们希望您能成为我们开源社区的持续参与者,但我们也欢迎您对热衷问题做出单次贡献。前往 GitHub


text:
Call it the "Cash for Kitchen (and laundry room) Clunkers" program.
If you have an old energy-guzzling refrigerator, air conditioner or washing machine you'd love to replace, it may be a good idea to wait until November when a cash-for-clunkers type program for home appliances begins to roll out across the country.
The rebate program, part of the government's $787 billion economic stimulus package, provides $300 million in federal funds to encourage consumers to buy energy-efficient appliances.
U.S. & World
But it is unclear how much the appliance program will save in terms of energy consumption — and whether these appliances will be recycled or just end up in a landfill.
And unlike the hugely successful $3 billion "Cash for Clunkers" vehicle trade-in program, the appliance rebates will be handed out under a hodgepodge of plans implemented by individual states, with the money divvied up according to each state's population.
Consumers will be eligible for a rebate only if they buy products that meet federal Energy Star qualifications for appliance efficiency. Rebates under the program could range from $50 to $250, depending on the type of appliance.
States have until mid-October to come up with their own plans for how the rebate programs will work, what appliances will be included, how much will be paid out and even how to dispose of the "clunkers."
While there is no recycling requirement, the Department of Energy "is encouraging states and territories to include appliance-recycling programs along with the rebate programs to help remove inefficient products from the electric grid," said Jen Stutsman, a spokeswoman for the department.
The Obama administration sees the program as a way to boost the economy and the environment at the same time.
"These rebates will help families make the transition to more efficient appliances, making purchases that will directly stimulate the economy and create jobs," said the Energy Secretary Steven Chu when he announced the plan in July. "Appliances consume a huge amount of our electricity, so there's enormous potential to both save energy and save families money every month."
That is, of course, if you get rid of that old, energy-consuming refrigerator and not just move it to the basement and store beer in it.
What to do with old appliances?
Ronnie Kweller, a spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy, is encouraging states to incorporate some sort of trade-in option. But, she added, "even in the absence of requirements in individual states that the old, inefficient appliances be recycled and taken off the grid, we encourage consumers to do that and not simply add to the utility load."
It's unclear whether consumers will step up to the plate and find ways to recycle big appliances. Many probably hope the process will be handled by the retailer from which they buy their new appliance.
Andrea Lechner-Becker, a marketing manager for an art studio who moved into a new condo in Phoenix last year, plans on buying a new washer and dryer to replace her old ones when the rebate program kicks into gear.
"We need some sort of incentive" to make the purchase, she said. But as for disposing of the old appliance, "I would definitely want the retailer to take the old stuff. I would be annoyed if they charged me for that."
Most retailers do offer to cart off old, large appliances for free, said Maureen Riehl, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation. But how recycling will be handled under the new program, which is likely to inundate the system with lots of old appliances, hasn't been worked out yet.
"What each state department of energy or corresponding environmental department will do is all in wait-and-see mode," she said.
That leaves it up to a patchwork of environmental laws that rarely mandate recycling of household appliances other than computers and televisions, said Scott Cassel, executive director of Product Stewardship Institute, a nonprofit that focuses on waste management issues related to consumer products.
Many states are facing budget shortfalls, and Cassel said local governments could be stuck with the cost of disposing or recycling old appliances.
He fears most will end up in landfills or incinerators "because the cost of recycling is most likely higher than the cost of trash disposal."
Officials in New York state, which is receiving $18.7 million under the program, are studying whether to require a trade-in component or recycling, said Colleen Ryan, a spokeswoman for the New York Energy Research and Development Authority.
California, which is getting $35 million of the funds, also has yet to commit.
"We are considering the recycling component as part of the program, depending on which appliances are chosen," said Susanne Garfield-Jones, a spokeswoman for the California Energy Commission. "Staff have been speaking not only to the utilities but the manufacturing groups, manufacturers and retailers to see what could be offered."
Retailers that operate nationally could face a daunting task of figuring out what's offered in which states.
But Doug Moore, president of appliances for Sears Holdings Corp., said the retailer is ready.
"Whatever states end up doing, we will assist them and make that happen," he said. The company, he added, will use an online database and offer consumers quick access to what's available in their states through a ZIP code-based lookup.
Environmental impact
As far as disposal of old appliances, he said, Sears, which also operates Kmart stores, already partners with the EPA and offers a voluntary program, known as RAD, that removes ozone-depleting chemicals from appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners.
The company hauls away almost 75 percent of the old appliances, often for free, for the 6 million new appliances the retailer sells each year.
While it's unclear what impact the plan will have on the environment, industry experts hope it will be a boon for appliance makers, retailers, consumers and the economy.
The retail federation's Riehl predicted the rebate program could boost sales for some retailers by 30 percent. But she pointed out that retailers may end up spending some money on paperwork if the process is cumbersome. "A lot is going to be left in the details," she added.
Scott Testa, a professor of business administration at Cabrini College in Philadelphia, believes the program will attract the interest of shoppers. "It will stimulate manufacturing jobs and retail jobs, which have been hit hard," he said.
And Sears' Moore isn't worried that consumers will delay appliance purchases until the rebates kick in.
"More than half of customers replace products that have failed," he said. Appliances, he added, are not like car or TV purchases that might be deferred. "You can't wait 10 days to do the laundry."


text:
That's right everybody, RTM Radio is back and better than ever! We're kicking this new show off with a bang, this 4 hour show contains one song from each of our respective favorite 25 video game soundtracks as well as four songs chosen by guests Darkurai, Missingno, Joe Bush, and Youko giving us a whopping total of 54 songs!
While this 4 hour monstrosity of a show is not at all indicative of how long RTM Radio's gonna go, we hope to have this format be the way it goes from now on. That includes guest picks every episode, but will most likely only contain 9-10 songs an episode if that. Whether it will be weekly or biweekly to start is still being fully decided. We hope you enjoy!
So without further ado, please enjoy the premiere episode of RTM Radio and this latest episode of the list. A track listing, for your enjoyment!


text:
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
A CNN Anderson Cooper segment which was set to demonize critics of big government and Obamacare as violent extremists backfired after radio host Alex Jones pointed out that corporate media outlets like CNN were responsible for killing over a million Iraqis as a consequence of their repeated lies about weapons of mass destruction.
Jones was invited for an interview on Friday to appear later that evening on Anderson Cooper 360, but the segment never aired, presumably because CNN program chiefs were so embarrassed at Jones' proficiency in exposing how corporate news networks owned by the military-industrial complex were a far deadlier threat than any of the menagerie of domestic "extremists" CNN has sought to demonize in recent weeks.
Jones immediately recognized the tone of the hit piece when the interviewer began a barrage of questions attempting to discredit grassroots political movements by smearing them as dangerous radicals.
Watch the interview below, which was filmed by one of Jones' crew. CNN's questions are not audible because they refused to allow Jones' cameraman access to the feed.
Asked if he was instigating some of the threats of violence seen in recent weeks in response to the passage of Obamacare, Jones stated, "Let's be clear, I'm not like CNN and Fox promoting imaginary made up WMD's in Iraq so that our military can go and kill a million innocent Iraqis, so no I don't advocate for violence like the New York Times and CNN – I want to make that clear."
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
"I don't advocate shock and awe like CNN did, OK? I don't have the blood of a million dead people on my hands," added Jones, "I didn't kill a million Iraqis like those of you at CNN that pushed the lies – I'm not a murderer."
Jones also slammed CNN for hyping violence, knowing that talking about it 24/7 would only encourage mentally unstable people to commit more violence.
He also dares to mention Anderson Cooper's dirty little secret – the fact that he trained to be a CIA agent before pursuing a career in network news.
As the video below highlights, CNN has also been instrumental in hyping for an attack on Iran by misreporting facts about Iran's nuclear energy program. Once again, corporate media outlets like CNN are greasing the skids for another war that experts have estimated would kill 16-20 million Iranians, while obsessing and fearmongering about ragtag groups like the Hutaree militia who haven't killed a single person.
CNN styles itself as a liberal and progressive news network. Self-proclaimed "progressives" don't really live up to their name when it comes to exploiting and lying about incidents in an attempt to crush the free speech of their political adversaries. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, "liberals" will pounce upon and twist any event with a crazed appetite if it serves their agenda of portraying anyone who disagrees with them as a dangerous lunatic who should be silenced through the power of the state.
In exploiting and blatantly lying about events such as the Hutaree raids, as CNN has by smearing completely unaffiliated groups, as part of an effort to chill free speech and imply that the force of the state should be used to crush dissenting views, so-called "progressives" expose themselves to be little more than authoritarian control freaks who embrace the most outdated and regressive view of freedom of speech much more in line with and in many cases worse than the neo-conservatives who attempted to portray anti-war sentiment as treason during the Bush regime.
CNN's obsession with over inflating the threat posed by "angry Americans," a passion shared by every other alphabet news agency, serves not only to marginalize legitimate political dissent, but it also exposes a rampaging hypocrisy at the heart of the establishment media which, while characterizing grassroots Americans as violent thugs, has acted as the primary cheerleader for every mass act of violence for at least the last 50 years.
The next evolution of activated nascent iodine, Survival Shield X-3, is back in stock at 50% off with double Patriot Points and free shipping!


text:
Accommodation in Tipperary, South East Ireland
Hayes Hotel
Hotel : 26 bedroom, breakfast included
In the centre of Thurles town overlooking Liberty Square, the 18th-century Hayes Hotel synonymous as the founding place of the GAA recently re-opened under new ownership. There has been a refurbishmen...
Beentee House
Bed & Breakfast : 4 bedroom, breakfast included
Beentee is the name of our BNB, situated within walking distance of Clonmel town centre. It overlooks the comeragh mountains, and Slievenamon well known local landmarks. Powerstownpark, well kno...
Great National Abbey Court Hotel & Spa + Lodges
Hotel : 83 bedroom, breakfast included
The Great National Abbey Court Hotel is a traditional and unique 3-star hotel, located within walking distance from Nenagh town centre. It has excellent motorway access, only 50 minutes to Shannon ...
Andys Bar, Restaurant and B&B
Bed & Breakfast : 10 bedroom, breakfast included
Andy's Bed and Breakfast in Nenagh offers you a very warm and friendly welcome to our online site. Located in the heart of Nenagh our location is ideal for all visitors to Nenagh. Andy's Bed and Br...
Boherna Lodge
Bed & Breakfast : 3 bedroom, breakfast included
Elegant country house in tranquil setting, secure car parking, (price includes a continental/ light breakfast), one minutes walk for bar/restaurant, hairdryer, TV, Tea/coffee in all bedrooms, home bak...
Ireland » Tipperary » Holycross, Thurles
Slidala Bed and Breakfast
Bed & Breakfast : 5 bedroom, breakfast included
Slidala B&B is a quality Bed & Breakfast providing quality accommodation perfectly placed on the edge of Roscrea town. Located within a five minute drive from the M7 Motorway serving Dublin to Limer...
Aulber House
Bed & Breakfast : 12 bedroom, breakfast included
We are ideally located on the outskirts of the historic town of Cashel, Co Tipperary. Not only is Aulber House located within a classically designed garden of just over 1 acre on the western edge of C...
Ashley Park House
Bed & Breakfast : 6 bedroom, breakfast included
17th century country house set in 76 acres of beach woodland with an Lough Orna. Fishing, horse riding, golfing, sailing, mountain hikes. Ensuite bedrooms overlooking the lake - a step back in time. ...
Ireland » Tipperary » Ashley Park
McCarthys B&B
Guesthouse : 10 bedroom, breakfast included
Situated in the heart of Clonmel, close to all amenities McCarthy's B&B offers you a unique local experience. Whether you need accommodation for leisure or business, McCarthy's is the right place ...
Ach na Sheen House
Bed & Breakfast : 8 bedroom, breakfast included
Ach-na-Sheen Guest House is a cosy family owned bed and breakfast in Tipperary Town which is approved by Bórd Fáilte and the AA. It comprises 9 bedrooms, seven of which are ensuite and all with T...
Ireland » Tipperary » Tipperary Town
County Tipperary
Tipperary is one of Ireland's most famous regions, you'll be assured of a big welcome and a chance to experience the best that Ireland has to offer. Unexplored walking trails are just miles from world-famous historical sites. And a good variety of accommodation lies just minutes from spectacular scenery. Walk through unspoilt hillsides and visit country pubs and cafés. Go to some of Ireland's quirkiest festivals or play golf on challenging courses. Why not take in a day at the races – Tipperary has a reputation for breeding some of the finest horses in Ireland.
Tipperary links
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Plan your holiday to Ireland on Guide to Ireland without booking fees. We have many properties listed to choose from in all regions in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Accommodation is added and updated every week.
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text: Simon Halls and Matt Bomer have been in a relationship for at least 5 years. Matt first publicly announced he was gay in February of 2012 when he gave an acceptance speech for a Steve Chase Humanitarian Award. His words, "I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, … [Read more...]


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Topic: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community? (Read 32657 times)
Posts: 2293
My name is Raven.
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #30 on:
December 15, 2009, 07:59:44 PM »
Quote from: Sebastian K. Hickey on December 15, 2009, 07:49:57 AM
That'd be a dream come true. E.g., I've no idea how to get that kind of gig, except by pure fluke.
I think that's pretty much how it happens: you luck into it. It isn't something you can control. (At least unless you've learned to control other people's minds, in which case why are you designing games and not having the world build you a palace filled with trained monkeys for servants?)
Also, an update of how things go once you've run the local con circuits, good or bad (or mixed), would be great. So please do keep us in the loop.
Rev. Ravenscrye Grey Daegmorgan
Wild Hunt Studio
Sebastian K. Hickey
Posts: 176
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #31 on:
December 16, 2009, 03:18:14 AM »
I'll drop in from time to time with an update on the progress. Merry Chrimbo everyone!
Cobweb Games
Hell for Leather:
1 min Video Tutorial
Posts: 69
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #32 on:
December 21, 2009, 02:38:19 PM »
I'm going to be a bit blunt and maybe an ass about this but the question remains: Did your game ORZ suceed or fail?
Just because you put out a game doesn't mean anyone has to play it. Just because people buy the game doesn't mean people will be excited enough about it to gather others to play it. (I know, I've been there more than once.) My first game (Embers of Empire SFRPG) I put my heart and soul into. I sold two copies. I realize now that EoE is not playable. The good part of it is that it gave me experience on writing a game and allowed me (after another aborted game--60+ pages) to write another two games that are near release. Will they sell? I don't know. I only know I did my best and the public will decide if I produced a good game. Its reception is beyond my control.
My advice is to get away from your game for 6-12 months and then reevaluate it. In the meanwhile, write another game using what you've learned from this one.
Best of Luck, Keith
Idea men are a dime a dozen--and overpriced!
Posts: 2293
My name is Raven.
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #33 on:
December 21, 2009, 03:28:25 PM »
Greetings Keith,
I'm confused because I'm not sure what is it you're trying to ask? I would have thought the answers to your question obvious, given the details throughout the thread, so that makes me think I'm not understanding what you're trying to ask about.
Other than that confusion, all fine things to keep in mind, especially your suggestion that an author get away from the work for 6-12 months (though I'd suggest someone do that after the first draft is done, rather than post-publishing). That's certainly something I do quite a bit with much of my work. However, whether that works for a given individual, and the actual length of time one puts it in the drawer for, is really personal preference.
Rev. Ravenscrye Grey Daegmorgan
Wild Hunt Studio
Dan Maruschak
Posts: 128
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #34 on:
December 24, 2009, 10:13:08 AM »
I don't know if it will work, but I'm going to try to build a community via podcasting. I'm launching a new podcast,
Designer vs. Reality
. It will have AP recordings of playtests of my game (and possibly other designers' games, if a situation arises where that makes sense). I'm hoping that listeners will be inspired to playtest my game with me over Skype, which will provide content for more episodes of the podcast, which will attract more playtesters, etc. The big trick will be to get that virtuous cycle working, which will require both entertaining episodes and a critical mass of volunteers.
my blog
my podcast
| My game
Final Hour of a Storied Age
needs playtesters!
Sebastian K. Hickey
Posts: 176
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #35 on:
February 03, 2010, 03:48:19 PM »
Hi guys,
Before Christmas I mentioned that I'd throw in some updates about my progress in con attendance/networking. So far, I've only had the chance to attend one convention, Warpcon in Co. Cork, Ireland. Nevertheless, I think I've learned a couple of things, so I thought I'd share.
First of all, before I attended the con I met up with gaming contingents from some of the other convention directors in Ireland. That way, once I arrived at Warpcon I found that I recognised some of the attendees. If you've never attended a convention as a designer, I'd strongly recommend getting involved with the gaming societies at your local university. I set up playtests in three Irish universities, and when I finally ran the playtests in Warpcon I was delighted to learn that the convention organisers had heard reports about me from the gaming societies.
Also, and this was a lesson harshly learned, in one case I found out that I'd stepped on somebody's toes. In one playtest report (for one of the university gaming society playtests), I gave my opinions on a subset of the playtesting participants. It wasn't a positive opinion and it was later read by a member of that society. Suffice is to say that, even though I stand by that opinion, I shouldn't have posted it publicly. It was a schoolboy error, and one I wish I could take back. Unless you're an idiot like me, this is something you would probably never do. Common sense. But if you are an idiot like me, never say anything bad, however true at the time, about any gamer. It's not clever, funny or useful.
I've been invited to attend some new cons for more playtests, I've been asked to send some info via email to interested gamers, and I've been invited to run the game in two of the big conventions in Dublin city (as slotted events). People seem quite excited by the game and although there are still just a handful of people who know of the game in Ireland, I think with more convention attendance I can hope for a little more community.
I'll be back in April to give an update on more Irish networking/convention news.
Cobweb Games
Hell for Leather:
1 min Video Tutorial
Posts: 2293
My name is Raven.
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #36 on:
February 03, 2010, 10:03:52 PM »
Thank you for the update, sir! One thought about the error you mention making:
It's not clever, funny or useful.
Not knowing the details, I don't know if I can agree with that 100%. Here's why:
If some guy shows up to the playtest, proceeds to shit himself during the game, is loudly and rudely interrupting others, punches another player, and then proceeds to go on a twenty-minute diatribe about why GURPs is way better than any other game...I'm thinking that would be useful information about the playtest. If only because the social behavior of the people at the table really does affect the game, perceptions of the game, perceptions of the rules, and so forth.
Like I said, I don't know the details, so I don't know what the error was or why the public mention was an error in this case, but I can imagine mentioning the behavior as an influence on the game experience not necessarily being an error in some circumstances. I suspect it may be a "depends on how you handle it" situation.
Regardless, I've read the WarpCon playtest reviews and things sound like they went well. Excellent.
Rev. Ravenscrye Grey Daegmorgan
Wild Hunt Studio
Sebastian K. Hickey
Posts: 176
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #37 on:
February 04, 2010, 05:15:53 AM »
Okay, that's a valid point. If someone at the table ruins your playtest, I think it's okay to announce that in your report. It will help other designers to understand a) that things can be outside of your control (which is comforting to hear from another designer) and b) more about the true failures of the mechanics (vs. the social failures).
However, I also think it's dangerous, especially if you're dealing with gaming societies. If one guy gets cheesed off, and that guy spells out your playtest report's slander to the rest of the society, not only can you lose a significant wing of gamers, but it's also likely that they will infect at least one convention (it's all very incestuous in Ireland). So, to to new designers, on the subject of slanderous playtest reports, make sure you're careful. You never know who might read it.
As to my faux pas, it wasn't really a case of any direct slander, but, I suppose, from a breach of trust. When I left the playtest I never indicated to the host that I was disappointed with some of his players. He read the playtest report, maybe expecting something positive, and therefore would have encountered my distaste with some distaste of his own. Had I explained to him (before I left his company) that I'd been disappointed with his players, I don't doubt that we would be more friendly now. Instead, by commenting the way I did, I upset his expectation. If I was him I'd feel deceived. He has my sympathy.
Thanks for following the Warpcon playtests, and thanks for your encouragement. I'll be back soon.
Cobweb Games
Hell for Leather:
1 min Video Tutorial
Posts: 2293
My name is Raven.
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #38 on:
February 04, 2010, 06:36:59 PM »
That makes a lot of sense, Sebastian.
Thanks for sharing that (I wasn't sure if I should even comment on it at first, but I'm glad I did now).
Rev. Ravenscrye Grey Daegmorgan
Wild Hunt Studio
Sebastian K. Hickey
Posts: 176
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #39 on:
May 06, 2010, 09:34:51 AM »
I promised to update my progress as far con attendance (and community). Since the last entry, I attended Itzacon, Leprecon (in Ireland) and Conpulsion (in Scotland). The results are exciting.
In Ireland, the gaming scene is incestuous. Every time I go to a convention I have more friends than last time. At Itzacon, I bumped into a friendly face, one Alan Jackson, the co-ordinator of Conpulsion, with whom I had a chance to play an awesome
During Leprecon I was busy with real life, so I couldn't attend for the whole weekend. However on the Saturday, a couple of friends went in my stead, and managed to run a playtest session of Hell for Leather with Shane of the
Adventuring Party
(Ireland's best gaming podcast). This lead on to a mention on the podcast, of course. Happy days!
At Leprecon I met up with a few of the guys from the Irish Games Association (IGA), including Andrew Coffey, the Gaelcon convention co-ordinator. We were both in a rush, but we managed to speak, and he was enthusiastic about promoting Hell for Leather. He told me to get in touch with a couple of people at the IGA. This would lead on to a few conversations and an eventual meet with the special events co-ordinator, Feargal Fanning.
Now I have a demo table pencilled in at Gaelcon at which I can sell my game (without paying a traders fee), along with two HfL special events and a deal with the charity auction (yet to be figured out).
Leprecon, in many ways, opened the doors for me to the trading community in Ireland.
Lastly, there was Conpulsion. This was an amazing event. I met up with Gregor Hutton, Joe Prince, Malcolm Craig, Neil Gow, Iain McAllister and others. Not only did I get a chance to demo my game (and get an audio AP thanks to Pooka), but I playtested Joe Prince's Hell 4 Leather (notice the digital difference), playtested Hammer Falls (Pooka's game of awesome dystopia) and wound up as a pseudo chairman in the most educational and inspiring talk of my gaming career.
Let me clarify. At the end of the convention, all the big cheeses sat around a low table. There were around fifteen of us. Malcolm Craig, Gregor Hutton and Joe Prince included. The guys started spinning stories, chatting industry, and so on. It was extraordinarily educational. And then, out of the blue, Gregor says "so I heard you had some questions to ask me...go ahead..." I nervously pulled out my notebook (I had come prepared) and started seeking advice. I was asking about bundling, distribution, printing, and so on. Suddenly there were a dozen experts giving me (ME!!) advice on how to prepare and sell my game. It was like I'd gone to fanboy heaven.
Anyway, enough of my spunky happiness.
Since then, Gregor has helped with layout, Malcolm has helped with editing, I've arranged to promote some of the guys' stuff in my book, I've got some more advice about retail, and so on, and so on.
Other Stuff
The contacts I've made in the Irish community have allowed me to run a playtest in UCD (for the second time), introduced me to a couple more of the players behind the con scene, and set me up for a fun, hospitable and welcoming experience for future conventions.
In short, if you're a newbie to this, get your game ready and go to every convention you can find. Even if you never print your game, you're going to meet some wonderful, supportive people.
I'll be back in a few months (in November, I guess) to throw in some feedback about building community. Just to clarify, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I'm just trying to go to things, meet people, talk to people, help people and, at every opportunity, let people help me. I don't know if it's working, really. I'm not here as any kind of authority on this. If you have experiences from conventions that could help us to learn how to communicate better, let me know.
Oh, which reminds me, I've learned to: make sure you run your game in the most public place possible, make sure your game is loud (meaning obvious, meaning colourful/noisy/nicely dressed) and make sure you have some people with you who love your game more than you do. I'm terrible at selling my game because (1) I'm sure people don't want to hear me talk about something I've done and (2) I don't know if what I've done is any good at all. But my friends are incredibly vocal and welcoming. This means I can focus on getting people to enjoy a demo while the guys focus on recruiting. I couldn't do this without a wingman. Seriously.
Cobweb Games
Hell for Leather:
1 min Video Tutorial
Sebastian K. Hickey
Posts: 176
Re: Point/Success of Publishing Without Community?
Reply #40 on:
November 10, 2010, 09:04:03 AM »
The last time this thread was active, I promised to return with some updates on my progress (?) with the building of community in Ireland and abroad. I recently came back from Gaelcon and, although it was a dismal failure, I think I've got some things to share.
I spent a lot of time talking with the convention organisers. They were very supportive. They gave me my own stall for free and arranged for a floor space to demo my game and run special events.
I spent nearly all of the four days of the convention at my stall or nearby and I sold four books. It was a total waste of time. Now, there are a lot of whys and why nots, but in the end, they're irrelevant. What I'd like to share here are the positive things that I learned and some of the negative things that I'd avoid next time.
Networking gets you stuff. By being nice to people and offering help, I was able to save myself �100 for the stall. I may not have sold anything, but I didn't make a loss. So that, in it's way, is a success. If you're newer than me to this business, my advice is to try to contact and meet (and drink with) the convention organisers whenever you can. If you're enthusiastic and genuine, I think that these gamer organisers will do their best to support you (especially if they know you haven't got any money/credentials).
Manning a stall is probably not a good way to sell a new indie game to an Irish audience. I knew that Irish gamers were stuck in their ways, but, somehow, I thought that my game was going to change it all. Hahaha! I was/am an idiot. So, I've learned that if you have a gut feeling about your audience, listen to it, and don't believe that you will be able to change your audience. You've got to change for them. So, if you think you've got a hard sell indie game, then manning a stall probably won't get it sold. You need to convince people through play. I reckon.
If you do have a stall (and this is particular to the small conventions in the UK and Ireland), do what Graham Walmsley did at Indiecon this year. Be there for 90 minutes a day at 10:30, 15:30 and 18:30. Leave a sign telling everyone that you're playing games and go and enjoy yourself. Maybe, by playing new games, you'll meet some awesome people who MIGHT want to peek at your work.
Lastly, if you don't sell any of your game, it might be because your game is flawed/shit. That's what I've come to learn about my game and, even though it hurt, the lack of sales and interest helped me to nail the coffin shut on my suspicions. That nail has helped me to become a little more realistic about my expectations for the game and, therefore, how much support I should be giving it going forward. So, even if it sucks, there's still something you can learn. Some people call that the bright side.
This is a funny little story. I got in touch with some Italian gamers at Gente Che Gioca, because most of the Hell for Leather Facebook group was made up of Italian fans. Gente Che Gioca is an Italian version of Story Games, more or less. I asked if someone over there would like to sell a couple of copies of the game for me at Lucca (and earn a profit for themselves, of course).
A couple of people replied, including Claudia Cagnini of Narrativa. She put out a thread to ask if anyone would be interested and, if so, to sign up for a copy. That way we'd know how many books I should ship.
In that thread, I told everyone that not only would every book be signed, but that I would also write a rude dedication. I have some great Italian friends, and if there's one thing I know about Italians is that they love blasphemous, shocking humour. Like me. Twenty people signed up for the book, I shipped those to Italy, and all of them sold at Lucca.
The guys over in Italy are great supporters. I'm so happy I got in touch. So, if there's a lesson to learn, it might be "fortune favours the bold." I sent one little message and it ended up accounting for more than a fifth of my total sales.
In summary, I think a lot of this building of community comes from just turning up at things and having fun, but some of it comes from being bold and the most part comes from someone else pimping your shit. The only way that happens, of course, is by accident.
I won't be contributing any more to this thread, as I think I'm totally under qualified. But I'd love to get some feedback.
Cobweb Games
Hell for Leather:
1 min Video Tutorial
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HSBC racked up profits of nearly £14 billion today after a year in which its chief executive was handed a pay package worth more than £8 million.
The pay-out for Stuart Gulliver and the bank's revelation that 239 staff received more than £1 million last year risked stoking anger over bank bonuses.
In addition, HSBC outlined measures that will see it sidestep new EU rules on bank bonuses by offering senior staff fixed pay allowances.
In the case of Mr Gulliver, his base salary will remain at £1.25 million but he will receive a fixed pay allowance of £1.7 million, to be awarded in shares on a quarterly basis.
It will not be tied directly to performance and so would not count as a bonus under new European rules preventing bankers from being paid bonuses worth more than two times their salary.
The controversial new rules from Brussels came into effect in January, meaning that 2013 was the last year in which big bonuses could be paid.
Mr Gulliver's previous pay scheme offered an annual bonus worth up to three times his salary, plus a longer-term share award that pays out as much as six times salary.
Chancellor George Osborne has filed a formal complaint against Brussels over the plans amid fears their introduction will drive up fixed salaries and increase the risk to financial stability.
Other banks, including Royal Bank of Scotland, are expected to announce how they plan to tackle the Brussels rules in annual reports later in the spring.
But with HSBC also announcing its bonus pool for staff rose 6% to 3.9 billion US dollars (£2.3 billion) last year, TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said the results were "yet another example of soar-away boardroom greed".
She added: "It would be great if banks put the same effort into lending to small businesses and investing in infrastructure as they do to getting round EU rules on boardroom bonuses."
Shares in HSBC slumped by more than 4% after its profits of 22.56 billion US dollars (£13.6 billion) rose 9% on a year ago but came in below City expectations.
The banking group, which has more than 250,000 staff, said it was now "leaner and simpler" as a result of a three-year turnaround plan, which was launched by Mr Gulliver after he took the helm in 2011.
Initiatives included the sale of 63 non-core businesses and a 41,000 reduction in its full-time headcount from 295,000 at the start of 2011.
However, he admitted that HSBC had not met all of its targets in 2013, with its cost efficiency ratio of 59.6% and return on equity of 9.2% both outside its target ranges, in part due to continuing customer compensation costs in the UK.
Underlying profits were higher in three out of its four global businesses, with the exception of Latin America where trading was affected by slower economic growth and inflationary pressures.
HSBC, which has been impacted by currency weakness in some emerging markets during 2013, said it expected more "choppy markets" this year as adjustments are made to changing economic circumstances.
The boom in the housing market helped its retail banking and wealth management division more than double profits to £995 million in the UK.
The bank approved £14.4 billion of new mortgage lending to more than 135,000 customers during 2013, including £3.8 billion to some 30,000 first-time buyers. The loan-to-value ratio on new lending was 59.5%.
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