text:
Which phone service is best for me?
Will my existing phone work in the country that I am traveling to?
If my existing phone wont work, what type of phone should I buy?
How do I forward my existing number to my new roaming number?
What is a SIM card?
Will a different SIM card work in my existing phone?
How do I unlock my existing phone?
Going on short a vacation or holiday to another country?
Enjoy the benefits of ekit's Global Service
Visiting several countries in a region or staying in a country for an extended period of time?
Enjoy the benefits of ekit's Passport, and Home and Roam Services:
Visiting a specific country on a regular basis, or for a longer period of time?
ekit offers local services or domestic services. These services offer low rates for local calls and local a phone number in that country. In general, these services do not work outside the country for which they are designed.
If you are from the United States or Canada and are planning to travel to Europe, Asia, Australia or South America, chances are your existing cell phone will not work in the country you are traveling to. If you are from the UK or Australia, your phone may not work in North America.
There are two reasons for this.
Frequencies by region are typically:
|GSM Frequency
|Asia Pacific
|North America
|850/1900MHz (3G only)
|South America
If you are planning to travel internationally, you need to check if your phone is GSM compatible and if it will work on the GSM frequency band used in the country you are traveling to. This information should be in the instruction manual that accompanied your existing phone when you purchased it, or you can call your network operator.
If your phone will not work in the country you are traveling to you will need to buy a new GSM phone. You have a choice:
1. A dual band phone that works in the country you are traveling to, but not in your own country. There are different types of dual band phones:
|Dual band phone types
|Suitable for:
|North America only
|Europe and Asia Pacific
2. A tri-band phone works in most countries (with the primary exceptions of Japan and South Korea). There are two main types of tri-band phone:
|Tri-band phone types
|Suitable for:
|Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and Caribbean
|North America and Asia Pacific
3. A quad-band phone works in most countries (with the primary exceptions of Japan and South Korea).
|Quad-band phone types
|Suitable for:
|All GSM operators in the world
4. A 3G dual-mode phone works in Japan, South Korea and in the rest of most countries. These phones include combination of GSM and WCDMA (also known as 3G or UMTS) technology. There are two main types of dual-mode phone:
|3G Dual-mode phone types
|Suitable for
|Excellent in Japan, South Korea, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Africa and Brazil. Very good for US/Canada, Central and South America and Caribbean
|Excellent in Japan, South Korea, USA/Canada, Central and South America. Not suitable for Europe, Asia/Pacific, Africa and Brazil.
Dual band phones are cheaper than tri-band phones because they don't work in as many countries. If you are concerned about the up front cost of a phone, the cheapest option is a dual band mobile phone. However we recommend a tri-band phone so you can use it when you have finished traveling.
If your existing phone will work in the country you are traveling to, you may be able to buy just a SIM card (without having to buy a new phone).
You can forward calls from your existing number to your new roaming phone number by changing the settings in your existing phone.
For instructions on how to enable call forwarding with network operator short codes, please click here.
Depending on your GSM operator, the cost to forward a call to another number may vary.
A SIM card is the device (a small plastic card about the size of a thumb nail) that enables your phone to work and provide a phone service. The SIM card stores information that identifies the phone to the network service provider and thereby allows the phone to connect to the network and make calls. In many phones the SIM card can be removed and replaced with a different SIM card.
A different SIM card will work in your existing phone if your phone is a GSM compatible phone and is not "locked" to your network provider.
Many network operators sell "locked" phones. "Locked" means that the phone is restricted by the network operator to work only on its� own or affiliate networks. If your existing phone is locked, you cannot use a SIM card supplied by another network provider without unlocking your phone first.
Check if your phone is locked - Your phone may be locked if you purchased it on contract or pay as you go. To check, insert a SIM card from another network into your phone and switch it on. If you are able to view the menu then your phone is unlocked. If the phone does not allow you to view the menu, but displays an error message such as "Phone restricted", "SIM not valid", or "SIM card not accepted, insert correct SIM card", your phone is most likely locked to your network provider. If you are not sure, contact your provider and ask them if your mobile phone is locked or not.
In most cases it is a simple process to unlock your phone. You have several options:


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- Amy Winehouse and Blake Formerly Incarcerated: Dunzo. He's left her for a German model; she's admitted that it was never going to last and that they were "only together for sex." Keep in mind that this report comes from a terribly disreputable paper. [News Of The World, Page Six]
- By the by, Blake Fielder-Civil's jail sentence appeal was refused by two judges. [The Sun]
- "Impeccable" sources say Guy Ritchie is banking $70 million of Madonna's money as part of the divorce settlement. That kind of cash will buy a lot of rounds at the pub! [Perez Hilton]
- Oy, Alex Rodriguez is a "Kabbalah school dropout." Madonna will not be happy about this. [MSNBC]
- That was quick: Michael Jackson has settled his court case in which be was being sued by a sheikh. [BBC News]
- Bloody hell. The Twilight sequel has been greenlit. [UPI]
- Brad and Angelina's family is just as cute and perfect in real life as they claim to be. [Page Six]
- OMG Barbara and Jenna Bush helped take Sasha and Malia Obama on a tour of the White House and all of the girls totally jumped on the beds! Says Laura Bush: "They're really tall beds; you need to get a running start." [People]
- Will Leona Lewis team up with Beyoncé and Jay-Z for Barack Obama's inauguration concert? [The Sun]
- Larry Rudolph, Britney Spears' longtime manager, discusses her documentary: "There just came a moment where she decided to get up, brush herself off and move forward. She had hit a low point in her life. She realized that and everybody else realized that. She wanted to get to a better place." Plus, there's A clip! [LA Times]
- Britney made an unexpected appearance in court Friday for a hearing on her ongoing conservatorship. [Yahoo News]
- Jessica Alba ate Nutella crepes at a downtown Manhattan restaurant, where the staff said the meal was "on the house," so she left a $200 tip. Classy. [Page Six]
- In this in-depth piece about Nicole Kidman, we learn that while Keith Urban is on tour and Nic rides around in the tour bus, "She likes to sneak away and go to people's garage sales. 'All I need is a hat, and I go,' she says. She bought little ceramic candle holders at one sale, she says, and embroidered Christmas stockings at another, 'when it wasn't anywhere near Christmastime. I love it.'" [Washington Post]
- Johnny Depp's movie took over a highway in Wisconsin; the detour traffic made a road collapse. Whoops! [AP]
- Ooh: Today is the day that Boy George is due to stand trial; he's accused of assaulting and falsely imprisoning a male escort. [The Star]
- How do people in the Bronx feel about the name Ashlee and Pete Wentz chose for their baby boy? Not impressed. [NY Times]
- "Bronx is beyond precious. I'm over the moon with joy," says Jessica Simpson. "Life is a beautiful miracle. Ashlee and Pete are healthy, happy and enjoying every moment." Cool, cool. Do people really say "over the moon"??? [UPI]
- Nicolette Sheridan, who ended her engagement to Michael Bolton about three months ago, was seen making out with "Hollywood Lothario" David Spade Friday night. Just let that image settle in. [Star]
- Even though Michael Phelps has professed his love for McDonald's, he has a deal promoting Subway. How did the sandwich chain land the deal? [AdAge]
- Illeana Douglas has a (laminated) message for the paparazzi, you should click and see. [DListed]
- Pleasure principle: Janet Jackson is going to take a break from music to focus on having a baby with her boyfriend Jermane Dupri. [Daily Express]
- The economy takes no prisoners: The Tyra Banks Show is moving to the CW's afternoon block after being in syndication for four seasons. Stations have been making budget cuts, so Tyra's production schedule will be cut to 26 weeks from 34. [Reuters]
- Natasha McElhone says her mission now, besides acting and providing for her family, is to complete some of the work her late husband, a doctor, began: "to finish his life, to finish his unfinished business." [LA Times]
- In this interview with Stephen Colbert, he discusses meeting Eleanor Holmes Norton (the District's delegate in Congress): "I felt so dirty. I felt like a piece of meat. I find being a piece of meat very exciting. In my last life, I think I was a veal cutlet." [Washington Post]
- Paris Hilton has been "constantly texting" Benji Madden and trying to show up at clubs where he is supposed to be. [Mirror]
- You can buy a silk couch owned by Jenna Jameson on eBay if you have $9,500 to spare. It's pearl gray. [DListed]
- Even though the economy is in the crapper, there's stuff celebrities won't give up: Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss needs her coffee; Jessica Biel must travel first class; Hilary Swank gets facials; supermodel/ANTM judge Twiggy must have pink Champagne, and much more [WWD]
- Dora The Explorer is getting a new voice: Will kids notice? [Page Six]
- Blind items: 1. Which ex-couple — an actor and a model — still share some aspects of their sex life? Both are known to sleep with a famous Lower East Side topless dancer who has a reputation of never going home alone. 2. Which TV host has such good rapport with his fetching female co-host that his wife has correctly guessed they're having an affair? [Page Six]
- No Doubt: On tour, summer 2009. [People]
- Ben Stiller and Chris Rock: "Israel is better than Hollywood." [AP]
- Dita Von Teese is suing Macmillan Publishers, which printed Patti O'Shea's In Twilight's Shadow, a paranormal romance novel about demon hunting. For some reason, Dita's face is on the cover. She certainly did not give permission. [Yahoo News via E!]
- Now that the Daily Mail has apologized to David Duchovny for printing a story about him having an affair with his tennis instructor, Duchovny's dropped his $1 million lawsuit. [E!]
- Travis Barker is suing the owner and makers of the "defective" Learject that crashed September 19, killing four and leaving him and DJ AM with severe burns. [Yahoo News via E!]
- So you know how Michael Lohan — Lindsay's dad — was going to box for charity? The parole board has stepped in, saying the boxing match can't happen because he spent 20 months in prison for attempted assault. Whoops! [Yahoo News]
- Will the Golden Globes not happen again this year? Last year is was a writers' strike; this year a Screen Actors Guild strike could cancel the event. [Fox News]
- Hollywood veterans and experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are spending $25 million on a lab called The Centre for Future Storytelling. Matt Damon is involved. [Times Of London]
- Lily Allen sought therapy after her miscarriage: "I was in a very, very dark place after the whole thing happened. That was the toughest thing I've had to go through in my life. [Therapy] is really, really helping me. I feel it's getting better and everything's going to be OK." [Mirror]
- Crazy stuff in this Q&A with Quincy Jones: His dad worked as a carpenter for the black mob, and in 1974 Q had two brain aneurysms. Oh, and Q talks about Frank Sinatra: "[He] was one of those guys where he liked you or he didn't. I got to know the Frank that nobody wrote about, the guy who visited Billie Holiday in the hospital to make sure her bills were paid and who took care of Amos and Andy when they were down on their luck. He was a stand-up guy who didn't see color, and that was rare back then." [Newsweek]
- Padma Lakshmi went to see the Foo Fighters and Dave Grohl dragged her on stage; she ended up playing tambourine with the band and getting hit on by Taylor Hawkins. [Page Six]
- Meg Ryan's Bel-Air house is for sale, if you have $19.5 million to spare. You get 6,877 square feet, a pool, spa, and guest house. [TMZ]
- Cedric the Entertainer may not be the obvious first choice for a Broadway drama, but he's getting good buzz for being in the David Mamet play American Buffalo. [NY Times]
- Cops are looking for a "Casanova conman" who claims links to Heath Ledger, Robert De Niro and Keith Urban and has left broken hearts and empty wallets across Australia. [News.com.au]
- Wow. A Keith Richards easy listening album. With a jazz version of "Over The Rainbow. Wow. [Telegraph]
- A doozy of a headline: "Camilla Admits To 'Letting Herself Go' Since She Married Charles... And Vows To Take Up Tai Chi As A New Year's Resolution." Lulz. [Daily Mail]
- Warren Beatty is suing over the rights to comic strip detective Dick Tracy. Apparently he's working on a Dick Tracy TV special? Who knew? [Reuters]
- Paul Newman's will was made public and he left his personal property, including real estate, to his wife, Joanne Woodward. His Oscars and other awards went to the Newman's Own Foundation; his airplane and race cars will be sold, with proceeds going to his estate. [AP]
- A Smashing Pumpkins show has been postponed; Billy Corgan's sick! [UPI]
- Billy Zane's parents closed down the Chicago med school they owned, leaving some students in the lurch. [UPI]
- Enya: Might tour for the first time ever. [Reuters]
- Oh, good (oh God?): The Vatican's newspaper has finally forgiven John Lennon for declaring that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ. Plus, The paper says the Beatles made music that is better than "standardized, stereotypical" songs being produced today. [Reuters, AP]
- Speaking of the Beatles, Paul McCartney says his conflict with John Lennon was over before the singer was shot. [UPI]
- investigators say Olivia Newton-John's missing boyfriend probably drowned while on a fishing trip. [News.com.au]
- A man who waved Samurai swords at a Hollywood Scientology building had a "previous relationship" to the church; he was shot and killed by a security guard. [AP]
- Rocker Bryan Ferry is dating his son's ex-girlfriend. The Roxy Music star is 63; the lady in question is 27 and his son is 22. A "pal" says the lady had fling with the son about 5 years ago. Yuck. [The Sun]
- Jodie Sweetin has filed for legal separation from her husband but is "trying to stay positive for Zoie," their 7-month-old daughter. [People]
- Why is a letter Princess Diana wrote to her royal footman on her honeymoon up for sale? And how sad is it that she mentions how "terribly lonely" she is? [Daily Mail]
- Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster are trying for a baby. Yeah, he's 63, so what? [Mirror]
- "Ever since her Oscar nomination, Sophie Okonedo has been offered plenty of 'mini-skirted girlfriend' parts. But she'd much rather stay home and do nothing." [Telegraph]
- Blackadder: a Christmas comeback. [The Star]
- A New York rabbi paid $2500 at an auction to go out with ice skating queen Oksana Baiul. He says: "Well, I'm single, it's for charity, and she seems like a nice Jewish girl. I guess I'm the luckiest guy in my congregation." [Page Six]
- "My son would have been at that rally in Chicago when the first African- American president was elected, and I'm sure he would have gone up onstage and grabbed the microphone as only he could." — Ol' Dirty Bastard's mom. [Page Six]
- "I got drunk and lied to him. I said 'I've lost my keys and I can't wake my mum. Can I stay on your sofa?' He went to brush his teeth. I took my clothes off and jumped in his bed. It's the only way I can ever get together with people." — Lily Allen on her seduction technique. [Mirror]
- "I laugh when people say we don't get on. Of course we row. But we are best friends as well as partners. I don't think we'd know what to do without each other." — Kate "Jordan" Price on her relationship with her husband, Peter Andre. [The Sun]
- "Axl's a friend, and I don't want to compromise that. But as for 'fun' crazy: He wrote his (half) brother, Stuart, a $25,000 check every day to throw these lavish theme parties. It was like, we're in Indianapolis, so there were Formula One cars everywhere, with all the girls dressed up in pit-crew uniforms. It was decadence at the highest level I'd ever seen, a Caligula kind of outlandishness. There were orgies, sure. Was I involved? Yes. Well, I was in the same room — we'll leave it at that." — Lars Ulrich on being on tour with Axl Rose and Guns N Roses back in the day. [Perez Hilton]
- "Something else comes out of you when you become a parent and, as you get older, you start to see more character in your face. Now, when I look at myself, I just see somebody at peace, and I see a mom, and I see my own relatives in my face – and that's a kind of beauty that exists for everybody and doesn't disappear." — Angelina Jolie. [Daily Mail]
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More from Jezebel
A Small Turnip
This has nothing to do with anything, but I currently have a plumber over to do an overhaul of the heating system before winter really starts to bite. And he is THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN. So shy, so lovely.
While we wait for the system to run through a cycle, we've been chatting about how he's a ski guide and mountain climber in Chamonix half the year, and then comes back to the UK to make silly money for the other half.
It is taking all of my self-control not to tell him he can climb MY mountains.
OMG I must behave myself.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For most of my life, I've lived close to the sea. I'm not a particularly strong swimmer, so I feel happiest in that area where the land meets the water.
My home city, Auckland lies on an isthmus between the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours. Rangitoto Island, the city's newest volcano, is visible from all the beaches of the Waitemata, and forms the backdrop to thousands of photos.
With 14,000 kilometres (about 8700 miles) of coastline — and no place in the country more than 130km (81 miles) from the sea (1) — most New Zealanders take for granted the ability to visit a beach; to walk, swimming, or go fishing or boating. Even those of us who don't live close to the beach are generally not far from a lake or river.
Of course sometimes land meets water in places in ways and places that damage eco-systems and livelihoods. Winter storms increasingly appear to cause flooding in many parts of the world, and NZ is no exception. Although this temporary lake looks beautiful, the economic, social and environmental cost of flooding cannot be ignored.
This post was written for Aisla's Travel Theme , 'land meets water' at Where's my Backpack.


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The highly-anticipated matchup between two of the top running backs in college football never really materialized in Shreveport Saturday afternoon. Instead, it was the under-the-radar passing attack of Arizona (8-5) that paved the way for a resounding postseason win.
In the Wildcats' 42-19 thumping of overmatched Boston College (7-6) in the Advocare V100 Bowl, senior quarterback B.J. Denker threw for 276 yards, accounted for three touchdown — two passing, one rushing — and, perhaps most importantly, tossed zero interceptions. With the exception of a 363-yard performance against USC in October of this year, it was the most productive passing day of Denker's collegiate career.
Of Denker's 276 yards, 194 of them went to wide receiver Nate Phillips. The freshman receiver accounted for more than half (nine) of Denker's 17 completions. Both totals set career-highs for Phillips, with the yardage setting a school record for a bowl game.
Trey Griffey, the son of MLB legend Ken Griffey Jr., caught both of Denker's touchdown passes. Those two scores were the first of Griffey's career.
Ka'Deem Carey, who entered the game sixth in the country in rushing, was steady in a workmanlike if unspectacular effort, finishing what could be his last game at the collegiate level with 169 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Carey, who's expected to leave the Wildcats early for the NFL, extended his streak of 100-yard rushing games to 16 in a row.
Carey's numbers, however, were a veritable explosion compared to that of Andre Williams. The 2013 Doak Walker winner as the nation's top running back was held to just 75 yards on 26 carries. Williams came into the game leading the FBS in rushing, averaging 175.2 yards per game.


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Michelle Obama has Fallon and Ferrell eat kale
On Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, guest Michelle Obama offered kale chips as a healthy alternative to potato chips to two teenage girls — Sara, played by Fallon, and Stacy, played by Will Ferrell.
In the six-minute sketch, a spoof of Teen Nick programming, two BFFs on a talk show called Ew! discussed everything from a poster of Harry Styles to Olympics figure skating to jelly doughnuts.
Their featured guest was Obama and, as she sat down, Fallon, wearing a pink bow and blonde wig, said, "Being in front of the first lady is making me nervous."
She gave the duo kale and said, "The best part is they are high in Omega-3 fatty acids." Awkwardly eating the snack, they said they hadn't known that kale had any benefits at all.
While Ferrell said "exercise is ew," the first lady said she tries to exercise daily, and likes push-ups, dancing and lifting weights. "Exercise is not 'ew,'" she said. "You just have to find an activity that is right for you."
A dance party ensued, but was quickly broken up by Sara's stepdad. Bummer, since we know Obama and Fallon can get down thanks to their hit dance, Evolution of Mom, which aired last February and quickly went viral.
Follow @jessicadurando on Twitter.


text:
Latest News
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money have been spent on equipping badger cull marksmen with radios that link them directly to police, according to a story on the Guardian website today (Friday 25 August).
The government was apparently asked by the police to equip the cull marksmen with the same communications system they use to make it easier for officers to reach any conflicts with saboteurs in remote areas where there is often no mobile signal.
Government figures have revealed that between 2016 and this year Defra paid almost £500,000 to Airwave, the company that provides the emergency services with communications equipment. Defra confirmed the equipment was provided to those taking part in the culls.
The Guardian article, by Steven Morris and Patrick Barkham, reports that activists plan to "turn the tables on the marksmen" by investing in devices that trace the signals produced by the radios, so that they can pinpoint their position and disrupt shooting.
Protesters are also planning to use infra-red night vision on drones to hunt for marksmen and badgers caught in traps.
Jay Tiernan of Stop the Cull said it would invest in detectors that pick up Airwave signals in order to disrupt shooting.
Natural England, meanwhile, has refused to release data showing the impact of the cull on other species, despite being ordered to do so last month by the Information Commissioner's Office, saying it will enable activists to identify cull zones more easily.
You can read the full story here. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/25/taxpayers-spend-hi-tech-radios-badger-cull-marksmen
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text:
I've always envied people who were content living a simple life, or even more, who could bear to be unemployed. It's not only the having so little obligations that gets to me (although I'm envious of that too), it's the mere being able to stand doing so little.
It took me a little over a week and a half of Christmas vacation before I was convinced I was losing my mind.
Anyway, if I'm behind on answering comments and emails (I'll get around to it, I promise!) it's because I dragged my insane, sobbing, loser self to Montreal for a few days to escape the turmoil factory that is the internet.
I had forgotten how terribly ugly, yet extremely delicious and convenient downtown Montreal is! From All-You-Can-Eat Sushi to an entire chicken in a bowl of soup (both within a couple of hours of each other), I nommed my way around the city for four days. I remembered why I live on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean: if I lived near any place where good food was easily accessible, I'd have to waste money on a gym membership to avoid becoming the Chubby Pally and the Overused (Ice Cream) Spoon.
In between restaurants, I got to see Tron and Black Swan (I have such a huge girl crush on Mila Kunis now), aaaand I got to meetup with some awesome people.
Meeting Kurn
And by awesome people, I mean (among others) Kurn, my fellow holy pally and fellow sort-of-Anglo Québecoise. I was really nervous and not too sure what to expect… She's always been a very strong and forceful writer, but writing styles can be deceiving. I've seen myself described as a comedy writer. I hope those describers never have to meet me and my serious, slow wits in person. Anyway, meeting Kurn was lovely, like meeting a long lost sister. I poured my heart out about my in-game struggles, we compared our guilds, discussed blogging and our blogging guildies, brainstormed about the future of holy paladinning and shared tales of growing up Anglo in the midst of the Québec language wars. By the time I looked at my watch, 4 hours had gone by!
Catching up with my fellow geek gamer girlfriends from high school
I also got to catch up with a few old friends I hadn't seen in a few years. Two in particular have been characters in this blog as my dear fellow geeky gamer girls from high school.
Last time I saw A, who'd gotten me into Final Fantasy, was 4 years ago. At the time, she was super busy juggling jobs, living it up in the city and, well, not gaming. So I was surprised when we stumbled into this conversation:
A: I was playing *whispers* Starcraft 2 and-
Me: You play Starcraft 2?
A's Husband: *grumbling* She always plays Starcraft 2. She plays for hours!
A: Yeah, I didn't want to tell you, but when you called me the other night was in the middle of a cooperative…
Me: You could have told me! I totally understand! I get phone calls in the middle of coorperatives too!
Actually, I was sort of lying, I don't do coorperatives, but I was trying to earn myself a Starcraft 2 buddy. Then we played Civilization V on her PS3 for 4 hours, and her husband teased me about how I went all the way to Montreal to do nothing but watch movies and play video games (but I'm still trying to figure out how going to Montreal to watch movies and play video games is a bad thing).
Later that day, I caught up with V, with whom I spend my last year of high school talking about Might and Magic. When I was 16, I idolized Val. She was gorgeous, brilliant and funny. She was also a free thinker, a natural one. One of those people who don't give in to peer pressure because it just doesn't occur to them that they're being pressured to do or be anything.
I hadn't seen her for 8 years. I was surprised she remembered me. Even more surprised she'd want to see me. I was anxious. Would she be the same person I looked up to 10 years ago?
Well, one of our first conversations went like this:
V: My favorite game has always been Sonic the Hedgehog. I loved Sonic! But I have this hole phobia so I won't go near holes. …I never got very far in Sonic.
I told her I played WoW. She answered she loved WoW: she doesn't play but it keeps her boyfriend out of her hair and lets her have the PS3 to herself. I hear Mr. V is quite the Blizzard fanboy. Maybe we'll be seeing them at Blizzcon next year.
When the topic of Blizzcon came up, I told her about the cinematic panel I attended. About how they used to use dots to make water and now they use squares. Whatever that means. She then said something about polygons. Polygons? Yep. Turns out she attended video game college. Apparently it's the best way to learn about 3D modeling. Whatever that is.
For those who didn't read my initial post about V, it ended like this:
One day I'll get in touch with that old friend, we'll joke and laugh about old times. We'll play the games again and relive those crazy days of high school.
We didn't get a chance to game together: we were, after all, downtown getting kicked out of coffee shops. But we did those other things.
For both friends (actually, for the few other friends I caught up with too), nothing had changed in the many years since we'd seen each other, except for that we'd become calmer, more experienced and, in their case, even better versions of the people we were 10 years ago.
All that to say that I know I'm totally slacking on the blog, but if you'll excuse me, I've got this overwhelming urge to play Civilization V.


text:
Eastman Kodak Co. plans to lay off 91 employees, including 70 at a plant on Manitou Road in Gates, a filing with the state Department of Labor shows.
Kodak filed a notice with the state Wednesday indicating the company would lay off employees at the Gates facility, along with 11 workers at Kodak Office, eight employees at Eastman Park, and two workers at Kodak Research Labs.
The layoffs are to occur through May 23, the filing states. Kodak lists the reason for the layoff as economic.
The company had 5,129 Rochester-area employees at the end of 2011.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 19.
(c) 2012 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
By DAVID WOODING
TERRORIST suspects should be put under strict new control orders to curb their movements, Theresa May has been warned.
Most people think the system of monitoring extremists is useless and want Britain's homeland security beefed up urgently.
Six out of ten are demanding the return of control orders, scrapped in 2011 because they infringed the liberty of suspects.
And they want British Muslims who leave to fight with jihadists in Syria or Iraq placed under house arrest when they return to the UK.
The PM is urged to take a much harder line on home-grown radicals in an exclusive ICM poll for The Sun on Sunday.
Brits gave Mrs May a powerful message of support for almost any action to protect keep the country safe – even if it hits their own civil liberties.
The majority of people believe human rights laws are too heavily tilted in favour of terrorists and criminals and not the public they are meant to protect.
Seven out of ten believe security services should be given more power to spy on people – by checking phone, internet and email data.
An overwhelming 72 per cent believe snooping is justified, even if it erodes civil liberties. They outnumber those opposed to it by a massive eight to one.
Two-thirds of people are in favour of companies being compelled to give up encrypted mobile phone data to spy chiefs. They believe this would disrupt terrorists using phone apps to plot their atrocities without being detected.
Tory MP Tim Loughton, who sits on the Commons home affairs committee, said last night: "This poll shows just how much the whole argument around terrorism and civil liberties has moved on.
"People are now overwhelmingly more concerned about keeping our country safe in the wake of recent atrocities on the continent.
"If that means giving up some of our civil liberties, it's a price that many people feel is worth paying."
Support for more draconian action against extremists has grown in the wake of recent atrocities in Nice and Paris.
And our poll suggest they Mrs May would boost her no-nonsense image if she were to bring back control orders.
The tool was used to put suspects under house arrest, restrict where they travel, who they meet and stop them using the internet or smart phones.
But they were ditched by the coalition government after protests from Lib Dem deputy leader Nick Clegg that they breached human rights.
They were replaced by weaker Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures, known as T-Pims.
But only one terrorist in Britain is subject to the order – and he is using taxpayers' money to fight a legal battle to have it lifted.
This is despite there being at least 2,000 fanatics at large in Britain, The Sun on Sunday revealed last week.
More than half of people – 58 per cent – think that terror suspects restricted by any court order should be banned from claiming legal aid to fight it, our poll reveals.
Some 41 per cent believe human rights laws give most protection to criminals and those engaged in the planning of terrorist acts. This compares with only 33 per cent who think they safeguard the public and victims of crime and terrorism.
The T-Pim order – the toughest tool at the disposal of security services – is seen as ineffective by most people.
And 63 per cent would support the return of the more restrictive control order – ten times the number who would oppose it.
Even among young people – more guarded about civil liberties – there is overwhelming support for it.
Fifty per cent of people aged 18 to 24 support control orders, compared with 13 per cent in the same age bracket who oppose them.
A similar number, 62 per cent, say all British subjects who chose to fight in support of IS in war zones such as Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan should automatically be subject to orders on their return.
Mr Loughton said the poll highlights a changing mood in the general public in response to the heightened terrorist threat.
The MP added: "We are only too aware of the enemy beyond the Channel but we now need to define the way we deal with the enemy within.
"That must mean better surveillance and anybody who has been to war zones such as Syria should be more strictly monitored. This is a wake-up call.
"Despite the fantastic work our intelligence and security services do to keep us safe, the law needs to be toughened to make sure the terrorist menace does not get across the Channel to wreak havoc with the every-day freedoms we often take for granted."
Seven in ten would support restrictions on their OWN freedom of movement around the EU if it made it harder for terrorists to operate freely.
One in four believes Britain will be safer once we have left the EU – but nearly half think it will make no difference.


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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
yet another posting on career vs. family
7 comments:
A friend told me about a talk she went to by Deborah German a few months back. Below is her profile:ReplyDelete
The talk was about making decisions for her family that ultimately ended up working out for her career as well. I think it's a valuable lesson. You don't have to take the obvious path to end up with a satisfying and successful career, and sometimes your family needs to take priority -- and that's ok too. Just because you put one career aspiration aside does not mean that another one will never open up again.
I read this quote in a paper somewhere, and I makes me feel better when I worry about big decisions:ReplyDelete
To evolve is to surrender choices; to move forward is to accumulate all the things we can no longer be.
Maybe it's cheesy, and not actually substantive, but for some reason, it speaks to me.
You can have anything you want, but you can't have everything you want.ReplyDelete
There's no reason you couldn't extend your training (an extra year or two is nothing in the grand scheme of things). There's also no reason you have to, and it sounds like you have a great plan already.
You could take this experience and look for opportunities to fulfill the same kind of interests when you get to your planned destination. Now you have more information about what would hold your interest in the long run.
- AnonymousFebruary 1, 2012 at 12:13 AM
i did not do a fellowship because of my little 2 year old son. now i am earning a decent paycheck, am my own boss with great hours, and have time for both my husband and son. i thought i would have regrets after doing academia track so long but now i am so glad that i put family first. life is too short and time with your family too precious. i understand your decision as i was always on the fellowship track and pulled myself out of match days before submitting list. good luck!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 1, 2012 at 9:01 AM
There is no reason in the world that this academic project must dominate your life now or later. I was very ambicious in my early years, and have better publication record than most attendings that trained me. I left academia for reasons similar to yours and man ! I enjoy my life now. I feel so sorry for colleagues that stayed behind in all the stellar insitutiions where I trained and worked. They are miserable, angry, envious, always rubbing elbows with each other. And I am happy and complete. My kids are thriving (not without my hard work). And I found new fun things to do, like martial arts. Look up this link, even if you do not do martial arts, it should lighten you (all my firends had a huge kick out of it). It reminds me there is so much more fun and joy to life than dry academic environment.ReplyDelete
The Karate Rap 1986http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJSZ1TwjcsQ
Speaking from the "other side". I chose to close those doors and while I don't regret it EVERY day. Now that my son is grown, I have very deep regrets. Take a couple of more years...be really, really sure that the move is worth it.ReplyDelete
Mine wasn't.
- AnonymousFebruary 1, 2012 at 2:25 PM
My friend told my last year she never looks back, only forward. And even though I was doing the same most of the time, I realized later how wise that is. What's the point of looking back and think/regret"what if"? you never would know where you would be "if". I spoke to a guy from top academic center whose research took 1 place at that national meeting we were attending. He was whining that all his friends who are not in academics are happier and wealthier, and he wishes he DID NOT stay in academia. Well,it came from the most successful (at least for his age) academician.ReplyDelete
My take on that - do not regret, move forward. Life could have been far worse if you did not "close those doors" i see more unhappy academicians than non-academicians.


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Our vitamin snack. Simply clever. And clean.
The dried fruit mix of pineapple and strawberries is ideal as a vitamin-rich snack, whether you're stuck in the office or just leaving the gym. Dried fruits provide a broad spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals necessary for physical and mental performance. And the combo of pineapple and strawberries gives you that little touch of summer.
- Great supply of essential vitamins & minerals
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Get creative!
just fruit. No additives.
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Natural nutrients.
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Gentle and direct.
1. Premium
Our strawberries and pineapples must adhere to the highest quality standards. Only the very best fruits make the final cut.
2. Meticulously
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- Severe loss of vitamins
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- Sulfuring
double the power. 100% natural.
Dried pineapple and strawberries. 325g of fresh pineapple and 550g of fresh strawberries produce 100g of Crunchy Fruits.
|Nutritional information
|per 100g
|1466 kJ / 347 kcal
|of which saturated fatty acids
|of which sugars
A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are essential.
Crunchy Fruits can be eaten anytime and anywhere. The low calorie content and fresh, natural taste makes our Crunchy Fruits an excellent energy boost while traveling, enjoying the great outdoors, or as a sweet but healthy treat when you're trying to lose weight. 2-3 tablespoons of dried fruit add a touch of sweetness to your morning muesli, protein porridge, or lunchtime salad.
Crunchy Fruits are more than just an everyday snack: As a quick energy booster during exercise or after a hard workout, this sweet and crunchy mix replenishes your glycoprotein stores with its high carbohydrate content. Combined with one of our Whey Protein or Vegan Protein shakes, you can be sure your body is getting a well-balanced mix of carbohydrates and protein for optimized muscle regeneration.
- In the morning
- After a workout
Crunchy Fruits - Table of content
General information about Crunchy Fruits
Dried fruit is the perfect snack between meals. During exercise, at work or as a healthy dessert: It has an exceptionally low calorie density and is full of concentrated, valuable ingredients. Crunchy Fruits by foodspring contain equal amounts of premium quality pineapple and strawberries. The selected combination of premium fruit supplies your body with a host of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The things you need to ensure optimal performance.
Crunchy Fruits by foodspring are 100% natural dried fruit, free of all additives. Pineapple from Costa Rica and Ecuador and strawberries from Turkey are cut right after harvesting and then sorted and pre-dried in the air. The fruits are meticulously checked by hand to ensure that only the best quality fruit makes its way into our Crunchy Fruits. A gentle processing procedure maintains their valuable microbiological properties.
Crunchy Fruits tastes of Caribbean sunshine and leaves a taste of summer in your mouth, whatever the weather. The harmonious interplay of tart pineapple and fruity strawberries takes flavour to a whole new level.
The strawberries provide a high fibre content, while the pineapple supplies valuable enzymes. Both are rich in carbohydrates and therefore the perfect snack after a thorough workout.
Crunchy Fruits by foodspring - Highlights
- Rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements
- Maximum nutrient density through gentle processing and vacuum packing
- Rich flavour and a crunchy consistency - 100% untainted goodness
- Free of chemical additives and chemical processing agents
- Processed directly after harvesting for guaranteed freshness
The effect of Crunchy Fruits
Pineapple - A true all-rounder
Pineapple is seen as a "feel-good fruit" and has been regarded as a medicinal plant by primitive peoples for centuries. Natural vanillin and serotonin give you a feel-good factor from the moment you read about the top three properties of this exotic fruit:
Pineapple ...
- Contains various vitamins, minerals and trace elements which are relevant to your fitness and health.
- Contains the enzymes papain and bromelain, which assist in the splitting of proteins.
- Has an alkaline effect and therefore contributes to a good acid-base metabolism.
These properties make dried pineapple a perfect snack for athletes and anyone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle.
Pineapple contributes to your general supply of nutrients As well as vitamin C with its widely known importance for the immune system, this fruit contains the effective antioxidant vitamin E and vitamins 1-3 of the vitamin B complex. Vitamin B1-3, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin are essential for physical and mental performance. Vegetarians and vegans in particular should ensure that they eat enough foods containing vitamin B, as it generally occurs only in very low amounts in plant-based food. Vitamin B2 protects your nerves and helps metabolise carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy for your basic body functions. It is therefore linked directly to our performance levels, which is why athletes have a much higher need for vitamin B2.
Pineapple also combines the trace elements calcium, potassium, manganese, iron, iodine, zinc and magnesium, which are also essential for a healthy body and top performance in sports and everyday life. As these are directly involved in the function and regeneration of muscles and bones, athletes in particular should ensure that the have a sufficient supply.
Pineapple is a great helper for weight loss
It is not only the fruit acid that is crucial to achieving a positive effect in this sense, but also the interaction of the various vital substances and enzymes. The enzymes papain and bromelain assist in the splitting of proteins and stimulate digestion.
Strawberries - Vitamin bomb and weight-loss booster
Strawberries are almost 90 percent water, but are deliciously sweet and contain plenty of vitamins. This means you can eat a lot of them without taking in too many calories. With an average 65 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, they are a veritable vitamin C bomb. And because strawberries also contain valuable fibre like pectin and cellulose, they are also great for digestion.
The phytochemicals in strawberries are another plus point for your health. They are part of the phenolic acid group and have an antioxidant effect. Phytochemicals protect our body from oxidative stress by binding with free radicals. Strawberries can therefore help us to keep our cardiovascular system on track.
The benefits of gently dried fruit
A great advantage of dried fruit is the highly concentrated nutrient density in a comparatively low volume. The fruit simply loses volume during the gentle drying process as water is slowly removed slowly, while the healthy vital substances remain intact. That's why selected dry fruits are the perfect choice for anyone who wants to keep physically and mentally fit. Our Crunchy Fruits combine the positive properties of pineapple and strawberry for a perfect energy boost.
Crunchy Fruits - how to use them correctly
Dried fruit as an instant supply of energy (after training)
The unique combination of vital substances and high carbohydrate content make Crunchy Fruits by foodspring a perfect snack after training. They refill the glycogen stores of your muscles and aid in quick regeneration. Potassium promotes glycogen storage in the muscles. With 8.8 g protein per 100 g, Crunchy Fruits provide an initial resupply of proteins after training.
Dried fruit instead of sweets
A piece of cake in the afternoon, a few savoury snacks at work or a bag of crisps while watching your favourite show in the evening - more often than not it is the little in-between snacks with high calorie content and very few nutrients that drive up our daily calorie intake and fuel more cravings.
Crunchy Fruits supply your body with essential nutrients. The natural sweetness of dried fruit makes them a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional sweets.
Dried fruit as a muesli or salad topping
Our Crunchy Fruits dried fruits lend your morning muesli a summery taste on dreary days. They enrich green leaf salads or add sweetness to hearty meals - for a holistic and natural taste explosion.
Dried fruits as an everyday snack
The advantages of dried fruit are clear: They have a long shelf life and are super compact. That makes them an excellent choice to take on trips, to the gym, to the office, to the cinema and anywhere where good, nutritious food is hard to find and you're likely to make unhealthy choices.
Dried fruit as part of a balanced diet
Our Crunchy Fruits are perfect if you have a sweet tooth, but want to stick to a balanced, healthy and figure-friendly diet. They are lactose, soya and gluten-free and contain no added sugar. They are a great option for anyone with allergies or intolerances. Crunchy Fruits are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The optimal composition of nutrients, minerals and vitamins in our natural dried fruit provide plenty of energy for everyday life, work and fitness. They contribute greatly to a well-balanced diet for athletes, fitness fans and anyone who wants to eat well.
Crunchy Fruits are an excellent choice for anyone who wants to lose weight
As part of a diet, our Crunchy Fruits can help prevent deficiencies without driving up the daily calorie intake with unnecessary sugary additives. Pineapple contains serotonin, which has a positive impact on your mood and eliminates food cravings.
Buying dried fruit online – what you should look out for
Raisins, cranberries, apricots etc. have had a place on supermarket shelves and online for a long time now. The choice is huge and the differences in quality are very difficult to grasp at first glance.
Cheap manufacturing processes destroy nutrients
The differences in quality become apparent where the consumer doesn't really see them: in the manufacturing process. Much of the fruit is freeze-dried right after harvesting, before the final drying process begins. That drying process often entails very high temperatures, which almost completely destroy the vitamins.
Watch out for sulphure-dried fruit
One very common conservation process for dried fruit is sulphurisation, in which the majority of the vitamins and folic acid are almost entirely destroyed. As sulphurisation prevents the fruit from darkening, products manufactured using this process often have a particularly "healthy" glow. Don't be deceived: Sulphur can cause headaches, nausea and other symptoms in sensitive individuals and must therefore be identified on the label.
Avoid added sugar
Have a look at the list of ingredients on the packaging - more often than not, sugar will be the primary ingredient. And it is by no means natural fruit sugar, but instead artificially added sweeteners. They make the potentially healthy dried fruit a high-sugar calorie bomb, which will only give rise to new food cravings.
Always go for premium products
Make sure that the dried fruit is manufactured using gentle drying processes without chemical additives. You owe it to your body to only buy 100% natural fruit, free of sulphur, added sugar and other chemicals.
Checklist for buying premium quality dried fruit
- Fruits processed fresh, directly after harvesting, without freeze-drying
- Vacuum packaging (preserves up to 80% of contained substances)
- Avoid sulphur and sugar
- Always choose 100% fruit
Buy your foodspring Crunchy Fruits made from premium dried fruit right here in our online shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and they taste great together. The sweetness of the strawberry and the slight sour sweetness of the pineapple are perfect when combined – like a hot summer day in your mouth. Strawberries are little vitamin C bombs and pineapple has been known to indigenous people as a healthy feel-good fruit for centuries. You've got to try it!
Of course! 80% of the fruit's vitamins are retained in our patented PÄX-production process. And we use no additives at all – all you get is delicious dry fruit. They are virtually just as healthy as a fresh fruit.
Yes they can. Our Crunchy Fruits have the texture of crisps. Mushy dried fruits? No way. Crunchy, not sticky and always fresh.
Quality is important to us. We set the bar very high for our patented Crunchy Fruits. Hand-picked raw materials, gentle processing and no artificial additives like flavour enhancers or colourants – all of that makes Crunchy Fruits a very high quality product with an unusual and unrivalled taste.
Our special drying process helps maintain the natural sweetness of the pineapple and strawberries. The sweet flavour is simply from natural fruit sugar.
Vacuum drying is an ultra gentle process that protects nutrients. Unlike traditional drying methods, this process retains up to 80% of the original nutrients contained in the fresh fruit. Our pineapples and strawberries are washed right after harvesting, then sliced by hand, pre-dried and finally vacuum dried with applied heat.


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The corporate watchdog has flagged a crackdown on complex financial products that could breach the spirit of the law.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is chairing a global push to crack down on risky products which can potentially be used to get around takeover regulations.
Listen to my analysis broadcast this morning on AM.
Listen to my analysis broadcast this morning on AM.
ASIC is concerned about derivative products, such as contracts for difference, which are retailed widely in Australia.
A common form of these products allows investors to bet on a share price to fall, even without putting down money upfront.
As part of the bigger picture, such derivatives can help facilitate major deals that could involve billions of dollars in proposals which can be made without proper financing.
Now ASIC chairman Greg Medcraft says he is very worried about derivatives.
He is chairing a global taskforce with the French regulator in a bid to get ahead of certain banks which are skirting regulations.
"They are basically manufactured on a global basis by banks, etc, so perhaps there should be some guidance or standards established for the way that the products are actually basically regulated," Mr Medcraft observed.
"You know, one of the things you are trying to do is make sure you have consistent global rules. So, you know, that's what we're looking at."
This scrutiny on derivatives comes as ASIC also takes a very close look at current takeover laws - whether they are outdated, provide proper disclosure or demonstrate that innovation is now outstripping the spirit of the law.
Earlier this week, AM broke the story that ASIC wants to overhaul so-called creep laws, where a corporate raider can use a loophole to gradually up their stake in a company without paying a premium.
That was a thinly veiled swipe at Gina Rinehart and James Packer in relation to Fairfax Media and Echo Entertainment respectively.
However, when it comes to preventing crippling losses, the corporate and banking regulators say there is only so much they can do and they certainly do not have any laws to outlaw bad decisions or, indeed, stupidity.
Both ASIC and the banking and insurance regulator APRA (the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) say many of the poor decisions that have sent companies bust or hurt investors badly come down to decisions made on company boards.
ASIC's Greg Medcraft made the point that directors should at least be able to understand a balance sheet to fulfil their duties in monitoring the business.
APRA's chairman John Laker told a conference hosted by The Economist magazine in Sydney yesterday that boards need to take more responsibility, but he cannot do much about highly paid stupid people.
"I've been in a lot of discussions about the role of regulation where the word board doesn't get mentioned and it should," he said.
"That is the starting point for this financial system, not the regulator. So we can't regulate against reckless behaviour.
"We can certainly do our best to intrude, to identify and to modify it, but show me a piece of paper that says thou shalt not be stupid. I'd love the regulation but, you know, that won't help me at all."


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Sunday, February 27, 2011
Creative Critterz Imaginations First Imagine Challenge!!!
Posted by Kristin at 8:32 PM 8 comments
I Got A Sylish Blog Award!!
Hi everyone! I would like to say thanks to Theresa for giving me a Stylish Blog Award! On this award we are to thank the person/people who gave you the award and link it back to their blog. Share 8 things about yourself and pass it to eight people. Next Inform the individuals about their award. Here is a list of 8 people who I will send it too. Thanks agian Theresa:)
1. http://www.cardztv.blogspot.com
2. http://www.ddscrafts.blogspot.com
3. http://www.doubleclickconnections.blogspot.com
4. http://www.pinkblingcrafter.blogspot.com
7. http://www.stayingcrafty.blogspot.com
Here are 8 things about me:)
1. I love my Kids and Hubby
2. I love to Craft
3. I love the shape of Hearts
4. I Love paper (Paper Trey Ink)
5. I love to take Pictures
6. I love to sing
7. I love Expression, Gypsy, and Imagine
8. I can't do without my white gel pen:)
Posted by Kristin at 8:46 AM 3 comments
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
200 Follower Giveaway!
WOW I just hit 200 followers I am so happy to have new crafty friends:) The Winner of the Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher is A Busy Bee. Random .org picked her name. Congrats :) Please send me your address and I will get it mailed out to you:) I will have another giveaway up shortly.
Posted by Kristin at 6:57 PM 2 comments
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Let's Boogie!!
A2 Size Card
Cardstock-All Papertrey Ink
Groovy Times Cricut Cartridge
Stamp- Groovy Times Pink By Design
Cuttlebug Swirls and Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
Stickles Lagoon, Ribbon Stampin Up, Glossy Accents for Shoes
Black Pen for stitching
Tim Holtz Antique Linen for Inking
Posted by Kristin at 1:34 PM 14 comments
Friday, February 18, 2011
Throwback Thursday Challenge!
Posted by Kristin at 6:44 PM 11 comments
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Cricut Cardz Challenge #61
Hello to all of my crafty friends:) It is time for another CCC. This weeks challenge is to make a Valentines Day Card using the colors green, blue, and white only. This was a challenge for me because I love all of the red and pink colors of Valentines day. I used my Cricut Imagine for this challenge and found these cute little pears on Kate's Kitchen cartridge. I used Pink By Design stamps Be mine. I had to add some cute Peachy Keen faces. I added some stitching with a green and white gel pen, and added some twine. Here is my card for the challenge, come by CCC and play along with us!! Have a great day!!
Posted by Kristin at 9:00 PM 12 comments
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tim Holtz Giveaway!!
Posted by Kristin at 10:52 PM 7 comments
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Valentines Day Card
Card Recipe:
A2 size card
Stamps: My Creative Time You had me at Chocolate
Cardstock- Paper Trey Ink
Stickles, Twine, White Gel Pen
Posted by Kristin at 7:40 PM 5 comments
Friday, February 4, 2011
Emma's Throwback Thursday!!!
Hi everyone! This Throwback Thursday is to use either Wild Card or Just Because Cards Cricut Cartridge. I used Wild Card for the Card Base, And Sweethearts Cricut Cartridge for the birdies:) I used Emma's You Had Me At Chocolate Stamp Set. Here is my card for her challenge:)
Posted by Kristin at 10:18 PM 7 comments
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Valentine's Card
Posted by Kristin at 10:23 AM 5 comments


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The AAFP has thrown its support behind a bipartisan House bill that would reform the Medicare payment system by eliminating the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, while putting in place mechanisms to better reward primary care and the adoption of innovative payment models.
AAFP President Jeff Cain, M.D., right, discusses Medicare payment policies with Rep. Joe Heck, D.O., R-Nev., co-sponsor of a Medicare reform bill, shortly after a congressional briefing announcing reintroduction of the legislation.
AAFP President Jeff Cain, M.D., of Denver, told a Feb. 6 congressional briefing that by eliminating the SGR, the legislation would put an end to the annual question of whether physicians can continue to practice in Medicare. It also would stabilize the Medicare payment system while encouraging the adoption of innovative payment models to improve quality and incentivize value, Cain said.
The SGR has called for deep cuts in the Medicare physician payment rate during the past decade -- reductions only averted by last-minute action by Congress. "For more than 10 years, some of the most vulnerable folks in America -- folks who are elderly, disabled and veterans have had their health care at risk because of what we know is a flawed and broken SGR system," said Cain. "Family physicians are where millions of Americans get their health care, but continued annual threats to the Medicare system really undermine the family doctor's ability to keep the doors open and to invest in their practices for new and innovative systems."
The legislation, known as the Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act, was introduced last year by Reps. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., and Joseph Heck, D.O., R-Nev. The two lawmakers convened the Feb. 6 congressional briefing to announce the re-introduction of the legislation in the current Congress.
If enacted, the legislation would immediately eliminate the SGR formula, thus blocking a steep reduction in the Medicare payment rate scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. "There is no single greater threat to the sustainability of Medicare than the flawed SGR formula -- whether it is increasing the cost of providing health care or whether we see the exodus of health care practitioners across all specialties and parameters because of the uncertainty caused by this SGR formula," said Heck during the congressional briefing.
The bill would leave in place 2013 Medicare payment levels through the end of 2014, and then would provide annual updates of 0.5 percent for all physician services for the succeeding four years and a 2.5 percent increase in payments for primary care physicians during the same time period to address the undervaluation of primary care services, according to a bill summary issued by Heck's congressional office.
The bill also calls for CMS' Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test and evaluate payment models in different geographic areas and to issue a menu of health care delivery and payment models in which physicians and other providers can choose to participate.
"It aggressively tests and evaluates new payment delivery systems, models and options, both in the private and public sectors," said Schwartz during the congressional briefing. "It rewards providers for high-quality, high-value health care while disincentivizing volume-driven care."
Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently said the cost of repealing the SGR now stands at $138 billion, a decrease of $107 billion from the previous CBO score, according to Schwartz. "The lower CBO score bodes well for passage of the legislation," she said. "There is a much smaller hill to overcome."
Related ANN Coverage
AAFP Leader Voices Blog: Feeling Detached: Lessons from Being a Patient (Again)
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Hot December. White x-mas.
Is it getting hotter everywhere?
Gustavo Arellano of Ask A Mexican! travels to the birthplace of Taco Bell.
Powder in the stockings. Not snow.
HuffPo slaps WaPo around about the paper's chain of for-profit colleges.
Richardson on Richardson.
North Korea threatens to use nukes.
She refused to cheer for an athlete she said raped her. The Supreme Court will decide if it's a free speech case.
9-year-old chess prodigy.
How Obama turned it around.
Ozzy Osbourne still exists, is sick of Lady Gaga.
Restaurant reviewer's anonymity destroyed as she's kicked out of an eatery.
We used to sleep with other kinds of humans.
The best and worst movies of 2010.


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Extended (2010) - Mike Ruiz
The Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard wallpaper, Aurora, with white area added to the sides of the image and then put through content-aware fill
The default Windows XP wallpaper, Bliss with area added to the sides, then put through content-aware fill
The Windows 7 "Future is Yours" wallpaper, with white area added to the sides of the image and then put through content-aware fill
A series of images with white area added to the sides and then put through Content-Aware Fill (a Photoshop CS5 tool that automatically generates content based on the existing content of the image and fills in the surrounding blank space). The resulting image is an extended view as interpreted by the software.
Call for Entries
The music and art festival FutureEverything is seeking entries for their 2011 award for achievement in art, society & technology. Full details available here. Deadline is October 31, 2010.
The FutureEverything Award recognises outstanding achievement for innovation in art, society & technology. It celebrates creative projects in any medium that offer a new and unique way to experience or see the world and help to bring the future into the present.
The winner receives a £10,000 cash prize and the FutureEverything Trophy.
Dust Storm (Dalhart, Texas) (2007) - John Gerrard
Dust Storm (Dalhart, Texas) 2007 is based on a single archival photograph of a storm from the 1930s American Dust Bowl, a man-made environmental catastrophe caused by a surge in petroleum based power, and a major contributor to what became the Great Depression. No moving images of the event are known to exist. The production of this work involved the virtual reconstruction - based on hundreds of the artists own photographs and films - of a ten-mile square section of Texan landscape close to the town of Dalhart, a landscape dotted with windmills, farms and fences. This documentation was subsequently enhanced by publicly accessible satellite and topographical data. Once activated, a virtual storm unfolds in a sculptural and constantly random manner within the reconstructed landscape.
Note: John Gerrard will give an artist's talk at MOMA on October 25th, at 7pm, for their Modern Mondays series. More information here.
Brion Gysin Dream Machine App
The New Museum's "Brion Gysin: Dream Machine" show is now closed, but a Dream Machine app produced in conjunction with the exhibition, which replicates the flicker effect of Gysin's renown kinetic light sculpture, lives on. Download it here for free.
Sala de Máquinas (Engine Room) (2010) - Daphne Polyzos, Jordi Planas, Miguel Neto, Rodrigo Carvalho
An electronic oscillator is connected to an open circuit, in a way that when the user touches 2 metal bars he/she himself/herself becomes the electrical resistance therefore being able to vary the frequency of sound.
The old modified TVs react to this sound as an oscilloscope having all kinds of different patterns and reactions.
All Over the Map: Conflux 2010
The 7th edition of the annual New York psychogeographic festival Conflux kicks off on Friday and will run through the weekend. This year's program is eclectic, expansive and diverse - ranging from cinema accessible by scanning dispersed qcode stickers on web-enabled camera phones (Barcode Cinema by Kristin Lucas and Lee Montgomery) to a panel on public space art and Foursquare with Foursquare Founder Dennis Crowley to a bike ride exploring the geology of Manhattan to hidden transducer speakers throughout the East Village. If you want to explore how artists and technologists are currently integrating public space into their work, look no further than Conflux. See the full schedule here.
Debut of riverthe.net and Interview with Ryan Trecartin on AFC
Remember, a few months ago, when we posted about David Karp and Ryan Trecartin's Project Ten, a site which assembles ten second clips uploaded by users, navigable by 3 keywords? I called it "totally, totally cool" and expressed how I really hoped they would develop the site. Well, dreams do come true! Project Ten has been redubbed riverthe.net and is now live on the web, thanks to programming by Rhizome's Director of Technology Nick Hasty and Sergio Pastor. AFC unveiled the site today with an exclusive interview with Trecartin by Paddy Johnson, which you can read here. riverthe.net will also be in the upcoming exhibition "Free" at the New Museum which opens on October 20th.


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Frequently Asked Questions
The following are frequently asked questions regarding Augustana's celebration of graduates. This year's undergraduate Commencement events have been postponed. More details will be coming soon.
- Do I need to apply to graduate?
- As a graduating senior, how can I apply to speak at Commencement?
- When and where do I get my cap, gown, hood (for Master's Degree candidates only) and other paraphernalia?
- What events are being planned around graduation for family and friends?
- When and where are the two Commencement events (undergraduate and Master's Degree ceremonies) being held?
- Do I need tickets for either Baccalaureate or Commencement?
- How do I order graduation announcements, a class ring and diploma frame?
- Will there be a professional photographer?
- When will I receive my official diploma?
- Where can I find gifts for a graduate?
- Where can I stay nearby?
- Where can I eat on campus?
- Who can help me find a job after graduation?
- If I am a parent, how can I keep in touch?
Q. Do I need to apply to graduate?
A. Yes, you need to apply to graduate. If this is news to you and you are planning to graduate in May of 2020, please contact one of the following offices as soon as possible:
- (for undergraduates) Registrar's Office at 605.274.4121 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
- (for Master's Degree candidates) Graduate Education Office at 605.274.4113 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Q. How can I apply to speak at Commencement?
A. Those members of the Class of 2020 who are interested in being the senior speaker at Commencement are invited by the Honorary Degree and Commencement Committee to submit an application. A call for applications will be announced this spring.
Q. When and where do I get my cap, gown, hood (for Master's Degree candidates only) and other paraphernalia?
A. Undergraduate caps and gowns will be distributed at Commencement rehearsal. There is no fee for undergraduate caps and gowns, and pre-orders are not required.
- Caps, gowns and hoods for Master's Degree candidates need to be purchased online at www.herffjones.com/college/
- Honor cords for the Summa Cum Laude candidates will be distributed at rehearsal.
- Civitas stoles will be distributed at the Civitas reception on Friday.
Q. Do I need Tickets for either Baccalaureate or Commencement?
A. Tickets are not required for the graduate Commencement and Hooding Ceremony (Friday night), Baccalaureate (Saturday morning) or undergraduate Commencement (Saturday afternoon).
All Commencement seating is general admission.
- (for the graduate Commencement and Hooding Ceremony) Doors open at the Elmen Center (2505 S. Grange Ave.) for seating at 6:30 p.m. Wheelchair seating will be available. Sign language interpreters will be available near seating reserved for those needing viewing accessibility. No prior reservation of these spaces is required.
- (for undergraduate Commencement) Doors open at the Sioux Falls Arena (1201 N. West Ave.) for seating at 12 p.m. Wheelchair seating will be available on the floor, behind the graduates. We ask that you limit the floor seating as much as possible to allow all guests needing this area to have access. Sign language interpreters will be available on the west side of the stage, where seating is reserved for those needing viewing accessibility. No prior reservation of these spaces is required.
Q. How do I order graduation announcements, a class ring and diploma frame?
A. Graduation announcements, class rings and diploma frames are available from Herff-Jones. Personalized announcements are available online. Blank announcements are available in the Augustana Bookstore or by calling 605.274.4417.
Q. Will there be a professional photographer?
A. Professional photographs will be taken by Lifetouch Special Events at both Commencement events. All graduates will be photographed on stage as they shake hands with the president, as well as a posed photo with an Augustana background. Students can view and order photos online at lifetouch.com. Proofs will also be emailed to students within one week. The mailing address used will be the same address provided for mailing diplomas. There is no obligation to purchase the photos.
Q. When will I receive my official diploma?
A. Diplomas will be mailed to students in the weeks following Commencement. Typically, diplomas go out in late June or early July. Diplomas cannot be released unless all student account balances are paid in full. Please work with the Business Office to take care of any remaining expenses and ensure that your diploma is sent on time.
Q. Where can I find gifts for a graduate?
A. Gifts for your graduate are available at the Augustana Bookstore, located in the Morrison Commons. Learn more.
Q. Where can I stay nearby?
A. If you are making travel arrangements, a block of rooms for Augustana University has been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown in Sioux Falls. Please contact the hotel directly at 605.444.4700 for a special rate. Additionally, here is a list of suggested hotels, restaurants and maps to get you where you need to go! Be sure to ask for the Augustana rate at these hotels as well.
A. Dining on campus is easy! The Ordal Dining Room is open daily from 7:15 a.m.-7 p.m., while the Viking Huddle is open from 8 a.m.-midnight during the week and from noon-midnight on Saturday and Sunday.
Q. Who can help me find a job after graduation?
A. Be sure to keep in touch! The Student Success Center is here to assist with your initial job search and to stay in contact throughout your career. When you land your first job or commit to a graduate school program, notify us immediately so we can share your good news. Ongoing services include resume writing, job search help, posting positions and credential files — just to name a few! Visit us online or contact us at 605.274.4127. We look forward to hearing from you!
Q. If I am a parent, how can I keep in touch?
A. Updates will be sent out periodically via a Parent E-Newsletter. To stay in the loop, please email email@example.com to sign up to receive the Parent E-Newsletter.
Further questions can be directed to: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Type: Infantry,
Unit: Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine Commander,
This is the head of the Space Marine Commander.
Suitable for miniatures in 28mm scale.
In Space Marine chapters, which are loyal to the Codex Astartes, each company is under the command of a captain. These veterans have the command over their brothers. They are experienced tacticians and hardened fighters who seek their sort. Space Marine Company Captains are subject only to the Chapter Master, the supreme commander. He is the leader of the Chapter, and it is in his hands to bear the law and the will of the Emperor to every corner of the Warhammer 40,000 galaxy. His bravery is outstanding and his skills are truly legendary. He alone decides on the actions of the Chapter, and he is only accountable to the Emperor himself.
fill your bitzbox at the ultimate source for Warhammer 40k tabletop bits.
MEGA BITZ SHOP - your warhammer bitz shop.
|Space Marine (power armour)


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Well worth the price but not the best videos in the collection.
Valdimir does an Amazing demo against three knife attacker.
Mikhail offers some usful insight as he is a deep thinker but he does talk a lot however he explains some of the finer points of knife defence.
However, I wanted to se..read more >>


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North Shore 8 Seater Dining Group
SKU: D553-55b/t/03/03s
Brand: Millennium
A deep rich stained finish and exquisite details come together to create the ultimate in grand traditional design with the elegance of the North Shore dining room collection. The opulent brown stained finish flows beautifully over the decorative pilasters and ornate detailed appliques to create a rich elegant atmosphere to any dining experience. With the comfort and beauty of elegantly upholstered chairs, this furniture collection takes traditional style to the next level. Transform your dining area with the rich style of the North Shore dining room collection.
|Side Chair (RTA) (2/Ctn) 23"W x 25"D x 44"H
|Arm Chair (RTA) (2/Ctn) 26"W x 25"D x 44"H
|Round Pedestal Table Top 54"W x 54"D x 30"H


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Parking Information
Community College District Parking Enforcement Regulations
Parking enforcement is conducted by the City College Police Department under the authority of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) by approval of the District.
CVC21113(a) - No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle whether attended or unattended, upon the driveways, paths, parking facilities, or the grounds of any public school, except with the permission of, and upon subject to any condition or regulation which may be imposed by the legislative body of the governing board or officer of the public school, or educational institution.
1. A valid permit, issued to the user, is required to park a vehicle in any College District Parking Lot or location, day or evening, seven days a week. No overnight parking is allowed without the permission of the Chief of Police.
2. Vehicles in any CCSF parking location shall display a current parking permit valid for the particular parking lot or stall in use.
a. Semester Student Parking Permit decals shall be attached to the inside, lower, right corner (Passenger Side) of the windshield and at a level to where they are clearly visible from the outside. Permits must be attached with the adhesive of the decal.
b. Daily Vending Machine Permits must be prominently displayed (face up) inside the vehicle on the dashboard readable from the outside. Daily permits are only valid for the date they are purchased.
c. Temporary or one-day use, Employee/Visitor (Red) / Student (Blue) Permits must be filled out completely and legibly and placed face up on the dashboard, visible from the outside of the vehicle and are valid only for the date shown on the permit. These permits are void if they are altered or corrected in ANY manner.
d. Faculty/Staff hanging permits are to be hung from the rear view mirror with the permit number visible from the outside of the windshield. Only the most current issued permits are considered valid for parking at CCSF. If unable to hang the permit then it must be placed on the dashboard, numbers facing up, visible from the outside of the windshield.
e. Special Permits are issued at the discretion of the Chief of Police for designated special events. These permits must be displayed placed face up on the dashboard, visible from the outside of the vehicle and are valid only for the date(s) shown on the permit. These permits are void if they are altered or corrected in any manner.
3. Motorcycles and convertibles require a special faculty/staff permit to park on campus. These permits shall be displayed as noted on instructions
4. All vehicles shall be parked in a marked parking stall. A parking stall is defined as a space between two white parallel lines on the pavement in designated parking areas. Only one vehicle allowed per stall. Any "out-of-Stall" vehicle will be cited and/or towed at the owners' expense.
5. Faculty/Staff/Students with disabled persons license plate or placard registered to them from the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) may park in all lots on campus. License plates/placards must be current and visible from the outside of the vehicle.
6. After 5pm all parking lots except Cloud Circle and Science Loop are open to students with valid parking permits.
7. All Vehicles Parked in College District lots must be conducting campus related business.
8. Parking Permits are not transferable.
Students and Faculty/Staff with DMV issued Disabled Person Parking
Placards are allowed to park anywhere on campus except for red
zones and out of stall.
Motorcycles and Scooters should be parked in designated motorcycle parking on Frida Kahlo Way.
Bicycle Parking use only authorized bicycle racks. Please do not chain bicycles to railings, fences or other areas where it may impede the flow of pedestrian traffic. Bicycles are prohibited in all district buildings.
Student semester parking permits can be purchased online through the Bursar's Office. For any questions, please contact Student Bank at (415) 239-3345.
Students and visitors may purchase a one-day permit for parking in student lots only. These permits are dispensed from the machines located in the parking lots.
Detailed parking map: 2011 Parking map of Ocean Campus


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Jason Edworthy party wall surveyors Milton Keynes your local service for agreements and disputes. Contact us today
PARTY WALL ROLES Milton Keynes
The party wall act 1996 covers three types of work:
- Work directly to a party wall
- Excavation within 3m or 6m to a depth lower than the adjoining owner.
- New walls built up to, the line of junction.
There are three different roles that a party wall surveyor can undertake via the party wall agreement process:
- The building owner's party wall surveyor: they will act wholly on the behalf of the building owner.
- The adjoining owner's party wall surveyor: the party wall surveyor will commonly respond to the party wall notices on the behalf of the adjoining owner, undertaken by the schedule of condition report with the building owner's surveyor, liaise with the building owner's surveyor and review and agree to the party wall award.
- The agreed party wall surveyor: the party wall surveyor Milton Keynes will undertake all of the same roles as the two surveyors would, the only difference being that he or she acts impartially upon behalf of both owners.
Once a party wall notice is served the adjoining owner will have three response options:
- Consenting to the party wall notice
- Dissenting to the party wall notice and appointing their own party wall surveyor
- Dissenting to the party wall notice and appointing an agreed party wall surveyor
The Party Wall Award is the conclusion of the party wall process and once it is served, it means that the building owner is free to commence their proposed construction works subject to adhering to the requirements set out within the Party Wall Award. Party Wall Award will contain the following information:
- A description of the works being undertaken
- The agreed protection measures to the adjoining owners of the property
- Methods statements for the contractor
- Access statements for the contractor
- A timescale for the duration of the works
- The schedule of condition report
The main benefit of a Party Wall Award is that it places the dispute in the hands of the Agreed Part Wall Surveyor or the two Party Wall Award, in which both owners are fully and legally protected.
Their main aim is to be both informative and helpful and which helps to identify if you proposed construction work, or your neighbour proposed construction works are covered by the party wall act 1996.


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Kids' Choice Awards Winners List 2013!
The kids were in charge at the 2013 Kids' Choice Awards held at the USC Galen Center on Saturday (March 23) in Los Angeles.
The big winner of the night was Kristen Stewart, who picked up two awards – Favorite Movie Actress for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and Favorite Female Buttkicker for Snow White and the Huntsman. She was also covered in slime at the show!
Some other big winners were The Hunger Games for Favorite Movie and Favorite Book Series, Katy Perry for Favorite Female Singer, and Justin Bieber for Favorite Male Singer.
Click inside for a complete list of winners from the 2013 Kids' Choice Awards…
2013 Kids' Choice Awards Winners List
Favorite TV Show
Good Luck Charlie
Victorious - WINNER
Wizards of Waverly Place
Favorite Reality Show
America's Got Talent
American Idol
The Voice
Wipeout – WINNER
Favorite Cartoon
The Fairly OddParents
Phineas and Ferb
SpongeBob SquarePants – WINNER
Tom and Jerry
Favorite TV Actor
Jake T. Austin (Wizards of Waverly Place)
Lucas Cruikshank (Marvin Marvin)
Ross Lynch (Austin & Ally) – WINNER
Carlos Pena (Big Time Rush)
Favorite TV Actress
Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly)
Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) – WINNER
Victoria Justice (Victorious)
Bridgit Mendler (Good Luck Charlie)
Favorite Movie
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Avengers
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
The Hunger Games – WINNER
Favorite Movie Actor
Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows) - WINNER
Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man)
Zachary Gordon (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days)
Will Smith (Men in Black 3)
Favorite Movie Actress
Vanessa Hudgens (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island)
Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers)
Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2) – WINNER
Favorite Animated Movie
Ice Age: Continental Drift
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Wreck-It Ralph – WINNER
Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
Chris Rock (Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted)
Adam Sandler (Hotel Transylvania) – WINNER
Ben Stiller (Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted)
Taylor Swift (The Lorax)
Favorite Male Buttkicker
Robert Downey Jr. (The Avengers)
Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man)
Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers)
Dwayne Johnson (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) – WINNER
Favorite Female Buttkicker
Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises)
Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers)
Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
Kristen Stewart (Snow White and the Huntsman) – WINNER
Favorite Music Group
Big Time Rush
Bon Jovi
Maroon 5
One Direction – WINNER
Favorite Male Singer
Justin Bieber – WINNER
Bruno Mars
Blake Shelton
Favorite Female Singer
Katy Perry – WINNER
Taylor Swift
Favorite Song
"Call Me Maybe" (Carly Rae Jepsen)
"Gangnam Style" (PSY)
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (Taylor Swift)
"What Makes You Beautiful" (One Direction) – WINNER
Favorite Male Athlete
LeBron James – WINNER
Michael Phelps
Tim Tebow
Shaun White
Favorite Female Athlete
Gabrielle Douglas
Danica Patrick – WINNER
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Favorite Villain
Reed Alexander (iCarly)
Simon Cowell (The X Factor) – WINNER
Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers)
Julia Roberts (Mirror Mirror)
Favorite Book
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Harry Potter series
The Hunger Games series – WINNER
Magic Tree House series
Favorite Videogame
Just Dance 4 – WINNER
Mario Kart 7
Skylanders Giants
Wii Sports
Favorite App
Angry Birds
Fruit Ninja
Temple Run – WINNER


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Williams gives Liberty added versatility at center, on wing
June 25, 2013 | Lynchburg, Va.
Though his natural position is center, Liberty University Division I men's hockey recruit Charles Williams doesn't always try to be the center of attention on the ice.
"I'm a guy who likes to use my time and space to my advantage," Williams said Friday afternoon from the upper level of the LaHaye Ice Center after committing to play for the Flames this fall. "I have good poise with the puck, so I have a good shot, but I like to set people up also. Moving the puck around, that's the best way to score a goal. Get it in open space, create opportunities, and let somebody else bury the puck if they're open. That's how you win."
|Charles Williams, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound center who can also play on the wing, served as a captain for the Milton Icehawks in the Ontario Junior Hockey League last winter.
Williams (5-foot-8, 190 pounds) is not so attack-minded that he neglects his defensive responsibilities.
"I like to play down low and take care of my defensive zone," he said.
Flames head coach Kirk Handy said the style of hockey Williams showcased as one of the captains of the Milton Icehawks Junior 'A' Team in the Ontario Junior Hockey League last year should translate well to Liberty as it competes in the American College Hockey League.
"He's someone who plays a physical brand of hockey which is something we like, but he can also chip in offensively," Handy said. "He plays a strong two-way hockey game and he's someone who can score goals. Those are things we're looking for and those are keys for him coming here. We're excited about Charles, who is another piece to the puzzle we believe to make our team successful moving forward."
Originally from Cleveland, Williams, 21, moved to Pittsburgh for his high school years before playing the past two years in Canada.
"I love all sports, really, but hockey and baseball are really the ones I excel in," said Williams, a left-handed shooter who also played centerfield for his high school baseball teams.
As a teenager, Williams played on the Pennsylvania Penguins with current Liberty DII forward DJ Dinnison, who put him in contact with Handy this spring.
"I am definitely excited to play Division I hockey," said Williams, who plans to study either sport management or communication studies to become a sports broadcaster.
Williams adds depth to a position that should be a strength for the Flames next season after also adding Robert Ward, another center from Ontario, last month.
"We feel pretty good with Lindsey (LeBlanc) and (Christian) Garland, (Danny) Logan, guys like that who have played center for us, (Kyle) Garcia, that's four already, not even looking at Ward and Williams," Handy said.
The Flames will have plenty of flexibility at forward, including incoming wing Brandon Mistal, a recruit from British Columbia.
"We'll probably keep 14 or 15 forwards, five lines of forwards," Handy said. "It'll be good to see where everyone fits in in August."


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Item #1034
Perennial in USDA zones 1-6. (Grown as an annual in USDA zone 7 and warmer.) Mix these tall, beautiful poppies
with other spring and fall blooming
flowers, and watch your garden
come alive with honeybees! One
of the hardiest poppies, foliage
dies back in summer heat, then
reappears in the fall. Colors
include white, orange, pink and
salmon, with black centers.
Deer resistant.
Seedling Image
Full sun
Blooms late spring
2'-4' tall
Days to Emerge:
Seed Depth:
Seed Spacing:
When to sow outside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before average last frost or as soon as soil can be worked; or early to mid-fall for bloom the following spring. In mild climates, only fall sowing is recommended.
When to start inside: Not recommended; 6 to 8 weeks before average last frost.
Special germination instructions: Seeds require light to germinate. Rake lightly into surface of soil; keep moist.
Artist: Pat Fostvedt
Item #1034
0.40 grams
These are some simple techniques you can use to extend the life of your cut flowers from days, to over a week.
1) In the morning or early evening,…More…
If you have a vacant lot, slope, field, or a large bare area you want to "naturalize", here are some suggestions. VARIETIES: Choose either prepared…More…
Why sow flowers in the fall?
You can sow both perennial, and many annual flowers in the fall. Some perennials germinate best when stratified (exposed…


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Aware of my fascination with Walt Disney mythology, my wife presented me with three DVDs that chronicle events that have been significant in the company's history: Waking Sleeping Beauty, The Sherman Brothers' Story, and Walt & El Grupo.
Over the holidays I was able to watch Waking Sleeping Beauty, a documentary that tells the story of how Disney's animation studio rose the brink of collapse—can you imagine the Disney animation studio going out of business?— to go on an unprecedented run that began with Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and continued with The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin.
The general situation and overall economic forecast for the Walt Disney Animation Studio in the early-to-mid 1980s was bleak. A string of box-office and critical failures combined with stiffer competition had culminated when the story begins. After bringing in Michael Eisner the next step was finding the right person to lead the animation studio out of the pits and into a new era of prosperity. That person was Jeffrey Katzenberg. Early in the movie Katzenberg makes this statement: "You've got 90 days to change culture before it starts changing you." So Katzenberg, Eisner, and a few other key figures took the reins and charged out into the vast and unpredictable future with the not-so-small goal of re-directing the course of one of the most storied companies in American business and popular culture history.
Because it's January and many of you are beginning new groups or starting campaigns or even looking at beginning a small-group ministry in your church, I thought it would be a good time to reiterate the broad strokes of culture and organizational change that Waking Sleeping Beauty brings to light.
Sense of Urgency – A friend of mine used to say, "It always takes longer than it does." I have no idea what that means, but somehow it makes sense in that we must be intentional and persistent. That is, nothing manages to "just get get done." At least in the early stages, a leader must stay on top of the details and be sure that the process remains in motion. There's a line in the movie Elizabethtown that I love: "All forward motion is progress." Something to keep in mind when things aren't moving as fast as you'd like.
Cast the Vision – Included in this aspect of culture change is building consensus. In order to cast the vision you, of course, need a vision. This is accomplished through prayer and careful, diligent planning. Invite a couple of people along for the journey. Remember that change begins and infects from from the center, but also from the edges. So work from the center, casting the vision from within the inner circle. But also be strategic in working from the periphery back to the middle. There's a multiplying effect in using this strategy.
Permeate – To change a culture the vision must run throughout the community and permeate the DNA of the organization. "Of course," you say, "but that's easier said than done." I won't dispute that. A mentor of mine put it best on the subject: "You know the message is beginning to stick when it becomes a punch line at the water cooler, in the hallways, and during meetings." I realize that the last thing anyone wants is to be a punch line, but the point is to have the new message so top-of-mind that it becomes like "It's a Small World"—a message with a peculiar yet endearing staying power. Take every opportunity to drill a slogan, message, key word, or visual image deeper into the cultural ethos.
Push – According to Waking Sleeping Beauty, the studio had grown soft. They were a bunch of kids with a lot of talent but lacking a force—or motivation—sufficient enough to forge them into a cohesive team with a sense of purpose. The leadership team that came in included Eisner, Katzenberg, and John Lasseter. They combined with the already-present Roy E. Disney (imagine that) and Frank Wells. Where this team was putting out only a handful of films, most of them bad, every few years, the new leadership instituted a production pipeline of one animated feature per year—a demanding schedule. Changing culture means … wait for it … change. It means pushing people. What athlete doesn't appreciate the coach that makes him the best he can be? What teachers do you tend to admire most? The truth is we like to see what we're made of. Change leaders can't shy away from expectation.
Inertia – It has always fun to watch how an event can take on a life on its own when I've been responsible for the planning, executing, and managing events. There's so much going on in the days and weeks and even hours right before an event begins, but once it does it is almost like it becomes greater than the sum of its parts. The same thing is going to happen when you implement new groups or a new small-group ministry. At this point you'll want to pay very close attention to the nuances of what is happening.
I don't know if Katzenberg is accurate with his 90-day mandate, but at some point a leader endeavoring to change culture will be, as my grandmother would often say, "swallowed whole." For sure this is an incomplete list. There are entire books on the subject. I would recommend the Waking Sleeping Beauty documentary for any leader, though. Not only is it entertaining, but there are some great lessons for changing culture. Being a change agent or change-leader certainly not for the feint of heart—but it always makes for a good story.


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Flyers acquire RJ Umberger from Blue Jackets for Scott Hartnell
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired winger R.J. Umberger and a fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Scott Hartnell.
Umberger makes a return to the Flyers after spending the past six seasons with Columbus. Last season, Umberger had 18 goals and 16 assists in 74 games to help the Blue Jackets reach the playoffs.
Umberger began his NHL career with the Flyers in 2005-06 and had 49 goals and 67 assists in 228 games over three seasons from 2005-2008. He was traded to Columbus on June 20, 2008.
Hartnell appeared in 517 games for the Flyers over seven seasons with 157 goals and 169 assists. He was acquired from Nashville on June 18, 2007.


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I know there's been a lot of hype about not only Longhorn, but also about Microsoft's new filesystem (which is being implemented in Yukon, the new version of SQL Server as well as in Microsoft's new operating system). CNET just published an article discussing some of the basics about the filesystem:
Read the whole article here.WinFS introduces new data-storage capabilities intended to make it much easier to find files on your PC--for example, two new features called Windows Storage Full-Text Index and Windows Future Storage Services aim to vastly improve Windows searching. The new Longhorn search dialog gets rid of Windows XP's multiple options (file type, location, hidden documents, and so on) and simply asks, "What are you looking for?" Longhorn provides examples of search queries you can enter, such as "What is a firewall?" or "Pictures from John."
What do you guys think? Once Longhorn's released, are going to switch to the new, untested filesystem, or stick with NTFS (which has been tried and tested)?