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Coughing Blood
Feng Yu Heng dragged Xuan Tian Ming to enter the palace together. Only when the two were seated in the imperial carriage did she tell Xuan Tian Ming: "Cheng Jun Man just got back from the palace and told me that imperial concubine mother fell ill."
Xuan Tian Ming frowned and asked her: "Is it serious?"
Feng Yu Heng shook her head, "I still don't know right now. Imperial concubine mother did not allow for an imperial physician to be called, fearing that it would disturb father Emperor. There was nothing that the people of Winter Moon Palace could do. At first, they had gone to the imperial kitchen to fetch some chicken soup, and they happened to see the Cheng shi sisters, thus she quietly told them about it to have them come back to the manor to find me."
She could only say this much. The Cheng shi sisters did not know anything else. They would only know more once they saw imperial concubine Yun.
Both people then fell silent, and the atmosphere became a little depressed.
The ninth prince and county princess Ji An entered the palace for the second time that day. The imperial guards at the entrance noticed that something was a little off but did not dare ask. They just reminded them: "It's almost dark out. The palace's gates will be closed within two hours. If your Highness will be leaving late, just send someone here to say something. This subordinate will leave someone at the gates."
Xuan Tian Ming nodded and said: "Just leave someone here. We definitely will not be coming out early." After saying this, he added: "Don't go talking about how this prince and county princess came back into the palace, especially to father Emperor. Don't let him know about it. This prince will be going to Winter Moon Palace to see imperial concubine mother."
The matters between the Emperor and imperial concubine Yun was something that everyone in the palace knew about. Upon hearing that Xuan Tian Ming and Feng Yu Heng were going to Winter Moon Palace, the soldiers quickly nodded, expressing that they understood that they definitely could not allow the Emperor find out.
Xuan Tian Ming left Bai Ze at the entrance of the palace. Feng Yu Heng brought along Huang Quan and Wang Chuan. The four headed in the direction of Winter Moon Palace. Before they could reach the entrance of the palace, they saw the palace maid in-charge waiting anxiously for them on the path leading to the palace. She was looking around from time to time.
When the group walked closer, the palace maid finally saw them and quickly walked forward. Without any time to salute, in fact, she did not even speak to XuanTian Ming. She immediately grabbed Feng Yu Heng's hand and urgently said: "County princess, you've finally arrived. A few days ago, during the heavy and unending rain, imperial concubine caught a bit of a cold and was unwilling to call an imperial physician. She originally thought that she would be fine, but who knew that after the rain stopped, it would become more and more serious. During the afternoon… she coughed up blood!"
"Coughed up blood?" Xuan Tian Ming was extremely shocked and grabbed Feng Yu Heng's hand to pull her into Winter Moon Palace.
Imperial concubine Yun had fallen ill, and this caused all of the servants to have worried expressions. Xuan Tian Ming had a sullen expression as he asked the palace maid: "She said that you were not permitted to invite an imperial physician, so you really didn't go get one? If something serious had happened, who could bear that burden?"
The palace maid also had a bitter expression and spoke while walking: "Your Highness should also understand imperial concubine's temper. If she says that we cannot go call one, that truly means we cannot go and call one. Even if us servants secretly went to call one, that imperial physician would not be able to get close."
This was the truth, and Xuan Tian Ming also understood. Given imperial concubine Yun's short and explosive temper, if her servants did something that she did not permit them to do, they would definitely be executed if it was something light. If it was something serious, she would do something to herself. If an imperial physician had arrived without her permission, perhaps suicide was something that she might even be capable of.
He sighed heavily and wanted to say something else. He felt his palm get pinched slightly. Turning his head, he found Feng Yu Heng looking at him with a faint smile, "Don't worry. I'm here. Imperial concubine mother did not want an imperial physician called for fear of father Emperor finding out. With me here, she cannot just chase me away."
Xuan Tian Ming nodded, "Right, fortunately, we have you."
The palace maid also said: "It's fortunate that we saw the Feng family's madams come into the palace. Otherwise, we really would not know how to call county princess."
As the group spoke, they arrived at imperial concubine Yun's bedchamber. Feng Yu Heng increased her pace and entered first. Upon entering, she immediately heard the sound of imperial concubine Yun coughing. Time and time again, the sound was quite distressing.
She heard the sound of the coughing and knew that this was an illness of the lungs. With the heavy rains just ending, the temperature had become cold. It was extremely easy for one to catch a cold. Especially a fever, if not treated in a timely manner, would perhaps end up causing pneumonia. Of course, pneumonia was not to be feared. What Feng Yu Heng feared the most was a plague. At this sort of time, nobody dared to say that this was just a normal illness. Before it was diagnosed, any situation was possible.
Very clearly, Xuan Tian Ming had thought of this situation. That was why he was anxious. He had always been on edge, and he felt a little confused.
When the two arrived at imperial concubine Yun's bedside, a young servant was using a warm towel to cover imperial concubine Yun's forehead. Imperial concubine Yun had her eyes partially closed and continued to cough. The palace maid would occasionally use a handkerchief to cover her mouth. When it was lifted, the handkerchief would have traces of blood.
The palace maids were extremely worried. Upon seeing Feng Yu Heng arrive, they all began to tear up. At the same time, they quickly got up and gave Feng Yu Heng space at her side.
Feng Yu Heng walked over and removed the warm towel from imperial concubine Yun's head. When the towel left imperial concubine, she subconsciously shivered and said: "Quickly put it back on this One. It's so cold."
She reached out and felt her forehead. Sure enough, it was very hot.
"Imperial concubine mother, it's me. It's A-Heng." While speaking with imperial concubine Yun, she pulled out a thermometer from the medical case that Wang Chuan was holding. "Imperial concubine mother, this is something that will check your temperature. It must be placed under your arm. A-Heng will help you."
While she moved to check imperial concubine Yun's temperature, imperial concubine Yun opened her eyes a little. Although she did not have much strength, she was still conscious. She immediately recognized Feng Yu Heng then saw Xuan Tian Ming, but she still said: "Don't disturb your father Emperor."
Xuan Tian Ming angrily gritted his teeth, "You're already sick to such a degree, yet you're still thinking about such a thing. I really don't know what I should say."
Imperial concubine Yun feebly said: "That old man is also getting up in his years. If he is given a fright, this One cannot bear that burden. Hasn't A-Heng come. What is there left for you to worry about. Don't keep pouting. This One does not like seeing it."
With Feng Yu Heng here, Xuan Tian Ming naturally felt at ease, but he still could not bear to watch imperial concubine Yun suffer. He was truly unable to put on a happy expression.
At this sort of time, as a daughter-in-law, Feng Yu Heng naturally had to play the role of mediator, thus she quickly said: "His Highness is quite distressed for imperial concubine mother. If imperial concubine mother has the strength, just beat him when the illness has been treated!"
Imperial concubine Yun nodded, "Un, that's more like it."
Xuan Tian Ming was completely speechless.
After some time, the thermometer was retrieved. Feng Yu Heng took a look. Very well, it read 39.8 degrees. She helplessly shook her head. At the same time, she was secretly glad. It was a good thing that she had come; otherwise, if she had continued to endure this fever, it would be odd if nothing happened.
But when she saw imperial concubine Yun's appearance, she calmed down a little. This was most likely just a serious case of pneumonia. It was unrelated to a plague. She gave Xuan Tian Ming a reassuring look then said to the palace maid in charge: "I will trouble aunty with sending all of the servants out. I will be treating imperial concubine mother. I will only need my own servants to take care of it."
The palace maid was sensible. Either way, the ninth prince would also be staying here. It was impossible that something would happen. Thus she quickly directed the young palace maids out of the room then closed the door to the bedchamber.
Feng Yu Heng did not think too much and reached into her sleeve and pulled out the equipment necessary for an infusion. She then pulled out the necessary medicine and quickly set up a drip for imperial concubine Yun.
Imperial concubine Yun was partially asleep and just saw Feng YU Heng pulled all kinds of things out. It was as though she was performing a magic trick. In the blink of an eye, everything was prepared. She blanky said to Xuan Tian Ming: "Your wife is far more powerful than you." When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and did not have much strength; however, perhaps it was because Feng Yu Heng was present, but she seemed to have a bit more vigor, and she stopped coughing as much.
Xuan Tian Ming helplessly looked at his own mother and shook his head, saying: "No matter how powerful she is, she is unable to handle this sort of trouble. Next time this sort of thing happens, remember to quickly send someone out to call Heng Heng. No matter the time of day, if someone from your palace wishes to go out, I do not believe that any guard at the entrance would dare stop them?"
Imperial concubine Yun rolled her eyes, "Didn't you guys just get back to the capital today? You were outside the city before this. Where would I go to search for you." She then quietly coughed a couple times and did not continue to speak to Xuan Tian Ming; however, she asked Feng Yu Heng: "This One heard that your maternal grandfather, Yao Xian, has come back?" When she said this, she was a little emotional, and she began breathing more unevenly.
Feng Yu Heng became puzzled then recalled the first time that she had met imperial concubine Yun. Imperial concubine Yun had been very satisfied with how she had been close with the Yao family and distanced herself from the Feng family. She had also said that she was a good daughter of the Yao family. At that time, she had felt that imperial concubine Yun had felt a bit differently about the Yao family, and this feeling was even more profound today.
But at this sort of time, she could not spend too much time thinking about it, thus she smiled and replied to imperial concubine Yun: "Imperial concubine mother is well-informed. Maternal grandfather has returned today, and he is currently at the county princess' manor!"
A light appeared in imperial concubine Yun's eyes, and it seemed as though the illness had faded a great deal. After adjusting her own mood for a while, she said: "If he has come back, that's good. That old man will have a partner again. He will have someone to chat with and play chess with. If your maternal grandfather's body is still well, those two might still be able to exchange some pointers. If he has a partner, he will not always come to knock at my Winter Moon Palace's gates. This One will be able to enjoy some days of peace and quiet."
The previous Yao Xian knew martial arts? This was something that Feng Yu Heng did not know about. At the same time, she was secretly happy that her own grandfather was originally a military doctor, thus he had some martial arts background. If the Emperor truly wanted to exchange pointers, it would not be so easily exposed.
Imperial concubine Yun lay in bed and continued to speak to herself: "Being a daughter of the Yao family is good. The men of the Yao family do not take concubines, and the women of the Yao family will not be concubines. This is a fortune that other people would not dare to consider. But that mother of yours is too lacking in fighting spirit. If she had half the fighting spirit that you do, you would not have been bullied out of the city by the Feng family back then… Cough!"
Imperial concubine Yun spoke to this point and began to cough, and it was once again accompanied by traces of blood. Feng Yu Heng used a handkerchief to gently wipe it away; however, she said: "I heard that most people that cough up blood because of an old illness and will not live long. Go back and ask your maternal grandfather to see if he wants to come in and see this One. Perhaps this… would be the last time."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Xuan Tian Ming became angry, "Just coughing up a bit of blood will mean you're dying. Even if you don't want to continue living, don't drag Heng Heng down. Don't let others say that her medical ability is lacking."
Imperial concubine Yun laughed, "You little brat, you really know how to protect your wife."
Feng Yu Heng was also quite helpless, as she told imperial concubine Yun: "Not to mention an old illness, even if it was, A-Heng could treat it. Imperial concubine mother, be a little more at ease. You are just suffering from a high fever that caused pneumonia, which is a type of lung illness. A-Heng will give you an injection for a few days, and you will be fine."
"Really?" Imperial concubine Yun was a little surprised, "It's good that you can say it so easily, but why did those people that were less sick than this One end up dying?"
Feng Yu Heng did not hold back, directly saying: "That's because I was not here in the past." She patted the back of imperial concubine Yun's hand: "Imperial concubine mother, if you want to see maternal grandfather, A-Heng will send someone to call him over."
Imperial concubine Yun was a little emotional and full of hope; however, she was a little hesitant and very tangled.
Feng Yu Heng saw this and furrowed her brow tightly…


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Pallet Town
After the introduction, you will start in Pallet Town in your home. Pallet Town counts only 3 houses. On the right side: Your Rival's house and Professor Oak's lab and on the left side: Your home. Pallet Town counts 10 peoples in total including you and your rival.
- The D-Pad will move the character around the game. They are very useful and most needed in the game. In can also move your cursor around in the menus.
- The A button is more to do things such as: talking to peoples in different town's, caves or routes or grabbing an item or selecting a item in your menu.
- The B button is more of canceling a subject. You can talk with B when you hit it with the A button to start the conversation but afterwards it cancels you to talk with the person when the conversation is finished.
- The Start button opens the game menu which the sections of:
- Pokédex — It is a major device in each Pokémon games. It can registered the Pokémon that you've seen or caught in battles. Unfortunately, if you've seen a Pokémon, the data about the whole Pokémon isn't known, only his image appearance and where is mostly seen.
- Pokémon — Is a section where you can see your Pokémon that you have captures. You can check their stats and attack etc.
- Item — Is a section where you can see which Items you've bought, found or has been given to you. Also you can see which TM's and HM's you've got obtained which can be given to your Pokémon.
- (Your name) — It is a trainer pass + It shows how many badges you have and how much you must gonna get.
- Save — It saves your game where you are currently. If you don't save the game and you are going over your limit to charge the battery or replace them in your game system, the data will be lost and will take you back to the last time that you've saved in the game.
- Option — It can choose you on various options in the game, such as "Speed Text", "Battle Animation", and "Battle Style".
- Exit — It will make you close the menu.
If you go outside to Professor Oak's lab, you will see your rival telling that Professor Oak isn't here. When you are talking with people around town they will tell things that are needed to know if you're just a starter. When you start walking to Route 1 (north of Pallet Town), then Professor Oak suddenly comes to you telling that it is dangerous to walk on those grass because wild Pokémon are living there and that you must need one for your own protection. Professor Oak then takes you to his lab which makes you choose first for your own Pokémon to begin with, do remember that you cannot choose wisely because your Rival will pick up a Pokémon much stronger then you:
| Charmander
Level. 5
| Squirtle
Level. 5
| Bulbasaur
Level. 5
You can choose three starter Pokémon which has been on the upper part of this text. The three starter Pokemon contains:
- Bulbasaur is a grass and poison type Pokémon. If you pick up this Pokémon then you should have no worries on your traveling at the start of the game because Bulbasaur can defeat the first two gym leaders, Rock and Water, with no problem because of the type advantage. It may have some trouble later in the game, but you should have caught some Pokemon by then.
- Charmander is the worst possible Pokémon you can choose. It will have major troubles by the second badge which maybe you can succeed the first badge with luck. Anyways only on the later part the Pokémon becomes useful in Gym battles which can defeat the Celadon Gym leader Erika with ease.
- Squirtle is also a good choice. This Pokémon can already defeat the first gym leader and can surpass the second with ease if you train him well. Trouble is that he might get some issues with the Vermilion Gym leader Lt. Surge by his use of electric type Pokémon, also the same for the Celadon Gym leader Erika who uses grass type Pokémon.
After you've picked up your own Pokémon and you're about to leave, you're rival want to challenge you with his starter Pokémon. It will become your first Pokémon battle in the Pokémon game. A Pokémon Battle is also done through sections, which contains these:
- Fight — If you choose this section then you will see four moves, depends on how many moves your Pokémon have learned. Maximum a Pokémon can only choose up to 4 moves, if he learns a new one, then you may ask if there must be a move a Pokémon have learned to be gone to make room for the new one.
- Pokémon — This section can bring you to your Pokémon that you've caught during your travels. You can switch a Pokémon during a Pokémon Battle.
- Item — This section can make you use different kinds of Items, only healing items and capturing items. You must throw a Poké Ball or any capturing ball to a Pokémon from a Pokémon Trainer.
- Run — This will make you fled immediately from battle, depends on your Pokémon level compared to the wil Pokémon which they then are blocking your way to escape. Do note that it not helps in Trainer battles.
Your Rival
| Charmander
Level. 5
After that your rival has been gone, you can make your way to adventure if you go to Viridian City. To get there you must walk on the same route where Professor Oak stopped you to walk, and that is Route 1.
Wild Pokémon
Pallet Town is a town that can make you connected with Cinnabar Island when your Pokémon learn the HM surf. If you have some Rods you can also fish for wild Pokémon.
Old Rod
|Min Level
|Max Level
Good Rod
|Min Level
|Min Level
|Max Level
|Max Level
Super Rod
|Min Level
|Min Level
|Max Level
|Max Level
Route 1
When you are in Route 1, talk to the first person you see on your way to Viridian City. He will tell you that he works at a Poké Mart and will give you a free Potion. Evenly that you are making your way to Viridian City, you can already train your Pokémon to make him much more stronger for future battles.
Note: If you run out of Potions, then you can go to your mom in Pallet Town which heals your Pokémon when you talk to her.
Wild Pokémon
Route 1 has a lot of grass which cannot be avoided when you're coming from Pallet Town, only if you come back from Pallet Town except for the last piece. It is also avoidable if you got any repels, which only happens later in the game.
|Min Level
|Min Level
|Max Level
|Max Level
Viridian City
You've reached Viridian City, a place where you should be in fact to pick something up for Professor Oak. If you're Starter Pokémon is weak of the training that you gave it at Route 1, then you have to heal them at the local Pokémon Center. A Pokémon Center has been located where you entering Viridian City. Once you get inside of the Pokémon Center, you must talk with a Nurce behind the desk. She greets you for coming to the Pokémon Center and tells you who they are and that they can heal your Pokémon back to perfect health. You can choose one of the two options: HEAL and CANCEL. If you really need your Pokémon to get healed, then you should click on HEAL, but if you're not and thinks that your Pokémon can go a lot longer then you choose CANCEL.
If you go outside the Pokémon Center on the left side and then up, you will see a Pokémon School, which teaches students that wants to become a Pokémon Trainer, certain things about Pokémon and mostly Pokémon Battles. On the blackboard there are 5 important things a trainer needs to know and it goes about the status of a Pokémon:
- SLP (Sleep) – The Pokémon cannot attack when he is asleep by a Pokémon uses techniques such as: Hypnosis, Sleep Powder or Yawn. The Pokémon will stay asleep evenly after Pokémon Battles if you mostly switch him. The best way to cure a Pokémon who has been fallen asleep is to give him Awakening which make him awake.
- PSN (Poison) – The Pokémon Health Points will drops steadily after he got infected by a Pokémon who uses Poison Powder or attacks which makes the Pokémon poisoned. The effect of the poison will continue evenly after the battle and evenly you have defeated the trainer. To heal your Pokémon from poison, you can give him Antidote.
- PAR (Paralyzed) – It prevents the Pokémon from moving during most of the turns. It is mostly used by electric type Pokémon or some grass type Pokémon throughout the technique: Stun Spore. The Pokémon evenly also get paralyzed after the Pokémon Battle. To cure that, you must use Paralyz Heal.
- BRN (Burned) – If a Pokémon gets burned, it can cause ongoing damage. Also if your Pokémon got burned, it reduces the power and speed of a Pokémon. It also continues after Pokémon Battles. To heal the Pokémon if they are burned, you can use Burn Heal.
- FRZ (Freeze) – If a Pokémon got freezed by a Ice attack from a Water Pokémon, it is completely immobile to attack and evenly will stay like that after the battle. To unfreeze your Pokémon, you must use Ice Heal.
Note that there is a gym in this town, but it can't be entered at this time.
Back to Pallet Town
When you get to Viridian City the first thing you should do is head to the pokemart. once you're there you will be greeted by the shopkeep and will give you a parcel to give to Prof. Oak. then you head back down to Route One and towards Pallet Town. Getting there should be really easy because you can jump off ledges and get to Pallet Town without battling pokemon. Once you're there, go to the lab and talk to Prof. Oak and you will be thanked for giving him the parcel. After that your rival comes in and Oak gives you and your rival the Pokedex . Oak says that it was his dream to complete the Pokedex, but he is too old to do so. so it is up to you and your rival to complete it. your rival storms off and that leads you to go to Viridian City again.
Also, it's a good idea to go to your rival's house and talk to his sister so that she can give you the TOWN MAP.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's finally happening!
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 will play host to a special crossover episode with Happy Endings on Tuesday, Oct. 30, TVGuide.com has learned.
Will there be a Happy Endings and Apartment 23 crossover?
The crossover — of sorts — will take place during Apartment 23's Halloween episode, in which we'll learn that June (Dreama Walker) is a Happy Endings fan. "June makes a video on her iPhone," Apartment 23 creator Nahnatchka Kahn tells us, likening the video to the ones 'shippers make for their favorite TV couples. "She does it for Chloe [Krysten Ritter] and one of the Happy Endings guys."
In the same episode, Chloe will meet her new love interest, played by Ben Lawson, which is the catalyst for the video. "She makes the fan video to show Chloe that love is possible," Kahn says.
Apartment 23: Ben Lawson joins cast as love interest for Chloe
So which Happy Endings guy is Chloe supposedly in love with in June's video? You'll have to tune in to find out!
Happy Endings and Apartment 23 return Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 9/8c and 9:30/8:30c, respectively, on ABC.


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This website illuminates my life and adventures, focusing on five areas, Adventure, Love, Art & Music, Economy and Philosophy. To these five areas, I have purposefully dedicated my life. This notion emanated from my belief that the human experience is driven by five innate momentums: physical, sexual, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. So, I desired to study, experience and understand these subjects, with the objective to understand not only the world around me, but to understand myself as well. Thus, these five areas of study match my innate momentums: adventure-physical, love-sexual , art & music-emotional, economy-intellectual, and philosophy-spiritual. This quest has led me to over 2450 of the world's 3978 provinces, to every country on earth and to the summit of the highest peak on each continent (thank heaven for good weather!). In my travels, I learned to respect the intelligence and ingenuity of people of all races and callings both past and present. Come with me to see the world as I see it, if you will be so kind. Join me in re-examining our world and our selves, to contemplate how we can move to make our world a virtual Garden of Eden.
DISTINCTIONS: BBC 2017 Travel Pioneer • Journal Articles • Explorer's Club Flag Expeditions • World Parks Project • Walk Across South America


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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Police are piecing together the actions of a man who attacked nurses then killed himself inside Halifax Health.
Daytona Beach police said the incident started around 3:52 a.m. Sunday after they were called out for shots being fired at a moving car on Clyde Morris Boulevard.
Police said shortly thereafter another call was received about shots being fired inside of Halifax Health.
The investigation revealed that the man, later identified as 20-year-old Jonathan Rodriguez-Jeff, of Deltona, shot the glass door entrance to the Professional Building located at Halifax Health, police said.
Police said once inside, Jeff, who was a National Guardsman, made his way to the second floor of the hospital and confronted a nurse and patient inside a room.
Jeff asked them, "Do you guys want to die tonight?" police said.
At some point during the confrontation, police said Jeff struck two nurses with the butt of his shotgun.
Police said Jeff left the first room and entered a second room where he confronted another nurse and patient.
While in that room, police said Jeff committed suicide with his gun.
No patients were hurt and the nurses suffered minor injuries after being hit with the shotgun, police said.
Police put Halifax Health under lockdown during the incident.
A number of cars in the parking lot of the hospital were hit by the shotgun blast from Jeff, but police said no one was injured.
Halifax Health released a statement saying, "This morning an individual, being pursued by the Daytona Beach Police Department, broke into Halifax Health and ended his life. As the individual entered the Halifax Health campus, the entire facility was locked down. We are thankful no one was seriously injured. The Halifax Health security department, medical staff and the Daytona Beach Police Department did an exemplary job in minimizing the risk. All staff policies were followed. The safety of patients, visitors and staff is our number one priority."


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Currently my music is organised in folders/directories, Music > Artist > Artist - Album
It would be great to be able to select an artist / folder, and long press / hold then be able to play music from those folders and subfolders.
At the moment, the menu has "delete, rename, decoding speed test, and create a new playlist", none of which are very useful to me.
Thanks for reading.


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City program keeps kids busy, lowers gun violence
A city program is focused on keeping teenagers off the streets and out of trouble.
The Step-Up employment program has successfully given 400 kids the opportunity to work, thanks to the participation of area businesses.
For American National Bank, the decision to participate in the program for the last five years seemed well worth it.
"It's one of the best forms of investment, right? It's investing in our youth," said Jeanette Eilers, senior vice president of human resources.
The bank is one of 35 businesses that created more than 400 jobs last summer.
Organizers are hoping to exceed that number, asking more businesses to participate.
"Our goal specifically is 600 youth and young adults employed," said Willie Barney, Empowerment Network president.
The program was formed in an effort to lower crime rates, including gun violence.
"Specifically in northeast Omaha we have seen a 51 percent decrease in the summer months of gun assaults," said Barney.
They are hoping to make the initiative a year-round job opportunity for youth.
"We need those that are willing to be coaches. That was one of the stumbling blocks we had last year," said Omaha City Council Member Gary Gernandt.


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Keepin It Tight: Michelle Obama Gets Her Exercise On Hula Hooping!
Ap reports "First lady Michelle Obama hooped it up for health, hula hooped, that is, managing to get in an impressive 142 swivels before her hula hoop hit the ground. Jumping rope double dutch? Not so much. "
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text: Disability awareness training needed Since 2014, there has been an increased national awareness regarding how police interact with the public during arrests and emergency situations. The autism community is no exception. During search and rescue missions, crime scene investigation, medical emergencies, and human services investigations, the way in which police and other first responders serve […]Continue reading


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Chaz Bono notched a personal best on "Dancing with Stars" Monday night, as his mom Cher cheered on from the audience.
Bono scored 21 points out for 30 from the judges after dancing a paso doble to the theme from "Rocky." The score was just enough to snap a 2-week streak at the bottom of the leaderboard.
"I'm trying to figure out why I'm crying," judge Carrie Ann Inaba said after Bono's performance. "You make me root for you. I think you have magic."
U.S. & World
Cher also seemed to be near tears when the camera cut to her. The "Believe" singer had vowed to show up after Bono made it to week four of ABC's reality competition.
She was joined in the ballroom audience by Bono's stepmom, Mary Bono Mack, and other family members.
While members of the Kardashian clan and Courteney Cox have been audience staples this season for Rob Kardashian and David Arquette, Cher had until Monday showered support for Bono away from the cameras -- drumming up votes via Twitter.
Cher and Bono have in the past described rough patches in their relationship: when Bono – then Chastity – first came out as a lesbian and then decided to undergo gender-reassignment surgery. But the pair has long since reconciled.
Earlier this season, Cher forcefully defended Bono against "stupid bigots" on online forums.
Bono told People earlier Monday his pop star mom has kept a low "Dancing" profile because she didn't want to steal attention from him.
"I wanted people to be able to feel your presence and not take away from that and I think you've made your presence known now," Bono said Cher told him in a text message last week.
Whether Bono's improvement will be enough to help carry the transgender activist into another week of competition remains an open question. His judges' scores tied him for second-to-last with HLN host Nancy Grace and singer Chynna Phillips.
Talk show host Ricki Lake led the field with 29 points, scoring this season's first two 10s for her tango to the "Psycho" theme.
Veteran soap star J.R. Martinez scored the second best on the night, with Rob Kardashian and soccer star Hope Solo tying for third on the "Dancing" leaderboard. David Arquette followed next, his scores placing him in the middle of the pack.


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A Day In The Life (Starring Sticky Fingaz) (Lol Are They Rhyming Thoughout The Whole Movie?) [Movie Trailer]
"A Day In The Life" Movie Trailer...written by, directed by and starring Sticky Fingaz. Other cast members include Omar Epps, Mekhi Phifer, Michael Rapaport, Ray J, Clarence Williams III, Malinda Williams, Fredro Starr, Faizon Love, Michael K. Williams
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Elated by an 11-for-11 rejection of gay marriage in state elections, conservatives Wednesday urged Congress to follow suit by approving a federal constitutional amendment that would extend the prohibition nationwide.
The state victories "are a prelude to the real battle," said Matt Daniels, whose Alliance for Marriage has pushed for congressional action. "Ultimately, only our Federal Marriage Amendment will protect marriage."
Gay activists, though dejected after the overwhelming rebuff, vowed to keep fighting.
Rights activists: 'Right hook to the chin'
Matt Foreman of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force described the election results as "a right hook to the chin ... but certainly not a knockout." Said Oregon activist Roey Thorpe, "On the road to equality and freedom, there are always setbacks."
Oregon represented gay-rights groups' best hope for victory, but an amendment banning same-sex marriage prevailed there with 57 percent of the votes, leaving some activists in tears. Similar bans won by larger margins in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio and Utah.
More than 20 million Americans voted on the measures, which triumphed overall by a 2-to-1 ratio. In the four Southern states, the amendments received at least three-quarters of the votes, including 86 percent in Mississippi; the closest outcome besides Oregon was in Michigan, where the ban got 59 percent.
Federal amendment ahead?
Conservative leaders depicted the result as a nationwide repudiation of the November 2003 ruling by the high court in Massachusetts legalizing same-sex marriage there. No other state has followed suit.
"Christians here and around the nation consider this a great victory for the institution of marriage," said Rod Parsley, pastor of World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio. "We had to stand up and say, 'Enough is enough."'
Robert Knight of the conservative Culture and Family Institute said the results should motivate Congress to reconsider a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage — a measure that earlier this year failed to get the needed two-thirds support in the House and Senate because of strong Democratic opposition.
"Historically, amendments to the Constitution only happen after consensus is reached — they don't get passed when conflict is raging," Knight said. "But now we're moving quickly toward consensus. A lot of Democrats may have a change of heart."
Activists on both sides say the state amendments approved Tuesday — and similar measures adopted previously in six other states — guard against state court rulings like the one in Massachusetts. However, the newly approved bans could be overturned by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that cited the federal Constitution, which is why conservatives want an anti-gay marriage amendment passed by Congress.
Other political news of note
Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
House Speaker John Boehner became animated Tuesday over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, castigating the Obama administration for not having approved the project yet.
- Budget deficits shrinking but set to grow after 2015
- Senate readies another volley on unemployment aid
- Obama faces Syria standstill
- Fluke files to run in California
- Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
Lawsuits seeking marriage rights or challenging bans on same-sex marriage have been filed in Oregon, Nebraska, Washington, California, New York and New Jersey. Georgia's newly approved ban will be challenged soon by lawyers contending that the measure's ballot summary did not convey its potentially sweeping impact on same-sex couples.
Lambda Legal, which is involved in many of the lawsuits, urged gay couples to turn to the courts only if there was a reasonable chance of victory.
"We'll discourage additional litigation if it runs a serious risk of resulting in a loss that could set us back many years," Lambda Legal attorney David Buckel said in a strategy memo.
2 million affected
While the amendments in Mississippi, Montana and Oregon deal only with marriage, the measures in the other eight states also ban civil unions.
According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, there are roughly 2 million people in those states who live in households headed by same-sex couples and could be harmed by the amendments — including state university employees whose domestic partnership benefits could be in jeopardy in Michigan, Ohio and Utah.
Despite losing the marriage votes, gay-rights groups found a few heartening election results.
In Massachusetts, despite conservative efforts to unseat them, all incumbent legislators who supported equal treatment for same-sex couples won re-election. In Cincinnati, the nation's only city with a ban on laws supporting gay rights, voters repealed that 1993 measure.
Idaho and North Carolina voters elected their first openly gay legislators, and an openly gay Hispanic woman, Lupe Valdez, was elected county sheriff in Dallas.
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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PIRSA:08020051 ( MP4 Medium Res , MP3 , PDF ) Which Format?
Why the quantum? Insights from classical theories with a statistical restriction
Speaker(s): Robert Spekkens
Abstract: It is common to assert that the discovery of quantum theory overthrew our classical conception of nature. But what, precisely, was overthrown? Providing a rigorous answer to this question is of practical concern, as it helps to identify quantum technologies that outperform their classical counterparts, and of significance for modern physics, where progress may be slowed by poor physical intuitions and where the ability to apply quantum theory in a new realm or to move beyond quantum theory necessitates a deep understanding of the principles upon which it is based. In this talk, I demonstrate that a large part of quantum theory can be obtained from a single innovation relative to classical theories, namely, that there is a fundamental restriction on the sorts of statistical distributions over classical states that can be prepared. This restriction implies a fundamental limit on the amount of knowledge that any observer can have about the classical state. I will also discuss the quantum phenomena that are not captured by this principle, and I will end with a few speculations on what conceptual innovations might underlie the latter set and what might be the origin of the statistical restriction.
Date: 27/02/2008 - 2:00 pm
Series: Colloquium
URL: http://pirsa.org/08020051/ Share:


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Paul Konerko recalled how he salvaged his 2003 season, when he batted .197 in a poor first half but elected to make some changes under new hitting coach Greg Walker and raised his average by 37 points.
It's tough because in the second half, I felt I was as good as any hitter in the field, and you look up and you're hitting .220," Konerko said. "But I told myself I'm going to survive. People need to gain a little perspective on the outside."
Alex Rios said he's started the process of revamping his batting stance in an effort to resurrect his production.
Rios, who didn't start for the White Sox on Friday night for the second consecutive game, said he has moved his hands away from the middle of his body and said he will continue this if he feels aggressive and comfortable.
This is the start of a process that Rios hopes won't require the entire offseason to get comfortable with. …
Frank Thomas suggested to Rios to change his batting stance last Sunday:
For Rios, on the other hand, Thomas suggested an entire overhaul of his plate approach.
"Right now, he's fighting himself," Thomas said. "For me, I would change that stance. We talked about it the other day. There's nothing wrong with going in the cage and messing around with it. We saw one of the most successful players to ever play this game, Cal Ripken, he had a new stance every week. I told Alex, the bottom line is hitting the baseball. Go in the cage and figure something out, Get comfortable, because he's not comfortable right now."
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Bixetrop Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'bixetrop'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 1 record (displaying 1 to 1):
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bivin bivins bivon bivvell biwell biwen biwent' biwest biwestebrok biwesten' biweston' biwmar biwyes biwys bix bixa bixby bixe bixene bixes bixfield bixio bixkmore bixle bixley bixter bixteth bixtine bixton bixtrop bixwell bixx bixy biyd biyela biyer biyes bizan bizannet bizari
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I'm still taking the afternoon off, I just have two things to say.
First, originally I was going to take the afternoon off to watch The Australian Rules Baseball Championship.
I was totally looking forward to seeing how they 'fix' baseball, I love Australian Rules Football. It's like a cross between football, rugby, soccer and kill the carrier.
So what rules do they use for Australian Rules Baseball? Certainly they don't wear helmets but do they carry the bats around the bases? Do the bats have spikes? Can you tackle the runner or the third baseman? I figured at least you're out if you get hit by the pitcher but get on base if he tries and misses.
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered they use the same rules we do! And the batters wear helmets!!!! Sonomabatch. I'm so disappointed in them.
B) You all made fun of me for my boycotts. But first I got Stoaty Weasel to fix her blogroll, that was a win, and now my ultimate boycott is showing fruit!
Lemur King hasn't posted since the 4th and he's left one of the only people who like him in the spam bucket!
He's rattled.
Now what do you think of my super-duper boycott now?


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RS reports that the Imperial Shuttle with be released again this time to Target. Price point will be $59.99 and will come with 2 figures. While this is pure speculation, this would rock as I personally do not own one. And the price is pretty good considering the 2 pack-ins it comes with. What was the original price? $100??
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Perhaps someone can throw some light onto what is fast becoming a severe annoyance rather than an 'issue' ?!
Was running current version of Barca Pro on my old machine OK under Windows XP. Machine expired as in died, so I got a new PC with bells'n'whistles etc but it came with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Anyway, started to install all my old software including Barca Pro (v 188.8.131.5200) and all looked OK.
Now, have a really niggly problem with Barca now, in as much as in the folder pane on the left, the scroll bar goes transparent and shows whatever is under the Barca window ... be it another prog window or the desktop !!!!!!!!
Tried a re-install but get the same problem ! ... so to illustrate the error I've taken a screen grab ... and I've highlighted the transparency inside a red outlined box ... see below ...
Anyone care to offer a 'fix' ????????????????


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Spring Training Is Over. The 25-Man Roster Is Set-ish. Play Ball!
The Angels announced their initial 25-man roster late this evening, following a 5 – 1 win over the Dodgers in their final preseason game. I say initial because, of course, there will be considerable roster shifting in April and possibly into early May as Scott Downs, Kendrys Morales, Joel Pineiro and Reggie Willits come off of the 15-day DL. So, for now, the 2011 Angels are:
Starting Rotation:
Jered Weaver (RHP)
Dan Haren (RHP)
Ervin Santana (RHP)
Scott Kazmir (LHP)
Bullpen Pitchers:
Jason Bulger (RHP)
Kevin Jepsen (RHP)
Michael Kohn (RHP)
Fernando Rodney (RHP)
Hisanori Takahashi (LHP)
Rich Thompson (RHP)
Jordan Walden (RHP)
Hank Conger
Jeff Mathis
Bobby Wilson
Erick Aybar
Alberto Callaspo
Maicer Izturis
Howard Kendrick
Mark Trumbo
Brandon Wood
Bobby Abreu
Peter Bourjos
Torii Hunter
Chris Pettit
Vernon Wells
Trevor Bell (RHP), Matt Palmer (RHP), Francisco Rodriguez (RHP), and infielder Andrew Romine were optioned back to AAA Salt Lake.
Not a whole lot of surprises there. Okay, I was a little surprised to see Hank Conger stay on the roster. I figured he would stay in AAA so he could get work in every day. But I don't know who I would have kept up instead, this may change when they need roster space for guys coming off the DL and, besides, carrying three catchers is becoming a Mike Scioscia tradition. Given his hot streak since the surgery, I wish they found a way to keep Palmer up. I know Bulger is out of options, but he didn't have a very good spring, or late summer for that matter… I'm pleased to see Chris Pettit getting another shot after missing all of 2010 due to shoulder surgery. I don't know how long that experiment will last once guys start coming off the DL but we'll see.
I'm excited! Yes, I pretty much knew who would make the cut, especially given the limiting injuries. Even so, just seeing the official roster really drives home the fact that Opening Day is Thursday! And I'm hopeful. We may have platoons at both of our infield corners indefinitely, but today it doesn't bother me. So far it seems to be working, better than I expected. And if Trumbo's bat holds up during the regular season, I think the first base platoon will be resolved quickly, even if Kendrys isn't able to come back full time any time soon.
I'm so ready for Thursday. We have Weaver on the mound, the triple centerfield patrolling the outfield and a couple of guys whose bats really, really love Kauffman Stadium. Bring on the Royals. Play ball!!


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I got a chance to study in Japan for a year. I am glad that I took the chance right when I saw it. I would regret if I didn't. Japan! Here I have fun, here I laugh, here I cry, here I love and be loved. This is an overview of my year in Japan. For more details of my journeys, links will be attached in captions of photos. Let's start!
2015-09-01 - 2016-05-22 , 265days
- 10
- 1470
- 48


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Janet Bopp
June 2, 1938-July 19, 2013
Age: 75
Residence: Surprise, Ariz., formerly of Windsor
Janet Louise Bopp, 75, of Surprise (Sun City Grand), Ariz., passed away at home July 19, 2013, after a long illness. She was born June 2, 1938, in Murray County, Minn., to Edwin and Lola (Anderson) Ginn.
In 1955, Janet moved with her family to La Mesa, Calif. In 1958, she married Alex (Whitey) Bopp shortly after he was discharged from the Navy in San Diego, Calif. They then moved to Eaton, Colo., where her husband had grown up. She retired from Eastman Kodak Colorado Division in 1992. Janet and her husband moved to Arizona in 2005.
Janet is survived by her husband, Alex Bopp of Surprise, Ariz.; daughter, Tamora (Rob) Stokes; son, Mark Bopp of Eaton; sister, Connie (Chanson) Ginn; brother, Gordon Ginn; both of La Mesa, Calif.; and granddaughters, Nicole, Hailey and Charlotte Stokes of Littleton, Colo. Her granddaughters were the love of her life. She spent many happy hours sewing clothes for them and their dolls. Janet is very much loved and will be greatly missed by her loving husband and family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and older brother, Edwin Ginn Jr.
A celebration of Janet's life will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, 2013, at Adamson Chapel in Greeley. Interment will be at Eaton Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Valley, in care of Adamson Funeral & Cremation Services, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.adamsonchapels.com.
Jeremy Allen Hart
Nov. 19, 1974-July 24, 2013
Age: 38
Residence: Greeley
Jeremy Allen Hart, 38, of Greeley, passed away July 24, 2013, at Medical Center of the Rockies after a heroic battle with cancer. He was born Nov. 19, 1974, in Greeley to Milford Hart and Linda (Shearer) Latter.
In 2000, in Estes Park, Jeremy married Kelly Kirker. He grew up in Greeley and graduated from Greeley West High School. After high school, Jeremy furthered his education at University of Northern Colorado, where he received both his bachelor's and master's degrees. Jeremy was a proposal manager for Hensel-Phelps Construction. He enjoyed cooking, loved playing guitar and fishing for the "Big One," which somehow always managed to elude him. However, spending time with his family was his No. 1 priority and favorite activity.
Jeremy is survived by his wife, Kelly of Greeley; children, Heather Kirker and Eric Hart, both of Greeley; and parents, Milford Hart and Linda Latter.
A celebration of Jeremy's life will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at First Church of the Nazarene, 2515 16th St., Greeley, CO 80634.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.adamsonchapels.com.
James Edward Louis Komanich
June 13, 1933-July 25, 2013
Age: 80
Residence: Greeley
James Edward Louis Komanich, 80, of Greeley, passed away July 25, 2013, at Hospice of Northern Colorado. He was born June 13, 1933, in East Chicago, Ind., to Louis and Valarie (Crucean) Komanich.
James grew up in Highland, Ind., and received his civil engineering degree from MIT. He was a Korean War veteran of the Navy Seabees. In September 1960, James married Dorothy Steel. James enjoyed reading, camping, listening to radio shows and loved spending time with his family and grandkids.
James is survived by his daughter, Karoleigh Lauer-Koonce and husband Wes; son, Kyle Komanich and wife Michelle, all of Greeley; grandchildren, Kyriean Lauer, Alivia Lauer, Lucas Lauer, Maggie Lauer, Tyler Komanich and Megan Komanich; and one sister, Margie Klen of Loveland.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Dorothy Elizabeth Komanich; and one sister, Valarie Greenwood.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Adamson Chapel, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634. Interment will follow at Linn Grove Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Northern Colorado, in care of Adamson Funeral & Cremation Service, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.adamsonchapels.com.
John Richard Wilhelm
April 19, 1927-July 24, 2013
Age: 86
Residence: Greeley
John Richard Wilhelm, 86, of Greeley, passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 24, 2013. J. Richard was born April 19, 1927, on a farm northeast of Eaton, Colo., to John and Mary (Hartung) Wilhelm.
Richard is survived by his brother, Kenneth F. Wilhelm; daughters, Sharon (Jacob) Pomerantz and Susan (Dennis) Goodell; sons, Michael Edwards and Richard L. Wilhelm; stepson, Sam (Kim) Weber; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Elizabeth; and sister, Dorothy Bryant.
Graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, 2013, at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Greeley.
To extend condolences to the family go to www.adamsonchapels.com.


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Virgin Media has received a refund of £81.5m from HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) covering VAT payments.
The telco said in a short statement that its current contingent liability had been reduced to £23.6m.
Virgin Media didn't reveal any further details about the arrangement.
In the company's last quarter ended 31 March this year it had employee taxes and VAT that stood at £122.5m, compared with £88.6m for the previous quarter.
The VAT refund will be reflected in Virgin Media's second quarter of this year. ®


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Thu 01
I know, I know: the orange web site looked so attractive, too. But the cover is green. So now the site is, too.
The book now has an official on-sale date (in the US, at least): 21 January, 2003. That means you can mark it on your calendar and cross off each day it gets closer. When people ask why you're so happy, say, "Why, because it's only 173 more sleeps until Jennifer Government, of course!" That's what I'm doing, at least.


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The new year hasn't been so kind to Eva Longoria.
The "Desperate Housewives" star is being sued for $4 million by a fellow investor in Beso, a Las Vegas-based restaurant and night club, reports E! Online.
Mali Nachum, a partner in the venture, has alleged that the interest payments the actress has received since investing $1 million of her own money into the Todd English-run eatery are in violation of California's lending laws.
Under the current deal, Longoria agreed to put up the one million in exchange for annual interest payments of 8 percent and for a 23.33 percent stake in the company. The equity that Nachum and another investor, Jonas Lawrence, have in Beso would reflect Longoria's increased holding.
But Nachum says he learned that the agreement broke the state's usury law, essentially making Longoria's deal void. He's calling for Beso LLC to bring charges against her in an effort to have any interest payments previously returned, which currently stand at $4.6 million. Nachum is asking for $4 million plus legal fees and the voiding of any future interest payments.
Lawyers for Longoria naturally called Nachum's moves "desperate" and are vowing to fight in court.
The actress seemed ready to put the episode behind her, though.
"It's a New Year and we're making a new start," she said to E!. "This is a great opportunity to begin anew, and I look forward to an exciting and enterprising 2011."
Best LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week in an effort to restructure $5.7 million in debt.
Eva Longoria Sued for $4M by Investor
The new year hasn't been so kind to Eva Longoria.


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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Witch And Ghost Minions
Posted by Rot at 6:24 AM
Labels: emptysound, flickr.com, ghosts, photography, vintage, witches
2 comments:
- suzanne said...
Vintage Halloween photos always seem to look creepy even when it's not intended. Love that witch :)
- July 29, 2009 at 8:09 AM
- The Captain said...
They look spooky. Love that witch hat and the roundness of the ghost's heads.
- July 29, 2009 at 11:21 PM
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A high level of competition, overcapacity and persistent low prices continue to affect revenues and margins of smaller French steel/metals traders.
- The French steel and metals sector benefits from increased demand from automotive and from what appears to be the bottoming out of the slump in the construction sector. The French steel and metals trading segment is highly concentrated, with about two thirds of market share owned by trading subsidiaries of steel majors (Arcelor, Riva) or independent large groups.
- The high level of competition (domestic and foreign), overcapacity and persistent low prices continue to affect revenues and margins, especially of smaller steel/metals traders, wholesalers and processors. However, many smaller businesses are able to provide added value or are operating in niche segments that provide higher margins.
- Steel businesses are generally highly dependent on bank finance, either due to high capital expenditure when operating upstream and/or the need for short-term facilities to finance working capital requirements and inventories. Currently, the willingness of banks to provide credit to the sector can be described as neutral.
- Payment delays are not expected to increase in H2 of 2016, and the level of steel/metals insolvencies is not overly high. This is mainly because many steel and metals traders and wholesalers are able to adapt with a flexible cost structure. That said, the foundry segment and steel and metals businesses that are dependent on the oil and gas industry as their end-market currently face difficulties.
- Our underwriting approach remains neutral for the time being. However, conditions can change quickly in this industry, especially if decreasing revenues and margins are not bolstered on time by prudent cost management. Our underwriting strategy therefore takes into account the sector trends as well as the intrinsic financial situation of each buyer and potential support from lenders. We pay specific attention to receivables, inventories, and structural flexibility (supply network rationalization, diversification efforts, adaptation of business models from pure trading towards processing activity order to increase added value and therefore margins).


text: Hello there! My name is Casey and I am a lifelong lover of all things art. I began painting when I was 25 and looking for an outlet. I had always enjoyed abstract art, but I was afraid to fail. However, I quickly learned that there are no failures in art, and from there I took off.That is why I enjoy abstract so much - anyone who views it can see whatever they choose to see - it's magic to me.All of my paintings for sale are original and vary between 4x4 inches to 24x36 inches. I can deliver to the Southern Maryland area! Commissions accepted! Hope you enjoy my gallery!


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Bright Future: Jay Lewis '93 Succeeds in the Field of Green Energy, and Supports Stevens Solar Decathletes
When the U.S. Department of Energy announced a call for solar-home builders in a 2011 competition known as the Solar Decathlon, Stevens students and faculty leapt at the opportunity, joining forces with two fellow institutions to design and build Empowerhouse. Stevens returned to Hoboken with two top prizes (for Hot Water Efficiency and Affordability) and a 13th-place overall finish. The home constructed by the team is now serving as a permanent Habitat for Humanity residence for a family in the nation's capital — the only home from the 2011 competition to become an actual residence.
That success would not have been possible without incredible generosity from friends and alumni such as James "Jay" Lewis '93.
Lewis, now Chief Operating Officer of the North American energy retailer Just Energy, earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in computer engineering during his four years at Stevens. He oversees planning, policy and program development for the company — a leading natural gas, electricity and green energy provider operating in 13 states, six Canadian provinces and the UK.
Lewis grew up in Brick, N.J., and was always interested in computers — since at least the fourth grade, when he wrote a school paper discussing the need for computers in everyday life. His engineering background proved invaluable immediately upon graduation, when he entered General Electric's prestigious management development program. Later, when completing an
MBA at New York University, he once again drew on his Stevens education.
"I came out of Stevens with tremendous analytical and problem-solving skills," Lewis stresses. "These skills helped me get a job at General Electric, which was at that time perhaps the leading company in the world. Without the foundation Stevens provided, I would never have gotten in.
"Later, when I pursued an MBA, I was ready for the program — again because of Stevens."
When his subsequent employer, Enron, collapsed suddenly in 2002, Lewis applied his problem-solving skills yet again and, partnering with four others, formed Houston-based Just Energy Texas LP, a regional marketer of deregulated electricity. In 2007, the company was acquired by Energy Savings Group, where he continued in progressive leadership roles. During steady growth and expansion, the firm rebranded under the name Just Energy in 2009. Just Energy expanded into solar energy in 2010.
The Solar Decathlon team proved a natural fit for both Lewis' personal and corporate interests. A 2011 visit to campus to meet President Nariman Farvardin convinced Lewis to that the time was right to give back to the University.
He was especially taken, he says, with the team and Stevens' plans for a comprehensive sustainable energy research program.
"It was eye-opening; I was extremely impressed about where Stevens is headed," Lewis recalls. "It's amazing what our school has accomplished even in the past year, and I feel great about where we're going next. I am fortunate to be in a position to help Stevens, and I want to do so. In fact, we can help each other."