text:
When last we met the HP laptop posse, I was bemused by the design ingenuity sunk into the bargain bin models, with the consumer fleet left chintzy. HP's business-minded EliteBook refresh is similarly confounding. Why do suits get the beauty?
Guts-wise, the new EliteBooks are good, but nothing jarring—Sandy Bridge processors, integrated Intel graphics, and a dubious claim of 30 hours in battery life. But it's not the specs that have been given the special treatment here—not the benchmarks the EliteBook can crank, but the body it's cranking them out of. The EliteBook p-series is—and it startles me that I'm saying this about an HP business laptop—a very attractive machine.
Business doesn't connote beautiful. It connotes drab, rational, efficient. Yuck. The term is almost a pejorative—a business computer is one you're assigned, one you're stuck with, and one that's probably hidden under a desk for a reason. It's boring. They're the librarians of the tech world—quiet, frumpy, confined to the indoors. We don't care about business computers. And why? For the reasons mentioned—because most of the time, the people making them don't give much of a shit either. Businesses need computers, and one spreadsheet generator isn't going to stand out much from its neighbor—so why bother putting thought into it?
This is almost always the case—but not here.
HP here diverges from a lineage of notebooks that have been, in terms of industrial design at best unremarkable—and usually something more offensive than that. Their business laptops have often been grotesque—ugly ports sticking out without regard, underbellies that look vomited out, a mess of bays and hinges and confusing labels—all wrapped in cheap, bloated, dinky materials.
The new EliteBook is kind of like a purge. It's definitely not some paragon of mechanical beauty out of Cupertino, but the consideration put into its form is appreciable. Gone are the jutting ports and woozy chassis—the entire machine is enclosed in sharply angled metal—a case stamped from single sheets of magnesium (Hello there, MacBook!), an aluminum keyboard, and a glass touchpad. These are elegant materials. Strong materials. Light materials. Clean materials. They don't gum up with thumbprints. They feel nice to rest your hands on. They don't buckle or snap like plastic. They're recyclable.
Human tinkering is visible throughout the model—the small, minimalist, pale indicator lights on the front. The pared down keyboard, eschewing obnoxious "media controls." The inverted motherboard, easily accessible by turning the laptop on its head and opening what few panels there are. The single aluminum rod, reinforcing the entire hinge mechanism, as opposed to two flimsy elbows. Neat filters over the intake grates to block dust and debris from the machine's innards. Good design now pervades the EliteBook.
But why the EliteBook? HP told me that they wanted to give office workers a laptop—an assigned laptop—that they would take pride in owning. Which, hey, is great! I'm sure they'll sell a few.
But what about those of us who aren't assigned computers? Those of us in the—blech!—consumer laptop market, stuck in the price range purgatory between econo-models that look like they were dispensed from gum ball machines, and something you're handed at work sans smile. The consumer PC laptop is still an aesthetic wasteland. Its face, dictated by focus groups and some strange (and horribly wrong) "intuition" for what consumers want. Which, if you take a stroll through Best Buy, is gross textures, gaudy lights, and conspicuousness. Maximalism wins the day in the consumer aisle. Bigger is better, brighter is better, fast is all that matters. The notion of putting reinforced ribbing across the motherboard to prevent bending doesn't matter, as it does in the EliteBook. Which is a shame.
HP's computers for office drones prove that they have the thoughtfulness, talent, and resources for good design. So please, take these same design brains and point them away from the realm of fluorescent lights, and make a dashing, functional computer for everyone. That goes for your competitors, too, if they're not too busy sticking ugly blue LEDs behind a USB port or something.


text:
This week in Ohio (as well as across the nation) we were shocked to see the tragic events develop before our eyes at Chardon Local Schools, a relatively small school district near Cleveland. For those of us who work in education, the thought of students being in harm's way is gut wrenching, so this tragedy has truly caused all of us to stop and reflect.
For me, upon hearing the news first on Twitter, I instantly thought of my good friend and Ohio School Public Relations Association colleague Ellen Ondrey, who serves as Chardon's community coordinator. Ellen has served on our board of OHSPRA for years and is currently our treasurer. Hearing her voice on the live news broadcast, her clarity, focus, transparency and genuine care for her district reminded me, and likely all of us who do this for a living, of why we have committed to helping school's communicate and be prepared in times of need.
In Ohio, our network of school communicators did what we do best: communicate and offer our assistance to our friends and colleagues at Chardon Local Schools. And of course, social media played a prominent part in that. OHSPRA took to its Twitter account and Facebook page to offer support and resources. We knew there would be ripple effects across the state and nation, and we wanted to ensure that we offered support on the issues of crisis planning and communication.
We also saw how social media played a role in the word spreading about the shooting, from students inside the school using cell phones and tweeting while the crisis was happening to how thousands used sites like Facebook and Twitter to offer condolences and support. Social media continue to shift how we communicate, both good and bad, but the questions to ask are whether your school district is using it effectively and in times of need and are you prepared for how to leverage it best?
I wanted this blog post to be an open discussion on your thoughts on crisis communications and the role of social media in these moments of crisis. I look forward to hearing your comments and ideas. Consider this a starting point to crowd-source some best practices or ideas on leveraging social media in times of crisis.
We continue to offer our sympathies to Chardon Local Schools, the community and especially the families.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Alexander (Sasha) Sirotkin works on the LTE (Long Term Evolution) Project at Comsys Mobile. Alexander can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]
A Web developer's life has never been easy. Browser market fragmentation, poor standards compliance, and the sheer number of web programming languages and tools all add up to challenges when trying to satisfy user demands and keeping up with ever changing web technologies and trends. And with what appears to be a second browser war underway, the situation is probably not going to get better any time soon. As if this isn't, the advent of cellular broadband access brought to the collection of browsers that you have to test against a handful of new ones, sometimes with limited functionality and non-standard screen resolution. In short, these days you can no longer afford to test your site with just your favorite browser.
Figure 1 shows a typical Selenium test system in which the Selenium client library communicates with the Selenium server via TCP/IP.
Now that you have some understanding of what Selenium is and how it works, it is time to write some code. The following Selenium RC example makes a simple Internet search with Google. It is implemented in Java (as all the rest of the examples in this article):
Selenium selenium = new DefaultSelenium("localhost", 4444, "*iexplore", "http://www.google.com"); selenium.start(); selenium.open("/"); selenium.type("q", "42"); selenium.click("btnG"); // Do some stuff selenium.stop();
The code is rather self-explanatory, so I will only describe the important arguments of each command. This example assumes that both the client and the server (Selenium server, not the web server) run on the same machine, i.e. localhost and the server is configured to listen on the port number 4444. The *iexplore parameter tells Selenium to use a certain Internet Explorer profile (more on this later). Commands type and click accept HTML element name or id as their first argument, which you, as a web site developer of your own site under test, should know.
The "BrowserString" parameter (*iexplore) is very important and unfortunately poorly documented. If you only have to test with Firefox and Internet Explorer you can simply use *firefox and *iexplore respectively and forget about this. However, if you need to test with additional browsers, read on.
Same Origin Policy
At this point you may think that this the mode you should use for you tests, but unfortunately during the Selenium development people discovered that some important functionality is very hard to implement in this mode and gradually most developers switch to the so called "native" mode, even though it requires a separate implementation for every browser. As a result, the PI mode is poorly maintained and quite buggy. For instance, during my experiments I was surprised to discover that the PI mode does not handles correctly encoding other than Unicode!
If you decide to try the PI mode anyway you may think that the way to enable it would be to use the Proxy Injection mode profiles *pifirefox and To summarize: As a rule of thumb remember that you should try to avoid using the Proxy Injection mode and use *firefox and *iexplore modes instead. However, if you have to test with less popular browser for which there is no good native mode implementation and the same origin policy is an issue. Be prepared that some of Selenium functions will simply not work.
To summarize: As a rule of thumb remember that you should try to avoid using the Proxy Injection mode and use *firefox and *iexplore modes instead. However, if you have to test with less popular browser for which there is no good native mode implementation and the same origin policy is an issue. Be prepared that some of Selenium functions will simply not work.


text:
Soldier accused of Afghanistan slayings to be sent to Leavenworth military prison
WASHINGTON -- A senior defense official says the U.S. soldier accused in the killings of 16 Afghan civilians is expected to be flown to the U.S. military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., as early as Friday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security surrounding the move, says the shift does not necessarily mean a decision was imminent on announcing formal criminal charges against the suspect.
The suspect, whose name has not been made public, was moved from Afghanistan to Kuwait on Wednesday. Officials say that transfer was necessary because there was no appropriate detention facility to hold him in Afghanistan.
Leavenworth is the military's only maximum-security prison.


text:
Five women in their 30s died Saturday night when a stretch limousine burst into flames on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge over the San Francisco Bay, police confirmed to NBC News.
Four other people in the limo escaped with burn and smoke inhalation injuries, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel said. The car's driver was unhurt.
Montiel said the women were "probably killed by the fire," though the cause of death has not been confirmed, NBC News reported.
U.S. & World
Witnesses told NBC Bay Area the white Lincoln Town Car was not involved in an accident prior to catching on fire. It was not clear what could have sparked the flames.
The car was driving from Alameda to Foster City, Montiel said.
When asked if an "explosion" had occurred, Montiel told NBC News it was unconfirmed, however he did say the "vehicle was partially engulfed."'
A viewer named David Solomon sent in the picture above that he said of was of the limo.
The fire was first reported around 10 p.m. in the third lane of westbound state Highway 92, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The bridge, located about 20 miles southeast of San Francisco, connects San Mateo and Alemada counties. The westbound lanes were closed for several hours.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


text:
LIVONIA, Mich. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum called Monday for a wider role for religion in public policy as he battled for conservative votes ahead of Tuesday's Michigan primary.
Speaking to a suburban Detroit chamber of commerce, Santorum said the interpretation of the Constitution's freedom of religion provision has been "turned on its head," and offered his own.
"I'm for separation of church and state: The state has no business telling the church what do to," the former Pennsylvania senator told about 300 local business leaders at the Livonia and Farmington chambers of commerce breakfast.
Santorum, locked in a tough fight for the key Midwestern battleground with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, is campaigning as the stricter conservative. He headlined a raucous rally in Flint Sunday evening where he also faulted the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama for marginalizing religion.
And while Santorum pressed his tax plan to spur manufacturing and economic growth Monday, he did not shy away during the business group breakfast from promoting a greater role for religion.
"Freedom to worship is not just what you do in the sanctuary, it's how you practice your faith outside of the sanctuary," Santorum said during the first of three public appearances across Michigan on the eve of the primary.
"All the reporters in the back will go, 'Oh, there's Santorum talking about social issues,'" he added. "No, I'm talking about freedom! This is an election about freedom."
Santorum has emerged as the chief rival to Romney, who is well-financed and leads in the delegate count for the nomination but has struggled to ignite passion among conservatives.
He has benefited from the support of evangelical pastors and Christian home-school advocates, tightly-knit networks of conservative activists, who helped him in his win in Iowa's leadoff caucuses and a three-state sweep of contests on Feb. 7.
Santorum's comments come on the heels of his rebuke Sunday of John F. Kennedy's 1960 speech about his Catholic faith. In the speech, Kennedy famously said: "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute."
Santorum said Sunday he "almost threw up" when he read Kennedy's famous speech.
"I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute," Santorum said during the interview with ABC News This Week. "The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country."


text:
Papercraft Elder Thing from "At the Mountains of Madness"
on August 24, 2010 at 7:54 am
Posted In: Uncategorized
I found this picture of a Papercraft "Elder Thing" from H.P. Lovecraft's Novella "At The Mountains of Madness" over at Propnomicon. It was so cool I had to share it. I'm a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft and of this[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…


text:
An Economical Plan for People With Medicare
CommunityCare is proud to offer Senior Health Plan, a program created especially for Medicare beneficiaries. CommunityCare Senior Health Plan is a Federally-Qualified HMO with a Medicare contract and is owned by Saint Francis Health System and St. John Health System in Tulsa (other physicians and providers are available in our network). Senior Health Plan's contract with CMS is renewed annually. As a result, the availability of coverage beyond the end of the current contract year is not guaranteed. Benefits, limitations, service areas and premiums are subject to change on January 1 of each year.


text: Allergies (e.g. hay fever) and colds can occur any time, anywhere to any person. In frigid countries like the U.S., allergies and colds usually are at the peak in spring season of the year. It is during this time that plant blooms and pollen grains from trees get into the bodily system resulting to itchy, stuffy, sneezy, runny noses and red-teary eyes, making it miserable for one to move and do things normally. In tropical countries, it is during December (colder days) and summer (very warm) times that colds and allergies commonly happen. Based on a certain survey conducted in … Continue reading How To Battle Colds and Allergies: Tips and Thoughts


text:
DJs Production only profiles the best djs and artists in the country. When looking for the best talent that delivers exceptional service and creates an unbelievable experience look no further.
DJs Production will facilitate the entire booking experience ensuring that the client gets the appropriate dj / artist for their function. We ensure that djs / artists are properly briefed about the event and are delivering a great service.
The profiled djs have worked with corporate companies for varies events and functions and understand how to provide a service that is desired by the client.


text:
Tips para adelgazar ana y mia blogs
- Store and Share Your Memories With Photobucket
- Anuncios publicitarios de pastillas para adelgazar
- 2,500 images (25GB)
- Adelgazar 10 kilos
- El día en que toqué fondo
Stop uploading the same pic over and over to multiple forums, websites, blogs, or online marketplaces.
Simply use an easy to copy embed link to share your photos on your favorite sites. With Photobucket, saving time and effort has never been easier.
When sharing birthday party photos with your family, or sharing your photographic talent with the world, you can rest easy and know who can see your images with our intuitive privacy settings.
We understand that security takes many forms, and privacy is just one.
Store and Share Your Memories With Photobucket
When you trust your photos to Photobucket, you have the comfort of knowing that your photos are safe from accidents, natural disasters, or hardware failure. Redundant storage of your photographic data is critical, and Photobucket has you covered.
Anuncios publicitarios de pastillas para adelgazar
Each photo you take represents a split-second in time that can never be recaptured. That photo has the potential to shape memories for generations to come.
2,500 images (25GB)
Whether you want to print the image in its highest quality possible, or make sure no details are displaced, Photobucket is here to help preserve that moment the way it happened. Add brilliant filters, stickers, cropping, and annotations to make any photo become the image it was meant to be.
Get the I-spent-hours-on-this look in seconds. Start unleashing your creativity today!
Have you ever wondered which social network you posted that vacation image to? Have you ever had to open multiple apps to make sure your best shots are shared to Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest? With Photobucket, each image has fuss free social sharing buttons.
Adelgazar 10 kilos
Storage limits are based upon the first to occur of the maximum amount of gigabytes and the maximum stated image count for each plan level. Preserve your memories.
El día en que toqué fondo
Host your images anywhere. Photobucket is your reliable partner. Secure Image Storage and much more.
Sign Up Today. Learn More. Looking for our free plan? Store up to Images for Free - Sign up here.


text:
What head injury? Melissa Rycroft was not about to let her team down tonight on "Dancing With the Stars."
The reality star, who was hospitalized yesterday after getting hurt during rehearsals, took the floor with the rest of her partners to perform the group's freestyle dance.
"It was diagnosed as a herniated disc in my upper neck," she told host Tom Bergeron. "I officially got cleared, so we're gonna give it a go."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Melissa Rycroft gets head injury during rehearsals
Rycroft, Shawn Johnson, Sabrina Bryan, Apolo Anton Ohno and their partners gave the crowd a stellar performance to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," where they took on the characters of high school jocks and cheerleaders and did so many lifts you could barely keep up.
So did all the stunts work in their favor?
Oh yes. Len Goodman said it was "fantastic," and even gave the group a 10! Each pair ended the night with a 29.5 added to their scoreboard.
But before we saw the first team take the floor, viewers watched the remaining four contestants do their individual dances.
Dancing With the Stars pros Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts getting divorced
The night of "Guilty Pleasures" definitely made us feel guilty with all the sex appeal going on.
Of course, Val Chmerkovskiy and Kelly Monaco heated up the dance floor with a samba that was "a tad on the raunchy side" for Goodman. Gilles Marini and Peta Murgatroyd's rumba caused Carrie Ann Inaba to literally fall off of her chair after she yelled, "Let the baby-making begin!"
Kirstie Alley and Maksim Chmerkovskiy gave a quickstep that proved why Alley is still in the competition. And lastly, Carrie Ann told us something we might have already known: Emmitt Smith has "samba swagger."
Check out the backstage scoop from last week's show!
Here's how the leaderboard stacked up Monday night:
Gilles Marini & Peta Murgatroyd: 29.5
Shawn Johnson & Derek Hough: 29.5
Melissa Rycroft & Tony Dovolani: 29.5
Sabrina Bryan & Louis van Amstel: 29.5
Apolo Anton Ohno & Karina Smirnoff: 29.5
Emmitt Smith & Cheryl Burke: 29
Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 25.5
Kelly Monaco & Val Chmerkovskiy: 24.5


text:
Through the holdings of the Hayes Presidential Center and the L. M. Strayer Collection, Battlefield and Homefront explores the wartime experiences that changed forever the lives of Ohio soldiers and the families and communities who supported them.
The exhibit provides visitors with a deeper understanding of the sacrifices and suffering of soldiers and families who lived through four long years of war.
On loan from Civil War expert and dedicated collector Larry Strayer are photographs, documents, and artifacts of Northern Ohio soldiers. Included are the field trunk and a rare canvas and wood cot that belonged to Dr. Robert R. McMeens of Sandusky who served with the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry and became Acting Medical Director of the Tenth Division. McMeens' name appears on the cot that was patented in 1858.
Although desperately ill, McMeens refused a furlough, believing it was his duty to follow his "friends in their fate." On the night of October 29, 1862, Dr. McMeens performed two surgical operations on soldiers wounded at the Battle of Perryville. Hours later, he collapsed and died. McMeens' possessions, including his cot, were brought back to Sandusky by his devoted attendant.
Following his death, his widow Anna cared for soldiers in hospitals in Washington, D. C. Featured in the exhibit is her autograph book that is a part of the Hayes Presidential Center's holdings. The book contains more than forty signatures of prominent individuals including that of President Abraham Lincoln.
Through decades of research, Strayer has gained extensive knowledge of Ohio's role in the Civil War, its regiments, and the soldiers who fought for the Union cause. Strayer says "that the families of Civil War veterans and their descendants were more inclined to save martial artifacts such as guns and swords rather than cups, spoons, bedding, and cots" that were necessities in soldiers' daily lives. Although it may take years to accomplish, Strayer finds it especially rewarding to once again, bring together groupings of individual soldiers' Civil War possessions.
CIVIL WAR: Battlefield & Homefront is made possible through funding from Diversified Insurance and Auto-Owners Insurance. Exhibit hours are 9 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday and noon until 5 pm Sunday. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center is located at the corner of Hayes and Buckland avenues in Fremont, Ohio. The facility is affiliated with the Ohio Historical Society.


text:
Kenny says no need to rush things:
"We have internal answers for every position, so I'm not overly stressed on anything. Wherever you are at the end of the Winter Meetings or in January or even when Spring Training starts, it doesn't mean that will be the shape of your team for the rest of the season. All it means is where you are now. We are constantly trying to improve our club. You don't have to have things in place from Day 1. Sure, I would like to, but we try not to do anything stupid that limits our ability to make a later move that is of greater impact. Right now, we are positioned as one of the best pitching clubs around. It's huge for us going into the season not to react too quickly. If you do something out of panic right now and it inhibits your ability to do something of greater impact later, then you haven't served anybody's good. Remember, 162 games is a long time."
Things (trades/signings) will pick up after next week's Winter Meetings:
"Everything up until then is really just a game being played. It's not that I'm not listening right now. I've just had too many years and too much lost sleep over wasted conversations meant solely for positioning. You learn to stake a step back, and people will let you know when they are serious."
And Kenny needs more info on the revenues coming in:
"Well, probably the biggest roadblocks for us are revenues. It kind of has us in a holding pattern until more information comes in. This depends on probably how our fans, advertisers and sponsors feel about our chances and what happens as result of that. As we sit here right now, we will stay in a holding pattern. That's not atypical of where we've been before. We just had to be creative to make things work. In our being creative, it sometimes makes people very uncomfortable. But there's more than one way to skin a cat."


text:
Carrying on the topic from yesterday, it's time to talk about gems for the Hunter class. This is something that can easily be done improperly. And while it may feel like everything is fine, in reality, the wrong gems can really gimp your DPS. And that's no good at all.
So first up, let's discuss meta gems. If you don't know, Meta gems currently only fit in Meta sockets (surprise!) that you will find in helms of decent quality. Meta gems have a unique effect, greater than what you find in normal gems, but in order to get this effect, each Meta gem has a certain "gem requirement" that you must reach first. Make note that when you are trying to reach these requirements, gems that are multi-colored (i.e. "This gem can fit in a Red or Yellow socket") will count towards both of those colors. So it can be incredibly helpful most of the time, but if you happen to want to use a Meta gem that requires more of one thing than another, it can come back and bite ya.
Meta Gems
As far as Meta gems go, Hunter's have only a few options.
1. Enigmatic Skyfire Diamond – This Meta gem provides +12 Critical Strike Rating and 5% Snare and Root Resist. At face value, this looks like a good PvP trinket. Snare and Root resist is indeed an appealing bonus, and +12 crit is nothing to scoff at. If you happen to have a talent spec that includes Surefooted, this can go a long way in helping you maintain distance on an enemy. And you can definitely see the bonus if you are a sexy green Orc with passive Stun Resistance. :)
2. Swift Skyfire Diamond – You will see this gem more common in Warrior helms than Hunters. It's popular with folks who would prefer putting the Surefooted enchant on their boots and obtain the run speed you traditionally get from Boar's Speed through the Meta gem effect. It requires 2 Yellow gems and 1 Red gem to actually take effect. There is a lesser version of this gem available in Terrokar Forest from your faction's respective Spirit Shard vendor in the chance that you need a Meta gem to hold you over until you can get a better one or are waiting to drop the gold once you get a better helm.
3. Powerful Earthstorm Diamond – Not a popular choice for Hunters, but worth mentioning in the chance that you are a huge fan of stacking stamina for whatever purpose. +18 Stamina and +5% Stun Resistance. Popular for tanks and Orc Warriors when combined with the passive racial abilities again. Honestly, not much place for this Meta gem in a Hunter's helm.
4. Relentless Earthstorm Diamond – This Meta gem provides +12 Agility and +3% Increased Critical Strike damage. What's not to love? In reality, this really is the Hunter Meta gem of choice. It's gives us our favorite raw stat, and increases all the damage from our critical strikes. And while 3% seems small, it is definitely something that adds up. To activate this gem, it requires that you have at least 2 Red gems, 2 Blue gems, and 2 Yellow gems. AS far as I am concerned, there is no better Meta gem in-game right now for Hunters.
OK, now that Meta gems are covered, let's move on to regular gems. The question you have to ask yourself when choosing gems is whether or not you care about the socket bonus. Is it worth putting in a second choice gem in order to achieve it? Or will you get more benefit from ignoring and putting in your favorite gem?
For a Survival Hunter, the answer 99% of the time is "Screw the socket bonus, where my agility at?!" Pardon the bad English. If I had the foresight to do so, I would have logged out in my PvE gear to demonstrate this point. But allow me to elaborate.
See this Delicate Living Ruby? It should be in everything. 99% of the time. After all, your goal is to push that Expose Weakness to the highest limits you can achieve.
Just remember to consider that whenever you increase your Agility, not only are you increasing your Attack Power and your Critical Strike chance, you are also increasing the return on Attack Power that you will gain from Expose Weakness. Technically, for a Survival Hunter with a decent crit rate, 1 Agility actually turns into 1.25 Attack Power. 4 Agility turns into 5 Attack Power. Because by maintaining Expose Weakness, 25% of your Agility is going to be returned to you in the form of AP when EW is up. This isn't even taking into account that you gain 15% more Agility when you spec into Lightning Reflexes.
For Hunters who are not Survival, you should always choose Agility over Attack Power when choosing gems. The exceptions are when you need to meet socket bonuses. The benefit you get from Agility outweighs the fact that most gems will have double the amount of AP that Agility gems have.
For example, let's look at the Delicate Living Ruby again. Comparing it to the Bright Living Ruby. This gives you 8 more AP than the Delicate Living Ruby does. But the Delicate also will increase your critical strike chance, which in turn will increase your DPS more than 8 AP. Increasing your crit as a BM Hunter will trigger Go for the Throat as well as take advantage of Mortal Shots. And if you followed the talent guide I laid out, every spec should have Mortal Shots.
Another important topic when choosing gem is to consider what your hit rating currently is at. I have said it a few times, but it is worth repeating. When fighting a level 72 mob, the hit rating cap is 142. If you have the Surefooted talent, this cap is 95. Many people say that they survive just fine in heroics without reaching the hit cap, and this is true for the most part. These are one of the places where you make strides to reach it. But if you are frequenting Karazhan or Zul'Aman, the hit cap is a necessity. If you aren't at the hit cap for Kara, you will usually pick up gear here to get you to it, such as the Violet Signet, which at Exalted, adds 25 Hit Rating, which is a HUGE jump. If you are beyond those instances, well . . . let's say you shouldn't be if you have not capped your hit. The miss percentage really will take a toll on your DPS.
Luckily, if you are having trouble finding or obtaining the gear with the necessary +hit, gems can be a filler for you until you can swap them out. The Rigid Dawnstone will easily propel you to the hit cap if you socket a few of these. The goal is to get as close to the hit rating as possible. Having excess +hit over the cap does not provide any benefit at all. Similar how tanks gear up in an attempt to become immune to crits. Once they hit that cap, choosing other stats, such as stamina becomes priority.
If you find yourself needing to socket for +hit, be careful in the slots that you choose. This could be an excellent opportunity to pick-up a socket bonus, but at the same time can break a Meta gem.
I also highly discourage anyone from ever gemming for Mp5. "Mana Per 5 Seconds" comes at a high stat allocation cost. Which means in order to put it on a gem, the return is very small to keep the gem from going over the alloted "stat points" the item can have.
I always encourage everyone to gem for raw stats. Remember that when you are in a group, Blessing of Kings will increase all your raw stats by 10%. If you gem for Mp5, or AP you will not get the full effect from this Blessings. This provides a even further advantage for those who choose raw stats over AP. Obviously casters will want spell damage or healing, but since we are neither, the point is moot. :)
As an example, I would like to point out the gems that I currently have socketed in my Season 1 shoulders. I am not happy with my gemming choice. +4 Critical Strike Rating and +6 Stamina is fine, since I put it in to achieve the socket bonus, however the +10 AP and +4 Hit Rating gem I do not like. It is an epic gem from a heroic instance, but that doesn't make it superior to my other options. If you read my talent spec post, you will know that with the Surefooted talent, my hit rating cap for PvE purposes is 95. In my PvE gear, I sit just around 112, far over what I need. If I wasn't desperately trying to get the shoulders off of Nalorakk, I would spent the 50-75g (depending on the day) to replace that gem with a +8 Agility gem. And in a perfect world, I would be able to get Season 3 shoulders. Since my shoulders currently are being used for PvP, I felt the socket bonus was worth getting, as every ounce of Resilience I can squeeze out is beneficial to me.
So let's do a recap of what we covered.
1. Relentless Earthstorm Diamond is the Meta gem of choice in almost all situations. The raw stats and increased critical strike damage is excellent. But you can swap this for another gem that you feel would suit your needs and situations.
2. When able, attempt to socket for raw stats as opposed to Attack Power. The benefit you receive is larger, especially when you consider talents like Expose Weakness, Lightning Reflexes, and Blessing of Kings.
3. Don't gem with Mp5. As a BM raiding Hunter, mana efficiency is the least of your concerns. Survival Hunters will have Thrill of the Hunt and will still need to make liberal use of Mana Potions and Oil.
As always, if you have any comments, concerns, or corrections, feel free to leave a comment.


text:
Think of a therapy session and you might picture the patient reclined on a worn leather Chesterfield being questioned by a mild-mannered, caring doctor. But what if you could access this kind of psychological help without leaving the comfort of your own sofa?
That is the promise of "therapy" apps for smartphones, which hope to make treatment – or at least help – for conditions like depression and anxiety available to anyone, anywhere.
Take a look at Apple's App Store, the largest app marketplace, and you will find more than 100 "medical" apps tagged with the word "depression", for example. They range from apps like Moody Me, which simply help people keep track of what makes them happy to others, to iCouch CBT, which claims to "help you train your emotions and feel better" by offering more specific strategies, similar to those which patients learn in professional therapy.
It is easy to understand this surge. Smartphones are increasingly popular with more than 50% of the population in the US owning one, for example. And depression is also becoming more common. According to the World Health Organization, it's the third greatest 'disease burden' worldwide, just behind lower respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases. It is expected to rise to number one in developed countries by 2030.
Apps that cost $1.99 a pop have the potential to reach millions of people who either cannot or will not engage with more traditional therapy. As a result, Dr Steve Daviss of the American Psychological Association describes iPads and iPods as the physician's "electronic black bag".
"They don't replace the role of a therapist, but they can augment the work we do between sessions."
For example, a patient tapping an emoticon to say how they feel is a lot less intrusive than filling out paper diaries and can help a doctor track mood swings. And because the device is always on and in a person's pocket, it allows people to carry out beneficial exercises regularly and discretely.
Role play
One of the firms working in this growing industry is Hoa's Toolshop, a Swedish startup that creates digital apps for personal development. "We are developing people, not just apps," says Hoa Ly, a clinical psychologist and Founder of the firm. "We want to make people use apps that really matter, instead of just Facebook and Instagram."
Hoa's flagship service, Viary, is a "behaviour-change" application designed to help users overcome depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. To do this, it prescribes a mix of old therapy tricks with new apps which make it easy to collect and track important data on behaviours and actions.
"Data motivates people" Ly explains, "and with it personal development can become more concrete and measurable. We are translating an analog world to a digital world."
To create Viary, Ly used elements of a common type of treatment called cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). Specifically he uses so-called "behaviour activation"- a common treatment for depression that encourages patients to perform specific actions or behaviours that help them change their thoughts and reactions to the world and feel better.
Together with a therapist, Viary's clients choose specific actions that will help them achieve a desired goal. For example a client may decide that exercising, eating healthier food, and listening to classical music makes them feel less depressed. Viary sets reminders for these behaviours- walk for 15 minutes every morning, take a vegetarian lunch, tune into some Beethoven etc, - and the app then collects data on these completed actions. Therapists or coaches can then monitor a client's progress in real time and even respond.
"This small reinforcement can matter quite a lot" Ly says.
The approach is similar to Nike's highly popular Nike + running app, Ly claims, which encourages users to set personal running goals, track activities, find new running routes and share the results with friends. Nike's tagline, "stay motivated, challenged and connected" is in essence what most behaviour-change therapy apps like Viary are all about.
Dr Paul Blenkiron, a consultant psychiatrist in the UK, says that because CBT therapy uses a lot of self-guided 'homework', apps like this certainly have a role to play. "They offer portability, choice, flexibility and ease of access to your own self help plan when you need it," he explains. But, he adds, they are only for "practical coping, not 'black couch' therapy."
Puzzling games
In fact, there is still a long way to go to understand if – and how – these apps work at all. Most practicing therapists are unaware of the existence of these apps, and little research has been done confirming their effectiveness. And, even when studies have been done, they tend to have confusing results, says Dr Richard McNally, director of clinical training at Harvard University.
"There's still a lot of research going on- there's positive findings and null findings," he says. "It's really up in the air."
At his lab, PhD students have been conducting research on the use of smartphone apps to treat anxiety, through a technique known as attention bias modification.
This is based on lab tests that show people with anxiety – a feeling of fear or dread - tend to have a "bias" towards noticing hostile, or angry faces in a crowd, rather than neutral, happy or relaxed ones. The idea is that by reducing this bias, you can short circuit the feelings that follow, interrupting the feeling of anxiety.
The team tested the idea using a simple game app, which showed people two faces, one with a neutral expression and one looking hostile. The faces appear one above the other on the screen before disappearing, to be replaced by a letter on one half of the screen. The game requires patients to identify this letter.
If all of this sounds very abstract, that is because the true intention of the game is not to identify letters. Rather, the letter appears in a position that encourages the user to shift their gaze from the part of the screen that showed the hostile face. Play the game enough, the logic goes, and a person should train their eyes to look away automatically, providing them with an impulsive control in real life situations that can help control anxiety.
Or at least that is the theory. Hundreds of participants took part in the study, some of which showed a reduction in their anxiety. Yet, other people showed no change and, perhaps more puzzlingly, the control group also showed a reduction in anxiety.
"It totally surprised us," he says. It appeared that just by playing the game with the belief that it would reduce anxiety, participants actually did reduce their anxiety, something commonly known as the "placebo effect."
The results have left him with a "cautious optimism", as he puts it. "We still need to know the variables of when and how these app treatments work. We need to do more proper randomised control trials."
If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


text:
Synopsis: The movie that inspired Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys, Chris Marker's La jetée is a landmark of science-fiction filmmaking, a 28-minute masterpiece told almost entirely in still frames. Set in a post-apocalyptic near-future, it tells the story of an unnamed man whose vivid childhood recollections make him the perfect guinea pig for an experiment in time travel. After a lengthy and nightmarish period of conditioning, he is sent into the past, where he falls in love with a woman whom he once saw on a pier. At the experiment's conclusion, he is visited by an advanced race, who offer him the opportunity to journey into their future world, but he instead requests that they send him permanently into the past, where he can remain with the woman of his dreams. A singular experience.
Reviews: MovieMartyr.com | allmovie | Rotten Tomatoes | IMDb (external reviews)
La Jetée proposes an avenue that few chose to follow directly, yet the film has been hugely influential. -- Jonathan Romney
La Jetée is a powerful film - moving without moving- and a shining example of what can happen when someone decides to take a chance. -- Ed Owens
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10 (7,158 votes)
Tomatometer: 90%
Written and Directed by: Chris Marker
Jean Negroni .... Narrator
Helene Chatelain .... The Woman
Davis Hanich .... The Man
Jacques Ledoux .... The Experimentor
Etienne Becker ....
- Code: Select all
Title: La jetée (1962)
AKA The Pier
Source: DVD / R1, NTSC / Criterion
Size: 390.652.232 bytes (1/12 DVDR)
Runtime: 00:28:07
Format: MKV
Video Codec: H264 (x264 rev.1400, wpredp=2)
Video Bitrate: 1658 kbps
Resolution: 660x476 (Anamorphic, displayed at 1.68 AR)
Aspect Ratio: 1.68 (SAR: 40/33)
Frame rate: 23.976 fps
Audio Codec: AC3 (mono)
Audio Bitrate: 192 kbps
Sampling Rate: 48 KHz
Language: French (and some German)
Subtitles (muxed in): SRT: English
SA: HP @ Level 4.1
Encode (top) vs. Source (bottom):


text:
אנשי בראשית : ספור.
מהד' ב.
|Related place
Tel Aviv-Yafo (Israel)-place of publication
תל-אביב : מסדה
|Creation Date
276, [1] ע' : איורים
|System Number
תנאי השימוש:
Terms of Use
The item is subject to copyright and/or contractual terms of use.
You may use this item for non-commercial teaching and research purposes only, provided that due credit is given to the creator(s) and/or to the owner of the collection, as applicable.
It is forbidden to harm the author's honor or reputation by means of altering the item or damaging the integrity of the item.
In addition to specifying the name(s) of the creator(s) when making use of their work, please acknowledge the source of the material as follows:
From the collection of the National Library of Israel, courtesy of: ______*.
*The name of the collection owner that is indicated in the Library catalog
Any use that does not comply with the above conditions is subject to consent from the owner of copyright in the item and/or the owner of the collection from which the item originated, as applicable.
For any additional copyright information please contact NLI's copyright inquiry service here.
If you believe that there is an error in the information above, or in case of any concern of copyright infringement in connection with this item, please contact us by e-mail: email@example.com
Have more information? Found a mistake?
This may also interest you
Pearl and the Golem-Maker: A Love Story
The teachings of Rabbi Judah Loew – better known as "The Maharal of Prague", or simply "The Maharal" – are still widely learned centuries after his death. An exceptional intellectual figure, the Maharal was also the legendary creator of the Golem of Prague – a creature formedTo the article on our blog
Abraham the Pilgrim: An Islamic Perspective
Everyone thinks they know the story of Abraham, the biblical patriarch. The first monotheist, he left his father's house and followed God's command to go to the Promised Land. His wife Sarah was barren and he had a child, Ishmael, with his handmaiden Hagar; Sarah later forced the mother and son intoTo the article on our blog
The month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims are obligated to fast from dawn to sunset. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars (i.e., canonical practices) of Islam. During the daylight hours in Ramadan, Muslims are prohibited from food, drink, smokMore on this subject


text:
Those looking for proof that new ideas still flourish in Hollywood should skip watching "The Rite," the latest horror film to rely on the age-old cinematic scare tactic of the exorcism.
Because if you've seen one exorcism flick, you've really seen them all. Some innocent and unsuspecting victim gets possessed by a demonic spirit, they start speaking in tongues, crawl all over the floor in an awkward, contorted pose resembling the crab walk and soon enough, a mysterious priest is screaming and dousing them in holy water. If you're lucky, the director might even throw in some projectile vomiting for good measure.
And while there's no upchucking in "The Rite" (unless you count a coughed up pile of nails), the cliche-ridden plot isn't without a few nausea-inducing moments. Questioning his faith following seminary school, Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) is sent to Rome to learn the creepy art of exorcism.
Like any rational human being, he's not sold on the whole possessed thing, so his superiors send him to Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins), an exorcist known for his unorthodox techniques. Witnessing a strange series of events, including a pregnant teenager and a maimed school boy, not to mention his own increasingly disturbing visions, Kovak slowly comes around, until -- spoiler alert! -- it's him performing an exorcism.
Besides suffering from subject matter that's been done to death, "The Rite" is plagued by poor pacing. The build up to Kovak's transformation moment feels excruciatingly long, while moments intended to frighten are rushed (thanks in a large part to the over compensating soundtrack). It's as if director Mikael Hafstrom is just checking the box. To top it off, Hopkins' prodigious talents are wasted on hokey material that's clearly beneath him. Though considering the thespian's recent track record, all complaints should probably be lobbed at his agent.


text:
GayDatingo lets you sign up, meet & chat with all Gay singles free!
Gay datingo welcomes you! this is a place for men seeking men for love and romance. There are many gay dating sites free out there so selecting the best trusted gay dating website is not easy. We believe this is a gay dating service you are looking for. We are free and we have many gay online who are ready to meet you. We have seen gay dating sites which provide free services for men seek men is common these days. Looking for a trustworthy free gay date is hard. So, join our gay dating website today to find your other half who is waiting to meet you. We have all races here including Asian, White, Black, Hispanic, Europe and etc.
Gay sites online have helped thousands of thousands men seeking men for love and romance, relationship and even marriage. Gay singles dating website connects online men with each other. We live in this computer world so looking for love and romance at a gay singles site is easy and simple. You need a computer with internet connection to find gay dates online just by a few clicks from your mouse. There are free gay dating sites that offer the services for men looking for men with no cost. Men seeking men at these gay dating services is simple as making a cup of coffee. You need to register a form online, post your photo, and start contact with other gay men.
New members
Popular Members
Quick Browse
Relationship Tips
Gay dating email scams03/01/2014
There are some Gay dating email scams that you should pay attention to. Don't believe in them. When you receive such an email, please report to us immediately. Here are some emails:I know that this message is coming to y…
Asian gay men seeking online dating, romance and relationship is common in the last few years. There are many gay Asian men looking for their second half through these online dating sites. The truth is that they have…
Gay Dating Tips For Gay Men in Small Towns04/13/2013
If you are a gay who lives in a small town, then it is hard to find an ideal partner. It is bored to visit a gay club and find short-term partner. Gay personals service is the best solution to find a life mate. T…
Why Does My Wife Think I am Gay02/08/2013
Why Does My Wife Think I'm Gay? This article will tell you clearly about whether or not you are gay. Your wife thinks you are gay. How do you feel? Please read this article and share your thoughts. Thanks.
Why Gay Men Marry Straight Women11/17/2012
Why Gay Men Marry Straight Women is a new article we posted on our blog. There are many Gay guys marry straight women and what is the solution? Please read this article to find out and post your ideas about that. Thanks.


text:
Whisker Holder
€11.50 Ex Tax: €9.35
Holder for the matcha whisker to keep the delicate spliced bamboo in shape.
Our main goal is to introduce people to the diverse world of tea and to show them that there is much more to tea than just a bag. We are dedicated to providing quality teas from around the world. Most teas are sourced directly from the tea gardens or the manufacturers. This allows us to monitor the quality of our products and to ensure that the workers in the mainly Asian countries are paid fairly.Continue
At HouseofTea.ie, we are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of all visitors to our web site. In particular, we want you to know that houseoftea.ie is not in the business of selling, renting or trading email lists with other companies and businesses for marketing purposes.Read More
Your information is 100% secure with us and will never be shared with anyone. When you request your guide, you'll also receive the House of Tea email newsletter completely free.
Please fill out the form below and the download link will be send to your given email address.House of Tea will use the information you provide on this form only to provide a monthly newsletter. No confidential information will be shared or passed on.You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any newsletter you receive from us, or by contacting us at firstname.lastname@example.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.


text:
It seems like it was easier to get all of the family together when I was a kid than it does now. I can remember on Christmas Eve gathering at my grandmother WRIGHT's house for dinner and on Christmas day, after opening our presents, we would head over to my grandmother LeMASTER's.
The parties were the main times that we were able to all come together as a family. At my grandma WRIGHT's it was a smaller crowd because of the family size, but we had cousins on both sides that were about the same age. There were always someone to play games with.
As an adult, the holiday parties have shifted to my in-laws and my parents. We don't always get together exactly on Christmas eve or Christmas day, but we manage to try to assemble at some point during the holidays to exchange gifts and catch up.
As I recall, we would open a few gifts on Christmas eve that came from Grandma and relatives. One particular I remember was the year I opened up a box of rocks. As the shock was settling in, grandma brought out the real gift, a pogo stick, which was too large to wrap. I never did figure out quite how to use that thing, but I still remember receiving it.


text:
We are currently experiencing higher than normal wait times. Please contact us via email at email@example.com for questions.
Honky Tonk - 550 Paracord is the most used, dependable, tough and long lasting cord we offer. It can be used for countless projects and perfect for crafting, repairing and other paracord projects.


text:
Posts Tagged Vera Chytilova
Daisies (Chytilová, 1966)
Has the desire to transgress ever been as giddily infectious as it is in Daisies (1966)? Though constructed in a manner that stubbornly defies all forms of categorisation, Věra Chytilová's cinematic acid trip is inseparable from its context: a Czechoslovak "New Wave" feature whose title anticipates Flower Power and whose content foretells the Prague Spring, this eerily prescient film is practically a revolution unto itself. A brisk, seventy-minute shot to the senses that counters the counterculture with its anarchic bravado, Daisies teems to the brim with a psychedelic mêlée of absurdism, Dadaism and nihilism. Whether or not the director would care for such heady philosophies is another matter altogether, for the bulk of the film's tone is informed by a swaggering rambunctiousness that cogently eulogises the sheer joy of rebellion. It's this blissful irreverence which thereby reveals itself as the name of Chytilová's game – and it's a game in which she has few, if any peers.
Plot and characterisation are but peripheral concepts in this most capricious of satires. Two young women – the exact status of their relationship remains unclear – decide on a whim to go "bad", and accordingly proceed to run riot in the society to which they had previously subscribed. Daisies' shrewd trump card is to have Chytilová running riot alongside them, with both the director and her protagonists thus working in tandem to recreate the rapture of liberation from their respective orders. As the film's insouciant duo upend and overturn social codes and conventions, Chytilová entirely rescinds the rules of narrative filmmaking, instead choosing to illustrate her gifts as a radical aesthetician. Formal eccentricities are abound: rapid-fire jump-cuts and photomontages, flagrant discrepancies in film stock, and an erratic use of colour filters all serve to electrify her canvas – doing little to unite the disconnected (though interrelated) scenarios, but nonetheless intriguing the viewer enough to function as some sort of visual glue that coagulates the film (Chytilová unsurprisingly revels in the paradox). In Daisies' most startling setpiece, the director redefines her spacial parameters, splicing the actors with their settings and embedding them into a cinematic collage that astonishingly renders both foreground and background impotent – the helpless victims of a cubist assault upon the frame.
Any attempts to locate substance in this impenetrably florid exercise are audaciously repelled by the filmmaker's commitment to ambiguity. In a rare, coherent piece of dialogue, one of the girls tellingly enquires: "Why do they say 'I love you'? Why don't they say, for example, 'egg'?" By querying the sanctity of such an emotionally-loaded phrase, she subliminally points towards an endemic breakdown in everyday communication (if "I love you" has no meaning then what does?) – a concern that Chytilová upholds by exalting action over words and supplanting spoken language with film language. But therein lies the key to the text, for as nonsensical as Daisies aspires to be, its avant-garde farce is not beyond comprehension; fragments of a political agenda are readily discernible upon overcoming and interpreting its visual ingenuity. What, for example, does one make of a character's decision to slice up phallic food items with a pair of scissors whilst a pining lover professes his devotion down the phone? Or how does one construe the ritual exploitation and subsequent repudiation of all potential "sugar daddies"? Resistant though the film may (quite rightly) be towards feminist labelling – why should all female-centric efforts with a woman behind the camera be instantly suspected as such? – it nevertheless soars as an exhilarating celebration of femininity itself. How refreshing a subversion it is to witness women embracing their bodies, minds and spirits in such reckless abandon, with only the most superficial of needs for those creatures that we know as "men".
And yet, both director and audience are acutely aware that such indulgences cannot last. Certainly not in a state where citizenship and obedience take precedence over gender and sexuality. Perhaps Daisies' sole instance of sincere profundity resides in a sequence that maps the women's reactions to society's silent immobilisation of their rebellion: as the males that they challenge now learn to neutralise their delinquency with blanket disregard, our heroines' ensuing confusion exposes the fundamental need for attention that predicates a successful insurgency. In refusing those needs, the social order unmasks itself as a sterile leviathan; its mundane surfaces an inadequate disguise for the formidable foe which quashes resistance with little hesitation. Surely, sadly, it is naïve to expect anything but. The incendiary merit of Chytilová's despondent finale – where the "bad girls" offer up a vain appeasement by going "good", only to then get crushed anyway – derives its weight from the opening montage that it mirrors: a ragged chassé between shots of a turning flywheel and scenes of man-made destruction; the implication of cyclical carnage and the futility of revolutions colouring the picture from its outset.
Within these stark bookends however, the director scribes a manifesto whose guiding principle is exemplified by Daisies' most gleeful escapade: a whimsical jaunt in a nightclub, where our beloved twosome throw caution to the wind and replicate the headlining act by dancing and drinking to their hearts' contents – much to the distaste of their bourgeois comrades. The joie de vivre of partaking in this caper is a welcome contagion that uncovers the film's deepest, most revelatory tenets by (typically) asking a series of questions. Is it more worthwhile to be a passive observer who engages with society, or an active participant who engages with life? Would we rather exist for a century as unquestioning conformists, or risk an early death by living but for a few brief minutes? For all Chytilová's glorious abstractions and cryptograms, the mystery of where her film's allegiance lies is not really a mystery at all – betrayed during Daisies's runtime by the iconoclastic potency of her vision, her immortal, concluding tribute merely adds icing to the cake:
Dedicated to those whose sole source of indignation is a messed-up trifle.
Enough said.


text:
Utterly unintentionally, my family's outfits spanned the last century. My dad broke out his 1890s chic, complete with dashingly knotted silk cravat (tied without help of a valet, no less, and with an injured hand). My mother channelled the 60s with an asymmetrical mini-dress and go-go boots. I split the historical difference with this look.
* * *
Before the party, my grandparents (who are now too rickety to come to raucous parties) came to see the decorations, which are all inspired by nature - holly, apples, cranberries, elaborately feathered birds, and glassy drops and icicles.
While they were here, I told my grandmother (and other collected family) about a friend whose niece-that-will-be might be named Reginabelle (the first three syllables pronounced like the Canadian city). "That's a lovely name," she said. "I just worry about the nicknames," I replied. "Why?" my grandmother asked, "What am I missing?" "Um," I replied wittily, before steering the conversation in a different direction.
To no avail. "D!" she said urgently and loudly, "You have to explain to me what I'm missing about that name." "Um," D said wittily, and there was a brief pause before the braver of the Sycorax family decided to rescue him.
"VAGINA!" my father said in his crispest, loudest tones, in case his mother-in-law's poor hearing should cause any further awkwardness or confusion. "It sounds like 'VAGINA'!"
"Oh," said my grandmother, sage and unfazed.
Just another Solstice chez Sycorax.
Me: "Um, DCM?"
Nonna: "The Deputy Chief of Mission." (She purses her lips.) "He was a very uptight man. Well, normally."
The skyey dome, live, filled to bursting with fervent Tar Heel faithful, who adored our team slavishly, ferociously. Until, that is, the standing Bojangles offer to give out free biscuits if UNC reaches the 100-point threshold transformed the crowd into frenzied Bacchae, shrieking "BISCUITS!!!" in a crisis of violent desire. I worried that if the bench players didn't fulfill the crazed demands of these volatile worshippers, they risked being torn limb from limb.
Of course, I did learn a series of fascinating new usages for the verb "to biscuit." For instance, delivered as a frantic banshee wail: "NOOOO!!!! Don't you DARE biscuit us out on free throws!!!!". There's a honour to biscuiting, you see, and it reaches Spanish Golden Age levels of labyrinthine intensity.
They are dead to us. They're lucky we didn't go into a Bacchic frenzy. Ask Pentheus how that worked out for him.
So we moved out, sad in the vast offing, having our precious lives, but not our biscuits.
Mom: (In her best vulturish tones) "The end is nigh!"
Me: (lugubriously) "Come in, have a Big Mac." (Unctuous grin.) "We'll meet you on the way out."
My mother: "Um. I hadn't really been thinking about it on the level of allegory."


text:
What show recently impressed you?
The show that recently impressed me was Wicked. It was a really great show, and my favorite part was "Defying Gravity." I loved the music and the acting.
What production are you most excited to see?
I really want to see The Book of Mormon, but my parents won't let me because they say I am too young. I love all the music. My parents won the ticket lottery, and I was jealous.
What play/musical would you most like to revive on Broadway, and which role would you want to play?
I would love to play Oliver in a revival of Oliver! on Broadway. When I was seven, I played him at Tarrytown Music Hall when I did a workshop at Random Farms Kids' Theater.
What are your current/upcoming projects?
I am currently playing Young Charlie and Jackie Coogan in Chaplin on Broadway. It's really fun, and my favorite part is being with the cast onstage and backstage. Come see the show!


text:
|Konoha Military Police Force
Konoha Military Police Force (木ノ葉警務部隊, Konoha Keimu Butai, Literally meaning: Tree Leaf Military Police Force)
|Volume #25, Naruto Chapter #220
|Naruto Episode #129
|Appears in
|Anime, Manga
|Team Info
The Konoha Military Police Force was — as the name suggests — the judicial organisation in Konohagakure. Initially believed to have been founded by the Uchiha,[1] in actuality, it was founded by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and was given to the Uchiha as a sign of trust and good faith between the Senju and themselves.[2] Tobi believed, however, that this was just a method of ostracising them from the village — having built the prison in the organisation's building — as well as distancing the Uchiha from taking part in the actual governing of Konoha.[3] A few members, such as Setsuna, also came to believe that this was the true motive behind the organisation, and tried to rebel as a result.[3] However, Tobirama stated he did this in order to keep the Uchiha's emotions in check and have them benefit the village at the same time.[4]
Naturally, it consisted of mostly Uchiha clan members before the massacre because — as Itachi Uchiha put it — only strong shinobi were capable of bringing other shinobi to justice.[5] The last known leader of this organisation was Fugaku Uchiha. It is unknown what happened to the organisation after Itachi massacred the clan. In the anime, however, it was noted by the village's leaders that in future, members should be chosen via open selection instead of sticking to a single clan.[6]
The Konoha Military Police's purpose was to maintain the law in the village, regarded as "elite shinobi who monitor fellow shinobi". They did not have the authority of arresting ANBU members without a warrant, as the latter directly reports to the Hokage.[7] The symbol of the organisation was a four-point star with the crest of the Uchiha clan embedded into the centre and the attire of the police force consisted of the standard Konoha-nin attire with the symbol of the police force emblazoned on the shoulders instead of the regular Uzushiogakure symbol.


text:
Get To Know Student And Visual Artist Andre Manguba Beyond Instagram
Andre Manguba is a 20-year-old visual artist and full-time student from De La Salle-College of St. Benilde. You might have already seen his realistic protrait illustrations and double tap-worthy food art on Instagram. Here, #CandyTalksTo the student-artist about how he got started on portraiture and food art, his most memorable piece yet, and his advice to fellow student-artists.
Watch the interview here:
Check out some of his artworks here:
Candy Bulletin
What're you up to today? Submit your OOTD, fanfic, essay, school project, org event, a pic of your latest hobby, or anything you want to be posted on the Candy Bulletin page!
Hi! It's been so long since I planned to post my story in another platform aside from wattpad and now here I am, hoping that my story can be featured here.
My story is entitle "Who Are You," it's a tagalog-english teen fiction story so I hope, those filipinos who visit here can read my story!
Sinungaling na ba ako kung sasabihin ko sa inyo ang pangalan ko? Hindi ako sure kung anong sasabihin kong pangalan ko pero may nagsasabi sa aking wag nalang magpakilala sa inyo.
May gusto lang naman akong itanong... Paano kung may makilala ka sa kasalukuyan na nagpapaalala sayo sa nakaraan? Anong gagawin mo kung ang nakilala mo sa kasalukuyan ay may tinatago pa lang sikreto na kahit siya mismo ay walang alam pero may kinalaman sa iyong nakaraan? Anong gagawin mo kung ang dalawang ito ay may koneksyon? Anong pipiliin mo? Ang nakilala mo sa nakaraan? O ang nagpakilala bilang ibang tao sa kasalukuyan? Past? Or Present?
There was this guy I dated for a while but things didn't turn out well. I was so into him that one night I can't stop thinking about him, I've decided to send his MOM a message on facebook confessing how much I like her son. I wish it ended there but no. I had to make it so emotional, lengthy and detailed like the drama queen I am. Luckily, it went to message request so I'm hoping she hasn't really read it yet. Up until this day it makes me cringe whenever I think about it but hey, whenever it pops in my mind I make myself laugh too so thank you self for being unbelievably shameless and brave when it comes to love. I may age faster because I have made a lot of cringe-worthy moments that I constantly make faces out of embarrassment just reflecting on my antics but I know I've made more hilarious memories than what ifs and somehow that makes the disappointments feel more like assurances that I have gave it my all and I have lived as honest (maybe a little to honest) as I could. #ItsOnlyNatural #CanBnatural
I've been investing in arts, photography, and writing. I've also got back to reading the other day and I finished reading this amazing book entitled 300 Things I Hope by Iain S. Thomas. It is all about the things the author hopes his readers to do in all aspects of life. So, I decided to make a version of it with all of the things I'm hoping for.
I hope I get to see my friends be successful in life. I hope to make a big mural someday. I hope to be a well-known artist like the artists I look up to. I hope to marry the person I am in love with today. I hope to be a little kinder to myself. I hope to see happiness even in the smallest things. I hope to travel the world. I hope to be a good mother and a wife to my future family. I hope to have my artworks displayed in a gallery or an exhibit. I hope to learn more about creative writing. I hope I won't learn how to get tired and give up my passion. I hope I won't get too hard on myself whenever I don't get the results I've been wanting to see in my works. I hope to love myself more even on the days I hate it the most. I hope to lead and empower women; to be their voice and for them to believe in themselves that they can be the woman they look up to. And when I've reached my limit of these things, I hope I won't get tired of reminding myself that my emotions don't make me weak, hence, makes me stronger. These are some of the things I always hope for. What about you? What are you hoping for?
I started fixing myself this quarantine. I mean, I started trying makeup products. As a teen, I'm on my phone almost every hour of the day, scroll on my social media accounts, especially Instagram, and also Pinterest where you get to see nice and pleasing photography by bunch of amazing and beautiful people from different parts of the world. So I started taking my own as well. I did not know that taking your own photo and try to get an Instagramable one is sooooooooo hard, it's exhausting. I do not have alot of space in my room, and I would definitely not do it outside our house because of Corona Virus, and I don't want to be seen by our neighbors HAHA so I have no choice but to make tiis inside my room.
Out of atleast 25 shots, only 2 are a nice picture. While I'm all sweaty and tired, I am proud of what I could do beyond my comfort zone. And this definitely built my self confidence, (and I secret love the compliments I received from both people I know and don't know) It's not my first time visiting in here, Candy! But I'm new to writing my thoughts and experiences, so bare with me HAHA.
Until next time!
xoxo, Thea


text:
"…[A] must read for any feminist attorneys. Readers will find Gertner's honesty, humor, and bravery refreshing."—Ms.JD
"At age 29, barely out of Yale Law School, Gertner takes on the defense of Susan Saxe. It is the beginning of a long career pushing the boundaries of law and society. With wit, heart, and honesty, Gertner . . . looks back on the decades just after feminism's Third Wave, when issues like abortion for poor women, shield laws for rape victims, 'battered wife syndrome,' and the rights of lesbians to adopt children were unconventional, to say the least."—Renee Loth, The Boston Globe
"In this season of television re-runs, devotees of Law and Order or The Good Wife would do well to turn off the tube, and sit down with Gertner's book. They might pull an all-nighter."—Senior Women
"Nancy Gertner's In Defense of Women is fascinating, fearless and fun – an exemplary life told with both wisdom and warmth."—Jeffrey Toobin, Author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
"This is a wonderfully readable and involving memoir by one of the legendary lawyer advocates of our time, a determined representative of the underserved who improbably ended up on the federal bench. A terrific book."—Scott Turow, author of Innocent
"This is a fascinating memoir of a life lived in the law with passion, guts, humor, and great skill. Nancy Gertner's clients were lucky to have her then, and the legal system is lucky to have her today."—Linda Greenhouse, author of Before Roe v. Wade
"An extraordinary story by an extraordinary judge! Gertner's memoir succeeds brilliantly in explaining why women's voices are urgently needed in the law and on the bench. This book is as irreverent, funny, and dramatic as the justice herself."—Joyce Antler, author of You Never Call! You Never Write!
"Nancy Gertner is a courageous pioneer and brilliant jurist whose life lessons will interest anyone who has ever stood in a courtroom, fought for a cause, or juggled a demanding career and loving family."—Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of SuperCorp
"Nancy Gertner's book should be required reading at every law school in the country where women—and men—are learning these days that they have to choose between a successful legal career and their deepest convictions about justice. She is living proof that you don't have to sacrifice one for the other. You can have it all. Indeed, she has done it all." —Ellen Goodman, author of Paper Trail
"This is a fascinating memoir of a life lived in the law with passion, guts, humor, and great skill. Nancy Gertner's clients were lucky to have her then, and the legal system is lucky to have her today."—Linda Greenhouse, author of Becoming Justice Blackmuna (and Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who covered the United States Supreme Court for nearly three decades for The New York Times.)
"Gertner adeptly describes insider courtroom strategy as well as both the blatant and insidious institutional sexism she faced. Her story is a well-told reflection of the growth and growing pains of the legal system regarding women as advocates, educators, plaintiffs, and defendants.—Publisher's Weekly
"A riveting legal memoir by a superstar lawyer, a compassionate judge and a page turning writer. In Defense of Women is a rare treat: an insider with an outsider's perspective speaking truth about power."─Alan M. Dershowitz, author of Supreme Injustice
"[A] thoroughly engaging, outspoken memoir…She writes this memoir to preserve her pre-judge identity as an advocate, as well as to remind the next generation of women, particularly those rejecting feminism, of the choices she and her contemporaries fought hard to maintain."─Kirkus Reviews
Chapter one The Revolutionary and the Radical Lawyer
Chapter two The All-Women Team
Chapter three Saving Her Life, Inventing Mine
Chapter four You Want Me? I Want You!
Chapter five Psychiatry, Malpractice, and Feminism
Chapter six The Right to Choose All of Life's Roles
Chapter seven Choosing Love and Work
Chapter eight Fighting at City Hall
Chapter nine Work and Babies
Chapter ten A "Real" Feminist
Chapter eleven A "So-Called" Feminist
Chapter twelve Sexual Harassment Pays; Sex Discrimination Doesn't
Chapter thirteen Glass Ceilings at the School of Law
Chapter fourteen Murder and Racism
Chapter fifteen From Red Dress to Black Robe


text:
The numbers are more than a little iffy--of the mere 30 participants who started the trial, a scant 10 finished--but playing PopCap's Bejeweled Twist apparently had a 100% success rate at beating cravings and lifting mood. Encouraged by these results, PopCap plans to fund nore research into the health benefits of casual gaming this year.A number of the participants were non-gamers, including 39 year old Debbie Hodgson who said, "My cravings have noticeably reduced since I started this trial and I lost 7 lbs over 4 weeks." Casual gaming might benefit hardcore gamers too, as a study last year revealed EverQuest II players, while not fat, are sad.
While PopCap are naturally reluctant to draw firm conclusions on the results, we here at Shacknews have no qualms about risking our Internet doctors' licenses. Our snappy, quotable advice is "Don't pig: Peggle!" and "Bejeweled those blues away!", though we stray away from recommending Feeding Frenzy 2.
From The Chatty


text:
The PRSA Midwest District is pleased to announce its first District-wide event in many years, the 2012 Midwest District Conference, which will be held July 19-20 at Loyola University in Chicago. All public relations professionals from across the District and beyond are invited to attend the event, which will focus on Reestablishing the Value Proposition: Trust and Transparency in PR.
If you're looking for an opportunity to connect with colleagues, get new ideas and learn best practices that can immediately be implemented in your day-to-day work, the Midwest District Conference is for you!
Call for Presentations
We are now accepting proposals for keynote and expert presentations from senior public relations practitioners in agency, corporate and non-profit settings, solo practitioners and experts in related fields, such as management, human resources, legal issues and digital communications. If you are interested, please visit our call for presentations.
If you have questions about the conference, please contact Jim Streed, 2012 Midwest District Chair.


text:
Code: Select all
ecc_resolution_message_1= "ONE-TIME MESSAGE"
ecc_resolution_message_2= "Your resolution to display ECC, is below the width of 1000 pixels,"
ecc_resolution_message_3= "you can expect GUI glitching or the GUI does not work at all !!"
ecc_resolution_message_4= "(this may occur when you have set the taskbar on the side @ 1024x768)"
ecc_resolution_message_5= "The recommended minimal resolution to run ECC in, is 1024x768 pixels."


text:
Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10Favorites [+]
Pay-Per-Minute Viewing
You can now enjoy this movie on your iPhone®, iPad®, or compatible Smart TV & Android devices.
Purchase Options
Pay-Per-MinutePurchase Minutes
Streaming Rentals
Available MP4 sizes:SD 480p (2.68 GB)
HD 720p (5.01 GB)
HD 1080p (7.4 GB)
DRM-free downloads offer content that is not limited by standard Digital Rights Management (DRM) access technologies. These technologies allow hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to limit the usage of digital content.
When you purchase DRM-free downloadable content, that content is available for you to download on any computer and save to a disk whenever you like. You can also download to multiple computers. There is no timeframe associated with your purchase and the content will not expire.
Running Time: 171 minutes
Released: 12/2014
Studio Name: Eromaxx
Series: Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy
Categories: Euro Natural Breasts Orgies International All Sex Exhibitionist Party Girls Reality Based High Definition
Description: Breakin' "em into the madness. Interracial party action cracks these babes wide open.
6 Scenes from Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10
Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10: Scene 1
Starring: Sam ... More Details
Stars: Sam
Sex Acts: Oral Sex, Tittie Fucking, Vaginal Sex, Handjob, Masturbation, Food Play, Breast Play, Orgy, Wet / Messy
Positions: Cowgirl, Kneeling, Laying, Reverse Cowgirl, Sitting, Standing, Standing Missionary, Standing Doggy Style
Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10: Scene 2
Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10: Scene 3
Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10: Scene 4
Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10: Scene 5
Party Hardcore: Gone Crazy 10: Scene 6
Recommended Movies


text:
Columbus Mission
On 7 February 2008, the European Columbus laboratory was launched with STS-122 mission on Space Shuttle Atlantis.
After it was attached to the Harmony module on 11 February, Columbus became an integral part of the International Space Station bringing years of organisation and hard work to fruition.
With a projected 10 years in orbit, Columbus is part of space history as the first European laboratory dedicated to long-term experimentation in weightlessness.
ESA astronauts Léopold Eyharts from France and Hans Schlegel from Germany were crewmembers on the Columbus assembly and commissioning mission. They joined five NASA colleagues on the STS-122 Shuttle flight.
The Columbus Mission had two phases:
The 13-day STS-122 mission, also known as the 1E assembly mission, was to attach the European laboratory to the International Space Station, activate and begin commissioning of the laboratory. This included the attachment of European external experiment facilities and additional assembly/maintenance tasks.
After the undocking of STS-122, Léopold Eyharts remained on the Station for nearly 7 weeks as a member of Expedition 16.
Eyharts continued Columbus commissioning activities, activating the internal experiment facilities as well as undertaking European scientific, public relations and educational activities and additional activities in his role as ISS Flight Engineer 2.
Eyharts returned to Earth with Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-123 mission, on 27 March 2008 after nearly 49 days in space.


text:
If you want to see the latest and greatest invention in the world of electronics and technology, Las Vegas is the place to be this week.
All week workers were busy unwrapping and setting up displays that will show off many of the things that will be under next year's Christmas tree.
As gigantic companies put TVs and tons of wires in place at the Las Vegas convention center, we stumbled on three guys who called themselves "Team Sandtastic" outside the Panasonic booth.
They are building some kind of Avatar sand display. The three have been at it for about 24 hours and said they would be staying on the job through Friday.
The group is from Florida, so sand is something these guys are used to being around.
The display is the best thing we found by far and is awesome to watch.
The biggest surprise? 99 percent of techies walk by without noticing.
The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, the largest show of new gadgets and tech wonders opens Thursday.


text:
WASHINGTON —The U.S. government shut down for the first time in 17 years early Tuesday, after a Congress bitterly divided over President Obama's signature health care initiative failed to reach agreement to fund federal agencies into the new fiscal year.
In a memo issued by the White House shortly before the midnight deadline, the Office of Management and Budget instructed that federal agencies "should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations."
The impasse means 800,000 federal workers will be furloughed Tuesday. National parks, museums and most federal offices will close, while tens of thousands of air traffic controllers, prison guards and border patrol agents will be required to serve without pay.
Hours earlier, the Republican House voted 228-201 to pass its third proposal in two weeks to fund the government. Like the previous plans, it sought to undermine the Affordable Care Act, this time by delaying enforcement of the "individual mandate," a cornerstone of the law that requires all Americans to obtain health insurance.
The new measure also sought to strip lawmakers and their aides of long-standing government health benefits.
The Democratic Senate quickly rejected that plan on a party-line vote of 54- 46. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., urged House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to abandon the assault on the health care law and pass a simple bill to keep the government open. Otherwise, Reid warned, "the responsibility for this Republican government shutdown will rest squarely on his shoulders."
Boehner refused to yield. He called instead for a special committee to meet in the coming days to resolve differences between the two parties, leaving the fate of millions of federal workers and the services they provide in limbo.
But Reid rejected the House's plan to appoint conferees for House-Senate negotiations on a new short-term spending plan.
"We're not going to go to conference with a gun to a head," Reid said. "Republicans are still playing games."
He added that Republicans are forcing a government shutdown "because they don't believe in government, and tomorrow will be a bad day for government and a day of celebration over in the House."
He insisted that the House must first pass a "clean" six-week continuing resolution without any language to curtail or defund the new health care law.
President Barack Obama did embrace one GOP measure Monday night, signing legislation that would ensure that members of the armed forces would continue to get paid during any shutdown. The House had passed the legislation over the weekend, and the Senate approved it Monday.
But Obama warned that the broader economy, which is finally starting to recover from the shocks of the past six years, would take an unnecessary hit if congressional gridlock shuttered "America's largest employer."
"Keeping the people's government open is not a concession to me. Keeping vital services running and hundreds of thousands of Americans on the job is not something you 'give' to the other side. It's our basic responsibility," Obama said in a statement at the White House.
On Monday evening, Obama telephoned Boehner to urge him to reconsider his stance on the health care law. In a call that lasted nearly 10 minutes, according to Boehner's office, the president reiterated his insistence that there would be no negotiations over the debt limit, and that Congress must pay the bills it has incurred.
Boehner responded by mocking Obama in a speech on the House floor.
" 'I'm not going to negotiate,' " he said, quoting Obama. "I would say to the president: This is not about me. It's not about Republicans here in Congress. It's about fairness."
The speech drew applause for the embattled speaker, who argued passionately that Republicans were merely seeking "fairness" for working people. Obama has delayed a mandate for employers to insure workers and delayed other requirements for big unions, Boehner said. "Yet they stick our constituents with a bill they don't like and a bill they can't afford," he said.
On both sides of the Capitol, Republicans were deeply divided about the course Boehner and his leadership team chose. In the House, a group of more moderate Republicans was seething about the decision to bow to the forces — led by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his allies — who oppose the Affordable Care Act.
Some publicly urged Boehner to abandon the assault on the health care law and seek House Democrats' help to pass the simple six-week government-funding bill that the Senate approved last week.
"I don't want to shut down the government," said Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, W.Va., who is trying to become her state's first GOP senator since the 1950s.
Frustrations also were simmering among Senate Republicans, who complained that House leaders were pressing the attack in direct opposition to public opinion. Polls show that voters overwhelmingly disapprove of using the threat of a shutdown to defund the health care law and that blame for a shutdown would fall squarely on Republicans' shoulders.
"By wanting to repeal Obamacare using this method, it defies what the popular will is," said Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee.
The House and Senate have agreed to fix spending for a wide swath of federal programs at an annual level of $986 billion for the budget year that began Tuesday, the same as for the 12 months just ending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tale of two bills
A comparison of rival House and Senate bills aimed at preventing a partial government shutdown Tuesday:
House bill
• Funds federal agencies through Dec. 15 at current spending levels. The rate equates to annual agency spending of $986 billion, and includes the impact of this year's sequestration, or automatic spending cuts.
• Delays for a year the requirement that individuals and businesses with fewer than 50 full-time employees buy insurance under President Barack Obama's 2010 health care law.
(Dropped from the bill were earlier provisions repealing a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices like pacemakers and scanning machines, and letting some employers with religious or moral objections decline to provide contraception coverage.)
Senate bill
• Funds federal agencies through Nov. 15 at the same level as the House bill.
• Makes no changes in 2010 health care law.
The Associated Press


text:
My name is Florence Lapalu and i'm lead 3d Character Artist at Arkane Studio.
I'm happy to present you the work that was done by the Character Artists on Dishonored.
The team was Cristian Buliarca , Linus Lidberg, Mashru Mishu, Cédric Seaut.
Art Direction by Sébastien Mitton and Concepts by Cédric Peyravernay.
We will be releasing more art in the coming days.
Special thanks to Cristian for helping me out on this !


text:
Where did Newton get the idea that light had a particle nature and not a wave nature? At those times, AFAICT there were no phenomena that showed particle nature. But wave nature is much easier to detect. So, why didn't Newton change his theory to a wave theory? I recall something about "motion like Eels", but by Occam's razor, it makes more sense to just call it a wave and not a wavelike particle.
Was it just his arrogance? Or did he have some reason to stick to particle nature?
Edit: I actually wanted to ask why he didn't change his theory after wave nature was discovered. He instead complicated it with the Eels. I failed to see what supported the particle point. But it's answered now :D.


text:
In the legal sector this can be even more frustrating due to the high starting salaries and high percentage fees charged by recruitment companies. With fees starting in the region of 20%, even for a junior solicitor a recruitment fee of £6,000 is not unusual, and often during boom times the percentage can increase towards 50% as the recruitment companies 'cash in' while they can.
However investing in your team through effective legal training can substantially reduce your recruitment costs. There are several major reasons for this:
* By showing a commitment to invest in your team you build loyalty.
* If you choose the right legal training providers your employee's skills will improve making them more efficient at their job.
* Better trained staff are more motivated in their roles.
* If you create a one, three or five year training plan for each member of your team you are investing long-term for their benefit (and ultimately yours).
* Better trained and more efficient staff make for more satisfied clients.
* If your training plan is focused on a 'team' the whole team will improve and help each other in their areas of strength.
Let's look at each of these items in turn to see how they help to improve employee loyalty.
Committing To Invest.
Every member of staff likes to feel that they are valued. If you pick up any management book one of the recurring themes will always be the need to "Praise Your Team". Whilst praise is an essential part of your management skills it does not cost anything except time. When you agree to fund a course for your team members you have to invest financially as well as with your time. This extra commitment, if explained correctly to your staff, shows that you really do value their contribution to the team.
Improving Skills.
If you choose the right legal training provider your staff will receive training that immediately makes them better at their job. This leads to improved satisfaction for your team member. A happier team member is less likely to leave their job.
Motivated Staff Through A Training Plan.
If you take the time to put in place a long term training plan with each team member you are showing a commitment to them for years to come. This commitment to train them over the course of the next few years shows a real desire on your part for them to be an integral part of your business. How will you be rewarded for this commitment? With a more motivated and committee team member who is much more likely to stay with your firm.
More Satisfied Clients.
If your staff are more confident in their abilities and better trained they will be able to complete their cases as quickly as possible. Less mistakes will be made and a much better service will be received by your clients. In an increasingly competitive market, having satisfied clients spreading the word about your excellent service is a huge benefit to your law firm.
Better Teams.
If your teams each receive training in different areas or aspects of law they will become experts in that area. If each of your team members has a different expertise they will become an excellent resource for each other, improving your team's efficiency as a whole.
If you invest in your team correctly, the cost of any training will be returned many times over through improved efficiency, improved client satisfaction and most importantly in reduced recruitment costs.


text:
Come across a great amount of episodes from the 80's TV series Beauty And The Beast and I would like to complete the series. Any Ideas where I could post them when ripped?
Not suitable for this forum, i know, but aby of you know anywhere where they'd be welcome?


text:
[New Zealand Death Syndrome (NZDS), Health Bulletin # 15. Outbreak of Norovirus, August 19, 2008]
At least four major outbreaks of highly infectious gastro-intestinal norovirus have been reported throughout in New Zealand's south Island. In two Dunedin hospitals about 100 people have been affected. In Otago at least 47 patients and 79 medical staff have been infected by the virus since August 1. In Greymouth another outbreak in a rest home has been comfirmed by the health officials. About 50 percent of the residents and medical staff have caught the viral sickness.
It's not known how many peopled have been killed since the outbreak started.
Norovirus affects people of all ages. The viruses are transmitted by food or water which is contaminated with feces and by person-to-person contact.
The disease is characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. General lethargy, weakness, muscle aches, headache, and fever. Symptoms may persist for several days and may become life-threatening in the young, the elderly, and the immune-compromised. (Read more).
New Zealand food and personal hygiene is one of the worst in the world.
Related Links:
- How Dangerous is New Zealand for visitors, Asians, women, children?
- Previous Health warnings (since Feb 6, 2008 )
- Urgent Health Warning: Outbreak of Norovirus in New Zealand (June 18, 2008 )


text:
After the success of his BBC show "The Office" (which, of course, was remade on this side of the pond into - we think it's safe to say - a pretty successful series) and his HBO series "Extras," comedian Ricky Gervais appears to be jumpstarting a brand new TV venture.
On his personal blog, Gervais recounts how he has gotten to know Clyde Philips - producer of the groundbreaking Showtime series "Dexter" - and how that relationship has bloomed into a collaboration.
"Dexter has consistently been my favorite show of the last five years. When I first saw Clyde's name all over it I knew I had to work with him one day," he writes. "I found out he was also a fan of my work and we then became friends on email and through short conversations on various red carpets. We finally started working on an idea this year and really hit it off. I am so excited about this project."
U.S. & World
The sitcom is reportedly going to be called "Afterlife," and it's about an atheist who ends up dying and going to Heaven.
Gervais, of course, is a noted non-believer, even penning an atheism-themed editorial (and answering reader questions) for the New York Times last year.
Philips and Gervais are planning on filming the pilot, which has been written, early next year according to The Hollywood Reporter.