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School officials said affected areas of the school were cleaned with two round of disinfectant after a night school student was found to have MRSA.
The latest report of MRSA has surfaced at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. The antibiotic-resistant skin infection, MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is becoming more common among members of the community, particularly high school athletes. On Tuesday, a parent notified the school of a student's infection, according to nurse leader Marie Fahey. The school then notified parents through a letter sent home with students that day. The B-R student's reported MRSA infection was not found on an athlete, but a student who takes evening classes at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. School district Superintendent George Guasconi said the two rooms where the student has access in the evening have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected twice. "We realize that based on the information out there we may have responded with overkill, but we didn't want to leave any chance at all," he said. The rest of the building is routinely disinfected with a "neutral disinfectant," that is dissolved in "pre-measured" containers, to avoid the risk of the cleaner becoming diluted or ineffective, Guasconi said. It's common practice to have every bathroom disinfected every night, he said, and extra precautions are now being taken to disinfect all doorknobs and stairway handrails. Cases of MRSA have recently been reported in high schools in Taunton, Wareham, Southeastern Regional in Easton, Silver Lake in Kingston, which had two cases, and in Abington, which was diagnosed as impetigo, an infection often caused by MRSA. Dr. Fred Kern, a member of the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School Committee who is also a pediatrician, said he has seen more cases in young children than in school athletes. "It's not just a school phenomenon. It's a public health phenomenon. We have seen many cases in our medical practice," he said. Kern added that he felt administration responded appropriately. "We don't want the public to be overly concerned," he said, but noted that anyone with a skin infection in which boils begin to emerge should see a doctor. Symptoms of MRSA are pimples, rashes, pus-filled boils, especially when warm, painful, red or swollen, according to information from the Department of Public Health. Treatment of the infection, which rarely responds to antibiotics, includes keeping open wounds clean and covered. "Prevention is really the key," said Donna Rheume, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Good hygiene, especially hand washing, is the best prevention, she said. Last year the Centers for Disease Control estimated 2,500 cases of MRSA were reported in Massachusetts, about 500 of which were fatal. Of the fatalities, 90 percent occurred in elderly nursing-home patients, she said. "It's extremely rare that young, healthy people die of community-acquired MRSA infections," she said. Mary Lee Pomroy, a parent of a B-R student who also works at the school, continues to wash her daughter's soccer gear every time it's used. "Just the word is scary," she said. "The fact that it's out there will make you nervous, naturally," she said, "I think they did a fine job of addressing it." Guasconi said every school in the district has a health and safety committee whose members walk its building once a week to do a health and safety check. He added that the recent reports of MRSA nationwide and throughout the region inspired him to compile information, which he was preparing to send out to parents before the students' MRSA infection was discovered. Fahey said the student, who was not identified by gender or age, is among a small number of students in the alternative high school program's evening classes. The student, who does not participate in school athletics, has returned to class after treatment and with a physician's clearance. Students with any type of rash or lesions are being referred to their school nurses, Fahey said. B-R students Kelly Meagher and Katie Ayers said Thursday that they weren't worried about it. "It's not really an outbreak. No one was really talking about it," Meagher said. Ayers said she makes a point to wash her hands, "but I don't need to carry around hand sanitizer or anything." Freshman football player Justin Berry said he wasn't worried either. "It's a nice clean school," he said. Rebecca Starcevic can be reached at email@example.com. Enterprise staff writer Elaine Allegrini contributed to this report.


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|Written by
| Michaela Muntean and
Elizabeth Clasing
|Tom Leigh
|Dalmatian Press
Elmo's Delicious Christmas is a 2005 Sesame Street storybook featuring Elmo.
On the day before Christmas, Elmo helps his mommy and Aunt Sue bake Christmas cookies. Going outside to build a snowmonster, Elmo sees his friends preparing for the holiday.
Ernie and Bert carry home a Christmas tree. Big Bird decorates his nest, and Luis decorates the Fix-It Shop. The Count counts snowflakes. Herry Monster has dressed up as Santa Claus, and rings a bell to help collect toys and food for needy families.
Elmo is shocked to discover that Oscar the Grouch doesn't like Christmas, calling it "the worst time of year for Grouches." Elmo decides that he'll teach Oscar to like Christmas. He enlists the help of his friends, and Aunt Sue helps him make special cookies for Oscar.
The group assembles at Oscar's trash can. Bert and Ernie bring Oscar a bedgraggled little tree, decorated with tin cans and bits of orange peel. Big Bird suggests that Oscar have Grundgetta come over to visit. Herry asks if Oscar has anything to donate to families who need help, and Oscar gives up a red and white striped tie -- it's too new, and doesn't even have any moth holes and he wouldn't want Grundgetta to see it. The Count counts Oscar's friends, and Elmo gives Oscar his special creation -- a dozen sardine cookies with squishy icing.
Won over by the holiday spirit, Oscar joins in as the friends sing Christmas carols.
This book was originally published in 1990 as A Grouch's Christmas, written by Michaela Muntean and illustrated by Tom Leigh. It was reprinted in 2005 by Dalmatian Press as Elmo's Delicious Christmas. Dalmatian issued another reprint in 2007, with altered credits: "Written by Michaela Muntean and Elizabeth Clasing". (ISBN 1403737533)
The text says that "Elmo couldn't believe his ears" when Oscar proclaims that he hates Christmas; Elmo even lifts the flaps on his winter hat and asks, "Would you please say that again, Oscar?" Elmo must have a short memory -- Oscar has registered his dislike for the holiday on several occasions, including the 1978 special Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, when he sings "I Hate Christmas". Oscar's feelings about Christmas are also established in two other specials -- A Special Sesame Street Christmas (1978) and A Sesame Street Christmas Carol (2006).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Property Details
- Price:$9,600
- Down Payment:$960
- Interest Rate:10%
- Term:60 Months
- Monthly Payment:$184
- Type:Lakeview
- Electric:Yes
- Water:Yes
- Address:Cedar Lake Plat 5H Lot 16
- City:Bonne Terre
- State:MO
How Much Do Lots Cost?
Lots range from $3000 up to $20,000 in general. The good news is you OWN the land you are buying and the value of the land is protected by a set of restrictions covenants that go with each deeded tract.
Can I Boat, Ski, and ride Jet Skis?
Sorry, but we do not allow gas motors on the lake, just trolling motors. Our lake is peaceful, quiet, and we want to keep it that way.
I hear a lot of bad things about lakes – Is Cedar Lake safe?
Yes. We DO NOT tolerate drug use, abuse of the property, excessive noise, etc. Unlike some of the other lakes you hear about, we maintain our property and the rules that come with it. Our goal is to make sure you and your kids can enjoy time here year round.
Are there annual dues I have to pay?
Yes. The reason we do charge annual dues is for maintenance of the property. We consistently clean the restrooms, clean the beaches, stock the lake, fix the roads, and so forth. This costs money. The residents all pitch in on an annual basis to fund the lake's maintenance budget. But don't worry, our dues are extremely affordable compared to other lakes in Missouri.
Do I have to own a lot to use the lake and the facilities?
Yes. We are a private community and only residents and their friends can camp, fish, and swim here.
Can I buy a lot using my credit card for payments?
YES! We can setup an automatic payment plan for you. You can pay your lot off over time, often times for about the same amount you pay to store your RV somewhere! It really is that affordable.
Can I use my Four Wheeler / ATV there?
We don't allow four wheelers or ATV's simply because we want to keep things safe, calm, and relaxed here.


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The Kappa Sigma fraternity at Duke University has stirred up controversy with a party called "Asia Prime," sparking protests by outraged students. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports from Durham, N.C.
Updated at 6:33 p.m. ET: The Duke University fraternity that threw a "racist rager" party last week featuring racial stereotypes of Asians has been suspended by its national headquarters.
The national office of Kappa Sigma said in a statement Wednesday that it was investigating last Friday's party for possible conduct unbecoming a chapter. It told its chapter in Durham, N.C., to shut down all activities pending completion of the investigation and a decision on punishment.
In a message to Kappa Sigma members nationwide, Christian Nascimento, the fraternity's "worthy grand master," wrote Thursday:
The Kappa Sigma Fraternity is a diverse group of men, with members from all walks of life. We celebrate this diversity, as it is one of the things that makes our Order so strong. The actions taken in association with the event in question are inconsistent with our values. I personally condemn that type of behavior.
An estimated 250 to 300 people gathered on campus Wednesday to protest the party, which was promoted through fliers and email messages that included stereotyped Asian spellings like "herro" and "peopre" and cartoonish images of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. It was promoted on Twitter with the hashtag #RacistRager.
Katherine Zhang, a senior and co-president of Duke's Asian American Alliance, read a statement at the rally declaring, "When you wrote, 'Herro Duke,' you were not just mocking an accent. You were mocking an immigrant's struggle to make it in this nation."
The fraternity declined NBC News' request for comment, but at a campus forum Wednesday night, its president, Luke Keohane, said, "Our actions were inexcusable," according to a report in the campus paper, The Chronicle.
The party threw the Duke University campus into turmoil. Jonathan Carlson of NBC station WNCN reports.
"We're not here because we want to defend ourselves," he said. "We're here because we want to learn."
It's not the first time the Duke chapter has been in trouble. It returned to campus only last year after having been dissolved in 2002 amid a misconduct investigation.
While the national fraternity has already suspended the Duke chapter, the university itself is holding off on any action.
"At the moment, we're not aware of any overt violations," Larry Moneta, Duke's vice president for student affairs, told NBC News. "Acting boorish and foolish is not in and of itself a violation."
Follow M. Alex Johnson on Twitter and Facebook.
Watch the top videos on NBCNews.com


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I'm interested in hearing some of the ways that you may use to help others understand science!
Being able to offer creative ways to present information, I believe, is the corner-stone of good teaching.
I'm hoping everyone can share a creative presentation, story, science experiment, etc, that will inspire students and the science educating community.
Thanks, and looking forward to reading your ideas!
Edited by Dave Mason, 05 April 2012 - 07:19 AM.


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NORFOLK — Bill Maher prefers his comedy fresh.
That doesn't go just for his topical weekly talk show, "Real Time" on HBO. It's true for his live stand-up performances as well. Maher, who plays Chrysler Hall in Norfolk on Saturday night, says he frequently is still working on new, timely material right up until it's time to go on stage.
"That's the difference between music and comedy," Maher said in a phone interview from Los Angeles last week. "With a musical show, people want to hear what they're most familiar with. If you go to see the Eagles and they don't play 'Hotel California,' you're upset – even though you've heard it 1,000 times.
"With comedy, it doesn't really work like that. There are certain routines that I always try to do because people ask for them, but I try to incorporate them with the news. There's always something happening to comment on, and that keeps it fresh."
Maher, 57, shudders at the thought of the alternative.
"I'd hate to be one of those observational comedians who has to look in his sock drawer and come up with something clever to say about it," he said.
Two decades ago, with his late-night talk show "Politically Incorrect," Maher helped to pioneer a genre of straight-from-the-headlines comedy in which the humor was (a.) as current as the evening newscast, and (b.) explicitly political. The success of that show helped open doors for other incisive comics such as Dennis Miller and Jon Stewart.
Before "Politically Incorrect," Maher notes, comedians on television were warned to keep their political views to themselves. It was OK for Johnny Carson or David Letterman to make jokes at the expense of politicians, but nothing that actually betrayed a strong opinion on a hot-button topic.
"Back then, the belief was that if you expressed your political views you would immediately alienate half of your audience," Maher said. "I challenged that. I said, 'I bet I can express my views, and even if viewers don't agree, they can take it.' If the show is good, people will watch even if they don't agree with everything I say."
One person who has been disagreeing lately is Donald Trump, who is currently pursuing a lawsuit trying to force Maher to make good on a facetious offer. Last year, the real estate billionaire said he would give $5 million to charity if President Obama released his college transcripts and passport records; in response, Maher suggested to Jay Leno that he would donate $5 million to charity if Trump could offer proof that his birth was not the result of "his mother having sex with an orangutan." Trump subsequently produced a birth certificate and is trying to force Maher to make the donation.
"The cynical view would be to say that he picks these fights to drum up publicity for his stupid reality show," Maher said. "He's got a lot of feuds going with a lot of different people. Any time anyone says anything about him, he gets angry and breaks out the hyperbole. He's passed over the line and left reality. He's in Lindsay Lohan territory."
Maher joked that the lawsuit will go all the way to the Supreme Court. Asked if the future composition of the high court could affect the outcome, Maher replied, "Carrie Underwood could be Chief Justice and she would still know enough to throw this one out."
In nine years on "Politically Incorrect" and now 10 years on "Real Time," Maher has specialized in smart – and often controversial – humor, as well as conversations and interviews that avoid standard talking points and actually cut to the heart of issues.
It's a style that Maher traces back to his childhood in New York. His father was a radio broadcaster back in the day when every station stopped its formatted programming at the top of the hour to deliver five minutes of news.
"What I do now is very much the culmination of my father's influence," Maher said. "He was a funny guy. He wasn't a comedian, but he was a living room comedian. My parents talked about politics at the dinner table, and they brought the kids into that discussion."
Maher talks with pride about a collection of stopwatches that his father gave him – timepieces that he used to make sure his top-of-the-hour newscasts were precisely timed.
"I wish he had lived to see the career that I've had," Maher said. "He died the year before I started 'Politically Incorrect.' He saw the first part of my career, when I was in comedy and on 'The Tonight Show.' But he didn't get to see what I've done for the past 20 years, and I think he would have liked that."
Who: Comedian Bill Maher
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 2
Where: Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Tickets: $49-$75, available at the box office and through Ticketmaster
Information: (757) 664-6464


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The Pursuit of Happiness
By Keith Davis
It's a right guaranteed to us by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence. But is happiness a choice? Can we choose to be happy any more than we can choose to be rich, healthy, or born in a certain country?
We consulted with a number of experts, both faculty and alumni, and the answers were split.
"No," said economics professor Elia Kacapyr, who studies and compares the happiness levels among countries. "Yes and no," said psychologist Douglas Ramm '72, who, through clinical observation and statistical analysis, has developed The Formula for Happiness. "Yes, but," said associate professor of writing Cory Brown, who has studied the development of happiness through 5,000 years of literature. Seconding Brown is Dick Schissel, chair of the graduate program in speech-language pathology and audiology who established a clinical hypnosis practice to help his clients improve their quality of life.
View interviews with alumni and students on happiness:
According to Cory Brown, the notion of happiness starts with Shakespeare.
"Before the Renaissance [about 1300–1600], happiness was simply the absence of misery," said Brown, who recently designed and taught an honors seminar titled The Pursuit of Happiness. "If you weren't starving or destitute, you were, by default, happy, and you could thank your lucky stars."
In the semester-long seminar, Brown and his students examined how happiness has been expressed throughout history, from the epic poetry of ancient Mesopotamia to Greek philosophers and medieval dramatists to the current Dalai Lama.
"The goal was to explore the psychological and historical forces that created our beliefs about what makes us happy and how those beliefs influence our behaviors," said Brown. What he and his students discovered was that around 1600, we started viewing happiness differently.
"Because of advances in science, achievements in art, and not least of all, the beginnings of a middle class, we started to give ourselves more credit for our accomplishments," Brown said. "We also began seeing ourselves more deserving of happiness here on earth. Why wait for things to improve in a glorious afterlife? That was the beginning of modernity because it introduced the notion that there's more to happiness than the absence of misery. It opened possibilities."
The first great articulation of the notion that we deserve to be happy, said Brown, was Hamlet, written in 1601. It was the title character, after all, who said, "What a piece of work is a man…how infinite in faculties…in apprehension how like a god."
Yet, despite such supreme self-confidence, Hamlet spent the better part of five hours on center stage stewing about which of his many options would enhance his quality of life.
"The modern spirit of humanism that puts us at the center of the universe opens our horizons," said Brown. "But it also leads us to ask, 'If I'm so special, how come I'm not richer? If I'm so unique, why don't I have a bigger house?'"
It shouldn't be surprising that we often think of happiness in terms of material gain. That notion, too, comes from the 1600s.
"Our sense of the possibility of happiness rose directly with the rise of the middle class, which began with the Renaissance," said Brown. "A middle-class income assures you a relative level of happiness, all other things being equal."
Research shows, though, that money can take you only so far. According to a study by Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert, Americans earning $50,000 a year are a lot happier than those making an annual salary of $10,000, but Americans pulling in $5 million a year aren't much happier than those making $100,000.
"Money smooths the way, but it's not the be-all and end-all," said Elia Kacapyr, professor and chair of economics. "Suppose cars belonging to someone earning a high income and someone earning a low income break down. The high-income person pulls out his cell phone, gets his car towed to a garage, and takes a taxi to work. A lower income person may not have a cell phone, which would make it harder to get a quick tow—or to get the car back to the driveway because towing and repair costs might be out of the question. That would mean time away from work, which could result in docked pay. A breakdown for that person is a major hardship not just a kink in his day."
Based on that scenario, you'd assume the person with the higher income would be a lot happier.
"But when that person gets to the office, maybe he's confronted with a ton of work, and that constitutes a new set of anxieties," Kacapyr said. "At that point, that person is no happier after his car broke down than the lower income person."
"Economics isn't about money," he said. "It's about studying human behavior and the ways people make the most out of what they've got. Income isn't the only resource contributing to a high quality of life. Economists approach happiness on a macro scale. What resources make people in certain countries happy, we ask, and why are the people in some countries happier than those in others?"
In a 2008 study, Kacapyr investigated the social, economic, and cultural factors that affected satisfaction with life in 63 countries. The intent was to determine the extent to which self-reported satisfaction with life truly reflects well-being.
First the researchers asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with life on a scale of 1 to 10. The responses were then correlated with variables such as divorce, inflation, and death rates; economic freedom index; percent of the population believing in a higher power; life expectancy; degree of political freedom; and war. The study found that the people in nations with better health (as measured by life expectancy), more spirituality (as measured by the percent of the population that believes in God), and more gender equality (as measured by the female to male wage ratio) are generally more satisfied with life.
"Respondents in former Soviet-bloc countries reported surprisingly low levels of happiness with life, given their circumstances, while Latin Americans reported higher-than-expected levels of happiness, given their circumstances," Kacapyr said. The countries with the highest happiness ratings? Denmark and Switzerland.
"People are born into cultures that can predetermine their levels of happiness, so in that sense, happiness isn't a choice," Kacapyr said. "People are also born into the political and economic structures that control the variables that determine well-being—although you could argue that they could work to change that. But happiness isn't an individual choice."
Kacapyr acknowledges that economists and psychologists have different perspectives on happiness in large part because psychologists investigate the happiness of individuals, not nations. Referring to the work of Dan Gilbert, however, Kacapyr maintains that even on a micro level, choices for happiness are limited.
"Gilbert shows that people who suffer disasters, such as earthquakes, and lose most of their material possessions quickly return to their baseline happiness levels," Kacapyr said. "And on the positive side, after making a choice to pursue a course they think will make them happy, people adapt to their new conditions and return to a happiness level that seems predetermined. For example, we know from solid research and our own previous experiences that the new iPad is not going to change our happiness level for long, but we can't help trying yet one more time to buy happiness. We aren't in control in this arena, and happiness is not a choice."
Yet when people buy iPads, they strengthen their country's economy, which leads to a higher standard of living, which, according to macro studies, significantly enhances the sense of well-being for the people of a country as a whole.
A few years ago, Douglas Ramm '72, a clinical psychologist in Pittsburgh, decided to investigate what brought unhappy people into his practice.
What was missing in the life of a client anxious and restless about turning 40? A teenager dealing with an unwanted pregnancy? A wife conflicted about ending her extramarital affair?
"Many of the people who come to see me are unhappy as a result of something they did or failed to do," said Ramm. "At the same time, those decisions are made in the context of that person's circumstances. Someone born into poverty, for example, may be less likely to have support from their parents, financial security, and the opportunities for higher education than someone born into the middle class. So—is happiness a choice? Yes and no."
Does that mean there's no way for unhappy people to improve their well-being? To find out, Ramm investigated the relationship between voluntary behavior and the quality of life. Examining 100 case histories drawn from his clinical population, he identified seven types of behavior that undermine a person's happiness and six basic principles for making choices that allow people to become and remain happy. Published in New Ideas in Psychology in 1996, Ramm's findings formed the basis of what he would call The Formula for Happiness, which he published in book form in 2004.
"Contentment with living is an emotional state determined by how we are situated in respect to certain things, people, and events we encounter in the course of daily living," Ramm said. "Because some circumstances of our lives have natural or intrinsic worth, they are referred to as values. And since these values are the ones that make a difference in a person's quality of life, I call them core values."
Ramm's Formula for Happiness identifies 10 values, which he calls the Matrix of Core Values. His study indicated a high degree of correlation between the core values and an individual's reported level of happiness. Based on this study, Ramm has developed a way of measuring happiness that he says is as accurate as an IQ test.
For example, a nurse in her 50s complaining of depression was assessed with high job satisfaction but was dissatisfied with her salary. Her values profile also showed low ratings in intimacy (her second child had just moved away), recreation, and health (she was dissatisfied with her weight). In response, she started an exercise program and took a part-time job, which increased her income but left her even less time for recreation.
"Just because something looks like it will make us happy, we have to consider how that impacts the totality of our core values," Ramm said. "Being aware of how core values can maximize their quality of life enables people to identify goals and develop plans of action that can enhance overall happiness."
Ramm has conducted workshops for the Pennsylvania Association of Parole, Probation, and Correction Officers and the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. In addition to using The Formula for Happiness with his clients, Ramm's systematic approach has been incorporated into secondary school systems as well as intervention programs for troubled youths.
"The goal is to show young people how making decisions based on principles can make their lives better."
But suppose a person's circumstances seem hopeless? Can someone suffering from chronic pain still make decisions that will make them happy?
"In my model, health is a core value and has to be considered in relation to the other nine," Ramm said. "But if you can find a way to divert your attention away from your pain, you've enhanced your quality of life. One way to do that is through hypnosis. Other than drugs and surgery, it's one of the few psychological interventions that can work for sufferers of chronic pain."
While Dick Schissel doesn't think of his role as bringing happiness to his patients, he says he helps remove the obstacles that stand in their way. Schissel, a professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at IC, also operates a private clinical hypnosis practice in downtown Ithaca that specializes in pain management, stress relief, and smoking cessation.
"By the time my clients get to me, they've tried a lot of other avenues to solve their problems and in many cases have lost faith in them," Schissel said. "I'm their last resort."
When they arrive, he added, the conversation isn't about happiness.
"When I ask my clients how I can help them, they tell me they want to significantly reduce their chronic pain, or lose 20 pounds, or stop smoking, or increase their concentration so that they can improve their golf game."
He says he sees a lot of varsity athletes and people who want to overcome their fear of spiders or of heights.
"If I can help them do that, their quality of life is improved, and from that I infer that they have increased their level of happiness," he said.
Schissel starts by focusing on the changes his clients want to make. Speaking softly, making suggestions (such as "you're walking through a silent forest," or "you're on a beach and all you hear is the surf"), his goal is to bring the client into a trance where the noisy conscious mind gives way to the undistracted subconscious. When they get to that state, Schissel gives them suggestions for the positive changes they want to make.
"The conscious mind might reject the suggestions as too simplistic, too hard, already tried, but the subconscious freely accepts them," he said.
"When they come out of the trance, they feel like they've been asleep. Then, when those spiders cross their paths or they feel a craving for cigarettes, they'll be able to go to that quiet place, focus on the subconscious suggestions, and make the beneficial choice."
Schissel doesn't keep data on his success rates, but the client feedback he receives is "very good." A big reason for that, he said, is that people who seek the services of a hypnotist tend to identify with a spiritual path.
"My clients may not be practicing any organized religion, but being spiritually oriented leads them to be more contemplative. They're not focused on control, and that allows them to trance better," he said.
Contemplative people also have a greater sense of gratitude for what they have right now, Schissel added. That ability to appreciate each moment is a major step toward happiness.
"The stock in trade of a hypnotist centers on belief, faith, hope, and expectation," he added. "If you can help people believe they can change things and accomplish what they set out to do, you've led them to a good outcome."
Does that mean, then, that happiness is a choice?
"I think it is," Schissel said. "But I have to qualify that."
For example, people with similar dispositions toward happiness may not enjoy similar circumstances.
"When I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I happened to have had a friend who is a physician and has contacts within the health care system," Schissel said. "Because I had an advocate, I assumed I'd be entering the system at a higher level and receiving a different kind of care than a person entering the system without those kinds of connections. Not only did I expect to get better care, I also had a greater degree of confidence that my course of treatment would be successful because I felt I was in good hands. I expected a positive outcome. That made me happy."
What happens, though, when a person's been through all the treatment options and is still profoundly suffering? That brings us back to chronic pain.
"Suppose my client says, 'I'm up to 800 milligrams of Vicodin a day, I'm still in constant pain, but I need a way to get through my factory shift because I have to feed my family.' I may not be able to make that person's pain vanish, but if I can help him work toward ways of reacting differently, so he's not cursing his fate, he might be able to realize how satisfactory other things are in his life. Good relationships with his family, for example."
In his book, Stumbling on Happiness, Dan Gilbert asks, Is a person happier after winning the lottery or after becoming a paraplegic? Gilbert then cites studies that show a year after the event that self-reported happiness levels for lottery winners are the same for people who have been partially paralyzed.
"Human beings have a psychological immune system that enables them to envision a world better than the one in which they find themselves," Gilbert said.
What's interesting, he added, is that, over time, our psychological immune systems work better on major negative events (death of a spouse) than on small ones (fender bender). In his book, Gilbert cites a study that showed lovers are quicker to forgive their partners for infidelity than for leaving dishes in the sink. In terms of happiness, our cognitive wiring handles tragedies better than hassles. Then, does it all come down to sweating—or not sweating—the small stuff? To counting—or not counting—our blessings?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below and take the happiness inventory.
View Images of Happiness slideshow:
1 Comment
Very interesting study. So people tend to quickly revert to their median happiness level soon after any momentary variation. Sounds like happiness is a habit which isn't going to change significantly unless specifically retrained.


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|Schuler's Restaurant
Welcoming Guests Since 1909!
This summer, instead of taking to the skies for our vacation time, we've decided to stick close to home and discover what's around us. Last weekend we took a drive to Marshall (Michigan). It's not all that far from us, and what a gem of a find we found there in the name of Schuler's restaurant! First and foremost, it has been open and serving patrons since 1909. You know when an establishment has been popular for over an entire century, that it's got to be worth trying.
Fun fact: after trying the restaurant, and raving about how wonderful it was to my in-laws, my Mother-in-Law told me it was where her and her husband of 53 years went on their prom date, many moons ago when they were still in high school.
|The entrance area is full of charm!
No idea who is hiding under that pillow. ;)
|The many items for sale in the entryway take on a
whole new level of interest once you've sampled the declicious items from the menu.
There are also items like home-baked goods (including cookies, yum!), jam, coffee, and Schuler's memorabilia for sale in the seating area. These items take on a whole new level of interest once you've tasted how delicious the selections are on the menu.
There are a good number of photographs along the many walls inside of the restaurant that showcase a sense of pride in its history. I thought the pictures lent such a wonderful touch to an already cozy environment.
|I love the sayings all along the tops of the walls,
and the large pictures on display in the main dining area.
The ambiance everywhere you turn is very welcoming. Of course, what really matters in a restaurant is the service and the food, and in those areas Schuler's did not disappoint.
Our server was most excellent at her job, from the beginning of the meal until it was time to leave. She made us feel most welcome, including our little one who is a little shy with people he doesn't know. And the establishment is very large, so you don't feel rushed to finish your meal. You can sit back and enjoy, like you're supposed to be able to do when you're out and about.
|Schuler's famous Barbeque Meatballs.
My husband liked these so much he took what was left home and had them the next day (a rarity for him).
|Being the salad lover that I am, I was happy that their salad was so busy,
busy meaning packed full of some of my most favorite veggies.
|Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli
House-made basil sauce with roasted vegetables and Parmesan
|London Broil
Flank marinated in soy, ginger, and apple juice, button mushrooms
|He was loving that milkshake!
|But I think he loved the build-your-own ice cream
that came with the children's meal even more. ;)
|The Signature Pecan Ball is vanilla bean ice cream rolled in
roasted sweet pecans and served with hot fudge.
We'll be returning to Schuler's, and I for one can't wait. What a gem of a find in our very own area to come across!! Oh yes it is going to be a fun summer of exploring new places that are close by (within comfortable driving distance) this summer.
You can learn more about Schuler's by visiting their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.


text:
A lot of free Mac Keylogger user will be happy when they find and download Free Mac Keylogger, but finally they become disappointed because what is called free Mac Keylogger is far from the word "free". In fact, there is no easy-to-use free Mac Keylogger software so far.
Be Careful to The Free Mac Keylogger
In point of fact, most of the free Mac spy software are only free for download but not free for use. The great mass of this information comes from download websites. Before you download, you may need to check whether it is freeware or shareware. But the answer turns out to be shareware in most cases.
Another possibility is that the so-called Free Mac Keyloggers are free trials. You can download them for free and use it on your Mac for a period of time and then it expires. Only a few Mac Keylogger vendors like Aobo Mac Keylogger provide free trial.
You may download something that does harm to your Mac when you search for keylogger for Mac too. Some malicious websites are likely to embed virus into free stuff and prevail on keylogger users to download. Once you run these "free keyloggers" your Mac will get dangerous.
There is also a chance that what you download is free Mac spy app with limited features and complicated operation. There is only one free Mac Keylogger which is abandoned by its developer. After you install it, you will be unable to find and operate the keylogger in normal ways and the uninstallation is not promising.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, especially when there is room for benefiting. Be careful to the free Mac Keyloggers as they may bring you unexpected troubles.


text:
- Prayer and Worship
- Beliefs and Teachings
- Issues and Action
- Media
- Bible
- Catholic Giving
- About USCCB
In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. — Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, No. 13.
In an era when more and more people worldwide are gaining the right to vote, fewer Americans take advantage of this right. In the November 2012 elections, only 64 percent of eligible voters went to the polls.
Catholic social teaching strongly promotes active citizenship. Through our opportunities as citizens, we can help shape a world more committed to protecting human life and dignity and promoting justice and peace. In their statement Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the bishops state, "In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation" (No. 13).
The following ideas and suggestions are designed to help parishes promote civic responsibility by offering non-partisan voter education rooted in the values of the Scriptures and Catholic teaching. They are intended to be adapted to the unique needs and opportunities of each parish community. The USCCB Office of General Counsel (202-541-3300) provides detailed guidance on what is allowed and not allowed under the law.
A key task of social concerns and pro-life committees is to help parishioners understand how the lessons of Scripture and the teaching of the Church provide guidance for the many issues facing our communities, nation and world. This task should be carried out year in and year out, but it is especially important during the year leading up to a major election. If, well in advance of the election, opportunities exist for parishioners to learn about the principles of Catholic social teaching and how these principles have been applied to important issues, it will be much easier for them to use their faith as their guide for political choices.
The best parish non-partisan voter education campaigns will include the following three distinct steps. To avoid the appearance of partisanship and to avoid violating laws regarding political activities, it is critical that these three steps not be undertaken simultaneously. It is essential to obtain approval from your diocesan attorney before using any voter education materials provided by groups other than your diocese, your state Catholic conference, or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
1. Step One: Education about how Scripture and Catholic social teaching can provide a framework of values that can be used to assess candidates, parties, and issues.
Include an excerpt from Catholic social teaching in each bulletin so that parishioners become familiar over time with its key themes and principles. See the bulletin quotes at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
Hold a Scripture reflection session when participants can discuss lessons from the Scripture and how they can be applied to our world. Possible Scripture passages for consideration include:Dt 30:19
Psalm 139: 13-14
Dt 24:17-22
Zec 7:9-10
Lk 10:25-37
Jer 22:16
Mt 25:31-46
Jas 2:14-17
Lk 4:18
Distribute the cards with seven key themes from Catholic social teaching (Themes from Catholic Social Teaching) at all Masses one Sunday.
Host a discussion session on Catholic social teaching using the Themes from Sharing Catholic Social Teaching cards, and CST101 video series by USCCB and Catholic Relief Services.
Sponsor an adult education session using the discussion questions and session outlines at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
Distribute the parish bulletin version of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship at all Masses one Sunday.
Encourage small faith communities and other parish organizations to use the strategies above to study Catholic social teaching and the bishops' statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.
Your diocesan staff for social action, pro-life, and education, as well as your state Catholic conference, can provide assistance and ideas about speakers.
2. Step Two: An independent voter registration drive at a time consistent with your state's elections laws.
See the suggestions below for strategies and important legal considerations.
3. Step Three: Shortly before the election, an independent voter education effort involving candidate surveys and other information approved by your diocesan attorney or state Catholic conference.
Contact your diocesan staff for social action, pro-life, education, and others, as well as your state Catholic conference, to see if they have conducted a survey of candidates.
Bulletin Insert
The weekend before the election:
Faithful Citizenship
"In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. . . The obligation to participate in political life is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do." -- Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, No. 13
Next Tuesday, November 8, 2016, the national and local elections will be held. We urge all parishioners to exercise their right and responsibility to vote.
Why Non-partisan Parish Voter Registration Drives Are Important
Non-partisan voter registration drives are excellent opportunities to educate parishioners about the Church's teaching regarding the importance of civic responsibility and active citizenship. Not only will you register those who are unregistered, but you will communicate the importance of voting to all other parish members who are present at the Mass or the meeting where the drive is conducted. Even if you only register a few voters, the message will reach many more.
Parishes are among the few institutions that can reach groups notably under-registered or under-represented in the political process:
Low-Income People: According to the U. S. Census Bureau, in 2012 only 50 percent of eligible voters whose families made under $20,000 per year actually voted, compared to 64 percent of all eligible voters.
Racial and Ethnic Minorities: African Americans, Hispanics, and other racial and ethnic minorities have historically had voter participation rates significantly below the national average. In 2012, Non-Hispanic Whites (64 percent) and African Americans (66 percent) had the highest levels of voter turnout. However, voting rates for eligible Asians and Hispanics were only 47 percent and 48 percent, respectively. The National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry endorses a program of awareness of Christian responsibility and a national campaign for voter registration. The National Black Catholic Pastoral Plan calls for parishes to develop a sense of social consciousness and to advocate for social change and social development, which could include parish-based voter registration.
New Citizens, Immigrants, and Refugees: New citizens are often anxious to exercise their voting rights but are confused about the process. A parish voter registration campaign can help educate them about when and where they can vote. It can also present an opportunity to identify those who wish to become citizens. They can then be referred to your diocesan office for immigrants and refugees, which is often associated with Catholic Charities.
Youth: Young people vote at a low rate compared to the rest of the adult population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2012 only 41 percent of all eligible young people between the ages of 18 and 24 voted, compared to 64 percent of all eligible voters.
Women: While women are now registering and voting in larger numbers, they are still under-represented in the political process.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2012
Two weeks—and again one week—prior to the drive:
Voter Registration
____________ Parish will be conducting a non-partisan voter registration drive after all Masses on Saturday and Sunday,___________. As our bishops remind us, "In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation" Faithful Citizenship, No. 13. We urge you to register and vote in the upcoming election. There will be tables at each exit with registration cards. If you are not registered or have moved recently, please take time to register.
The day of the drive:
Voter Registration
Today we are conducting a non-partisan voter registration drive. Forms are available on tables at each exit. If you are not registered, please stop and fill out one of the registration forms. As Catholics, we have an obligation to promote the common good by exercising our right to vote. We urge you to register today.
Vote, and the choice is yours.
Don't vote, and the choice is theirs.
Register, or you have no choice!
By accepting this message, you will be leaving the website of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This link is provided
solely for the user's convenience. By providing this link, the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops assumes no responsibility for,
nor does it necessarily endorse, the website, its content, or
sponsoring organizations.


text:
Nokia has re-iterated that it's still on track to release upgrades to its two mobile operating systems - Maemo and Symbian, according to Michael Hsu, General Manager of Nokia Taiwan.
Symbian^3 is coming first in a few months, which will bring cool upgrades like faster scolling, multiple home screens, a cleaner interface and multi-touch support to devices.
It will also help push Nokia into the smartphone territory being explored by Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung, by allowing support for HDMI out and large HD files too.
Symbian to the next level - and the next
Symbian^4 is set to debut to developers at the tail end of this year, with phones based on it coming in 2011. This will feature even better UI options, with nicer photo galleries, cleaner interfaces and improved control panels.
Maemo 6 (the successor of Maemo 5, used on the N900), will also be used later this year, likely in the second half for a UK release.
Not much is known about this release, other than it will have a portrait mode, support multi-touch and work on capacitive screens (which Apple and Google have been playing around with for years already).
Via Digitimes


text:
It feels weird writing about current stuff while everyone is so gung-ho about Cataclysm. Me, I don't really care about Cataclysm. I would if I were in the beta, but I'm not. Nor do I care enough to try to get a beta key. (I am on the PTR but it's ugly and funny looking and scary and overwhelming)
Besides, after discussing it with a few people, I came to the following conclusions:
– With the game being in a lull, a lot of people are playing alts.
– Just because Cataclysm is coming out in about a month in a half is no excuse to be playing badly now.
So today's topic: Hand of Protection (HoP, or BoP after it's former name, Blessing of Protection).
And according to MMO-Champion, this is a spell we'll keep in Cataclysm so no writing off this post as ancient history museum content!
The Scenario
During ICC trash a few nights ago, we had a couple of mobs come up on us from behind and started chomping on a healing priest and a warlock. I slapped the priest with my Hand of Protection and the warlock died.
The question: We had 3 other paladins in the raid, one of which was a fellow holy paladin. Why didn't anyone HoP the warlock?
Hypothesis 1: Maybe they don't understand how Hand of Protection works
Hand of Protection protects the target from all physical damage for 10 seconds. It'll also drop aggro from the target since the mob thinks to itself: "Oh, I can't eat this guy (or girl – mobs are very politically correct), I guess I'll go eat this other guy (or girl)."
Another thing to note is that someone under the influence of HoP can't do any physical damage either. So unless you absolutely must save a melee dps or a hunter (or you just want to be annoying), save your HoP for casters. Note that in dire circumstances (for example, you have a massive crush on the ret pally and want to impress them with your life saving skills) an aggro breaking HoP can be quickly followed by a Hand of Freedom, allowing the melee player to resume dps as soon as the mobs get off their face. (Thank you Mally and Daniel.)
The aggro dropping and no doing physical damage things are the reason you shouldn't ever HoP someone who's currently tanking (with a few exceptions that I'll get into later).
Note that HoP is useless against magic damage, so it won't help a target being roasted by a caster.
Hypothesis 2: They don't know when to use Hand of Protection
To make an informed decision concerning your Hand of Protection usage, you will need the following:
– Knowledge of the physical damageness mobs you're facing (you can tell which are physical damage mobs by the way they eat the faces of their victims as opposed to melting said faces)
– Raid frames with aggro warnings turned on.
ICC has very few boss fights that involve physical damage adds. With the exception of Lady Deathwhisper and Gunship (and Dreamwalker for non portal paladins), you'll mostly be using HoP during trash. I usually use mine during the trash before Marrowgar and for the Valks after Saurfang.
On 25 man Lady Deathwhisper, you'll want to use your HoP as soon as possible and keep it on cooldown since there is that chance of being mind controlled and HoPing the boss… (Thank you Daniel- funny story, the day after you left your comment, the other holy pally in my raid got MCed and HoPed the boss.)
You know to use HoP when a purple (warlock), white (priest) or light blue (mage) square on your frames lights up with an aggro warning. In some cases, a dark blue (shaman) or orange (druid) squares are also suitable targets. Just make sure it's a caster type of druid or shaman.
When a target lights up with an aggro warning, keep your eye on it. As soon as they start taking damage, BAM! Hand of Protection.
Hypothesis 3 : They're afraid of "wasting" their Hand of Protection
This could be true in certain instances.
In ICC, though, the places where you could use HoP are rather far apart. Depending on the casting paladin's spec, the cooldown on HoP is 3 to 5 minutes, nothing to worry about. I prefer to use HoP as soon as I need it. I won't know whether I'll need it again and I'd rather save someone now than let someone die now out of concern that someone might die later.
If a caster gets eaten while my HoP is on cooldown, well, tough for them.
Hypothesis 4: They might have HoPed the same target.
Ha! Wrong! This is the funky thing about HoP: it causes forbearance (not to be confused with Jong's Forbearance).
Causing forbearance means your target can't be smacked by a Hand of Protection again for the next two minutes. So if someone beats you to a target, you won't be wasting your cooldown. If you get an error message trying to HoP the priest, get that HoP on the warlock.
Hypothesis 5: They don't have an appropriate UI
(Thank you Enlynn!)
As healer, you should have your UI set up in a way that you can access your spells very quickly. Unless you have jedi reflexes (and it does happen, I've seen some), this means either mouse-over macros or use of a Clique-like system.
HoP is part of your tools and should be just as accessible as Flash of Light or Holy Light. See Fictional Question #3 for some tips on choosing a proper key binding for your HoP.
Your fictional question: Are there other uses for Hand of Protections?
Glad you asked!
While most of the time, I use my Hand of Protection for loose trash mobs or boss adds, it can also remove a bleed effect. The fight that comes to mind is Saurfang, where HoP removes the Boiling Blood debuff. On heroic, when all the paladins in the raid use their HoP on a caster or healer with Boiling Blood, it can make a pretty big difference in the fight outcome.
Your fictional question 2: I'm not a healing paladin, can I still use HoP?
It's a trainable ability, so yep.
In a raid setting, it's easiest for a holy paladin to use, but any paladin who wants to rescue a clothie in distress is free use their Hand if they can spare the global cooldown.
In 5 mans, I love, and I mean LOVE getting my HoP out as a tank. I know the trend is to let those who pull before you die, but I frequently use it to get mobs off hormonal casters. I also use it to teach impatient melee players a lesson, but, um, please don't tell anyone.
Your fictional question 3: What's this about exceptions to never using Hand of Protection on a tank?
General rule is, using Hand of Protection on a tank, even by accident is a bad, bad thing. My guildies still constantly remind me of a certain keybind mishap involving a tank and a few undesired HoPs… To prevent these embarrassing moments, make sure your HoP isn't bound to anything that would include your press-to-talk button or any buttons bound to spells frequently used on tanks.
There may be times, however, when you'll be asked to use your Hand of P on a tank. To assist in certain tank switches, for example, or to remove a bleed effect (Gormok the Impaler in ToC comes to mind). During the trash before Blood Council, a quick HoP immediately canceled by a Hand of Freedom can erase that annoying Bloodboil debuff. (Thanks Daniel!)
Different raid teams have different strategies, though, so even if you think it's a good idea to help out by HoPing a tank, I caution you to wait until you're asked. This isn't the place to take initiatives. An unsuspecting HoPed tank might not immediately realize what happened, which could throw off their next move. The tank might also have used one of their own cooldowns and your Hand will be wasted.
Your Fictional Question 4: Is Hand of Protection useful in PvP?
I confess I'm not experienced enough in PvP to give a really good answer here.
In Battlegrounds, I love it. It's great for protecting your caster buddy from annoying meleers buzzing around them. I believe, however, that it can be spellstolen by mages, dispelled by priests and purged by shaman.
In all logic, it would be useful in arena as well. All the arena junkie holy paladins I've raided with, however, never use their HoP. So I dunno.
Your Fictional Conclusion: Wow! What a fascinating spell! I promise to use Hand of Protection at all the right times! Thank you!
No, thank you.
Speaking of thanks, lets go back to the original scenario. When I used HoP on our priest that night, she thanked me. Which was very polite of her, but it sort of made me sad as well.
As a holy paladin, pulling our utility spells out of our toolbox is our job just as much as keeping Beacon up and casting Holy Light is our job. She shouldn't feel the need to thank me for a HoP anymore than thank me for casting my regular, direct heals.
But so many holy paladins don't go beyond their easiest task, then have the nerve to complain that paladin healing is boring. Of course it's boring when you're not using most of your spells!
A few weeks ago, we had a trial holy paladin bragging on our vent about how he only healed with one button. I wonder how if he knew how close to his head the Giant Spoon came…
But in conclusion, remember that, with Hand of Protection, YOU CAN save a squishy clothie TODAY! What are you waiting for?


text:
- This whole situation has a bit of entertainment value (Me and my friend Saurabh, who pointed this out to me over a cup of chai, had quite a laugh about it)
- I am not finding decent companies at decent valuations to write about! :-D
Today's Writing Products is a BSE-listed company. It has recently managed to perform a herculean task. In its September 2011 quarterly results, the company has managed to report a net loss of Rs.68 crores, on net sales of Rs.15.5 crores (seriously! there is no decimal error here). I agree that making a loss of more than 4 times your sales is rather difficult, but Today's has managed to do it.
The operating business itself has reported a loss in the quarter. But whats more interesting are the 'exceptional items' in the result..
- In September 2010, the company had an inventory of Rs.52 crores. In the September 2011 result however, the company has written off Rs.25 crores worth of inventory, citing it as 'slow moving inventory'. This has been included in the 'Consumption of raw materials' in the September 2011 results. Hmm..
- In September 2010, the company had debtors of Rs.54 crores. In the September 2011 result however, the company has written off Rs.39 crores worth of debtors 'based on continuous evaluation of overdue debtors'. Hmm hmm..
- So thats a total write-off of Rs.64 crores. (Well, the market cap of the company is Rs.7 crores!)
- Were the reported inventory numbers real? Typically, products such as Today's can go 'out of flavour' or become outdated/obsolete very fast. But the company does not write it off, thereby hiding losses. However, the inevitable large write-off materialises at one time or another. We all should remember this while analysing the Koutons and the Archies of the world.
- The bigger question..were the reported sales real? The company could not recover money from debtors, and quite a large sum, not a small one! This obviously raises doubts.


text:
G'day0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 12:12 pm
I've encountered a lot of Austrailians recently, more than usual, maybe there's been a sudden influx of Aussies into southern England? I dunno, not that I have anything against Aussies, I just seem to have met more than I usually do...the things I pick up on eh?
What else over the past week then? Oh yeah, I'm unemployed again. Damn. Finished at Ricochet on Friday, so currently looking for some more work, been applying for a few things via Production Base, but nothing's come back yet (they don't know what they're missing out on). So fingers crossed I get something before I run out of cash eh?
2nd review added to my film review blog, thinking of bigger things for it, but we'll see how that goes ;)
OOOH NEW BLOG!0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 1:53 pm
Please do, check out and subscribe to my new blog The Matte Reviews (mattereviews.blogspot.com).
Basically, I've set it up to post little reviews of the various films that I watch, as I watch a fair few and always have some sort of opinion on them ;)
And now...the end is near0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 11:01 am
Well, it had to happen at some point, my final day at Ricochet.
Not a bad stint, a little over 7 months, will I be back? I guess that's up to the powers that be within Ricochet. I've enjoyed working here, it's in a good location for me, and hey, it's pretty much what I want to be doing!
What am I going onto next? God knows!! I haven't got a job lined up, have been applying for stuff but nothing's materialised yet, so a whole load of CV sending, phone calls n stuff is coming up. I'm doing a workshop/course, run by DFG London tomorrow, should be good and another string to the bow (I hate that phrase) as it were.
So a final day of going through the papers of a morning, something which you discover many things. Not nessecarily the things you'd expect, for instance; Lots of journalists are stupid.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are many intelligent journalists (and proof readers, see example) out there, but there are also plenty of real stupid ones.
The example from today's (damn didn't note it down..who's stupid now eh!!)
Written by Stephen Castle (in Belgium), the headline "Pole held for 'MP3 murder' that shocked Belgium". Basically a guy was mugged then stabbed around 15 times I think it was "after refusing to give up his MP3 at Central Station in Brussels".
Which MP3 was it? Toxic by Britney Spears? or the latest Ricky Gervais podcast perhaps? Maybe the mugger forgot his flashdrive or didn't have bluetooth to transfer the file and got frustrated? Apologies to those of you who are a little upset at this piss take of a tragic situation, but I hope you see my point. Journalism is supposed to report the facts (i won't get started on that rather heavy issue), schoolboy mistakes like this make it sound like it was written by a senile pensioner (no offence to senile pensioners), with no grasp of modern technology.
Either that or the guy was being mugged for an MP3 :/
Happy Easter!0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 3:07 pm
And as a very special Easter gift, a couple more videos have been added to the Extreme Retail Video Archive on YouTube!!!
The Star Wars Short has been added as has Spider AARRGH!
I'm going thru the other vids that I've got to see what else I can upload. Unfortunatly the recent Extreme Retail : Season 2 Episode 3 cut that I did, seems to have vanished into the ether, so I'm gonna have to re-cut that (in Windows Movie Maker..joy :/ ) and try again. That will be the last official episode of Extreme Retail.
Boot Camp0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 7:17 pm
I have to say, I'm starting to warm to the idea of running Win XP and OS X on the same machine, which is wrong!
Initially I was like, no way! Being able to dual-boot a mac, sure it's cool, but I'd rather have a seperate PC to run Windows on, but I'm gradually being swayed. I'm currently eyeing a 20" iMac as my next computer purchase and being able to ditch my ageing 750MHz K6 PC in favour of having one computer is pretty cheers.
Plus I REALLY want Age of Empires III, which; a)isn't available for mac, and b)would cripple my PC.
I think the thing that would really swing it for me and I think could make a cool addition to Leopard would be to integrate the whole Boot Camp thing into fast user switching, THAT would be cool! w00t!
I know most people want virtualisation, which would also be pretty cool, it all depends on what u want to run. For running Windows apps that aren't available on OS X, or in a situation like at the moment, where there isn't yet a universal binary for Photoshop (et al), virtualization is fine, but full on games, if they're Windows only, it'd be easier (and probably better performace wise) to boot into Windows for them, if you can do that without completely re-booting the machine CHEERS!
Here in my car2 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 3:21 pm
Well well well, after getting on for nine years now, I have finally got back behind the wheel of a car, in this case an AA driving school Ford Focus.
Finally getting back into driving lessons (just booked a block of 10) and hopefully getting rid of the career frustrating thorn that is the lack of "Full, clean driving licence" on my CV.
I took to it surprisingly well, it is like riding a bike, you never forget (that basics at least), sure I'm not 100% comfortable in it yet, but it's a simple case of getting used to the responsiveness of the brake & gas and being comfortable again with powering this bloody great hunk of metal up and down Britain's roads.
The instructor was impressed anyway. Thinks that it shouldn't take much to get me up to the right standard again, and next week's lesson will be taking a nice drive out of town.
Let's hope I pass the bloody test this time!!!
Oh poo!0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 3:34 pm
Don't u just hate it when toilets back up and flood the bathroom, causing sever water damage to the celing of the flat below?
Yeah, me too :/
Still an eventful few days, think I've missed several phone calls which may have been possible work..damn. Had my overdraft increased to £2,250, which is just wrong! And bought a whole assortment of cool stuff, cheers :)
Right, I'm off to check the lottery numbers, I could be a millionaire and not realise!! (uhuh)
Finally0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 8:48 am
I've been working in tv since last May, and at long last I have had my first broadcast credit.
Last night, Channel 4, Selling Houses Abroad, I got my Junior Researcher credit as promised (unlike the other Selling Houses!), twas quite a good programme as well ;) followed up by Grand Designs (I didn't work on this one), which as far as I'm concerned is the don of property programmes!
Full of added coolness0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 2:34 pm
After recently browsing the Open Source Weblog, (randomly as I was checking out some of the links from the TAUW) I came across a post of theirs about a Firefox extension called Foxspose.
Simply put, cheers! Mac users out there will know the wonders of Expose in OSX, it's basically the same thing but for Firefox. At the click of a button, which I had trouble finding at first as it's down on the bottom left on the status bar instead of on the toolbar where I thought it'd be :/, it allows you to see all the open tabs in FF, handy if you've got loads and loads of tabs open, which I have done whilst researching on various things.
Basically I'm well impressed with this little (8k) extension, definitly worth getting for all Firefox users.
Is there anything that *doesn't* give you cancer?0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 2:16 pm
After spending a few weeks on development, I'm getting a much broader knowledge of what's going on in the world and it seems to me that:-
Life gives you cancer
There are a stupid number of things that are said to give you cancer (I'm wondering if there's a definitive list) and I'm wondering how this all came about, may look into the history of cancer as it's quite an intregueing subject.
Also I'm tempted to spend £1m on this lovely little town in CA, USA that's up for auction on ebay! Cheers.
AppZapper for FREE!?!?0 comments Posted by Matt Grover at 5:41 pm
What an offer! macZot! are offering, what appears to be a top notch little app (the afformentioned AppZapper), and something that I personally think OS X desperately needs, for FREE, well it will be when they get 259 blogs to link to their site.
So A) I'm giving them a link and B)I'll be angling for a copy! ;)
One of the (few) things that has bugged me since I started using OS X over a year ago now, is the lack of any sort of uninstallation (which unfortunatly Windoze has, albeit not 100% reliable, it's more than OSX has got!). Sure if you know where to look you can delete everything an app leaves behind, the same as you can with any OS, but personally I'd like an easier way! ;)
Anyway, check em out and if you have a blog, give em a link!


text:
Psych RN
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- Direct Deposit or Pay Card option
Stay updated on all of our Registered Nurse (RN) opportunities by signing up for Job Alerts!
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The OS X El Capitan v10.11.4 Update improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, and is recommended for all users.
This update:
- Adds the ability to passcode-protect notes containing personal data in Notes
- Adds the ability to sort notes alphabetically, by date created, or date modified in Notes
- Adds the ability to import Evernote files into Notes
- Adds support for sharing Live Photos between iOS and OS X via AirDrop and Messages
- Addresses an issue that may cause RAW images to open slowly in Photos
- Adds the ability for iBooks to store PDFs in iCloud, making them available across all your devices
- Fixes an issue that prevented loading Twitter t.co links in Safari
- Prevents JavaScript dialogs from blocking access to other webpages in Safari
- Fixes an issue that prevented the VIPs mailbox from working with Gmail accounts
- Fixes an issue that caused USB audio devices to disconnect
- Improves the compatibility and reliability of Apple USB-C Multiport Adapters
Enterprise content:
- Fixes an issue that could cause a black screen after logging in as the root user
- Fixes an issue that prevents using screen sharing to remotely click the Allow button or Always Allow button in Keychain Access
- Fixes an issue that prevents Migration Assistant from opening when automatic login has been disabled using a configuration profile
- Fixes an issue that prevents Mail from showing the date and time of certain Microsoft Exchange calendar events
- Provides compatibility with the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client
- Improves the reliability of connecting to a Personal Hotspot via Wi-Fi
For detailed information about the security content of this update, see Apple Security Updates.
How to update your Mac
Use the Mac App Store to install the update. It's a good idea to back up up your Mac before updating. Some updates become available only after installing other updates. You should install all available updates, and allow installation to complete without interruption. You can also get this update from the Apple Support Downloads site. You might have unexpected results if third-party OS X modifications have been installed, or you modified OS X in other ways.


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Roland Mas writes an interesting article about decentralized naming, in which he says:
Monkeysphere aims at adding a web of trust to the SSL certificates system, but the CA chain problem seems to persist (although I must admit I'm not up to speed with the actual details).
Since i'm one of the Monkeysphere developers, i figure i should respond!
Let me clarify that Monkeysphere doesn't just work in places where X.509 (the SSL certificate system) works. It works in other places too (like SSH connections). And I don't think that the CA chain problem that remains in Monkeysphere is anything like the dangerous mess that common X.509 usage has given us. I do think that at some level, people need to think about who is introducing them to other people -- visual or human-comprehensible representations of public key material are notoriously difficult to make unspoofable.
On the subject of distributed naming: OpenPGP already allows distributed naming: every participant in the WoT is allowed to assert that any given key maps to any given identity. Duplicates and disagreements can exist just fine. How an entity decides to certify another entity's ID without a consensus global namespace is a tough one, though. If i've always been known as "John Smith" to my friends, and someone else has also been known as "John Smith" to his friends, our friends aren't actually disagreeing or in conflict -- it's just that neither of us has a unique name. The trouble comes when someone new wants to find "John Smith" -- which of us should they treat as the "correct" one?
I think the right answer probably has to do with who they're actually looking for, which has to do with why they're looking for someone named "John Smith". If they're looking for John Smith because the word on the street is that John Smith is a good knitter and they need a pair of socks, they can just examine what information we each publish about ourselves, and decide on a sock-by-sock basis which of us best suits their needs.
But if they're looking for "John Smith" because their cousin said "hey, i know this guy John Smith. I think you would like to argue politics over a beer with him", then what matters is the introduction. And OpenPGP handles that just fine -- if their cousin has only ever met a single John Smith, that's the right one. If their cousin has met several John Smiths, then the searcher would do well to ask their cousin some variant of "hey, do you mean John Smith or John Smith ", or even "do you mean the John Smith who Molly has met, or the one who Charles has met?" (assuming that Molly and Charles have each only certified one John Smith in common with the cousin, and not the same one as each other), or to get a real-time introduction to a particular John Smith, where his specific key is somehow recordable by the searcher for future conversations (or beer drinking). This is what we do in the real world anyway. We currently lack good UIs for doing this over the network, but the certification infrastructure is in place already.
What we're lacking in infrastructure, though, is a way to have a
distributed addressing. Roland's proposal was to publish addresses
corresponding to cryptographic identities within some DNS zone, or in
freenet or gnutella. Another approach (piggybacking on existing
infrastructure) would be to include IP address information in the
OpenPGP self-certification, so the holder of the name could claim
exactly their own IP address. This could be distributed through the
keyserver network, just like other updates are today, and it could be
done simply and immediately with a well-defined OpenPGP
notation. I'd be
happy to talk to interested people about how to specify such a notation,
and what possible corner cases we might run into. Drop a note here, or
mail the Monkeysphere mailing
list or hop onto
#monkeysphere on irc.oftc.net
Tags: authentication, distributed naming, identity, monkeysphere


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Sony BRAVIA series
Be prepared to step up your experience. Get the most out of your games with Sony TVs made for gaming.
Sony BRAVIA series
Be prepared to step up your experience. Get the most out of your games with Sony TVs made for gaming.
BRAVIA meets PlayStation®
Do not miss your chance to win. Realise the difference a Sony TV can make in your ability to discover, attack, score, or simply play your best during your favourite games.
Quickly identify hints on screen, make decisions and get your goal. Ultra-fast response times and clear details give you a competitive edge.
The new 4K HDR TVs produce best in class contrast, making every detail in your games more realistic.
The beautiful scenery during your journey will come alive on the screen in dynamic, vibrant colour. Sony's wide colour technologies makes fantasy more realistic.
Sony TVs provide quick response with minimal latency so you can control every action in real-time.
See your PlayStation® graphics as only a Sony TV can display. The brilliant picture quality of a Sony TV shows the images as the developers intended.
With Sony, your DualShock® 4 can become your TV remote by downloading the BRAVIA TV Player app on your PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Store. You can also use your TV remote to control the basic UI of yours.
Control TV with DualShock® 4
Control PS4 with TV remote


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Signs & Plaques
I18602 - Cottage HDU Sign, Flat Art (Dogs)
This attractive sign used a photo to create along-lasting digital vinyl picture of the two dogs; we could also have artist-brush painted these with oil enamels.We put two coats of clear-coat over the entire sign, including the vinyl, to protect against UV radiation.
To see over 300 photos and designs of other carved wood & HDU signs & plaques for urban, suburban and country homes and estates in Photo Gallery 18, click on "Return to List" below right.. Many of these have a variety of art themes, including trees, plants, flowers, pets, birds, small animals and pineapples.
To see designs of other home address signs and plaques, click on Gallery 20 (beach, seashore and coast residences & vacation homes) , Gallery 21 (mountain and lake homes , cabins & cottages), Gallery 23 (farms & ranches), or Gallery 19 (condos & apartments) in the numbered gray boxes in the lower left margin. You can search for a specific sign type on this website by typing in key words in the Google Search bar at the top right in the header of this page.
We can make this and similar signs from HDU or a wide selection of wood types (including mahogany, teak, rosewood, cherry, oak, cedar and redwood). We can make a sign or wall plaque of any design in any size from 12 inches to 14 ft wide. We can customize these signs with any shape, artwork, border, font style, or color scheme with engraved or raised text and art of your choice. We can also make carved 3-D artwork with a wide variety of stock designs. Monument bases, wrought iron or wooden posts, and iron scroll brackets (for hanging signs) can be purchased for mounting this sign (see Product Lines 6 and 4 by clicking on numbered gray box in left margin).
Please call us at 951-698-8484 or email us at email@example.com for design options, price quotes, and delivery schedule, and our knowledgeable and helpful Customer service representatives will respond to your requests promptly. If you order a sign or plaque, we are confident you will be pleased with it.
You can click on Home to see our home page. Please click on one of the numbered light gray boxes on the lower left margin of this page to see other Photo Galleries, or use the navigation dark gray tabs at the top, or the gray boxes on the upper left margin to see other information such as prices, order forms, testimonials, etc.
Return to the Gallery 18 (property name and address signs ) page by clicking "Return to List" below right.


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http://www.facebook.com/notes/legit-rev ... 8674053882
Every Friday we announce a product that we will be giving away on Monday morning. We try to keep the weekends light around here, so this will give our fans something to talk about over the weekend. Legit Reviews has always striven to be a simple site and we are going to keep this contest simple also. To enter just share this note on your personal wall, like it and comment on the post. If your post is deleted you no longer have an entry in the contest and it is likely due to the fact that you spammed the wall with something.
We will be holding the drawing on Monday morning, where we will pick a name at random and announce the winner. Yes, it is just that simple. Remember, if you don't share the note you won't be able to win. If your wall is private we'll add you as a friend and if you didn't share the post then we'll have to pick a new name.
This week the sponsor for our weekly promotion is Western Digital and they have donated a WD My Passport Essential 500GB USB 3.0 portable hard drive and a WD Nomad Rugged Case for the drive as this weeks prize! This prize has a retail value of ~$89.99 for the drive and ~$29.99 for the case. You can find out more about them both here http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=440 and here http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=600 . Be sure to give Western Digital some love on Facebook for sponsoring this great promotion - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Western-D ... 3802396496
Western Digital will ship the My Passport Essential 500GB USB 3.0 portable hard drive and the Nomad Rugged Case to the winner and is willing to ship the prize bundle to any address in world! As always you will be responsible for any customs fees, taxes or any other charge associated with your local rules and regulations. This contest is also void and null in locations that do not allow such things to take place. Not too many contests are open to everyone, so be sure to enter!
Be sure to check out the Western Digital site by following the link given above to give them some love for donating a great case for our followers! By helping spread the word about this contest you'll help us keep these promotions alive. So be sure to share and help us out! We love giving stuff away, but need your help! Please also feel free to post this on your own site/blog as that is okay!


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apportion(redirected from Apportioner)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus.
A division. The term may be used in insurance to indicate which policy bears what percentage of a loss. Alternatively, it may be used in the sale of real estate to show the property tax or insurance the buyer and the seller each owe for a year. See also: Apportionment Clause.
To divide into parts.Co-owners of property may decide to apportion maintenance costs among themselves, according to the percentage of ownership enjoyed by each. Buyers and sellers usually apportion real estate taxes so that the portion earned by local government before closing,but not yet paid because not yet due,will be paid by the seller in the form of a credit against the purchase price.When the property tax bill is later received by the buyer,he or she will pay the entire bill in full, but will have already received the equivalent of reimbursement through the credit at closing.


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Mr. Legal: "Doctor, your note says that the patient's symptoms started one month after his car accident in November, is that correct?"
Dr. Grumpy: "Yes"
Mr. Legal: "So, it would go to assume that his symptoms started in December, correct?".
Dr. Grumpy: "Yes".
Mr. Legal: "Doctor, in your opinion, does December always come after November?"


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Saturday, November 26, 2011
Cameron Diaz Wallpapers for Desktop
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress and former model. Cameron Diaz became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary.Cameron Diaz was born in San Diego, California. Her mother, Billie (née Early), is an import-export agent, and her father, Emilio Diaz (1949–2008), worked for the California
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30-35mm Watches
10 Items
Top 5 Popular 30-35mm Watches Watches
Watch Case Size 30-35mm
Do you think the right watch size for you falls somewhere between 30-35mm? If your wrist diameter is less than 6 inches, this may be a watch size you should consider. While you're considering what the right size is for you, there are a few other important things to keep in mind as well. What's the right case diameter for you? What about the band width? Don't forget about those when you're looking for your perfect watch.
Related Articles about 30-35mm Watches
The two trends that are taking over the mainstream watch community are larger diameters and minimalist aesthetics. If you love these two looks, then feel free to purchase watches that incorporate them. Of course, a significant portion of horology enthusiasts does not, and instead want to downsize to maybe watches under 40mm. There are three … Continue reading "The 5 Best Watches Under 40mm"


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It may have only been his second appearance for Team Melli, but Steven Beitashour has wasted no time making a name for himself on the Iranian national team.
He tallied his first assist for Iran in their decisive 3-0 victory over Thailand on Friday. Beitashour played full 90 - his first start for the team - and assisted Team Melli's second goal in the 43rd minute.
Iran now leads Group B with 10 points in 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifying. The team next faces Lebanon on Tuesday, November 19.


text: Nobody knows better than science fiction fans that a few minor changes to the timeline can alter everything. And science fiction istelf could have turned out totally differently if just a few things had changed. Which alternate versions of science fiction history would have resulted in a more interesting SF landscape today?


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With the semi-public beta of Google+ entering the social network universe, the question on everyone's mind is, "Will it be the Facebook Killer?"
In my opinion, yes. Maybe not tomorrow, and maybe not the next day, but perhaps in the next year or two.
We all left MySpace for Facebook, because Facebook was so easy to use, and it was clean, and didn't have all that trash that was collecting on MySpace. Now, after hopping into G+, I find myself saying "This is so clean, and easy to use, and not full of that trash that's collecting on Facebook!"
But will everyone on Facebook be willing to jump ship to join the next new thing? As an early adopter, I've got no problem doing this, nor do many of the people that are in my Google Circles, so for us, it's fun and interesting. However, the not-so-technically-inclined, like my mother, may not be very interested in learning a whole new setup.
The thing Google has going for it, is the same thing that Apple has going for it - it's sexy and fairly intuitive to use.
After spending just under a week on G+, then going back to Facebook for a few minutes, Facebook seemed a bit archaic and clunky. Facebook works, but some of the features aren't always that easy to find. Especially when you really get into it, and are trying to teach people how to be admins on public pages, or even trying to explain the difference between private profiles and public pages. It's got that "Microsoft feel" to it, which makes perfect sense for the Facebook / Microsoft team-up as of late. (Bing integration and now Skype; both are MS products.)
If you're one of the lucky ones who have been able to get an invite and get in the Google+ door, remember that G+ is still a work in progress. They tell you that right off the bat, so don't expect everything to be flawless when you get in there.
With the Facebook video announcement Wednesday, it seems appropriate to touch on the differences between the two.
Google's video chat, called "Hangout" can support up to 10 users at once (though I heard a rumor that it can support 20), whereas Facebook's new video can only do one on one.
The Hangout has a slick way of switching the main video automatically, to the person who is currently speaking. The quality is decent, but seems to go downhill as more people join, and if you get a room full of drunk social media loudmouths all talking at once, the thing freaks out a little.
Facebook's Skype quality is a little better - at first, but then starts to get out of sync and gets choppy to catch up and re-sync itself. (Of course quality on both platforms will depend on the users internet connection.)
I've had some interesting conversations with people who want to use the Hangout as a place for round table discussions on podcasts, livecasts, and even on-air segments, which makes perfect sense. Facebook's video chat won't be much use for this, as again, it's only one-on-one. Nothing innovative here. The desktop version of Skype, FaceTime, and even GChat Video can already do this.
There are a few strange things I've found with G+'s video chat, and I assume they will be addressed at some point. One, and this is kind of major, when video chatting, the service creates a massive temporary file on your machine. I mean gigs of space getting eaten the longer you chat. If you have a machine that doesn't have a lot of hard drive space, this is going to be a real problem. In order to get the space back, I had to reboot my entire MacBook.
The other weird thing is the way they have their muting setup. If a user wants to mute another user in the room, they click the "Mute" button next to the offender. The thing that seems odd to me, is that when doing so, this mutes the offender for the entire room - no one can hear them, but the muted person is the only one who can UNmute themselves. So if you want someone to shut up, and they don't want to, you can mute them, but they can just unmute themselves right away. Seems like a strange method to me.
The video settings seem to be a little buggy at the moment. You can go into the settings, change a video or audio source, but the settings don't seem to save, upon exiting.
The innovative video integration, and ease/ability to separate your followers into Circles will play a big part in Google+'s success.
Other thing Google has going for it, is the fact that so many people already use their other products. When they integrate Google+ with popular features like Reader and Gmail, users will be able to easily click and share, which goes a long way when it comes to social media.
Google will no doubt get the little bugs worked out, and when they do, people may finally openly admit they don't really like Facebook. We've put up with it for so long because there was nowhere else to go. Google+ is a pretty nice system already, and I think within the next few years, they could takeover the social network world...well..until the next shiny new thing comes along.


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A 'One-Page/Multi Page' hybrid template
SHINE is a an elegant, simple, and visually stunning creative theme. A sort of 'one page/multi page' hybrid, it has a homepage that replicates what you would expect from a 'one page' theme, with its parallax, and bold elements, but also retains the multiple page aspect you would expect from larger sites.
It looks totally awesome on retina devices, and is perfect to use, from freelancer to agency, and everything in between.
Beautiful typography, gorgeous iconography, subtle CSS3 effects, and those small details that really make you stand out from the crowd.
Your site just got a whole lot more beautiful!
AAA Support
We like to provide stunningly beautiful, easy to use themes, but we also know how important Theme Support can be. That is why we have some of the best support staff found on ThemeForest, to make sure your experience of using our themes is second to none.
Our new support forum can be found at – http://guuthemes.com
Features -
- 'One-Page/Multi Page' hybrid theme
- Fully Responsive HTML5/CSS3 theme
- Looks stunning on 'Retina' screens
- Google Web Fonts
- jQuery enhanced
- Filterable Portfolio
- FlexSlider
- Twitter Widget
- Flickr Widget
- Google Maps
- Contact Form included
- Add Images, and Video (Vimeo, YouTube etc…)
- Quote/Testimonial rotator
- Beautiful Icon Set by 'Font Awesome' (Easily add/change the icons)
- Tested on Multiple Devices
- Documentation included
- Fantastic Support
Changelog -
v1.2 13.09.2013 Fixed: Non-clickable social icons in Safari v1.1 29.08.2013 Update: Added in missing links to Flickr script v1.0 21.08.2013 Initial Release


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We still have a few pairs of tickets to give away for this Thursday evening's screening of two classic Star Trek: The Next Generation in San Francisco — including the never-before-seen extended cut of "The Measure of a Man." It appears that our cunning plan of getting to write essays about their love of Dr. Pulaski didn't work out so well — so if you're in San Francisco and want a ticket, just email me at email@example.com. The first few people to email get tickets. And I'm still planning on being at the Irish Chieftain on 5th St. at 5:30 PM Thursday, if you want to have a drink beforehand.
Update: Tickets are gone now. Thanks!


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Yachts Solutions was founded in July of 2003 with the mission to provide the highest quality Marine Services.
We are a Full Service Boatyard and Marina with primary focus on great customer service.
These principles dictate that we treat our customers and their opinions and concerns with utmost respect that we take the time to discuss the process of the project in as much detail as necessary, because we recognize the significance and value that each individual's boat holds for them.
When partnering with our customers to maintain repair or improve their boats our goal has been to build the enduring trusting relationships that keep them coming back and rely on us year after year.


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Year of entry
3 years full-time
For more information about Philosophy / Politics at Manchester Metropolitan University, please visit the webpage using the button above.
The award
BA (Hons)
How long you will study
3 Years
Domestic course fees
find out
How you will study
Course starts
International course fees
find out
Below are some suggested courses at other providers that you may also be interested in:
Notes about fees for this course
Tuition fees for the 2017/18 academic year are still being finalised for all courses. Please see our general guide to our standard undergraduate tuition fees.
Typical entry requirements
These typical entry requirements apply to the 2017 academic year of entry and may be subject to change for the 2018 academic year. Please check back for further details.
UCAS Tariff points/Grades required
Minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points at A2 or equivalent (such as DMM on BTEC Extended Diploma)
Specific GCSE requirements
GCSE English Language at grade C or grade 4. Equivalent qualifications (eg. Functional Skills) may be considered
Non Tariffed Qualifications
Pass Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject with a minimum 106 UCAS Tariff Points
International Baccalaureate points
IELTS score required for international students
6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each element
There's further information for international students on our international website if you're applying with non-UK qualifications.
Further information
Alternatively TOEFL iBT with a score of 79 with the following minimum components Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20 and Writing 17.
Consider a Foundation or Pathway course at Manchester Metropolitan University to prepare for your chosen course:
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course then consider one of these courses from another institution:
There are 459 other courses listed from Manchester Metropolitan University. A selection of these are displayed below:


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- This event has passed.
Annual Summer Dzogchen Retreat: Yeshe Tsogyal Empowerment with Teachings on Chod
July 19, 2015 - July 20, 2015
Empowerment of Yeshe Tsogyal according to the lineage of Tsasum LingpaTeachings on Chod: Bellowing Laugh of the Dakini by Jigme Lingpa
Deepen your understanding, appreciation, and practice of the profound bodhichitta practice of Chod ritual practice according to the lineage of the Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches.
Chod is a special Vajrayana practice that removes suffering instantly by targeting our most sensitive delusions and immediately cutting through all types of attachment and ego-clinging without any hesitation, hope or fear.
Note: Everyone is welcome to attend the Chod Retreat – no previous empowerment or any other background is required.
Learn more about Chod practice:
1. Introduction to Chod Practice by Khenpo Tsewang Rinpoche
On June 14, 2014 at the PBC Padma Gochen Ling Retreat Center in Monterey, Tennessee, Venerable Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche gave an introduction to Chod practice, where we target and release our most sensitive habits of ego-clinging with our natural awareness of love, compassion, and wisdom. Khenpo Rinpoche is specifically giving a commentary on Jigme Lingpa's terma, the Bellowing Laugh of the Dakini.
2. The Essential Meaning of Chod
On August 18, 2014 at Padma Samye Ling, Venerable Khenpo Rinpoche taught the essential meaning of Chod Practice to everyone gathered for the 2014 Chod Vajrayana Ritual Retreat.
Suggested Donation:
PBC members: $420; $64/day
Non-members: $530; $80/day
Padma Samye Ling
618 Buddha Highway
Sidney Center, NY 13839
(607) 865-8068


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Brunello 2015
Renieri Brunello di Montalcino 2015 (6x75cl)Inc. GST: SG$801.86
Renieri Brunello di Montalcino 2015 (6x75cl)In Bond: SG$690.00
Pro Trader: Not Enabled ? Pro Trader status gives you much tighter trading spreads and 10 times bidding leverage (i.e. you can bid for 10 x your account credit balance). Pro Trader status is automatically enabled for any client with £10,000 / HK$100,000 / SG$15,000 account credit balance.


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Bank Robbery! is a mission in Grand Theft Auto 2 given to protagonist Claude Speed by Johnny Zoo of the Yakuza. The mission is available from the right of the two green Yakuza phones in Shiroto of the Downtown District, Anywhere City.
Johnny Zoo is having money illegally transferred to his account at a local bank by his inside man, Hiroshi. Johnny asks Claude to take the provided Shark and pick up Hiroshi from the bank before the cops can get him. Claude drives over to the bank and enters, killing off two guards and meeting up with Hiroshi. The two then return to the car, use the Max Paynt (reference to Max Payne Videogame), respray shop, to shake off the police, and return to the safehouse.
The reward for completing the mission is $20,000.