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Well, December is here. And finally some wind has arrived, but the snow is lean (so far). Please post if areas are coming in this neck of the woods. Here's what I've found so far:
Lizard Head is good-enough to go. A reasonable base in between the booshes. Make sure to clear the little creek in the middle or you'll be kitesurfing. I got in a nice sunny 15 mile day yesterday.
Red Mountain Pass above treeline is scoured, baked, and way too bony.
Crystal Lake at Ironton is frozen solid and fast with mixed ice/snow surface. It should be great if we get a few inches.
Think snow!


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Review | Author Bio | Read an Excerpt
Wanda E. Brunstetter's Bio:
Wanda E. Brunstetter enjoys writing about the Amish because they live a peaceful, simple life. Wandafs interest in the Amish and other Plain communities began when she married her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church in Pennsylvania.
Wanda has made numerous trips to Lancaster County and has several friends and family members living near that area. She and her husband have also traveled to other parts of the country, meeting various Amish families and getting to know them personally. She hopes her readers will learn to love the wonderful Amish people as much as she does.
Wanda and her husband, Richard, have been married fortythree years. They have two grown children and six grandchildren. In her spare time, Wanda enjoys reading, ventriloquism, gardening, stamping, and having fun with her family.
Wanda has written several novels, novellas, stories, articles, poems, and puppet scripts.
Visit Wanda E.'s website at www.wandabrunstetter.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Republican Senate candidate Kurt Bills and Democratic incumbent Amy Klobuchar strike a major contrast over the Senate's farm bill passed in June.
Republican Senate candidate Kurt Bills said Wednesday he would have voted against the farm bill passed by the U.S. Senate in June, striking a major contrast with Democratic incumbent Amy Klobuchar as the two chased rural votes at an annual southwestern Minnesota agriculture trade show.
The Senate bill spends about $500 billion over five years. It cuts farm subsidies and land conservation spending by about $2 billion a year, but largely protects sugar growers and some 46 million food stamp beneficiaries. House conservatives want cuts to food stamp programs among other trims.
Klobuchar voted for the bill, saying it's vital to pass this year to get aid to drought-stricken farmers and to shield the farm economy from larger economic uncertainty. She and Bills shared a stage for the first time in this year's Senate campaign at FarmFest near Redwood Falls, where they and Independence Party candidate Glen Menze discussed agriculture and rural issues.
Bills said he would support a smaller farm bill, perhaps half the size of the Senate's, if he could be assured its subsidies were only going to middle- and low-income farmers.
"I know it's tough to always be the guy who says no," said Bills, a state representative and high school teacher from Rosemount who has put his call for big federal spending cuts at the center of his campaign. "The voices of those who are getting re-elected are the ones who are saying, 'Spend it all.' That's what can't keep happening."
Klobuchar pointed out several Republicans from Midwestern states did support the farm bill, including Republicans from North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. It passed on a 64-35, bipartisan vote. She also said it would cut the deficit by nearly $23 billion in the next 10 years while preserving a program that benefits sugar growers.
"That alone means about 20,000 jobs in the Red River Valley," Klobuchar said.
In the absence of a vote on the larger bill, the House last week passed a $334 million bill to give disaster aid to farmers hit hard by the drought. Bills said he supports that measure, saying Congress should strive to vote separately on smaller chunks of spending rather than the "omnibus" approach of the farm bill, where billions in separate projects are bundled together.
Klobuchar called that House vote "political games," saying it was a short-term solution rather than the long-term investments in the larger farm bill.
Menze compared Republicans and Democrats in Washington to a divorced couple, saying that if voters elected him he'd help cut through the polarized political climate. "One is more on the spend side, one is more on the cuts side. I'm more in between — spending should be focused on programs that get the economy going," said Menze, who has made several unsuccessful runs for the U.S. House as a Republican.
Klobuchar was quick to tout her own work with Republican colleagues, mentioning in the space of 90 minutes the names of eight Republican colleagues with whom she's worked on various measures. She mentioned no fellow Democrats.
The U.S. Senate "is not 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,'" Klobuchar said, citing the classic Jimmy Stewart movie where a lone senator successfully takes on a corrupt system. "It's standing up and working with people you don't agree with on everything, to get things done."
While Klobuchar stressed her accomplishments and demonstrated a firm grasp of policy, Bills repeatedly underlined his experience teaching economics to high school students as he warned of the danger of debt and deficits.
"The mission is to stop the debt," Bills said. "We can't be everything to everyone. When you try to fulfill every want, you won't have the resources to fulfill what you need."
The FarmFest forum did not stray from agricultural and rural issues. So far, Klobuchar and Bills have only one general debate scheduled, at the State Fair. Bills earlier this week called for more, saying he'd like up to 20 but would settle for five or 10. Klobuchar said Wednesday that she was willing to appear at more debates, but wouldn't say how many.


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Opinion: Gang of 2
Editorial board member Joe Rago on Pat Toomey and Joe Manchin's agreement on background checks.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... it's expanding background checks to include gun shows and internet sects ... can reduce the likelihood of criminals and mentally ill people from getting guns ... and we can do it ... in a fashion that does not infringe on the second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens ... can we should do it ... and in this um and I think we did ... I was ... going to surprise to me talking this week about his new amendment to the pending gun control bill in the Senate to ... the work it's a bipartisan really worked on with of ... Mr. Manchin from West Virgina picture there of jewelry or ... editorial board riders here to tells about it doesn't ... get to see Jr ... the Senate the few hours ago voted to begin debate on the ... on this gun control bill that ... to me amendment is going to be brought up eventually ... I'm ... as we know we don't wake of the series of tragedies Newtown of fresh on people's minds ... where mentally disturbed people ... shot up ... on arms ... victims now ... those either in the underlying bill for this new to me amendments ... do an evening to prevent mentally ill people from getting guns ... well that's that's kind of of the sticking point here and then that the truth is we don't even know what they're debating ... the ... mentioned to me proposal right now just a four page ... on the list of talking points there's no actual legislative tax so were were ... having this debate we don't even know the de tails of of what we're debating but but the ... truth is that ... nothing in the spill ... Nike's is really going in to it sort of ... takes existing background check system ... that we have now that clearly can working right expands its more people instead of fixing the back row didn't mention wanna require background checks at ... gun shows from particular sales at gun shows where they're not require now rightfully if you're if you're a licensed dealer and a gun show right now here to check back for years to run a background check just like if you're selling a ... gun your store now fine just some guy with a bunch of guns and a gun show I don't have to ... up run and that Cesc ... as if I was a licensed dealer so what they're saying is ... feared a gun show ... um you need to ... get somebody run that check for you ... of that but they also say if if it's just you and me is selling guns between ourselves or ... of mind body or my neighbor or somebody I know I don't have to run background checks so what's under slight ... Tom Coburn are saying is that ... if you ... just expand the universal background checks ... it's it's just me like squeezing them for ... sales and go ... to some other unregulated ... channel takeover and I he's not backing this said to me mention deal because he's saying it's ... it's more of a government of ... paperwork burden but it doesn't get to the heart of the problem which is making sure that people ... who were a danger to themselves or others can get done said though that seems to me but that but to me proposal on the underlying bill ... where you said it's a it's a sticking point it's un clear with cinnamon suffer or not saying anything to suggest that there is a solution coming forward to provide the mentally ill person from getting into a REIT will that that's really the ... the boom year in this ... of ... this whole debate you know it if you look of gun violence mass shootings by ... mentally disturbed people are are fairly rare their small share ... of of all of gun deaths and but we're where having an debate ... using ... a new town is the ... aam come when the spear is the work ... when all the ... it's it's really him guns that are current role as the elite of New York police commissioner told us recently that basically assault weapons are not ... not killing people by and large in New York City tiny percentage of deaths is mainly area that was so so the point is one to prevent the next encountered were not to reduce gun violence because we're debating the it's a it's a very weird and it's a it's a political show Pres Obama of ... playing politics certainly very well it's not ... necessarily a advancing any meaningful legislation ... aam but it looks like the better hurry with this new while Wall Street Journal poll out today showing that the ... that the public appetite for stricter gun control seems to be dissipating added ... sixty four percent in that fit your agenda fifty five saying a ... should of was that every sale firearms be changed ... and to make them more strict now ... you know that's kind of offensive ... abroad question I can include people who say you know I don't want to ... what mentally ill people to love to own guns so all the way that someone was very restrictive with his pollsters are asking that are things that are ... very abstract very emotional ... very very wrong issues when people who support second on the rights to the look of the de tails the the sport tends to to to disobey and a mainstay of just ... believe it but the we never really got to lead the heart of politics which is all of the Democrats who really don't want this debate especially those are up in twenty fourteen because despite what Pres Obama says ... there are ... tens of millions of many hundreds of millions of Americans a belief ... that you own it a little one again and so ... I mean James is if Obama keeps giving speeches like the one he gave in Hartford this week all these red state Democrats are gonna run away from gun control and start buying free guns for for their owners I mean it's the ... he's he's really managing ... to polarize the issue and I think harming its own costs within his own party ... well it ... that somebody should be interesting to watch the FHFA says


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Durfee was able to punctuate a challenging season with an exclamation point. In the season's final dual meet for both teams, the Hilltoppers on Tuesday defeated Somerset Berkley Regional 38-27 in their Petrillo Cup wrestling meet at the Luke Urban Field House.
Durfee was able to punctuate a challenging season with an exclamation point.
In the season's final dual meet for both teams, the Hilltoppers on Tuesday defeated Somerset Berkley Regional 38-27 in their Petrillo Cup wrestling meet at the Luke Urban Field House.
Durfee coach Chris Antao estimated his final dual meet record to be in the 8-10 area, saying he stopped counting the team wins and losses when he reached a point where he was using seven freshmen.
Somerset Berkley (11-10), with just one senior in the lineup, was coming off a second place at last weekend's Division 3 South Sectional tournament.
"It was important for us to win," Antao said. "Somerset finished very well at their section, coming in second. I needed the kids to win for themselves, to prove to themselves that we are one of the best teams in the area.
"They (SB) proved in their section by coming in second. I congratulate their coach and them for a great job up at the sectional tournament. But we needed this one, severely."
Durfee exploded to a 24-0 lead through the first five matches, but Somerset Berkley twice closed to within six points, at 27-21 after a Durfee forfeit at 171 pounds and 33-27 after Jeff Griffin's second-period pin at 195.
And the two remaining matchups, 220 and 285, both figured to be very competitive.
Senior Jeff Martinho, wrestling his last scholastic match, clinched for Durfee with a 5-4 win at 220, a match that featured four points and two lead changes in the last 10 seconds.
Down 3-2 in the closing seconds, Somerset Berkley's Drew Gagnon, the Division 3 South champion, executed a takedown for a very brief 4-3 lead. Unflustered, Martinho hit the mat and rolled into a reverse for the 5-4 edge.
"He sealed the Pertillo Cup right there for us," Antao said.
In the final match of the snowing early afternoon, Durfee's Andre Torres (third in Division 1 South) defeated Quinn Fallon (third in 3 South) 2-0 thanks to an escape and a penalty point, both in the third period.
"The key matches, obviously, we gave up pins where they didn't," said SB coach Mike McMahon, the former Durfee coach. "That makes a difference in any dual meet. We can't go in and give up pin points. It's tough to make that up."
Durfee got pins from freshman and Division 1 South runnerup Mitch Raposa (106), Brandyn St. Pierre (120) and Division 1 South champion Blacker Romero (132) in opening the 24-0 lead.
In winning those first five matches, the Hilltoppers also prevailed in a couple of marquee matchups. At 113 pounds, Joe Grinvalsky (sixth in Division 1 South) defeated Sean Botelho (third in Division 3 South) by a 5-2 margin, and at 126 pounds, Austin Jones (second in Division 1 South) edged Division 3 South champion Nate Pacheco 4-2.
Somerset Berkley began its comeback with pins from Jake Faria (138) and Ryder Trotter (145).
There was another fine matchup at 152, with Durfee's Brian DeMello (third in Division 1 South) beating Chandler Furtado (fourth in Division 3 South) by a 4-3 count for a 27-12 team lead.
SB took the next nine points on Liam Mulvey's 5-2 win at 160 and the forfeit at 171.
Durfee's Macklin Coronel pinned at 182 before Griffin's pin at 195 made it 33-27.
"There were some great individual matchups," McMahon said. "I thought every match was wrestled right down to the wire. We'll learn from this. We'll grow from this. We'll move on."
The Petrillo Cup is named for the late Sal Petrillo, a Durfee High Hall of Famer and former principal at Somerset High School.
Somerset Berkley won the cup last year.
SB had 11 wrestlers place at Division 3 South, with nine (including two alternates) qualifying for the Division 3 states. The Raiders got first places from Pacheco and Drew Gagnon; third from Botelho and Prario, fourth from Faria, Furtado and Fallon; fifth from Jarrid Machado (120) and Ethan Bartley (132); and sixth from Trottier and Griffin.
Durfee's place finishers at Division 1 South were: Raposa (second), Grinvalsky, Jones, Romero, DeMello, and Torres.
Grinvalsky is a second alternate for states.
Email Greg Sullivan at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.


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STEWART AIRPORT — As soon as Laura Beyer of New Paltz heard Allegiant Air would offer direct flights to southwest Florida from Stewart Airport at a deep discount, she jumped on the phone and called her family and friends.
"I said, if we want this to stay in the valley, we need to support it," Beyer said.
Her enthusiasm waned as she began to book a flight. Fees for conveniences like using a credit card and picking a seat turned the bargain into something like a bait-and-switch advertising tactic, she said.
Beyer eventually snagged Allegiant's $69 one-way fare deal from Stewart to Clearwater International Airport, but, with all the fees, the tickets, including trip insurance, came to about $223 for a round trip.
The Las Vegas-based discount air carrier is one of a number of airlines that have "unbundled" the cost of a ticket, a trend that recognizes that some services airlines used to supply "are not used or valued the same by every customer," said Robert Mann, an airline analyst based on Long Island. For example, in the bundled model, fliers who don't check bags still are paying for that service. They just don't realize it, since it's included in the ticket price.
In a news release about the introductory promotions at Stewart, Allegiant put an asterisk next to the sale fare price, and directed would-be fliers to its website to check baggage fees. Fees apply for booking by phone rather than online, and for paying by credit card.
It's hard to believe a credit card is a "service" not all customers use, Mann said. "They call them optional, but some aren't, in reality."
Jessica Wheeler, a spokeswoman for Allegiant, said the airline adopted the "a la carte model" a number of years ago.
"The goal is always to have the lowest possible base price, and then give customers options for services they value and need," Wheeler said.
The a la carte model allows customers to customize their flight, but also helps boost profit for the airline.
About 30 percent of Allegiant's revenues come from fees, Mann said.
Now that the airline's introductory promotion has expired, for a flight from March 21-28, a customer's bill would look something like this:
The base round-trip fare is about $295, including an $8 fee for using a credit card (a corresponding discount would apply for a debit card), according to the airline's website. Airline-imposed fees to check a bag, bring a carry-on and pick seats would total $118, adding 40 percent to the fare. Taxes, carrier charges and government fees come in at $63, bringing the total expense to $476.
Fliers would pay less in fees and fare to travel from Newark Liberty International Airport to Tampa International Airport, both much larger airports than both Stewart and Clearwater.
According to the website CheapAir.com, a nonstop round-trip flight from Newark to Tampa during the same time period costs $303, including $35 in fees and taxes, flying JetBlue Airways going down, and United Airlines coming up. United charges no fees for carry-ons, but $25 for the first checked bag. JetBlue has no fees for the first checked bag or carry-ons.
"Everyone is in the fee game," Mann said, but the degree of engagement varies by airline. For traditional carriers, fees only make up around 15 percent of revenue, he said.
Allegiant caters specifically to leisure and vacation travelers, who typically end up paying the most fees, Mann added. Unlike frequent-flying business travelers, leisure fliers simply may be less savvy when it comes to avoiding extra charges, he said.
Fees aside, Beyer, an experienced traveler, is mostly just happy to have a direct route to sunny Florida. Her days of fighting traffic driving to Newark and John F. Kennedy International Airport are over.
"It's definitely a blessing, and I'm thankful they're doing it," Beyer said. "But, the promotion is not what it said it would be."


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Welcome to Chicago-Kent.
Welcome to Chicago-Kent! The Registrar staff looks forward to assisting you through your Law School journey.
The Registrar's Office hours are 8:30am to 6:00pm (M, W, Thurs), Tuesday 8:30am to 7:00pm and Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm. If you have any questions regarding your academic records, the Registrar's Office staff will be happy to assist you. You can call us at (312) 906-5080, e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com or stop by Suite 220.
Pass/Fail Election Deadline. Pass/fail elections for the Fall must be made no later than Friday September 2, 2011. This deadline is firm. Please review § 2.4 "Pass/Fail Election" of the Student Handbook if you have any questions regarding your pass/fail elections. In order to make your election, you should log in to your webmail account; click on the Web for Students icon in lower left portion of the left frame; select the "Take Class Pass/Fail option" under the "Online Forms" heading; select the course you would like to take on a pass/fail basis; and submit your selection. If there is any problem with your request, the Registrar's Office will notify you.
Registration Deadline. Upper-level students may add an open course without special permission until the end of the first week of classes. During the second week, however, you may add an open course only with permission of the instructor. You may not add a course after the second week of the semester. To find out what courses are open, click here Class Schedule Search Link.
You may withdraw from any course except a required course, a clinical course, Law Review, Moot Court, or Intensive Trial Advocacy at any time prior to the date of the final exam or final paper (see § 3.10(c) of the Student Handbook). There is no tuition penalty if you drop a course during the first two weeks of classes. You will not receive a tuition refund, however, if you drop a course after the second week of classes.
FERPA Rights and Notification of Access to Educational Records. The Student Handbook outlines student rights and responsibilities regarding access to educational records. Please review sections 14.4 and 14.5, which are linked to this page. Please pay particular attention to section 14.5, which lists the types of information that Chicago-Kent classifies as "directory information," which Chicago-Kent may release at its discretion, and the information published in the online Student Directory (available only to members of the Chicago-Kent community). Section 14.5 also explains how you may request that directory information, including the information published in the Student Directory, not be published or released.
Graduation Application Deadline. Students (JD) who plan on graduating at the end of the Fall semester must submit a graduation application form online no later than Friday, September 2, 2011. To complete the form online, log in to your webmail account; click on the Web for Students icon in lower left portion of the left frame; select "Application for Graduation" under the "Online Forms" heading; complete the full form (please complete every field); and submit your selection. You will receive a confirmation e-mail once a graduation audit has been performed. Please note that any changes you make to your schedule after the audit may affect your graduation requirements. You should check with the Registrar's Office prior to making any changes. Please note: The Registrar's Office does conduct graduation audits on all applications, but it is your responsibility to make certain all requirements for graduation are met. If you have any questions, please stop by the office.
LLM Grad. Application Deadline: Students who plan on graduating at the end of the Fall semester must submit a graduation application to the Registrar's Office no later than Friday, September 2, 2011. You are not to fill out the online form through "web for students". You will complete a paper application that is available to you from the Registrar's Office or the OILP office.
Spring 2011 J.D. Graduate Diploma. J.D. Diplomas are now available for pickup at the Registrar's office in Suite 220 for law students who graduated on May 14th, 2011.
LLM diplomas for International and Comparative law, Financial Services and Intellecual Property will be distributed by the Office of the International Law and Policy (OILP) on the third floor. OILP office Co-ordinator Hilary Waldron can be contacted for further details.
Diplomas for LLM in Taxation and Family law will be available at the Office of the Registrar, Suite 220.
Please note:
Beginning August 1, 2011 if you desire to have the diploma mailed to your home address, please email firstname.lastname@example.com confirmation of your current mailing address. If we do not receive a response, the diploma will be retained in the registrars office.
Congratulations on your accomplishments and much success in your future endeavors!
Fall 2011 Class Schedule. An online version of the preliminary schedule of classes for the Fall 2011 is available on the main Student Portal page.
Official Student Withdrawal Process.Students wishing to request a leave of absence from their course of study or complete an official withdrawal from the university should now initiate the process online. To begin the process, log in to the MyIIT portal and under the 'Academics' tab, look for the 'Academic Affairs' channel. Chicago-Kent students should follow the 'I want to take a leave of absence or officially withdraw' link under the 'Chicago-Kent College of Law' header.
Questions regarding the leave of absence or withdrawal process should be directed to firstname.lastname@example.com.
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|Boulder, Colo.
|Previous College:
|West Virginia
2014 Sand Season
After beginning the season by going 0-6 at No. 5 with teammate Courtney Dietrich, LaVine teamed with Morgan Stanley at No. 4 to go 3-3 over the final six matches of the year…LaVine and Stanley posted a straight-set win against Cal, and three-set victories vs. San Jose State and Cal again to close the season.
2013 Indoor Season
Appeared in 26 matches, including 58 sets played and eight starts at middle blocker…finished with averages of 0.76 kills and 0.62 blocks per set while hitting .198…also had nine aces in 79 attempts, or one ace every 8.8 serves, the best mark on the team…had seven kills and a season-high .750 hitting percentage in a win over Lafayette…also posted a .692 hitting percentage and season highs in kills (9) and points (10.5) in a victory against Central Connecticut…had a season-best eight blocks in a home win against Montana State.
Prior to Sacramento State
Spent the 2012 season at West Virginia where she took a redshirt.
High School
A 2012 graduate of Fairview High School in Boulder, Colo…played four years of volleyball for the Knights, and was a two-year varsity starter…did not begin playing volleyball until her freshman year of high school…by her senior season, she was named team captain and MVP after finishing the year as the team leader in blocks and third on the squad in kills…also named the team's most improved player at the conclusion of her sophomore season.
A kinesiology major…daughter of Nils LaVine and Margee Sullivan-Watkins… did not play club volleyball until her sophomore year when she began playing for the Juggernaut Volleyball Club of Wheat Ridge, Colo., where she spent three seasons…named team captain and team MVP during her final year with the club.


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Cozy Knits for the Home
The weather across the country has been awful for the past month. While we'd all like to believe that spring is just around the corner, one look at the snowdrifts outside will have you running for something cozy to snuggle up with!
I propose cozy knit accessories and furnishing to get you through these last weeks of winter. Even if the knit item in question is not a blanket, just looking at something cozy can make you feel warmer! If you are a master knitter yourself, then you're probably already set in this area, but for those of us who are a little less crafty, I've rounded up several knit products and a few pieces of knit inspiration below:
1. Ferm Living Knitted Floor Cushions from 2Modern $216-$268. I love the cool colors and the square shape of these floor cushions — just the thing to keep you up off the cold floor while lounging!
2. Cable Knit Pillows from ZGallerie $24.89 (on sale). Cozy cable knit pillows look at home in both modern and traditional rooms.
3. This Cable Buck by artist Rachel Denny is — sadly — no longer available, but so cool I thought I'd share it with you for inspiration. I'm thinking a worn out sweater, a dear form, and some hot glue could produce similar results.
4. Nothing says cozy like a hand-knit throw. These from West Elm come in beautiful colors look so soft. $59.
5. The Slow Chair by design darlings Rowan and Ewan Bouroullec is made of aluminum with a soft knit fabric stretched between the frame — cozy and modern! From Hive Modern, $3,155.
6. The Mangas Rug by Patricia Urquiola for Giandia Blasco comes in so many shapes and sizes and the color combinations are so unique! Available at Velocity Art and Design, $2,910-3,440.
7. These little poufs from CB2 are an inexpensive way to add knits--and extra seating in a pinch--to your living room. $79.95.
8. A classic Cable Knit Throw like this one from Pottery Barn is great for a more traditional room. $79.
9. Can you imagine how great it would feel to step out of bed onto this giant sweater? Room & Board Cable Rug, $1,299.
10. This chair from the Ami Collection by Francesco Rota for Paola Lenti is sort of knit, sort of woven, but totally cool
Price available upon request from Karkula.
Do you knit things for your home? What is the coolest thing you've made?
Images: 2Modern, ZGallerie, Curiobot, West Elm, Hive Modern, Gandia Blasco, CB2, Pottery Barn, Room & Board, Paola Lenti


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Individuals in our guild have done a lot of content from this last big patch, some even completing raids on the ToC area. Personally I have seen more content than I thought I would see this quickly. However, overall as a guild I think we have skipped too much content.
For me it all started with places that are not warrior tank friendly. Az N and Old Kingdom for example. Both fairly straight forward places now that I am over-geared for them. They are both mid 70 dungeons that should have been mastered before skipping them altogether, but it was a lot easier to do a place I enjoyed like DTK over and over.
Don't get me wrong, some poorly structured content like Oculus should be skipped, but most of the dungeons that have been designed are pretty good training grounds for future raiders.
Now we have once again started doing the same thing. Instead of perfecting every wing in Naxx we are doing Ulduar and even H ToC raiding. Then people wonder why Ony is such a pain in the butt.
Ony is the perfect example of gear vs experience. No matter how good your gear is, if your party has not mastered movement and position awareness you will wipe there over, and over. It is already being pugged bu some people and it will be farm content soon enough, but the opportunity to learn is missed by just having an overachieving healer or tank or insane DPS "take you" through the content.
Raiding is about team mechanics, but specially about everyone doing their assigned job. Skipping content that shows you certain mechanics of the game does a huge disservice to you as a raider, and it hurt your future performance in a team. Another example of commonly skipped content is Heigan's dance in Naxx. Overall not a bad fight, but one that people dread because it requires everyone to do something they are not used to doing… moving around.
Before you skip content on try to get into the next new shiny dungeon make sure you are at a point where you enjoy the current content you are geared and experience for. Understanding the fight mechanics is not just the raid leader's job. Sure its fun to just say, let me know where to stand and I will fire my 9K DPS at the boss, but it does not help the group.
I have been leveling a priest and been loving the experience. As frustrating as it is to be the main target in every PvP encounter, it is also very rewarding to be able to make a difference and "save" things by getting the right heal out at the right time. There are comparable skills like rage management vs mana management, and watching threat… but it also has a lot more situational, like mobs just trowing something at you because they felt like it and interrupting you. That is not even counting someone pulling agro or standing on (yet again) the fire. Its a lot more fun than I thought it would be and will most likely ultimately make me a better tank.


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John, thanks for the feedback.
The more challenges you enter, the more you'll get a handle on "on topic-ness" and what works with the judges. I recommend that you read some of the Masters entries each week, and also the winners in Advanced. That should give you more of an idea of what works in the Challenge.


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After seeing her as couture-clad Carrie Bradshaw for so many years, it may be hard to adjust to the idea of Sarah Jessica Parker wearing clothes that cost $20 and less — but the star's new clothing line, Bitten, for mall mega-chain Steve & Barry's is just that affordable. In the June issue of Glamour, SJP sounds off on a few other celeb designers, telling the magazine, "Madonna's line for H&M is extremely directional, provocative and sexy. I don't know J. Lo's line as well, but I know that it's much more trendy than Bitten. L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani is much more avant-garde, definitely high fashion. But I don't want to do that for women, because that's not really their lives." And growing up with her sister's hand-me-downs inspired her to do something so affordable, saying "It's a very different philosophy of shopping. It's the first and only time I've wanted to design. [Her childhood] informed my decision completely. It's a way of giving women without financial means access to good, simple, well-made clothes to feel proud of." And even today she is still more frugal than most. "I often return things because the spending gives me anxiety. But I'm not without my indulgences. And I don't pretend I'm not enjoying the great fortune I've had." Bitten hits stores June 7 — in the meantime, check out Glamour's slideshow of Sarah Jessica Parker by clicking here.
Click here to see more photos, news and a full bio of Sarah Jessica Parker, and click here to discuss her style in Off the Rack.
Photo: courtesy glamour


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I know this is probably a little bit counter-intuitive, but that's the mood I'm in today. And when the subject turns to Cliff Lee, and whether or not the Phillies should be involved in trying to reacquire the free-agent pitcher, what that means is that I really believe it would be a mistake -- because there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Yes, it would be a rotation for the ages if you brought in Lee to join with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. None of us has ever seen anything like it, and it would give the Phillies the undisputed best pitching rotation in the game. That is obviously a huge positive -- and if the money is there, well, why not?
But here is the question I ask: which one is the fourth starter in the post-season?
Maybe an injury takes care of the question. Maybe it becomes a non-issue that way. But these are elite people in their profession, and these are hyper-competitive people. And on the day that Lee was re-signed by the Phillies, all four of them would share a simultaneous thought: which one of us gets shoved aside, at least partly, at the most important point in the season?
Creative tension can be a good thing, and competition within a pitching staff can be healthy, but this would be unprecedented. There is a chance that the fourth starter would not get to pitch at all in the first round of the playoffs, and only one time in both the League Championship Series and the World Series. The difference is that never in the history of the game would a fourth starter carry the pedigree that is carried by either Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt or Lee.
From the distance where you sit, many of you are probably saying, "So what?" But these are human beings, and proud professionals, and at least part of the attraction that the Phillies hold for players today is that with this clubhouse, and this manager, you are going to be treated like a grown-up professional. Given that, how do you spend the summer with the unstated reality that these elite guys are auditioning for their position in the post-season rotation?
What if Halladay were the one who looked the most gassed as October approached? There is no way on earth that Charlie Manuel would be able to call him into the office and tell him that he's the fourth starter. The same with Lee, who will have signed the longest, biggest-money deal if he were to return. All of which would leave Oswalt and Hamels locked into a competition for which neither of them ever would have signed up if given the chance -- oh, and Hamels, when all is said and done, is the guy who is going to be here longer than any of them.
It just seems like the money could be spent in other ways -- ways that better balanced the roster. I'd spend it on Jayson Werth if I were Ruben Amaro Jr.. If they're not willing to go that way, I wouldn't spend it. I'd bank the cash and use it for in-season moves, specifically in-season bullpen moves. The bullpen remains the great unknowable in baseball, and a nimble GM with a checkbook in June and July always has the best chance of being the smartest guy in the room.


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Meeting David Gandy at the Launch of David Gandy for Autograph in Hong Kong
September 24, 2014
Mel and Naz, fan page administrators of David Gandy Fans Australia tell us all about their trip to Hong Kong for the launch of David Gandy for Autograph and meeting David for the very first time.
Arriving a couple of days before the launch we headed over to the M&S store. On arrival, we saw David gloriously displayed all over the display windows and of course the excitement of the launch started to kick in! We decided to see if David's collection was already out on the shelves but alas, apart from his regular M&S clothes on sale, there were no Gandy for Autograph items on display. We scooted back home, tired but excited about the day that would dawn; the day we would finally be able to meet David himself.
Eager to be one of the first ones in line to see David, we got up early to get ready. We were both surprisingly calm at first but as the hour count down neared midday, calm gave way to jittery excitement. No one would have been able to wipe the smiles off our faces – that, we were sure off.
We arrived at the M&S store at opening time, wanting to be in at least with the chance of seeing David close up. We have never really been big fans of anyone like we've been of David and therefore, we hadn't been to anything like this before and didn't know how these things worked. Was there going to be a huge crowd? Do we line up? Will we get to talk to him? How long is he going to be there for? The questions we kept asking each other in circles only made us acutely aware that today we will be seeing David in flesh!
When the doors opened to the store, it seemed awfully quiet. There was a black wall with David Gandy for Autograph printed all over it and a small section of the floor space near the entrance was cleared. Where is everybody, we wondered? First though, we didn't want to miss out on getting David's merchandises. We hurried down to the men's section and lo and behold, all of David's range was out on the shelves. We quickly browsed and picked our favourites, marvelling at how soft the material was and how comfy every single item looked. Suffice to say, we were very proud fans!
When we finally returned to the entrance of the store with our purchases, the life size cut-outs were out. The M&S crew were milling around getting last minute things organised and the local media were getting set up for the launch. While we were waiting, we met Adele Woods, Head of Brand Events and Regional Marketing of Marks & Spencer. When we mentioned that we run the DGFA page, she was quick to give us priority tickets. We were lucky enough to secure the 3rd and 4th positions to meet David. We were over the moon! Yes, we were finally going to meet him in person after gushing over him after such a long time! I think if you could have seen us then, you would have seen stars in our eyes. Lol!
Soon, the store was filled with many, many fans. Moments before the launch we were asked to line up in order of the number given and we eagerly made our way to the front. We were constantly checking the entrance to see when David was going to appear so we could start recording and take pictures.
I was completely nervcited (combination of being nervous and excited!), which is probably why Naz asked if I was OK! I think I was nervous about not being able to speak when I met David! A tall, incredibly handsome, suave man appeared across the road, standing out from the crowd and was heading towards the store. It was David James Gandy in the flesh! With him were Larry King, the media and a few people from M&S I believe. The group was striking, David & Larry stood head and shoulders above the rest of the crew in height. I stared and stared and stared some more. I think this phenomenon is described as the 'Gandy phenomenon'. Haha…
There was lots of cheering and fan-girling as David walked into the store. I'm glad I recorded David's entrance because I cannot remember much of what I said except for, "Oh my God, he's so beautiful". I have a video that I will play for a life time to remember that! David stood where the signing was going to take place and had photos taken by media. He appeared exactly how we'd see him in videos and pictures, incredibly charming, shy yet confident. And that smirk, oh yes, that smirk of his had us fans swooning!
Shortly after the welcome, it was time for David to meet with his fans and sign autographs. I was minutes away from meeting David! I was no. 3 in line so gave me a chance to see how David interacted with fans, which would possibly help calm my nerves.
It was finally my turn. I walked up to David who welcomed me warmly. I introduced myself and also threw in the "I'm one of the fan page admins of David Gandy Fans Australia". He was delighted and thanked us for our support. While he was signing my Gandy for Autograph card, we had a quick chat about the launch saying that it had gone well so far. David mentioned the news about appearing on a breakfast show in Australia and wanted our support to promote this on our page. This was 'The Mornings', program that David appeared live on 1st October, 2014. David asked if I was in HK on holiday. He was surprised when I told him that we came to HK for the launch. He asked how long the flight was from Australia to HK. I asked him about coming to Australia and mentioned that he was invited to receive an award at the GQ Australia Men of the Year awards however he couldn't attend as he had to attend a friend's wedding which he said was at the same time. I've known David to be down to earth, modest and friendly and meeting him in person he was exactly that.
After the signing part was over, it was time to take a photo. I couldn't believe I asked David if I could give him a kiss on the cheek while taking a picture. His smile meant yes! There was a cheer from the crowd when I planted a kiss on David's cheek. In a panic Naz told me that my camera's memory card was full! Adele, whom we had met earlier, told me not to worry, as she would take another photo and email it to me. So this basically meant I got to kiss David a second time around for another photo. And for the first time in my life, I was happy that my device had failed!
Seeing Mel meet David first somehow made me feel extremely anxious. I usually shy away from attention and seeing the media and the hyperventilating crowd around me, suddenly made me feel a touch out of place. What am I doing here? What was I going to say when I am face to face with David? It was an out of body experience for me.
Well, as it turns out – I didn't have to say anything. David was extremely approachable. He reached out and shook my hand. He asked what my name was. He asked if I was with Mel (and when I told Mel - she proceeded to swoon and exclaim "He remembered my name!) I was both thrilled and taken aback by this man, who seemed to draw you into his conversation with his piercing baby blue eyes, and my frayed nerves slowly calmed down. You know how some people can make you feel as if you're the only person in the room? Well, I say David perfected that technique. While we were chatting about his future appearance on Australian TV and the GQ event that he couldn't attend, he smiled and signed my cards. He joked that he asked if the Australian TV appearance could have been scheduled at another date because he really didn't want to miss his friend's wedding and laughed when they said they couldn't. Not that he thought they could but at least he tried, he said. He was such a gentleman – he thanked us for all that we do on the page and for coming all the way from Australia to see him. And in all of the couple of minutes I was with him, I had forgotten about the crowd. I could have sworn that we chatted a bit more when I replayed the video of me talking to him later on, but for the life of me I could not remember what we had talked about. The time seemed to go too quickly and all I was left with was the memory of a perfect gentleman and funnily enough, the feel of his soft woollen grey M&S suit under my palm when I hugged him for a picture.
Mel and I wanted to wait and watch David meet and greet his other fans. It's not as if we get to see David Gandy everyday! While we were watched, we started chatting to Larry King. Larry was so lovely! He was very easy to talk to and he raved wonders about David. They seemed to have such a great friendship and the little snippets of stories he let us in on revealed to us how perfectly down-to-earth they were (E.g.: I asked who was taller between the two of them, and he answered "David thinks he is but in reality I know that I am at least a few centimetres taller than him. We often argue about that." Ha!).
Larry got a sneaky peek at the merchandised we bought. He leaved through the Esquire Singapore Magazine and told us that David's favourite picture was one of him walking Bubbles down the street with only his robe on. I butted in and said it was my favourite too, but I couldn't find the robe anywhere in the store that day. And before I knew it, Larry was off and an M&S girl came back awhile later to tell me that we had to order the robe online.
On the same token, while we watched David, Mel went through her photos and was disappointed that some of the pictures didn't turn out as expected when her camera ran out of memory. Larry promised that David would retake the pictures if we wanted. News got to Adele some how and she gave us another opportunity to take a couple of pictures with David, which we were eternally grateful for.
I cannot say enough about David's friends and the wonderful crew that surrounded him. They are genuine and try all that they can for David and his fans. This pleasantly surprised me.
The time was nearing to an end. After signatures, David got ready to do a short interview in the store. The table & chair got whisked away, and David disappeared behind the make-shift wall so Larry could work his magic on his hair (not that a strand was out of place, mind you!). David reappeared for the interview and then he was off!
Mel &I had an unforgettable day. But above all, we were thankful that we were one of the lucky few who got to meet David, have a conversation with him (albeit being only a short one) and have the opportunity to take our pictures with him. It was such a surreal experience, one that would live in our hearts forever.
More pictures from the launch can be seen on the DGFA page.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015!


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Career Guides >> Browse Articles >> Government Job Search
The Top 7 Traps When Moving from Business to Government
Peter Daly and Michael Watkins / Monster.com
Trap 5: Overlooking Nonmonetary Incentives
One of the starkest contrasts between business and government is the differences in incentives for motivating workers. "The biggest trap for successful individuals entering government, is not understanding the structured nature of pay in government," notes one HR professional in the survey. "Pay raises can only be given based on certain criteria, at a certain time and within the confines of a merit system. This is often a shock to former private-sector employees." In business, motivation often means sharing in the financial benefits of a successful business plan. In government, financial incentives can conflict with the concept of professionals who carry out policies to best serve the public, not for personal gain. Leaders, therefore, must rely on other tools – a compelling vision, a culture that values and recognizes success, the potential for development and advancement, and the reward of engaged teamwork – that are more difficult to design.
Trap 6: Overestimating Control Over Critical Resources
Acquiring resources in government is heavily regulated by Cabinet agencies and Congress, creating a competitive environment where agencies not only vie against each other but must engage the political process and gain the support of allies. Even when support is strong, acquiring quick infusions of people, facilities or technology is unlikely, given complex personnel and procurement rules. Most new government leaders must start off largely with the resources they inherited.
Trap 7: Expecting Government to Move as Fast as Business
New arrivals from business "believe they can make change happen quickly," says another survey respondent. "When they find out that they cannot make that change as quickly as they'd like, discouragement sets in." Government's rhythms are different from the quarterly and annual reporting deadlines of business. So for new leaders, getting up to speed could take longer than six months, which is typical in business. Still, they are not insulated from the impatience of stakeholders and are likely to face pressures for early wins. Targets for such wins should be selected wisely, despite insistence from some quarters for rapid action, because when they are met, they increase credibility and build momentum for success with longer-term changes.
Success in avoiding these traps will position you to get off to a good start and build personal credibility. If you fall into one, however, it will set up a vicious cycle that will consume your precious time and energy; it could even contribute to derailment.


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Sign up to our newsletter for £10 off your first order*
Your voucher has been emailed to you. Please look out for this email in your inbox, check your junk/promotions folder and be sure to add us to your safe sender list.
Confirm Selection
First things first:
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The Doblo Desk Clock is ideal for anyone who loves multipurpose things, something to tell you the time, store your pens, look classy but hip and is economical all at the same time! Yes, this super table clock can do all of these things, oh and did we mention it can make the tea too...only joking... not a bad idea though!
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*Furniture and Made to Order items are excluded from Express, Click & Collect and Saturday delivery options.
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Brand: Zuiver. Made in: The Netherlands.
Zuiver's motto is all about creating fun stuff for your home and office. Based in the Netherlands, its young and trendy inspirations come from all over the world. The Zuiver Design Team selects products with that unique twist, either by choice of material, shape or function. This diversity of the products is what creates an inspiring and powerful collection. Zuiver produces high end, stylish pieces that fit in your home, office, holiday house, restaurant or rentals. Full of style, colour and edgy designs Zuiver is creating not only pieces of furniture but statements that make a house feel like your own unique paradise. Never before seen in the UK, these pieces are one of a kind and perfect for giving your home a touch of fun.
Browse the products on our site and add things to your basket along the way!
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To use the Wishlist functionality available on our site, you will need to become a member and login to the site. If you don't already have an account you can quickly register your details with us.
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Two men were shot and seriously wounded while sitting in a tow truck at a gas station in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side, authorities said.
The men, tow truck drivers for separate firms, were sitting in the front seat of a truck in the 3600 block of North Ashland Avenue about 3:40 a.m. when a gunman approached and "fired several rounds into the truck,'' said Town Hall District Police Lt. Jeffrey Hoffmann.
The men, ages 26 and 29, remained in critical condition at Illinois Masonic Medical Center early Thursday morning, police said. The younger of the two was shot in the head and the other suffered multiple wounds to his torso, police said.
One of the victims ran across the street to a bar as the shooter fled, the lieutenant said.
Someone there called 911 and the men were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious to critical condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
The owner of the gas station said the victims got into an argument with another man. "They were there and some other guy came in," said Joey Skariah. "They were fighting."
Skariah said someone broke a windshield, and then shots rang out.
A bartender across the street said he thought the shots were firecrackers. "It's shocking," said Ron Walker. I saw a guy running toward the bar and I called 911."
Police were interviewing the wounded men about the circumstances of the shooting. Detectives will be examining surveillance video taken from cameras at the gas station, Hoffmann said.
No arrests have been made.
Twitter: @MidNoirCowboy


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Did Milo's cancellation force his hand? What is his deepest regret? And of course, the thorny issue of making promises you can't deliver. Peter Molyneux in his first interview as an independent developer (again).
I never knew he quit Microsoft but hearing about it, the guy has earned my respect again. Microsoft isn't the place to be working if you want to explore new innovative ideas for real gamers. Having Microsoft use such a talented man as they were was a huge detriment to the gaming community.
oh my god here we go again. this guy still making big promises which more than likely he will fail to deliver and ultimately disappoint fans considering his track record.
Glad he quit Microsoft. Now re-open Bullfrog studios or something similar please!
Dude needs to start putting his money where his mouth is. His stuff has been fairly ordinary recently.


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Performance Women's Nevado II Shorts
Item: 11-3861
Color:The price of the product might be updated based on your selection
Size:The price of the product might be updated based on your selection Sizing Chart
Designed for comfort both on and off the trail, the Performance Women's Nevado II Shorts are constructed with a resilient shell, removable liner and clean details. Polyester/spandex fabric is built tough for off-road excursions, yet feels casual enough for when you're just hangin' out. Detachable liner with dual-density CoolMax chamois relieves pressure and keeps you dry. Velcro waist adjusters give a personalized fit, reflective logos increase visibility and zippered side pocket holds the essentials.
- Updated with new colors for a fresh and stylish look
- Polyester/spandex shell with UPF 30+ is tough, fast-drying and flexible
- Removable liner with dual-density CoolMax chamois for pressure relief and moisture management
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- Velcro side-adjuster tabs for a custom fit
- Flat front waist for a trim look
- Dual snap and zippered fly closure
- Reflective logos on front and back add visibility
- Zippered pocket on lower right leg


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Tertiary Claim Rejections – Electronic Submitter Update
In a previous notification, we alerted you that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) was incorrectly rejecting tertiary claims for balancing issues. We also reported that the issue had been resolved and that BCBSOK would resume accepting tertiary claims as of Aug. 20, 2012.
While tertiary claims are now being accepted, we have determined that claims continue to be rejected when the Payer IDs for the primary and secondary payer are identical. Tertiary claims are also being rejected when the paid and adjusted amount(s) do not balance at the service line.
To help prevent future rejections, please confirm the following before transmitting a tertiary claim:
- The Paid Amount and the Adjusted Amount(s) at the service line (Loop 2430) balance to the service line Monetary Amount (Loop 2400), which then rolls up to the Total Claim Charge Amount (Loop 2300, CLM02);
- The correct (and valid) Payer ID is included in Loop 2330B, NM109; and
- Valid Payer IDs are present in Loop 2430, SVD01, the primary, secondary and tertiary Coordination of Benefits (COB) loops of the claim.
If you use a billing service or clearinghouse, please make sure they are aware of this information. If you encounter balancing issues on your claims, please contact your practice management system vendor for assistance.


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2005 National Scout Jamboree
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Revision as of 19:41, October 10, 2008 by Scouterdennis (Talk | contribs)
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|2005 National Scout Jamboree
The 2005 National Scout Jamboree was the 16th national Scout jamboree of the boy Scouts of America and was held from July 25, 2005 through August 3, 2005 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Normally, the next jamboree would be held four years afterward in 2009, but the date was changed so that the next jamboree could take place in 2010, the centennial anniversary of Scouting in the United States.
- Over 31,700 Youth attended, making up the 883 jamboree troops present.
- Scouts from 26 Nations attended.
- More than 7,000 adults volunteered to provide support and program services.
- Each jamboree troop is made up of 36 youth, consisting of 4 patrols of 8 scouts, and 4 youth leaders (senior patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, quartermaster and scribe) selected from various units in their local council.
- For the 10 day event Caroline County went from the 50th most populated county in Virginia to the 14th.


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Get ready America for assisted living to be the engine of growth in the seniors housing business over the next three years. That's the takeaway from a newly released survey of more than 250 industry professionals by National Real Estate Investor.
Among participants to the e-mail survey conducted in the fall of 2008 after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, 47% expect the assisted living segment to experience the most growth over the next three years, followed by independent living (43%), seniors apartments (37%), memory care facilities (27%) and continuing care retirement communities (24%).
Only 16% of respondents cite skilled nursing facilities as the business segment that will experience the most growth over the next three years.
Survey respondents represent a cross section of disciplines, ranging from commercial real estate builders, owners, developers and managers (42%) to brokers (29%), lenders (9%) and various other professionals. While they are bullish on assisted living, respondents currently are most likely to own, manage, develop or finance independent living properties.
Despite today's gloomy economic outlook for the near term, more than one in five seniors housing owners and operators expects the square footage in their portfolios to increase by at least 25% over the next two years.
Although 30% expect no change, one-third of owners and operators anticipate that their portfolios will grow by at least 10% during that time.
There is good reason for the owner/operator camp to feel it is in the path of growth. The demographic projections show a clear uptick in the graying of America in the years to come. With the first wave of baby boomers just now reaching retirement age, demand for seniors housing is expected to rise sharply over the next few decades.
From their vantage point, lenders in the short term are not as bullish as owners and operators about the prospects for an increase in the seniors housing business. In fact, lenders are evenly divided: 34% expect an increase in dollars used to finance seniors housing over the next 24 months, while 34% expect a decrease.
Three out of 10 lenders anticipate that the dollars used to finance seniors housing projects will decrease by 10% to 24% over the next two years. But another 30% of the lending community expects the amount of debt financing provided to the sector will rise at least 5% over that stretch.
While changing demographics certainly are having a positive impact on the seniors housing industry, some negative factors hang over the market like a dark cloud. On a scale of 1 to 5 — with 1 equaling no impact and 5 representing a tremendous impact — respondents conclude that the credit crunch as it relates to both borrowing and lending warrants a 3.9 rating.
Nipping at the heels of demographics on the impact scale are the soft residential housing market and the weak economy. Both, say survey respondents, merit an impact rating of 3.6.
Change in Seniors Housing Business
By what percentage do you expect the square footage of seniors housing you own or manage to change in the next 24 months? (asked of owner/manger respondents)
|Increase by 25% or more
|Increase by 10% to 24%
|Increase by 5% to 9%
|Increase by less than 5%
|No change expected
|Decrease by less than 5%
|Decrease by 5% to 9%
|Decrease by 10% to 24%
|Decrease by 25% or more
|No answer
Base: 53 owner/manager respondents
Property Types Most Affected by Aging Population
When asked which property types will be most affected by the aging population, a clear majority cite seniors housing.
|Seniors Housing
Base: all respondents, 258; multiple answers


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The night just got longer for the Dolphins. And their quiver of arrows to use in this draft just got more full.
They have traded the No. 12 overall selection in the first round to San Diego for No. 28 overall. The Dolphins also gave up their fourth round pick (110 overall) and a sixth round pick (173 overall).
The Dolphins got the San Diego second-round pick, No. 40 overall, and a fourth round pick (126 overall). There is also a rumor, unconfirmed, the Dolphins got linebacker Tim Dobbins.
Dobbins is now oficially confirmed as coming to the Dolphins.
The Chargers used the pick to select RB Ryan Mathews of Fresno State.
Miami's pick will now come around 10:30 p.m.
The Dolphins have a total of 10 picks now in this draft. As I wrote today, this helps Miami pick up not one starter in a deep draft, but two starters in a deep draft.
I like it!


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Car Deals
Wagon Deals: June 2013
Although many automakers have stopped building station wagons, there are still loyal shoppers who want them. For those buyers, we've listed the top wagon deals available in June. There aren't many models out there, but our list should help you find a good deal on the few that remain.
Acura TSX Sport Wagon
The Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a 5-door wagon version of Acura's sporty TSX premium sedan. In June, it's available with incentives for shoppers looking to lease or finance their next car. For qualified finance shoppers, Acura is offering 0.9 percent interest for up to 60 months. For those looking to lease a TSX Sport Wagon, Acura has two deals available. The first offers payments starting at $309 per month for 36 months after $1,999 due at lease signing. For shoppers who would rather put nothing down, Acura is offering the TSX Sport Wagon for 35 months with zero down and payments from $360 per month.
Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
The Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon is a boldly styled, rear-wheel-drive wagon based on Cadillac's sporty CTS sedan. In June, it's available with one incentive aimed at qualified shoppers looking to finance. Through the end of the month, those drivers can get a CTS Sport Wagon with 0 percent interest for up to 36 months. Best of all, that deal also applies to the high-performance CTS-V wagon, which boasts more than 550 horsepower thanks to a monstrous supercharged V8.
Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback is an all-wheel-drive station wagon that provides a fuel-efficient alternative to a midsize or compact SUV. In June, Subaru has two strong incentives available for shoppers interested in the Outback. The first is a lease deal: Subaru is offering a 42-month term on the Outback with payments starting at just $265 per month after $1,965 due at lease signing. Shoppers looking to finance also get a great deal, as Subaru is offering 0 percent interest on the Outback for up to 36 months.
Find a Subaru Outback for sale
Toyota Prius v
The fuel-efficient Toyota Prius v is the largest of Toyota's growing Prius family. In June, it's available with incentives for shoppers looking to lease or finance. Qualified finance buyers get the best deal, as Toyota is offering interest rates as low as 0 percent for a whopping 48 months. For shoppers looking to lease, Toyota is offering a 36-month term with payments from $279 per month after $2,678 at lease signing. That makes the Prius v only around $50 per month more than the regular Prius, though it offers far more room for families who need to haul children and their accessories.
Find a Toyota Prius v for sale
Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
The Jetta Sportwagen is a 5-door station wagon variant of the popular VW Jetta sedan. In June, it's available with incentives for shoppers looking to finance or lease their next car. For qualified finance shoppers, VW is offering interest rates as low as 0.9 percent for up to 66 months. That deal even applies to the fuel-efficient Jetta TDI Sportwagen, which has been free of incentives for much of 2013. For lease shoppers, the Jetta Sportwagen starts around $309 per month for 39 months. That figure is even more alluring with VW's June offer of zero down at lease signing.
Find a Volkswagen Jetta for sale
What it means to you: While there aren't many wagons left, our list of wagon deals shows all the incentives available on the few still on the market.


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In April, Barry University chemistry students joined more than 15,000 chemists, academics, professionals and students at the 245th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition in New Orleans. The national meeting, titled "Chemistry of Energy & Food," highlighted the relationship between chemistry and food in society.
"I remember the night before our flight, I didn't sleep, because I was so excited to go," said Elliott Rodriguez, one of seven chemistry majors from Barry's Department of Physical Sciences who presented at the ACS national meeting. Rodriguez, a senior majoring in chemistry, presented a paper titled "Quantification of D-Aspartate in the frog R. pipiens by HPLC" with chemistry student Travis Comnick and Barry Professor of Chemistry George Fisher, Ph.D.
Although he was initially intimidated by the size of the conference, the support of his friends, family and mentor gave him the confidence that he needed to present, Rodriguez said.
"Knowing that I was supported by many people gave me the confidence that I needed," Rodriguez said. "Once I was standing next to my poster, my fears and anxiety went away."
Aaron Mohammed, a senior majoring in chemistry at Barry, improved his presentation skills at the conference and is confident that he will apply what he learned at future conferences, he said. Mohammed presented results of research that he conducted with Maurizio Giannotti, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics at Barry.
"It was a great experience for me," said Mohammed, whose poster presentation was titled "Nuclear Chemistry and the Blue Loop within Massive Stars." "This was the largest conference that I have attended so far. I spoke to many people about the research I've done at Barry."
In addition to gaining the experience of presenting their research, Barry chemistry students also have the chance to create valuable connections in their field and take in the culture of the host city, Fisher said.
"Attending an ACS national meeting gives our students an opportunity to network with professional chemists and students from other schools, present their own research, and speak with graduate school recruiters from other universities, as well as experiencing the culture of another major U.S. city," Fisher said.
For more information about Barry's Department of Physical Sciences, visit http://www.barry.edu/physical-sciences/


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Animal Species:Spotted Black Snake - Pseudechis guttatus
Despite its size and relative abundance, not much is known of the habits of this handsome "poor cousin" of the Red-bellied Black Snake.
Standard Common Name
Spotted Black Snake
Alternative Name/s
Blue-bellied Black Snake
Blue-bellied Black Snakes are predominantly a shiny bluish- or brownish-black, with a dark bluish-grey or black belly. Some individuals can be cream/pale grey in colour, with each scale edged in black, giving a spotted appearance (hence their other common name Spotted Black Snake). Others may be intermediate between the two, having a mixture of pale and dark scales that form thin broken crossbands, however in all forms the head is uniformly dark.
The head is relatively broad and deep, and barely distinct from the robust body. There is an obvious brow ridge over the darkly-coloured eye.
Midbody scales 19 rows, ventral scales 175-205, anal scale divided, subcaudals single anteriorly, divided posteriorly.
Size range
The largest measured specimen was a male with a snout-vent length of 1850mm; however the average snout-vent length for an adult is around 1358mm (males) and 1244mm (females). As in other species of Pseudechis, males are generally larger than females.
Similar Species
In areas where Blue-bellied Black Snakes are found they are often confused with the similar-looking Red-bellied Black Snake Pseudechis porphyriacus, and also occasionally with the Eastern Brown Snake Pseudonaja textilis (particularly brownish specimens). Juvenile snakes may also resemble dark or melanotic forms of Swamp Snake Hemiaspis signata, although they will lack the white facial stripes that are usually present in this species.
The snake occurs just west of the coastal ranges in southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.
Distribution by collection data
Biomaps map of Blue-bellied Black Snake specimens in the Australian Museum collection.
The Blue-bellied Black Snake can be found in a range of habitats, from river floodplains and wetlands to dry sclerophyll forest and woodlands. They shelter under fallen logs, in deep soil cracks or abandoned animal burrows, and also in dense matted vegetation.
Habitat type
Terrestrial Habitat: marsh, riparian, temperate
Vegetation Habitat: open forest, woodland
Feeding and Diet
In the wild, the species eats a variety of vertebrates including frogs, lizards, snakes and mammals. It also eats the occasional invertebrate. Blue-bellied Black Snakes are primarily diurnal hunters; however they will forage late on warm evenings.
Feeding Habit
Life history modes
diurnal, terrestrial
Mating and reproduction
Male combat and mating has been recorded in wild Pseudechis guttatus occurring in the period between late winter and early spring (late August-early October). Combat appears to involve initial biting, followed by intertwining, and then pursuit with more biting. Gravid females have been observed in the wild in late winter-early spring (5 September-October).
In captivity, mating snakes coil loosely together with their tails wrapped around each other. The male occasionally moves his head back and forth along the female's body during copulation, which may last up to five hours. After a successful mating, the male shows no further interest in the female. Gravid females will usually refuse food in the period between mating and egg-laying.
Between 5 and 17 eggs are laid which may take up to 87 days to hatch, depending on the incubation temperature. The young remain in their egg for one or two days after slitting the egg case before emerging to begin their independent lives.
Conservation Status
Not listed as threatened.
Danger to humans and first aid
Usually a shy animal, the Blue-bellied Black Snake will defend itself aggressively if threatened. It will first give a warning display, hissing loudly and holding its flattened forebody in a low S-shape. Further harassment will cause the snake to strike out, although it sometimes does so with a closed mouth. If the snake does bite it often hangs on and chews, ensuring a good dose of venom is injected. The venom is highly toxic and contains coagulants, haemolysins, neurotoxins and cytotoxins. Anyone suspected of receiving a bite from a Blue-bellied Black Snake should seek immediate medical attention.
- If bitten call emergency services: Mobile phone: 112 Landline: 000
- Apply pressure-immobilisation bandage over the injury and along the limb or affected area to prevent the venom from spreading throughout the body:
- Wind the bandage around the bitten arm or leg, starting from the bite.
- The bandage should not be so tight that it restricts blood flow.
- Wrap the entire limb, then apply a splint to prevent movement.
- Keep the victim as still as possible.
- Do not remove the bandage.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
First aid guidelines were correct at time of publication however these guidelines change over time. For up to date first aid information consult medical professionals such as St John's Ambulance.
- Species:
- guttatus
- Genus:
- Pseudechis
- Family:
- Elapidae
- Suborder:
- Serpentes
- Order:
- Squamata
- Class:
- Reptilia
- Phylum:
- Chordata
Cogger, H. (2000) "Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia", Reed New Holland
Greer, A.E. (2006) "Encyclopedia of Australian Reptiles : Elapidae", Australian Museum
Ehmann, H. (1992) "Encyclopedia of Australian Animals : Reptiles", Australian Museum, Angus & Robertson
Mirtshin, P. and Davis, R. (1991) "Dangerous Snakes of Australia", revised edition, Ure Smith Press
Wilson, S. and Swan, G. (2008) "A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia", Reed New Holland
Cecilie Beatson , Technical Officer
Last Updated:
Tags blue bellied, blue-bellied, black snake, blacksnake, elapid, snake, reptile, venomous, Pseudechis, guttatus, dangerous, Blue, Bellied, Black, Snake, Blue-bellied, Blue-belly, Blue-belly Black, Blue-bellied Black, Blue-belly Black Snake, Blue-bellied Black Snake, Spotted, Spotted Black, Spotted Black Snake, Pseudechis guttatus, Elapidae, Serpentes, Serpent, Bites, Venomous, Bleu,


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Arsenal end trophy drought with FA Cup win
Arsenal ended its nine-year trophy drought on Saturday, coming from two goals...
Last year's French Open runner-up Sara Errani posted a match win at another Parisian tennis tournament on Thursday, as the Italian star reached the quarterfinals at the GDF Suez Open.
The top-seeded Italian was leading Magdalena Rybarikova 4-0 in the first set of their second-round match on Day 4 when the Slovakian qualifier retired due to a stomach virus at Stade Coubertin.
Errani's quarterfinal opponent on Friday will be capable Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.
In other second-round action involving seeds, Dutch lucky-loser Kiki Bertens ousted No. 4 Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 7-5, 6-4, No. 6 Czech Lucie Safarova held off Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 and Suarez Navarro toppled No. 8 Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3. Safarova was the runner-up at this event in 2007 and 2010.
One other match saw French wild card Kristina Mladenovic dismiss Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-4. Mladenovic is rewarded with a quarterfinal against second-seeded former Wimbledon champion and 2011 GDF Suez titlist Petra Kvitova.
Also on Friday, third-seeded French star Marion Bartoli will meet German Mona Barthel and Safarova will encounter Bertens. The former Wimbledon runner-up Bartoli lost to German Angelique Kerber in last year's finale in Paris.
The winner of this $690,000 event will collect $125,000.


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The "Pond Room"
One of the greenhouses at Oak Village
Dip Mixes for all your gatherings are at Oak Village freshly made by
Wind Ridge Herb Farm, Patty's Herbal Delights: Organica Fiesta Taco Dip Mix, Basil/Garlic Herb Butter Blend and Veggie Herb Dip Mix. We also have P. Dickey's, LLC Bloody Mary Mix and Morel Mushroom Dip... Yum,
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Ski Data
Wax Book
Ralph's Blog
SRG News
About Us
Skate Skis
Classic Skis
Atomic Race Skate
Two grooves in the base provides a stable ski with great tracking. A free and easy skiing skate ski from Atomic for sport and citizen racers. Stable with great tracking. A quick ski with a smooth platform for push-off. It encourages good technique and long glide. A narrow (42 mm) sidecut with arrowhead shovel and Powercell core. Fast and vibration damped in bumpy track. Excellent intermediate skier training ski or high performance recreational skate ski.
1140 grams; 44/42/43.5


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Because of each country's product availability, the selection on this site may not be the same as the one you were previously on.Cancel
Our Blue Nile Studio fine jewellery is an exceptional collection crafted by industry-leading designers and inspired by their years of experience and personal reflection. Defined by Blue Nile's classic style, with the highest regard to quality, this is everyday elegance at its finest.
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23w, 0d. It's not often that I get to enjoy an evening out sans enfants these days, but when I do, I really want it to be fun and special. When not pregnant, having a glass of wine or two is part of that, but now that I am pregnant—and taking baby aspirin for high blood pressure, which shouldn't be mixed with alcohol—wine is out of the question. So what's a teetotaling pregnant lady to do? Whoop it up with a Shirley Temple? I should think not—and yet, it would seem that many servers'/bartenders' creativity stops there when it comes to non-alcoholic beverages. Here's how it often goes:
Waitress: "What can I get for you?"
Me: "I'm pregnant [in case this isn't obvious—but I just want to be clear on the personal no alcohol policy], but I'd love to have something to drink beyond water. Could your bartender possibly make some kind of mocktail?"
Waitress: "Mocktail?" [Giving me a blank stare]
Me: "Um, yep, like a cocktail without any alcohol—a mocktail?"
Waitress: "So you want some juice? Like some cranberry juice?"
Me: "Well, no, not exactly." [If I wanted some juice, I would have asked for some, no?] "Do you think it would be possible for the bartender to make something fun—like a non-alcoholic version of one of the cocktails on your menu? I'm totally open to their creativity."
Waitress: "Hmm… I'll have to ask." [Turns away with a skeptical look. Returns a few minutes later.] "Here you go!"
Me: "Thanks! What's in it?"
Waitress: "It's club soda with a splash of cranberry juice."
I get that mocktails might not be exciting to the rest of the world, but to pregnant ladies, they can be kind of key to a fun celebration. I've had some great ones—like a tamarind punch, which was a non-alcoholic spin on a tamarind margarita at an Indian restaurant in NYC, a peach and lemon combo at a great Southern restaurant in Charlottesville, Va., and a fancy mock-martini at a nice restaurant in Fayetteville, Ark. I remember all of them because I appreciated that either the server/bartender was open to coming up with a tasty concoction on the fly—or that, in the case of the latter two, the restaurants actually had mocktail menus with multiple choices at the ready.
I'd never ask a busy bartender during a 1 am rush to come up with something creative (believe me, I'm not anywhere but my bed—or pacing in front of our refrigerator at that hour)—heck, I'm rarely in a restaurant during its dinner rush, given that I've fallen into the starving-at-six trap of eating dinner with my kids most nights (and next to no one eats dinner out at 6 pm in NYC)—but I get that maybe it feels like I'm asking for a bartender to go beyond his/her regular duties. Then again, maybe it's fun to do something other than pour gin and tonics and pop open yet another beer bottle? I dunno.
Do you have any favorite mocktail recipes? Do you have a special mocktail you've successfully ordered in restaurants? Leave a comment!


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Today marks the beginning of the Children's Week event. While I do have a level 80 sitting on my original server, I have little desire to play him right now. But, my new main just reached level 56 last night, so he is not high enough to get more than a handful of the achievements completed himself.
So, since I cannot give you any great degree of advice on how to go about getting the achievements done, I will instead leave that part up to the experts. What I can tell you about the achievements, is that you have no chance at getting them all done unless you are at least level 75 because that is the minimum level requirement for some of the food you have to eat. Not to mention you also have to run an instance in Northrend.
The Real Children's Week
The first link I want to give you comes from Brigwyn's blog. I point you here first because it is likely the most important link you may find in relation to Children's Week, and help you grasp the true meaning. You can look at the most up to date information about the event here.
If you take the time to read through Brigwyn's post (Twitter Brigwyn) you will find the real significance of this event, and I urge you all to participate.
Other Sources
Now, for three strong sources of information on the actual achievements in game, I point you first towards:
My searches online for blogs relating to this achievement have surprisingly come up with next to nothing. The best I have found, as far as blogs are concerned, is an entry from the event for last year, and I am not sure how true the information will hold to this year's event. So for now I would say the three links right above here are likely to be your best sources of information for the time being.
Help Me Help You
If anyone happens to find good links in relation to the holiday event, please post them here. If you blog about it yourself, feel free to leave a link to your blog in the comments here so that I can redirect people to your site.


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 28th Apr 2010 20:37 UTC
Well, if we had one of those obnoxious "BREAKING!"-tags on OSNews, this would definitely fit the bill. While we were busy discussing whether HTC or Lenovo would snap up Palm, another major worldwide computer company picked up the Sunnyvale-based mobile outfit: Hewlett-Packard has bought Palm. Updates from the conference call inside.
Thread beginning with comment 421311
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
HP Slate 2.0 .. with WebOS ... :)
by GenBlood on Wed 28th Apr 2010 21:10 UTC
RE: HP Slate 2.0 .. with WebOS ... :)
by Karitku on Thu 29th Apr 2010 06:40 in reply to "HP Slate 2.0 .. with WebOS ... :)"
I can see hp releasing a HP Slate device in 8 months or a year with WebOS as the operating system. If HP does it right .. they could have a very good tablet device.
Wishful thinking. It looks more likely that Palm will work largely independent instead of tight integration to HP. Most likely Palm will offer more Blackberry style phones with own brand while HP brings high-end phones with Windows Phone 7 OS. This will likely mean HP won't offer WinMo6.5 or Android phones on new markets, instead they push cheap Palm phones. Even if they would integrate Palm it would take years for device that you fantasy come to market. HP has shown very little intrest on ARM style netbooks or slates. More likely they keep pushing high-end slates(over 500 euros) and Windows netbooks using Intel processors.


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Is there a date for a release of Magma that does SVD computations? Please let me know.
If it is in Beta stage and you need a tester, I will be glad to help too.
Thanks and kind regards,
User discussion for MAGMA library (Matrix Algebra on GPU and Multicore Architectures), http://icl.utk.edu/magma/
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text:
A light, fun, and catchy mix of good vibes! Whether you're hitting the open road, or unveiling something new and fresh, Summer Daze will invoke all the nostalgia of good times!
Summer Daze features an original and irresistible blend of organic instruments (guitars, piano), with a bed of synths and a driving, electronic pulse.


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Sand timer in case (various colours).
These days you probably use a stop watch or the digital timer on your oven, but before all that fancy technology the good ol' sand timer was being used. Grab this one minute sand timer and see what you can get done before time runs out!
Please note: Timer pictured has different casing. Product will arrive with square plastic frame around timer tube. Product can be flipped without touching glass inner tube, making it safe for little hands.
Choking hazard: Not suitable for children 3 years and under.
*Subject to item availability. Please leave your contact phone number where possible*
Delivery times are dependent on your location.
International orders please contact us prior to ordering
For your security and peace of mind all postage is registered through Australia Post and is a flat rate of $12 inc. GST throughout Australia.


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Twitter Marketing For Dummies, 2nd Edition
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Table of Contents
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As the fastest-growing social networking service with more than 50 million tweets posted per day, Twitter poses a plethora of marketing possibilities. Boasting more than 50 percent new or updated content, this fun and friendly second edition reflects the latest features that Twitter has implemented to make the service more appealing to business users. Twitter Marketing For Dummies, 2nd Edition helps you build a following, promote your product, and drive more traffic to your Web site.
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text: Carter Kustera has shown in numerous galleries and museums nationally and internationally and was included in two Venice Biennale's. His career spans 20 years creating work in a range of mediums. His work was animated and used for U2's Pop Mart Tour and is also apart of store branding for Barney's Co-op and Jonathan Adler stores across the USA. He has his own line of products from a line of shower curtains to tote bags, vanity mirrors and pet accessories available through O.R.E and was commissioned to design a bathroom for the Kohler Arts Center. Kustera has won numerous awards for visual art and illustration from the Pollack Krasner Foundation, Black Book and the American Advertising Federation.


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| September 9, 2008, 9:31 am
A Greenwood Village developer plans to build a transit-oriented, mixed-use development in Broomfield.
Catalina Development Co. will build 376 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 45,000 square feet of retail specialty stores at Terracina, within walking distance of the FlatIron/96th Street Park-n-Ride, the proposed station for the RTD-FasTracks Northwest Rail Corridor.
The community includes an executive business center, gas barbecue grills, outdoor fireplace and picnic areas, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a resort-style swimming pool and spa with fountains, poolside wireless Internet access, a basketball court, putting green and a bocce-ball court.


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Requests flood in for 'Queen of Soul's' custom hat
By COREY WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer – 44 mins ago
Play Video
Aretha Franklin performs at the swearing-in
ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.
(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
DETROIT – The calls began to flood Luke Song's hat shop not long after Aretha Franklin finished belting out "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" at President Barack Obama's inauguration.
Franklin, who wore a gray felt custom-designed hat from Mr. Song Millinery, has inadvertently caused an economic boom for the South Korean immigrant's store.
Song said he wasn't prepared for the hundreds of calls requesting the hat with a Swarovski rhinestone-bordered bow.
"We even have a lot of men calling to get it for their wives, mothers and grandmothers," Song said.
The hat worn by the "Queen of Soul" was hand-molded and would cost upward of $500 — if it were for sale, the 36-year-old designer said. Customers instead were offered a satin ribbon version for $179.
"They want the same hat, but they understand it's for the 'Queen' only," he said. "Ninety-nine percent said, 'That's fine. I'll get the next best thing.'"
The family millinery has been in Detroit for about 25 years, and Franklin has been a customer for about 20 of those years. The store also sells to about 500 boutiques across the country.
"We always make hats for her for high-profile events, so for us, the inauguration really was no big deal," Song told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The design for Franklin's hat came from two different hats at the store.
"She walked through the shop and said 'I want that bow (put) on that hat,'" he said. "She had the coat already, but she needed the hat to set it off."
On the Net:
Mr. Song Millinery, mr song millinery
Requests flood in for 'Queen of Soul's' custom hat - Yahoo! News
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Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:2-5, Isaiah 61:1-3, John 2:11, Matthew 12:28-42
Most of us have been there. It's not just painful, but confusingly painful.
Didn't God hear?
Doesn't He love me?
Did I not have enough faith?
Why wasn't it a yes?
These are the questions we ask when the miracle doesn't come.
Perhaps it was the cancer that wasn't cured, the chronic illness that never healed, the marriage that couldn't be saved, or the money that didn't come through. In the absence of a miracle, these stories about Jesus can be tough to swallow. They can even feel cruel. Why are they here, if not to tease us?
God knows we feel this tension, which is perhaps why He included Matthew 11:2-5 in His perfect Word. Here, John the Baptist asks Jesus if He is, in fact, the "one who is to come"—the Messiah. Jesus answers with a clear allusion to Isaiah 61: "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up" (Matthew 11:4-5). He's essentially saying, "Yes. All the things that were foretold, I am fulfilling them."
Jesus' answer to John tells us a lot about the purpose of His miracles: They are a sign of the prophecies fulfilled, a sign that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. They are a sign of His authority, His power, and His glory. And they are a sign of God's love for us, a sign that we can trust Him.
But here's what we shouldn't miss about Jesus' answer, because John certainly wouldn't have. Isaiah 61 also says this of the coming Messiah: He will "proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound" (v.1). It's a message of hope for prisoners, which is exactly what John was; John received Jesus' message while sitting in a prison cell. And yet, John the Baptist was never set free. Three chapters later, he's beheaded. Scripture tells us that when Jesus got word of John the Baptist's death, "he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself" (Matthew 14:13).
Our God is not indifferent to our pain.
Matthew 11:2-5 contains all the power and the glory and the complexity and confusion of Jesus' miracles. It attests to Jesus' divine identity, but it also attests to the reality that miracles don't always come. In this tension, we learn more about what Jesus' miracles mean.
Jesus' miracles weren't only about Him, but about the Kingdom to come. Tucked into every miracle we can almost hear God whisper, "This is what the Kingdom is like. It's complete healing, total wholeness, freedom, awe, and joy." Miracles provide a foretaste of this in-breaking Kingdom, but they were never meant to replace it.
We'll never have the perfect peace and restoration we desire this side of eternity, but miracles point to the place where we will.
Whenever we read stories of miracles, and grapple with their surpassing mystery, we can do so knowing our God is not casual or removed from our pain. Jesus' very presence on earth reminds us that He entered into it, experiencing the pain along with us. Jesus joined us in waiting for the Kingdom, longing for the day when the need for miracles will be no more.
Sharon Hodde Miller is a writer, speaker, pastor's wife, and mom of two boys. She is a regular contributor to Christianity Today and recently completed her Ph.D, which focused on cultivating the gifts of women in the church.


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Polk Street Beach on Tybee Island has been placed under advisory by the Chatham County Health Department.
This advisory issued Wednesday afternoon is only for the beach - situated at the northern most part of Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River from the end of the beach to the jetty - and does not impact any other beaches on the island.
The beach water advisory is to alert the public of a possible risk of illness associated with water contact, but does not mean the beach is closed.
Routine water quality tests from samples taken Tuesday at the location showed a high level of enterococci bacteria which increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness in swimmers, officials said.
The Chatham County Health Department recommends against swimming or wading in the water in the area under advisory. Fish and other seafood caught from the area should be thoroughly washed with fresh water and thoroughly cooked before eating as should fish or seafood caught from any waters.
The area will be retested Thursday and the advisory will be lifted when tests show the bacteria levels meet the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended standards, according to officials.


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Included in:
A discounted pack featuring multiple tracks in this style.
Description:A soft evocative piano loop, perfect for website backgrounds, or commercials. Part of the series 'Cinematic Soft Piano Loops'.
In Corona, the feel is a lot darker with a lot of heavy low strings. The constant 8th notes give real momentum to the piece. However, despite the momentum, there is an ominous feel to this piece, making it very suitable for conveying a moody atmosphere.
The piano is made to sound like the microphone is very close to the strings for a more intimate sound. In addition, the piano is placed in a very large space to add warmth to the recording. This a technique many composers use on soundtracks today to create a certain ambiance and mood.