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The annual watering hole gathering of Michigan's top civic, business, labor, education, government, political and foundation leaders is set to begin.
This three-day event, The Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference, draws up to 1,500 of Michigan's "movers and shakers."
Beginning Tuesday, they will eat, drink and mingle on the world's largest porch at the Grand Hotel to gab about the state's problems and opportunities. There is no shortage of either.
Will this year be different, or will the confab once again be an annual "pogo stick convention"? Will this be yet another gathering of well-intended people where lots of jumping up and down occurs without any real forward movement?
The event is well organized and features great speakers with a solid agenda. The leaders, Sandy Baruah, president of the Chamber, and conference chair Nancy M. Schlichting, CEO of Henry Ford Health System (winner of the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award), are extremely able and talented people.
A year's worth of networking with influential decision makers can be accomplished in three short days on the island. But shouldn't successful business performance be measured by results rather than by jibber-jabber, schmoozing and socializing?
The theme song from past Mackinac Policy Conferences should be borrowed from country sensation Toby Keith's CD, "Whole lotta talk … not much action."
Since 1981, our top leaders have been gathering on the island of horses and fudge, but to what end? What has been accomplished?
This is not a slam at the Detroit Regional Chamber, which is to be commended for creating a forum for discussion of issues impacting Michigan. Everyone who attends, however, needs to pull out a mirror and take a look — everyone shares the blame for the lack of tangible results.
If government, education and the nonprofit human services community had hosted this 31-year gathering, the business community would be quick with their ridicule and scorn for the lack of results.
Results should matter! Or are we in a collective state of denial?
Michigan has a historical, almost cultural unwillingness to say that the "emperor has no clothes." Through the years, we have been either unwilling or unable to take on many real problems and to demand real solutions.
Gov. Rick Snyder started off strong in his desire to "reinvent" Michigan. Will he keep the reinvent Michigan pedal to the metal?
We need to stop pretending and worrying about offending. We need bold leadership, courageous action and positive results. Michigan must adapt to the 21st century global economy through innovation and collaboration in order to succeed.
Fareed Zakaria, CNN contributor, and Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times columnist, will be "keynoters" at the conference. They may want to remind the audience that while we dither, the world is moving forward. Michigan is two peninsulas — not an island.
I hope to see "relentless positive action" resulting from the 2012 Mackinac Policy Conference. In the absence of that, I hope attendees at least enjoy the fudge. No pun intended, my favorite is Rocky Road.
Tom Watkins is a former state mental health director and state superintendent of schools and is currently a US/China consultant. He can be reached at email@example.com"


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subset: commoncrawl


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Chicago — During the past five years, membership at YMCAs across the country has increased by 2 million people nationwide — 700,000 of that in just the last year. The YMCA of the USA says that the recently released figures reflect the largest membership in the organization's 157-year history in the United States.
The report also says that 21 million people — almost half of them children — are currently served by the nation's 2,686 Ys.
"We know that our communities are facing critical issues, such as adult and childhood obesity, insufficient family support and lack of affordable child care. YMCA programs address these profound needs, and our growth speaks to the great work YMCAs across the country do every day to improve the lives of kids, families and people in need," Neil Nicoll, president and CEO of the YMCA of the USA, says in a statement.


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Given that Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Lincoln" combines one of Hollywood's biggest directors and one of America's greatest heroes, it's not hard to imagine the result being an epic, reverential portrait of the 16th president. Instead, however, Spielberg, screenwriter Tony Kushner and star Daniel Day-Lewis have treated Lincoln as more man than myth and focused on the political wrangling he orchestrated to end the Civil War and pass the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery.
The decision seems to have been a shrewd one, as critics are nearly unanimous in praising the film.
The Times' Kenneth Turan says the film's success begins with Kushner's "excellent script" (based on parts of Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Lincoln"), which is "smart, dramatic and confident of the value of what it has to say." Building on Kushner's solid foundation, Spielberg's touch is assured without being showy: "There is nothing bravura or overly emotional about Spielberg's direction here, but the impeccable filmmaking is no less impressive for being quiet and to the point," Turan writes, adding "he's there in service of the script and the acting, to enhance the spoken word rather than burnish his reputation."


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By Kiki Keane
Ugh! I've dropped several dress sizes this year, which means that I have to do the thing I dread the most: Shop. I hate shopping. I really, really do. I thought I would love it. I thought things would be easier. Sad truth is, it still takes going to every store within a 300 miles radius to find a single pair of jeans in my size! Where did they all go? Everything below an 8 that does not show one's ass-crack or cut off one's circulation have disappeared from the shelves of New Mexican stores. Also, size 6 shoes. They have all vanished. I suspect everyone has been replaced by body snatching pod-people with large feet. Or maybe (Gulp!) I'm the pod-person…
Okay. Enough grumbling.
I really wish that I had something interesting to write about, but my life is currently uneventful. (I know. I know. Enjoy it while I can!) One would think with all this downtime, I would find something productive to do. I have not. I have not studied Arabic. I have not read more than 30 pages in a book. I have not read my book club selection. I have not exercised. Mostly, I just move from my bed to my Papasan and back with a few trips to the kitchen. Okay. That's a bit of an exaggeration. I've made some trips to the library for books I most likely won't read. I have also gone on a wild book hunt for used mass market copies of my favorite noir novels. (I can handle anything except an extended period without my hardboiled private dicks and femmes fatales.) I came up mostly empty. I can find them in trade and ebook form online, but trade are big and sometimes heavy and I just can't carry all that with me on my travels. And there is just something repulsive about reading classic noir on a kindle. However, I did find my favorite Science Fiction novel, Invasion Of the Body Snatchers, in a first edition Dell mass market. It's a little musty and little worse for wear, but at least I'll be able to take it with me! I'll also be able to have my favorite spy (007) with me.
Needless to say, all this moving from bed to chair to bed has left little time for news gathering. I am not proud. However, I have been paying some attention. Here and here are the latest from Richard Engel who is still in Syria.


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The Magic That Is Olive Oil
Homer called it "liquid gold". Its mystical glow illuminated history.
Olive oil has been more than mere food to the peoples of the Mediterranean: it has been medicinal, magical, an endless source of fascination and wonder and the fountain of great wealth and power.
The olive tree is known as a symbol of abundance, glory and peace. Its leafy branches have been used to crown the victorious in friendly games and bloody war, and the oil of its fruit has anointed the noblest of heads throughout history.
Olive crowns and olive branches are emblems of benediction and purification that were ritually offered to deities and powerful figures: some were even found in Tutankhamen's tomb.
Today we value extra-virgin olive oil for its nutritional and healthful virtues. It is the most digestible of the edible fats: it helps to assimilate vitamins A, D and K; it contains so-called essential acids that cannot be produced by our own bodies and slows down the aging process.
It is also valued for its culinary virtues and sensory properties of: flavor, bouquet, and color.
What is olive oil?
Olive oil is a fat extracted from olives. It is used in cooking to enhance the flavor of foods, as a dressing, and as an oil for sautéing and frying. It is also used as a moisturizer and in soaps. Olive oil is considered to be a healthy fat because of its high content of monounsaturated fat in the form of oleic fatty acid and polyphenols.
How is Olive Oil made?
Olive oil is made from pressing or crushing tree ripened olives. It can undergo a variety of different processes but at its simplest, the olives are picked, the leaves, stems and any dirt are removed and the olives are ground into a paste. A press then separates the oil from the paste and the oil is bottled.
Extra Virgin Olive oil is probably the only oil that can be eaten as soon as it has been pressed from the fruit and the oil retains the flavor, aroma and vitamins that it contained when it was in the raw state of being an olive on the tree.
Types of Olive Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Is the oil that is extracted from the first pressing of the olives. This type of oil undergoes the least amount of processing and therefore has the richest flavor and aroma. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is generally considered to be the
best and is therefore the most expensive. No refined oil is added to this oil.
• Virgin
Is the oil extracted from the second pressing of the olives. It is slightly more acidic than extra virgin. The taste is good but not as flavorsome as extra virgin olive oil. No refined oil is added to this oil.
• Pure
Is generally a blend of refined olive oil with a mix of either extra virgin or virgin oil.
• Olive oil
Is a blend of refined oil and virgin oil and generally lacks a strong flavor.
There are other types of olive oil such as Olive-pomace oil which is a poor quality blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is made from the pips and ground flesh after the pressing and although is fit for consumption it may not be called olive oil. Olive pomace oil is often used in soap or for industrial purposes.
Check out the labels when you are buying Olive oil. If the label doesn't state "virgin" then you are buying a lower grade produce. "100% Pure Olive Oil" is often the lowest quality available for purchase.
Where the label states "Made from refined olive oils" it generally means that although the essence of the olives were captured, the taste and acidity were chemically produced.
Don't be taken in with a label that states "Light olive oil". What this really means is that the product is a refined olive oil, not that it has a lower fat content. All Olive oil has a standard 120 calories per tablespoon (34 J/ml).


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Considerations for Record announcements at the beginning of the fall term.Please note that the August 13 issue of the Record was the first issue for the 2001-02 academic year. Please be sure to use the Record to include any information that new and returning students will need to know as they begin classes for the fall semester. In addition, please consider re-posting important information that you included in your Record pages over the summer for those students who did not read the Record this summer.
Record resumes weekly schedule
The Record resumed its weekly publication schedule beginning with the August 13 issue.
Headline submissions for any issue of the Record must be received by noon of the Thursday prior to the issue date for inclusion in the main headline page. As always, please e-mail your submissions to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Please feel free to contact Sue Pierard (ext. 6-5252) with any questions. Student organizations members should read the letter to student organization presidents for information or training offered by the Center for Law and Computers for creating and maintaining Record pages.


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J Quinton wrote:Thanks
I'm sure there is a more direct route from Moora to Northam. Going as far south as Bindoon seems too far out of your way.
Whoops. Gave you the wrong info there. Updated option 1 to Northam. The option is to come through to GinGin and then snake across to Yanchep and then done the coast. I sort of did some of this on my Geraldton ride.


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Article: The 142-Megapixel Digital Camera
Imagine if your digital camera was scaled to the size of a dishwasher. And weighed about 135 kilograms. And cost about $5 million to build. At its barest bones, the Sloan telescope is an outsize digital camera, but one sophisticated enough to capture every luminous object (about 200 million) in large, contiguous swaths of the northern celestial hemisphere. Its goal is to build up an exquisitely detailed picture of the structure of the Universe.
"In 1998, when we were finishing the Sloan telescope, it was the largest digital camera in astronomy," says Princeton University scientist Jim Gunn. "It takes pictures of objects that are fainter than those you can see with your eye by a factor of about six million." Gunn is a rare kind of astronomer, proficient in all three of the field's main areas--observation, theory, and instrumentation. He led the design and building of the Wide Field/Planetary camera on the Hubble Space Telescope and was the mastermind behind the Sloan telescope's complicated technology, having first drawn up "crude optical designs" for the instrument in 1985. Gunn explains why Sloan's instruments can do what no point-and-shoot can:
WIDE FIELD OF VIEW — In astronomical terms, the Sloan camera's field of view measures about 5 square degrees. That's exceptionally wide. For comparison, the Hubble Space Telescope's field of view is one-160th of Sloan's. "If you want to map a quarter of the sky, you can't do it one postage stamp at a time," says Gunn.
GIANT SENSORS — To make an image, a digital camera captures photons of light within its field of view using an electronic version of a photographic plate, called a CCD, or charge-coupled device. The bigger the CCD, the more photons it can capture and the dimmer the objects it can register. A typical digital camera's single CCD is the size of your pinkie fingernail. "There are 30 of these devices in Sloan's camera, arranged in six columns of five. Each is almost two inches square," says Gunn. Their resolving power amounts to 142 megapixels, whereas home-use digital cameras today are 3, 4, or 5 megapixels. "CCDs this big only began to appear about 11 or 12 years ago," Gunn continues. The CCDs are mounted at the back of the camera lens, paving nearly its entire field of view. They allow for Sloan's sensitivity to objects many other telescopes would miss.
CONTINUOUS SHOOTING — With an ordinary digital camera, the shutter opens to allow light to hit the CCDs and then closes once its exposure is complete. Instead of peppering the sky with single shots, Sloan stays stationary and images strips of night sky as the stars advance because of Earth's rotation. "We don't take a picture, stop to read it, move the telescope, and take another picture," says Gunn. "The camera is making a tapestry of the sky the whole time. We never stop to close the shutter." This way, a contiguous area of sky can be imaged very efficiently.
FIVE-COLOR IMAGES — Light energy travels as a wave of varying lengths. Each wavelength of light has characteristic properties, one being its color. The entire spectrum of visible light wavelengths runs from violet (short wavelengths) to red (long wavelengths). Sloan's digital camera can detect two different wavelength ranges of visible light (red and green) and three ranges of light not visible to the eye: (ultraviolet, which has shorter wavelengths than violet; infrared, which has longer wavelengths than red; and farther infrared, even longer). Because stars, galaxies, brown dwarfs, and quasars give off light at different wavelengths, Sloan's breadth of color detection allows it to capture a motley crew of space objects.
SUPERIOR SPECTROGRAPHS — Knowing what general color range of light a galaxy or quasar emits allows astronomers to identify what it is, but not much more. A detailed version of that spectrum can tell astronomers what elements the galaxy is made of, how far away it is, and other properties. "On the Sloan telescope, additional instruments called spectrographs break the light up into not five colors, but several thousand colors," explains Gunn.
To get precise spectra for objects in an interesting area of sky, a one-meter-diameter aluminum disk called a plug plate is precision-drilled with 640 holes. Each hole corresponds to a point of light from a digital picture. A single optical fiber is inserted by hand into each hole, and then the plug plate is mounted underneath the barrel of the telescope. "The fibers must be positioned exactly because each galaxy's light falls in a given place, and that fiber has to channel it to the spectrographs," says Gunn. The telescope's two spectrographs divide each galaxy's light into several thousand precise wavelengths. Spectrographs on most other telescopes can measure one object at a time, but Sloan's do 640 at once.
A plug plate is no longer useful after it the spectrum is taken. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has stockpiled several thousand plug plates and is tossing around ideas for what do with them. (Coffee tables are a popular suggestion.) Scientists are still unsure of what will become of the Sloan telescope itself after its nine-year photo shoot wraps up in 2008. "The telescope and instruments, especially the spectrographs, are still very much state-of-the-art," says Gunn. "It is almost certain that some project will go forward with some or all of the equipment." One possibility is to outfit the telescope with a new type of spectrograph in order to survey arrestingly bright stars for the presence of planets. In the meantime, Sloan's wide-field pictures of dazzling stars and galaxies continue to turn up other rare cosmological jewels.
Related Links
Sloan Digital Sky Survey Image Gallery
STScI: Telescopes from the Ground Up
Explore the history of telescopes, from Galileo to NASA.
Sloan's Photometric Camera and CCDs
The Galaxy Catalog
A collection of digital images of 113 nearby galaxies.


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An excerpt from John Main OSB, "Second Conference," THE GETHSEMANI TALKS (Tucson, AZ: Medio Media, 2000), pp.37-39.
Meditation is the prayer of faith because we are willing to follow the Teacher's command: we are willing to lose our lives so that we may realize fully our potential.
And when we have found our true Self, our task is only beginning.
For as soon as we have found ourselves, what we have done—in St Augustine's expression---is to have found the "stepping stone" that will lead us to God. Because then and only then do we find the confidence necessary to take the next step, which is to stop looking at our new-found Self, but instead to turn the searchlight off ourselves and onto the Other. And meditation is the prayer of faith precisely because we leave ourselves behind before the Other appears, and with no [prior] guarantee that he will appear. The essence of all poverty consists in this risk of annihilation.
This is the leap of faith from ourselves to the Other, and it is the risk involved in all loving. . . [It] is a delicate moment in the development of our prayer. For when we begin to realize the totality of the commitment involved in deep, self-surrendering prayer, there is a strong temptation to turn back, to evade the call to total poverty, to give up the ascesis of the mantra and return to self-centered rather than God-centered prayer.
The temptation is to return to that prayer we might describe as the prayer of anaesthetized, floating piety---the prayer that John Cassian termed the "pax perniciosa," (the ruinous peace) and the "sopor letalis" (the lethal sleep). This is a temptation we have to transcend. Jesus has called us to lose our life, not to hold out negotiating for better terms. If we lose it--and only if we lose it--will we find it in him. John Cassian's vision of prayer, restricting our mind to one word, is proof of the genuineness of our renunciation. In his vision of prayer we renounce thought, imagination, even self-consciousness itself, the matrix of language and reflection.
But let us be quite clear why we renounce all these gifts of God at the time of prayer. . .It would not be enough to say that we renounce them merely because they "distract." It would indeed be absurd to deny that they are the primary means of self-understanding and communication. Nor do we renounce them because we consider that they have no place in either our social or personal relationship with God. It is obvious that the whole of our liturgical response to God is based on word, gesture and image. And Jesus himself has told us that we can pray to the Father in his name for whatever we need, for the needs of the whole world.
All these considerations must constantly be kept in sight. But at the center of our being all of us know the truth of what Jesus means when he invites us to lose our lives so that we may find them. At this same center, all of us feel the need for a radical simplicity. . . In other words, we all know the need to rejoice in our being at its simplest, where we simply exist with no other reason for existence than to give glory to God, who creates us, who loves us and who sustains us in being. And it is in prayer that we experience the sheer joy that is simple being. Having surrendered everything we have, everything by which we exist, we stand before the Lord God in utter simplicity. And the poverty of the single verse that John Cassian enjoins is the means. . .of losing our life that we may find it, of becoming nothing that we may become all.
After Meditation: An excerpt from John Cassian, "The Tenth Conference: On Prayer, XI, " JOHN CASSIAN: THE CONFERENCES, ed. Boniface Ramsey, OP (New York: Paulist Press, 1997), p. 383.
1. Let the mind hold ceaselessly to this [way of prayer]. . .until it renounces and rejects the whole wealth and abundance of thought. Thus straitened by the poverty of this verse, it will very easily attain to that gospel beatitude which holds the first place among the other beatitudes. For it says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And thus whoever is admirably poor with poverty of this sort will fulfill those prophetic words: "The poor and the needy will praise the name of the Lord." 2. And in fact what poverty can be greater or holier than that of one who realizes that he has no protection and no strength and who seeks daily help from another's bounty, who understands that his life is sustained at each and every moment by [God]?


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All the boys from One Direction are taking a couple...
Loving the enemy
- by starksfantasy09
- Rating:
- Published: 13 Aug 2014
- Updated: 13 Aug 2014
- Status: In Progress
Why am I so in love with this curly haired boy? He basically tortured me throughout our whole childhood but yet I'm madly deeply in love with the enemy. ~ Nicole
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Almost everyone goes through bouts of acne while growing up. But while most people will eventually move on to clearer skin as they out-grow their raging teens, a significant few will continue to suffer from acne almost throughout their whole lives. For these individuals, constantly living with acne can have a profound effect on their self-esteem and can even lead to isolation and depression. But surprisingly, what we often consider as acne is actually a skin disease known as rosacea.
What is rosacea?
Rosacea is a common and chronic, relapsing skin disease that is often characterized by transient or persistent redness of the face, the prominence of blood vessels in the skin, and the presence of numerous papules and pustules. The term 'rosacea' comes from the Latin word for roses. While acne and rosacea can have similar appearances and can often co-exist, they are actually caused by entirely different processes. It is estimated that around 2-10 percent of the population has rosacea, with women being more commonly afflicted than men. Rosacea also occurs more often among people of Celtic descent with fair skin, blue eyes and red hair, than among Asians and African-Americans.
What causes rosacea?
There is still a lack of clear consensus among the medical community as to the exact causes of rosacea. However, a number of factors have been identified as responsible for triggering the condition. These include: UV light, stress and emotionality, physical exertion, extreme variations in temperature, humidity, strong winds, spicy food, red wine, topical steroids, and skin care products that contain alcohol. Because different people have different triggers, they are encouraged to maintain a rosacea diary for them to monitor and identify potential triggers.
What are the symptoms of rosacea?
Rosacea can be diagnosed based on the existence of its primary characteristics, which are as follows:
- Transient erythema – the patient has a tendency of excessive blushing or flushing
- Non-transient erythema – the patient often experiences persistent redness in his or her facial skin
- Papules and pustules – there are crops of red and dome-shaped papules and pustules throughout the skin
- Telangiectasia – tiny dilated vessels can be seen on the skin
In addition, rosacea can also exhibit secondary features that can either co-exist with the primary features or occur independently. These secondary characteristics include:
- Burning or stinging sensation, with or without scaling and dermatitis
- Elevated red plaques
- Rough, scaly, dry central facial skin that looks like eczema or dermatitis
- Oedema, often accompanying or following facial erythema or flushing
- Ocular symptoms ranging from burning or itching eyes, bloodshot eyes, eyelid inflammation, and corneal damage
- Occurrence of rosacea at sites other than the face, such as the neck, scalp, ears and back
- Overgrowth of sebaceous glands, open skin pores and skin thickening
Natural treatment of rosacea
Because of the murky causes of rosacea, the therapeutic approach consists largely of skin care management and symptomatic treatment. Proper skin care can help repair and maintain the function of the epidermal barrier and can reduce the signs and symptoms of the disease. On the other hand, treatment is aimed at:
- Alleviating the signs and symptoms of rosacea, such as skin reddening and irritation, and reducing papules and pustules
- Delaying or preventing the progression of rosacea from its milder form to its more severe stages
- Promoting the remission of the condition and avoiding exacerbations
- Maintaining the skin in as good a condition as possible
- Improving the patient's quality of life
An integral part of rosacea treatment is the adoption of a total skin care regimen that minimizes the skin barrier dysfunction and reduces skin irritation. Among the products recommended by dermatologists are:
- A high-SPF (15) sunscreen product to protect against ultraviolet light-induced epidermal and dermal abnormalities that further worsen rosacea and photo-protectants with at least SPF 5 to prevent chronic photo-damage due to dermal matrix degradation from UV exposure. An ideal sunscreen is the ZENMED® SPF 40 Mineral Sunscreen, which is a dual-action sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection from UV rays that induce flare-ups and redness and delivers anti-aging benefits from hyaluronic acid, CoQ10 and antioxidants.
- Gentle foaming face washes, lipid-free cleansers and non-soap-based skin cleansers that have a pH that is more compatible with natural skin acidity, which causes less epidermal damage, irritation and dryness. A good example is the ZENMED® Gentle Cleansing Cream, which has a balanced pH and vegetable-based formulation that removes impurities without drying or stripping the skin of vital oils.
- Moisturizers with humectant and occlusive agents that replenish the depleted lipids within the impaired epidermal barrier and restore its ability to retain moisture. The ZENMED® Oil-Free Day Lotion is a water-based, moisture lotion with micro-mattifying agents to help control oil levels and high concentrations of Vitamins B5 and E to leave the skin feeling and looking supple and nourished. Another ideal product is the ZENMED® Nutrient Boost Spray, which is a soothing spray that contains Vitamins A and E, Willow Bark Extract and Licorice Root Extract to moisten the skin and lessen irritation after exposure to heat, cold, wind and UV rays.
- Cosmetic camouflage to conceal and control erythema and telangiectases and serum base to nourish the skin. A perfect cosmetic camouflage is the ZENMED® Anti-Redness Mask is a nourishing gel mask that contains Willow Bark Extract, a highly effective anti-inflammatory agent; Green Tea and Cucumber for fast control of skin redness; and Licorice Root Extract and Certified Organic Aloe Vera Gel as additional anti-redness agents. Meanwhile, the ZENMED® Support Serum uses Vitamin C to reduce swelling, redness and inflammation associated with rosacea and provides restorative strength to protect healthy skin tissue and promote curative cellular regeneration.
When using cosmetic and skin care products, make sure that they do not contain alcohol, witch hazel, fragrance, menthol, peppermint and eucalyptus oil, all of which can exacerbate rosacea. To check out the dermatologically-certified natural formulations of ZENMED® complete skin support systems for oil and dry skins, visit us here.


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Not too long ago I wrote about parrot 1.0 being released. Now I check back up on the project and it's been steaming ahead - with a 1.3 release happening a couple of days ago.
Parrot VM is the multi language VM with which includes a JIT (ALPHA, Arm, Intel x86, PPC, and SPARC version 8), and supports various languages - including a python implementation called pynie.
Development of parrot is really picking up. It's interesting to see how development compares to python and pypy... and it seems that there is at least as much work happening on parrot compared to pypy and CPython.
This graph from ohloh
Number of commits made to the project source code each month.
red Python programming language green PyPy teal Parrot
* note, this graph is obviously wrong, and broken I think.
The most interesting part of this is that parrot was an April fools joke - and that joke is now becoming real. I look forward to bird watching, and hope to see more parrots in the future.


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A term for an excellently well-placed Nuclear Missile (a Terran utility spell) in the Real-Time-Strategy (RTS) game Starcraft II. Money Nukes are capable of dealing massive damage, and often maximize the full potential of said damage. To be a perfect Money Nuke the Ghost (The unit who launches Nuclear Missiles) must be saved. One of the most-known 'Money Nuke' players in Starcraft II is Dario "The Little One" Wünsch, a German player, and a member of Team Liquid .
I wish more people would Money Nuke in Starcraft II as well as TLO can! It does serious damage!
by H to the Usky, Husky July 31, 2011
buy the domain for your recipe vlog


text:
Back pain can range from a mild, dull, annoying ache, to persistent, severe, disabling pain. Pain in your back can restrict mobility and interfere with normal functioning and quality of life. You should always consult your healthcare provider if you have persistent pain.
Neck pain occurs in the area of the cervical vertebrae in your neck. Due to its location and range of motion, your neck is often left unprotected and at risk for injury.
Pain in your back or neck area can come on suddenly and intensely. Chronic pain lasts for weeks, months, or even years. The pain can be continuous or intermittent.
Even with today's technology, the exact cause of back and neck pain is difficult to determine. In most cases, back and neck pain may have many different causes, including any of the following:
Symptoms associated with back pain may include:
Loss of bladder and bowel control, with weakness in both legs, are symptoms of a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Symptoms associated with neck pain can be:
Pain that occurs suddenly in your back or neck, due to an injury, is considered to be acute pain. Acute pain comes on quickly and may leave sooner than chronic back or neck pain. This type of pain should not last more than 6 weeks.
Pain that may come on quickly or slowly and lingers for weeks, 3 months or greater, is considered to be chronic pain. Chronic pain is less common than acute pain.
If you have neck or back pain, see your healthcare provider for a medical and physical exam. He or she may also do X-rays of the affected areas, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This allows a more complete view. The MRI produces pictures of soft tissues as well, such as ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. The MRI could help spot infection, tumor, inflammation, or pressure on your nerve. Sometimes a blood test may help diagnose arthritis, a condition that can cause back and neck pain.
In many cases, acute back or neck pain may simply improve with some rest. Over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may also help with the discomfort. Try to move gently during this period, so that you will not become stiff and lose mobility.
If you have chronic pain of your back and neck, try several remedies that may be helpful, before seeking surgical options. These include:
Acute back pain usually gets better without special treatment. Using acetaminophen or ibuprofen will decrease pain and help you rest. Surgery and special exercises are generally not used with acute pain.
For severe, disabling, or chronic back and neck pain, rehabilitation programs can be designed to meet your needs. The type of program will depend on the type and severity of your pain, injury, or disease. Your active involvement is vital to the success of rehabilitation programs.
The goal of back and neck rehab is to help you manage disabling pain, return to your highest level of functioning and independence possible, while improving your overall quality of life. The focus of rehab is on relieving pain and improving mobility (movement).
To help reach these goals, back and neck rehabilitation programs may include:
It is a good idea to see a healthcare provider if you have numbness or tingling, or if your pain is severe and does not improve with medicine and rest. If you have trouble urinating, weakness, pain, or numbness in your legs, fever, or unintentional weight loss, call your healthcare provider right away.
The following may help to prevent back and neck pain:
See your healthcare provider if you have:
Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider:


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Clippers make a stop at New Orleans
The Los Angeles Clippers have already locked up the first Pacific Division title in franchise history, but can still improve their playoff position in the West standings.
The Clippers will take their three-game winning streak to the road Friday in a matchup with the New Orleans Hornets in the Big Easy. The Pacific champions just went 3-1 on a four-game homestand, which culminated with Wednesday's 111-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Blake Griffin and Chris Paul scored 19 points apiece and Willie Green settled for 15 points in the win. Matt Barnes (14 points), Jamal Crawford (11 points) and Lamar Odom (13 rebounds) contributed off the bench, while DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler scored 10 points apiece.
"Our tempo was good tonight," said Paul, who added 11 assists to his total. "We played fast. We made them miss and then we pushed the ball up the court. We try to tire teams out."
Los Angeles, which will also visit Memphis and is 21-17 away from home, sits two games behind Denver for the third spot in the West. The Clippers are only 1-5 in their last six road assignments.
In injury news for the Clippers, guard Chauncey Billups is listed as doubtful Friday because of a nagging groin issue. He has missed six straight and nine of the last 10 games.
New Orleans is back home for two straight games versus the Clippers and Dallas Mavericks, and went 1-4 on a recent road trip.
The Hornets dropped a 121-110 decision at the hands of the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday as Eric Gordon led all scorers with 23 points and rookie Anthony Davis delivered 13 points and 10 rebounds. Davis suffered a knee injury in the loss and is doubtful versus the Clippers.
Robin Lopez and Brian Roberts each added 20 points for the Hornets, who committed 19 turnovers for 25 Sacramento points and shot 48.7 percent.
"I didn't think we played smart offensively. Our game plan was to take it to the basket," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "When you're playing on a back-to-back a young team has to understand you may not have your legs so you got to trust going to the basket, getting fouled and being able to set your defense."
New Orleans is 16-23 as the host and has lost two of three matchups with the Clippers this season. The Hornets, though, have won 17 of the past 22 contests in this series with the Clips and 11 of 13 games at home.
L.A. ended a nine-game slide in the Big Easy with a 105-91 triumph on March 27 at New Orleans Arena.


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The Thrive, Toshiba's first Android tablet, was a very laptop-like tablet. It had a user-replaceable battery, full-size HDMI and USB ports, and SD card slot. The Thrive's design made it easy to work on (to many IT pros), but it also made the device larger and heavier than other tablets.
The company's new Excite tablets are anything but bulky. At 0.35-inches thick and weighing just over 1.3 pounds, the Excite 10 is a razor blade compared to the Thrive. And, it has a quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a full-sized SD card slot. How did Toshiba pack better hardware into a tablet that's almost half as thick? In this week's cracking open episode, I show you.
Our Excite 10 test machine (Model: AT305-T16) had a 1.2GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM, 16GB of on-board storage (expandable to 128GB), a 10.1" IPS LCD (1280 x 800 resolution), 802.11 b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It measures 7.0" (H) x 10.3" (W) x 0.35" (D) and weighs 1.3 pounds.
Full teardown gallery: Cracking Open the Toshiba Excite 10
Cracking Open observations
- Pop-off back cover: Luckily, the Excite 10 isn't much more difficult to crack open than the Thrive. Using a combination of metal and plastic tools, I popped the back cover away from the front panel assembly and lifted it off—disconnecting the speaker cable in the process.
- Replaceable, but not user-replaceable battery: The Excite's battery isn't user-replaceable, as was the Thrive's power pack. This eliminates the need for a user-accessible battery compartment, which helps reduce the device's thickness. The Excite's flexible battery is also thinner than the Thrive's hard-shell unit.
- No internal frame: With the exception of the speakers, all the Excite's internal hardware is mounted to the front panel assembly. Much of the Thrive's hardware was mounted to a separate, and rather thick, internal frame. In fact, nearly all the Excite's internal, plastic structures are thinner than the Thrive's.
- Fused display and front panel: The Excite's LCD display and front panel (digitizer) are permanently joined. This makes it impossible to replace one without replacing the other. But, it eliminates the need for the large mounting plate that held the Thrive's display in place.
Bottom Line
Compared to the Thrive, the Excite's overall hardware layout and internal design is more like a tablet and less like a laptop. Gone is the separate Wi-Fi card. Gone is the removable storage chip. And, gone are the full-size HDMI and USB ports. But what you lose in full-size ports and replaceable components, you gain in a thinner, lighter tablet.
Read Erik Franklin's CNET review of the Toshiba Excite 10 for more information on the tablet's software features, real-world performance, and battery life test results.
Internal hardware
Our Excite 10 test unit has the following hardware:
- 1.2GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor (1152A3 KT NAU315.01P T30SL-P-A3)
- 10.1" IPS LCD (1280 x 800)
- 16 GB Toshiba THGBM2G7D4FBAI9 eMMC storage chip (THGBM2G7D4FBAI9 FR5429 TAIWAN 11249AE)
- 1 GB Hynix DDR3 SDRAM (H5TC2G83CFR)
- 3.7V, 6,600 mAh/25 Wh Li-ion battery (Model: PA5053U-1BRS)
- 5 MP rear camera
- 2 MP front camera
- SD card slot
- Goodix GT8110 10-point capacitive touchscreen controllers (GT8110 12075A C)
- Goodix GTM802 (GTM802 G2 152AD 21428049 -20 ARM)
- National Semiconductor (Texas Instruments) VT22ACE4 90C187LF
- AzureWave AW-NH660 wireless module
- Parade PS8122 1:2 HDMI/DVI Demultiplexer
- Wolfson WM8903 Ultra low power CODEC for portable audio applications (WM8903L 22AMBUC)
- Fortemedia FM34-395 Low Power Voice Processor (FM34NE 395 B34DB)
- Texas Instruments TPS61030 Efficient Synchronous Boost Converter With 4A Switch (TPS61030 TI 22W Z90P)
- Texas Instruments TPS6592 PMIC (TPS659II04AA2 21AC9XW GI)
- Nuvoton M0516 ARM Cortex -M0 32-bit microcontroller (M0516LBN ARM 2205B007-ZN2 209ABFA)
- Invensense MPU-3050 Triple Axis Gyroscope with Embedded Digital Motion Processor (MPU-3050 Q4P673-J4 EI 1145 K)
- Intersil ISL9519 Narrow VDC Regulator/Charger with SMBus Interface (9519HRTZ F120VS)
- Broadcom BCM4751 Integrated Monolithic GPS Receiver (BCM47511IUB6 UD1210 P10 190S40 SN)
Bill Detwiler has nothing to disclose. He doesn't hold investments in the technology companies he covers.
Full Bio
Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop support specialist in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.


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Behind the Scenes of the Islamic Republic
When it comes to current news coverage, Iran is undoubtedly one of the most controversial and frequently debated countries on the world map – and the hardest to understand too.
The diversity of its politics, economy and culture are often ignored in debates about the state. Public discussions are dominated by stigmatisation and populist arguments that emphasise either Iran's "good" or "bad" sides. Sober analyses are rare.
Volker Perthes is one of the positive exceptions to this rule. Head of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), he is known not only for his excellent specialised knowledge of the country, but also for his ability to assess the complex issues of contemporary Iran with cool objectivity and balanced attention to detail, as illustrated by his most recent study, Iran – Eine politische Herausforderung (Iran – A Political Challenge).
The heterogeneity of Iranian society
In his 156-page study, Perthes succeeds in detailing Iran's main features and dismantling the stereotypes associated with the country. Whereas President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statements are often misinterpreted as representing the opinions of an entire nation, Perthes succeeds in using simple, succinct language to depict the heterogeneous nature of Iranian society.
Among other things, he convincingly shows that criticism of the president is very much part of daily political life in Iran.
Ahmadinejad's failing economic policies and his polemical stance on foreign issues are two key factors that have increasingly forced the president into the defensive during his term in office.
Perthes rises to the challenge of depicting Iran as it really is: a state incorporating various political tendencies and movements, with social and party-political differences and divisions that must be included comprehensively in any evaluation of its political landscape if sustainable dialogue with Iran is to be possible in the future.
Blocked policies, blocked economy
Perthes also sheds light on the country's economic situation; despite its extensive oil and gas reserves, Iran remains a "developing country", he says. Growth and development are still hindered by subsidies, aging refineries, the enormous, continued influence of the bonyads, the religious trusts, as well as inflexible state control of the economy.
Parts of the elite are pushing for an opening up of the economy, for privatisation and liberalisation, and are not afraid to criticise the president's "populist economic policy", which has so far proved wholly ineffectual. A powerful faction of the conservative wing, however, supports the policies of isolation and protectionism.
A rational agent
That being said, Iranian policies are not as irrational or incomprehensible as often claimed by western critics. The opposite is in fact the case. Volker Perthes suggests that the "Islamic Republic is an agent that acts rationally or 'logically', weighing up opportunities and risks and attempting to enhance its existing advantages."
To this end, he writes, Iran hopes to assume a dominant role in the Middle East, especially since the regime in Iraq has been toppled and in view of the conspicuous presence of the US in the region.
According to Perthes, Iran trusts nobody. There are historical reasons for this too, one of which is the overthrow of the first and so far only freely and democratically elected Iranian prime minister, Mohammad Mossadeq in 1953, a coup that was organised by the American CIA and British MI5.
Nevertheless, Perthes feels that it would be a mistake to conclude that Iran sets no store by a good relationship with the US. Perthes is of the opinion that despite his denunciations of America, even Ahmadinejad is interested in improving relations.
Assurances should be accepted with caution
Perthes retains his balanced approach when it comes to the subject of Iran's nuclear programme and shows himself to be refreshingly sober and analytical. Although many in the West assume Iran is working on "the bomb", in reality it is not at all clear what the country intends.
Says Perthes: "It can be assumed that significant parts of the establishment see the nuclear programme simply as a question of equality in a world where Iran is forbidden from doing something others are allowed to do."
At any rate, Perthes makes it very clear that Iran's assurances that it intends to use nuclear energy solely for peaceful purposes should be received with the utmost caution, and he certainly does not deny the potential dangers. The aim must therefore be to develop a sustainable strategy for dealing with Iran.
Above all, a normalisation of US-Iranian relations is needed, he says, as this would encourage gradual liberalisation within Iran. Perthes suggests South Africa as a mediator; the country is not allied with either side and, due to its work on its own nuclear programme, a credible negotiating partner.
Pragmatism and objectivity
Perthes describes Iran as a country of internal divisions – divisions between hardliners, reformers and pragmatists, between traditionalists and modernists, between religious and western elites, between state and society, between youthful vigour and post-revolutionary rigidity.
Perthes' book is suitable for both knowledgeable experts and those interested in learning more about Iran, an illustration of the fact that it is possible to address the political challenge that is Iran with pragmatism and objectivity, but without losing sight of the dangers or the risks involved.
Sebastian Sons
© Qantara.de 2009
Perthes, Volker: Iran – Eine politische Herausforderung, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main, 2008.
Translated from the German by Steph Morris.
"Iran in World Politics"
Interpreting the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Iranian-born political scientist Arshin Adib-Moghaddam describes the various interpretations and representations of the Islamic Republic of Iran in his book – from the Islamic utopianism of the early revolution via the first Gulf War to the current confrontation with American neo-conservatives and domestic reform debates. By André Bank
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Iran
Rapprochement between Sunnis and Shiites?
Against the backdrop of recent tension between the Egyptian government and Hezbollah, Mehdi Khalaji, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, assesses the complex relations between the Egyptian government, the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, and the Shiite regime in Iran from an American perspective
Interview with Volker Perthes
Iraqi Decision Makers under Pressure to Reach Consensus
President Obama intends to withdraw all US armed forces from Iraq by 2011 at the latest. According to political scientist Volker Perthes, this means that Iraq's various power elites are faced with the challenge of drafting shared, workable policies. Günther Birkenstock spoke to him


text:
Neb – Hammersmith Magician
Hammersmith Magician Neb has performed Magic and Mind Reading all around the world as a party magician, table magician and wedding magician for some of the worlds biggest companies and many celebrities. Specialising in both Magic and Mind Reading he will give your guests a truly STUNNING, EXCITING, and UNFORGETTABLE experience making YOUR event the most talked about for years to come.
Click here to get in touch with Hammersmith Magician Neb now!
Neb will charm and flatter your guests with his friendly manner and warm approach, before stunning and delighting them with the very best magic and mind reading they have ever seen! A Magician at your wedding will guarantee an amazing time!
Hammersmith Magician Neb will mingle with everyone projecting his warm and friendly personality and then before their eyes demonstrate physical and psychological impossibilities that will leave their brains twisted, thrilled and utterly blown away!
Corporate events are a fantastic way to demonstrate the spirit and style of your business. Use Magic and Mind Reading to add depth to the occasion and ensure that your clients and staff are talking about it for years to come!
What can I say Neb except thank you so much for your time at our wedding. Everyone, and i do mean EVERYONE was blown away with you. Not only your skills but also and especially in your delivery and manner. You were such a big hit and I just wanted to thank you for making our special day just that little bit more special. Top top work mate, Brilliant
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Once you decide to Hire a Hammersmith Magician you must be sure you choose the best man for the job! Neb will happily meet you for a coffee in Central London for a no obligation demonstration of his amazing abilities!
Neb is a full time Hammersmith Magician based in London and is a member of Equity.


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text:
Utley, Brown power Phillies past Mets
Philadelphia, PA – Chase Utley had a two-run homer and Domonic Brown's three-run shot capped a big first inning, as the Philadelphia Phillies outlasted the New York Mets, 7-3, to take the rubber match of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.
Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Michael Young each had two hits and a run scored, helping the Phillies capture their first series win of the season. Laynce Nix added a two-run homer in the victory.
"These last four or five games, we've been going out there and just swinging," said Howard. "Keep going out there, swinging and putting the ball in play, good things happen."
Although he frequently had to work his way out of trouble, Kyle Kendrick (1-1) was much better than his first start of the season. He tossed six innings of two-run ball while allowing eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
For the second straight night, the Mets only got three innings of work out of their starter. Jeremy Hefner (0-2) was tagged for five runs on six hits with three walks as New York dropped a second straight game.
"In a lineup that can hit homers, you can't make a lot of mistakes, and we made them the last two nights," Mets managers Terry Collins said.
Lucas Duda hit two solo homers and John Buck had a solo shot as well for New York, which had won the previous three series between the teams held in Philadelphia. Duda and Jordany Valdespin each had three hits in the setback.
The Phillies jumped all over Mets starter Dillon Gee early on Tuesday, and wasted no time in pounding Hefner for five runs in the first inning.
Hefner had struggled mightily against Philadelphia in his most recent outing, a start last September in which he gave up seven runs without recording an out. Utley put him in a familiar hole when he delivered a two-run blast over the center-field wall.
Howard then singled, Young drew a walk and Brown's towering shot reached the second tier of the upper deck in right for a 5-0 Philadelphia lead.
Buck got New York on the board in the second inning with a solo homer, his fifth of the season. Hefner had a chance to help his own cause when the Mets later loaded the bases, but he struck out looking. Valdespin then took a called strike three after a lengthy at-bat, ending the inning.
Duda provided a solo homer in the fourth to make it 5-2 just before the contest was suspended for a 27-minute rain delay.
The Mets squandered an opportunity in the fifth when Daniel Murphy was doubled up at second on an Ike Davis shallow fly ball. The Mets had runners on second and third with one out after a wild pitch from Kendrick.
Philadelphia pulled away for good in the sixth, when Nix pinch-hit for Kendrick and delivered a two-run homer off Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins. The blast to center gave the Phillies a five-run cushion at 7-2.
Another solo homer from Duda in the eighth accounted for the final margin.
Game Notes
The Mets set a new club record by hitting a home run in each of their first nine games ... With his fifth homer, Buck has matched the total amount of home runs hit by Mets catchers last season ... The Phillies had four home runs over their first seven games before hitting six in the last two games of this series ... Philadelphia center fielder Ben Revere was caught stealing in the first. The Phillies were 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts prior.


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Sorry if this has already been done before but I was interested in knowing in what Anime did you introduce your friends into and did they continue to watch anime or was it just a one time thing aka they didn't go for it.
I was introduced several friends to Ranma 1/2...Very awkward at first but they grew to like it despite some of the odd Japanese humor.
[Let's expand on this a little. In addition to the above, what are some of the things you introduce to your friends, or would like to. And why? --lorreen]
I was never successful in converting someone into liking anime.
The series I've tried with were Lucky Star and Death Note. Probably not the best choice of first anime to introduce to friends, now that I look back on it.
Anyway, if I ever have the chance to introduce an anime to someone again, I would use SAO. It's a straightforward and simple anime without many references to Japanese culture.
The way I hold you and the night just seems to fly
I used Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan. They loved it because of the hilarious gore filled scenes. Some of them went to watch more anime on their own. Some only watch it with me.
You better check yourself before you Shrek yourself
I showed my friend Elfen Lied because he likes gore.
After that he began to watch more animes that I showed him and he became really interested in it. Now he watches anime almost everyday and even tries to get his other friends to watch anime too.
School Days...yup
Did he just walk up...slowly...and ban me? @GoldTStar117
I got one friend into Death Note and lately I've got him hooked on Attack on Titan. I think next up is going to be SAO for him.
Another friend I had gotten into Death Note, and I also got him to watch Haruhi. He likes anime but doesn't have much of an attention span.
I tried so many times, sadly it didn't work.
2 liked naruto but they hated the idea of filler.
1 loved bleach, till they saw how many eps.
Another I tried death note, he refused. Then he tried getting me to watch it since he saw the live action. Claimed he got me into it, loved how I turned it around by spoiling the second film! The horror on his face when he worked out it was the same show I tried getting him to watch a month earlier!
Only success was my other friend, ironically the brother of the death note experiment, who only watches a few because of his partner. She even got me into a show I never watched. Gun x Sword!
Almost got a dozen or so to watch but ultimately it's always the same. They start, yet they forget it ever happened.
asura cryin i think...
His Holiness Optimus Maximus Decimus Meridius Colossus Nemesis Nexus Genesis
I can't remember from top of my head but might of been Death Note.
Animanga hunter extraordinaire
The ones that usually work are Soul Eater and Sword Art Online.
I managed to rally in quite a lot of my friends to watch Code Geass, but that was about it. But recently I've managed to drag them into watch Shingeki no Kyojin, so that's a start... I guess.
Well, my guyfriend originally just watched a bit of Bleach, and he loved it, so I showed him Fairy Tail ^_^ At first, he thought nothing could overcome Bleach but now he's as addicted to it as I am and that's saying something! Now, I've also got him hooked on Attack on Titan, our ultimate favourite!
The rest of my (girl)friends don't like it though, except for one who likes Ouran High School Host Club, because she's addicted to rom-coms
Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. Oh, Gandalf :')
Hellsing Ultimate and Black Lagoon.
[No information available]
Just tell all your guy buddies that there is this new anime called FREE, they will hate you afterwards
I'll respond to everyone later, Message me for faster responds.
I have three friends who have never seen anime so I got them together and the first anime series I have shown them was Black Cat after we complete the whole series they started liking anime then we saw Get Backers, Black Blood Brothers, and Desert Punk


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Full Tang
Japanese/Asian Knives
Sheep Horn
Antler & Bone
Maker: Bill Burke, M.S. (click to see more by this maker)
Item num: 90079
*** This is handmade and one-of-a-kind ***Blade length: 9.75 in.Total length: 14.75 in.Blade height (at heel): 2.00 in.Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.11 in.Item weight: 8.00 oz.Blade: Hand forged 52100 carbon steelBolster: TIG welded 416 stainless steelHandle: Sheep horn
Description: Mastersmith Bill Burke's chef's knives are among the highest performing cutlery found anywhere. His heat treatment technique, combined with his choice of steel, results in edge holding that is far beyond other knives. This is a knife that you won't want to put down.
This high performance chef's knife is a perfect choice as a primary knife in the kitchen. The long, deep-bellied blade is well suited for slicing vegetables and meats. The gentle arch of the cutting edge is perfect for a rocking chopping motion with plenty of finger clearance over a cutting board.
The blade was hand forged from 52100 carbon steel, ensuring a keen, long lasting edge. Like his hunting knives, this chef's knife was pre-tested for edge flex and cutting ability before assembly. The heat treatment followed the formulas developed by Mastersmith Ed Fowler in conjunction with Bill and has been proven to create some of the sharpest and most long lasting edges found anywhere.
The bolster is formed from 416 stainless steel and has been TIG welded to the blade for strength and durability. A stainless spacer is surrounded by black fiber spacers. This assists the handle to adjust to temperature and humidity changes. The handle is formed from light-toned sheep horn. It is nicely carved to swell toward the front of the handle, move into a slimmer waist and finally to swell again at the beak at the end of the handle. The knife has perfect balance and feels exceptional in the hand.
Availability: Not currently available


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ACC commissioner John Swofford was portrayed as a modern-day Nero at the fiddle. The conference's presidents were mocked for their joint statement of solidarity.
No matter what Swofford did or CEOs said, the ACC was on life support.
The Big Ten was going to pilfer some combination of Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech and North Carolina State were SEC-bound, with Florida State and Clemson headed to the Big 12.
The chatter was loud, it was incessant, and it was fueled by media, fans and rival leagues.
No matter that it was shallow, ill-informed and just plain wrong. Only one event could silence the speculation: a grant of media rights.
Monday, the presidents of the ACC's 15 current and future members announced they have signed such a document, assuring the conference stability through at least 2027, affirming Swofford's stealth leadership and bringing some sanity to the national realignment craze.
"It is one of the great days in the history of our conference as it shows the highest level of commitment — not by words, but by actions," Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement.
"A milestone agreement," Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage said.
"Monumental," echoed Duke athletic director Kevin White, while his North Carolina counterpart, Bubba Cunningham, used "strong and definitive."
These men, not given to exaggeration, are right, and here's why:
A grant of rights binds each school's share of conference media revenue to the league for the term of the agreement. Moreover, a departing school brings no media value to its new conference home.
For example, the ACC deal is effective immediately and runs through the 2026-27 academic year. Multiply those 14 years times the $20 million-plus each school will receive annually from the conference's partnership with ESPN, and you get almost $300 million that an institution would forfeit by departing.
The Big Ten, Big 12 and Pacific 12 have similar arrangements.
The ACC's $20 million-plus per-school projection is about $3 million more than the contract the league and ESPN brokered a year ago. This reflects the conference's addition of Notre Dame for sports other than football, and the Fighting Irish's agreement to play five football games annually against ACC opponents.
And more money likely is in the pipeline as the conference and ESPN continue exploring the creation of an ACC cable channel similar to the Big Ten Network.
"I think this is a signal that there's an opportunity," Littlepage said, "and there's probably increasing interest on the part of our TV partners to see what the possibilities are. They can look at the next (14) years and know with certainty who is in the ACC."
Uncertainty began nearly a year ago when the chairman of Florida State's Board of Trustees blistered the ACC's new ESPN contract as inadequate. Although his points of contention were largely inaccurate, media pronounced the Seminoles as good as gone.
In November, Maryland blindsided the conference by bolting for the Big Ten. Yet even as the ACC replaced the Terps with powerful Louisville, and even as the conference's presidents issued a statement of solidarity, ACC-bashing remained en vogue.
Littlepage dealt with the fallout frequently as media continued to report that Virginia was pondering a move to for the Big Ten.
"My answer was always the same: 'There's no merit,'" Littlepage said, "and it was almost a feeling of nobody believes (me). Once credibility was being questioned … it was difficult and it was frustrating. …
"I've never wavered in the belief that the Atlantic Coast Conference was the best place for the University of Virginia, and I know there were a lot of other ADs that felt the same thing."
But conference affiliation decisions rest with presidents, and the linchpin here was Florida State's Eric Barron. Indeed, while most (all?) other ACC schools were ready to sign a grant of rights long ago, FSU was not.
Perhaps Barron realized that the Seminoles aren't as attractive to other conferences as many surmised. Or, perhaps he concluded that the ACC's partnership with ESPN will generate the money necessary to compete nationally. Maybe both.
"There are three things that FSU is keenly interested in," Barron told our sister paper the Orlando Sentinel. "One is stability, a second is that we have revenues that are competitive and a third is to have what will be an ACC network that helps further our brand and also adds resources."
Duke's White also made clear the direction of the ACC-ESPN collaboration.
"The net result of these negotiations, spearheaded by the determined leadership of Commissioner Swofford, is that the ACC is now in a prime media rights position among its peers and partnered with the preeminent sports broadcasting entity on the planet, ESPN," he said in a statement. "Historically speaking, this is nothing short of a lasting game-changer for the ACC's colleges and universities."
If Swofford, a former North Carolina quarterback and athletic director, ever harbored doubts about the ACC's future and stability, he never betrayed them publicly. Instead, he quietly led the conference to historic change.
Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame join the league July 1. Next year, reigning NCAA men's basketball champion Louisville replaces Maryland.
Couple those transactions with Monday's news and you have an unconditional victory for the ACC.
"This announcement further highlights the continued solidarity and commitment by our member institutions," Swofford said in a statement. "The Council of Presidents has shown tremendous leadership in insuring the ACC is extremely well positioned with unlimited potential."
Krzyzewski, the league's most visible and accomplished figure, was more effusive.
"With all the uncertainty regarding conference affiliations the past several years in college athletics," he said, "this announcement, coupled with our media rights deal with the world's best sports broadcasting network, secures the ACC's future, and thus Duke's, for years to come.
"As a long-time coach in this league, I understand how terrific the ACC has been. With continued commitment by current members and the addition of several outstanding institutions, the ACC should be in position to reestablish itself as the nation's top conference in the years to come."
I can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at email@example.com. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP
Here's a link to my Daily Press print columns.


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Holly Ridge Town Council candidates were sent the following questions by The Daily News in advance of the Nov. 5 municipal election. This is the full, unedited written response by one of five candidates vying for five council vacancies.
Holly Ridge Town Council candidates were sent the following questions by The Daily News in advance of the Nov. 5 municipal election. This is the full, unedited written response by one of five candidates vying for five council vacancies.
Name: Rena Jacobs Bragg
Office you are seeking: Holly Ridge Town Council board member
Address: 422 Sound Road, Holly Ridge, NC 28445
Date of birth: Sept. 4, 1958.
City of birth: Burgaw, NC
County of birth: Pender
How voters can contact you: 910-329-7021.
Occupation: Human Resources Manager.
Education: AAS degree from Coastal Carolina Community College.
Prior publicly elected, appointed or held positions: Served eight terms on Holly Ridge Town Council; past Mayor pro-tem of Holly Ridge Town Council; past Mayor of Holly Ridge; past liaison of Holly Ridge Parks and Recreation committee.
Leadership experience: Human Resources Manager at J&J Snack Foods Handhelds Corp in Holly Ridge; member of PARENTSS-Parents Active in Recreation and Enrichment Needs for Today�s Special Society; notary public; past board member of Onslow County United Way; past member of Holly Ridge Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad; past vice-chairman of Holly Ridge Housing Authority Board; past board member of Onslow County Partnership for Children; past stenographer for Manhollow MB Church.
How long have you lived in the municipality for which you seek office? 37 years.
Why are you running for office? To continue to be an advocate for the citizens of Holly Ridge and encourage their input and participation within the town. Assist with the positive growth and development for our town by being a proactive addition to its leadership.
What makes you the best candidate for the position? My past experience serving eight terms on the Holly Ridge Town Council Board; my leadership experience; my ability to work well and interact positively with people of all diversities on a daily basis in my current profession as human resources manager and in the past as a town council board member.
What specific issue would you most like to address while in office? Address the need for health, wellness and nutritional programs at our community center for the citizens. Encourage the citizens of Holly Ridge to volunteer their time to assist in the advancement of the programs. Promote continued positive growth and development for the citizens by promoting new businesses to locate in Holly Ridge.


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Wow, there has been a ton of book covers released in the last few days, most of which I got from either Goodreads or Amazon. This first one is Black City from Christina Henry, the fifth book in the Madeline Black series, which is due out on February 26th.
I forgot to up this one last cover lover post. Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar is the third book in Lexi George's Demon series, due out next February.
This first young adult cover is from the popular Morganville Vampires series. Rachel Caine will release Fall of Night on May 7th.
Devon Monk may be wrapping up her Allie Beckstrom series, but the Age of Steam series is still going strong. Cold Copper will be out on July 2nd.
The third book of Lynn Viehl's Lords of the Darkyn series, Nightbound, will be released on May 7th.
M.J. Scott's Half Light City series continues on April 2nd with the release of the third book, Iron Kin.
Emerald Green is the title of the third and final book in Kerstin Gier's Edelstein Trilogy, which is due out sometime next year.
The next Arcadia Bell novel from Jenn Bennett is called Binding the Shadows, and it will be available on May 28th.
It looks like the upcoming anthology, Enthralled, will feature a story from Lora Leigh's Breeds series. There are also stories from Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook, and Lucy Monroe. Look for it on July 2nd.
The first book from Ann Aguirre's (writing as A.A. Aguirre) upcoming Apparatus Infernum series, Bronze Gods, now has a cover. It will be released on April 30th.
It looks like there was a novella from the Sharie Kohler Moon Chasers series that I totally missed. Darkest Temptation was released on October 30th.
Still going…Darkness Bred is the second book from Stella Cameron's Chimney Rock series, which should be available on May 28th.
Robin D. Owens will release the next book in her Celta Heartmates series, Heart Fortune, on August 6th.
This one is…pink. Very pink. Hearts of Shadow is the second book from Kira Brady's Deadglass series, which is due out on May 7th.
And finally, the cover has been released for the second book in Bec McMaster's London Steampunk series. Heart of Iron will be out on May 7th.
There were a few more, but they haven't really been put "out there" yet, so I am holding back a bit. Which one or ones did you like from this batch? Any that you can't wait to get your hands on?


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Judge orders dog to be euthanized despite governor's pardon
A judge has ordered a dog that was pardoned from a death sentence by Maine Gov. Paul LePage to be euthanized.
A hearing on the case involving Dakota the Alaskan husky was held Tuesday afternoon at Waterville District Court.
The dog was ordered to be put down after getting loose and killing a neighbor's pug last year, but a new family adopted Dakota not knowing it had been sentenced to death.
The dog's current owner asked the court to withdraw the decision ordering Dakota to be euthanized. The judge instead upheld the decision.
Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney says the state wasn't aware that Dakota had a new owner. The court scheduled the hearing to give the owner a chance to be heard.
It is unclear what will happen to Dakota. An attorney for the dog's current owner said they will appeal the judge's decision.


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The Google Maps team has made a huge launch of streets, roads and place names for the country of India! Take a look:
Previous to this launch India showed a vast white space with the "Map" view toggled on making only satellite imagery available. The street maps that have been added for Indian cities also show symbols for various amenities such as hotels, police stations, cinemas and more. This is a significant addition for Google Maps due to the size of the population in India that will be able to take advantage of this new mapping data. Also, expats living abroad can now use the hybrid view to zoom in and look at their home city or town. This expanded data is not yet available for Google Maps API sites, but once it is (and it should be very soon) the following sites should improve their usability and coverage for India. The Google Maps mashup activity should definitely pick up in India as well, now that there is some location context to points which are plotted:
Wikimapia (India) - Individuals will now be able to positively identify structures and places with map and hybrid views put to use. This will greatly expand the number of described places on this great service.
Sightseeing with Google Satellite Maps (India) - This list should also fill up with more places confirmed.
India is now on the Google Map! :)


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Eton, Harrow, Westminster, Rugby, Winchester, Charterhouse, and Shrewsbury, and two London day schools, St. Pauls and Merchant Taylors's, were defined as "Public Schools" in the 1860s by the educational Clarendon commission. They were maintained by private endowment and not carried on for profit. The Taunton commission, which found that only 8% of male children (after the 1870's there were growing numbers of girl's public schools) were getting any sort of secondary education, later took all endowed secondary schools into consideration, and attempted both to redistribute endowments and to create uniform statutes in order to maintain standards of teaching, discipline, and organization.
Rugby School. Right: Eton College
Click on thumbnails for larger pictures and additional information.
Thomas Arnold's Rugby, with its emphasis on modernizing endowments, making scholarships competitive, providing a non-classical course of study as an alternative to the traditional one that emphasized Greek and Latin, establishing house systems, stressing school spirit, emphasizing muscular Christianity and games like football and cricket as means of improving character, became a model for other Victorian public schools. The whole educational process was designed to mold the student into a young Christian Gentleman. Students from these elite institutions provided Oxford and Cambridge with nearly all of their own students, and graduates of those Universities, as a matter of course, dominated the British political and administrative elite at least as late as the 1960s, as to a considerable extent they do today.
Related Materials
- The Public School Experience in Victorian Literature
- A Reader Objects to Our Definition of Public Schools in England
- Critical Observations on British Public Schools
- Ragged Schools
- State Involvement in Public Education before the 1870 Education Act
- Science and Mathematics in Victorian Education: A Bibliography
- The Anti-Technological Bias of Victorian Education and Britain's Economic Decline
Content created 1987; last modified April 1997; links added 27 July 2007