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Completed 2013 Reading Challenges
Saturday, January 1, 2011
My 2010 Books in Review
A few fun stats...
First book I read in 2010: The Magical Christmas Cat by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh and Linda Winstead Jones
Last book I read in 2010: Under Wraps by Joanne Rock
# of books read in 2010: 75 This is way down from last year when I read 104 (which was actually the highest amount I ever read in one year). Part of this year's drop is due to having heart surgery at the beginning of the year. I thought I was going to be reading so much, but I really wasn't into reading until a few months later.
# of Print Books: 20
# of Audio Books: 14
# of EBooks: 41
I bought my Nook in March and I've almost made a complete change from print to ebooks. I never ever thought that would happen. I was so resistant to ereaders and now I absolutely adore mine.
Now for my favorite reads of the year. These are the ones I awarded the Socrates Great Book Alert Award to, in no particular order...
The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani
Dead Game by Jennifer Chase
Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo
Making Rounds with Oscar by David Dosa, MD
Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten
The Scent of Rain and Lightening by Nancy Pickard
Red Mist by Richard Taylor
The 9th Judgment by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Stones Skipping on Water by Richard Taylor
Caught by Harlan Coben
Unbreakable Bond by Rita Herron
Under Witch Moon by Maria E. Schneider
Last Exit in New Jersey by C.E. Grundler
Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell
That makes 15 books I loved this year. Not bad.
Hopefully 2011 will be an even better year for me as far as my reading goes.
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14 comments:
Hope you have a wonderful New Year, Yvonne....ReplyDelete
I reviewed 70 books and read many more. Forgot to keep a count! Better next year. Have a Happy New Year of reading!ReplyDelete
Happy New Year! I'm so glad to hear how much you love your NOOK. I'm starting to think about getting myself a NOOK.ReplyDelete
Happy reading in 2011!
You had a good year! Isn't Adriana Trigiani great? I liked Queen of the Big Time :)ReplyDelete
Happy New Year!
You had a great year in books.ReplyDelete
Happy New Year and Happy Reading.
Happy New Year Yvonne!! You had a great reading year :)ReplyDelete
I have Mr Darcy Broke My Heart on my wish list.
15 books you loved it sure good :) And I really should read more TrigianiReplyDelete
Happy New Year, Yvonne! I'm still resistant to ereaders and am not sure I'd fare as well as you have, even though my books are crowding me out of house and home (a slight exaggeration). :)ReplyDelete
Happy New Year!! So happy to be a part of your year last year!!!ReplyDelete
Raise my glass of cocoa to you!
Great post Yvonne! Happy New Year and I wish you all the best in 2011!ReplyDelete
Sounds like you had a great year. I haven't read any of your top 15 books, but I have the Maggie Sefton one w/ my TBR books and I hope to read more Harlan Coben. Anyway, Happy New Year!ReplyDelete
I really like my nook, but have only read one book on it so far. Isn't that awful? I got it back in September. Part of it has to do with all the review books I'm trying to catch up on. Lately though, I'm only buying new books in e-book form. I don't want to have to pack them when we move!ReplyDelete
I just love the title "The Scent of Rain and Lightening". And Caught is one I hope to get to eventually.
I hope you have a wonderful New Year, Yvonne!
Great picks!ReplyDelete
I read 95 books, not bad, considering I was in a reading slump for more than four months.
Happy New Year to you and your family. Have a great reading year in 2011!!!
Here are my Best Reads of 2010.
Happy New Year!ReplyDelete
Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog! I always love reading comments and getting to know my readers!
After some careful consideration, I've decided to become an award-free blog. Although I appreciate and am honored by each and every award I've received, your comments and friendship are enough award for me. Thank you all so much for your thoughtfulness.
Due to way too many spam comments, I disabled the Anonymous User comments. We'll see if this works, otherwise I'll have to go back to word verification.


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Mexico 's new tax is slated to make a difference.
It's been highly debated and challenged by the soda industry, which claims everything from being unlawful, unfair to consumers and would raise prices. But news from across our border adds new fuel to the possibility.
The American Heart Association says that adding such a tax should improve rates of obesity, and lower diabetes and heart disease based on an analysis of the impact of adding a ten-percent tax to sugary drinks in Mexico on January 1, 2014. One year later to the day, sales of the drinks were down 12 percent and untaxed beverages, like bottled water were up 4 percent.
In analysis conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from more than 6,200 Mexican households in 53 large cities showed that, in 2014, the average person bought 4.2 fewer liters of sugary drinks than they would have before the tax.
The reduction in sales of sugary drinks was highest among poor households, falling 17 percent by the end of 2014, according to the study.
A statement from the American Heart Association said: "Scientific research shows that overconsumption of added sugars contribute to heart disease and other chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Mexico has paved the way for other nations to decrease sugary drink intake and has shown sugar-sweetened beverage taxes are an effective strategy to make healthy choices easier. Take that Donald Trump.

subset: commoncrawl


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The youth justice pre-family group conference case consultation
Updated: 12 January 2017
What's Important To Us
When children and young people offend we need to identify what is driving their behaviour. Consultation prior to the family group conference between practitioners will help determine the appropriate and individual response to the child or young person based on assessment of their current and future risk of offending and the underlying causes of their offending behaviour. It is important to establish the level of risk and need as soon as possible, and early assessment is critical. Collating and capturing information obtained, actions taken and decisions made supports good social work practice. The offending profile was developed as an initial screen and recording tool of assessment related information for children and young people who offend.
This key information outlines the requirements when completing a youth justice pre-family group conference case consultation.
What is the youth justice pre-family group conference case consultation?
A pre-family group conference case consultation is required for every child and young person referred for a youth justice family group conference.
This is an initial planning meeting in which the actions that need to be taken to prepare for the family group conference and the people who need to be involved are identified.
The pre-family group conference case consultation is the first opportunity to look at what we know about the child or young person.
The information that we have at this time will enable us to make preliminary decisions about what actions need to be taken prior to the family group conference. It helps us understand whether we need to allocate a social worker to undertake further assessment, whether external agencies need to be involved, and any other steps to be taken.
This assists in ensuring that all relevant information to support a good outcome is available at the family group conference. If the coordinator has received any information on care and protection matters (under s14(1)) the case consultation should also consider whether further investigation is warranted and how these might be addressed using s261 at the conference.
Using s261 in a Youth Justice Family Group Conference
It also helps us to ensure that the legislative requirements to address health and education needs are met and that proper consideration is given to parenting, mentoring, and alcohol and other drug programmes for the child or young person. The pre-family group conference case consultation identifies what steps need to be taken to fully inform these decisions.
The Health and Education Assessment Programme (DOC 114 KB)
The pre-family group conference case consultation is only the first step. Where care or protection concerns are held for a child or young person, and/or they have complex needs or a high risk of re-offending, youth justice coordinators, supervisors and social workers will continue to meet to ensure any identified and/or emerging needs and risks are assessed and where necessary, addressed prior to the family group conference.
The child and family consult or young person and family consult can be used to work through the presenting needs, strengths and risks for the child or young person concerned.
The pre-family group conference case consultation is to be held within five working days after the referral or direction for family group conference is received.
It is important to ensure that there is sufficient time for any required work to be completed prior to the family group conference being held.
Who attends the youth justice pre-family group conference case consultation?
In all cases, the case consultation will be attended by the youth justice co-ordinator and a youth justice supervisor.
Where more complex issues are identified attendance is increased to include all other relevant people.
The practice leader will attend and lead the case consultation, and include the relevant care and protection social worker and their supervisor when appropriate, if:
- the offending is by a child, or
- there's recent or active care and protection involvement for a young person.
The care and protection co-ordinator should be consulted and where possible attend if:
- a care and protection family group conference is about to be or has recently been held.
The residential case leader should attend if:
- the child or young person is in residential custody.
Where a practice leader or other required person is not regularly on site then they must be consulted and their agreement sought to any decisions made at the pre-family group conference case consultation.
Recording the outcome of the consultation
The date of the case consultation, the attendees and the outcome of consultation will be recorded in the offending profile by the youth justice co-ordinator. This includes the decision about whether or not a Tuituia assessment will be completed, the date the Tuituia report is required and a rationale for the decision.
Refer to the Assessment policy for cases that always require a Tuituia assessment and report.
The next steps for the child or young person will also be entered in the offending profile and will include details of what is required to achieve a positive family group conference outcome.
If the attendees are unable to agree on a way forward, the practice leader will be consulted before the matter is escalated to the youth justice manager for resolution.
Identifying risk of psychological distress and/or suicide
Consider if there is anything in the available information that indicates the child or young person may be at risk of self harm, suicide or psychological distress. If so, it is critical that we recognise and act on these signals.
Indications may not be immediately present or obvious so we must be alert to the child or young person's changing behaviour and circumstances, and take the appropriate steps to ensure his or her safety and wellbeing.


text: Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair = William Thomas Cosgrave b. 13 Apr 1920, Dublin Title: Taoiseach Term: 14 Mar 1973 - 5 Jul 1977 Chronology: 14 Mar 1973, nominated by the 20th Dáil Éireann; appointed by the President of Ireland [1] 5 Jul 1977, successor appointed [1] Names/titles: Also known as Liam Cosgrave Biography: Liam Cosgrave was born in the family of W.T. Cosgrave, who served as the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922-1932. He was educated at Castlenock College, Dublin, and King's Inns and was called to the Bar in 1943. Cosgrave was first elected to the Dáil Éireann in 1948 as a Fine Gael representative and for the rest of his career never lost an election. He served as a parliamentary secretary from 1948-1951, and became Minister for External Affairs (19541957) in the Cabinet of John Costello. Following the resignation of James Dillon, Cosgrave became leader of the Fine Gael party (1965). The Fine Gael and Labour parties narrowly won the General Election in 1973 and formed a coalition government, ending 16 years of Fianna Fáil rule, with Cosgrave becoming Taoiseach 41 years after his father had lost office to Eamon de Valera. During his first year in power, Cosgrave held the negotiations with the British government of Edward Heath and a number of the Northern Ireland parties which culminated in the Sunningdale Agreement. This provided for a power-sharing Executive in the North and a Council of Ireland. However, the former was to collapse within six months while the latter never came into reality. On 17 May 1974, 34 people were killed by bombs in Dublin and Monaghan and on 21 July 1976 the British ambassador, Christopher Ewart-Biggs, and his secretary were murdered outside the embassy residence near Dublin. The Taoiseach did not hesitate to seek and enforce the powers he felt were necessary to cope with such violence. The coalition parties conducted a lackluster campaign in the 1977 General Election, and Fianna Fáil won 84 seats in the Dáil. Jack Lynch formed a Fianna Fáil government with the largest majority since independence. Cosgrave resigned as leader of Fine Gael and retired from the Dáil in 1981 taking little further part in political life. Biography source: [2] Elections: Date Candidate Yes No 14 Mar 1973 Liam Cosgrave 72 70 [1] Dáil Éireann: Díospóireachtaí Parlaiminte - Parliamentary Debates: Tuairisc Oifigiúil - Official Report [2] "Modern Irish Lives: Dictionary of 20th-century Biography", ed. by Louis McRedmond (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1996). Last updated on: 29 Nov 2023 23:20:26; URL: www.archontology.org/nations/eire/eire_govt/cosgrave2.php


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luxury fashion shops,cozy cafes,crowded bars and of course,traditional pubs that serve German specialities.
Therefore,this is a perfect weekend break,especially in September,when the weather is still warm,the colors of the city unique,its scenery incomparably beautiful and its habitants still out in the streets.
Things to do:
1.Enjoy exclusive shopping at the Konigsallee.
Konigsallee Boulevard is an elegant shopping street,actually,one of the most popular in Germany and in the world in general,where fascinating malls,classy boutiques and famous designers shops are located.Here you can find everything,from luxurious clothing,jewelry and exquisite artwork to electronics and all the latest gadgets.
Browse around,get up and down at the department stores and if you finally shop,be prepared to spend
some money.Meanwhile,stop and have a coffee(there are many pretty cafes in the zone), buy pastries and traditional sweets at the splendid patisseries that are around.Have lunch at one of the many lovely bistros.
In the end and no matter if you are a "Gucci friend"or not,you will absolutely love the whole experience and appreciate this outstanding shopping metropolis.
2.Explore the Altstadt day and night.
Get lost in the streets of Dusseldorf's Old Town and "feel" the vibrant atmosphere!Enter the fascinating small shops,admire its landmarks,the Rathaus(Old City Hall) and the statue of Jan Wellem.Stop at the Block House and eat its famous steak,otherwise order a cup of cappuccino and enjoy the charming environment and its wonderful surroundings,including the St. Lambertus Church.Drink local beer-the Altbier- at Brauerei Zum Schiffchen's lovely yard.Accompany your drinks with a traditional wurst plate.Cross again the Old Town until you meet the Rhine.Walk along the riverbank.Take a look at the brilliant view.Take a picture of the impressive Rhine Tower.
This place is even more beautiful during the sunset.You will,absolutely,be amazed at the magical scenery.Don't forget to stop and have one more drink here.There are a lot of cafeterias just beside the river.The area is a gorgeous hangout-for locals as well- if the weather is good.
Dusseldorf's Altstadt is known as "the longest bar in the world",simply because this small area hosts more than 300 bars.It is also home to some of the city's best restaurants.Consequently,it is a great option for dinner and drinks as it remains lively until late night.
*You can also read: Three spots not to miss in Dusseldorf ,Germany*
All pictures belong to my personal photo gallery.I used my Nikon D5200 and my iphone 5.


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Dictionary .NET is a Stand Alone, Free Portable Dictionary and Portable Translator that can be stored and run entirely from a USB device. It features a complete multilingual dictionary. One fascinating feature of this Portable Dictionary is that it can translate many different languages via it's built in Dictionary Translator which could be used to translate any text from one language to another. Dictionary .NET displays information about the word or phrases, and can provide references, images and audio examples as well. This application does require the .NET framework 2.0 or later to be installed.
Portable Dictionary and Translator - Dictionary .NET
Extracted Size: 184KB
Authors Website: http://fishcodelib.com
License: Freeware
Download: You can get this Portable Dictionary HERE


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Intel is replacing its Pentium and Celeron brands with just Intel Processor. The new branding will replace both existing brands in 2023 notebooks and supposedly make things easier when consumers are looking to purchase budget laptops.
Intel will now focus on its Core, Evo, and vPro brands for its flagship products and use Intel Processor in what it calls "essential" products. "Intel is committed to driving innovation to benefit users, and our entry-level processor families have been crucial for raising the PC standard across all price points," explains Josh Newman, VP and interim general manager of mobile client platforms at Intel. "The new Intel Processor branding will simplify our offerings so users can focus on choosing the right processor for their needs."
The end of the Pentium brand comes after nearly 30 years of use. Originally introduced in 1993, flagship Pentium chips were first introduced in high-end desktop machines before making the move to laptops. Intel has largely been using its Core branding for its flagship line of processors ever since its introduction in 2006, and Intel repurposed the Pentium branding for midrange processors instead.
Celeron was Intel's brand name for low-cost PCs. Launched around five years after Pentium, Celeron chips have always offered a lot less performance at a lot less cost for laptop makers and, ultimately, consumers. The first Celeron chip in 1998 was based on a Pentium II processor, and the latest Celeron processors are largely used in Chromebooks and low-cost laptops.
Intel's move to simplify to just Intel Processor means multiple processor families will now be housed under a single brand. How Intel plans to deal with educating consumers on what is midrange and what is low-cost isn't entirely clear. Either way, the Celeron and Pentium low-cost chips have certainly built up enough negative associations in recent years, as PC makers increasingly focus on Chromebooks and low-cost devices where sometimes the chips can't keep up.
Intel says the brand change won't affect the company's current product offerings or its roadmap, and that it "will continue to deliver the same products and benefits within segments."
Intel's rebranding comes just weeks before the company is set to introduce its flagship 13th Gen desktop processors. Intel accidentally revealed specs for some of its 13th Gen chips earlier this week after promising at least one will run at 6GHz at stock.


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Eagles Interview Adam Gase
PHILADELPHIA- WTXF - The Eagles Tuesday held a third interview with a head coaching candidate. Adam Gase, the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, interviewed with the team, the Eagles confirmed.
Gase follows a pair of current Eagles assistants, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and running backs coach Duce Staley, in interviewing for the job of Chip Kelly's successor.
Gase, 37, is known for his work with quarterbacks, including Jay Cutler in Chicago and Peyton Manning during his previous stop as offensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos. Gase is a graduate of Michigan State who has also coached with LSU and the Detroit Lions.


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What IS This Thing?
A. A really big beach ball used in the movie, "PeeWee's Big Adventure."
B. A wrecking ball last used to raze the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas.
C. A buoy that originally belonged to the Queen Mary
D. A globe used in a television commercial for a Los Angeles car dealership.


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Business Highlights
Overview: Medicare Supplement insurance, commonly referred to as "Medigap," is a private form of medical insurance that covers the gaps left by Medicare. You can buy a Medigap policy to help pay for certain Medicare out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance. Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies, not the federal government. Medigap is different from Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C). Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative way to get Medicare benefits and often include certain additional benefits not provided through Original Medicare. You cannot have a Medigap plan and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time. Medigap plans supplement Original Medicare by providing certain benefits not provided through Original Medicare. You must have Original Medicare in order to get a Medigap plan., Benefits: There are 9 different categories of benefits that Medigap plans may cover. Each standardized Medigap plan option has a different combination of these benefits. Plan F is the only plan that covers a percentage of all 9 benefits., Eligibility: To be eligible for Medigap, you must be: 1. Enrolled in Medicare Parts A & B (Original Medicare) 2. 65 or older, or have a disability, Plans: When you buy a policy, you have 10 standardized plan options to choose from in most states. (Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin have different options.) The plan options are regulated by the federal government. Each plan option is referred to by a different letter: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Every plan with the same letter has the same benefits, no matter which company you buy from. That means Plan A from one insurance company includes the exact same benefits as Plan A from a different insurance company. The only difference is price and who is providing the coverage. Certain plans are more popular than others such as Plan F, Plan C, and Plan N., Enrollment: You can buy a Medigap policy during your personal Medigap Open Enrollment Period to avoid paying higher premiums or to avoid being denied coverage., Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a 6-month period that starts the day you are both 65 years old and enrolled in Original Medicare. If you only bought Part A when you turned 65, the 6-month period starts the day you buy Part B. There are some situations where you can buy a policy with the same protections as during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period.
Business HoursPlease call for business hours
Payment TypesPlease call for payment types


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We Interview Potential Estate Sales Clients
Published: Friday, 28 June 2013
You might think that clients interview estate sale managers. Many do. But what you might not think about is that we're also interviewing you.
Whether or not I decide to take a Dallas area estate sale depends on many factors. I screen for some of these over the phone, but sometimes have to see the home and the conditions. Just a few of the factors are:
- Is there enough? I do sales that I think will generate at least $10,000. Under a few circumstances, I'll do a smaller sale, but often at a higher commission.
- Is there anyone still living in the house? I won't take on a sale if there's someone still there. I expect the occupants and/or the executor to have moved out and taken all the items that are not part of the sale.
- What's the time frame? If you call on Monday and expect a sale on Friday of the same week, I'll turn you down. Not enough time to do a proper setup and more importantly, proper advertising.
- What's the condition of the items? Damaged property is difficult to sell. A dirty house is not conducive to a good sale.
- Did a smoker live in the house? Many people won't want to purchase items from a smokers home and I don't want to spend time in there setting up the sale.
- Are the potential client's expectations realistic? An estate sale is not a retail store and I can't get retail prices.
- Where is the house located? If you're in a gated community or a homeowners association with rules against estate sales, I'm probably not going to be able to help you. If you're geographically undesireable, I can usually recommend an estate sale agent closer to you.
This past weekend I visited with two potential clients. The first was someone who will be downsizing. The homeowner was taking almost everything to the new house, the house was dirty and disorganized, and it was a long drive on a Sunday (would be longer during weekday traffic). I recommended a consignment store or a charity for a tax donation. The second family I met with was in a spotless home about a 3 minute drive away, but Dad was going to be taking all the good stuff with him to the active senior community apartment and there wasn't going to be much left. This family will probably bring me back to help them price the items and will run a sale themselves. I would love to help them by doing a sale for them, but it's difficult to tie up a weekend for a really small sale.
If you need an estate sale manager, remember when you call one, you're being interviewed too.


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Brand: iiyama
Manufacturer Code: T1732MSC-W5AG
ProLite T1732MSC-W5AG 17" White, Anti Glare, 5:4, Projective Capacitive 10pt touch, Bezel Free
This LED monitor is equipped with two high quality stereo speakers.
This technology uses a sensor-grid of micro-fine wires integrated into the glass that covers the screen. Touch is detected because electrical characteristics of the sensor grid change when human finger is placed on the glass. Thanks to the glass overlay this technology is highly durable, and the touch function remains unaffected even if the glass is scratched. It offers perfect picture performance and will work with human finger (also latex gloved) and stylus-pen.
The IP code classifies and rates the degree of protection against water intrusion. IP65 means that the monitor is protected to water splashes against the enclosure from any direction.
Scratch resistance is essential for touch solutions used in public places and schools. This is achieved thanks to a glass overlay covering the screen. It guarantees high durability of the touch function and even more importantly the touch function remains unaffected even if the glass is scratched.
The anti-glare coating is used in professional-grade displays to help avoid issues with reflections and external light sources affecting colour reproduction, contrast and sharpness. It also makes the screen less susceptible to dust, grease and dirt marks.


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- Share
More evidence on TV's deadly impact
Bad reception Each hour of TV you watch could cut 22 minutes from your lifespan, a new Australian study has found.
Dr Lennert Veerman, from the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, and colleagues, report their findings today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
"If our estimates are correct, then TV viewing is in the same league as smoking and obesity," says Veerman.
An Australian study by Professor David Dunstan of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, and colleagues, last year found an hour of TV viewing a day led to an 8 per cent higher risk of premature death, especially from cardiovascular disease.
"We've taken that study and translated it into what it means for life expectancy in Australia given how much TV we view," says Veerman.
His team estimates that every single hour of TV watched after age 25 is associated with a reduction in life expectancy of around 22 minutes.
"Given that Australians watch on average around two hours of TV a day, that would reduce life expectancy at birth by 1.8 years for men and about 1.5 years for women," he says.
Veerman says the small proportion of people who watch six hours of television a day would reduce their lifespan by 4.8 years.
Comparable to smoking
Veerman says according to conservative estimates every cigarette costs us 11 minutes of life and the average smoker lives 10 years less than someone who has never smoked.
"At the individual level there are few things worse you can do than smoking," says Veerman.
But, he says, when you consider that fewer and fewer people smoke but almost everybody watches TV, at a population level, TV viewing is also a serious threat to public health.
Veerman says that while the figures from his study are statistically significant there is a large degree of uncertainty surrounding them, probably because the 11,000 people involved in the study still constitutes a small sample.
But, he says other studies, for example from England and Scotland, have also found TV viewing reduces lifespan.
Veerman says a recent analysis of all such studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests the risk from TV viewing is lower than their findings.
"If you apply these pooled results, then for every single hour of TV that you watch after age 25 you could on average expect to lose five minutes of your lifetime."
He says the differences in estimates may be attributable to different age groups being studied, and a different interpretation of TV viewing.
His study only classified someone as watching TV if they were doing nothing else at the time, such as cooking or some other activity.
More research
Veerman says there will need to be follow-up studies involving more people, possibly wearing accelerometers that measure how much people are moving.
In related news, a study in The Lancet released today finds that just 15 minutes of physical activity per day reduces a person's risk of death by 14 per cent and increases life expectancy by three years, compared to inactive people.
This could be good news for those who try unsuccessfully to follow guidelines that recommend a minimum of 30 minutes a day exercise.
Veerman is surprised by the estimates of increased life expectancy found in the study, but he says it suggests any amount of physical exercise is good.
"The more exercise you do the better but every step counts," says Veerman.
Unfortunately though, this doesn't mean you can offset the risk from excessive TV watching by running around the block.
"There is still an independent risk of extended periods of sitting," says Veerman.
Last year Dunstan and team found even people who exercised were still at increased risk of premature death if they also watched high amounts of television.


text: In this tutorial we demonstrate how to read a restriction or axiom from a OWLClass using the OWL API 5 and the visitor pattern. The example maven project is available on Github. We use the OWL API version 5.1.4 and a small example ontology. 1. Prerequisites Install Maven to build the project (explained here) Java 1.8 ( OWL API uses streams etc. ) Some understanding of OWL and ontologies in general 2. The example ontology The ontology is only for demonstration purposes. It is about a vehicle (truck) that has some…Read More


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9 Ways Facebook Could Cost You Your Job
Social networking has become a virtual requirement for today's entrepreneur and small business owner, both online and "brick and mortar" alike. For many individuals it is a small sacrifice to make; especially since participating on social networks can be quite enjoyable, entertaining, and financially lucrative.
That being said, as with the saying "there are two sides to every story", so to is there with social media. The bad news is that it is possible to lose a job over, or because of, social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Four Square.
The temptation to nevertheless make use of the platform is made simple with the advent of 4G Technology, which makes these sites available from anywhere and at any time. If you are an active Facebook user, consider these nine ways that participation on the site could cost you your job – and then take the appropriate precautions to prevent this from happening.
Loose lips sink ships and end careers.
Social media guru Jeff Bullas recounts the tale of an Atlanta cop who discussed job details that his employer did not consider fit for public consumption. It is easy to take it a step further. Gossiping about the boss, criticizing the latest marketing department scheme, or taking to task a fellow employee for less than good behavior could quite easily cross the line. You don't have to be Facebook friends with the manager for the boss to find out; "helpful" coworkers with an ax to grind against you will be more than happy to forward screenshots of your posts to the appropriate individuals.,/li>
Illegal behavior while on the job is a job killer.
Do you travel while doing your job? Perhaps you install satellite systems, sell electrical components or chauffeur clients to and from appointments. Several states have outlawed texting while driving, and if your Facebook updates seem to occur consistently while you are on the road on business, there is a good chance that the boss will be interested. Adding insult to injury, if you decide to text about being stuck in rush hour traffic – while being there – the odds are good that the boss will take corrective action. Depending on your personnel file, it may be the ticket out of a job. Remember: if the company sees you as a potentially costly liability, it cannot afford to employ you any longer.
Skirting fiduciary duty gets you nothing.
Teachers post nasty comments about their students; financial planners make fun of their fiscally illiterate clients; doctors mock patients. Fiduciary duty rules dictate that professionals with confidentiality clauses in their contracts must not violate the public's trust. Going against this trust and either identifying clients by name, a combination of initials and identifiers that make it obvious who the individual might be, and of course the mentioning of agency or school names all serve to skirt fiduciary duty. Depending on the nature of the breach, the next posting you are making may be an update from "employed at" to "actively seeking work."
Hide the beer bong if you are a professional.
The worker at the tuna cannery does not have to worry much about posting photos of a beer bong during various stages of personal drunkenness. For the high school teacher, public servant and corporate professional, this is a dangerous gamble. As outlined by Yahoo!, Arlington Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist posted some racy photos of her honor on the town's fire engine. Adding them to her private MySpace profile, she was certain that nobody would see them. Well, everyone did. The same holds true for anyone relying on Facebook privacy settings that are notorious for not keeping out everyone the user believes to hide from.
Don't assume your boss doesn't read your comments.
If you made the mistake of "friending" your boss, manager or supervisor on Facebook, do not assume that he is not reading your posts. Plenty of Facebook users are "lurkers," who rarely post but frequently read their news feeds. Even if they do not click "like" or comment, they still know what others are saying.
Peers are competition.
Even if the boss is not a consistent Facebook user, the cubicle worker next to you might have an eye on your news feed. This is especially true if workplace feuds are being continued on Facebook and other social media platforms. Do not be surprised if a coworker – perhaps with an eye on your job – will tell on you. Charges of cyber-bullying could spell an end to your career.
Conflicting resume and Facebook profile information spells trouble.
According to Interview IQ, it is a deadly mistake to have a fanciful resume that your Facebook profile outs as being a fabrication. If you claim to be an English-born Harvard graduate, but your Facebook profile identifies you as a Kansas-native who is still working on a two-year degree from the local community college, a would-be employer may choose to pass. The company will most likely not be interested in your explanation.
Farming during working hours is a no-no.
Do you play Farmville, Farmtown, Vampire Wars, Mafia Wars or any one of the copious social networking games that make Facebook so much fun? The boss may be surprised to see your sharing crop bushels and gasoline drops on the profile – while you are on the clock. If you must play around on Facebook, avoid working hours. You don't think employers have caught on yet? Consider that Metrolic has already gathered statistics on the subject; 14 percent of workers cop to the productivity losses they experience due to Internet use. Don't think that the bosses are not aware!
Liking some of the groups you initially joined.
As a Facebook newbie, you probably liked everything and everyone. Membership on those pages and in these groups can now come back to bite you. Clean up your profile so that the boss does not see you as a liking several political groups that simply do not mesh with the corporate philosophy.
Guest Post by William Harwood


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Vancouver Pride Parade 2012: Photos & Tweetsby
An estimated 600,000 people are expected to line the streets in downtown Vancouver today for the Vancouver Pride Parade celebrating diversity, culture, community, and family. Music, dancing, colourful floats, motorcycles, trucks, bicycles, stilt-walkers, children, parents, dogs, and a multitude of mascots filled the streets. The following photos and updates have been pulled from Twitter as the parade takes place:
Happy Pride
#Vancouver! Enjoy sunshine – celebrate diversity! @vancouverpride #vanpride
— Gregor Robertson (@MayorGregor) August 5, 2012
Ready to march with
@cknw in the #VanPride parade @simisara980 & @jessicagares980 instagr.am/p/N9TfQ3RGbW/
— Melissa Knight (@missmelissa_k) August 5, 2012
I can die now. Me with Manny and Jason!!!
@vancanucks #VanPride twitter.com/GayCanuck/stat…
— GayCanuck (@GayCanuck) August 5, 2012
Bert and Ernie at
— Yuri Artibise (@YuriArtibise) August 5, 2012
Lawyers, law firms and law students out showing their support!
#humantrights #VanPride twitter.com/keara_jane/sta…
— Keara Maguire (@keara_jane) August 5, 2012
So great to see kids at (clean) pride events. Great to know their parents are raising them to be tolerable, decent human beings.
— Fanta Sesay (@fntcypnts) August 5, 2012
Lawyers and judges with pride at
#Vanpride twitter.com/habdessamad/st…
— Dr. Hasan Abdessamad (@habdessamad) August 5, 2012
#VanPride #Celebrities always the best float!!!' twitter.com/missrsmitty/st…
— Robyn Smitty (@missrsmitty) August 5, 2012
So proud of Malhotra, Harrison & Burke at
#VanPride – @vancanucks& @youcanplayteam Unbelievable support & superb MSG! twitter.com/2001bottles/st…
— Bob Halifax (@2001bottles) August 5, 2012
New Brunswick flag in
#Vanpride @tazeelu @moirajmcmahon twitter.com/habdessamad/st…
— Dr. Hasan Abdessamad (@habdessamad) August 5, 2012
MP of
#Vancouver center @hedyfry: "I'm excited to be celebrating my 20th consecutive year in @vancouverpride parade." #Vanpride
— Dr. Hasan Abdessamad (@habdessamad) August 5, 2012
Blue beads for all!! "
@londondrugs: And we are ready to rock!! #Vancouver #PRIDE twitpic.com/afx3v7"
— Wendy Hartley (@WendyHartley) August 5, 2012
Just be a queen
#vanpride instagr.am/p/N9XFoHomQX/
— Danielle Libonati (@dd_l) August 5, 2012
Drop by the
@visionvancouver tent at #vanpride for your very own proud banana! twitter.com/pattibacchus/s…
— pattibacchus (@pattibacchus) August 5, 2012
It seemed as if the
#vanpride parade was over, but a volunteer just ran down the street shouting "the parade's not over" …
— Larissa Cahute (@larissacahute) August 5, 2012
#VanPride parade is well underway! Look, there's Green MP @elizabethmay in her DOUBLE feather boa. #canqueer #canpoli lockerz.com/s/231592540
— Michael Pihach (@michaelpihach) August 5, 2012
Love is where is at
#vanpride twitter.com/MetropolisatMe…
— Metropolis(@MetropolisatMet) August 5, 2012
BC's labour and student unions march together in solidarity.
#vanpride twitter.com/nealjennings/s…
— Neal Jennings (@nealjennings) August 5, 2012
Couple tents at
#sunsetbeach! #vanpride #vancouver twitter.com/jknoregrets/st…
— Jamie Keast (@jknoregrets) August 5, 2012
Live shots sher bollywood float
@jawanikijhatka @globalbc @vancouverpride @gayvancouver @mygayhusband @ctvbc #vanpride twitter.com/a_slam/status/…
— DJ A-SLAM (@a_slam) August 5, 2012
#vanpride to our friends @vancouverpride. Congrats on another fabulous #Pride
— SurreyPrideSociety (@SurreyPride) August 5, 2012
Here comes The Bicycle Shop
#vanpride twitter.com/larissacahute/…
— Larissa Cahute (@larissacahute) August 5, 2012
Enjoying my first
@vancouverpride #VanPride parade and the sun is out twitter.com/RideTheKtrain/…
— Nicholas Kowalik (@RideTheKtrain) August 5, 2012
#vanpride from @ctvbc @coleensdish @aamerhaleem @tamarataggart @mike_kileen @ctvlyndasteele twitter.com/ctvethanfaber/…
— Ethan Faber (@ctvethanfaber) August 5, 2012
Vote for the best entry (float, organization, display, etc.) in this year's parade by going to VotePride.ca. For more event listings and happenings check out Gay Vancouver's Pride Guide.
More photos will be published when the parade wraps up later today, around 3:00pm. You can submit your images to the Miss604 Flickr Pool for possible feature as well.


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Intersolar - The small gets smaller, the big gets bigger, flexibility abounds.
KACO new energy shows its extended product range for world markets at Intersolar Europe.
Neckarsulm, 25 April 2016 - "The full program" - it is no coincidence that this motto has traditionally captioned the KACO new energy product overview. The Neckarsulm-based company still counts as one of the few inverter manufacturers that can offer the appropriate solution for any size of PV system: From 250 watts right up to the megawatt class, this PV specialist supplies "Made in Germany" solar quality to the world. These new tailor-made products that widen that "full spectrum" and extend its flexibility can be seen at Stand 230 in Hall B3 at the Intersolar Europe in Munich from 22nd to 24th June.
The three-phase string inverter blueplanet 8.6 TL3
The blueplanet 8.6 TL3, which was especially designed for the French market, joins the range. Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are still considered highly attractive in France and this inverter is tailored to comply with BIPV subsidy thresholds. The new inverter fits seamlessly into the range of three-phase blueplanets with a somewhat lower output (as with all blueplanets, the numeric denomination describes the AC output), and is specifically addressed at PV operators in the "residential" and "small commercial" sectors. The blueplanet 8.6 TL3 is particularly convincing with its 2 MPP trackers, DC and AC plug connector technique which facilitates the quickest wiring, in addition to a wide voltage input range spanning 200 V to 800 V. Everything is well protected and sits cozily in its compact IP 65 housing. Available in Q3/2016.
The three-phase string inverters blueplanet 10.0 TL3 and blueplanet 20.0 TL3
KACO new energy is also offering more flexibility in the medium-output range: The blueplanet 10.0 TL3 and the blueplanet 20.0 TL3 INT both open access to new output ranges. Whereas the new 10 kVA device closes the "small" blueplanet range and marks the transition between the tried-and-tested Powador range and the new blueplanet era, the next wall-mounted devices are already being launched. The blueplanet 20.0 TL3 INT follows the blueplanet 50.0 TL3 INT, both inverters operating on the threshold between commercial and utility applications. These two also belong to the most comprehensively-equipped group of KACO new energy string inverters. For the blueplanet 20.0 INT that means: whereas the blueplanet 50.0 TL3 INT is targeted at optimum cost-efficiency with its "reduce to the max" concept, the blueplanet 20.0 TL3 INT offers all variables when it comes to getting to grips with smaller, complex systems and difficult design scenarios. With sockets for digital inputs and outputs, the blueplanets are proving themselves to be future-proof solutions, capable of responding to all control issues, whether received from the grid operator or in communication with the electrical appliances. Available in Q3/2016.
The central inverter blueplanet 2200 TL3, indoor and outdoor
The race continues in the PV power plant range. Buil¬ding on the successful technology of the blue¬pla¬net 1000 TL3, the blue¬pla¬net 2200 TL3 is brea¬king realms in new output dimensions. This power house is perfectly pre¬pared for the most varied of applications and comes as indoor or outdoor ver¬sion, or upon request, in a container as a 2.2 MVA or even a 4.4 MVA station! As always, the utility-league blue¬planets offer remote access via the internet, in addition to the highest possible user-friendliness on site when it comes to easy operation, quick maintenance, comprehensive monitoring and universal communication capabilities. And, of course, all of the pre-configured country-specific settings have also been incorporated thus allowing for convenient activation at the "touch of a button". Available in Q3/2016.
The bidirectional battery inverter blueplanet gridsave 1000 TL3
Finally, KACO new energy is opening up a whole new dimension with the blueplanet gridsave 1000 TL3, a storage solution in the megawatt class. KACO new energy will disclose details prior to the fair, nut here is a foretaste: A lot of valuable experience gained in a large grid management project with the South-Korean state power authority, Korean Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) has gone into this product.
KACO new energy is amongst the worlds largest manufacturers of solar inverters. With offices in 16 countries, the company offers inverters for every array size from the smallest homes to the largest solar farms of hundreds of Megawatts. KACO new energy is based in Neckarsulm, near Stuttgart, Germany and the production facilities there, in the Americas and Asia have supplied around eight Gigawatts of inverters since 1999. The company was the first inverter manufacturer to achieve fully carbon-neutral production and is rapidly heading towards power self-sufficiency. KACO new energy also supplies energy storage systems and battery inverters, as well as inverters for PV-Diesel hybrid systems and combined heat and power plants. In 2014, KACO new energy celebrated the centenary of the original company which was one of the first suppliers of inverters in the late 1930s. Read more at www.kaco-newenergy.com


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Last month I had the pleasure of traveling to B.C. for Jackie and Warren's Tofino wedding. For those of you who don't know, Tofino is a magical place on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Its rugged coastline is bathed in wild, unprotected, Pacific waves which makes surfing one of the things it's famous for. In my opinion, Tofino is the epitome of west coast beauty.
Tofino has been an important part of both Jackie and Warren's lives for many years so it was a natural choice for their destination wedding. They have been visiting this place for years, even before they met each other. Warren's parents also honeymooned in Tofino many years ago. On this day in July that special place in their hearts that they hold for Tofino just got a whole lot larger!
The day began with a morning surfing session at Cox Bay Beach. After lunch we caught up with Jackie as she traded in her wetsuit for a gorgeous lace gown.
A big thank you to my dear friend Fran Chelico for coming to shoot with me. It was wonderful having you there!
I love this little sequence. During the signing I caught Warren looking over at his dad and Fran caught his dad looking back with a thumbs up! After the ceremony a bunch of their friends surprised them with a float plane that flew by and took aerial pictures of the whole group. Above is my picture but I'm really curious to see what the plane got!
To Jackie & Warren, thank you for asking me to photograph your wedding. This beautiful love filled event is one I won't soon forget! xoxoCeremony: Mackenzie Beach at the Tin Wis Reception: Calm Waters at the Tin Wis Wedding Coordinator: Alicia Keats Hair: Rachel Norwood Dress: Pronovias from Clara Couture Bridal Flowers: Crab Apple Floral Officiant: Reverend Robin Jacobson


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ESPN: Blackmon's lasting legacy at OSU is clear
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. -- Mike Gundy's been around football a long time. He's seen the story happen over and over.
Player shows up. Player works hard. Player gets good.
Too often, the next step isn't quite as encouraging.
"When you get guys that know they're going to be top 10 picks in the draft, they don't practice as well," Gundy said.
Justin Blackmon will almost certainly play his final game in an Oklahoma State uniform on Monday night in the Fiesta Bowl against Stanford.


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So, you've caught the "Astronomy bug"! Your imagination has been sparked, and you want a front row seat on the Universe. You want to join the ranks of telescope-equiped amateur astronomers!
Wait! Before you go out and spend your savings on optics that might hinder more than encourage your interest, consider the following: some preparation and information will assure that your telescope purchase really will reward you with easy access to the wonders of space.
A telescope is not like a television! Plug a TV in, turn it on, and everyone looking at it sees exactly the same thing. Aim a telescope at a globular star cluster and some people will be transported to the edges of our galaxy in an enthralling moment! Others will look through the same scope and see nothing, or maybe just a smudge. The difference is in the readiness of the observer's eyes and mind to see and understand what is there!
Stay away from Department stores and other places where people with no telescope experience sell scopes in colourful boxes claiming huge magnification numbers (675 X for $149.95 etc!). Go instead to meetings and public observing events (Star Parties) put on by your local astronomy club (you will find listings on this site or at http://www.skypub.com). There you will find many friendly people with a lot of knowledge and skills to pass on. You'll get to look through a variety of telescopes as well.
Go to your public library and your bookstore and look for astronomy books with an observing slant. I recommend particularly books by Terence Dickinson and David Levy. Go to your local newsstand and buy copies of Sky and Telescope, Sky News, and Astronomy magazines. You will find excellent books and book catalogs available through the publishers of these magazines.
Get a planisphere (rotating star-finder) and learn how to use it to identify stars and constellations up in the Sky at any time you may be looking. Redden your flashlight with red plastic or red nail polish (or even put it in a brown paper bag) so it no longer dazzles your eyes and spoils your night vision as soon as you look at your star-finder!
The books and magazines mentioned above also have monthly or seasonal star charts and lots of ideas for things to look for in the Sky. Look for something in the Sky every clear night! Cultivate an observer's attitude. The Sky holds frequent surprises for those who look up!
"But", you say, "What about the Scope!". Be careful not to hurry past the the shortcut to stargazing satisfaction! The Sky unlocks its secrets to those who develop a friendship with it. This is not a realm to rush through on the Interstate Highway! If you've followed me to here its time to glue your eyes to a pair of binoculars. Take them out as far away from the glare of white lights and the glow of the city as you can (or use them in your backyard) and you'll see endless vistas of starry patterns, nebulae, star clusters, moon craters, planets, and even galaxies. The information sources mentioned above will give you dozens of specific targets, but take time to just "drift" from starfield to starfield.
Next get a "Star Atlas" such as Sky Atlas 2000, which divides the sky up into a number of charts each showing the faint star patterns visible in binoculars but too faint to see without them. Use the charts to find star clusters, nebulae, and even galaxies! In this way you gain the skills that will soon allow you to find almost anything you want in your telescope.
Good general pupose binoculars that are also good for Astronomy include 7 x 35's, 7 x 50's, and 10 x 50's. The first number is the magnification and the second is the diameter of the front ("objective") lenses in millimeters. Fifty millimeters is about 2 inches. The first and the last binocular sizes above give 5 power for each inch of aperture (diameter). This is considered to be "low power". Low power is very useful because it allows you to see a large patch of sky all at once. One of the problems with too much power in a telescope is that you will be getting a tiny "keyhole" glimpse of the sky, and it will be hard to get the object you are looking for into that minuscule window.
To picture what magnification means, note that the moon appears about the same size as an aspirin tablet held at arm's length. Now imagine holding a golf ball at arm's length. That's about how big the moon will appear in 7 power binoculars (The diameter of a golf ball is about the length of 7 aspirins).
Next imagine a beach ball balanced on your outstretched hand. That would be about the size of the moon seen at 80 power, enough magnification to see hundreds of craters and jagged mountain peaks as well!
With binoculars you will even be able to identify the planets Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. Venus will sometimes look like a dazzling dot and sometimes like miniature crescent moon. Jupiter looks like a tiny bright pinhead, and Saturn like a "-".
When I use my telescope I always have my binoculars on the ready. It's the best way to pinpoint a target to find with the telescope. By being a frequent observer and by exploring the sky with binoculars you are assuring that your first views through your own telescope will be great ones!
Avoid scopes that are advertised on the basis of a high magnification number. These are designed only to generate quick profits for their distributor, not to help eager eyes see more! Real astronomical telescopes are described by the type and size of their light gathering optics, not by magnification.
The diameter of the lens or mirror which collects starlight and forms it into images is called the "aperture" of the telescope. Larger apertures make fainter objects visible and smaller details distinguishable. Forinstance a reflecting telescope with a main (primary) mirror 6 inches in diameter is said to have an aperture of 6-inches or 150 mm.
The magnification of a telescope is not a fixed quantity like the engine size of a motorcycle. Magnification can be changed in a moment to suit conditions and your observing aims simply by slipping a different eyepiece into the focuser. As mentioned above a telescope can be used at low power to see a wide patch of sky, making objects easy to find and fit into the eyepiece view. Then a higher power eyepiece can be used to "zoom in" on fine details.
But there are limits. We are looking through an atmosphere that is nearly always in turbulent motion, and the view often shakes and shimmers through no fault of the telescope. When these motions smudge the images seen in the scope at higher power, more magnification will probably show no additional detail. Using excessive magnification will then produce a dim blurry image.
In addition, "blowing up" an image with high magnification spreads the light over a larger area, making the object lose its sparkle. Even on the best of nights the highest useful magnification is likely to lie between 30 power per inch of aperture and 50 power per inch. Thus the top power for a 6-inch telescope would probably be between 180 X and 300 X. (I have used the word "probably" because different eyes may have different needs!).
In contrast, a Christmas catalog I saw recently has a 60 mm ( 2 3/8″) objective and promises 575 power! This is a totally bogus 244 power per inch of aperture!
Stand near a window and hold up a pair of reading glasses. Each lens will form an image of the outdoor scene on a white card held in your other hand at the right distance from the glasses. The distance from one of the lenses to the card when you are forming the image of a distant object is the focal length of lens. Telescopes have a focal length too, and this will usually be similar to the length of the tube. (exceptions will be mentioned below.)
Divide the focal length of the lens by its diameter (aperture), and you get the focal ratio, or "f-number". For example if you do the above experiment with "2 diopter" reading glasses the focal length of the lenses will be about 20 inches. If the lenses are 2 inches in diameter their focal ratio would be f/10 (20″ div.by 2″ = 10). You could actually use one of the lenses from the glasses to make a telescope, and we would say it was an "f/10 refracting telescope".
You will also see "f" numbers if you look at the front of a camera lens. On a 35 mm camera you will see numbers like "f/2.8", "f/1.8" or "f/1.4". Smaller numbers mean shorter exposure times, which is important for action shots in low light conditions. Hence camera lenses marked "f/2.8" or "f/1.4" are often described as "fast". By analogy with cameras, telescopes having focal ratios of f/6, f/5, or f/4.5 are called "fast". But this labelling has no practical importance other than indicating a relatively "stubby" tube unless the telescope is being used as a sky camera or "astrographic" instrument.
Telescopes with focal ratios of f/8, f/10 or greater are often described as "long focus" scopes.
The light-gathering image-forming "objective" of a telescope can be a mirror, a lens, or a combination of the two. Reflecting telescopes have gently-curved concave objective mirror at the bottom of the tube. Refractors have an objective lens at the front end of the tube like a spy-glass.
DIAGRAM 2 – MIRROR-LENS SCOPES (Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov Telescopes)
Telescopes such as Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov Scopes actually have a lens (called a corrector) at the front of the tube and a concave mirror at the back. The advantage of this more- expensive optical system is compactness. In apertures up to 8 inches they can be carried in suitcase- sized boxes, not including the tripod. Many Maksutov telescopes show surprisingly detailed planetary images for such compact instruments, but for crisp fine details Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes (SCT's) are often outperformed by simpler longer-tubed telescopes. This is because most SCT's have relatively large "secondary" mirrors interfering with incoming light.
The simplest form of reflecting telescope was invented by Isaac Newton, and is called the "Newtonian Reflecting Telescope". In addition to the concave primary mirror at the bottom of the tube it has a small flat tilted mirror (called the "secondary") near the top of the tube to direct the focussed light sideways to the eyepiece. This simple optical system offers the greatest performance for a given price. Long focus reflectors (example f/10, focal length 10 times the mirror diameter) costing as little as $229.00 US often outperform refractors and "mirror-lens" scopes costing many times as much. Budget wise, bigger Newtonians are available for a given price, leading to brighter images of faint objects as well.
Short-focus (f/6 to f/4.5) Newtonian Reflecting Telescopes are conveniently compact, but to give sharp detailed images their mirrors need to have a parabolic curve polished into their front surface. They also need to be adjusted (collimated) to much tighter standards. Thus high performance short focus telescopes tend to be more expensive. Even f/8 reflecting telescopes need parabolic mirrors to deliver the sharpest possible images. Before choosing a 4 1/4-inch f/8 to 6-inch f/8 reflector, make sure the scope will have a parabolic mirror! (Longer focus f/10 reflectors have the advantage here, not requiring parabolization for sharp detailed images.)
Refracting telescopes cost MUCH more for a given aperture, but can deliver very sharp images because there is no secondary in the way of the incoming light. However objective lenses, except on very expensive refractors, suffer from the tendency of light to split into rainbow colours when passing through glass. This is why Newton invented his telescope! Very long focus refractors (f/15 usually) have this tendency under control well enough to display fine detailed images. But to get sharp "colour-free" images with a conveniently short tube a refractor needs to be of the very expensive "Apochromatic" type.
For example, an excellent 6-inch Newtonian Reflector, which shows a Universe of fascinating planet and starscapes, costs less than $400.00 US. A 6-inch f/15 refractor on a good mount would cost about 4 times that price, and a first rate 6-inch "Apo" would set you back between five and ten thousand dollars! Frequently the $400.00 Newtonian would show you just as much (and be much easier to set up to boot!)
Many telescope mounts allow you to point your scope anywhere in the sky by swinging it from side to side and up and down. This is the easiest and most direct way to get the scope aimed where you want, and it also provides the most effective way to keep the scope steadily aimed at your chosen sky scene. This type of mount is sometimes called "altazimuth". The most effective variety of altazimuth mount for a reflecting telescope is named after its inventor, John Dobson (hence the term "Dobsonian" mount). Dobsonian mounts use teflon bearings mounted on a strong boxy structure called a "rocker", which turns on a sort of "lazy susan" base. Since the rocker is a strong vertical structure it supports the scope very steadily, and small gentle pushes by hand keep the scope on effortlessly track.
Other telescope mounts tilt their main turning axis until it is aligned parallel to Earth's axis. The main turning axis of the mount is then called a "Polar Axis", and the mount is called "Equatorial". When this alignment is done by the user a slow turn of the polar axis (perhaps by a "clock drive" motor) will allow the scope to automatically follow the stars by countering the rotation of the Earth.
This tracking of the stars is necessary for long-exposure photography or imaging of faint stellar objects. It is not the most effective way to enjoy viewing sky wonders by eye. Tilting one of the telescopes axes without opening the door to backlash, shakes, and vibrations requires costly engineering and the highest quality manufacturing. Good equatorial mounts are expensive, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars more than your are likely planning on. Inexpensive ones deliver frustratingly little observing ease for the effort required to set them up properly. The hallmark of a cheap equatorial mount is an image that "zig-zags" or even disappears when you put your hand on the focus adjustor!
Want a scope that won't break the budget and will reward your investment many times over? Realize that there is no single telescope which will forever satisfy your every astronomical aim, now and in the future!
The scope for NOW is the one you can take out to your backyard (or put in the back seat of your car) easily and set up quickly, with only a few moments of adjustment allowing rewarding clear steady views of Moon mountains and craters, Saturn's rings and other planetary details, star clusters, and dark sky views of nebulae and galaxies.
For all the reasons explained above the scope that best fits this description is a Dobsonian 6- inch f/8 reflector with a parabolic mirror (See the end of this article). If you are on a tighter budget consider a 4 1/4-inch f/10 Newtonian Reflector on a Dobsonian mount.
The wealth of personal discoveries you will make with THIS high-quality always-ready scope will allow you find out what kind of astronomical experience you enjoy most! You are now equipped to plan your eventual "ADVANCED" telescope purchase. If you are excited about astrophotography through a telescope you will now want to evaluate high-quality (expensive!) equatorial mounts. If you are interested in computers you will want to explore interfacing of telescopes to computers and electronic astronomical imaging. If tracking down the faintest of nebulae and galaxies is your ambition you will want to consider large aperture newtonians or schmidt-cass scopes. In short you are now ready to plan purchases of more specialized and expensive equipment knowing that you will be making rewarding investments!
The people who use telescopes with the most skill, success, and pride are those who have made their own scope. This used to mean months of planning and study and a year or more of work. NOT ANY MORE! Now anyone can enjoy the thrill of seeing the Universe with the scope they built just hours before! With Stargazer Steve's Deluxe Reflector Kits you open the all-inclusive box after lunch, follow the step-by-step video and illustrated print manual learning as you go, and your scope is ready when night falls!
Sky and Telescope Magazine (Dec/99) has chosen Stargazer Steve's 6-inch Deluxe Reflector Kit as one of the "25 TOP HOT PRODUCTS of 1999!
Sky News (Nov-Dec/99) awarded a 5-star rating (***** out of five !) in reviewing this telescope!
THIS ARTICLE COPYRIGHT 1999 STEVE DODSON – MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ENTIRETY FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. TO OBTAIN PERMISSION TO USE IN OTHER WAYS CONTACT THE WRITER AT firstname.lastname@example.com


text: If I was a Brick and Mortar Store you would see these Socks and other Accessories with Those Bright Red Signs almost blinking at you to look here first! IF, I was Henny Youngman I would say, "Take My Socks Please! They may be in the back of the store or right by the check out line. My Sales are here! Sales are First Come, First Serve! Everything in this category will be discounted from ONE to FIVE, and some even to TEN dollars off the Original Price. Have a Great Time Looking Around.


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Travel / Tourism
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We provide routine transport to school or work. Email us or check out our website! email@example.com www.driveralert.com
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text: A small interior I worked on for my Digital Sets class. Based on a background from Kiki's Delivery Service by Kazuo Oga. All the work was done by me, under the supervision of my teacher, Tran Ma. I learned a lot in this class and had a really great time doing all the plants.


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Outlines how to utilize Continuous Replication with Qumulo Core 2.11.1 and below
- Replication Page Overview
- Create a Replication Relationship
- Authorize a Replication Relationship
- Replicating
- Edit or Delete a Replication Relationship
- Additional Considerations
- Admin privileges required
- Source and target cluster running the same version of Qumulo Core 2.7.3 to 2.11.1 on any model of Qumulo hardware, including HPE
We highly recommend upgrading to the latest version of Qumulo Core to fully utilize Continuous Replication with the additional improvements in functionality and performance we've implemented since the original release.
Continuous Replication takes a snapshot of the data in a directory on your cluster and transfers it to a directory on a second target cluster. While a replication job is running, Qumulo Core takes the latest changes and replicates them without the worry of scheduling them into an existing job. And with the help of snapshots, a point-in-time consistent copy of the source directory is generated on the target cluster.
In Qumulo Core 2.9.2 and above, incremental replication jobs will no longer resend the entire file contents when only part of a file has changed. The replication engine will scan modified files for any changed regions and only send those changes over to the target so that job runtime is proportional to the amount of data changes made. With this change, the throughput statistics in the Replication Job Details UI only include data actually transferred. Unmodified data that does not need to be transferred is reported as "Unchanged".
NOTE: The initial replication job after installing 2.9.2 will still send the entire file and the first job may fall back to resending the entire file if the relationship hasn't completed a job since being upgraded to 2.8.8 or later.
Replication Page Overview
In the Web UI, hover over the Cluster menu on the Source Cluster and select Replication under the Configurations section in the dropdown.
A list of Replication relationships will display with the following details:
Status (#): represents the current status of each relationship including Replicating, Blackout Window, Awaiting Authorization, etc. and displays the number of relationships
Source: specifies the file path of the source directory
Target: specifies the file path of the target directory
Role: indicates whether the cluster is serving in the role of a source or target directory for that particular relationship
Last Attempt: states whether the last replication attempt completed or failed
Recovery Point: displays a timestamp from the last successful Replication on the source cluster and represents the time Qumulo Core took a snapshot of the source directory and started moving data across to the target
Continuous Replication: displays whether the relationship is enabled or disabled
Create a Relationship for Replication
- Click the Create Relationship button on the replication page of the Source cluster .
- Fill in the following fields:
- Source Directory Path: path of the existing directory you wish to replicate
- Target Directory Path: path of existing empty directory on the target cluster where you wish to replicate data
- Target Address: one of the IP (preferably floating IP) addresses from a node on the target cluster
- Port Number: select the default port option 3712 or create a custom port configuration
NOTE: Custom port configuration may be necessary to meet enterprise network firewall rules. To override, select the Custom radio button and enter the port number. For questions on custom port configuration, reach out to Qumulo Care for additional information.
Verify that Continuous Replication Enabled is On.
- Click Add Blackout Window.
Select the day(s) or times to suspend replication between the source and target directories.
- To add up to 10 additional blackout windows, click the +Add Blackout Window button
- For additional details, check out the Replication: Blackout Windows article
Click Save Relationship.
The relationship will now be available on the replication page where you can see the status and manage the replication job. A replication job will not start until the relationship has been authorized on the Target cluster. Continue on to the next section for steps on how to Authorize a Replication Relationship.
Authorize a Replication Relationship
- Log on to the Target cluster.
- Click See Details on the authorization request notification banner.
- Click Accept on the replication page to authorize the relationship.
IMPORTANT! Replication will not start if you are currently in a blackout window or if Continuous Replication for that relationship is disabled.
While a replication job is running, a progress bar will display on the replication page under the status column. Note that the percentage reflects both the number of files to be moved as well as the amount of data to be transferred and is not based solely on the amount of data being replicated.
Click on the Details option to review the Throughput, Run Time, and Data statistics of the current job in progress. Files that have not changed since the previous replication job will be reflected in the Unchanged column and will not be transferred.
NOTE: Qumulo Core versions 2.7.9 and below will display "Replicating" in the status column until the replication job completes. The Details page and Progress bar are not available in these previous releases.
Edit or Delete a Replication Relationship
- To Edit an existing Replication relationship, click the pencil icon next to the job on the Source cluster
Note that you cannot edit the source and target directory paths. To make these changes, you must create a new relationship.
- Delete a relationship by clicking the trashcan icon on either the Source or Target cluster and confirm by selecting Yes, Delete when prompted
Additional Considerations
- Upgrading Qumulo Core while a replication job is running will cause the job in progress to fail. Once both clusters return to a state where replication is possible (same version), Continuous Replication can resume. Please wait until after the replication job completes to perform any upgrades.
- Utilizing Continuous Replication will increase load on the cluster and may cause latency delays depending on the applications in use while a job is running.
- At the beginning of a replication job, a snapshot is created for the directory. The old snapshot is programmatically deleted when it is no longer needed. There will be one reference snapshot used for replication on the cluster at all times. Admins can view the snapshot(s) used for replication along with other policy-based snapshots.
- A snapshot is taken of the directory on the target cluster at the conclusion of each successful job. The previous snapshot is then deleted so the directory always contains only the most recent snapshot.
- Target directory permissions will be updated from read/write to read-only when a replication relationship is created. If the relationship is deleted, the permissions will revert to read/write automatically.
- A replication relationship that includes the root directory of the target cluster is not permitted. Including the root directory makes the entire target cluster read-only and may prohibit administrative functions such as upgrades.
- Continuous Replication does not support replicating local user or group information and will fail if it encounters a file associated with local users or groups.
- Qumulo Core supports up to 100 replication relationships.
You should now be able to successfully configure and manage Continuous Replication in Qumulo Core 2.11.1 and below
Replication: Continuous Replication with 2.11.2 and above
Replication: Failover and Failback with 2.11.4 and below
Replication: Failover and Failback with 2.12.0 and above
Replication: Version Requirements and Upgrade Recommendations
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Vandoren Traditional Soprano Saxophone Reeds
by Vandoren
Original price £22.50 - Original price £22.50
Original price
£22.50 - £22.50
Current price £22.50
The choice of professionals, teachers and students the world over. This reed is designed to produce a quality of extremely pure sound due to a very thin reed tip (the area of reed with maximum vibration), balanced by a solid vertebral column (more cane in the area that climbs gradually to the heel).
Strengths: 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.
Supplied in boxes of 10.


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Skincare Gold + Marine Collagen Rejuvenating Eye Serum 15ml
Gold Collagen Rejuvenating Eye Serum contains Colloidal Gold, known for its healing properties, to give a radiant glow, and Marine Collagen to help smooth and protect skin structure. Absorbs fast and pleasantly refreshes the skin on application.
Colloidal Gold & Marine Collagen
- Lines and wrinkles appear reduced
- Formulated with Colloidal Gold, known for it's healing properties
- Formulated also with Marine Collagen to help smooth and protect the skin's structure
- Absorbs fast and pleasantly refreshes the skin
- Brightens & Softens, Suitable for all skin types
Suitable for all skin types. Dermatologically tested. 15ml – 0.5 fl.oz.
Morning and night, apply a thin layer to the eye area. Gently pat dry until absorbed.
Aqua (Water), Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Pullulan, Carbomer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Carrageenan, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Tin Oxide, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polysilicone-11, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Soluble Collagen, Glyceryl Caprylate, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Colloidal Gold, Acetyl Heptapeptide-9, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77491 (Iron Oxides).
Returns Policy
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the 'Complete Orders' link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.


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I have no idea how Jay Crownover manages to blow my mind with every new read. The Point is not a place known for happy endings. It's where bad guys go to get worse or get gone.
Stark, AKA our Boy Genius, has been living the somewhat low life after signing his life away to the Devil in The Point. He's like his machines: cold, effortless, and efficient. Cross him, his boss, or his low set of morals and he can wipe your existence from the electronic earth. Little does he know that a little thief has come in the night to steal away the hard wires he hides behind.
Noe has earned her spot on the streets; if the Devil is how you get in, then Noe is one way you can get out. She's worked hard to erase the past she left behind as she helps victims of abuse escape. But one heist leaves her in the cross-hairs of the one man who can dig enough in to her past to find her and put her back in the limelight of her dangerous past. And now he's the only man who can help save her.
The devil's in the details on this one as Noe slowly draws out more and more of Stark's personality as they race against time and a city that's after them. There is quote after quote that I could go back to that gutted me. Noe is a woman who is strong in a new way. She's been through something horrific that happens more than it ever should. And through it all she risks putting her self back in to the terrifying memories as she tries to help those going through a similar situation. Stark can't help but find beauty in the strengths that she shows. Noe awakens a part of Stark he hasn't felt since he was younger: the empathetic side that he only let loose when he vengeance got the best of him.
Watching Stark go from machine to man, emotionally, was so drool worthy. He's not know for much words but when he opens his mouth, boy does he have some lines that will make any girl fall. (#theearrings … they KILL ME). There are snippets to those that we've seen in The Point as well. Ben's got his moment (swoon!) as well as Bax and Race's reputations play a part. And don't think that Titus sits out when all hell breaks loose on his city; the good-cop-acting-bad is a key player as Stark and Noe plan to take down the biggest criminal The Point has seen in some time. With a city on edge and one of the most electrifying couple I've ever read, DIGNITY is an automatic 5 star top read once again from Crownover!
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jay Crownover returns with the second title in her romantic suspense series, The Breaking Point, DIGNITY. Check out the excerpt below and grab your copy today!
About DIGNITY:
Looks can be deceiving.
I knew that most people took one look at the ink and the impossibly big and strong body it covered and decided I was a brawler…a bruiser…a beast. However, I was hardwired to be a thinker, not a fighter.
I should have chosen to use my brain and talents to be one of the good guys, a hero, a man with dignity and worth.
I turned my back on dignity and sold my soul to the highest bidder, deciding to dance with the devil, instead.
I couldn't figure out how to help myself, so there was zero chance I knew how to save someone else.
That someone else was Noe Lee. She was the unkempt, unruly thief who was just as smart as I was and twice as street savvy. She was annoyingly adorable beneath the dirt and grime, and she was in trouble. In way over her head, I told myself it wasn't my job to keep her from drowning. In the Point, it was sink or swim, and I wasn't the designated lifeguard on duty.
I shut the door in her face, but now she's gone…vanished…disappeared without a trace. It took less than a second for me to realize that I wanted her back.
When a woman comes along that melts all the frozen, hard things you're made of; you'll do anything you have to, to bring her home.
What you see is not always what you get…and with a man like me, what you get is more than anyone ever bargained for.
DIGNITY is now available! Grab your copy today!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Audible
Add to your Goodreads
Protective and possessive instincts coiled around my gut and rage felt like it was going to choke me. I was so used to being cold and numb, I didn't know what to do with the fire that was licking at my insides.
"I saw him take her out of the trunk when they got to the docks. He moved like a cop. Not the kind who is there to actually protect and serve, but the kind who pulls you over for no reason and slaps cuffs on you to prove a point. I was locked up for a lot of years, boy genius. I know what a dirty cop looks like. He had a busted-up nose and stitches on the side of his face. Should be pretty easy for Titus to identify him."
Titus King was Bax's half-brother and the only law enforcement officer in the entire city any of us slightly trusted. He was one of the few men the Point hadn't tainted. He was a good guy, trying to do right by the people in our city, and he wouldn't hesitate to throw Goddard's dirty cop under the bus. But I didn't want anyone going after the Mayor. His sadistic ass was all mine.
"Do you think they made it out of the container after you hit it with the truck?" That had been my idea. Nassir was only sending in Booker and Benny to get Noe out, but I didn't think it was enough fire power. Since he refused to let me go, even siccing Chuck on me as a babysitter until the job was done, I made Benny go over the plan with me no less than a hundred times until I came up with a better one. Knocking the container sideways with one of the big semi-trucks that littered the area would give Benny the time he needed to get Noe out and distract the outside security detail enough that Booker could do his thing. It was a risk because the people inside the container—including Noe and Benny—might have ended up injured when the thing flipped, but the odds of them making it out were much higher than if Benny tried to take on everyone on his own.
"If Benny made it out, we won't hear from him again. That was the deal he made with Nassir. He would get your girl and then disappear, so he can go and live happily ever after with his. As for the rest of them," he shrugged, "I guess we'll find out soon enough. Your girl said someone had a gun, so if they were shooting at Benny, he would do whatever he could to make sure they stopped. He's not about to catch a bullet for any of us. I know you want that asshole alive for your own reasons, but honestly, it's better if Benny popped him."
It was better, but it wasn't what I wanted. A bullet between the eyes was way too easy for a guy like Goddard. People would bemoan how bad the Point had become, how Goddard had been a staunch supporter of crime prevention measures. He would die a martyr and a legend. I couldn't stand the thought of that. I wanted who Goddard was, who he really was, out in the open. I wanted his mansion doors flung wide open and every skeleton inside the walls exposed and thrown out on the perfectly manicured lawn for the entire world to see. I hated people who hid behind the law. I hated when men in any position of power got off on using their elevated status to jerk the helpless and hopeless around. Death wasn't the answer. Devastation was.
I closed my eyes and squeezed the cold, still hand that was clasped in mine. Failure weighed heavy on my shoulders and fury lit up my blood like popping and sizzling firecrackers.
"When do we ever end up with anything that's better for us?" That wasn't how the Point worked. That wasn't how we worked.
Booker grunted and I felt him move behind me. "It happens. It doesn't seem like better should be able to find a foothold in this place, but despite all odds, it does."
And don't miss the first standalone title in The Breaking Point series, HONOR! Grab your copy today!
Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win Signed set of BETTER WHEN HE'S BAD, BETTER WHEN HE'S BOLD, BETTER WHEN HE'S BRAVE, HONOR, and DIGNITY and 1 $25 Amazon Gift Card
Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, the Point Series, the Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


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Sri Lanka "sold" the 2011 World Cup final to India, the country's former sports minister said on Thursday, reviving one of cricket's most explosive match-fixing controversies.
Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was sports minister at the time, is the second senior figure to allege the final was fixed, after 1996 World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga. "I tell you today that we sold the 2011 World Cup finals," Aluthgamage told Sirasa TV. "Even when I was sports minister I believed this."
Aluthgamage, sports minister from 2010 to 2015 and now state minister for renewable energy and power, said he "did not want to disclose" the plot at the time.


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Boris Johnson says the success of the UK's vaccination programme means the government is "going to keep going" and will be "sticking with our strategy".
The prime minister has warned coronavirus "is still out there" but vowed his new COVID winter plan "will give us the confidence" to avoid lockdowns.
Speaking at a Downing Street briefing on the day the government set out its winter plan for managing COVID-19 in England, Boris Johnson said that higher case numbers than this time last year meant that in one sense the country's position was "actually more challenging".
Image: Graphs show differences between September 2020 and September 2021
But he added that the UK was in an "incomparably" better position to fight COVID-19 because of the success of its vaccination programme.
As a result, the PM said the government was "going to keep going" and would be "sticking with our strategy".
"Plan A" for the coming months includes a booster jabs campaign which will begin next week, as well as encouraging people to meet outdoors or open windows if inside, wear a face mask in crowded and enclosed places, wash their hands frequently and use the NHS COVID-19 app.
Speaking in the Commons earlier, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said contingency plans would only be activated if there was "unsustainable" pressure on the NHS and initial efforts to control the spread of the virus proved ineffective.
Under the government's "plan B", mandatory face masks, vaccine passports and work from home orders could return.
Ministers have also not ruled out another lockdown, although they have stressed this would be deployed as a last resort and would require legislation to be passed.
Image: COVID-related deaths by vaccination status
Image: COVID hospitalisations by vaccination status
Asked what would have to happen to force the government to bring in harsher measures, chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the arrival of a new variant that was both transmissible and "escapes the vaccines" would be one scenario where different rules could be introduced.
He warned that the UK had not yet faced a winter with the "very bad" Delta variant and said the absolute numbers of people being admitted to hospital with COVID would be one of the factors to consider when deciding whether to introduce restrictions.
Mr Johnson did not get into specifics when asked how bad the situation would have to get for the government to start bringing back restrictions.
But he said the government's "plan B" has "a number of different shots in the locker" and "you wouldn't necessarily play them all at once".
"We're now in a situation where because so many of the population have some degree of immunity, smaller changes in the way we're asking people to behave can have a bigger impact," the PM said.
But he warned that the virus is "still out there" and "remains a risk", although he stressed: "We are confident in the vaccines that have made such a difference to all of our lives."
The COVID 'plan B' for winter
Asked why the government was not taking mild preventative measures now, Mr Johnson said vaccines were making a "huge difference to mortality".
"We are continuing to advise everybody to be sensible and responsible… I think that's the right balance, given where the pandemic is at the moment."
Asked on Sky News if the government's "plan A" would work, Professor Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, said: "We don't know.
"The question is should we wait for things to get very much worse before bringing in some of the points in 'plan B' that really could be enacted without any great cost or should never have been dropped in the first place."
He added: "I think there's a slightly strange feel here that we're prepared to accept more hospitalisations and more deaths until we actually do something, whereas there are some simple things we could get on and do now."
On vaccine passports, the PM said he could not "rule out completely" the possibility of mandating them at some point in the future.
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He said they would have been a "game changer" for businesses last year and described them as an "important part of our repertoire", but reiterated he was not in favour of requiring them for entry to pubs.
Mr Johnson also revealed that the government is considering "simplifying" the traffic light system for overseas travel and what it can do to make the "burdens of testing less onerous for those who are coming back into the country".
Professor Whitty insisted "lots of people, probably the great majority" are taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
He also showed a series of graphs comparing case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths, this September and last September and said: "We're entering the autumn and winter period at a much higher level in terms of the number of cases, in terms of number of hospitalisations, in terms of number of deaths than we were this time last year."
Whitty asked about Nicki Minaj's tweet
Professor Whitty added that people must encourage "everybody we know to get vaccinated" and declared: "We're about to enter winter. Winter is coming and people really should take this seriously."
He also said rapper Nicki Minaj "should be ashamed" after she tweeted that COVID vaccines are linked to impotence.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, said the best way to avoid future restrictions was to persuade as many unvaccinated people as possible to get their jabs.
There are currently five million people who are eligible for a vaccine who have yet to take up the offer.
He told the briefing that the UK was at a "pivot point" in the pandemic and would have to "go early" if the situation worsened quickly.


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Registered Migration Australia
Treats internal health problems, metabolic disorders and imbalances through treatment of the whole person using natural therapies. Registration or licensing may be required.
Skill Level
Occupation Lists
This occupation is on the following skills lists:
This occupation is not on the following skills lists:
treat patients with physical, mental, spiritual and emotional needs by considering the whole person rather than focusing on specific symptoms and by using various therapies, techniques and practices.
Skill Level
Occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).
Registration or licensing may be required.
Occupations in this Group
Sources: www.abs.gov.au and DIBP
REGISTERED MIGRATION AUSTRALIA 2013 - 2020 © All Rights Reserved.


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As a part of the "Project System Implementation Plan", Uhde India Limited has deployed the application Cleopatra to create accurate and detailed sales estimates.
The initial implementation was a success and in order to use the software to its fullest potential, we've traveled to Uhde at Mumbai, India from 16th to 19th August 2006 to train the Uhde engineers.
Uhde India Limited, a subsidiary of Uhde GmbH, Dortmund, Germany, are one of the leading engineering and construction companies in the field of chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, etc., and are involved in executing projects in India and abroad.