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The Decline and Fall of
"Veronica Mars"
In Season One, "Veronica Mars" was amazing. Even the most ageist critics were forced to applaud the quality writing and strong acting that gave us the most compelling and sharply-defined characters in TV history, as well as the most quotable dialogue, the most surprising plot-twists, and some tricky mysteries that even Dashiell Hammett would have admired.
It drew further applause from the youth rights community. The show offered a teenaged character who is smart and strong. She competently solves as many crimes as her private investigator father, and her father is no slouch. "Veronica Mars" was a show for and about teenagers that was remarkably free of ageist stereotypes or sermons preaching ageist double-standards.
After that first season, "Veronica Mars" ran for two more. Sadly, it could not sustain its greatness. By the time it was canceled, it was barely better than other TV shows.
One problem appears to have been a change in the writing staff. After Season One, "Veronica Mars" lost its best writer, Jed Seidel. He had written not only "Meet John Smith," the most moving episode of the show's entire run, but he had written "Weapons of Class Destruction," which was arguably the show's most youth-friendly episode. "Weapons" begins with students openly criticizing school newspapers that pander to adults rather than serve the interests of students, and it ends by acknowledging that police sometimes frame teenagers for crimes.
As Jed Seidel left, fellow writer Diane Ruggiero was elevated to executive producer. In Season One, Ruggiero had written the season's most ageist episode, "The Wrath of Con." This was not only the episode where Veronica (Kristen Bell) tries to look sexy by wearing a Catholic school uniform like someone out of a fetish porn movie, eroticizing child-molestation; it was also the episode where Veronica's boyfriend, Troy, meets her dad, Keith (Enrico Colantoni). Since Keith is a private investigator, he smugly informs Troy that he somehow found out about Troy's reservations at a hotel and canceled them. At no point is Keith punished for this intrusion into his daughter's dating life, and neither of the teenagers express any outrage at this presumptuous move. We are urged to relish Keith's smug victory over his daughter's attempt to control her own sex life; we are not encouraged to question his appropriateness nor the harm his insult might cause, nor are we asked to even imagine that Keith himself might pay a price for this intrusion by losing the love of his daughter.
In Season Two, the dialogue remained crisp and the plot twists kept coming, but the show was less interested in breaking ageist barriers. In some cases "Veronica Mars" now fell into the worst clichés.
Dating "Up"?
In the same Ruggiero-scripted episode, Wallace meets the first serious love interest the show has given him: fellow high school student Jackie. She's rich and worldly and snobbish. Wallace has little chance with her because, as she informs him, "I haven't dated a guy in high school since the 8th grade." The writing, the acting, the editing: none of these ask us to feel sorry for her as a victim of old predators. Instead, this is supposed to make her seem superior, as if dating older were the same as dating up.
Portraying youth as chasing after older people is a creaky cliché that keeps appearing in stories written by older people. Sadly, "Veronica Mars" could not stay above this. Even in Season One, there was a scene where teenagers put their poker game on hold to ogle the host's mother. (Episode: "An Echolls Family Christmas." Yes, that was another Diane Ruggiero episode — how did you know?)
To the show's credit, this cliché gets reversed several episodes later when Logan breaks up with his friend's stepmother. Yes, that's right. He dumps her, not the other way around. The scene makes clear that, while she wants to use him for his money, he has been using her for sex. While Logan does not create the most positive image of youth, young viewers have to cheer the way he dumps her:
Charisma Carpenter asserts her superiority as an older woman, telling him, "You want to go back to playing grab-áss with cheerleaders that have just mastered missionary? See ya. You want things to keep going the way they've been going, I'm going to need a few things."
Logan's response: " 'See ya' was option A? Bessie, when the milk stops being free, I stop drinking."
While Logan is cold with his gold-digging sex-partner, other episodes show him to be more loving with women his own age. In later Season Two episodes, Logan dates a teenager only because Logan wants leverage against her father, who plans to testify falsely against Logan in a murder trial. But when Logan wins, and her father agrees not to testify in return for Logan breaking up with the daughter, Logan finds he cannot stay away, and he risks everything for another night with her.
In Season One, Logan dated Veronica and turned against his friends when they disliked her. Before that, he dated Lilly; and after her murder, he got ugly with those he blamed for her death, including himself. This older gold-digger who finds high schoolers icky is the only lover with whom Logan is callous.
The ground-breaking nature of this breakup scene, however, is undercut a little by an earlier scene in this episode where we are informed the age-difference between the two lovers is smaller than we had been led to believe. Apparently the writer (Ruggiero again) didn't think we would be comfortable with a teenager dumping an old chick, so Ruggiero put in a scene where teenager Duncan says of the stepmother, "She's like our age." When Veronica tells Duncan the woman is 25, Duncan replies, "Yeah, but, not really."
Just before the woman gets dumped, Ruggiero asks us to think of her as young.
Logan's Gun
Ruggiero isn't the only writer on "Veronica Mars: Season Two" apologizing for breaking ground. In the episode "Ahoy, Mateys!" we find Veronica snooping in a seedy bar. Some thugs figure out she's up to something, and they pin her down, threatening bodily harm. She is rescued, not by an adult, but by Logan!
Terminator 2, for example, is about a robot trying to kill a teenager. The teenager's mother uses an arsenal of weapons to fend off the killer robot. A good robot (Schwarzenegger) wields even more guns. But the teenager himself, the very target, is unarmed and defenseless, forced to rely on adults for his protection.
In the horror movie Tremors, a small band of humans must fend off monsters. All the humans older than 25 have guns, but the one teenager is kept unarmed. Finally, in a desperate moment, a man gives the youth a gun to help fend off the killer creatures. Then in the moment of need, the youth finds his gun is unloaded, and the man laughs in his face, having endangered the youth deliberately. That's supposed to be funny and reassuring.
The earliest Nancy Drew novels depicted the teenaged sleuth as a 16-year-old who occasionally carries a pistol. When middle-agers complained, the editors took away Drew's gun and also made her 18 so she would be less threatening to adults.
When Logan uses a gun to save Veronica Mars, it's a special moment. But in the next moment, the writers apologize for it. As Logan tries to comfort Veronica, she explodes in anger, not at her attackers, but at Logan. "A gun, Logan?! A GUN? What are you doing with a gun?" In more than one episode, Veronica's father has pulled out his revolver, and our heroine has never voiced objection. But when Logan uses a gun to save her, she is suddenly outraged. The writers here make her the voice of an ageist double-standard.
Logan responds by assuring her, "Look, it's not even loaded." What a surprise. There is absolutely no reason for Logan to carry his gun unloaded. Not in the plot. Not in the theme. Not in Logan's character. The writers put that in for one reason only: to assure ageist viewers.
Such ageist stumbles continue through the end of Season Two. When we learn the answer to the big mystery — who caused the deadly bus crash? — the resolution is an attack on victims of child abuse.
Despite these issues, "Veronica Mars" continued to be a good show for youth, depicting young heroes who are as competent as the older heroes on other shows, who solve problems and hold their own against enemies young and old. But like most sequels, "Veronica Mars" Season 2 was not as good or as bold as the original.
Third Time: Losing the Charm
In "Un-American Graffiti," a surprisingly preachy episode, Keith Mars is sheriff again. This is a big moment. For two and a half seasons, viewers have been told that Keith Mars was once a great sheriff, wrongly recalled and replaced by someone crooked and incompetent. Viewers waited two and a half years for the day when Keith Mars would finally regain his rightful job and clean up the county.
So now, as Keith regains the Sheriff's Office, he promptly takes on a mission that gives him the chance to show what he's made of. He learns a 19-year-old got drunk at a bar, then stumbled into the street and got run over. Keith decides to crack down on the crime that clearly caused this injury. No, not reckless driving — that would be blaming the adult. Not jay-walking or public drunkenness — that would mean enforcing laws that apply to adults. No, he decides to vigorously enforce the one ageist law involved: under-aged drinking.
When he finds Veronica's friends Wallace and Piz at a bar, he takes away their fake ID's. Not only do the college students accept this, they, incredibly, agree to participate in a sting operation to help him crack down on bars that don't discriminate.
The writers didn't want any sympathetic character expressing an opposing view, so all the major characters here agree that ageist drinking laws must be enforced. The closest we get to an alternate view comes from a deputy we've never seen before: Gills. He derides this crusade as a "waste of time" while he obediently goes through the motions of carrying out Keith's mission. The writers never let Gills make an actual argument supporting his view — even as they have Keith keep preaching that under-aged drinking leads to injury. Gills is simply presented as not taking things seriously enough.
The writers let no one voice the opinion that ageism might be wrong. No character points out that a 21-year-old can get drunk and get injured just as easily as a 19-year-old. No character suggests that the desire to defy ageism makes drinking attractive to teenagers, and therefore cracking down on under-aged drinking will just encourage more of it.
The writers certainly don't let our heroine voice such views. Young Veronica's only response to her father's ageist crusade is to apologize to him for having supplied her two friends with their fake ID's. Yet again this character, once embraced by young viewers, is made into a mouthpiece for ageism against the young.
Keith fires Gills and three other deputies for failing to crack down effectively on egalitarian bars. This is presented as Sheriff Mars heroically cleaning up the Sheriff's Office. We're never asked to question his choice. In fact, the writers have Gills challenge Keith with, "You don't have the stones [to fire me]" so that as Keith does fire him, viewers will admire his "stones."
Having cleaned up the Sheriff's Office by firing those four deputies, Keith, in the very next episode, re-hires Deputy Leo. In Season Two, Leo had been fired for stealing from the police evidence locker and causing a murderer to go free; but at least he never turned a blind eye to egalitarianism!
"Un-American Graffiti" was produced while there was great suspense about whether "Veronica Mars" would get a fourth season. I assume this episode's endless sermon against under-aged drinking was an attempt to suck up to those viewers and network executives who disliked the program showing so much respect for youth earlier, those viewers who constantly cried, "It's a show about a teenager solving crimes. How can I take it seriously?"
This pandering failed to win over those who disliked the show, while it disappointed the show's most loyal supporters. As Troy would say: Smooth move.
On a Good Note
After it was announced that Season Three would be the last, "Veronica Mars" went out with a bang. The last two episodes were, by any measure, the best of Season Three, and the only ones that could match the quality of Season One.
In one of these two episodes, "Weevils Wobble But They Don't Go Down," the producers almost apologize for the drinking episode. At least Keith gets a little comeuppance for his ageism.
Running for re-election as sheriff, Keith debates his opponent on a call-in radio program. A caller asks Keith, "Let's say you got two calls at the same time. One was for, let's say, a kidnapping — in progress — but the other involves a twenty-year-old having a beer. Which call would you take first?"
Keith is clearly on the defensive, and his opponent, Vinnie Van Lowe, goes for the kill. When an attempt is made to change the subject, Van Lowe jumps in, "I, for one, think we should hear his answer." Keith reluctantly assures the caller that he would respond first to the kidnapping.
This does not counter-balance "Un-American Graffiti." Vinnie Van Lowe is a character played for laughs, and when he slams Keith's priorities, this is depicted as pandering. ("Know what laws I plan to enforce?" Van Lowe tells the listeners. "The important ones, like murder and terrorism." The town has just enough murder to keep this mystery show going, but no terrorism.) It is enjoyable, nonetheless, to see Keith finally taken to task for his ageism.
Before the show disappeared, it won back the love that will make fans miss what had once been television's greatest program.


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Michael A. Beliz, Esq., has been practicing law since 2006. He worked for two of Southern California's most prominent plaintiff's personal injury law firm and then decided to open up his own firm in 2011. He studied at the University of San Diego School of Law, receiving prominent scholarships during his time there. Michael A. Beliz is admitted to the California State Bar and United States District Court, Central District of California.
The Beliz Law Firm represents injured parties in all aspects of personal injury law including but not limited to:
- Car Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Boating Accidents
- Dog Bites
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Plane Accidents
- Slip and Fall Incidents
- Truck Accidents
- Wrongful Death

subset: commoncrawl


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Steamboat Springs — Ocoee Wilson would have been the last to attempt a penalty kick for the Steamboat Springs High School girls soccer team in the post-overtime dual against Silver Creek Saturday at Gardner Field, the season hanging in the balance.
But the senior goalkeeper never gave herself the chance. Instead, Wilson put the game away in net with a key save that led to a 3-2 PK win for Steamboat after the teams played through two overtime periods locked at a goal each.
"She's been waiting her whole life for this … if it would have come down to that, she would have gotten the job done," SSHS coach Rob Bohlmann said. "This was calling Ocoee's name for a long time, for her to finish out and put that exclamation mark on what this whole group did today."
The win sends the Sailors (16-1 overall), the No. 8 seed in the Class 4A state tournament, to Thursday's quarterfinal match against top-seeded Lewis-Palmer (16-1). The Rangers defeated No. 16 D'Evelyn 1-0 Saturday and will host the quarterfinal game.
This is the first time the Sailors have gotten past the second playoff round under Bohlmann, who took over the girls' program in 2002.
Silver Creek, the No. 9 seed, finishes the year 11-5-1.
"Their hearts are so big, and no matter what obstacle we faced all year, they played through it, they've stayed together and they've come together as a team," Silver Creek coach Pat Monacelli said about his Raptors. "Soccer people said for years there has got to be a better way, but they haven't figured one out yet. So, it's always the roll of the dice when you get to PKs."
The penalty kicks were only the closing chapter in a drama-filled, second-round game. The Sailors had some of their better offensive attacks in the first half, but, like Silver Creek, never capitalized, and the teams went to halftime scoreless.
The defensive battle was expected from both coaches. Neither team gives up many goals, and both boast a talented goalkeeper, so nobody expected a shootout.
"We handled them very, very well," Monacelli said of limiting Steamboat's offense. "I thought we did a really nice job of shutting down what has been a very, very potent attack all year long. So, I can't fault us at all. We played the game I expected us to play."
Silver Creek was the first to score, a header by senior Katy Foster off a corner kick, giving the Raptors a 1-0 lead with about 24 minutes to play.
This didn't worry the Sailors, however, even though time wasn't on their side. With a touch under 14 minutes to play, SSHS junior Brooke Buchanan put a shot into the top-right corner of the net to even the scoreboard at one goal each.
"We are so good at playing our game and getting our stuff together when things get hard," Buchanan said. "I don't really remember it a lot, just because I was so in the moment. I knew my team was there for me, and I should just take the shot."
Between Buchanan's goal and the end of the second overtime period, Silver Creek was issued a pair of red cards and finished the game down two players. Despite the advantage, the Sailors couldn't find a way past the dense Raptor defense, and the teams had to decide the game with penalty kicks.
"Silver Creek, when they went down the second man, they did very well to defend," Bohlmann said. "But, there was never a doubt that it was going to happen. Just the energy, the character of this group, one way or another, we were going to get the result."
Win or lose, Wilson was already the star of the game heading into the PKs. She finished with 25 saves —many of them difficult — and faced nine corner kicks, all while the Sailors' offense was limited to seven shots on goal.
Still, Wilson knew it was up to her to get them through the PKs.
"It's still really stressful, because you know the whole game is now on your shoulders," Wilson said. "I don't think we ever got very lucky this game. Luck comes from when it hits the post or the crossbar. I think that was more (a matter of) we made a mistake and were able to fix that mistake before it turned into a big issue."
Both teams made their first penalty kick — senior Jordi Floyd scoring for the Sailors — before Silver Creek had its second attempt bounce harmlessly off the right post. Steamboat took the 2-1 lead seconds later on a successful PK from freshman Delaney Moon.
The Raptors scored on their third attempt, only to have SSHS senior Ellese Lupori answer, the Sailors holding a 3-2 edge after three kicks each.
Both teams missed their PK in the fourth round, Wilson coming up with a vital save against Silver Creek's Holly Bosley. In the fifth and final round, the Raptors had to score to extend the game, but the shot deflected off the upright, and Wilson soon found the rest of her teammates racing out to celebrate with her in front of the Sailor fans.
"I had tears in my eyes … to have come up big in this game just kind of means the world," Wilson said. "The big thing about this team is we love each other and always are there for each other. That ending, where we all come together and the whole town is basically here watching, is an amazing feeling."
Original Story by Austin Colbert appeared on SteamboatToday.com
To reach Austin Colbert, call 970-871-4204, email firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him on Twitter @Austin_Colbert


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Delivery services such as Deliveroo and Just Eat seem to be on an ever-increasing growth trajectory, at least here in London.
The picture below was taken on a weekday evening outside my local Nandos (Chicken) shop. The delivery drivers waiting to collect orders seemed to outnumber the diners.
At the local cafe I frequent on Saturday mornings to catch up on the news (on my iPad), I counted nearly 30 different riders arriving over a 3 hour period to pick up orders.
Even though I speak and write about these companies as examples of disruption, had I not seen it with my own eyes I would not have believed it.
It's no surprise that Just Eat is about to join the prestigious FTSE 100 index with a stock market value greater than established grocer Sainsbury's.
From where I sit in London, the rise of home delivery (even from Amazon with their "in-home delivery" via Amazon Key) is on the rise and is providing more jobs for "Gig workers" who zoom around the streets on mopeds and cycles.
In London and Australia Deliveroo has launched their "Editions" local kitchens, bringing established restaurants within a bike or scooter ride from your home.
Have we become lazier where we don't want to cook at home or go out that we are relying on these food delivery services?
For readers outside London, what has been your experience and do you find these delivery services provide a valuable service?


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Bluepoint Wellness
At Bluepoint Wellness we offer an entirely new concept in overall individual wellness. Our continuum of care includes the whole individual. We specialize in giving our clients the tools to take charge of their health through personalized nutrition and lifestyle solutions. Our weight loss services include appetite suppressants, HCG programs, metabolic testing, genetic testing for obesity, and B12 injections. Our Center is designed to be a space that feels nurturing and tranquil, a place you can feel comfortable in and cared for. This is a space for you! At Bluepoint Wellness, we are committed to creating long-lasting health and wellness.
Appetite Suppressant Program
Appetite Suppressants work by tricking the body into believing that it is not hungry. Medications generally come in the form of tablets or extended release capsules.
They stimulate the central nervous system and decrease appetite by increasing serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and/or catecholamines —several brain chemicals that affect mood and appetite. Let the professionals at Bluepoint Wellness and Spa help you determine if this is a right program for you.


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I've been around a long time and I know stuff. I've functioned as a consultant to Higher Education Institutions, Local Authorities and Companies. I was a member of a group consisting of several Universities named Practical Design for Social Action (PRADSA) and acted as a consultant to another multi University group investigating the "New Dynamics if Ageing" out of which came this report.
I advised Lincolnshire council on their Digital Strategy and I'm currently leading on the Digital Strategy for Middlesbrough Council's multi million £ project "Headstart" which focusses on mental well-being. I once helped a consortium of European Universities with their social media strategy and the workshops were run deep in a forest in Poland.
I have advised several SME's and social enterprises on their ICT systems and can advise on and design websites.
I advised University of Brighton on the creation of their PHD in Creative Media and acted as one of the external validators. I functioned as "external industry professional" for Cleveland College of Art and Design's Moving Image Diploma.
I was Teesside University's Social Entrepreneur in Residence for the 2013/14 academic year. I am also co-founder and chair of a social enterprise: East Cleveland Online CIC and have just been invited onto the board of trustees of a social enterprise in Berwick upon Tweed – a community pub!
I have given keynote speeches all over the world mostly on the topics of creative and innovative use of digital technologies in community settings.


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Worldwide IT spending is on pace to total $3.8 trillion in 2015, a 2.4 per cent increase from 2014; however, this growth rate is down from earlier projections of 3.9 per cent. The slower outlook for 2015 is largely attributed to the rising U.S. dollar as well as a modest reduction in growth expectations for devices, IT services and telecom services.
The change in forecast is less dramatic than it might at first seem. The rising U.S. dollar is chiefly responsible for the change — in constant currency terms the downward revision is only 0.1 per cent. Stripping out the impact of exchange rate movements, the corresponding constant-currency growth figure is 3.7 per cent, which compares with 3.8 per cent in the previous quarter's forecast.
IT spending in Canada is forecast to total $93 billion in U.S. dollars in 2015, a 2.3 per cent increase from 2014 spending of $91 billion. Spending in Canada will be driven by healthy growth in the banking and manufacturing industries and overall growth in enterprise application software and mobile data service.
The worldwide growth rate on devices (including PCs, ultramobiles, mobile phones, tablets and printers) for 2015 was decreased by 1.3 percentage points to 5.1 pe rcent. The growth rate for devices in Canada is forecast to decline 7.5 per cent in 2015. Consumer demand for devices is down across the board, with every form factor posting negative growth in 2015, except for the premium ultraportables market which posted a stellar 54 per cent growth in units shipped over 2014 levels.
Worldwide data center systems spending is projected to reach $143 billion in 2015, a 1.8 per cent increase from 2014. Spending on data center systems in Canada is forecast to be flat in 2015. Extensions in replacement life cycles and a higher than previously anticipated switch to cloud-based services are driving spending in this market.
In the worldwide enterprise software market, spending is on pace to total $335 billion, a 5.5 per cent increase from 2014. In Canada, the enterprise software market is expected to grow to $10.1 billion, up from $9.4 billion in 2014. More price erosion and vendor consolidation is expected in 2015 because of fierce competition between cloud and on-premises software providers. In particular, in the customer relationship management (CRM) market, a key cloud battleground, seat prices for segments such as sales force automation (SFA) are expected to decline through 2018.
The global outlook for IT services in 2015 has been reduced to 2.5 per cent growth, down from the 4.1 per cent growth forecast in the previous quarter. In Canada, the IT services market is expected to grow 4.8 per cent in 2015. Globally, reductions to software support services contributed disproportionately to a lower outlook through 2018, because of lower growth rates expected for enterprise software.
Worldwide telecom services spending is projected to grow 0.7 per cent in 2015, with spending reaching $1,638 trillion. Canadian telecom services are forecast to grow 2.7 per cent in 2015 to $37.1 billion. A multitude of factors have affected each national market — some positive, others negative — with the primary driver for growth being a reduction in expectations for mobile voice revenue across several markets in Western and Eastern Europe (such as Austria and Italy) as a consequence of the declining growth of new devices sold in the region over the forecast period.
The Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast is the leading indicator of major technology trends across the hardware, software, IT services and telecom markets. For more than a decade, global IT and business executives have been using these highly anticipated quarterly reports to recognize market opportunities and challenges, and base their critical business decisions on proven methodologies rather than guesswork.
John Lovelock is research vice president at Gartner, focusing on IT market forecasting.


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Finding a job in Western Australia, work place relations and industrial awards.
Managing the public sector, jobs, careers and training.
Rates of pay and awards for public sector employees including industrial relations.
Programs to increase jobs and employment for people in specific group or industries.
Rates of pay and working conditions including regulations for employers and employees on conduct and behaviour in the workplace.
The Government of Western Australia acknowledges the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all members of the Aboriginal communities and their cultures; and to Elders both past and present.


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Google Warns Users About Flash and Other Updates
Google has decided to take another step against Adobe Flash ®. Now, if your website uses Flash ®, instead of just showing your normal website information in the search results, Google is including a warning "Uses Flash. May not work on your device. Try anyway | Learn more." for anyone searching on a mobile device. […]Read more


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Teenage midfielder Keith Asare has signed his first professional contract at Nottingham Forest, the club has announced.
The 17-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal until 2020.
The Reds confirmed the news in a statement.
"Nottingham Forest are delighted to announce that Keith Asare has signed his first professional contract with the club," it read.
"The 17-year-old has penned a deal with The Reds until 2020 having joined the club in 2015 from Southend United.
"The midfielder initially signed as a schoolboy before signing a scholarship and has been a regular figure in the Under 18s, as well as appearing for the Under 23s."


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Live london tube status stracker
- 28
- June
- 2010
Hi guys i came across this wonderful piece of work by Mathew using the TFL API and google maps integration at its best. I bet he might come up with an even better version soon but this itself is quite handy. http://traintimes.org.uk:81/map/tube/read more
Transaction handling in Oracle Service Bus
- 11
- June
- 2010
The way transactions are handled depends on the nature of incoming request and the transaction characteristics of the partner service. Transactional Binding If the incoming binding for the request to OSB is transactional then the proxy will participate in that txn and any proxy/business svc invoked by this proxy will participate in the same txn. […]read more


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By: Patrick Moynahan
Special to the NKyTribune
Tiffany Westhoff uses 21st century technology to motivate students to want to read, instead of avoiding it.
When students in Samantha Richards' kindergarten class look into a "Meet the Author" box, they see reflections of themselves in a mirror.
Trisha Ridener knows the 500-plus students in her school by name and helps them select books that match their interests with their reading levels.
Nikole Mahoney sponsors her school's Lego Robotics Team and organized a regional competition to give more students in the area a chance to compete.
The Rotary Club of Florence named Westhoff, Richards, Ridener and Mahoney as 2019 Teachers of the Year at a ceremony April 22 at the Hilton Cincinnati Airport Hotel. Each received a $250 award from Heritage Bank and banner to display at their respective school.
"You do make a big difference in society," Shawn Carroll, master of ceremonies for the event, told the teachers. "You help folks get on the path to success:
More on the award winners:
– Tiffany Westhoff, 9th Grade English Teacher, Boone County High School
A teacher for 17 years, Westhoff relishes helping students with the transition to high school. She adapts her teaching strategies to connect with changing standards and to keep pace with innovations in technology. And she does so in ways that both captivate and motivate students.
"She has the unique ability to influence them and get them excited about the importance of the world that reading and literature can open to them," said Bart Pindela, who presented the award.
"Mrs. Westhoff creates excitement and engagement with her students through incorporating technology into her classroom."
She spends a lot of time during school breaks and after school mentoring students to keep them from falling behind. In addition, Westhoff went back to school to earn a certificate in counseling to enable her to better meet student needs.
– Samantha Richards, Collaborative Kindergarten Teacher, Erpenbeck Elementary School
A kindergarten teacher for 16 years, Richards works with 5- and 6-year-olds "with twice the energy and half the time to learn everything," according to one of her nominators. Yet, she does so with great success with both a morning class and an afternoon class each day. In addition, she teaches all the students with special needs.
"She knows the way (students) feel about school and themselves begins in her classroom," said presenter Rhonda Chisenhall.
"She does everything in her power to make sure they leave her not only with the skills necessary to succeed in first grade, but also with the mindset that they can accomplish anything they set out to do in their lives."
Richards serves on the district writing committee and district curriculum leader committee. She also has mentored more than a dozen Boone County teachers in work with the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP).
– Trisha Widener, Librarian/Media Specialist, Walton-Verona Elementary School
As facilitator of the accelerated reading program, Widener interacts with virtually every student in the school. She teaches five classes per day and leads a small reading group. A 17-year veteran of teaching, she helps other teachers select books, movies and other instructional materials for other teachers.
"Trisha is the embodiment of the colleague every person wants to have by their side," said presenter Pat Gutzeit, quoting from a letter of recommendation. "She sacrifices her time and talents continually, while being a constant positive influence in our building.
"Her official role at Walton Verona Elementary School is the media specialist. However, she willingly steps into so many more positions each and every day."
Widener serves on the Positive Behavior Intervention Team. She assists with book fairs and other PTA events. She also helped write a grant for a program that helps select families learn how to better teach their own children to read.
– Nikole Mahoney, Mathematics Teacher, Walton-Verona High School
Mahoney teaches ever level of mathematics at the high school and works with students who need help before school, after school and during planning periods. Her passion for teaching students how to solve problems led her to begin sponsoring the Lego Robotics Team in 2013-14, her second year at the school. She proposed the regional competition to enable local schools to compete closer to home.
The underlying theme in her eight years of teaching, seven at Walton-Verona, has been her total dedication to students and willingness "to give her time all the time in her tutoring," said presenter Dennis McEvoy. He cited an endorsement from a former student to illustrate her impact on students.
"You not only taught me mathematical equations and numbers, but also made me see a purpose in everything I do," the student wrote. "You taught me how to have self-confidence in myself and the ability to believe I can do bigger and better things."
Mahoney came up with the idea for a two-week ACT Boot Camp this year. She assists the Data Team Committee and Technology Committee. She also is serving a five-year term on the School Based Council and is helping juniors plan the Junior-Senior Prom.
State Sen. John Schickel (R-Union) presented each of the teachers Kentucky Colonel and Kentucky Senate citations. County Commissioner Charles Kenner issued proclamations naming April 22 as each of the teacher's day.
The Rotary Club of Florence (serving all of Boone County) is a community service organization focusing on "service above self." The club meets weekly on Mondays at noon at the Hilton Airport located at 7373 Turfway Road. Guests are always welcome. To learn more about upcoming speakers and events, please visit the club's website at www.florencerotary.org or follow its Facebook page.
Contact the Northern Kentucky Tribune at email@example.com


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Wednesday, March 1, 2023
|Beginner Line Dancing
|Friendship Hall
|9:30am to 10am
Are you looking for a FUN way to start your day and get in your steps??
Exciting news!! Monday, October 31, 2022 from 9:30-10:00, we will be adding Beginner Line Dancing Lessons!! Tina Scopano (AWESOME Line Dance instructor) has so graciously agreed to offer lessons to anyone who wants to learn how to Line Dance. She will start with the basics and work up to have you a "PRO" in no time!! The Beginner classes will be from 9:30-10:00 each Monday and Wednesday and then regular Line Dance Sessions from 10:00-11:00.
Ladies and Gentlemen!! All are welcome! This is a perfect opportunity to join in on the FUN!!
How can you have a bad day when you start it with dancing?? Hope you will join us!!


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Electrolux to Make Vacuums from Plastic Ocean Trash
While images of brown streaks of drifting crude oil, beached tar balls, and petroleum-stained pelicans are now conjured with any mention of ocean pollution, one firm is gathering bits of floating plastic to build vacuum cleaners.
Electrolux, the world's second largest home appliance maker, said on Tuesday it will harvest bit of plastic from floating garbage islands in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, as well as from three European seas, and use the material to manufacture six showcase vacuum cleaners.
The Swedish firm said the vacuum cleaners will not be sold, but rather used to bring attention to the issues of plastic pollution and the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances.
"There are plastic islands, some several times the size of the state of Texas, floating in our oceans. Yet on land, we struggle to get hold of enough recycled plastics to meet the demand for sustainable vacuum cleaners," said Cecilia Nord, a vice president at Electrolux.
The "Vac from the Sea" initiative will gather plastic by diving for it or scooping it up from waves.
Electrolux said more plastic needs to be reused in order to keep it out of the world's oceans, but also consumer perceptions over plastic recycling also must improve to lift uncertainties surrounding the supply of recycled materials.
"More recycling directly translates into more sustainable appliances and homes," said Jonas Magnusson, product marketing manager at Electrolux.
The initiatives comes as the world closely watches efforts by BP Plc to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest in U.S. history.
Related Articles on Mother Nature Network\n
Michael Szabo is a reporter for Reuters. Read the full post at Mother Nature Network. \n
Image courtesy of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography via MNN. \n


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At Century College, you can choose from a variety of career and technical programs leading directly to employment as well as courses designed to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. You will learn from expert instructors with access to innovative learning opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities.
The Admissions Office will work with you to "discover what's next!" Learn about the steps to complete the admissions process and register for courses. Do you have questions about Century College? Attend a Discover Century Information Session, schedule a campus visit, chat online, email or call one of our friendly Admissions Advisors.
With affordable tuition rates, Century College can save you thousands on your education. Learn about our tuition rates and fees, and discover options to pay for college, including financial aid, scholarships and payment plans. College can be affordable!
Each year, nearly 1,000 students apply for a Century College Foundation scholarship. While we awarded over 200 scholarships last year, many students are left empty-handed. With your support, we can ensure more students have the help they need to succeed.
The Continuing Education and Customized Training department can help you to get ahead in your career by offering a variety of non-credit workforce training and development opportunities. Through customized training options, Century College can work directly with employers to meet the training needs of employees.
Century College offers a variety of campus life opportunities to connect with others, gain leadership experience, be involved and have fun. Students can participate or cheer on the Century College Wood Ducks Athletic programs, become active members and leaders on campus or take advantage of campus recreational activities and art and theatre experiences.
Century College is committed to the success of each student. This commitment to student success and persistence is demonstrated by the numerous student services and support available in and out of the classroom, including academic resources, assistive services, student wellness options and planning support.
Return to: Programs (Department)
Major Number: 5904
CIP Code: 40.0501
The Chemistry Transfer Pathway AS offers students a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Science degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated Chemistry bachelor's degree programs at Minnesota State universities. The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to one of the seven Minnesota State universities enter the university with junior-year status. All courses in the Transfer Pathway associate degree will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor's degree programs in a related field.
Minnesota State universities include: Bemidji State University; Metropolitan State University; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Minnesota State University Moorhead; Southwest Minnesota State University; St. Cloud State University; and Winona State University.
Students planning to transfer to a university outside of the Minnesota State system are advised to consult with their intended transfer institution as early as possible to determine transferability of the courses in this Transfer Pathway degree.
Select one
Fulfilled when all MnTC goals for this degree are complete.
Minimum of 3 credits.
Three credits in two Goal areas selected from Goals 7, 8, 9 or 10 are required. Many courses from Goals 1-6 also meet Goals 7-10. One course may fulfill a maximum of two Goals. Credits count only once.
See Century College Policy 18.104.22.168
This transfer pathway degree is designed to transfer to the following Minnesota State university designated baccalaureate degree majors. This information is subject to change. Refer to the Century College program webpage, transfer university websites, and Transferology for current information. Contact your Century academic advisor/counselor for more details and assistance.
Bemidji State University:
Metropolitan State University:
Minnesota State University, Mankato:
Minnesota State University, Moorhead:
Southwest Minnesota State University:
St. Cloud State University:
Winona State University:
At the end of this program students will be able to:
Joann Pfeiffer 651.779.3487 Room 2830 East
Please note that this is a sample course sequence. Individual schedules will vary depending upon student needs, goals, and availability. Students are recommended to meet with their advisor, counselor, or faculty program instructors to create an individualized plan that includes prerequisites and application requirements. For detailed program information see the Century College website. This information is subject to change.
This information is subject to change. Changes and updates are posted on century.edu
Century College is a member of the Minnesota State system. We are an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and educator. This document can be available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities by calling 651.779.3354 or 1.800.228.1978 x 3354.


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Ireland has ramped up direct shipping routes to mainland Europe since the end of the Brexit transition period, seeking new passages to the EU bypassing freight jams feared at UK borders.
Every year 150,000 trucks use the "UK landbridge" to transport three million tonnes of freight between the Republic and the European mainland.
Trucks sail by roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ferries from Irish ports and mainland Britain, driving onwards to shipping hubs in southeast England, then on to continental Europe.
Britain left the EU in January last year, but remained bound by the bloc's rules until December 31 as it sought to define the terms of its new relationship with Brussels.
Even though tariff- and quota-free trade was secured in a last-minute deal, Britain's exit from Europe's single market and customs union meant an end to frictionless freight transit through UK-EU port borders.
"Declarations, regulatory checks, controls… will now be a factor because the UK has left the EU," warned Tom Talbot, of Irish Revenue, at Dublin Port on Monday.
"Because of that there will be delays."
Many Irish hauliers are already charting new routes guaranteeing freight remains inside the single market and customs union, and outside the scope of delay.
– Rosslare –
Rosslare Europort — Ireland's second busiest freight hub — is already running 28 weekly services to or from mainland Europe, up from 10 before the end of the Brexit transition.
In December, Swedish firm Stenaline brought forward plans to double sailings between the southeastern town and Cherbourg in northern France, as coronavirus restrictions blocked lorries entering the country from Britain.
And on Saturday, Danish shipping firm DFDS opened a new route to the French port of Dunkirk, sailing six times weekly in each direction.
All three ro-ro ships departing direct to France on Saturday were fully booked.
Port manager Glenn Carr said on that day alone, Rosslare "more than doubled" the freight moved to mainland Europe throughout the whole first week of 2020.
"Demand for those services has been extremely strong", he told AFP.
A further weekly sailing to and from the continent is planned for later in 2021 and Carr said "potential extra services" are already being considered.
– Dublin –
At Dublin Port — Ireland's busiest hub — new services to continental Europe have been phased in since Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016.
In 2018 and 2019 Luxembourg firm CLdN brought "Brexit-busting" ro-ro ships the MV Celine and MV Laureline to the capital's harbour.
They are the largest freight ferries sailing from the port and travel to and from Zeebrugge in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
In 2018, Dublin Port said it was already seeing a shift as "fast-moving consumer goods" and "temperature-controlled foodstuffs" vulnerable to delays moved onto these routes.
Government agency the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) told AFP that at ports across the nation "there were four new continental ro-ro services introduced in 2020".
The IMDO and Irish government have urged logistics operators to "prepare to switch to direct routes to the continent" in case of post-Brexit disruption.
– Time at sea –
Because these new paths circumnavigate the UK they naturally take longer.
The new Rosslare to Dunkirk route spends 24 hours at sea while a Dublin to Dunkirk trip via the UK landbridge theoretically takes around 13 hours.
In practice, however, drivers have mandated rest periods, face unpredictable road traffic and spend additional blocks of time boarding and disembarking two ferry services.
The margin is thin enough that the prospect of further delays at checks in Irish and French ports sandwiching Britain may be off-putting.
The chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association Simon McKeever said direct routing to Europe "provides more assurance".
Lorry drivers also arrive on the continent fully rested, with a large chunk of driving time open to them to make a speedy arrival at their final destination.
– Post-transition –
The initial days of the new post Brexit transition period were quiet in Dublin Port — a result of festive period closures and heightened coronavirus restrictions.
Ireland's department of transport said there was also evidence of businesses stockpiling in December, anticipating post-Brexit port disruption which has not yet materialised.
However the capital hub is expecting a steady return to normal traffic in the coming days and weeks, with the first large-scale test of checks on goods transiting the new EU-UK border.
Only then will the scale of delays become fully apparent — and Irish hauliers can decide whether to cut out the middleman of post-Brexit Britain for good.


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Haier presents amazing Esteem i90 Smartphone, a midrange that can answer all your smart needs. Users can check the latest updates about Latest Haier Esteem i90 Mobile Colors Rates Specs and Price In Pakistan India Canada. The phone is packed with the powerful Quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz to prevent overheating. Haier Esteem i90 comes with standard insurance and tracker …Read More »
Haier Klassic C40 Coming Mobile Feature Phone Price In Pakistan India
Haier presents new Klassic C40 bar phone which is built in a smart way to provide users with amazingly elegant phone with comfortable keys and light weight design. Starting from the connectivity, Haier Klassic C40 Coming Mobile Feature Phone Price In Pakistan India. The new Haier Klassic C40 bar phone comes with enhanced Bluetooth module so that the user can …Read More »
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Volt P4500 to fulfill the battery needs of Pakistani youth and working class. Extra power is added to the phone's battery to perform all the actions with added durability. Haier Volt P4500 as mentioned in name carries 4500 mAh of battery which gives long time of battery juice to its users. Users can check details about Haier Volt P4500 Android …Read More »
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Haier launched new device Pursuit G40 that is fabricated with some serious stuff to enhance the quality and display of phone. Well style does matter and this Smartphone seems to be one of its kinds in the matter of looks. Haier Pursuit G40 has quad core processor that clock at 1.3 GHz. Users can check all details about Haier Pursuit …Read More »
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Newcomer's size is huge (5.5) inches which display some extraordinary colors making it the only and pioneer handset coming out of box with 1080 x 1920 pixels so now you can enjoy BLU-RAY movies instead of mere HD, maximized performance by new arrival's Octa-core 1.3GHz processor is praiseworthy and with 2 GB RAM addition boost. We are providing here the …Read More »
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Haier Esteem i80 device runs on Android v.4.4 (KitKat). This phone offers 16 GB built-in memory which is extendable up to 32 GB. It also provides 2 GB RAM. Phone is has connectivity option of GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB v2.0. We are providing here the complete details about Haier Esteem i80 Price In Pakistan Features Camera Images Reviews. …Read More »
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Haier Klassic P100's smart camera can be located on the back and is set to provide users with quick capturing of moments, not only this, the camera is capable of recording 3gp videos as well. Haier Klassic P mobile comes with massive battery of 2800mAh which can go for a week on careful use and allows phone to be put …Read More »


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Improving Defensive Quickness &
Debunking The "Don't Cross Your Feet" Myth
The drill is a resisted-band defensive shuffle (slide) which improves lateral quickness and explosiveness.
Key Points & Coaching Cues:
- Stay Low - Knees Bent & Hips Back.
- 2 Quick Steps - If you need to cover more ground, the better choice is more likely the crossover step which is explained below.
- Push Off - Teach the players to push off the back foot. Don't step and slide. This will lead to a slower movement.
- Feet straight ahead - This provides a better angle to push with power and change direction. If your feet are out, it's hard to push with force and change directions.
- Straight Line - Ankle to Knee To Hips. You do not want the knees to cave in. This increases potential for injury.
- Head on a level plane - No wasted movement. If the player bounces up and down, it will slow them down and use more energy.
- Chest Up & Head Up
You can visit the Perform Better website for Resistance Bands in the video above.
Crossover Step - Debunking the "Don't Cross Your Feet" MythYou'll notice in the video that Charles says he does not teach his players to shuffle more than "2 Quick Steps". If the defensive player needs to cover more ground than two quick shuffle steps, the first step should be a crossover step. Some people also call it the "Turn & Run".
A crossover step is used when you want to quickly cover longer distances, approximately 4 yards or more. If you are doing a crossover to the left, you lift your right leg and cross it in front of your body. Your right foot will land in front of your left foot. (To see this, view the videos below.)
This is the way that the body naturally wants to move and you'll notice that players will do this movement without instructing them.
So many coaches still teach their players "Do NOT cross your feet" on defense. I'm not going to lie. I used to do this as well. A few years ago, I changed my mind. It began when I noticed that Kirk Hinrich of the Chicago Bulls always crossed his feet on defense and this was back when Kirk made the NBA All-Defense Team. As soon as I noticed that, I noticed that all good defensive players were doing it. I guess if you're not looking for it, you don't notice it. From that day forward, I began heavily researching movement and athletic development.
If you watch any major college or NBA game that provides pressure above the 3-point line, you'll notice that the defensive players are constantly crossing their feet to stay in front of their man. Watch Texas, North Carolina, Duke, and Kansas. They all do it.
If that doesn't convince you, set up two cones about 10 yards apart and time the crossover and the defensive shuffle.
I'm not saying that the defensive shuffle is useless. If you need to cover a shorter distance like movements under 4 yards, the defensive shuffle works great because you can change directions quicker. It also tends to be easier to square your body and take a charge. You will often use the defensive shuffle playing defense within the 3-point line.
Watch Kobe Bryant use the crossover step when guarding Jason Terry. You only need to watch the first 40 seconds.
Here is another great example of the crossover step being used to harass the defender (#10 - Sandra Sinclair) up and down the court. I got this video from Brian McCormick's blog.
What do you think about the crossover step and the defensive shuffle? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...
Related Articles & Products12 Week Athletic Development Program - Improve Agility, Defense & Athleticism
Basketball Weak Side Defense & How To Establish Good Help Positioning
How to Improve Defensive Communication


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Holder to Gohmert: 'You Don't Want To Go There, Buddy'
Things got heated between Rep. Louie Gohmert and Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Justice Department.
Gohmert, who was questioning the attorney general about releasing documents relating to the Holy Land Foundation's 2008 conviction of providing financial assistance to Hamas, then suggested contempt was "not a big deal" to Holder.
"You don't want to go there, buddy," Holder quickly shot back. "You should not assume that that is not a big deal to me. … Don't ever think that."


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U.S. Calls On Egyptian Army To Release Morsi
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States on Friday called on the Egyptian military and interim leaders to free deposed president Mohamed Morsi for the first time since he was detained over a week ago.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States agreed with Germany's earlier appeal for Morsi to be released and was "publicly" making the same request.
Morsi has been held in a "safe place," according to the interim leaders, and has not been seen in public since his ouster July 3.
Psaki said that U.S. officials had been in regular contact with all sectors of Egyptian society.
But in past days, while condemning arbitrary arrests, she had refused to say whether the U.S. administration believed Morsi should be freed.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and opponents of Morsi have called separate rallies across Cairo Friday amid fears of further bloodshed in the Arab world's most populous country.
Photo Credit: AFP/Marwan Naamani


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Nature's Plus Ultra Juice Green®
Product Details
Certified Organic Ultra Juice Green is a green food concentrate delivering the nutritional benefits of vegetable juice and providing a complete profile of protective phytonutrients found only in organic vegetable and sea vegetables.
Ultra Juice Green is power-packed with super-algae from around the world, certified organic spirulina, chlorella, Irish Moss and more!
Ultra Juice Green provides more total ORAC antioxidant power than 18 servings of common fresh green foods
Ultra Juice Green is specially formulated for targeted release.. A revolutionary bi-layered delivery system optimizes activity, with its global algae half dissolving rapidly and its green food half dissolving slowly. Experience the healthful goodness that only organically grown green foods can provide!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Nutritional Information
Global Algae Proprietary Blend : Phenalgin ( Cystoseira Canariensis , from : Canary Islands ) , Spirulina ( Hawaiian Spirulina Platensis ) , Chlorella ( Bulgarian Chlorella Vulgaris ) ( Broken Cell ) , Ultraveg Proprietary Blend : Whole Concentrates , of : Alfalfa Sprout ( Medicago Sativa ) , Barley Grass Juice ( Hordeum vulgare ) , Cabbage Leaf ( Brassica Chinensis ) , Cayenne Fruit , Proprietary Mixed Fiber Blend : Vegetable Cellulose , Apple Pectin , Modified Citrus Pectin , Proprietary Enzyme Blend : Supplies : Enzyme Units ) Bromelain ( , from : Ananas Comosus Fruit ) , Papain ( , from : Carica Papaya Fruit ) , Amylase ( Aspergillus Oryzae ) , Lipase ( Aspergil , Proprietary Activated Probiotic Blend : Lactospore ( Micro-encapsulated Pure Culture Of : B . Coagulans ) , Dahlulin Pb ( Lactic Flora Growth Accelerant and Energy ) . Other Ingredients : Microcrystalline Cellulose , Di-calcium Phosphate , Magnesium Stearate , Silica and Pharmaceutical Glaze . .
Allergen Info
Contains Cereals and Their Derivatives,Barley and Barley Products. Free from Does Not Contain Declaration Obligatory Allergens.
Actual product packaging and materials may contain additional and/or different ingredient, nutritional, or proper usage information than the information displayed on our website. ...
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In a statement issued on the 21st of March 2016, the American College of Pediatricians urges educators and legislators to reject all policies that condition children to accept as normal a life of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex. Facts – not ideology – determine reality.
Gender isn't a matter of self-determination, the American College of Pediatricians (ACP) is arguing, and they say suggesting otherwise can harm kids for life. This means that the ACP does not accept the recently promoted idea of the existence of transgender (LGBT) children or youths, in contrary to claims by radical gay-lib and senators of the Democratic Party, including Obama, who battle for the recognition of "LGBT rights" for children and adolescents. As far as psychotherapy is concerned, this political party is campaigning against all psychotherapists who do not unconditionally accept "transgender children and youths being themselves" and therefore undergoing surgery and hormone injections before age 21.
According to the Family Research Council (click here): "this isn't about helping children 'find themselves' or accepting them for who they are, it's about glamorizing a disorder with life-long consequences. When legislatures or educators indulge and even encourage this confusion, ACP warns, it's child abuse. In a strong response to the transgender ideology marching across America, U.S. pediatricians are urging a complete and total rejection of these so-called "non-discrimination" bills. "Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse," they write in a statement released yesterday. In an eight-point dismantling of the transgender-movement, they remind Americans that gender confusion is a "mental disorder" — a fact, ACP points out, that has never been disproven.
"When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such," they write. No one, the pediatricians explain, "is born with a gender. Everyone is born with a biological sex. Gender (an awareness and sense of oneself as male or female) is a sociological and psychological concept; not an objective biological one. People who identify as 'feeling like the opposite sex' or 'somewhere in between' do not comprise a third sex. They remain biological men or biological women." For the vast majority of students, this kind of sexual expression is just a phase. "According to the DSM-V, as many as 98% of gender confused boys and 88% of gender confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty."
The paediatricians emhasize the risks of cancer being induced by the hormones. From the field of psychiatry we can also add the fact that abnormal hormone levels always induce depression and the increased risk of suicide. Suicide rates of youths "being themselves, who they truly are (Obama)" with receiving unnatural artificial sex hormones, are extremely high, 50% or more, a fact that most Democratic Party members do not take into consideration, due to their allegiance with radical gay-lib ideology.
The American College of Paediatricians issued the following statement (click here):
1. Human sexuality is an objective biological binary trait: "XY" and "XX" are genetic markers of health – not genetic markers of a disorder. The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female. Human sexuality is binary by design with the obvious purpose being the reproduction and flourishing of our species. This principle is self-evident. The exceedingly rare disorders of sex development (DSDs), including but not limited to testicular feminization and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, are all medically identifiable deviations from the sexual binary norm, and are rightly recognized as disorders of human design. Individuals with DSDs do not constitute a third sex.1
2. No one is born with a gender. Everyone is born with a biological sex. Gender (an awareness and sense of oneself as male or female) is a sociological and psychological concept; not an objective biological one. No one is born with an awareness of themselves as male or female; this awareness develops over time and, like all developmental processes, may be derailed by a child's subjective perceptions, relationships, and adverse experiences from infancy forward. People who identify as "feeling like the opposite sex" or "somewhere in between" do not comprise a third sex. They remain biological men or biological women.2,3,4
3. A person's belief that he or she is something they are not is, at best, a sign of confused thinking. When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such. These children suffer from gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria (GD), formerly listed as Gender Identity Disorder (GID), is a recognized mental disorder in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-V).5 The psychodynamic and social learning theories of GD/GID have never been disproved.2,4,5
4. Puberty is not a disease and puberty-blocking hormones can be dangerous. Reversible or not, puberty- blocking hormones induce a state of disease – the absence of puberty – and inhibit growth and fertility in a previously biologically healthy child.6
5. According to the DSM-V, as many as 98% of gender confused boys and 88% of gender confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty.5
6. Children who use puberty blockers to impersonate the opposite sex will require cross-sex hormones in late adolescence. Cross-sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) are associated with dangerous health risks including but not limited to high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke and cancer.7,8,9,10
7. Rates of suicide are twenty times greater among adults who use cross-sex hormones and undergo sex reassignment surgery, even in Sweden which is among the most LGBQT – affirming countries.11 What compassionate and reasonable person would condemn young children to this fate knowing that after puberty as many as 88% of girls and 98% of boys will eventually accept reality and achieve a state of mental and physical health?
8. Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse. Endorsing gender discordance as normal via public education and legal policies will confuse children and parents, leading more children to present to "gender clinics" where they will be given puberty-blocking drugs. This, in turn, virtually ensures that they will "choose" a lifetime of carcinogenic and otherwise toxic cross-sex hormones, and likely consider unnecessary surgical mutilation of their healthy body parts as young adults.
Michelle A. Cretella, M.D.
President of the American College of Pediatricians
Quentin Van Meter, M.D.
Vice President of the American College of Pediatricians
Pediatric Endocrinologist
Paul McHugh, M.D.
University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital
1. Consortium on the Management of Disorders of Sex Development, "Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Disorders of Sex Development in Childhood." Intersex Society of North America, March 25, 2006. Accessed 3/20/16 from http://www.dsdguidelines.org/files/clinical.pdf.
2. Zucker, Kenneth J. and Bradley Susan J. "Gender Identity and Psychosexual Disorders." FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry. Vol. III, No. 4, Fall 2005 (598-617).
3. Whitehead, Neil W. "Is Transsexuality biologically determined?" Triple Helix (UK), Autumn 2000, p6-8. accessed 3/20/16 from http://www.mygenes.co.nz/transsexuality.htm; see also Whitehead, Neil W. "Twin Studies of Transsexuals [Reveals Discordance]" accessed 3/20/16 from http://www.mygenes.co.nz/transs_stats.htm.
4. Jeffreys, Sheila. Gender Hurts: A Feminist Analysis of the Politics of Transgenderism. Routledge, New York, 2014 (pp.1-35).
5. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013 (451-459). See page 455 re: rates of persistence of gender dysphoria.
6. Hembree, WC, et al. Endocrine treatment of transsexual persons: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94:3132-3154.
7. Olson-Kennedy, J and Forcier, M. "Overview of the management of gender nonconformity in children and adolescents." UpToDate November 4, 2015. Accessed 3.20.16 from http://www.uptodate.com.
8. Moore, E., Wisniewski, & Dobs, A. "Endocrine treatment of transsexual people: A review of treatment regimens, outcomes, and adverse effects." The Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2003; 88(9), pp3467-3473.
9. FDA Drug Safety Communication issued for Testosterone products accessed 3.20.16: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm161874.htm.
10. World Health Organization Classification of Estrogen as a Class I Carcinogen: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/ageing/cocs_hrt_statement.pdf.
11. Dhejne, C, et.al. "Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden." PLoS ONE, 2011; 6(2). Affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Accessed 3.20.16 from http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0016885.


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Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
After nearly four years of development and proselytization, social networking technology standard OpenID is beginning to show signs of going more mainstream on the web. The service is live in a number of company web sites and consumer-facing services, from airlines to social networks — and, while it's too early to tell how well OpenID might do in the future, new numbers from the industry-driven OpenID Foundation indicate more people are logging in through it.
For those who aren't familiar, OpenID makes it easy to sign into a new web site without creating a new username and password. Instead you use the URL you've created for a service that you already use. So if you have a personal blog at wordpress.com you might use your yourname.wordpress.com URL. When you go to a new web site that accepts OpenID logins, just click on the OpenID button, type in your preferred URL and click to log in.
Or that's the idea. In practice, the user interface has involved a lot of clicking around to manage different approvals — it hasn't been a seamless, intuitive experience for the average web user. And new seemingly competing services have emerged that make transporting your identity even easier. The most prominent, Facebook Connect, lets you sign into a new site using your Facebook identity with a single click. It lets you share information from that site back to Facebook with another click.
But Facebook itself is on the board of OpenID — along with Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, IBM, PayPal and Verisign. These and many other industry leaders seem to be paying more than lip service to the idea of distributing identities through open standards. In fact, a Facebook representative is co-chairing an OpenID committee aimed at improving its usability. The point of OpenID, as all of these companies seem to accept, is that users don't want to use just any one service to sign in everywhere. Instead, users should have the choice to log into any site using any other identity. Making it easier for people to log in anywhere just means more people will log in overall — and potentially become users of any of these companies.
That's the thing. While site-specific identity networks like Connect are designed around the site itself, OpenID is a simple feature that can be customized to fit the interfaces of sites that use it. The improving interface seems to account for the growth some relatively small, niche sites are reporting, as published by the foundation today:
- Sulit.com.ph (a Filipino e-commerce site): 15% of new registrations are via OpenID, up from 10% a couple of months ago
- 37 Signals: 15% of logins are via OpenID on their Basecamp productivity application
- Mixx: UI improvement resulted in ten-fold increase in registrations via OpenID and third-party services. 20% increase in registrations from direct and referrer traffic.
- AFI (Rock band, event promotion): "We were blown away with the fan response. In two weeks we received 850 (YouTube video) submissions, had 12,500+ fans register on the website, 10,000+ comments, and over 100,000 votes to select our winners."
- Get Satisfaction: Deployments for their customers — Twitter and Songbird — are seeing OpenID utilization of 20% or more
- Sourceforge.net: OpenID login has grown to about 10% of total logins
- Stackoverflow: Third-party registrations have grown from 10,000 to 50,000 users in a couple of months
Japan Airlines also introduced a customized version of OpenID that reached across a federation of car rental and hotel web sites, and it's seen a 100 percent increase in partner registrations as a result.
Earlier this month, the foundation said that more than 40,000 sites currently accept logins using OpenID, and some 1.5 billion accounts can be used as OpenIDs. What OpenID doesn't offer are numbers on how many of these users access a site through OpenID each month. But the fact that a wide range of niche sites are seeing increasing usage seems to mean OpenID is at least on the right track to becoming more mainstream.
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When we are on Facebook, Instagram or other social media platforms, we are usually flooded with all kinds of hair inspiration from beauty bloggers, models or celebrities. That is the beauty of the social media age. Stars like Kim Kardashian to Shay Mitchell are showing off XXL lengths. Seeing all these posts and videos on the different hairstyles inspire many to try to replicate their styles. However, there is some downside to this. No matter how hard we try, our hair just does not seem to be as long, soft and lush as the people we follow on social media.
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For those who have bob length hair, you can even turn your hair into a long mane by getting these extensions. They can be glued in, woven or braided. If you have straight hair, it will be easier to apply the clip in hair extensions. You may even curl your hair after having the clip in on your hair.
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Columbia City Council opens downtown plans for public comment
It took two minutes for mayor Bob McDavid to open and close the city council's special session Wednesday afternoon. He called it an "administrative action," necessary to put three apartment complex proposals up for public discussion.
"We can't, by the rules that we live by, vote on something until it's been in the public domain for a week."
The public will have two opportunities to voice opinions on the proposals – the first at Monday evening's city council meeting, the second on Wednesday at noon. Following the Wednesday session, the City Council will vote on the three plans.
Deputy City Manager Tony St. Romaine said the quick meeting schedule is due to the construction companies' deadlines. Some of them end April 1, meaning the City Council needed to hold a special session next Wednesday, instead of wait for its next regular meeting date, April 6.
The city delayed voting on the proposals because of utility issues. Both McDavid and St. Romaine say the sewer system in downtown Columbia is at capacity. So to accommodate the companies, the city asked the developers to pay the costs for widening the sewer systems near their future property.
Collegiate Housing Partners and ACC OP plan to build apartment complexes (351 beds and 718 beds respectively) between Providence Road and Fourth Street. Both will pay for a widening of a sewer pipe underneath Fourth Street – CHP paying $150,000 and ACC OP paying $300,000. Opus Development wants to build a 256-bed building on Locust Street, between Seventh and Eighth Street, and would be responsible for a $450,000 repair of the sewer system and storm water system on Locust Street.
"This is not really the way we would prefer to do business, to basically have to ask developers to fund 100-percent of the infrastructures that's going to support their development," St. Romaine said. "We felt it was necessary, we felt it was the only way their projects would get approved."
"Unless we accommodate a change in infrastructure, we are fundamentally closed to any kind of rehabilitation, growth in the downtown area," McDavid said.
St. Romaine said he's never experienced a situation like this while with the city. He said developers would not mind paying for the expansion of city utilities, as long as the city is upfront and aware of utility problems.
"There ought to be an equity buy-in," St. Romaine said. "What we want to do is put together a policy, a framework by which developers know when they come in, they know up front what their costs are."


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Friday, September 26, 2014
Six Uptown Sites Featured In "Open House Chicago"
Six sites in Uptown will be featured in this year's "Open House Chicago" sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. The newly rehabbed Somerset Place Apartments as well as the historic Preston Bradley Center are just two of the Uptown treasures you can take a peek inside. This all takes place on October 18 and 19. More info can be found on the
CAF website.
Uptown Updater
September 26, 2014
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