text:
Hyundai presented two exciting new Elantra vehicles at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show including this five-door GT scheduled to hit dealerships this summer. Based on the new-generation i30 model designed for the European market, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT is intended to compete with the Ford Focus, Mazda3, and Volkswagen Golf, but promises more interior volume than these models, unsurpassed fuel economy, and Hyundai's Driver Selectable Steering Mode.
The new Elantra GT is the third vehicle in Hyundai's "7/11" product initiative, which promises seven new or redesigned models in the next 11 months. (The first two vehicles in the initiative were the Veloster Turbo and refreshed Genesis Coupe; the fourth vehicle is the Elantra Coupe, which also debuted at the Chicago Auto Show.)
Underhood, the compact hatchback is powered by a 148-horsepower/1.8-liter four-cylinder ULEV aluminum engine mated to a choice of automatic or manual six-speed transmission. Also, because of Hyundai's clean engine technology, most Elantra GTs sold in California, Oregon, and several Northeast states are certified as Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV) by the EPA.
Outside, the new Elantra GT represents further evolution of Hyundai's "Fluidic Sculpture" form language, boasting a aerodynamic .30 coefficient of drag made possible due to its aggressive profile, low overall height, and sleek design that lowers wind resistance while improving its fuel economy to an estimated 28 mpg city, 39 mpg highway (with manual transmission).
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Features
Inside, the Elantra GT features seating layouts that can comfortably seat five people and offer 23 cubic feet of storage or accommodate four passengers, plus long items like golf clubs or snowboards. Fold down two seats to seat three people and hold larger packages or fold all of the back seats to get CUV-sized cargo space of up to 50 cubic feet. These options allow customers to discover that Elantra GT has more interior volume than Matrix, Mazda3, Ford Focus and VW Golf and even more cargo capacity than the Nissan Juke crossover, thanks to fold-flat rear seats and rear seat cushions than can flip upward. The available navigation system is displayed via a seven-inch touch-screen located in the center console, and incorporates the rearview camera screen which receives its input from a mechanized rearview camera hidden behind the Hyundai flying H badge on the rear hatch that only appears when needed.
Behind the wheel, drivers benefit from Hyundai's all-new Driver Selectable Steering Mode, which offers a choice of three operating modes -- Comfort, Normal and Sport -- that adjust power assistance levels according to driving preferences and road conditions. Comfort level offers the greatest ease of steering and is ideal for city and parking environments. Sport is optimized for higher-speed highways or winding roads, while Normal is ideal for a mix of driving conditions. Additionally, the Elantra GT boasts a turning diameter of 34.8 feet, which Hyundai says is better than Matrix, Focus, or Golf.
Elantra GT also offers many premium features, such as standard cooled glove box, standard heated front seats, 10-way power driver's seat including power lumbar support, Clean Air Ionizer, leather seating surfaces, automatic headlights, side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, standard steering-wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls, and standard Bluetooth hands-free system with voice recognition
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Technology
Elantra GT comes standard with a 172-watt AM/FM/Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with six speakers and iPod/USB/auxiliary input jacks, and Bluetooth connectivity. A SiriusXM Satellite Radio interface integrated into the navigation unit real-time NavTraffic and Data services, such as NavWeather, Stock Ticker, and Sports Ticker. Users can even upload personal pictures from a USB to be displayed on the system's home screen. Standard on the 2013 Elantra GT is Hyundai's Blue Link safety, service and infotainment package which works to both help simplify Hyundai owners' lives and reduce distracted driving. Like GM's OnStar or Ford's Sync, Blue Link brings seamless connectivity directly into the car with voice-to-text messaging, POI web search downloads, turn-by-turn navigation, and monthly vehicle reporting, as well as an agent-assisted advanced voice recognition system. Blue Link-equipped vehicles include core safety services for an introductory period,including Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) and Assistance, SOS Emergency Assistance, and Enhanced Roadside Assistance. After the introductory period, owners of Blue Link-equipped vehicles can choose to extend these and other services as desired.
Shopping for the new Hyundai Elantra GT?
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Pricing for the 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT will be released closer to its on sale date this summer. Remember, MSRP is just a starting point: TrueCar shows you what other people paid for a new car in your area in the last 30 days, then gets you an even better price from a trusted TrueCar Certified Dealer in your local area. TrueCar gives you the confidence to know you're getting a fair price and makes the car buying process easier and more enjoyable than ever before.
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text:
Hispano-Suiza's Type Alfonso XIII antique sports car up for sale
A rare piece of car history is headed to the auction block. Named after the King of Spain who reigned from 1886 until 1931, the Type Alfonso XIII is set to go on sale at an upcoming Amelia Island auction, and is expected to fetch somewhere between US$750,000 and $1 million.
King Alfonso XIII of Spain was a huge fan of the luxury vehicles of Spanish automotive firm Hispano Suiza, and owned close to 30 cars made by the company which he kept stored throughout Europe. Hispano Suiza originally planned on naming the 1911 vehicle up for auction the 15T, but decided to instead name it after the king at the time. It's one of the rarest cars in the world - only four were ever made.
The Alfonzo is considered one of the first real sports cars. The vehicle came packing a Birkigt-designed massive cast-iron Type 15T four-cylinder engine, and is capable to producing 64 horsepower with only 3.6 liters of displacement. The car was the high-end of what car manufacturers were producing in the day, and was capable of a top speed of over 75 mph (120 km/h), super-fast for the early 1900s.
From the car's listing at RM Auctions:
There is no shortage of charming details to behold on this car. Among them are the original Bleriot two-bulb headlamps, possibly an early hi-beam/low-beam setup, with Ducellier cowl lamps, a large roof rack and a fold-out windshield. The original interior is amazingly preserved for being almost a century old, while the fabric is so intricately woven that it could be compared more to the celebrated Flemish tapestries than automobile upholstery. Where the headliner has come away from the ceiling can be observed a series of small thin squares of wood, which would have given texture to the ceiling with the headliner attached. The dash is very nicely finished as well and still contains all of its original instruments.
The styling and curves of this gorgeous baroque winter body is amazing, with two separate compound curves making up the roof sections, which almost resemble ceiling vaults. The wood-framed windows are of such proportion that they appear to have come out of a home. When a car is restored to concours specifications, the high standards demanded today require complete recreation of otherwise serviceable parts. What is lost are fine details and markings that give an automobile character and authenticity.
Among the myriad items found on chassis 718 are the markings on the trunk hardware and leaf springs, the original dash chassis plate and the plate that reads Radiadores Vintro Barcelona on the upper radiator tank. There are other pieces like the intricate brass locks on the original Hispano-Suiza center caps complemented by the nicely aged black wire spoke wheels.
Chassis 718 is a perfect example of sympathetic preservation. Any early example of the Hispano-Suiza marque is something special that should garner extra attention, but as a special long-wheelbase example of the revered Alfonso XIII, it is likely that there are no other direct comparisons to be had.
Like the casks of wine which surrounded it for so much of its life, this Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII Double Berline has gotten better with age. It is, truly, one of the greatest antiques in existence.
The 1911 Hispano-Suiza King Alfonso XIII is set to be auctioned off on March 10, 2012.
For more details check out the car's official auction page at RM Auctions.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
By Marie Veillette
When Nick Luetmer received his first utility bill last August at his newly rented apartment in Moorhead, just blocks from MSUM campus, he was relieved. The bill totaled around $18, much lower than he was expecting to pay for a month's worth of water and electricity.
His monthly rent for his one bedroom apartment was set at $395- as much as he could afford with a part-time job, especially when utility and internet costs were added.
Luetmer had lived in university residence halls for two years; one year at NDSU and one at MSUM. He was ready to get away from the uncertainty of assigned roommates and find a place he could call his own. Though being a first time renter also came with uncertainties, the excitement of having no shared space where roommates wouldn't complain about his routines or habits outweighed everything else.
The feeling of relief delivered with the first utility bill was quickly replaced with worry. Upon closer inspection, Luetmer discovered his bill was only for six days of the month. Having moved toward the end of a billing cycle, the %18 charge only covered about one week. He dreaded to think what a whole month would cost him.
Luetmer is not the only student renter to be surprised with the cost of utilities in Moorhead. A growing number of MSUM students are choosing to live across the border where all or most utilities are frequently included in rent.
April Olson Mata, regional manager with Goldmark Property Management who rents units on both sides of the river, said her company has noticed variances between Moorhead and Fargo utilities.
"One difference we have noticed in regards to utilities between cities is that there are more fees in Moorhead," she said. "For example, the owners [of a building] pay the garbage for the residents in Moorhead; however, regardless if you live in any apartment in the city or in a house, Moorhead Public Service has a garbage fee on each bill, too."
Mata is referring to a charge of $9.46, assessed to each unit in a complex, to cover the cost of garbage collection. Many buildings opt to rent a dumpster through a private company, as Moorhead does not offer collections on containers that large.
No matter whether a customer of Moorhead Public Service uses the garbage service, each one is assessed the charge.
This was the case for Luetmer. His landlords rented a dumpster for the four-plex to use, but he still paid the fee each month.
"I thought I was paying to use the dumpster," Luetmer said. "I didn't know I was paying $10 for something I wasn't getting."
Both Fargo and Moorhead assess fees to their customers for various services. Each city charges a forestry and pest control fee. Fargo charges $3.50 per month in forestry fees, while Moorhead charges $4.18. Pest control was also lower in Fargo at $1.00 compared to $2.70 in Moorhead.
There are some differences in fees between cities. Fargo charges a $2.50 street lighting fee, whereas Moorhead does not.
Moorhead charges all customers a monthly recycling fee of $2.84. Fargo does not have any fee regarding recycling. Similar to the garbage charge, recycling is charged to every customer, regardless of if they utilize it.
All these little charges may not sound like anything to sweat about, but the small add-on fees accumulate quickly.
Between garbage, forestry, pest control and recycling, renters pay at least $230 per year in Moorhead before any water or electricity fees are included.
In Fargo, the fees are $156 per year. The likelihood of a renter to pay them directly is low, since Fargo adjusts the fees for commercial buildings that can divvy up the costs across units.
A main factor that keeps costs low for Fargo renters is how their electricity is supplied. The city of Fargo does not offer this utility. Customers get a separate bill, usually from Xcel Energy or Otter Tail Power Company.
Both companies have a low customer charge, between $8 and $15 per month, and compatible rates for usage as to what MPS offers.
The main difference is customers are not charged any of those added fees. Excel and Otter Tail simply charge customer and usage fees.
To obtain power through MPS, residents pay customer and usage fees as well as all the add-on charges of the city.
The one place Moorhead seems to be more affordable is in their water costs.
Both Fargo and Moorhead have a customer charge and adjust their charges according to the size of the meter: the larger the width, the greater the cost.
The most common size meter incurs a cost of $8.50 per month in Fargo and $7.70 in Moorhead. Fargo's customer charge includes the first 2,000 gallons of water used, whereas Moorhead's fee does not include any usage; customers pay an added fee from gallon one. Even with this added fee, Moorhead offers a cheaper rate at all sizes of meter besides the most common.
Residents of Fargo and Moorhead see both a wastewater and stormwater charge on their monthly bills. Fargo's $16 wastewater fee comes in a little higher than Moorhead's at $14.82. Fargo lowered this fee in January from $19 to the current rate.
Stormwater fees are where the greatest price differences between the two cities can be seen. Moorhead charges $10.21, while Fargo only charges $3.
Though Fargo and Moorhead do not deviate in prices all that much, the fees Moorhead charges to all of its customers hurt renters the most because they end up paying for them twice: once directly through their bill and once in the costs included in rent.
Rachel Tengwall, a psychology senior, moved into her first off-campus apartment in August. She was also surprised by the high cost of her utilities.
"I was expecting them to be like $35 or $40, not $70 or $80," she said.
Tengwall's landlord is a private renter, and covers the cost of water for the four-plex, but the rest is her responsibility. With the onset of winter, her bills are only going to increase with the addition of heating costs.
The building she lives in is older, and not as efficient in holding in heat or using electricity as the newer buildings going up in Fargo.
Tengwall admitted her apartment search was limited to Fargo when she first started looking.
"I would have made the commute [to school]," she said.
After getting a job in Moorhead, Tengwall said she decided it would be more practical to stay in Minnesota. Though she doesn't regret where she ended up, she said she is nervous about how much her upcoming bills will increase.
Bill Schwandt, general manager with MPS did not have good news for Moorhead renters. He said rates are expected to increase six and a half percent for water and five to six percent for electricity, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Both of these rates already adjust seasonally to coincide with differences in demand.
It is important to remember each state mandates different fees. Moorhead is not the only city to have many of the fees it charges to residents.
Steve Sprauge, Fargo city auditor, said it is hard to say if the economic uptick and increasing population have affected the utility rates. The increasing number of customers paying in is equaled out by the costs of expanding service to the growing edges of Fargo, he said.
Luetmer, who moved to Fargo this June, says he could not be happier with his new apartment. He now pays around $400 per month for rent and utilities, compared to the $550 or $600 he was paying in Moorhead.
The only utility he pays directly is electricity, which he says has not exceeded $40 since he moved in.
"I still can't believe I live in a place this nice and can afford it, too," he said.
Tengwall said she plans to move to Minneapolis after she graduates and her lease is up, but added she would probably move to Fargo if she were staying in the area.
"I feel like in Fargo they have nicer apartments," she said. "Not just apartments, but a lot of things. That sucks for MSUM students."


text: Stunning sky By Staff Reporter - July 5, 2018 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter On Friday night there was a stunning sky over Noordhoek. Charles Dagnall captured this sight. "They say, 'Red sky at night, shepherds' delight,' but it rained heavily on Saturday, so I guess that doesn't always apply," he said.


text:
About JARI
R&D Service
Proving Ground
Health effect
Since about 30 years ago JARI has conducted studies concerning the impact of automotive exhaust emissions on human health. The question of whether diesel emissions have a carcinogenic effect was raised during the 1980's. JARI undertook a large-scale test and became the forerunner institution to confirm that diesel emissions at their atmospheric concentration levels do not promote the generation of cancers. In the 1990's we carried out research into relations between automotive emissions and bronchitis or pollen disease, and our research results have been cited by the World Health Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Over the recent years exhaust emissions from automobiles have been dramatically reduced to the point where the emissions level of the latest engines is widely considered harmless. But on the other hand, it is still necessary to watch the risks posed by environment-polluting substances on the high-sensitivity group of people such as children, the elderly and the invalid. Applying advanced medical and biological techniques, JARI continues its studies and intends to publicly release the study outcomes concerning the impacts of various environmental factors on the environmentally susceptible group of people.


text: I'm resubmitting this character since she is a member of the <b>Beserkers</b>. I started writing a profile for this character, but I'm not too pleased with it. I'm actually willing to take some suggestions for the character and anyone willing to tighten up the profile is more than welcome. Please leave your comments/suggestions on my deviantart page or you can email me. (See my Deviantart page for the email address.) In the meantime, here is her profile so far: STORMWING Faction:Decepticon Sub-Group: Beserkers Function: Scout Insanity is an artform. Personality: Stormwing enjoys two things. Obliteration and the skies. Fortunately for her, she has been formatted for both purposes. A loyal subordinate to Tumbler, she was the first to join the Beserkers during the Verduyl Excursion and has served as his pit pull for eons, ready at a moment's notice to be released upon her prey. She enjoys her scout missions, taking sadistic pleasure in strafing unsuspecting Autobots with her fractal cannon before relaying their position back to command. She'll unleash a quarter on a single position just for the enjoyment of the kill, whether or not she actually hits her target is another question. She lives for the thrill of combat and her blood lust is matched by few peers. She takes pleasure in inundating her targets with fear by filling the skies with deafening shrieks from her twin turbines. If it weren't for her blind devotion to extinguishing any and all enemies, she might be a useful commander. Unfortunately, while she easily commands fear, she draws little respect from her comrades due to her complete disregard for her teammates, rushing into battle rather than formulating an effective strategy. Still, there are very few Beserkers who can claim a body count as high as hers and that includes all life, both biological and non-biological combined. Abilities: Stormwing can generate a deafening sonic disruption from her twin turbine engines, temporarily disrupting radio transmissions and making her nearly invisible to all forms of detection. Not only a surprise attack, but it scrambles waves and can damage sensitive internal circuits. Her strafing attacks at high speed, combined with her sonic disruptions, generate short-lived electromagnetic pulse trails. Her fractal cannon fires a variety of specialized shells and can be outfitted to serve numerous purposes, including chemical dispersion. She can travel at Mach 4 for 3000 miles. Weaknesses: Stormwing suffers multiple personality disorder due to prolonged emotional and physical abuse by Tumbler, making her an undependable comrade. *** To view more art, visit my gallery at the-GEARSMITH on deviantART ***


text:
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Scary Movie Challenge VI (Day 4)
139 comments:
Frankenstein (1931)ReplyDelete
Stop! He's no monster! He's just stupid!
Deathgasm (2015)ReplyDelete
Wow! I really fucking hated this movie.
- James AtkinsonOctober 4, 2015 at 2:58 AM
The Nightmare ( 2015)ReplyDelete
Spooky dreams by spooky people. Dont sleep!
Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)ReplyDelete
Jesus, Sally...that time of the month?
Storm of the Century(1998)ReplyDelete
Population dropping even faster than the snow.
- Tristan DeardenOctober 4, 2015 at 3:05 AM
Let the Right One In (2008)ReplyDelete
I feel for that vicious murdering vampire.
- Tristan DeardenOctober 4, 2015 at 3:08 AM
V/H/S (2012)ReplyDelete
People still film onto VHS tapes? Huh.
Night of the Living Dead (1990)ReplyDelete
Tom Towles hairline makes bold acting choice.
Saw IV (2007)ReplyDelete
Dark twist on "Ice to see you"
Frankenstein's Army (2013)ReplyDelete
Surprisingly good midnight movie; lacks Udo Kier.
- James AtkinsonOctober 4, 2015 at 4:35 AM
Poltergeist (2015)ReplyDelete
Bigger budget. Better technology. Doesn't hold up.
Clownhouse (1989): Parents abandon children: evil clowns step inReplyDelete
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)ReplyDelete
Anti-Establishment Carpenter's point: Censorship is good!
creepshow (1982) - scary documentary about Stephen Kings' substance abuseReplyDelete
Backcountry (2014) - I don't think this is paddington, honeyReplyDelete
Wes Craven's New NightmareReplyDelete
Freddy is Zuul the Gatekeeper when burned
It Follows (2015)ReplyDelete
It followed me once on Twitter @AdamR38
- Grant MalfitanoOctober 4, 2015 at 8:27 AM
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 Freddy's Revenge (1985)ReplyDelete
I want revenge for watching this again
Saw V (2008)ReplyDelete
Don't worry there's multiple "previously on Saw"
- TravisLOctober 4, 2015 at 8:47 AM
Evil Dead 2 (1987)ReplyDelete
Handless fights souless with chainsaw and boomstick.
- AnonymousOctober 4, 2015 at 9:03 AM
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 - Freddy's Revenge (1985)ReplyDelete
So blatantly gay I`m ashamed being gay
- AnonymousOctober 4, 2015 at 9:05 AM
The Descent (2005)ReplyDelete
Seeing this makes my claustrophobia even worse
House of Wax (1953)ReplyDelete
That fight scene came out of nowhere!
Interview With the Vampire (1994)ReplyDelete
Reminiscent of some job interviews I've had.
Creepshow (1982)ReplyDelete
Stephen King gets a lesson in meteorology.
The Nightmare (2015): These kooks have thoughts on "The Shining"?ReplyDelete
- Marcus KillerbyOctober 4, 2015 at 9:38 AM
Cooties (2015)ReplyDelete
As an antivaxxer, I don't get it
Maximum Overdrive (1986)ReplyDelete
Still, better Green Goblin mask than Dafoe's.
- Marcus KillerbyOctober 4, 2015 at 9:59 AM
Re-Penetrator (2004)ReplyDelete
Isn't Re-Animator the pornographic spoof of Re-Animator?
Microwave Massacre (1983) Dir. Wayne BerwickReplyDelete
Holds it's reputation as worst Horror ever!
Saw IV (2007)ReplyDelete
Over halfway there, guess I'll muddle through...
Basket CaseReplyDelete
Separate Siamese twins against will? Get murdered.
Burying the Ex (2014)ReplyDelete
Guess I should have watched Gremlins 2
A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's RevengeReplyDelete
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
- Norm DeplumeOctober 4, 2015 at 11:10 AM
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's RevengeReplyDelete
"I just don't see it" Jack Sholder
Mangiati Vivi (1980)ReplyDelete
Neat! Mixes cannibals with Jonestown. Very sleazy!
You're Next (2011)ReplyDelete
Yuppie family reunions always end this way.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)ReplyDelete
Boobie-trapping a dog was never so intense.
- Gavin Leahy OctoberOctober 4, 2015 at 11:33 AM
Ginger Snaps (2000)ReplyDelete
Puberty turned you into a real bitch.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) (with the commentary).ReplyDelete
Very good soundtrack, terrible lip sync though.
Arachnophobia (1990)ReplyDelete
Jeff Daniels killed a homeless guy once.
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999, Amazon Prime).ReplyDelete
The Pandora's Box of found-footage movies.
BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2 (2000, Amazon Prime).ReplyDelete
Seeing ghostly sausage getting made undermines prequel.
Nurse (2014)ReplyDelete
This seven word review ruined my career.
Basket Case (1982)ReplyDelete
Everyone is curious, "What's in the basket?"
Grabbers (2012)ReplyDelete
Monster movie or NAMBLA'S basketball team's name
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)ReplyDelete
Take a drink whenever someone says "Texarkana."
Saw V (2008)ReplyDelete
Getting curious how they're gonna end this...
- TravisLOctober 4, 2015 at 1:32 PM
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)ReplyDelete
Wilburs brain in Frankensteins body? That's scarier!
Scooby-Doo: The Adventure Begins (2009)ReplyDelete
Honestly, this movie kinda sucked. Asian Velma?
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)ReplyDelete
Still think lead looks like Roger Daltrey.
Zombeavers (2014)ReplyDelete
Dag and Norb turn to human flesh!
Nightmare on elm st 2ReplyDelete
Seems like two competing movies, neither work
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)ReplyDelete
Title equals misnomer, film equals classic gem
Friday the 13th (1980)ReplyDelete
This shitty movie spawned how many sequels?
Carnival of Souls (1962)ReplyDelete
All The Boys Haggle Mary Henry. (Horrifying!)
I Spit on Your Grave (1978)ReplyDelete
Steel wool wont scrap this movie off.
Island of Death (1976)ReplyDelete
Two words sum it up...goat fucking!
Last House on the Left (1972)ReplyDelete
Where's Cobra Kai when you need them?
Love Camp 7 (1969)ReplyDelete
Never thought I'd miss Ilsa so much.
- TravisLOctober 4, 2015 at 3:38 PM
Day Of The Dead (1985)ReplyDelete
My favorite zombie movie of all time
Madhouse (1981)ReplyDelete
I thought this starred Larroquette and Alley.
Mardi Gras Massacre (1978)ReplyDelete
See the previous review for Blood Feast.
Nightmares in a Damaged Brain (1981)ReplyDelete
A rallying cry in favor of infanticide.
- AnonymousOctober 4, 2015 at 3:45 PM
Triangle (2009)ReplyDelete
Great and disturbing variation on Groundhog day.
Liam Hemsworth´s head on a hook - surprising.
- TravisLOctober 4, 2015 at 3:55 PM
The Tingler (1959)ReplyDelete
Sends a tingle to my special places
Santa's Slay (2005)ReplyDelete
Santa is murderous and probably anti-Semitic.
- TravisLOctober 4, 2015 at 4:07 PM
The Tingler (1959)ReplyDelete
Sends tingles to all my special places
Sorority House Massacre (1986)ReplyDelete
Why's this sorority slasher all about reincarnation?
Ghostwatch (1992)ReplyDelete
The British do everything first and better.
Burying the Ex (2014)ReplyDelete
Most parts felt as cold as the Ex.
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Rosemary's Baby (1968)ReplyDelete
Ruth Gordon is such a pleasant satanist.
Sorority babes: Slimeball bowl-o-ramaReplyDelete
only source of imp lore to date
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)ReplyDelete
Dracula and God's relationship status: it's complicated.
Imagine if the grabbers landed in Utah.
To All A Goodnight (1980) - At least THIS killer looks like SantaReplyDelete
Corpse Bride (2005)ReplyDelete
It's not forced necrophilia if you're married.
The ABCs of Death (2012)ReplyDelete
More like The ABCs of Complete Shit.
GRABBERS (2013) dir. Jon WrightReplyDelete
"Edgar Wright presents TREMORS SIX: JAWSRACHNOPHOBIA'S ASHES."
Hostel pt 2 (2007) dir. Eli Roth.ReplyDelete
"WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE reaches logical conclusion."
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)ReplyDelete
You see it Akins probably Fuck it.
Halloween: H20 (1998)ReplyDelete
Michelle Williams in My Weekend with Michael.
Tales From The Crypt: Bordello Of Blood (1996)ReplyDelete
Dumb fun that's better than I remembered.
Dreamcatcher (2003)ReplyDelete
Aliens invade through our butts. Why not?
Black Eyed Children: Let Me In (2015)ReplyDelete
Beyond bargain basement. Lowest of the low.
Kids vs. Monsters (2015)ReplyDelete
This movie has no right to exist.
The Phantom Carriage (1921)ReplyDelete
The rumor is...a meatball directed this.
Lots of nice boobies and then.......ouchie!
It followsReplyDelete
It is sexually frustrated, chill out It
Made protagonist a writer again, that's novel.
The Wolfman (2010)ReplyDelete
There's a werewolf throw down! Enough said.
Dark Was The NightReplyDelete
Tree creature experiences a slow growth cycle.
Friday the 13th (1980)ReplyDelete
Camp Crystal Lake needs some new counselors.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)ReplyDelete
All of the adults need hearing aids.
- Ricardo CamachoOctober 4, 2015 at 8:07 PM
Re-Animator (1985)ReplyDelete
There's nudity...but not the good kind.
The Haunting (1963)ReplyDelete
Shall I stay or shall I go!
Prom Night (1980)ReplyDelete
Kept expecting Nielsen to say something hilarious.
Re-Animator (1985)ReplyDelete
Worst security guard for the morgue possible.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)ReplyDelete
Goodnight, Wes. Thank you for the Nightmares.
Sleepaway Camp (1983)ReplyDelete
You see my privates? I'm making noise.
What We Do in the Shadows (2015)ReplyDelete
Werewolves are quite polite, it turns out.
1408 (2007)ReplyDelete
When Sam Jackson tells you something, listen.
Blood for Dracula (1974)ReplyDelete
Feminist or Misogynistic? Only the gays know.
Pernicious (2014)ReplyDelete
Horrible. BrentPeterson couldn't even masturbate to it.
Starry Eyes (2014)ReplyDelete
"Behind the Scenes: Rise of the Kardashians."
Deathgasm (2015)ReplyDelete
I don't know. It's fine I guess.
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)ReplyDelete
Love knows no bounds (or manners, apparently)
True Nature (2010)ReplyDelete
Waiiiiiiit... What? Why'd she kiss her dad?
The Green Inferno:ReplyDelete
Girl must've had the rival's tribal tattoo
Re-Animator (1985)ReplyDelete
The best Frankenstein movie not called Frankenstein.
Monster SquadReplyDelete
Forget the monsters. Beware the levitating dog.
Friday the 13th, Part V (1985)ReplyDelete
A parable about the dangers of vanchiladas.
Midnight Meat Train (2008)ReplyDelete
Really no cameras? Oh that's why, cool.
- Chad CooperOctober 4, 2015 at 10:43 PM
Ummmm....Excuse me while I wash everything
Pet Sematary (1989) First timeReplyDelete
Well Patrick, Aunt Zelda really doesn't disappoint.
- Grant MalfitanoOctober 4, 2015 at 10:57 PM
The Reef (2010)ReplyDelete
This Australian tourism advertisement is very confusing.
Halloween (2007)ReplyDelete
Not great, but not half bad either
[REC] 3: Genesis (2012)ReplyDelete
Change in style, ramps up the carnage.
Lucky Bastard (2014)ReplyDelete
That title doesn't describe me watching this.
The Man in the Attic (1953): Owning black bags; left handedness; both suspect.ReplyDelete
Monster Squad (1987)ReplyDelete
Goonies meets Sandlot with lots more Nards!
Halloween II (1985): Heat in the hospital: Ya Burnt Myers.ReplyDelete
A Christmas Horror StoryReplyDelete
When did Santa turn into a badass?
Son of Dracula (1943)ReplyDelete
Did you know Alucard is Dracula backwards?
Cabin Fever (2003)ReplyDelete
Flesh eating virus? Pour Listerine on dick.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)ReplyDelete
Devilishly dapper; disgustingly brutish. Quite the feat.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)ReplyDelete
Sarah Polley needs to do more horror.
Audition (1999)ReplyDelete
Fuck that! Fuck that!
...pretty good though.
- James AtkinsonOctober 5, 2015 at 3:32 AM
Deer Women. Short film from Masters of Horror by John Landis.ReplyDelete
Deer lord! What a piece of shit.
- Marcus KillerbyOctober 5, 2015 at 5:54 AM
The Guardian (1990)ReplyDelete
The unheralded classic movie monster: The Druid!
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) (With F This Movie! Commentary)ReplyDelete
I want an Official Tom Atkins Dickrag™!
- Grant MalfitanoOctober 5, 2015 at 7:28 AM
A Nightmare on Elm street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)ReplyDelete
Bending chair legs? That's my dream too!
The Descent (2005)ReplyDelete
Fuck caves. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.
Scooby Doo 2: Monsters UnleashedReplyDelete
Watched it because I love my son
We Are Still Here (2015)ReplyDelete
When I go blackface it's considered racist.
Castle Freak (1995)ReplyDelete
Alternate title: Gordon's Guide to Terrific Parenting.
Scooby-Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)ReplyDelete
Horror-themed romcom for kids. Weird idea.
Tales From the Crypt the Movie (1990): Specials: Reading delay on oven baked child.ReplyDelete


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These infections are a serious cause of Red Eye. The study identifies the common infective organisms and highlights the current antibiotic sensitivities and resistance in NZ. The commonest cause of infection was from contact lens use and trauma.
Bacterial keratitis in Christchurch, New Zealand, 1997-2001.
Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology. October 2004, Volume 32, Number 5, Page 478-81.
Reece C Hall MB ChB and Malcolm J McKellar FRANZCO
This is a study of serious eye infections at Christchurch Hospital NZ from 1997-2001.
To identify which organisms cause bacterial keratitis in a local community and to determine how patients with suspected bacterial keratitis should be initially treated.
The results of all corneal scrapes performed in the ophthalmology department of Christchurch Hospital between 1997 and 2001 were reviewed. All samples were collected at the 'bedside' by a technician from the microbiology department and were processed immediately.
Eighty-seven corneal scrapes were performed on 78 patients. There was a positive Gram stain in 43.7% (38/87) of scrapes. There was a positive culture in 58.6% (51/87) of scrapes. The commonest Gram-positive organisms were coagulase negative Staphylococci (19.4%) and Corynebacterium spp. (16.1%). The commonest Gram-negative organisms were Moraxella spp. (19.4%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.2%). Every Gram-positive organism was sensitive to chloramphenicol and every Gram-negative organism was sensitive to ciprofloxacin. In contrast, 89% of Gram-negative organisms were sensitive to chloramphenicol and 88% of Gram-positive organisms were sensitive to ciprofloxacin.
The results are very different to those reported by other centres. Most notably, a much higher incidence of infection by Corynebacterium spp. and Moraxella spp. and a lower incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found. In this centre it appears appropriate to initially treat patients with Gram-positive organisms with chloramphenicol and patients with Gram-negative organisms with ciprofloxacin. Patients with a negative Gram stain should be treated with alternating chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin while awaiting culture results.


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Self-awareness helps us to better understand how our thoughts and emotions influence our behavior so that we can make more conscious decisions.
In a world filled with distractions, cultivating the skill of focused attention is more important than ever before.
By learning effective emotional management strategies, students can self-regulate and achieve a state of calm in any moment.


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It's sometimes useful to determine the name of the user account that executes a Workflow within Dynamics CRM/Dynamics 365 for Customer Engagement (CRM/D365CE). What can make this a somewhat fiendish task to accomplish is the default behaviour within the application, which exposes very little contextual information each time a Workflow is triggered. Take, for example, the following simplistic Workflow which creates an associated Note record whenever a new Lead record is created:
The Note record is set to be populated with the default values available to us regarding the Workflow execution session - Activity Count, Activity Count including Process and Execution Time:
We can verify that this Workflow works - and view the exact values of these details - by creating a new Lead record and refreshing the record page:
The Execution Time field is somewhat useful, but the Activity Count & Activity Count including Process values relate to Workflow execution sessions and are only arguably useful for diagnostic review - not something that end users of the application will generally be interested in. 🙂
Going back to the opening sentence of this post, if we were wanting to develop this example further to include the Name of the user who executed the Workflow in the note, we would have to look at deploying a Custom Workflow Assembly to extract the information out. The IWorkflowContext Interface is a veritable treasure trove of information that can be exposed to developers to retrieve not just the name of the user who triggers a Workflow, but the time when the corresponding system job was created, the Business Unit it is being executed within and information to determine whether the Workflow was triggered by a parent. There are three steps involved in deploying out custom code into the application for utilisation in this manner:
- Develop a CodeActivity C# class file that performs the desired functionality.
- Deploy the compiled .dll file into the application via the Plugin Registration Tool.
- Modify the existing Workflow to include a step that accesses the custom Workflow Activity.
All of these steps will require ready access to Visual Studio, a C# class plugin project (either a new one or existing) and the CRM SDK that corresponds to your version for the application.
Developing the Class File
To begin with, make sure your project includes References to the following Frameworks:
- System.Activities
- Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk
- Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Workflow
Add a new Class (.cs) file to your project and copy & paste the below code, overwriting any existing code in the window. Be sure to update the namespace value to reflect your project name:
using System.Activities;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk;
using Microsoft.Xrm.Sdk.Workflow;
namespace D365.Demo.Plugins
public class GetWorkflowInitiatingUser : CodeActivity
protected override void Execute(CodeActivityContext executionContext)
IWorkflowContext workflowContext = executionContext.GetExtension<IWorkflowContext>();
CurrentUser.Set(executionContext, new EntityReference("systemuser", workflowContext.InitiatingUserId));
[Output("Current User")]
public OutArgument<EntityReference> CurrentUser { get; set; }
Right-click your project and select Build. Verify that no errors are generated and, if so, then that's the first step done and dusted 🙂
Deploy to CRM/D365CE
Open up the Plugin Registration Tool and connect to your desired instance. If you are deploying an existing, updated plugin class, then right-click it on the list of Registered Plugins & Custom Workflow Activities and click Update; otherwise, select Register -> Register New Assembly. The same window opens in any event. Load the newly built assembly from your project (can be located in the \bin\Debug\ folder by default) and ensure the Workflow Activity entry is ticked before selecting Register Selected Plugins:
After registration, the Workflow Activity becomes available for use within the application; so time to return to the Workflow we created earlier!
Adding the Custom Workflow Activity to a Process
By deactivating the Workflow Default Process Values Example Workflow and selecting Add Step, we can verify that the Custom Workflow Assembly is available for use:
Select the above, making sure first of all that the option Insert Before Step is toggled (to ensure it appears before the already configured Create Note for Lead step). It should look similar to the below if done correctly:
Now, when we go and edit the Create Note for Lead step, we will see a new option under Local Values which, when selected, bring up a whole range of different fields that correspond to fields from the User Entity. Modify the text within the Note to retrieve the Full Name value and save it onto the Note record, as indicated below:
After saving and reactivating the Workflow, we can verify its working by again creating a new Lead record and refreshing to review the Note text:
All working as expected!
The example shown in this post has very limited usefulness in a practical business scenario, but could be useful in different circumstances:
- If your Workflow contains branching logic, then you can test to see if a Workflow has executed by a specific user and then perform bespoke logic based on this value.
- Records can be assigned to other users/teams, based on who has triggered the Workflow.
- User activity could be recorded in a separate entity for benchmarking/monitoring purposes.
It's useful to know as well that the same kind of functionality can also be deployed when working with plugins as well in the application. We will take a look at how this works as part of next week's blog post.


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What is LAUNCH X431 Easydiag 3.0? Is it better than Easydiag 2.0 Plus? Here you go…
LAUNCH Easydiag 3.0:
LAUNCH Easydiag 2.0 Plus:
Easydiag 2.0 Plus is a popular connector LAUNCH made; however has been stopped production for a few days.
So, is the new Easydiag 3.0 much better than Easydiag 2.0 Plus?
That is a question.
EasyDiag 3.0 is an integrated service platform based on automotive diagnostic solutions. Key features include automotive diagnostics, operational data query, vehicle maintenance, data and information sharing. The client communicates with the vehicle using a Bluetooth connector (DBScar connector). The data between the terminal and the connector is realized through Bluetooth. It realizes a complete diagnostic function, including a complete electronic control system.
But there isn't much information about Easydiag 3.0 Launch on the web. Just wait for more. But personally, Launch would upset you all.


text:
Email address
Notify me when this product is available:
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As Violet Evergarden progresses, and especially into episode nine, which seems to be the climax of the series, we discover more and more about Violet's background, especially as it pertains to her time in the military under Gilbert's direction. And while her earlier years are left blank (How did she come into Dietfried's possession? Is she an enhanced human? How did she become orphaned?), the series is able to demonstrate over just a few years time how a dehumanized person can gain her humanity once again.
Violet is treated very much like a commodity at first. Dietfried presents her to his brother, Gilbert, as if she's a rare sidearm, and tells him that he is her new owner. It's a scene we've seen before in anime, and maybe because of that is doesn't feel so troublesome at first, especially since Violet seems very robotic (I wondered if she was an android during the first several episodes of the series), but it's clear that Dietfried, who later speaks down to her in disgust at her wartime actions, is trading in flesh, and a child's no less.
Gilbert, of course, doesn't treat her as a slave or weapon, but Violet acts that way at first. Actually, she acts as something lesser. Having been relegated to something subhuman, she bites Gilbert's maid and otherwise plays the role more of an animal than a person. She communicates poorly, too, unable to speak in Gilbert's language. And she has no name.
The way Violet is treated may be the stuff of anime, but it closely resembles what happens in the worst of situations around the globe, historically and even today. Atrocities occur when people are stripped of their voice and their identity (Koreans, for instance, lost their names and language during Japanese colonization), when they are treated as inhuman. One of the first signs of genocide, for instance, is when the "others" are described in terms of being animals or insects—it is after all easier to squash a roach than to kill a human.
In another measure, Violet is treated as more than what she is, as an adult, as a soldier. Gilbert, in his short time of training her, is able to turn Violet from an animal into a sort of doll, one who only does what her ventriloquist makes her do, and what Gilbert ultimately must do is prepare her for war and send her out to kill the enemy. She is a child soldier, and only Gilbert seems to see the injustice in that.
In war, atrocities are the norm. Violet's story, in the real world, would be one of many and nothing particular special (outside of her mutant strength). The way she's treated by the military shows the institution's feelings toward Violet (and others like her?) to be a systemic problem, like antisemitism in Europe or racism in the American deep south. As with both, change takes root when it happens at the individual level.
Although I directed an agency that educated our state regarding genocide issues, these bigger, global events aren't what came to mind personally when I thought of Violet and her treatment. I thought more immediately, instead, about how I treat my staff. I care about them, and that it mostly shows, but I do have one employee that I struggle with. And as the challenge of managing her takes hold and develops and grows, I begin seeing her less as a human than as a persona in my mind, one that I seem to have figured out and who has become the enemy. Instead of managing her like Gilbert does Violet, trying my best to serve her and help her grow, I act like the military, picturing her as a weapon (for she is a good worker), but one that's potentially more danger than it's worth.
The results, however, of being a Gilbert are clearly better, demonstrated by Violet's growth. By the time the two part ways, Violet has transitioned from a being mere weapon to becoming a doll, both in action an in name, and is on the cusp of being human once again. She has a name now, an identity, and dignity.
And even after they part, Gilbert's treatment of Violet continues to influence her. His final words to her, combined with his other teachings, guide Violet into learning what love means, and thus, into learning what it means to be human, for all the pain and goodness that entails, and further, to embrace it. I realize that even in my workplace, in the position of authority I have, I can take someone's dignity away and I can restore it. I can be that manager who, like Gilbert, guides gently and patiently, or I can be dictatorial, adversarial, or simply uncaring, like Dietrich. And not just in the workplace—I can do the same in places where I might not even have the position of power, like at school, home, or church.
Violet blooms under Gilbert's care and almost impossibly completes the transition from animal to weapon to doll to human, a proof that at the very least, love is the power to change lives for a literal weapon of war, but also for me—a regular guy who has the power to lift people up or tear people down.
- First Impression: The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic - 12.09.2023
- First Impression: Fluffy Paradise - 12.09.2023
- Film Review: The Boy and the Heron - 12.08.2023


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Before and After Motherhood10:11 AM
1. Date Night
2. Hair and Makeup
3. Your Vehicle
4. Your Purse
5. Free Time
6. Laundry
7. Your Arms
36 comments
This is hysterical!!ReplyDelete
LOL, so true! I love being mommy though ;)ReplyDelete
I had to laugh out loud at that one. Too funny, and too realistic.ReplyDelete
Funny though, I could do the same type of post, only add in after kids. You could almost put up the same before image again.
Definitely worth a tweet and sharing to all my friends on Stumbleupon!
what an awesome post - I love the laundry pic...her expression says it all!ReplyDelete
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post made me laugh!ReplyDelete
The first photo could be my house after getting our last puppy.ReplyDelete
This is great! I so many times I have thought about how my life is so different after kids.ReplyDelete
SO SO very true!ReplyDelete
Isn't it the truth!ReplyDelete
Sooo true!ReplyDelete
So true, except for the hair and make-up (for me at least). :)ReplyDelete
To funny, my living room is the before now, my kids are 26, 23 and almost 21 :-) But I remember it so well!!ReplyDelete
Very true, but I wouldn't have it any other way!ReplyDelete
Some day I will reclaim my living room April. :) Although it looks nothing like the after picture if truth be told and my laundry is down to less than a load at the moment lol.ReplyDelete
Hil'Lesha, to be fair, I was never much of a hair and makeup girl, but I am trying to get better.
I still do my hair and makeup everyday too, but my home IS a bit messier, OMG! LOL! Great post!!!ReplyDelete
So funny, but so worth it to have the after! (except for the minivan)ReplyDelete
I love the last one. My arms are definitely full now :)ReplyDelete
What a humorous look at the changes kids bring!ReplyDelete
Love it! Especially the laundry. I can never get caught up!ReplyDelete
Awww! Great post and TOTALLY true!ReplyDelete
I can relate to all of those comparisons!ReplyDelete
I love it! Well said!ReplyDelete
This is so true!!ReplyDelete
Wow.. never looked at things like this before. Great post :)ReplyDelete
OH this is so true!ReplyDelete
So true and so worth it!ReplyDelete
love your before and after sooo trueReplyDelete
The last photo makes it all worth it though!ReplyDelete
Isnt this hitting the nail on the head. I forget what a clean house looks like lolReplyDelete
I have to agree with Whitney ... having kids is hard but awesome.ReplyDelete
The biggest difference for me was the loss of quiet time. Of course I would not trade by four little ones for all the quiet time in the world but I sure do miss it at times.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 12:42 PM
LOL I love your posts they always make me laugh. How true is this though. My hair use to be done nice all the time, now messy mommy bun:)ReplyDelete
Great post...I love the last image.ReplyDelete


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Women usually expect some face swelling during pregnancy and they can pretty much deal with it until the face changes. That's when a women might no longer think that it is cute to be pregnant. Why doesn't all the swelling stay in the hands and feet, one may ask. Unfortunately there is no way to control over what area pregnancy swelling will affect, so the only thing that can be done is to cross fingers and hope not to have a swollen face during pregnancy.
You could follow some known tips on how to reduce face swelling. However, if you find yourself suffering with a swollen face during pregnancy accompanied by other unnatural symptoms you should contact your doctor as this particular swelling could be a result of a medical condition called preeclampsia or toxemia, which causes a pregnant woman's blood pressure to rise to alarming numbers and also causes protein to form in the urine of the mom to be. First time mothers are at a greater risk to develop this condition which can be life threatening to mother and child if it is not caught and treated immediately. Toxemia can affect an expectant mother's kidneys, liver, brain and placenta, so it is imperative that you call your physician if you have noticed any of the following symptoms:
There are some women who will make it through their entire pregnancy with a very small amount of pregnancy swelling and at the same time, there will be some ladies who can't seem to rid their bodies of all the excess fluid. Facial swelling during pregnancy or not, this is all a part of the natural process of being pregnant. Knowledge of how to reduce swelling in face can make a difference.
Some women may only need to try one of these things on how to reduce swelling, while others may need to try more than one. Nevertheless, if you are concerned with the amount of facial swelling during pregnacy that you are experiencing, it may be a good idea to reassure yourself by consulting with your physician. Follow doctor's recommendations on how to reduce the swelling. Don't be alarmed if you notice that the pregnancy swelling doesn't go away immediately. It may take a day or so for you to start looking like yourself again. A swollen face during pregnancy will likely subside within two weeks post delivery.
Try to keep in mind that this will all be worth it once you look into your baby's eyes for the very first time.


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The stock market is a tricky territory. Earning quick money and sometimes big money has always attracted people towards the stock market. But equities are not easy to deal with. It needs a lot of patience and discipline along with proper stock market training. Training is important to be able to understand how the stock market works and how to research the stocks. There is no definite or sure-shot formula for success in trading but there are some golden rules that will increase the chances of getting good returns.
Don't Go With The Crowd
All the stock market trading courses will tell you this, you should not base your decisions on what everyone you know is investing in. In the long run, this could backfire. Quoting Warren Buffet, the world's greatest investor "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful".
Gather Information
Research is the key to trading. With proper stock market training, you can have an idea about how to research and read the stocks. Investors usually don't research. They usually invest in stocks due to its name or the industry it belongs to. That could lead to losing the investment.
Invest In A Business
This is something that not many stock market courses in Mumbai or anywhere in the world will teach you. When investing in the stock market, don't invest in a stock. Instead, invest in a business that you understand.
Stay Away From Fear And Greed
The stock market is very volatile. All the stock market training is directed towards helping you stay away from both the emotions. Usually, when the market is bullish, people get greedy and they start investing in unknown stocks. Many even create heavy positions in the futures without being aware of the risk they are getting into. When the market is bearish and on a constant decline, people get scared and start withdrawing their investment. They don't understand that this is the best time to buy the stocks.
In all the stock market trading courses, you will find one common tip- diversified portfolio. Diversifying the investments not only balances your returns but also minimises your risk. If a few stocks are nosediving, the others will be bringing handsome returns.
Invest Only The Surplus
You can never be completely sure of getting good returns. So, never invest the money you can't afford to lose. By investing surplus, you will never have to worry about meeting your everyday expenses. And if you get good returns, it will only add to your surplus.
There's one thing you must always keep in mind- don't do stocks just because everyone is investing. If you have no idea at all about it, don't get into it. But if you really want to, take a proper stock market training before investing. There are many stock market courses in Mumbai and at many places in India. Enrol yourself into one of them, learn the basics and then decide if you really want to invest here or not.


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Commercial vehicle sales in China were on the decline for the first half of 2019, and they were also down for the month of July.
Year over year, when analyzing the first seven months of the year, commercial vehicle sales were down 4.4%, and were also down 6.4% when strictly comparing July 2018 and July 2019. Commercial vehicles accounted for a 17.5% share of the market from January to July, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
The top bestselling models in China so far this year have been led by Volkswagen, which has three vehicles listed in the top four. Volkswagen's Lavida four door sedan saw 11% growth year over year for the first seven months of 2019, while the second most popular model was the Volkswagen Bora compact car.
Following the two top selling Volkswagen sedans was the Toyota Corolla, which saw a 11% decline year over year, and in fourth for China was the Volkswagen Santana three-box sedan.
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Issue: I feel like no matter what I do or how hard I try, I am never good enough.
Insight: No matter what you think God says you are good enough. In fact, you were created in His image and He sent His Son to die on the cross for your sin. My challenge to you is to focus on what God sees in you and not what you think about yourself. I myself have had these thoughts pretty much my entire life and a friend actually gave me some Scriptures which have really helped me, so I am going to share them with you as well.
Matthew 5:13-14; John 1:12; John 15:1,5; John 15:15; John 15:16; Acts 1:8; Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1-2; Romans 8:28; Romans 8:31-34, Romans 8:35-39; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:17; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 3:12; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 3:20; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:14; Colossians 2:10; Colossians 3:3; 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 5:18. Just remember you are loved and accepted by God, you are significant and God is your security.
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Connie Blackwood
I strive to help others by being a safe place for others to ask questions and pose issues they face.
January 2021


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When the Nazca tectonic plate off the coast of Chile plunged under the South American plate in the early hours of Feb. 27, the colliding masses unleashed an earthquake so powerful it may have shifted Earth's axis three inches.
Yet most of Chile's newer buildings withstood the magnitude 8.8 quake with little or no structural damage. As of March 19, however, Chilean officials said 452 people are confirmed to have been killed because of the earthquake, most from a tsunami it created.
Experts note this quake was hundreds times more powerful than the 7.0 quake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12, yet had a far lower toll on human life. More than 220,000 are estimated to have died under collapsed buildings in Haiti, which has no recognizable building code.
The stark contrast between quakes shows that modern building codes work, say a team of Bay Area earthquake experts who recently returned from Chile.
"The take-home lesson is you build it right, and it's going to do fine," said Walter Mooney, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, back from his mid-March trip to assess damage in the country.
Scores of earthquake experts like Mooney flocked to Chile shortly after the earthquake, in part to assess how well buildings constructed to modern codes held up under the fifth largest earthquake in recorded history.
Engineers and other researchers commonly visit the site of major earthquakes worldwide, particularly those in urban areas, to glean invaluable information
about the real-life effects of earthquakes. But they say the greatest value comes from sizing up those built to the highest standards and inspected carefully — like those in Chile and California — to determine if the state of the art in construction science needs refinement.
The lessons learned from Chile have buoyed confidence that modern structures in California have very good odds of surviving major shaking intact, Mooney said.
"The well-designed buildings both in Haiti and in Chile performed well," he said.
Mooney also visited Haiti shortly after the earthquake there. A large new store constructed with modern standards was virtually undamaged, he said, and was open the day after the quake.
Joe Maffei, a structural engineer with Rutherford & Chekene in San Francisco, joined more than 20 experts dispatched to Chile by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute in Oakland to evaluate damage from the earthquake.
Most of the country's newer mid- and high-rise buildings are made of reinforced concrete, and only a small percentage failed; Maffei said a Chilean expert put the figure at a fraction of 1 percent. And of those that did have partial or full collapses, almost all lacked a critical design element called "confinement ties," horizontal hoops of steel reinforcement bars wrapped around vertical rebars.
The Chilean building code doesn't always require these confinement ties. And some Chileans acknowledged that not adopting the section of California code that does require them led to the building failures, said Bill Holmes, also a structural engineer with Rutherford & Chekene who joined Earthquake Engineering Research Institute group.
The most troubling take-home lesson for Holmes was the poor performance of hospitals during the Chilean earthquakes. And hospitals in the United States, especially those outside of California, have comparable vulnerabilities, he said.
Holmes was sent to focus on how hospitals fared, and he said that while there was little structural damage, the nonstructural damage — such as fallen ceilings, broken pipes, power outages and elevator malfunctions — created havoc in several hospitals he visited. And they led to the worst-case scenario for any hospital personnel to cope with during a national disaster: evacuation of the facility.
"It was absolute chaos," Holmes said. The powerful quake hit at 3:34 a.m. local time, and the ground shook for two minutes. During the time, many hospitals were plunged into darkness, elevators stopped working, broken water pipes sprayed personnel and patients and flooded wards.
Hospital staff had to carry patients out down darkened stairwells filled with rubble, he said, and then there was nowhere to take them.
Of the 14 hospitals he visited, "three patients died, all from heart attacks" in the aftermath of the quake, Holmes said. "No patient died from (building) damage or lack of medical care."
Given the medical equipment, complex wiring, and miles of pipe threaded throughout modern hospitals, among other building elements, it's extremely challenging to brace everything against shaking, he said. California hospitals, which following the 1994 Northridge earthquake have been required to meet some of the strictest seismic safety standards for any facilities worldwide, are highly likely to perform better than the Chilean hospitals, since the new code for hospitals also focuses on securing nonstructural elements. But perfection is hard to attain in that realm, and one broken pipe can still prove highly disruptive.
"One misplaced brace can flood several floors," Holmes said "It's extremely difficult to be perfect."
Three hospitals in Chile built on special structures that allow the building to move during a quake — so-called seismically isolated structures — performed well, with little or no nonstructural damage, he said. He cited one Bay Area hospital that's seismically isolated — the new Mills Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame. Like all new hospitals in California, it's expected to sustain no structural damage with even major shaking. But Holmes said seismically isolated ones, which are more costly to build, are also unlikely to experience even any nonstructural damage.
But hospitals in seismically vulnerable areas outside of California, such as Seattle, parts of Utah, South Carolina and Tennessee, could face similar scenarios as Chile in a major quake, even if the building remains structurally sound, Holmes said.
Another lesson from Chile, Holmes said, was the role of a strong government in preventing major loss of life during an earthquake. He described a Brookings Institution paper published March 5 that correlated the overall effectiveness of Chile's government, and its lack of corruption, with the relatively low death toll from the earthquake.
Earthquakes in other countries at lower magnitudes than Chile's have caused much greater loss of life, such as the magnitude 7.9 earthquake in China in 2008 that claimed some 88,000 lives, the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in Mexico in 1985 that killed 9,500, and the 7.6-magnitude quake in Pakistan in 2005 that left 86,000 dead.
Engineers worldwide understand what's needed to keep buildings standing during earthquakes, Holmes said. But implementing the more costly standards is another matter.
"The knowledge is there in all these countries," he said. "The difference is when the rubber meets the road, it doesn't happen there, because the economic pressures are such that people want to build buildings as fast as they can."
Suzanne Bohan covers science. Contact her at 510-262-2789. Follow her at Twitter.com/suzbohan.


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Surely it's a tall order to replicate the biggest metal band that still to this day rule planet earth?
Well let us tell you, if somehow Mentallica have managed to elude you in the last 20years, yes 20 years, then you're in for a pleasant shock, Mentallica are as close as you can get !
2017 is the 20th anniversary of Mentallica's formation and testament to lead front man Chris Jones who's shared passion for the mighty Metallica got out of hand and turned into a life's ambition of being the best tribute there possibly could be to them.
Mentallica capture that original raw energy that connected us all the first time you heard them. Watching Chris and the guys at work is pure genius. Mentallica's set is a high octane twin turbo rocket fuelled juggernaut, that spits and sparks out all the classics hitting you from all directions. We've got a feeling we are all going to be moths to the flame on this one!


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Arthur Pope and a new Survey of Persian ArtJuly 8th, 2010
Title: Arthur Pope and a new Survey of Persian Art
Location: The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Avenue
Description: In celebration of the opening of the Art Institute's newly refurbished permanent installation of the art of the Islamic world, the museum proudly presents Arthur Pope and a New Survey of Persian Art. This exhibition will highlight this historically important collection of Persian art, which was developed under the guidance of Arthur Upham Pope (1881–1969). The exhibition will be up through October 3, 2010.
Adults, $18.00; Students and Seniors, $12.00
Date: 2010-07-17


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Massages for the back of the legs
Massage for Tired Legs
Place the oil on the leg above the hip, move it down, on the leg and on the feet, extending it, to start the massage from the ankles.
From the ankle drain the oil up using your thumbs. On the back of the knee, move the heels of the hands upwards and follow up to the hip joint.
Move the hands down again to the ankles and feet.
Knead the thighs and calves and rub gently on the back of the knee.
All the previous steps have to be repeated, in both legs.
Rotate through the legs from the ankle to the buttocks, without applying any pressure to the back of the knee area (KNEE articulation).
Gently, diffuse blows all the way to the leg
Massages for the front of the legs leg massage
Put oil on the entire leg.
I massage up the calf up to the knee with the thumb.
Hold the back of the knee with the left hand and perform the movement with the right hand up and around the kneecap and then towards the back of the knee.
Use your left hand to massage counterclockwise.
Use your thumbs to make small circles and overlap around the knee.
Massage the oil up from the knee to the upper part of the thigh, by applying the heels of the hands.
The hands should slide down the ankle
Squeeze the whole leg, starting from the ankle and kneading the thighs. Repeat this procedure for both legs.
SELF MASSAGE of legs by means of apparatuses
There are several ways to receive a massage, from self-massage to shiatsu machines to massage the feet how are you.


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There may not be a better organized trade group than Realtors. The real estate world collapsed in an epic way and continues the dead cat bounce, yet the agent community has experienced no significant change.
Why has the sales community not been dismembered and regulated like others in the real estate field? Why have the requirements not been increased to obtain and maintain a license? Why is there virtually no state or federal oversight like that in other areas? Why has the process to obtain and maintain a license not substantively changed?
One might point to enormously powerful lobby, a steady stream of revenue to state and local organizations and brokerage business plans that rely on monthly agent fees as a revenue foundation.
The requirements to obtain a real estate license are laughable. To obtain a license to sell real estate in Georgia, one is required to pass a background check, sit and pass a 75-hour prelicense course, then sit a 25-hour post-license course within a year. There are no experience requirements for a salesperson's license.
The requirements to obtain a broker/associate broker license include a background check, completing a 60-hour broker prelicense course and passing the exam, and being licensed on active status for at least three of the previous five years. A salesperson can apply after three years of active service. There are no performance requirements for a broker's license.
Contrast that with becoming an appraiser in Georgia. A background check is required along with sitting and passing a 90-hour core course of study. At this point, one is considered a "registered appraiser." But this does not permit unsupervised work — it merely allows the new appraiser to try to work as an apprentice for a licensed appraiser.
To become a "licensed appraiser," one needs to sit 150 hours of core course work, pass a comprehensive exam, sit and pass an exam for a 15-hour Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) class, and submit an experience log showing 2,000 hours of verified field work under the direct supervision of a licensed or certified appraiser (with address, type of report, date, hours worked, each entry signed by both parties).
To become a "certified appraiser," one needs to sit 200 hours of core course work, pass a comprehensive exam, sit the class and pass an exam for a 15-hour Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice class, hold at least an associate degree from an accredited college or university, submit a detailed log demonstrating 2,500 hours of verifiable field work (must be completed in a 24-month window with at least 25 percent being complex work with one- to four-family properties, and must include the same details as that for licensed logs).
To become a "general certified appraiser" (commercial, nonresidential, etc.), one needs to sit 300 hours of core course work, pass a comprehensive exam, sit the class and pass an exam for a 15-hour Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice class, hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, submit a detailed log demonstrating 3,000 hours of verifiable field work (must be completed in a 30-month window with at least 50 percent being nonresidential, and must include the same details as that for licensed logs).
Appraisers are required to complete 14 hours of continuing education each year and updates to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice every second year and pass the associated exam. Agents are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education over a four-year period, with no exams required.
The appraisal industry experienced substantial changes after the savings and loan debacle back in early 1990s, when licensing requirements were instituted on a national level. The industry took the brunt of the hit during the crash. Micromanagement by Washington and the creation of the Home Valuation Code of Conduct resulted in third-party management firms, and a literal gutting of the industry as experienced appraisers left the retail side. Yet the agent community saw no changes. Absolutely nothing.
Consider basic licensing requirements for other regulated professions in Georgia:
- Cosmetologist license: 1,500 hours / 3,000 hours apprenticeship
- Esthetician license: 1,000 hours / 2,000 hours apprenticeship
- Nail technician license: 525 hours / 2,050 hours apprenticeship
- Barber license: 1,500 hours / 3,000 hours apprenticeship
Add to those additional requirements for health regulation standards, regular inspections, business licenses and continuing education.
Appraisers, barbers, nail techs, trainers, masseuses — all require a lengthy apprenticeship period. Financial planners, stock brokers, CPAs, accountants — all have much higher bars to entry, education requirements, testing, internship requirements and more. The latter group with a direct influence on the financial well-being of a client — much in the same way a real estate agent does but with diametrically opposed licensing requirements and oversight. This, despite the calamity of the real estate crash in which agents played a major role.
In Georgia, agents perform functions that are handled by attorneys in many other states. They show homes but also write offers, negotiate contracts, arrange various inspections, attend closings and act as general counsel to clients. Attorneys here represent the lender at closing, not either party; their role in a real estate transaction is to ensure proper and legal transfer of title and to ensure the mortgage is properly recorded. Unless independently contracted, lawyers offer no legal or contractual advice.
Drastic changes have been and continue to be made to every component of the real estate industry except the most important and visible part of it. The agent is the "face of real estate" and has the most impact and influence on a buyer or seller, yet nothing has been done to raise performance standards despite the scrutiny paid to every other related field.
The power of the national and regional Realtor organizations and lobby cannot be debated.
If you are just getting started in real estate, make sure to check out our real estate glossary.
Hank Miller is an associate broker and certified appraiser in Atlanta, Ga. The lead agent for HMT Atlanta, he's known for his candid opinions and real estate expertise.


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The National Election Committee has so far approved more than 30,000 observers from NGOs for the June 4 commune elections and confirmed that more than 100,000 observers affiliated with political parties will also monitor voting.
With just a few weeks left for observers to apply for clearance, an NEC statement released at a meeting about election security yesterday shows that the institution accepted 30,640 national observers from nine organisations so far.
The NEC also approved 41 international observers, most of whom come from the EU and the Chinese Embassy.
The application deadlines for national and international observers are on May 24 and May 31, respectively. The dozen political parties on the ballot will provide 105,076 observers in total, with the ruling CPP and opposition CNRP posting 44,614 and 43,596 observers, respectively.
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nytha said the commission is waiting for indelible ink, which will be used on election day to indicate who has already voted, to arrive from India. In the 2013 national elections, a Comfrel report found that the ink used could be cleaned off a few hours after voting.


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My local doctor told me he could no longer help me, saying he had done all he could do. He suggested I go to a teaching hospital. But I chose City of Hope and I met Dr. Nakamura. I liked everything I saw and everyone I met. However, my insurance would not allow me to go to City of Hope. Dr. Nakamura kept in touch with my local doctor for a year. That was very impressive. I switched insurance at my first opportunity. I feel that is what saved my life.
When I go back for doctor visits, I always have so much hope for those that are going through their treatment.


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Sources have (for some unknown reason) reported to the TV show The Doctors (what is that) that Caitlyn Jenner will cover Glamour's forthcoming Women of the Year issue. The Doctors claims that Jenner was involved in a "top secret photoshoot" for the mag, though according to Life and Style, a spokesperson for Glamour would neither confirm or deny the report.
Last year's cover star was Lupita Nyong'o and former recipients of the honor include Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, Rihanna, and Michelle Obama. While honorees won't be announced until November 3, Glamour naming Cait as WOTY seems like a lovely idea to us — though it is sure to bring out the ugly from some quarters.


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Believing that the Fountain of Youth could be found in the New World, Ponce de León explored the coast of a land that he would call Florida. He also explored and settled the island of Puerto Rico long before setting foot in Florida.
Full-color photographs and illustrationsFull-color laminated cover, reinforced bindingBibliography, sidebars, chronology, time line, further reading, Web sites, index
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I couldn't decide if she was helpless, or a temptress, or both. So I went with both.
Also includes Children Of Fortune. This entire issue can be downloaded here.
The helpless temptress- deadliest of the species.
Given her expression compared with the November cover, also by Emsh, I'd have t vote for temptress


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The Life/form® Ausculation Trainer and Smartscope
A major breakthrough in auscultation training! The instructor selects from a menu of heart and lung conditions by wireless remote control. The manikin presents itself as a real patient without visible auscultation sites. The student must palpate to identify correct auscultation locations, and will hear different heart and lung sounds as the Smartscope is moved to different locations on the manikin. A diagnosis of the condition selected by the instructor can be made by comparing the variations in sounds occurring at different sites. Just like a real patient!
The simulator has six heart sites and 5 lung sound sites on the anterior surface with 10 lung sound locations on the posterior and two midaxillary sites. The remote control can select from 12 different heart conditions, as well as 16 lung conditions. The instructor can select any condition then switch to another condition easily so the student can compare sounds and make a diagnosis. The remote control does not have to be pointed at the manikin or stethoscope to operate. One remote control will operate multiple sets of Smartscopes and manikins simultaneously. Great for group instruction. Range on the unit is up to 100 feet of remote access. Auscultation trainer includes manikin, one remote control with LCD display, and one Smartscope with single- and dual-user headpieces. Operates using three "AAA" batteries (included). Five-year warranty.
Patents pending.
|Actual Weight (lbs)
|Custom Imprint Available
|Manufacture's Suggested Retail Price
- This Item:
- The Life/form® Adult Airway Management Trainers
- The Laerdal® Airway Management Trainer
- The Simulaids Stat Simulator Deluxe Adult Airway Management Head


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Sometimes I feel like I walk around with my fingers in my ears all the time. If it's not the rat-tat-tat of jackhammers, the blaring sirens on a police car, or the beep-beep-beep of a truck that is backing up, it is the air brakes on the crosstown bus. Given my relatively strong high-pitched hearing, the sound of air brakes is the worst. Very painful.
Most of the time I don't care about the stares that I get. Sometimes, although rarely, a passerby will plug his ears in solidarity. We usually exchange a smile and an eye roll as we wonder how things have gotten so loud!
One time when I was on my way to meet some hearing research scientists for lunch, there was a group of workers jackhammering right outside the restaurant where we were meeting. They chuckled as they saw me approach with my fingers sticking firmly into my ears. At least I practice what I preach, we all laughed!
But sometimes, it is awkward to visibly plug your ears — like when you are at your child's school music concert and the sound of the trumpet is blasting in your brain. The other parents might not appreciate your physical disapproval of their children's musical efforts. In this situation, I will often try to block the ear that is closest, perhaps with a subtle head tilt towards an upraised hand. Of course I could always turn my hearing aids down, but then I would miss the notes from my own offspring. Thank goodness he plays the cello, an instrument in the lower sound register!
Plugging your ears with your fingers can look a bit funny, but protecting your hearing is not a laughing matter. In some of the cases described above, my hearing was probably not at real risk, but my sensitivity to loud sounds, especially high-pitched sounds, makes it painful for me, nonetheless.
Severe sound sensitivity is a serious condition called hyperacusis which is when everyday sounds like water running or a fan blowing are perceived as painfully loud. It can be extremely debilitating and is often associated with Meniere's disease. My sound sensitivity is quite tame in comparison, however, exposure to loud sounds can trigger my tinnitus — something I want to avoid at all costs.
So what can a hard-of-hearing but sensitive-to-loud-sounds person do about this?
1. Always carry earplugs, even if you don't think you will need them. Some come with handy carrying cases, others with decorations, while the simple type from the drug store can be carried easily in a Ziplock bag. And don't be afraid to use them.
2. Get proficient with the volume control settings on your hearing aids. The faster you can make adjustments, the quicker you will have protection and the more agile you will be at turning the volume back up when the disturbing noise ends.
3. Don't be shy about using your fingers. In a pinch, blocking the noise with your fingers or hands is a good option. Other simple methods of protecting your hearing include moving away from the noise and lowering the volume, if you can.
4. Perfect your incognito blocking maneuver for those sticky situations where you might not want to be seen plugging your ears — assuming the noise is at a safe level, of course. Your friends and family will thank you for your subtlety.
Readers, do you plug your ears with your fingers to block uncomfortable sounds?


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Online retail giant eBay has reversed its once ailing fortunes in China after adapting its business model to suit local conditions.
The US multinational made its first substantive play in China by spending $100m in Eachnet, with the goal of replicating the strategy used elsewhere.
Having rapidly reduced its emphasis on this venture in 2006, eBay has instead forged a position assisting Chinese enterprises wishing to sell their products to overseas shoppers.
Jeff Liao, eBay's chief executive in Greater China, told the Financial Times that the dramatic growth being experienced by many indigenous firms constitutes a huge opportunity.
"When we started our cross-border business in China in 2007, the majority of sellers were small and medium-sized businesses that were already online," he said. "But the situation has changed."
The company now boasts 180,000 vendors from the world's most populous nation, all of which undergo a "probation" period of between three and six months to ensure they do not sell counterfeit goods.
At present, eBay's client roster includes retailers like Vancl, the fashion chain, sportswear giant Li Ning, and Metersbonwe, the apparel specialist.
Cross-border sales delivered 20% of eBay's business last year and represent an extremely promising area for future expansion.
"What really matters are the 96m registered buyers we have worldwide," Jay Lee, eBay's senior vice president, Asia Pacific, said.
In pursuing its current approach, eBay is encroaching on the territory of Alibaba, one of China's biggest ecommerce groups.
Alibaba came to prominence by deploying a similar model in the business-to-business space, and has ramped up these efforts by rolling out AliExpress.
Although this platform is largely targeted at the B-to-B segment, individual shoppers can make limited orders.
Previously, the ascent of Taobao, Alibaba's leading business-to-consumer property, undermined eBay's original forays in China.
A further emerging source of competition between the two organisations lies in the electronic payments market.
From August, eBay will halt the operation of its PayPal system on AliExpress, a strategy attributed at least in part to concerns over the amount of consumer, rather than corporate, usage.
"PayPal remains deeply committed to China by providing Chinese merchants access to a safer and easier way to sell to millions of our users all over the world," said Dickson Seow, PayPal Asia Pacific's director of communications.
"You'll continue to see new initiatives, products and services from PayPal in China that help Chinese merchants grow their businesses by selling goods and services to our global buyers."
PayPal saw Chinese transactions reach a value of $4.4bn in 2010, up 44% on an annual basis.
While eBay is all too aware Alibaba's scale in China, the American firm believes rigorous procedures for vetting vendors and insistence on high service standards should strengthen its local standing.
Equally, eBay's stronger international status could serve as insulation against broader incursions from Alibaba.
"We don't know if business-to-business is [Alibaba's] real intent or if they are hiding behind that," said Lee. "But we have the buyer base."
Source : Warc


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By Athena McKenzie / Photos by Janis Nicolay
If decorating with colour seems a bold move, how about hiring your interior designer over the Internet? Maybe, but Anna Shetty knew Kyla Bidgood of Bidgood and Co. was the perfect match for her new house, purchased in Victoria while her family was still living in Ontario. "Her esthetic seemed bright and fun but you could tell it was well-thought out design." Shetty says.
"I liked her fresh perspective, and I wanted that for our family home."
The result? The transformed space created a home that "feels like it embodies bright colour and pattern but also a blend of restrained simplicity," Shetty says.
With three young children, Shetty's main focus for the refresh was a cohesive family room and dining area that led into the kitchen. She wanted the rooms to flow into each other but feel separate. "The way it was set up before, the dining table looked like it was in the family room," she says.
The layout of the home presented a challenge, but Bidgood worked with her colleague, Kristine Hageland, on possible concepts for the space. "We played around with several layouts before we landed on this one," Bidgood says. "It's very open and connected and includes a desk space, a living space and an eating area. The built-in elements were one key to tying it all together. The dining table is actually connected to the kitchen island. So rather than being freestanding, it's an extension of the kitchen. It's not done in the kitchen-cabinet finish but in the finish of the built-in desk area. That's one way to create that connectivity."
The refresh of the open-concept living area and the home's smaller bedrooms embraced a rich palette. The designers were excited to work with someone who "loved the tasteful use of colour — it's all about the balance of neutral pieces and those that draw your eye," Hageland says.
The family needed a new sofa, so that was used as an "anchor point," with the designers choosing a deep blue that became one of the main themes in that space's palette. "The key thing with making a space feel bright and colourful is not everything in the space has to be bright and colourful," Bidgood says. "If you're going to have colourful furniture, it's better to have neutral wall colours and play with art and accessories. And vice versa. If you're going to have a really bold colour on the wall — like in the bedroom — pick more subdued colours for your furniture."
There are also a few geometrics at play in the space, with a subtle repetition of pattern connecting the distinct areas, from the stitching in the sling chairs to the pattern in the tile surround of the fireplace insert to the horizon line that runs from the desk area across the fireplace. "The space has a lot of personality, but the colours and patterns don't make it feel juvenile," Bidgood says. "It's definitely an adult space but also very approachable."
A favourite element of the designers and the homeowners are the distinctive pendant light fixtures that hang down over the table. "They completely work with our colour scheme," Shetty says. "They don't give off a ton of light, but we always put them on because they add a touch we really appreciate. There is so much cohesiveness to the space."
Bensen Morgan sofa, Salari area rug and Bensen coffee table (ChesterFields)
Tenso lounge chair (Spencer Interiors)
Fireplace tile (Heath Ceramics)
Tom Dixon Form bowl set (Gabriel Ross)
Custom white oak built-in desk and shelving (Strong Construction Group)
Hay About a Chair (Hay)
Flowers (Rook & Rose)
Siemon and Salazar stone banded orb pendants (Siemon and Salazar)
Muuto nerd chair (Muuto)
Custon white oak table (Strong Construction Group)
Succulents (Rook & Rose)
BEDROOM (Pink Kaleidoscope):
Custom wallpaper (created by artist Lauren Mycroft, graphic artist Sarah McNeil and designer Kyla Bidgood)
Bludot Nook bed and Gus Transit bench (ChesterFields)
St. Germain wall lamp, (onefortythree)
Hay Kaledio Trays (Hay)
Toss Pillow (Pigeon Hole Homestore)
Flowers (Rook & Rose)


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Bradley Manning seeks presidential pardon for data leak
U.S. soldier says leaks were out of 'concern for country'
U.S. soldier Bradley Manning is seeking a presidential pardon for leaking classified information to the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks.
The Pvt. Manning Support Network released documents Wednesday that attorney David Coombs filed a day earlier with the U.S. Justice Department and the Department of the Army.
Coombs, who represents Manning, says the leaked information did not merit protection.
Manning, who has asked to be called Chelsea, has declared a desire to live as a woman while serving a 35-year prison sentence for disclosing the classified military and diplomatic information while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq in 2010.
- Bradley Manning gets 35 years in U.S. WikiLeaks case
- Should Bradley Manning be granted a pardon?
- Being Chelsea: Bradley Manning's new world
In a petition for pardon and commutation of sentence, Manning writes: "The decisions I made in 2010 were made out of a concern for my country and the world that we live in."
Manning expressed regrets for any actions that caused harm.
Obama administration cracks down on security breaches
It was the largest-volume leak of classified material in U.S. history. Manning got the longest sentence ever for disclosing U.S. government secrets to others for publication.
The Obama administration has cracked down on security breaches, charging seven people with leaking to the media. Only three were prosecuted under all previous presidents combined.
Manning signed the petition with her legal name, "Bradley Manning," not Chelsea. Coombs has said anything having to do with the pardon or court-martial would have to be in Bradley's name. Prison officials say Manning would have to get a legal name change to be known as Chelsea.
Manning has said she wants to live as a woman and receive hormone therapy for gender dysphoria -- the sense that she is physically the wrong gender.
Manning wrote in the petition that she started questioning the morality of U.S. actions in Iraq and Afghanistan while reading secret military reports daily in Iraq.
Manning acknowledged she broke the law, adding, "I regret if my actions hurt anyone or harmed the United States."
At Manning's trial, government witnesses testified that some of the leaked information endangered information sources, forced ambassadors to be reassigned and were used as al-Qaida propaganda.
Coombs wrote in a cover letter to Manning's petition that none of Manning's disclosures caused any "real damage" to the United States and that the documents were not sensitive information meriting protection.
Documents submitted in support of Manning's petition include a letter from Amnesty International, which said the leaks exposed potential human rights violations.


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Dimond French Program Includes Academics, Projects, Culture and Travel
Dimond High School offers a wide variety of world language courses including Spanish, German and the notable Japanese Immersion Program. But maybe less known to the average Dimond average student is its amazing French program.
French at Dimond is taught by Aline Hopkins, beginning with French I and going all the way up to AP French and higher French classes offered at University of Alaska Anchorage.
"French is my favorite language to speak and teach." Hopkins said when asked about her experience teaching French. "I love seeing kids experience a new language and culture."
Hopkins' contagious love of French is easily spread to almost all of her students.
When Senior Gwenna Nichols, who has taken French since freshman year, was asked about her experience with Dimond's French program, her face lit up.
"I love French! It has given be an opportunity to learn about a new culture that I would've never learned about before."
Like many others, French has been nothing but good for me.
I began taking French during my freshman year. Since the first day of my high school career, I have felt welcomed and appreciated in within the walls of B107.
Hopkins has created a wonderful environment for learning and experiencing all French has to offer.
Hopkins makes learning fun and easy. Through daily warm ups, activities and projects she makes the class very engaging.
"One of my favorite projects in French was the house project. We got to make a small house diorama and label everything inside with its French translation," said Ashley Morton, who is currently in French IV.
French culture has also been very entertaining learning through Hopkins' eyes.
In class, we listen to a lot of French songs and watch French movies to immerse ourselves in the French culture. We also take days to have cultural celebrations where we bring different foods from all of France.
"One time I had students torch crème brûlée in class," Ms. Hopkins said.
"One of the coolest ways I got to learn about French culture was through pen pals. I got to hear about what it's like to be a high schooler in a foreign country. I still talk to them once in a while." said Matthew Olive, a junior in French IV.
Recently, Hopkins has been trying to incorporate travel within her classes.
Last year, about 20 students from both Spanish and French classes at Dimond took a trip overseas to see France and Spain.
This year, Hopkins has plans to take another group of students from French and the JROTC program to see Paris and Normandy on the 75th anniversary of D Day.
"I love seeing students see the culture that I've been teaching them about for all these years." Ms. Hopkins said.
She also is planning a trip for the summer of 2020, where students will travel to France, Spain and Italy.
On top of all that, Hopkins supervises the student led French Club, which meets Thursday at lunch in her room. During this time, students watch french movies, bring or make French foods and/or play french games. French Club is a way for all students at Dimond to see what French and its culture has to offer.
The French program at Dimond has impacted many students lives.
"Many students continue their French education after high school. I love hearing about when students major or minor in French." Hopkins said.
Hannah Olive, a freshman in French I said, "I have only been in French class for one semester, but I've been having so fun. I've already learned so much and can't wait to continue my French education and maybe go on one of the amazing trips!"


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We tried and like….the trtl pillow.
This light weight travel pillow was very easy to use and super comfortable. My head felt like it was suspended in air. No more small pillows slipping away or an uncomfortable scrunched up jacket between my head and shoulder. This item will always be on my must pack list. I paid $39.95 and happy with the quality and comfort. Comes in black, grey, red and coral. www.trtltravel.com