text:
Our Floral Entrepreneur Boot Camp provides very valuable information for anyone planning to open a flower
shop or home based floral business. Therefore enrollment in this
course is restricted to students enrolled in our Concentrated
Course or Evening Course (or graduates of those programs).
We sometimes also
allow spouses/partners of currently enrolled students or graduates to
take this program.
Certificate presented to those who successfully complete this
In our Six Month Day Course we cover both floral designing and flower shop management. Many people
taking our Evening Course and Concentrated Day Programs in Floral Design come to us with prior background in
managment or retailing, and would like to learn only floral designing skills. Some take the course for fun & recreation and also want to learn just the floral designing aspect.
On the other hand, some folks taking our Evening Course and Concentrated Day Programs have asked us for
a short course designed specially for them, that would give even more information about floral business skills. This program is our answer.
Like every field, the retail floral field has its own unique issues and idiosyncrasies. The information presented in the Floral Entrepreneur Boot Camp is quite industry specific. It reflects knowledge that we have acquired through multigenerations of
Rittners involvement in the floral field. It reflects our intimate knowledge of the retail floral field.
Some students take The Floral Entrepreneur Boot Camp not because of vocational reasons but simply because they really enjoy our lively,
entertaining and expert manner of teaching!
Think of a kindly mentor presenting a variety of discussions about things you want to know more about in an entertaining and enjoyable way.
We really love teaching the Floral Entrepreneur Boot Camp. The folks who take it are really interested in our field. There's always a strong curiousity and interest on behalf of the folks who take
the Floral Entrepreneur Boot Camp that real teachers love!
A variety of methods such as lecture, discussion, digital and/or photographic slide media, are utilized. Students receive a huge number of handouts.
For more information about our Floral Entrepreneur Boot Camp please contact Dr. Steve Rittner at:
Rittners School of Floral Design
345 Marlborough St.
Boston, Ma. 02115
Tel: 617-267-3824
email Steve Rittner at: email@example.com


text:
Flashy car not likely to make Malcom Floyd a flashy player like his brother
Have a question for Tim?Tim Sullivan Mailbag
(Author's note: To avoid confusion in reading this column, please bear in mind that Chargers' receiver Malcom Floyd has an older brother named Malcolm Floyd, who also played in the National Football League.)
Malcom Floyd has his eyes on an Audi, and did before the NFL lockout.
The Chargers wide receiver wants an SUV for his growing family, but he's been putting off major purchases despite a seven-digit salary. At first, Floyd wanted to conserve his cash as a strategy for weathering a long work stoppage. Now, he's back at work and too busy to browse.
For a guy who normally covers ground in long, swift strides, Malcom Floyd is dragging his feet.
"That's how we were raised," his older brother Malcolm explains. "You have to prepare for the future. When I went into the league, I wanted to get a Cadillac, And my father took me to the Honda dealership. I was the only one in training camp with a Honda Civic."
Malcolm Floyd — he of the extra "l" — spent four seasons in the National Football League and scored two career touchdowns for the Houston Oilers. Following the first of them, a 1995 catch on a cold November day in Cleveland, Floyd spun the ball in the end zone and held up his hands as if seeking warmth from a campfire.
Malcolm was the more demonstrative of the football Floyds. Malcom, by comparison, is muted.
"I used to (be more boisterous)," Malcom Floyd said. "In elementary school, I would high-step. I'd get down on one knee, like I was looking in the mirror. But then it just went (away) in middle school or high school. I wanted to take a different path than my brother."
Whether it's a matter of dollars or decorum, Malcom Floyd is careful to avoid actions he might later regret. He's a big-play receiver with a long-range outlook, a guy who plays football's most flamboyant position with the understated confidence of a solitary craftsman. He is so predictably self-effacing that it has made for a running joke around Chargers Park.
"He comes out here and he makes a spectacular catch about every other day and everyone says, 'Great catch, Malcom,' " Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "And he says, 'I got lucky.' He always says, 'I just got lucky.' Finally, one day, (Antonio) Gates said, 'Malcom, you get lucky every day.' "
The older brother is laughing as this story is repeated. Getting lucky, he says, is his line, a trademark his younger brother was not too proud to appropriate. The difference is that Malcolm Floyd probably needed a certain amount of serendipity to survive in the NFL, where Malcom Floyd had the good fortune to sprout as a physical specimen.
"The catches that he makes, I could never do those things," the older brother said. "I guess I was more emotion and he's really low-key. My mom always preached to calm down, but I'm a small package compared to my other brothers."
Separated by nine years and, now, by five inches in height, Malcolm and Malcom Floyd have an unusual bond. The older brother was allowed to name his sibling to discourage rivalries, and named him after himself. The spelling variation is their father's doing. The personality and athletic differences evolved over time.
"I would have to take him everywhere I went," Malcolm Floyd said. "I had to change his diapers. If we were playing basketball, he'd just hold us down. We had to make up for his lack of ability.
"By the time I got into the NFL, (he) was barely reaching high school. I came back for a couple days and we were playing basketball and he was dunking on me. I guess things had changed."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Be Sure to buy your tickets before they sell out... they always do!
Doug from Einhorn Brewery gives us some insight about the fourth annual Brews and Bites, and damn are we thirsty after hearing this.
Tim Walsh took ten minutes out of his preperation for San Diego to give us a preview of what to expect for Tomorrow night and the rest of the season.
Rita does well in Beat the Box Office, but cannot take out Andrew and the Unforgiven!
Apple may have won their U.S. case, but Japan has got Samsung's back!
Samsung vs apple
Fantasy football


text:
Audi R10 TDI
Audi R10 TDI – a history maker
AUDI AG wrote an important chapter in the history of motor racing with its historic triumph in the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hour race. The Audi R10 TDI was the first diesel car to win arguably the toughest car race in the world. In front of a record crowd of 235,000 spectators, Frank Biela (Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany).
Although the roll-out of the new Audi R10 TDI took place only 200 days before the race, the victorious Diesel sportscar ran as reliably for 24 hours as its predecessor, the R8 that scored five Le Mans victories.
Meanwhile Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) achieved third place overall at Le Mans that year, the trio having scored a debut race win in the R10 TDI in the Sebring 12 Hours three months earlier.
Audi also become the first manufacturer to win all races in a season in the LM P1 class of the American Le Mans Series. Dindo Capello and Allan McNish clinched the Drivers' title, winning seven times outright and eight LM P1 class wins which also brought the Teams and Manufacturers titles once more in their R8 (using FSI petrol injection technology) and R10 TDI.
Further race victories at Le Mans followed in 2007 & '08 for the R10 TDI. Additionally, the Audi R10 TDI won the American Le Mans Series (2007 & '08) and also the Manufacturer's title in the European-based Le Mans Series in 2008.
Of course, this same race-winning TDI technology is also available across the entire Audi range.


text:
Info session: Explore Your Future
Orange County
1 to 2:30 p.m.
NPI Services
3554 Business Park Drive Suite G
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Serving in the Peace Corps is a great way to immerse yourself in a new culture, learn a new language, and have the experience of a lifetime. Join us at this information session to learn about Volunteer experiences, have your questions answered, and gain tips to guide you through the application process.
There will be an informal gathering of potential applicants and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers together following the event. We will walk across the street to the "South Coast Collection" to chat and enjoy time together in the outdoor plaza featuring food trucks, gelato, art and shopping.
About the Peace Corps: Read more or watch a video about what it's like to be a Volunteer including what Volunteers do, where they go, and the many benefits of Peace Corps service. Or apply now to begin your life-defining experience.
Stay Connected: Sign Up for E-Updates || Facebook || Twitter || YouTube || Flickr || Tumblr || LinkedIn
For questions about this event contact Julia Capizzi at email@example.com.
For questions about this event contact Julia Capizzi
If you require a reasonable accommodation when attending a Peace Corps event, please contact the recruiter identified in the "for questions about this event" section of the event listing. Please provide the details of the reasonable accommodation you are requesting.
Last updated Jun 16 2014
Reference #18445


text:
Tim Van Cromvoirt's trippy thermophores change color with heat
Dutch designer Tim Van Cromvoirt wanted to create a wall application that would look organic and act like living organism. So he used his final year at the ST. Joost Academy, in Breda to experiment with materials and reactions. What he developed was Thermophores,
Read more >


text:
change location
The Ultimate Girl's Night Out For Fun! (more)
Do you want to have a FABULOUS evening with lots of your great girlfriends?? I can help you plan a Bachelorette Party, Girl's Night Out, or a simple get-to-gether (more)
Create Account
Add Listing
Plan, book and shop for your wedding with inspiration as your guide. Plus, save photos to your favorites!


text:
So This Is 30: How Health Care Rules Are Changing for Part-Timers
While part-time workers make up 23 percent of the total workforce, only 15 percent of them are eligible for health coverage, survey reveals.
Part-time employees are much less likely to take advantage of employer-sponsored health care benefits than full-time employees, according to new data from ADP Research Institute.
The new information could have a significant effect on how companies respond to reforms in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, says Chris Ryan, vice president of Automatic Data Processing Inc.'s strategic advisory service in Louisville, Kentucky, and co-author of the report.
The study shows that in 2012, when eligible part-time employees were offered health benefits, only 53 percent elected coverage vs. 77 percent of full-time employees. The study is based on 2012 employee data from 300 U.S.-based organizations.
It also shows that, while part-time workers make up 23 percent of the total workforce, only 15 percent of them are eligible for health coverage. As a result, part-time employees represent less than 5 percent of the total population participating in their employer's health coverage.
"I was more surprised by the low percentage of workers who were eligible for health insurance than that only half of them participated," says Andrew Webber, president and CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health.
That's likely to change in 2014 when Affordable Care Act regulations kick in requiring companies to provide full-time workers—defined as anyone working 30 or more hours per week—with health care benefits. This will transition a large segment of the part-time workforce to full-time status, putting companies in the position of having to offer benefits to more employees.
"I don't think employers will be surprised by this data," Webber says. "But the jury is still out on how they will respond."
Whether employers rework their part-time workforce to keep them under 30 hour a week or they adapt their budgets to accommodate the higher cost of this workforce segment, they will have to make big decisions in the coming year, Ryan says. "It's no longer just a benefits issue. It's about rethinking the cost models that shape your workforce strategies."
While companies can't assume that only 53 percent of newly eligible workers will take advantage of health care benefits, this data can be viewed as a benchmark.
The study also shows that employer size correlates with total premiums, irrespective of employee contribution levels. And despite wide disparities in total premium costs on an employer-by-employer basis, very large employers (with more than 5,000 employees) as a group pay 14 percent less for health insurance than employers with smaller workforces. The benefits of these lower premium costs are shared equally by employer and employee.
"The key question for employers now is: What percentage of the newly eligible population will be likely to participate in benefits programs?" Ryan says. "Because the difference of even a few percentage points for a large company can have a dramatic shift on costs."
Sarah Fister Gale is a writer based in the Chicago area. Comment below or email email@example.com.


text:
By: A.K. Anderson
Number of Reviews: 1179
Average Score: 66
Visit Brittney Skye
She has blonde hair, a pretty face, big boobs, a shaved pink pussy and those come-hither eyes. Brittney Skye has all the makings of a great pornstar and that's exactly what she is. Unfortunately, her site has all the makings of a poor website and that is exactly what it is.
For starters, it hasn't had an update since 2007, so its small size hasn't improved. There are only two videos and even with that ridiculously puny number, they don't even deliver them at the same level of quality and neither is that high.
In fact, it turns out that one has average-quality playback and the other is below average in quality. The screen size is really small and they aren't offered as full-length files, only split up into clips, so that's adding insult to injury. Right below the two vids you will also find five bonus movies. Four of these are taken from her DVDs and one from another website.
At least the lesbian scenes are hot. I mean, if you're like me and like babe-on-babe action, they'll give you a decent amount of satisfaction. Actually, if you're like me, the fact that there are only two will probably put a big damper on your fun. Britt licks pussy and her partner jams several types of high-powered vibrators into her va-jay-jay. She also does another chick using a strapon.
The 50 photo sets provide you with pics that are more consistent in quality and you can download them in Zip files. You can also view the pictures in hands-free slideshows. Each set is made up of medium and high-res images. The galleries are divided into three categories: solo, lesbian and hardcore. I should mention that the content is nonexclusive and taken from various shoots and movies Brittney did previously.
If Brittney is your favorite pornstar and the only reason you want to join, then don't bother. However, if you are more interested in pornstars in general then maybe the Pornstar Key bonus sites will appeal to you. There are 27 of them, including Anetta Keys, Bree XXX and Susana Spears. Many of these sites are no longer updating either, though.
* Please include a pro and a con about the site. Balance is essential in making a comment worthwhile. Scores without comments will be deleted.
* Watch out for ratings of zero and 100. In our opinion, there is no such thing as a site that is absolutely perfect or completely worthless.


text:
There are those recipes that accompany legend. Recipes passed down from generation to generation or brought from the old country to the new. Some are accompanied by methods of preparation bordering on the superstitious, "the dough must rise only under the brightness of a full moon." There are concoctions, so the stories go, made with such passion that they send those who partake of them into ecstasy as in Like Water For Chocolate.
In Latin countries, Mole seems to be met with just such wonder, reverence and storytelling. If you've ever tasted the rich flavor of this chili and chocolate combination, you've probably been interested in how it came about. A visit to the Mole Page offers its history, or various versions of the fable surrounding its origins, along with varied and enticing recipes, information on ordering ingredients, links to other sites of interest and a place to contribute your own version of Mole.
Start with the Basic Mole Paste to then create the sauce and if you find your tastebuds thanking you, be daring and try some of the spicier versions. If the ingredients are difficult to find in your area, take advantage of the toll-free numbers offered for ordering specialty items. Or, stop by a local latino market with the recipe in tow and you'll probably leave with everything you need, plus another recipe the grocer suggests you try. So many Mole's, so little time.
Around the Web:
If you are looking for more food sites on the web, it's as easy as clicking on the Blue Directory.
Blue Directory


text:
Safety and Efficacy Study of a Fluoroquinolone to Treat Complicated Skin Infections
This study has been completed.
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: July 18, 2008
Last updated: June 30, 2014
Last verified: June 2014
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of RX-3341 (delafloxacin), a fluoroquinolone, versus tigecycline, a glycylcycline antibacterial drug, in the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections.
Skin Structure Infections
Bacterial Skin Diseases
Staphylococcal Skin Infections
Drug: delafloxacin
Drug: tigecycline
Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|A Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter Study of the Safety and Efficacy of RX 3341 Compared With Tigecycline for the Treatment of Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: Skin Conditions Skin Infections
Drug Information available for: TigecyclineU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Clinical Response at Test of Cure (TOC) in the Clinically Evaluable (CE) Population [ Time Frame: 14-21 days after the last dose of study drug ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]A Cure was defined as resolution of baseline signs and symptoms, or improvement to an extent that no additional antibiotic treatment is necessary. Failure was defined as the need for additional antibiotics, either because of lack of efficacy after at least 2 days (i.e., 4 doses) of study treatment or because of treatment-related adverse events (AEs), and/or the need for surgical intervention greater than 48 hours after study entry.
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Clinical Response in Patients With Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) [ Time Frame: 14-21 days after the last dose of study drug ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]A Cure was defined as resolution of baseline signs and symptoms, or improvement to an extent that no additional antibiotic treatment is necessary. Failure was defined as the need for additional antibiotics, either because of lack of efficacy after at least 2 days (i.e., 4 doses) of study treatment or because of treatment-related adverse events (AEs), and/or the need for surgical intervention greater than 48 hours after study entry.
|Study Start Date:
|June 2008
|Study Completion Date:
|October 2008
|Primary Completion Date:
|October 2008 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
|Experimental: 1
Drug: delafloxacin
300 mg intravenous every 12 hours
|Experimental: 2
Drug: delafloxacin
450 mg intravenous every 12 hours
|Active Comparator: 3
Drug: tigecycline
100 mg then 50 mg intravenous tigecycline every 12 hours
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adult (≥18 years of age) men or women with cSSSI
- Diagnosis of one of the following 3 types of cSSSI: wound infection that has developed within 30 days of surgery, trauma, or a bite injury; abscess that has developed in the 7 days before enrollment; or cellulitis that has developed in the 7 days before enrollment
- Sexually active men and women of childbearing potential must agree to use an acceptable form of contraception, as determined by the investigator, during participation in the study and for 30 days after the final dose of study drug
- The patient must be willing to comply with protocol requirements
Exclusion Criteria:
- Medical history of hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to quinolones, tetracycline or tetracycline derivatives
- Chronic or underlying skin condition at the site of infection
- Infection involving prosthetic materials or foreign bodies (unless prosthetic material will be removed within 24 hours), infection associated with a human bite, osteomyelitis, decubitus ulcer, diabetic foot ulcer, septic arthritis, mediastinitis, necrotizing fasciitis, myositis, tendinitis, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, gangrene or gas gangrene, burns covering ≥10% of body surface area, severely impaired arterial blood supply, current evidence of deep vein thrombosis or superficial thrombophlebitis
- An infection that would normally have a high cure rate after surgical incision alone
- Any infection expected to require other antimicrobial agents in addition to study drug
- Receipt of >24 hours of systemic antibiotic therapy in the 7 days before enrollment
- A severely compromised immune system
- History of Child-Pugh Class B or C liver disease or severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance of <30 mL/minute)
- Pregnancy or lactation
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00719810
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00719810
|United States, California
|Physician Alliance Research Center
|Anaheim, California, United States
|Quality of Life Medical Center, LLC
|Hawaiian Gardens, California, United States
|Tri City Medical Center
|Oceanside, California, United States
|Crest Clinical Trials
|Santa Ana, California, United States
|United States, Florida
|Internal Medicine Associates of Lee County
|Fort Myers, Florida, United States
|United States, Georgia
|Joseph M. Still Research Foundation, Inc.
|Augusta, Georgia, United States
|Southeast Regional Research Group
|Columbus, Georgia, United States
|Southeast Regional Research Group
|Ludowici, Georgia, United States
|Southeast Regional Research Group
|Savannah, Georgia, United States
|United States, Montana
|St. James Health Care
|Butte, Montana, United States
|United States, Ohio
|Riverside Methodist Hospital
|Columbus, Ohio, United States
|United States, Texas
|West Houston Clinical Research Services
|Houston, Texas, United States
|Westbury Medical Clinic
|Houston, Texas, United States
|Puerto Rico
|Clinical Research Puerto Rico, Inc
|San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sponsors and Collaborators
Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.
|Study Director:
|Jeanne Breen, MD
|Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.
More Information
Keywords provided by Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 24, 2016
|Responsible Party:
|Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00719810 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|July 18, 2008
|Results First Received:
|January 7, 2010
|Last Updated:
|June 30, 2014
|Health Authority:
|United States: Food and Drug Administration
Keywords provided by Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Communicable Diseases
Skin Diseases
Skin Diseases, Bacterial
Skin Diseases, Infectious
Staphylococcal Skin Infections
Bacterial Infections
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections
Staphylococcal Infections
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 24, 2016


text:
Top Hat | Kiki de Moontparnasse
Top Hats are oh so magical, I've always loved the collapsible kind. I'll never forget the trill the first time I saw a top hat appear suddenly from its flat black saucer. But that feeling pales in comparison to the rush of excitement I experience when I saw what Marlene Dietrich and Anouk Aimée could do with this elegant silky crown.


text:
Sign up for the MarketMinder newsletter.
Fisher Investments CEO Ken Fisher has been writing financial literature for decades. His writing career debuted in 1984 when he began writing Forbes' Portfolio Strategy column, quickly followed by the publication of his first book, Super Stocks, which introduced the price-to-sales ratio—a revolutionary concept at the time, but now a staple in finance curriculum. Since, Ken Fisher has authored 11 books, including 4 New York Times bestsellers.
Ken's father, Philip Fisher, was one of the most influential investors of all time. His investment classic, Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits (1958), was the first investment book ever to make the New York Times bestseller list and remains in print today.
Fisher Investments has carried on the legacy of producing unique, meaningful financial literature. In 2007, John Wiley & Sons and Fisher Investments teamed up to create Fisher Investments Press with the goal of educating investors—from novices to professionals—on global markets, investment strategy and more. The Fisher Investments On series analyzes the 11 primary investment sectors, including Energy, Technology and Health Care. Other Fisher Investments Press titles cover global investing and behavioral finance.


text:
~ Raided: A Mericcup Story: Chapter 13: The Althing
"So how will the Althing help with the woman problem and the raiding of Scotland?" asked Hiccup.
"Well, son. At the very least we would be able to buy slave wives for the men." said Stoic.
"Dad, that's not a good solution and doesn't help with the Scots."
"No, but it is an option and is a simple answer to the most pressing problem." Stoic held up a hand to keep Hiccup from butting in. "But there should be unattached women from other tribes available that might consider marrying into the tribe."
"Okay, but what about protecting the Scots?"
"I am not exactly sure. I don't really have a good understanding of the law and other nations. That's why I want to talk to the lawspeaker and introduce you to him as well."
"Yes, you. I don't exactly have a plan yet. There are too many things I just don't know about this situation, but we do know you have an incredible amount of status. I am hoping we can leverage that into doing something for the Scots. We are becoming quite rich now that we have the dragons on our side, just with the resources we have here. We can leverage our wealth and status to influence the laws, we should be able to protect the Scots that way. Especially if you marry that Scottish princess of yours. Son, you are going to have to tell everyone about the Green Death. I sent Astrid to go get evidence of it. We'll leave for the Althing as soon as she is back."
"Oh, okay." Hiccup was looking a little wild around the eyes. He was glad all the women were married now, expect Astrid and Ruffnut, but Ruffnut was still here.
"Don't worry, I set the twins to get evidence of the Red Death, so we better hurry up and tell everyone before they get back. We don't want them being distracted learning about your increase in status." said Stoic, standing.
"Oh boy." said Hiccup running his hand through his hair, thinking about what he was going to tell everyone about the Green Death.
"Come on. It'll be fun. It's great to brag and you don't even have to exaggerate."
# # #
Astrid wobbled on the long log she had wedged between the teeth of the Green Death, trying to dislodge a tooth. Stoic had asked her to go get some evidence of the Death Hiccup had killed in Scotland, since she was the only one who knew where it was, besides Hiccup.
It hadn't taken her long to find it even if it was still somewhat covered in snow. It was only just beginning to decompose on the sunlit side that melted during the day. She had already chopped free several of the largest scales she could reach and a little claw off a foot. She had to be careful not to overload Stormfly.
Astrid really wanted a tooth. They showed off the true size of the beast. The jaw of the Green Death had shattered when it had impacted the side of the mountain, there were a tooth that was loose but she still needed to break it free. She jumped as high as she could as she kept a hand on the jaw. She struggled to keep her balance as the whole head wobbled.
Something landed with a squish not far from her. She covered her nose and mouth as the smell of rotting meat slapped her throat. Stormfly flapped to drive the smell back a little.
"Thanks, Stormfly." Astrid said as she regained her balance on the long thin log. Then she looked at the eye more closely. Liquid was quickly oozing from it but she could see something, embedded in the lens, an arrow.
Astrid took a step closer, further out on the log. As she realized what that arrow meant, the head shifted, she slipped and fell, catching the log between her legs. She yelped, the pain between her legs was incredible, and saw stars in her vision as she wrapped herself around the log to keep from falling more.
Then, a loud crack sounded behind her as the tooth broke free of the jaw.
"Loki's codpiece," gasped Astrid, as she, the log and the tooth crashed to the ground.
Stormfly came over and gave her groaning rider a nuzzle.
# # #
Stormfly was circling over Castle DunBroch. Astrid had gotten directions from Lord MacGuffin when she went there looking for Merida. A crowd was gathering in the big open field near the castle. Astrid still wasn't exactly sure why she was here. Astrid had Stormfly land near them.
Astrid could see Merida, Fergus and Elinor come to the front of the crowd. She slipped off Stormfly and gasped a little at the pain that shot into her abdomen as her feet hit the ground. She wondered how badly she had hurt herself. She wouldn't stay, she had to get home quickly anyway, she'd rest there. She picked up her ax, it would be comforting, but it was dull from all the chopping.
Astrid marched over, looking at Merida. Merida took a step forward and stood like a queen.
"Astrid." Merida greeted her cordially but cautiously, she was armed after all.
"Merida, can we talk, privately?"
Astrid could see the princess was surprised.
"Um, of course. The castle?"
"Nah, just out there." Astrid gestured to the open field.
Fergus subtly handed Merida his sword as Elinor shooed everyone back to work as the two girls walked deep into the field. Fergus watched from the edge of the field.
"You were there when Hiccup fought the Green Death, weren't you?" Astrid said, but it wasn't really a question.
"What really happened?"
"What? You mean he hasn't told you?" asked Merida.
"He's said some things, but I just found out, not everything. Please, what happened?"
"Well, Toothless was feeling better. He was finally strong enough for sustained flight. Hiccup invited me to fly as we began the search of the Death. He flew us up high so I could touch the clouds."
Astrid looked away in pain, that had been her special thing with Hiccup. Jealousy and anger roared in her heart but she needed the story.
"We flew to the Isle of Sky to start looking, and he spotted a large cave, that he said was the right size. Toothless shot a fireball into the cave to see and there were lots of dragons all over it. They started flying away, and then the Death came out and began to chase us. I shot it with what arrows I had, then we ducked into the blizzard. We were trying to shoot it but the blizzard was icing us up. Then we almost flew into its mouth."
Merida paused for a breath. "We dove, we were going to lure it into following us into the ground. We were going to sacrifice ourselves to kill it."
Astrid stopped walking and looked at Merida.
Merida shrugged "It was the only thing we could do. Then will 'o the wisps appeared."
"Will 'o the wisps?"
"They are ...magical creatures, they lead you to your fate. They led us out of the dive and over that protrusion that gutted the Death and into a ravine that shielded us from the explosion."
"Magical creatures..."
Merida gave her a look, "You ride a dragon."
"Yeah." She looked back at Stormfly.
"Astrid, what's going on?" asked Merida.
"Stoic, Hiccup's dad, sent me to get proof of Hiccup taking down the Green Death." They began walking again. Merida could see the large tooth strapped across the back of Stormfly.
"Okay, but why are you here, we are a little out of the way?"
"You hit it."
"I hit what?"
"The Green Death. You got it right in the eye with an arrow."
"You came all this way to tell me that?"
The two girls walked several more steps.
"What does he see in you?" asked Astrid.
"I hope a friend, but then I am also princess." Merida shrugged.
Astrid rolled her eyes, and she looked back at the king who was there at the edge of the field, she could see his crown sparkle in the sunlight.
"Do you love him?" asked Astrid quietly.
"Do you love Hiccup?"
Merida sighed. "Ach, I don't know. I do like him, I know that, but love." She shrugged. "I thought he loved you."
"I don't know if he does. He's never said it to me, I was wondering if he had to you." Astrid said, but Merida only shook her head.
"All I know is that he was hurt and needed help." Merida said.
"He said you shot him out of the sky on a dark night."
"That too, but he was hurt much worse then that. Your tribe wasn't kind to him."
"No, we weren't." Astrid looked down.
"He spoke well of you." Merida said kindly.
"Really? I don't really deserve it. I ignored him most of the time. I beat him up because he was winning dragon training."
"It showed him you cared."
"Astrid, what is he trying to do about the raids?"
"I'm not sure. I know he talked to his dad about not going on a raid, but I don't know of any alternative to deal with our baby problem. From what I know, some tribes raid for fun and profit." Astrid licked her lips, "If I were you, you should assume that to stop the raids you'll have to marry some influential Viking, but I have no idea who that would be. Stoic sent me to get evidence of him killing the Green Death to take to the Althing..." Astrid trailed off. She paused and turned away from the princess, spinning her ax in her hand, thinking hard.
"What?" asked Merida.
"Son of a half troll, rat eating, munge bucket!" Astrid began swinging her ax wildly.
"What?" Asked Merida with more concern, she had her sword out, ready to defend herself.
Astrid was bouncing with concern for Hiccup. "He's done stupid and crazy, now he's going to try insane. I gotta go. He needs what I have, if he wants to prove himself."
"Sorry. I have to go. I can't be late with this. He'll need those things more than anything." Astrid ran back to Stormfly and took off.
# # #
"We're here." said Stoic as the longboat crunched into the soft gravel of the beach.
Stoic and Hiccup leapt over the side onto the beach, and stood waiting as another Viking approached them.
"Stoic, is that you?"
"Aye, Longbeard. It's been a while. How have you been?"
"Fine, fine. Every year you miss the Althing we wonder if you'd been eaten by those dragons of yours."
"Nope not yet. But we have some news this year that I want to bring up to the lawspeaker."
"Oh really, What?"
Stoic gave him a look, but merely said, "This is my son, I need to introduce him and my new wife Ingrid around, and brought some iron for trading, among other things."
Longbeard smiled, he liked getting the news first, but understood when people wanted to hold tight to it. "Alright, have it your way. You can setup over there," The man with the beard that reached past his waist pointed. "Things will get going in a day or two."
"Excellent. Thank you." said Stoic.
# # #
Lifa was tired of all the same old people that came to their bread stall at the Althing. This was supposed to be a way for her to meet men, but mostly they only saw louts that were no fun to play with.
Lifa was helping her parents as usual. Papa was stoking the second oven as Mum was plucking loaves from the first oven.
She could see the Kobb field just across from the bakery, most of the men would go to brewer next door. She handed her customer his loaves and took the pennies in return and placed then in her apron.
Her ears perked up when she heard a voice say, "That bread smells wonderful after all that time on the longboat." Lifa looked around, coming onto the end of the line was a very large man with a fur tunic and small helmet, he was acting like a boy so excited for the fresh bread. His face so was young and innocent looking. She wondered if he was the enforcer of the group, he didn't have the look of the leader, but had the strength.
Several others were with him, a muscular boy with curly rams horns on his helmet made her hips soften. He must be the one in charge, he looked so surly but masterful. There were also two couples in the group, but she soon realized that one was a set of twins as they turned, there was no romance between them, just a sibling rivalry. The boy was cute, but to coarse for her liking.
The other couple was a couple. She could tell there was some romance there, even if they weren't holding hands. The boy didn't seem like much, though he had an odd metal leg. Lifa wondered if he had done something heroic to save the girl, because the girl seemed too strong for the boy with her spiky armor, but quite close to him for some reason.
Then something happened she didn't expect. "Hey, Snotlout, get some for all of us." said the kid with the metal leg.
"Aw, you want me to pay for all of us, now?" complained the one called Snotlout, Lifa thought that was a hideous name.
"Oh here you go," said the armored girl as she tossed five coins to Snotlout and then turned to watch the game of Kobb being played out.
Things were suddenly shuffling themselves in Lifa's head. She knew how these gangs of kids worked, but somehow that skinny kid with the missing leg was large and in charge of this group and the armored girl was the lieutenant, not the obvious leader. How odd.
Soon Snotlout and the big teen, who was bouncing with excitement, were next. "How much?" Snotlout asked.
"Five small loaves to the penny."
Snotlout laid down the five coins. Lifa was surprised, most underlings would pocket a coin or two if they knew their boss didn't know how much the bread cost.
"And five for me too." said the big one laying down an extra penny.
"Relax Fishlegs, there'll be plenty."
"What kind of name was Fishlegs? That was a silly name." Lifa thought to herself as she gathered the 30 small loaves.
"Thanks, babe." said Snotlout with an easy smile. The two teens then moved off with filled arms. They all moved with an easy confidence only the most grizzled of warriors seemed to, but without the haunted look many warriors had.
Lifa kept an eye on the group since they were close to the stall. She kept finding herself playing with her hair whenever someone the small group looked toward her, though he didn't seem to notice her.
Several Valhunds seemed to really like the skinny leader too, as they congregated around his legs and yipped for pats.
The one named Snotlout did notice her and that was good enough. She chatted with him when he came back for more with Fishlegs. She was going to have to find out more about the Hairy Hooligans. They were actually nice to her, which was quite refreshing.
Everyone cheered as the king was knocked over and then laughed as the victors of the Kobb game emptied their horns and fell over drunk.
# # #
# # #
Hiccup was looking at the the lines of people coming before the lawspeaker. Dad had said some new tribes were being recognized.
The Bear Slayers had just been recognized. Now the lawspeaker was inspecting another group. This one bothered Hiccup. They were standing in precise ranks, men and women in pairs. The men were reasonably well dressed with leather, fabric and fur, but the women were all dressed in rags, some barely dressed at all really, and it was hard to tear his eyes away. But it was obvious why they were dressed in rags, they were slaves, each man had a leash going to the collar of the woman next to him.
"Are those slave-wives?"
"Yes, but more like breeding stock." Stoic rumbled in disapproval.
Hiccup noticed a pattern in how they were lined up. At the front were women with babies in their arms (boys then girls), then pregnant women—Hiccup was wondering how they had handled the arduous journey here—then women neither pregnant or with children, they were the smallest group.
The lawspeaker was moving slowly through the ranks talking to the men and women and examining the children and running his hand over the bellies of the pregnant women.
"Who is that guy?" asked Hiccup.
"That is the lawspeaker. He is inspecting the tribe to see if they meet the requirements for forming a tribe. From here it looks like they do, but barely."
However Hiccup was close enough to see that the lawspeaker had an unpleasant and slightly desperate look on his face. He was looking carefully at each women and child seeming to look for something wrong with them. The women all looked tiny compared to the women from Berk. Many of them seemed thinner then Astrid and Ruffnut, though they looked healthy enough.
"Very well, you have met the requirements!" called the lawspeaker resignedly. "Vikings welcome the newest tribe! The Skivvy Scroungers! Raise your banner!"
Hiccup gasped as the banner was raised, it was a truncated triangle with a hooked knife. As cheers were raised for the tribe, Hiccup was wondering what to do. He had found the raiders who had gone to Scotland.
# # #
The tribe before them was wrapping up their introductions and grievances before the lawspeaker. Stoic and the tribe were up next before the lawspeaker. The lawspeaker and some chiefs were sitting on a high spot in the bowl of the thingstead.
Stoic turned and signaled to Gobber. Hiccup saw Gobber throw some chemicals into their fire way over at their campsite, which raised a greenish blue smoke. The men with them carried the large box they had shipped in forward with them.
"The Althing recognizes Stoic the Vast." called the lawspeaker lifting his stick of office. "It's good to see you again." the lawspeaker said as Stoic came close to shake arms. He paused for a moment looking into Stoic's face. "You've seen some heavy things, Stoic."
"Thank you. It is good to see you again too. Yes, I have seen heavy things, I have seen something of what Ragnarök will look like."
"Really?" the lawspeaker's eyebrows rose high on his forehead.
Stoic just nodded.
"I would like to introduce my son, if I may?"
"Of course."
"This is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, my son! He is the mightiest Viking on life!" introduced Stoic, speaking to the crowd. There was a buzz of whispers at that. Hiccup felt uncomfortable as so many people looked and pointed at him. Valhunds were running excitedly through the crowd.
Stoic went to the large box and withdrew something bigger then he was.
"What's so special about a whale bone?" BigEars called from the sidelines.
Stoic ignored him and dropped it in front of the lawspeaker.
"Is that a...tooth?" the lawspeaker asked rising to examine it.
"Aye, it is." Stoic reached into the box and returned with a claw.
"A...claw? What kind of dragons do you fight on Berk, Nidhug himself!?"
"Hardly. I led my tribe to its destruction at the fangs of the Red Death. My son saved us." Stoic threw down a red scale that were nearly as large as a shield.
"He also saved the Scots from the Green Death." He threw down a green scale next to the red one.
"The Scots? Why did he help them?"
"Because it was the right thing to do. They shot him and his dragon out of the sky, then nursed him back to health. They were under attack by dragons and he helped them defend themselves. He didn't have to do that. Then with the help of the Scottish Princess they fought the Green Death and won."
Hiccup was trying to stand there quietly though he was blushing pretty hard. Dad had said he was going to brag about him but this was a bit much.
"But more then anything he ended the war with the dragons by discovering they can be trained."
"Trained?" the lawspeaker asked, and that word was whispered throughout the crowd as a tidal wave.
Hiccup could see shadows on the ground. He looked up but the Sun was too dazzling, but he thought he could see something up there.
"Trained." Stoic stated, "To not hunt and kill but to work together with humans."
"How..." but the lawspeaker never did finish that particular sentence.
Blasts of Gronkle lava exploded on the ridge above the thingstead. Deadly Nadders swooped low over the crowd and laid fire down around the people. Monstrous Nightmares made streaks of fire along the beach. The Boneknapper roared and whipped the ocean into a froth.
"Enough! Stop it and settle down!" Hiccup shouted and the dragons with their riders perched on the ridge.
The crowd and the lawspeaker looked at the dragons and back to Hiccup with awe in their eyes. The Valhunds were going crazy.
After a long moment the lawspeaker gathered himself and went back to his seat. He understood what was happening. The show of force was extremely effective. He picked up his staff and waited patiently, he could show power as well, but it became obvious that Hiccup was quite content to stand there waiting as well.
Finally the lawspeaker asked, "What is it that you want?"
"I'd like the raids against Scotland to end." Hiccup said simply.
Whispers ran through the crowd.
"That's all?"
"I don't have the power to do that."
"Oh." said Hiccup disappointed. "Who does?"
"At the moment, no one does," said the lawspeaker carefully, but he was watching Hiccup carefully.
"How do I find someone with that power?"
"You/ cannot, only all of us can," he gestured to the assembled chiefs.
Hiccup shook his head. "I just want to protect my tribe and my friends in Scotland. For three hundred years there has been war with the dragons and I found a way to befriend them and end the war. I just want to stop the wars and the raids so no one has to be afraid of being kidnapped or killed. I don't want any one to feel the loss of a loved one taken by raiders. I want everyone's pain to end. Surely, there must be a way to accomplish that?" Hiccup asked passionately.
The chief next to the lawspeaker touched his hand and they whispered for a moment, then the one on the other side also made quiet comment.
"There is a way to do that." the lawspeaker said.
"Really, how?" asked Hiccup eagerly.
"We need a king."
"And who should be king?" asked Hiccup.
"I would be king!" shouted BigEars stepping forward. "With the strength of the Vikings and the power of these dragons, Vikings would rule the world!"
The lawspeaker shot BigEars a sidelong glance, then looking back to Hiccup asked, "What do you think, should BigEars be king?"
Hiccup kept his eyes on BigEars, he was close enough and dangerous enough to warrant close watching. Then Stoic stood between them.
"No, he should not."
"He would bring war to the world."
"So? War is good for Vikings, so that we may fill Valhalla."
"We should have peace and friendship."
"And who would even try to bring peace?" asked the lawspeaker.
Hiccup thought for a while. "I would."
"You? You would be king?"
Hiccup stood straight and tall, "Yes. I would be king."
"You?" sneered BigEars. "A runt like you, wants to be king?"
Stoic turned, flexing his hands, but Hiccup said, "No, I don't want/ to be king, but I would rather be a king trying to bring peace then let you bring war, fire and death. And I will not/ let you use dragons to do that." All the dragons put their heads down, few people noticed listening to the argument, but the lawspeaker saw.
"Not let me. I don't see how a weak runt like you could stop me. I am a Viking, I am strong, the strong must rule."
"What is it with you guys? You think how hard you can punch or how big a rock you can lift is strength. All you do is go around destroying things. You never make/ anything!"
"I would make an empire that would last a thousand years!"
"You don't know how!"
The lawspeaker banged his staff. "Hiccup, would you be king?"
"BigEars, do you challenge that?"
"Hiccup, do you accept the challenge?"
"If I do?"
"Then there is a holmgang, trial by combat."
"And if I don't?"
"BigEars becomes king."
Hiccup felt his dad's hand on his shoulder.
"I accept the challenge."
# # #
Merida was wandering the castle, looking for the boys. They had gotten away from Maudie again. She had just left the kitchens and was trying to think of the next most likely place for them to be.
She was coming up to a passage when she heard a sound she hadn't heard for a while and saw a pale light ahead. She peaked around the corner, a will 'o the wisp was floating in the middle of the corridor.
Merida could feel her senses enhance, as the adrenaline rushed into her blood. Things always seemed to get exciting when these magical creatures appeared. She came around the corner and the wisp beckoned her to follow, which she did after grabbing a torch. They led her into the depths of the castle and to the dungeons, which were empty at the moment. Fergus was a merciful king, he didn't keep people in the dungeon for long.
The lines of wisps went into the large room that was central to all the cells. The last wisp was over the table in the middle of the room. As the last wisp disappeared Merida looked around but no other wisps appeared. She looked at the table and saw it was covered with chains and shackles. Merida licked her lip and looked around again, because she had no idea what it meant.
Raided 13: The Althing by BalunStormhandsWatch
©2013-2016 BalunStormhands
I don't think Big Ears could tame a dragon with that attitude, let alone raise an army. He doesn't have the brains for it.
No, he couldn't but not from lack of trying.
Indeed, no. But Stoick was a strong Viking and even he couldn't break Thornado's spirit.
I hope Hiccup kicks Big Ears's butt hard. And rescues all those women.
PS. Thanks for the favorite on the most recent Easter Special Drabble
BigEars thinks he knows how to handle certain things, but he doesn't. He may want world domination but he doesn't have the chops for it by himself, however with a couple of competent people by his side he could be a major headache. He is basically one of those guy like Mao, or Hitler, but he is still in the poor grassroots stage, he did just take a major step being recognized as a chief now his plan was to gather followers, he does have a winning streak going for him and that is in his favor.
We'll see.
You're welcome.
My god. The Vikings do NOT need their Chairman Mao. I do hope that Hiccup whups him thoroughly. BigEars deserves it.
No, they don't. But isn't it fun to take historical characters like that and use them as bad guys.
It is, but I like to give them a tangible weakness that the hero can exploit. Otherwise they become too menacing and close to home.
(Recently read a book involving that sort of scenario, of a realistic take on the Christ story. It's put me out of sorts today.)
Ooooohh I can't believe Hiccup wants to do a challenge to become king!
It would be the right thing to do instead of letting BigEars become king though.
Great job and can't wait for the next update!
No he doesn't want too, he states that outright, but he believes himself to be a better choice then BigEars. He also needs to do it to protect the dragons.
Woah... Hiccup is going to be king?!? But has to fight that BigEars guy, this is getting exciting!! And I wonder what's with the chains and shackles....is it predicting that Merida is going to be a slave? Oh wow this story is awesome!!
Hiccup's going to try to become king.
Well, if BigEars wins we have a good idea what would happen to Scotland.


text:
By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ in Dispensaries, News
Friday, December 17, 2010 at 10:37 am
|Photo: KKTV
|Police detectives raided Cannabis Therapy Center in Colorado Springs on Thursday.
The Metro Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence Unit got a search warrant because they have "probable cause to believe there was criminal activity going on there," claimed Sgt. Steve Noblitt, reports KKTV.
"The officer in charge told me we're being raided because we don't have state approval to be open here, and they were issuing a warrant based on that information," said CTC owner Don Liles.
Police refused to say what the "alleged criminal activity" was that led them to execute the raid.
|Photo: KKTV
|Cannabis Therapy Center owner Don Liles: "We've tried, to the best of our ability, to make sure everything is done to the letter of the law"
This is the second time CTC has been raided at this location, according to Liles. The dispensary just received a 13-month variance to operate in the "limited industrial" zone of unincorporated El Paso County.
The previous raid was on December 18, 2009, according to Liles. He said no charges were ever filed in that case, although he said equipment and plants were taken or destroyed.
The center has hundreds of patients who might have to go elsewhere for their medicine now -- or who might be unable to find medical marijuana at all.
"Honestly, I don't know what we're going to do," Liles said. "I've got six full-time employees that apparently just lost their job right before Christmas."
"It's not like we're doing business out the back door," Liles said. "We've tried to do everything aboveboard. We've tried, to the best of our ability, to make sure everything is done to the letter of the law."
Police claim more information about the raid will "likely" be released in the new few days.
Tags: colorado, dispensaries, raid


text:
Nearly 5 Million Jobs in European Mobile App Sector by 2018, Says EU Report
Published on: 17th Feb 2014
Note -- this news article is more than a year old.
The European Union's mobile app development market could employ 4.8 million people and contribute EUR63 billion to the EU economy by 2018 according to an EU commissioned report.
Currently, EU and North American developers generate the same levels (42% each) of app revenues in crucial EU and US markets. Although the future is bright, developers have raised concerns about the skills gap, connectivity and fragmentation which could put the app boom at risk.
Today the app economy employs 1 million developers, and 800,000 people in marketing & support posts. This could rise to 2.7 million developers + 2.1 million support staff by 2018. EU buyers and advertisers spent EUR6.1 billion on apps in 2013, 30% of total global app spending, growing to EUR18.7 billion in 2018. Consumer spending combined with advertising and contract work could lead to EUR63 billion annual revenue for the app sector within five years.
Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, said "In the face of increasing youth unemployment, these figures give me new hope. The app sector is one area of the digital economy where Europe can really lead. But we have to address concerns about connectivity and fragmentation - yet another reason to complete the telecom single market!"
The study shows that:
EU games app developers lead the field: 28 EU leading companies created 40% of the top 100 grossing apps in the EU and US. Three of the top-five companies are Nordic games developers (1st King.com, 2nd, Supercell, 5th Rovio)with German, French, Spanish and UK app developers also finding success outside their native markets.
Growing market, growing jobs: In 2013, developers earned EUR11.5 billion making apps for consumer goods, banking, media, retail and other clients. They can expect to earn up to EUR46 billion through contracts of this nature in 2018. The app boom is creating jobs, for example contract developers Golden Gekko (London/Barcelona) plans to grow its staff 40-50% next year and London-based Grapple Mobile was a 3-person firm three years ago, employs 120 now, and intends to double next year.
Addressing the digital skills shortage: roughly 38% of independent and in-house developers said EU companies had difficulties competing with US salaries, 31% and 33% said that developer education was lagging, around 30% said startup developers lacked business expertise, and quarter of all surveyed said there were not enough developers. Worryingly only 9% of developers are female.
The Commission is tackling Europe's digital skills crisis in a number of ways. Firstly, by partnering with industry and other organisations in the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs (see IP/2014/40). In parallel, by working with schools to bring digital skills right into the connected classroom (see IP/13/859 and MEMO/13/813). Finally, by supporting grassroots initiatives such as EU Code week, organised by Neelie Kroes' young advisors. The first ever EU Code Week reached 10,000 people in 26 countries in November 2013. This year's Code week will take place on 11-17 October 2014
Technical bottlenecks and fragmentation were also a cause for concern. Roughly a quarter of developers wanted to see 4G develop more quickly in Europe. Around 35% were frustrated by the lack of interoperability between platforms like Android, iOS, Facebook. A majority of developers complained of their de facto total dependence on platforms developed by American giants, with subsequent revenue impact.
Neelie Kroes said "All apps and all mobile devices rely on broadband networks. Yet today, the framework for European telecoms is shattered and constrained. Meaning poor wireless connectivity, connections that can't easily cross borders, apps and services that are blocked or throttled by network operators, prohibitive surcharges to use your mobile abroad. In tomorrow's world, where even cars are connected, where we rely on mobile apps even for our healthcare - resolving them will be absolutely critical. "
Tags: mobile apps


text:
Heavy Patch Tuesday for February
Microsoft will be releasing 12 updates in February's Patch Tuesday next week to address a total of 57 vulnerabilities. According to Microsoft's Advance Notice released yesterday, five of these were rated as "Critical," while the remaining were pegged as "Important."
This heavier-than-usual update from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will resolve vulnerabilities that were discovered in Windows, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. Other products that are affected include Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft FAST Search Server and the .NET Framework.
Of note are the sheer number of Windows operating system versions that were affected this month, with "critical" updates affecting Windows XP up to the new Windows RT.
"It's never a good sign when your current code base is impacted," wrote Paul Henry, security and forensic analyst at Lumension, in an email. "We hope that this month is a one-time spike and not a return to the to-to pattern of 2011."
Rapid7's Senior Manager of Security Engineering, Ross Barrett, noted that the clustering of updates around the Windows OS is good in that fewer overall products are affected. On the flip side, Barrett noted "it's bad because an organization with even the simplest deployment of Microsoft products will probably be hit by all of these advisories." This translates into both desktop and server teams being "extra busy."
For more:
- check out this article at ZDNet
Related Articles:
Microsoft kicks off 2013 with 7 Patch Tuesday security bulletins
7 bulletins for final Patch Tuesday of 2012


text:
Globe Trot: U.S. general killed in Afghanistan remembered as a family man
AFGHANISTAN: Major Gen. Harold Greene became the first two-star U.S. general killed in action since the Vietnam War yesterday. He is also the first U.S. general killed in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Green and other military personnel came under attack by a militant dressed in an Afghan Army uniform while visiting a military training facility on the outskirts of Kabul (more on the program and the facility in this 2010 WORLD cover story). Greene was widely known as a family man. His wife is a retired Army colonel, and one of his two adult children is a West Point graduate.
IRAQ: Church leaders working with thousands of Christians displaced from the Mosul area today report the front line has not changed but fighting between ISIS and Kurdish forces "has escalated."
Beginning Aug. 2, ISIS fighters fired mortars on Christian villages in the Nineveh Plain area that have been safe havens since the militants took over Mosul in June.
The area of Sinjar just south of the northern border city of Duhok has fallen into ISIS hands, with thousands of Yezidis and other minorities who live there forced to flee.
Iraqi air forces have launched attacks on ISIS in these areas, and one church leader told me Sunni militants in Mosul, led by former Baath officers ousted along with Saddam Hussein, are now leading skirmishes in the city against ISIS.
The situation for displaced Christians in the north, Canon Andrew White of Baghdad's St. George's Church told me by phone today, remains "desperate" and "the fact is nobody knows how many Christians have been killed."
Louis Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Church, in an Aug. 5 letter to Pope Francis, writes of "seventy persons" massacred in Sinjar and Christians killed in bombardments in Nineveh Plain area:
"This having been said it is evident that there is practically no collaboration between the central government and that of the Kurdish Region and in addition that the new government is not yet formed!
As to our political parties, they have failed in every tangible manner, and this for reasons well known to everyone as well as to each of these parties themselves.
As for the Church, she finds herself completely alone."
MORE: At the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, it's Fortress America meets Alice in Wonderland. The fortified facility could serve as a metaphor for misplaced efforts by the United States to create a reality in Iraq distinct from the reality on the ground. Security protocol keeps employees from meaningful, everyday contact with Iraqis, and Iraqis view the compound with suspicion.
ISRAEL: A 72-hour cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is holding for now, as talks mediated by Egypt continue. The strain in the U.S.-Israeli relationship over the latest conflict is well noted, but note also:
"With public opinion in both Israel and the United States solidly behind the Israeli military's campaign against Hamas, no outcry from Israel's Arab neighbors, and unstinting support for Israel on Capitol Hill, President Obama has had few obvious levers to force Mr. Netanyahu to stop pounding targets in Gaza until he was ready to do it." [italics mine]
Thanks to Netivah Center, a Tel Aviv-based ministry, and my friend Joel Goldberg who runs it, Israeli and Palestinian youth together have had some fun this summer despite rockets and warfare. Goldberg, a Messianic Jew who has spread this program to more than 150 Messianic congregations in Israel, has been drafted into the Israeli Army. His reconciliation efforts among Messianic Israelis and Palestinian Christian youth include hosting retreats outside their own contested country, as he once told me: "To someone from Bethlehem, Cyprus is closer than Jerusalem."
SYRIA's "Monuments Men," armed with a plan and "a pen set worthy of James Bond," are on a potentially deadly mission to document and save the country's ancient churches, mosques, and Crusader castles, as well as other treasure troves dating back to the Byzantine and Roman empires.
CHINA: Chinese authorities say tomorrow they will release jailed Christian human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, whose 8-year sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" is almost up. A Chinese website has a countdown clock until his release, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide has a signup sheet for a 24-hour prayer vigil on his behalf. More on Gao's work can also be found in WORLD's 2012 Daniel of the Year cover story.
GERMANY: Photographs on exhibit in New York's Chelsea district show how bomb craters from World War II have become a part of the natural landscape in Germany.


text:
Annual Changes to the NASDAQ-100 Index
NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ), parent of the world's first electronic stock market and a leading index provider, today announced the results of the annual re-ranking of the NASDAQ-100 Index® (Nasdaq:NDX), which will become effective prior to market open on Monday, December 24, 2012.
"Since its inception, the NASDAQ-100 Index has evolved into a world-renowned brand that includes the 100 largest non-financial stocks listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market," said NASDAQ OMX Executive Vice President John L. Jacobs. "The securities being added to the NASDAQ-100 Index will join Facebook, Costco, Apple, Google and other household names that are leading the new economy forward. Our objective re-ranking process ensures the NASDAQ-100 remains a relevant investable index that is the underlying benchmark for about 7,100 products in 22 countries with a notional value of about $1 trillion."
The following ten securities will be added to the Index: Analog Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADI), Catamaran Corporation (Nasdaq:CTRX), Discovery Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:DISCA), Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq:EQIX), Liberty Global, Inc. (Nasdaq:LBTYA), Liberty Media Corporation (Nasdaq:LMCA), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:REGN), SBA Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:SBAC), Verisk Analytics, Inc. (Nasdaq:VRSK) and Western Digital Corporation (Nasdaq:WDC).
The NASDAQ-100 Index is composed of the 100 largest non-financial stocks listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market® and dates to January 1985 when it was launched along with the NASDAQ Financial-100 Index®, which is comprised of the 100 largest financial stocks on NASDAQ®. These indexes act as benchmarks for financial products such as options, futures, and funds. The NASDAQ-100 is re-ranked each year in December, timed to coincide with the quadruple witch expiration Friday of the quarter.
On a cumulative price return basis, the NASDAQ-100 Index has returned 2040% since inception, although past performance is not indicative of future performance.
The NASDAQ-100 Index is the basis of the PowerShares QQQ® Trust (Nasdaq:QQQ) which aims to provide investment results that, before expenses, correspond with the NASDAQ-100 Index's performance. In addition, options, futures and structured products based on the NASDAQ-100 Index and the PowerShares QQQ Trust trade on various exchanges.
As a result of the re-ranking, the following ten securities will be removed from the Index: Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:APOL), Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq:EA), Flextronics International Ltd. (Nasdaq:FLEX), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (Nasdaq:GMCR), Lam Research Corporation (Nasdaq:LRCX), Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (Nasdaq:MRVL), Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq:NFLX), Research In Motion Limited (Nasdaq:RIMM), VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq:VRSN) and Warner Chilcott plc (Nasdaq:WCRX).
About NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes
NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes has been creating innovative, market-leading, transparent indexes since 1971. Today, our index offering spans geographies and asset classes and includes diverse families such as the Global, Nordic, Green Economy, Sharia and Commodity Indexes. We continuously offer new opportunities for financial product sponsors across a wide-spectrum of investable products and for asset managers to measure risk and performance. NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes also provides custom index services and design solutions to selected financial organizations. For more information about NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes, visit indexes.nasdaqomx.com.
Daily index values, weightings and historical data for NASDAQ OMX indexes are available via NASDAQ OMX Global Index Watch and NASDAQ OMX Global Index Data Service.
About NASDAQ OMX Group
(C) Copyright 2012 GlobeNewswire, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
Young Utah gay couple become face of gay marriage
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Derek Kitchen was a teenager still coming to grips with his sexual orientation when yard signs began popping up throughout his suburban Salt Lake City neighborhood in 2004 supporting an amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
Kitchen felt angry but feared he would be shunned if he spoke out to his Mormon family and classmates. Instead, he grabbed a marker and went around the neighborhood crossing out the "yes" on the "Yes on Amendment 3" signs and scribbling in "no."
"It was my only way of expressing my opposition," said Kitchen, who at 25 now laughs at the memory. "It felt like I was personally being attacked."
The act of rebellion foreshadowed what lay ahead for Kitchen. A decade after Utah voters overwhelming passed that amendment, Kitchen and his partner, Moudi Sbeity, 26, are one of three gay and lesbian couples who are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state that led a federal judge to overturn the ban in December.
They will be among a Utah contingent of gay marriage supporters in Denver on Thursday for a hearing before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is mulling whether to make gay marriage legal in Utah.
The couple has become the face of gay marriage in the state and a major reason why more than 1,000 gay and lesbian couples were able to marry after the federal judge's ruling and more may be able to legally tie the knot in the future.
Over the last three months, Kitchen and Sbeity have become superstars in the gay marriage movement. They have given speeches at raucous rallies and talked to high school classes. They've appeared in so many newspaper photographs and TV interviews that strangers come up to them and thank them for what they've done when they're out selling their homemade hummus.
Their journey to this spot is an unlikely one.
Kitchen and Sbeity were both raised in conservative religious families that shun gays: Sbeity in a Muslim family in Lebanon and Kitchen in a Utah family that belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They each came out when they were 16 years old and had parents who at first struggled to accept the revelations.
"I was the only gay person that my friends knew and anybody in my family had ever met," Kitchen said. "They didn't know how to react to me and I didn't know how to handle it myself."
Sbeity was raised in Lebanon, where, until this year, being caught having sex with someone of the same gender was punishable by up to one year in jail. So as a gay teen, Sbeity was careful to hide his orientation to avoid being thrown in jail and because he feared his mother's Muslim family would turn against her.
Sbeity came to Utah for college. While studying at Utah State University in Logan, he met Kitchen online. The two say they had an immediate spiritual connection.
They moved in together and started a business: making and selling homemade hummus. As the business grew, so did their bond. On their fourth anniversary, they obtained a domestic partnership certificate from Salt Lake City and began dreaming of being able to marry legally.
Yet, the couple had no plans to jump to the forefront of advocacy for gay marriage. That all changed when they met Mark Lawrence at a Utah Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce event in early 2013.
Lawrence was spearheading an effort to bring a lawsuit against Utah and was looking for couples who would make strong plaintiffs. He asked Kitchen and Sbeity if they would join, but they said no. Kitchen was open to the idea, but Sbeity worried about how it might impact his mother and father, who still live in Lebanon.


text:
June 1, 2016
Jackson, Mississippi The University of Mississippi Medical Center says it will give students free insurance against identity theft after an accidental privacy breach.
On Wednesday, UMMC mistakenly sent about 190 people an email that had a spreadsheet listing Social Security numbers, grade-point averages and other personal information of its 2,279 students.
The school said Friday that 115 opened the email, but it couldn't determine how many opened the spreadsheet.
UMMC spokesman Tom Fortner told The Clarion-Ledger that students will automatically be enrolled for a year of insurance against identity theft.
Dr. James Keeton, vice chancellor for health affairs, says it will cost UMMC "six figures" to provide the coverage. Keeton says a longtime employee mistakenly attached the spreadsheet and quickly tried to recall the email.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


text:
As Mesa develops its economic portfolio, a financial-services website says the city is one of America's best places to look for work.
In recent years, when some publication has mentioned Mesa in a national survey, it's typically cringeworthy.
Most boring? Been there.
Least literate? Fair or not, Mesa's a perennial on that one.
But the latest has the city popping its buttons and could herald the economic underpinnings of Mesa's eventual disappearance from some of the less-prestigious lists.
According to a financial-services website called Wallet Hub, Mesa is the ninth-best large city in the country for people trying to find a job.
In that category, Mesa is keeping company with the likes of Fort Worth, Austin, Seattle and Denver. The city ranked ahead of Houston, Minneapolis, San Jose and other places typically regarded as economic powerhouses.
Phoenix ranked No. 14 and Tucson 54; no other Arizona city was large enough to make the list.
Wallet Hub is a consumer-finance website founded by Evolution Finance.
It analyzed numerous economic factors, focusing not just on the number of jobs available but also their variety, pay level and benefits. The local cost of living, housing affordability and commute times also came into play.
On the strength of its unemployment numbers alone, Mesa was doing better as of this past December — the latest figures available — than the state and nation as a whole.
Mesa's jobless rate then, according to the Arizona Department of Administration, was 5.9 percent, compared with a statewide average of 7.3 percent and 6.7 percent nationwide.
A rate of 5.9 percent is still considerably higher than what economists used to regard as full employment, but it's a huge improvement from the grim figure of 9.5 percent unemployment Mesa suffered in January 2010.
Early in Mayor Scott Smith's first term, the city identified four main legs of Mesa's economy — health care, education, aerospace and tourism — represented by the acronym HEAT. Later, another "t," technology, joined the club.
The Mesa City Council has made those sectors cornerstones of its overall strategy, tailoring many decisions to lure established firms and nourish startups.
The city rushed, for example, to build infrastructure in the Gateway area when First Solar Inc. of Tempe announced three years ago it would build a campus at Signal Butte and Elliot roads.
That was a key factor last fall when Apple Inc. bought First Solar's vacant facility and held out the prospect of 700 lucrative jobs there.
"I think any time your community is identified as a place of opportunity, it's good news," Smith said. "It's not an accident that Mesa is a place of opportunity. I think a lot of the work that has been done over the last five to six years has been geared toward creating an environment where you would have economic prosperity."
"Surveys like that point out that there's a lot of good things going on, and I think we've done some things right," Smith said. "I hope that continues and that we are seen ever-increasingly as a place of opportunity."
Smith is touting Mesa's economic successes in his campaign for Arizona governor; he is expected to resign as mayor in April to pursue that race.
Judging from another recent Wallet Hub survey, however, Mesa has some work to do.
In a survey of the nation's 150 largest cities, Mesa ranked No. 92 among the best places to start a business.
Part of Mesa's answer to that is a partnership with Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus for a "business accelerator" called LaunchPoint.
LaunchPoint offers services to companies that already have taken root but need help to grow out of adolescence.
The accelerator is within walking distance of a high-security former Air Force research lab that Mesa now controls. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, which hosts several aviation firms, also is literally a stone's throw away.
Arizona cities in general did not place well on Wallet Hub's startup-friendly list.
Tucson ranked highest at No. 74; Chandler came in at No. 83 and Phoenix No. 89.


text:
May 24, 2016
This construction site off Capital Circle will soon be the Wolf Creek subdivision.
If you follow a dirt road about 200 yards you'll see yellow crime tape and lots of deputies.
Dozens of them are digging through the underbrush to see if they can spot any more remains. They believe the bones found belong to a woman, but they don't know much more.
Earl Smith is the man who discovered them.
"I seen it about a week before but never checked it out, I seen the top of it but didn't know what it was. We had some pipe up there we had to move, so I went up there when I was moving the pipe and I saw it and I picked it up. It was the top part of the skull and part of a bone. It looked like a leg bone to me," Smith explains.
While we were on scene this afternoon deputies found another bone fragment, what appears to be a piece of jawbone, a couple of feet away from the original discovery.
They'll be back again Thursday with teams to sift through the dirt more thoroughly.
So do deputies believe this is the scene of a crime there is record of an old cemetery on this property, or it could be a crime scene, who knows. Determining the age bone will be key to find what happened to her.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Post-Gaming the Google Ruling
We begin today where we left off yesterday — the dismissal of Viacom's copyright infringement suit against Google's YouTube site.
The big question is what does the ruling mean for the spirited battle between Internet companies and content providers? Do online service providers like Facebook, Amazon, eBay, or music and video file-sharing sites, now have broad license to use pirated material?
Not exactly. In his ruling, New York federal judge Louis Stanton said that while YouTube may have had a "general" awareness that users had uploaded Viacom's copyright-protected content onto its site that was not the same as "knowledge of specific and identifiable infringements of individual items."
When YouTube was given notice about copyright infringement, it quickly removed the pirated material, the judge concluded. In other words, yesterday's ruling should give comfort to Internet companies so long as they act responsibly and quickly in addressing copyright complaints.
Here's a copy of the ruling, which is perhaps the highest-profile interpretation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a 1998 law designed to bring traditional intellectual-property rights in line with the Internet age. Here's a WSJ article on the ruling and click here for a nice summary of the holding's import from Forbes's Andy Greenberg.
The DMCA provides a "safe harbor" from liability for service providers that respond promptly to warnings that they are hosting pirated material. Stanton's ruling underscores the fact that the 1998 law puts the onus on media companies to police illegal uses of their content.
Given the massive amounts of video material on YouTube — Stanton noted that 24 hours of video are uploaded every minute — Google must rely on copyright owners to identify infringing material, according to the ruling.
At the same, Forbes's Greenberg notes, Stanton indicated that online service providers, such as peer-to-peer file sharing sites, that actively promote the use of copyrighted material may not be able to use the DMCA's safe harbor rule.
At the end of the day, though, WSJ reports, yesterday's ruling is a setback for media companies, who for years have been trying to curb Internet companies' ability to distribute their content without compensating them.
Viacom said it plan to appeal. "We believe that this ruling by the lower court is fundamentally flawed," the company said in an emailed statement.
In an interview, Google general counsel Kent Walker called the decision "a full vindication across the board."


text:
If you need a new set of strings, Ren's Music Studio offers a variety of strings for your instrument. We can even put them on for you! There is always a new stock of musical supplies, accessories, and consignment items. Check out your next purchase today.
Located in the heart of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, Ren's Music Studio gives the community a place to relax with music. At the Studio, students of all ages (yes, adults learn too!) get one-on-one instruction on various styles of music. Learn to play classical guitar or jam out to songs by your favorite band.


text:
Grand Prairie is the 7th largest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the 15th largest city in the state of Texas. Grand Prairie is conveniently located between Dallas and Fort Worth in the far western part of Dallas County. The city offers relaxation, family fun, friendly neighbors and a smart place to live and do business. More than 166,000 people live in Grand Prairie. Residents tend to be 30-something, dual-income homeowners. In Grand Prairie, families who have lived here for generations welcome newcomers who choose to move to Grand Prairie for the same reasons the natives don't leave - location and hometown atmosphere.
The Grand Prairie Independent School District is the largest employer in Grand Prairie with approximately 4,198 staff members. More than 2,033 of those are instructional staff. GPISD is a 58-square mile district serving approximately 29,339 students within the Dallas County portion of Grand Prairie. The District boasts 41 campuses, including 24 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 4 high schools, one 9th grade center, 3 grades 6-12 campuses, one grade 7-8 campus, and one alternative education school.
The District has a diverse student population with 65.3 percent Hispanic students, 17.5 percent African-American students, 11.9 percent White students, 3.3 percent Asian students, 1.7 percent two or more races, .3 percent Native American students, and .1 Pacific Islander students.
Voted into existence on July 5, 1902, the District had the distinction of celebrating its 100-year anniversary during the 2002-2003 school year. In 2007, the District passed a $222 million bond election.
We are a learning community vigorously pursuing student success.
We will ensure student success through engaging learning experiences, collaborative leadership, and a focus on maximizing student achievement.
The Grand Prairie Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or disability in providing educational services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.


text:
SUN VALLEY, ID - JULY 09: Malaysian billionaire T. Ananda Krishnan, attends the Allen & Company Media and Technology Conference on July 9, 2011 in Sun Valley, Idaho. The conference has been hosted annually by the investment firm Allen & Company each July since 1983. The conference is typically attended by many of the world's most powerful media executives. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images


text:
[Editor's Note: This interview originally ran during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. "LUV" opens in select theaters this Friday.]
Candis, a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, has several short films to his name, including "The Walk" and "The Dwelling," a documentary that chronicles the lives of two homeless Tokyo residents. Additionally, he has created viral web content for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rock the Vote and world-infamous street artist Banksy.
Having your debut feature premiere in the U.S. Dramatic compeition at Sundance is quite the feat.
Yeah, I went to the Sundance Film Festival for the first time while I was at film school at USC just to experience it and that was amazing. It was just, like, "Wow, this is where I wanna be someday," 'cause for myself I always wanted to define myself first as an independent filmmaker as opposed to a studio filmmaker.
Why's that?
I'm a real big art head and if you go on my Facebook page, there's all types of photographers and artists. I'm always OCD about finding new bands and music, so there's something about independent film to me that's just arty. To me, it's cool. Whereas nowadays with the studio system... I want to watch a movie and be filled with heart.
The film has plenty of heart, despite being very dark. The Baltimore you depict in the film isn't a safe place, but it's a gorgeously atomospheric one.
I once heard that Baltimore was the forgotten American city and I just didn't embrace it. I was, like, no. Baltimore is the beautiful American city and for me I felt like it is a world that deals with violence and drugs, but does it have to be dark? Baltimore during the day is really beautiful. If I'm actually experiencing it, it's really beautiful. What you experience in the film is a heightened sense of reality because it's from Woody's point of view. So it's even brighter. It's how a kid sees the world, or how he imagines he sees it, versus what's actually there. The same way that he looks to his uncle. This guy's a superhero to him, the kid draws pictures of him, that's how much he looks up to him. But over the course of one day it's like, "Whoa, you're not as great as I thought you were."
So take me back to your time spent in Baltimore as a kid. How closely is "LUV" tied to your own experience?
It's very close to my own existence and my own childhood in Baltimore, but it's a fictional story inspired by a true relationship with one of my uncles. Fortunately for me, when I was in Baltimore, I was what they call a "stoop kid." What a stoop kid is is an observer of violence that doesn't partake in that world, but he clearly sees it. So I was one of those kids and I was always indoors watching my grandfather's movies and I've always had kind of a vivid imagination. I always see things as a movie.
As I was experiencing these very, very viscerally emotional things as a child and I'm watching these movies, I felt like my life was a movie. I didn't know the craft of filmmaking or the craft of screenwriting, but I started to understand that this is all really, really interesting. So it became a situation where I left Baltimore and moved to North Carolina when my parents separated.
Then I find myself going out west to USC film school and while I'm in film school… I've always had this idea of a story in my head: I was nine years old, not 11 like Woody in the movie. My uncle would pick me up at night and take me driving through the city with him and some places I would go into, other places I would just fall asleep.
I mean, we all knew he was a drug dealer; he drove a nice car, had a really nice home and never seemed to go to work anywhere. As I got older, I had an inkling of an idea of what a really compelling story could be, but then it was later, once I had graduated for USC film school, that I started to get specificity on the world and on my uncle and just how close to danger I actually was. For Justin Wilson, my writing partner, this is the moment where it became, "Wow." It's like "Pursuit of Happyness" punched in the face with "Training Day." It really is like "Training Day" from an 11-year-old's point of view.


text:
Next week (9-16 May 2016) heralds the beginning of the annual Dying Matters Awareness Week. Started in 2009 by the National Council for Palliative Care, the aim of the week is to raise public awareness of dying, death and bereavement. While the loss of a loved one or the thought of our own death is never a pleasant one, it... Read More
- News
- 04
- May
- 2016
- 14
- Apr
- 2016
Now that the new financial year is underway, it is a great time to take a look at sprucing up your finances to ensure your home and assets alike are in tip top order for the spring. Take a look at our 10 step plan to getting better control of your assets, which will give you peace of mind and potentially save money and... Read More
- 07
- Apr
- 2016
As the wedding season waltzes into full swing in a cloud of tulle and confetti it may seem downright unromantic to mar the preparations with legal considerations. But a little practical thinking in advance can spare a whole lot of heartache and headaches later if the fairytale doesn't end happily. These days, saying... Read More
It is almost one year since we welcomed Scotland's first fully devolved Land and Building Transaction Tax (LBTT) as a replacement to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). Residential home owners were all too aware of the impact on their property purchases last April 2015 and second home owners or buy-to-let purchasers are... Read More


text:
NDMP backup job fails during verify stage with error E_PVL_UNENCRYPTED_DATA_ENCOUNTERED_WHILE_DECRYPTING ((BESTATUS)0xE0008122L) when Hardware Encryption is enabled
Created: 08 Feb 2012
NDMP backup job fails during verify when Hardware Encryption is enabled. When NDMP backup job is run with Hardware encryption, it fails with
error "0xe000130b - The operation was terminated on the NDMP server". Backup job is configured to backup CIFS shares from NDMP resources from NetAPP Ontap version 7.3.3p3 box with hardware encryption and verify enabled. The job does complete successfully if verify is disabled.
For more information please check the following article
A non-public fix is available for this issue and hence customer facing this problem are encouraged to open a support case to test the private fix.
Known Issue Filed Under:
- Login or register to post comments
- Comments RSS Feed


text:
Holiday Shopping in NYC
by nycgo.com staff, 10/12/2011
Photo: Joel Fisher
- holidays in nyc/
- more in shopping/
Academy Records
12 W. 18th St., 212-242-3000, Flatiron District, Manhattan
Now that audiophiles have resurrected vinyl from the dustbin of history—turntables aren't quite the new iPods, but they're not exactly 8-tracks, either—Academy Records' offerings are even more impressive. The store features an endless variety of used CDs, DVDs and vinyl, some of them so lightly used that they're like new. One essential rule of thumb for visits here: allow yourself ample time to rummage, so that you can find the gems among the extensive collections of recordings and films, including some on VHS (if you can't find what you're looking for, ask the staff in the back to check the stockroom). Academy deals are unlike any other—boxed sets, for instance, are available at an attractively discounted price. Academy's jazz, classical and opera selections are some of the most comprehensive in the City, and the shop specializes in obscure recordings that you may not be able to find elsewhere. If you're looking for a particular release, call the shop once a week to find out if it has come in—the store's buyers are well versed in new arrivals.