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Do researchers and decision makers rely solely on the facts or are they influenced by the opinions and beliefs of themselves or others?
According to Daniel Gilbert, "Research suggests that decision-makers don't realize just how easily and often their objectivity is compromised. The human brain knows many tricks that allow it to consider evidence, weigh facts and still reach precisely the conclusion it favors."
As Jonah Lehrer explains:
The reason we're so resistant to anomalous information - the real reason researchers automatically assume that every unexpected result is a stupid mistake - is rooted in the way the human brain works. Over the past few decades, psychologists have dismantled the myth of objectivity. The fact is, we carefully edit our reality, searching for evidence that confirms what we already believe. (Lehrer 2010, 83)
According to Harper and Huh, "no inquiry or assessment approach— quantitative, historical, qualitative, or multimethod—can be completely objective." (Harper, 6)
As Janesick (2000, 385) put it, "There is no value-free or bias-free design . . . the myth that research is objective in some way can no longer be taken seriously. At this point in time, all researchers should be free to challenge prevailing myths, such as the myth of objectivity".
In "Ten myths of science" by William McComas:
Myth 8. Scientists are Particularly Objective
Scientists are no different in their level of objectivity than are other professionals. They are careful in the analysis of evidence and in the procedures applied to arrive at conclusions. With this admission, it may seem that this myth is valid, but contributions from both the philosophy of science and psychology reveal that there are at least three major reasons that make complete objectivity impossible.
According to Liam Marsh:
Objectivity is also a powerful myth that prevails over the world of science and, hence, that of psychology. There is a belief that there is a static reality outside of ourselves that exists on its own, independent of observers. From this comes the idea of truth; the idea that there is somehow a right answer; a way the world truly is. The whole idea of scientific methodology and experimentation exists to serve this fantasy, that there is a method which will give to us the truth, the real nature of things. A theory can be shown irrefutable and certainty can be obtained. The unknown can become known. The question, answered. Woven into this story is the assumption of natural laws. The idea that there are rules or laws which all things abide by. These laws of nature are reliable as well for they never change and always applies. In the stories of science are many peculiar beliefs which purport the unbelievable.
To counter this we need to utilize tools and disparate viewpoints to help us when objectivity is important. Tools that enable us to uncover and understand our biases. Alternate viewpoints that balance our biases.
- Gilbert, Daniel. I'm O.K., You're Biased. The New York Times. 4/16/06.(NY Times)
- Gillispie, C.C. The Edge of Objectivity: An Essay in the History of Scientific Ideas (Google Books)
- Harper, S.R and G.D. Huh. "Myths and Misconceptions About Using Qualitative Methods in Assessment", New Directions for Institutional Research, no. 136, Winter 2007, Wiley.
- Hodson, D. (1986). "The mature of scientific observation." School Science Review, 58(242), 17-28.
- Janesick, V. J. "The Choreography of Qualitative Research Design." In N. Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln (eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research. (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks,Calif.: Sage, 2000.
- Lehrer, Jonah. Accept Defeat: The Neuroscience of Screwing Up. Wired. Jan 2010. (Wired)
- Lehrer, Jonah. How We Decide. Houghton Mifflin 2/9/09.
- Marsh, Liam. The Fantasy of Science: Psychology's Struggle with a Persona. 1996. The Ares Press. (text)
- McComas, William, "Ten myths of science: Reexamining what we think we know....," Vol. 96, School Science & Mathematics, 01-01-1996, pp 10. (text)
- Popper, K. R. (1963). Conjectures and refutations: The growth of scientific knowledge. New York: Harper and Row.
- Porter, T.M. Trust in Numbers: The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life. 1995. Princeton University Press, Princeton. (text)
- Scheffler, I. (1967/1982). "Objectivity Under Attack" (pp. 1-19). In Science and Subjectivity. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merill. (text)


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The movie starts with a huge, compressed flashback of our protagonist, Louise Banks. This reminds me the opening of the movie Up (2009) where emotional nostalgia of the past are squeezed tightly in a montage. We are introduced to a linguistic professor who lives alone, in a reasonable assumption that she was fighting back her memories of her marriage due to the death of her young daughter, packed together in such short time.
In the next part, our protagonist deals with her real problem which were the point of the whole story-the aliens. As she began to lecturing the class as usual, news announces that something unidentified are appearing in parts of the world. These objects, the UFO, looks totally unique. It reminds me of the black square-shaped objects in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) but much more bigger. And then, some upper government officials interrupts her silent evening with an invitation, with a purpose that she can at least try to communicate with aliens.
At first in my expectation, the movie is about linguistic kind of thing. And yes, my guess until here is still relevant. Exploring the philosophy of communication, the following parts of the movie shows the fragile parts of human and their activity of communicating. We see our protagonist speaks with her co-worker, Ian, in a disrupting situation. The audience cannot hear what they're talking about as the sound of buzzing helicopter are all over the scene. Next, we see armed forces in a stance that they're ready to attack at anytime, forging the problem of communication again, with the audience hoping something bad will not happen as a matter of commando of their authority. Lastly, we see riots and vandalism of human all over the world are shown. We could see these scenes as a critic to human, with their inability to grasp the same real meaning of another.
One thing from the movie production that stand out is the use of music. The score is amazing. Example of use is when the opening scene, when the slow, neoclassical violin captures the melancholic side of Louise Banks in such a short time without being too annoying. Its breathtaking, emotionally potent sound harmonizes with loneliness the protagonist had, and it is too ignorant, unless they're sleeping throughout the scene, for audience to not to grasp the same feeling. And it is just the first part of the movie. Next we can see how Villeneuve, with Johannsson as the orchestrator the whole score, to do tension in many scenes. They do impressive job on how they make a movie as eerie as possible. Sometimes, Villeneuve was caught again doing with his style of making movies to make the people who watches drown in anxiety. The distinctive use of silence, for example, has alot to do with his works. On Sicario (2015), Villeneuve use silence to capture the moral dilemma the character had during whole movie. The same technique, as not surprisingly, found in his earlier movie, like Incendies, Enemy, or Prisoner. It is repeated again on Arrival when he uses it as a buildup to something going to happen, or when the protagonist encounter some weird moments e.g when she enters the alien ship for the first time.
Second, the cinematography is jaw-dropping. The film looks so crisp and cold. With the minimal use of special effects, the movie adds some legitimacy to alien scenes for example. I don't know if it budget cut or not, but the movie are not so depended on the camera movement or some practical effects. Even if it is true, unexpectedly, it still makes the contact between human and alien as a sacred encounter. That is because the camera works is so pristine at its best, that it'd add new level of authenticity without being too pretentious.
Lastly, the performance of the actors/actress is really really good. Amy Adams, as the main character, delivers a nice execution. She really puts her pain, fear, suffering, and confusion in the scenario that she's being put through very excellent. Forest Whittaker and Jeremy Renner is also. As a supporter of the main character, they really good at being companion to her.
To deliver an emotional sci-fi movie is not easy. Interstellar (2014), for example, is trying too hard for being one. Instead of presenting a hard-hitting emotional picture, Interstellar falls into a deep abyss of vivid vagueness. While using the same technique, Arrival succeeded to manage the whole picture full of strong feeling, while keep maintaining its intellectual interpretation to left to audience. The message of being sci-fi movie, as audience has to know the basic level of certain knowledge to understand, is still there, whilst at the same time is not being far in state of confusion and blandness.
Overall, Denis Villeneuve still continues his streak of excellent filmmaking with Arrival. Denis no need to doubt his talent while making another masterpiece. In Arrival, he's already doing a great job. The movie is rich in storytelling, nearly accomplishes in all aspect, a stand-out in a generation that is in need of good sci-fi movie, and clearly one of the best film of 2016.

subset: commoncrawl


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After a long pause, due to a broken leg (my mum's, not mine) and some great load of work during these past few weeks, I'm back with a new post, a photo shoot we did (hmm almost two weeks ago, no judgement, please..) with two of my closest friends, Artemis and Danae. I wanted them both to wear something long, just because long dresses and jumpsuits are so "in" this season. Continue reading
Travel Stories: Monaco/Monte-Carlo, the luxurious!
Monaco: a mixture of lust, luxury, wealth, hordes of jet-setters and fancy cars, yachts and, well.. majestic backdrops. Continue reading
Travel Stories: Cannes, the glamorous!
Lately I was longing for some new travelling adventures, as I am one of those people who seriously can't have enough of travelling and soaking up new experiences, smells, images.. Continue reading
Boots on!
Here I am, stepping out of my comfort zone for once, trying something more "rock" this time. Although my grandma was like "Are you really going to go out like this?", I have to tell you I really enjoyed wearing this outfit, I didn't feel so much like my usual self.. Continue reading
The White shirt..
An airy, plain, white shirt is a wardrobe essential for all ages and seasons. With its longer-than-usual length and its incorporated belt, this specific one is a very interesting variation of the classic white shirt, ideal for almost every hour of the day, during summer: Continue reading


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News Releases
DTE Energy upgrades power system to improve electric reliability for customers in Detroit and other communities
DETROIT, Nov. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy is replacing power poles, stringing new electric lines and adding new equipment, all to improve power reliability for families and businesses in the Belmont neighborhood of northwest Detroit.
In areas where similar work has been completed, power reliability has been improved by an average of 44 percent.
The work in the Belmont neighborhood, in the area of Puritan Avenue and Greenfield Road, began in late August and is on schedule to be completed this month. It is one of 114 reliability projects undertaken this year alone. Since 2013, the company has completed more than 400 reliability improvement projects.
"Over the last few years we have worked to improve service reliability for our customers, taking a careful look at outages and equipment to ensure we are investing in projects that will provide the greatest benefits for customers," said Heather Rivard, vice president, Distribution Operations. "This year, we are seeing our best overall reliability performance in eight years."
Reliability improvement projects typically include new power lines, poles and other equipment that are more resistant to storm damage, all essential to keeping the power on. Projects may also include installation of components that minimize the number of customers impacted when outages do occur and advanced controls that identify potential equipment problems before they happen and automatically re-route electricity around trouble spots.
The program goal is to complete upgrades on 1,300 circuits throughout southeast Michigan by 2020, at a total projected cost of about $415 million.
"We're continuously working to make the electrical system stronger, to better withstand storms and extreme weather and help get our customers' lives quickly back to normal again after outages occur," Rivard said.
DTE expects to invest at least $6.6 billion in its electrical distribution system over the next 10 years.
About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140924/148236
SOURCE DTE Energy


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Diamonds are expensive commodities and they have gotten more costly in recent years. Due to the complex nature of the diamond jewelry market, the need for an independent jewlery appraiser becomes increasingly important. This is especially true if you intend to buy diamonds with unrecognized grading reports or if you need an up-to-date valuation for a piece of old jewelry you want to sell.
Couple this with the fact that more synthetics and imitations are entering the market, how do you know what you are buying is the real thing? Also, the improvement and introductions of new treatment methods are getting harder and harder to detect. Can you be sure that your purchase had not been misrepresented in its color, carat weight or clarity when it was being sold to you?
Besides depending on a grading report, the short answer to the questions above is to seek help from an independent appraiser. Note that I highlighted the term "independent". This means that the appraiser does not sell jewelry himself and there isn't any conflict of interest to provide you with an unbiased appraisal.
Very often, I receive emails seeking my advice on getting their jewelry appraised. And the most common questions always relate to the authenticity of the diamond ring which they had recently purchased online.
In this article, I am going to talk about what to expect in an appraisal and the kind of questions you might want to ask. More specifically, I am addressing the concerns of people who just need a peace of mind for their purchase.
First things first, in order for the appraiser to do an accurate assessment of the diamond, it needs to be unmounted. Of course, for most people out there, you probably purchased a diamond that is already mounted on a ring setting to surprise your loved one.
While it is still possible for the stone to be assessed, there could be some discrepancies in the results. I will be touching more on this later.
On the next page, we show you a list of good questions to ask during the appraisal.
The last tip about communicating the reason for having your jewelry appraised can be very important. Often, appraisers will have more knowledge about precious stones and metals than you will, so getting their full opinion could help you avoid any pitfalls or problems, particularly when insurance is involved. Overall, having an open but smart line of communication to your professional is a valuable asset.
Great point about discussing the cost of evaluation beforehand. Sometimes when I do things like this for the first time, it's easy for people to keep quiet about pricing until the payment is actually due. When it comes to jewelry appraisal, it's easy to see how this would apply similarly. Thanks for the tips!
I would really like to sell my jewelry sometime, so it would be nice to get it appraised. I want to be sure that a professional does it, so going to an independent appraiser would probably be good, just as long as I make sure that they have all the proper qualifications. When I go to get everything looked at, I will be sure to remember these questions that you provide. That way, I will know exactly what I need to know about my jewels so that I may sell them for the right price.
I appreciated this post, especially since my wife loves jewelry. I can see why it would be important to seek an appraisers help with getting insurance for jewelry. My wife has some pretty expensive stuff, so this seems like a good option for us. Thanks for sharing.


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Who are Pinks by Post?
We are a small company with a long history. Pinks by Post has been trading now for over 30 years. Our flowers are sourced from a small nursery in Devon where they nurture and pick the finest, scented Pinks. Here they are grown throughout the year in an environmentally friendly way, naturally, under glass with no heating.
We love Pinks and thousands of our customers do too! We know that as they keep coming back for more. We also stock, in season, beautiful Cornish Anemones; gorgeous scented freesias and Cornish Alstroemeria. In fact, we are always on the lookout for beautiful British flowers. As a gift or a treat for yourself, flowers are perfect for any occasion. What better than a gift box of fresh, beautifully scented, British flowers.
You can read our delivery information here. Delivery Information


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On 3 April 1966, the Soviet Union Luna 10 became the first to successfully orbit the moon. Launched on 31 March 1966 and arrived moon on 2 April 1966, Luna 10 became the first spacecraft to successfully go into orbit around another celestial body.
While in orbit, Luna 10 studied radiation levels, cosmic ray intensities, and took readings of the moon's weak magnetic field. The spacecraft successfully transmitted data for two months, circling the moon 460 times before its mission came to an end on May 30, 1966.
After a 92 hour voyage, the first successful United States Lunar Orbiter entered into orbit around the moon on 14 August 1966. The Lunar Orbiter program was designed to photograph possible sites for the Apollo landing missions and the far and near sides of the moon. Morever, the analysis of the motions of the spacecrafts helped determine the precise shape of the moon and any gravitational anomalies it might contain. It confirmed the moon is slightly pear-shaped, bulging about 1/4 mile (0.4 km) at its north pole.
Lunar Orbiter 1 sent back high-quality images (by television) of over two million square miles of lunar surface, including the first detailed images of potential Apollo landing sites. On its 26th orbit of the moon, the first pictures were taken, developed, and stored. Electronic scanning and transmission to earth commenced on 18 August.
After circling the Moon 527 times in 77 days, Lunar Orbiter 1 was deliberately crashed onto the moon's surface to prevent the possibility of its radio disturbing communications between earth and the Lunar Orbiter 2, whose launching was imminent.
While Lunar Orbiter 1 was sending photographs of the moon back to earth, the Soviets launched Luna 11 on 24 August 1966, which reached moon on the 28 August. Luna 11 was designed to test new technology, completed 277 orbits before its mission was terminated on 1 October 1966.
Luna 12 followed on 22 October, achieving lunar orbit and sent back a series of photographs of the moon surface, presumably including prime target landing sites.
Launched on 22 October 1966 and in lunar orbit on 25 October 1966, Luna 12's primary mission was to photograph the lunar surface and it took about 1,100 pictures including images of the Sea of Rains and the area surrounding the crater Aristarchus. The mission was terminated on January 19, 1967 after 602 orbits.
On 6 November 1966, Lunar Orbiter 2 headed for the moon and in lunar orbit on 10 November. Excellent pictures of potential Apollo landing sites in particular were returned.
Lunar Orbiter 2 took over 800 pictures during its mission, including an oblique view of the crater Copernicus that was voted one of the best images of the century by the press. It was deliberately sent crashing into the lunar surface on 11 October 1967, bringing to an end the successful mission.
Lunar Orbiter 3, boosted by its Atlas Agena D carrier was launched on 4 February 1967, and entered moon orbit on the 8th. Its mission was to photograph the prime site in eastern Mare Tranquillitatis, one of the potential landing site for Apollo.
The orbit of Lunar Orbiter 3 was altered several times during the mission to give controllers on Earth more experience with communications during lunar orbit. Lunar Orbiter 3 drew great attention when it photographed the Surveyor 1 spacecraft that landed on the moon in early June 1966. The mission ended on 9 October 1967 when it was deliberately crashed the spacecraft into the Moon.
Lunar Orbiter 4, unlike its predecessors, went into near polar orbit and sent back its first picture of the south polar region of the moon on 11 May 1967.
Lunar Orbiter 4 was the first to take pictures of the moon's south pole. It took images from orbit for eight months before it was crashed to the lunar surface.
The final in the Lunar Orbiter series, Lunar Orbiter 5, was launched on 1 August 1967, and after nearly 90 hours and travelled 255,000 miles (410,000 km) of flight, it entered into orbit. Its missions were to continue detailed photography of more than 40 preselected sites on the near side of the moon and to cover the unphotographed regions along the western equator on the far side.
Upon completion of the Lunar Orbiter 5 mission, over 99% of the moon's surface had been mapped (with data from all previous missions combined). The mission ended on January 31, 1968.
One spacecraft not so closely tied to the Apollo program was Explorer 35, launched on 10 July 1967, and sent 12 days later into a highly elliptical orbit around the moon. Explorer 35 was also known as a lunar-anchored interplanetary monitoring platform, or IMP. It found the moon had been volcanically active. No evidence of trapped radiation belts around the moon that is similar to the Van Allen belt surrounding the earth.
In April 1968, the Soviets placed their Luna 14 into moon orbit. It was instrumented to study the relationship between the masses of the earth and the moon, the lunar gravitational field, the interaction of the solar wind and the moon, and the characteristics of the motion of the moon in its orbit around the earth.


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Piccola Releases Statement Announcing His Decision Not to Run for Reelection in 2012
Posted by By Rock The Capital - Admin at 11 November, at 14 : 11 PM Print
November 10, 2011
HARRISBURG – Senator Jeffrey E. Piccola (R-15) released the following statement today announcing his intention to not run for reelection in 2012.
"I hereby announce that I will not be a candidate for reelection to the 15th Senatorial District in 2012. I have thoroughly enjoyed my service in the state legislature, and I count as one of my many blessings the privilege of representing the citizens of Dauphin and York Counties in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their support."
"During the year remaining of my term, I will work as Chairman of the Senate Education Committee to advance measures to reform and improve the Commonwealth's educational system and continue to strive to best represent the people of the 15th Senatorial District."
# # #
CONTACT: Colleen Greer, 717-787-6801


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D.M. Martins Research: iPads are the new iPods/
The iPad is the new iPod – but with an even shorter life span, according to D.M. Martins Research. In fact, the tablet (and tablets in general) is a fast-declining product category that "most Apple analysts and investors don't even seem to care too much about anymore," adds the firm.
D.M. Martins Research says the iPad is a product in the late stages of its lifecycle and an increasingly unimportant revenue generator for Apple. The tablet, like the iPod before it, experienced a "clear and sharp" decline in sales as a percentage of total revenues six years after their introduction.
Here's Martins' take: "… the iPad was a revolutionary product category that, unlike the more widely used iPhone, addressed a much narrower market need. Being a hybrid device, the iPad complemented well the smartphone as a secondary mobile platform, but has been adopted and sold much more like a personal computer.
"Whereas the iPhone has become a product of daily (if not hourly) use by most AAPL customers, the iPad served largely as a mobile device for sporadic use. By design, the iPad was never meant to be carried in a pocket and accessed on demand, anywhere, anytime. And with the advent of 4.7-inch display smartphones, the iPad, cannibalized by AAPL's own flagship product, has lost some of the appeal that it had when iPhones came in small, 3.5-inch screens.
The iPad is now more of a very-nice-to-have device that most customers and potential buyers do not feel the need to replace on a regular basis. The tablet market, as a result, seems to have rapidly reached saturation, and I do not see this trend reversing at all."
However, the research group doesn't think this will adversely affected Apple in the long run. It says the company's near- to medium-term future prospects are much more dependent on the continued success of the iPhone at first and, eventually, on alternative sources of revenues — like services and software.


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Titles with ** before them are re-watches.
Titles with # before them I watched with my little siblings.
City Hunter ~ 2011 ~ 7 eps
Goodness this drama is good!! Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young make an amazing and hilarious team!
When Calls the Heart ~ 2014 ~ 3 eps
At first I refused to watch this show because I knew how Michael Landon Jr. had utterly ruined the Love Comes Softly series when he made them into movies. But then a friend kept telling me to watch it, so I did some research and discovered that this TV series isn't about Elizabeth Thatcher Delaney (the girl who the books are about), but her niece Elizabeth Thatcher. So I agreed to watching it. Mom, who is watching it with me, very much dislikes it! I am convinced that the reason Michael Landon Jr. made it her niece, was because everyone disliked what he did to Love Comes Softly and if he used a niece, then he could take the basic plot-line of the books, throw all of his 'additions' and people wouldn't be furious because "you are ruining the books!"
Bride & Prejudice ~ 2005
This movie, while extremely hilarious and a very good adaption of P&P, had a few issues. Mainly crudities. But I liked it a lot and I wouldn't be adverse to watching it again.
# ** The Secret of Moonacre ~ 2009
I'm sure you all are thinking by now, "Man, she watches that movie a lot!" It is the third time that I have seen it this year! My little siblings really love it!
Elizabethtown ~ 2005
We watched this movie after watching the 3rd episode of When Calls the Heart. Mom need something to 'wash the bad taste out of her mouth'. It was rather amusing to see Orlando Bloom (who of course I am used to seeing with long blond hair and a long-bow), dressed in modern clothing and playing a shoe designer! And Kirsten Dunst is just adorable!
Mulan II ~ 2004
While I didn't think the plot was as well done as the first movie, it still had it's good parts. Plus a lot of quotable Mushu moments! And, "Did that sound like an order?" "It sounded like a friendly suggestion!"
Jeon Woo-chi: The Taoist Wizard ~ 2009
I have only watched a little over the first half of this. Mel and I were pulling a 'long-nighter' because Mom was gone. We watched Mulan II and started this, but then Mel wasn't feeling very well so we haven't finished it. It was very amusing and the hero, Jeon Woo-chi, is a pain in the rear!
# ** Avengers Assemble ~ 2013 ~ ep 2
And some more lovely quotable Avengers!


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"We are very excited to have grown our relationship with the Army National Guard for the up-coming season," said Dave Muye, Sr. Director Sponsorship & Strategic Alliances, Feld Entertainment. "Their interactive footprint in the pits and color guard presentation to start the show are great additions to the fan experience. We look forward to welcoming many current and future Army National Guard members to Monster Energy Supercross."
During the 2013 season, the National Guard participated in four races, and 2014 marks their first year as a season-long partner of Monster Energy Supercross. The National Guard will have a large presence during the Pit Party and fans are encouraged to visit their interactive display.
The National Guard activation site will provide interactive opportunities for the fans to experience. It will include a pull up, sit up contest and the punching bag challenge. Each fan participating in the National Guard events will have the chance to receive "National Guard" giveaways. There will also be National Guard Recruiting Representatives on site to answer questions and explain the opportunities available to young men and women interested in serving their country as well as discuss National Guard college scholarships.
For the first-time ever, the entire Monster Energy Supercross season will air live on FOX Sports. FOX Sports 1 will air 13 races live and FOX Sports 2 will air four races live, in addition to every race re-airing on FOX Sports 2. The live Monster Energy Supercross programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 also includes live coverage on the authenticated FOX Sports Go app.
For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com, the official website of Monster Energy Supercross. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, log on to www.facebook.com/supercrossLive www.Twitter.com/supercrosslive and www.instagram.com/supercrosslive. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com.SupercrossLive. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig email@example.com or 630-566-6305.
About Army National Guard
The Army National Guard is composed primarily of traditional Guardsmen – citizen soldiers who serve their country, state and community on a part-time basis (usually one weekend each month and two weeks during the summer.) The National Guard has a unique dual mission that consists of both State and Federal roles. For state missions, the governor, through the state Adjutant General, commands the Guard forces. The governor can call the National Guard into action during local or statewide emergencies, such as storms, fires, earthquakes or civil disturbances. In addition, the President of the United States can activate the National Guard for participation in federal missions.
About Feld Motor Sports®
Feld Motor Sports®, Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor sports entertainment. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz®, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the world's largest producer of live family entertainment. For more information on Feld Entertainment, visit www.feldentertainment.com.


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|FV3561 Trailer, Dummy Axle, Recovery, 10 - 30 Tonnes
|Saturday, 05 January 2008
This page details the Characteristics of FV3561 Trailer, Dummy Axle, Recovery, 10 - 30 Tonnes and is designed to facilitate the evacuation of casualties up to 30 tonnes, freeing dedicated Recovery assets for specialist tasks.
A small diesel engine drives the hydraulic winch used to organise the casualty into position. Its capacity is 10400kg. A small hand winch helps the operator place the towing A frame for connection to the casualty.
"The vehicle has a single unsprung axle fitted with twin wheels and tyres. The casualty is lifted by a jib pivoted on the axle, with a winch 4 fall reeving, and a lifting beam. The casualty is further located by an A Frame which incorporates a pivoting towing eye with automatic catch to facilitate coupling to the casualty. An integral hydraulic system is fitted, powered by a four stroke diesel engine, which operates the winch, moves the jib between lifting and travelling positions, and raises and lowers the dolly wheels. A hand winch is fitted for positioning the A Frame and towing beam."
British Military Vehicles 1971.
|Last Updated ( Saturday, 05 January 2008 )
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This could be a harder assignment than it might initially appear, so spoilt for choice is the vast legacy of this iconic label, the yin to Stax's yang in the history of black popular music. And whilst, yes, my personal taste errs now more to the southern grit(s) of Stax, my childhood was festooned and imprinted with all those hits from the Motor City. It seemed that for every guitar band in the charts, there were twice that number of sharp dressed dudes and shiny frocked floozies, singing and dancing their socks off, so ubiquitous were the Temptations, the Supremes, the Miracles, the (4) Tops etc etc etc. Indeed I came to resent their permanence: when Marvin Gaye was number 1 with (I heard it on the) Grapevine for the whole of one summer, I hated the ease with which all usurpers were kept at bay. Love it now, less so then. I acquired a dislike and distrust of the so-called the Soul that curdled mine.
So what changed it? Actually these guys, around long before and around long since, a seemingly inexhaustible supply of brothers, who suddenly, in mid 70s, discovered the alchemists stone, turning white rock boys onto black r'n'b with the simple trick of if you can't beat 'em. Namely the guitar, the electric guitar. Based around brothers, Ronald, Rudolph and O'Kelly Isley, the Isley Brothers were a potent force in the 60s with songs such as Shout, Twist and Shout and This Old Heart of Mine, but had found their star perhaps waning a little. (Innocently, I had always assumed that better known-to-me versions by Lulu and the Beatles were the originals, these being poor copies, rather than vice-versa. Forgive me, I was just a wee boy!) Perhaps picking a trick from their erstwhile supporting and session man, James Marshall Hendrix, younger siblings Ernie and Marvin were conscripted, along with bro-in-law, Chris Jasper, beefing up the sound with guitar, bass and keyboards, electric rock guitar, bass and keyboards. I found the 3+3 album of 1973, referring to the trio plus trio as outlined above, astonishing, my gateway drug to an appreciation of black music hitherto denied by a prejudice, not of colour but of image. But these were way cooler than the bands namechecked above: no more suits, replaced instead with bandannas and tie-dye all the way, arguably standing the scrutiny of time less well, but hey...... Scales dropped, Damascus seen and I was on the bus, with all the previous suspects reciprocating my conversion, Stevie Wonder and the Temptations, for two, swiftly becoming suitable rock visionaries, whether by virtue of their music or lifestyle, irony not unintended.
This is my salute to the Isleys, who persevere, still with Ron and Ernie enrolled in the cause. This, their finest moment, Harvest for the World, an apt pointer for those, and there are many, who might see now as a time right to make a Harvest OF the World.
Disclaimer: 3+3 was on Epic records. That may be the truth, but that's not what most will think, so, spiritually, at least, I rest my case.
Entry level? (Recommended, a fabulous selection.)


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OpenStack established as the de-facto stanard for IaaS clouds. Cloudfoundry evolves as de-facto stanard for PaaS clouds.
In this hands-on workshop you will learn how to develop, deploy and manage applications on cloudfoundry. We will use IBM Bluemix PaaS cloud as runtime environment and the cloudfoundry ecliplse and command line tools. We will also learn how to develop, deploy and manage applications using IBM's DevOps services based on Rational Jazzhub.
The course covers runtimes like Liberty Profile for JEE, Node.js, PHP and services like MongoDB, CouchDB, MySQL, PostgresSQL, IBM DB2 BLU. We will show examples of mobile development and Application Integration.
After this course you will be able to use any cloudfoundry based PaaS cloud in your favourite programming language and of course you can use the middleware and databases you are currently using on IaaS clouds.


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The Irish Wolfhound grows
at an incredible rate. The newborn pup weighs about 1 to 1-1/2 pounds. By
the time it is ready to go to its new home at around 12-13 weeks of
it can weigh around 40 to 50 pounds.
Newborn pups enjoying their first meal.
Puppies at one
Colors range from wheaten brindles to
red brindles.
2 week old puppy after a nice big meal.
Same puppy as
above at 12 weeks of age.
See how he has
lightened up.
The growing puppy
once he is in his new home:
At 4 1/2 months the
puppy can still fit into your favorite chair.
At 6 months it takes a couch for the two of you to cuddle.
At 10 1/2 months he begins to
look more like a real wolfhound.
Thanks to Sue Orr for this great


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text:
Customers Also Bought
Product Description
- Wireless color Micro box Camera
- Image Sensor: 1/3" Sony color CCD
- Number of Pixels: PAL: 500H x 582V; NTSC: 510H x 494V
- D & N: 0.5 Lux/0.05lux
- Signal System: PAL/NTSC
- Horizontal Resolution: 420 TV Line
- Gain Control: Auto
- White Balance: Auto
- Transmission Power: 10mW
- Consumption Current: 180mA
- Modulation Mode: ASK/FSK
- Bandwidth: 100MHz
- Channel Frequency: CH1=2414MHz / CH2=2432MHz / CH3=2450MHz / CH4=2468MHz
- Effective Range: 30-100 m
- Power Supply: DC12V±10%
- Cable Connector: RCA
- Electronic Shutter Speed: 1/50(1/60)-1/100,000 (sec.)
- Lens Mount: C/CS Mount
- Dimensions: 40 x 40 x 54mm
- Operation Temperature: -10℃ ~ +50℃
- Wireless color Micro box Camera
- Sturdy clip for easy fixation
CCD Cameras Definition:
Definition of a CCD:
- CCD stands for Charge Coupled Device(s). They are responsible for turning RGB light into electronic RGB signals. They are usually located directly behind the lens of the camera.
Types of CCDs:
- Depending on the quality of the camera, there may be one or multiple CCDs to collect RGB data. Budget consumer cameras usually only have one CCD to process the RGB signal. Higher end cameras may have three or more, one for each Red, Blue and Green signal.
Features of the CCD:
- Multi-CCD cameras are often paired with a beam splitter or prism block which redirects the incoming white light into its respective RGB CCDs. This allows for clearer color definition.
Identification of the CCD:
- A CCD looks like a standard computer chip and it is advisable to take it out occasionally for a gentle cleaning.
Higher Quality CCDs:
- A higher quality CCD may contain millions of pixels to make the image look as vibrant as possible.
Package Included:
- 1 x Wireless Color Gun Camera CM-WX4400C
If the order has not been shipped; please contact DinoDirect Live Support for order cancellation.You will get your refund within 24 hours.
If the order has already been shipped; you may return the item to us postmarked within 30 calendar days of delivery. Before that, please contact our Live Support to inform that.
In that case we will refund you the payment excluding actual shipping fees already incurred.
If the item is defective, please contact DinoDirect Live Support and send an email to us at email@example.com attached an image or video file clearly showing the defect of the product. And we will give you a response within 24 hours whether we will resend the item or refund the payment to you for compensation.
For customization, please consider carefully before ordering.Because we do not accept return and replacement.
Quantity Range
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|Enter Wholesale Channel>>
• If the order has not been shipped; please contact DinoDirect Live Support for order cancellation.You will get your refund within 24 hours.
• If the order has already been shipped; you may return the item to us postmarked within 30 calendar days of delivery. Please contact our Live Support to inform that.
• Please contact Live Chat or click here to learn more return policy.


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Best Buy plans to offer something a little extra to Samsung mobile device buyers.
Anyone who buys any Samsung Galaxy device from June 26 to July 6 will receive a $50 gift card. The offer includes all Samsung Galaxy mobile phones and connected tablets including the
A two-year activation is required for post-paid mobile phones and tablets. For mobile activations with a wireless contract, the gift card can be applied immediately to the purchase. For prepaid mobile and tablet activations, the gift card must be used on a future purchase.
Customers will be able to nab the offer at the Samsung Experience Shops in more than 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy mobile stores, as well as on BestBuy.com. Tablet activations are available in-store only.
The move by Best Buy comes as the tech retailer boosts its focus on mobile devices and other hot areas. The tech retail environment is a tough one, and Best Buy itself has been struggling. To avoid "showrooming," where consumers check out products in Best Buy stores but then purchase them online for a lower price, Best Buy now matches online pricing. And as part of its turnaround plan, Best Buy also has voiced plans to feature more partners' products. It recently partnered with Samsung to open minishops within all Best Buy stores, known as Samsung Experience Shops.
Other recent deals offered by Best Buy included a free iPhone 5 through a limited trade-in program.
Mobile World Congress 2019: Complete coverage from the world's biggest phone show.
Galaxy S10 rumor roundup: Samsung's foldable and 5G phones may share the spotlight on Feb. 20.


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Remember this necklace?
Well, I finished one of the necklaces I was working on that was inspired by this one above. This falcon necklace was definitely one of my favorites and inspired me to create a whole lot of different types of falcon necklaces. So far, I've finished one.
So I designed it to be pretty flexible, and it kind of looks like snake skin. Which is what I was going for!
and here is another one I found online. Very beautiful!
Earrings of diamonds, emeralds, and pearls, from the album of jewelry drawings by Arnold Lulls. 1610
Above and below is a sketch from the jewelry book. (Above) The colors were so amazing, this picture really doesn't do the earrings justice.
"The pieces drew their inspiration from a diversity of historical sources, but it was the 18th century, with its garlands and bows, carved hardstones and coloured golds that was the most constant."
Another sketch. These sketches are SO old by the way. Its such a cool thing to see how people designed jewelry back in the 18th century.
Remember THIS? Its a bodice ornament.
and below is what it inspired me to create...
This consists of some cracked white marble-like material, red stones, gold dangly charms at the bottom, and gold designs all over the necklace, with some blue trim on the edge.
This necklace is more like what is being made today. It has a ribbon to tie around the neck, and black spikes dangling on the very bottom of the necklace. It was inspired by this hair piece I saw in my jewelry book.
still more to come!


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This is the place to find Marilyn Monroe Collectibles.
We also have Sall of Marilyn Monroe's Movies on DVD.
Marilyn Monroe Special Anniversary DVD Collection includes The Seven Year Itch, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Niagara, River of No Return, Let's Make Love and Marilyn - The Final Days.
Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond DVD Collection II includes Don't Bother to Knock, Let's Make Love, Monkey Business, Niagara and River of No Return.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Barbie
The Seven Year Itch Barbie
The Leading Ladies 50th Anniversary Marilyn Monroe 16" Inch Collectible Doll
Marilyn Monroe Wig
Marilyn Monroe Halloweeen Costume - The Seven Year Itch Dress
Marilyn Monroe pictured (left) in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
This Tribute is not officially endorsed or authorized by Marilyn Monroe. Unauthorized use of this material is strictly prohibited. © 2001-2011 Destination Hollywood. All rights reserved.
Lorelei (
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
"Is this the way to Europe, France?"
In which movie was the famous scene where Marilyn Monroe stood over the subway grate while wearing the white dress?


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I'm excited, but I'm also afraid… mostly because I've been a bad luck magnet this year and I'm going on a plane over the ocean.
My friend in Shanghai may be meeting me at the airport, so that will be nice, and he's going to try getting me a phone, one less thing for me to worry about.
I think the thing I'm mostly apprehensive about is leaving my baby for 2 weeks. That will be the hardest thing for me, I don't think I will be able to sleep without her.
Other than that, I've got everything packed up again, always feeling like I forgot something. Bought my VPN, packed clothes, cameras, essentials, etc. I think I'm good. But you know how it is when you travel somewhere or try to pack for something, it always feels like you're forgetting something.
The flight is going to be interesting for me anyways, because I'm a smoker. The airline I'm going on doesn't allow e-cigarettes, so that's out of the question. But it's ok. I'm going to try to sleep as much as I can on the flight anyways, because I really don't want jetlag!
I should probably be going to bed right now, I have to get up early and make sure I have everything. Then around 8:30 I'm going to try to be at the airport for check-in. I'm not too worried about getting through security, but I guess better to be early and be safe about not missing my flight right? I figure Cou got through LA security pretty fast, Phoenix should be easy compared to that. I'm going to milk any time I have left with my kids as much as possible.
I'll try to update with vlogs, but Cou hasn't had luck with internets in China, so I'm not going to be too anal about it, just in case. If anything we'll have a ton of videos up when we get back.


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All the way from Bend, Oregon the Outdoor Ukulele Tenor is a take-anywhere polycarbonate ukulele. I've had mine for around a month now. Here's my verdict…
Ukulele Reviews
Get Plucky With The Ukulele – Book Review
Will Grove-White's book Get Plucky With The Ukulele has been on my reading (and review) list for too long now. I finally got around to giving it the once over and here's my thoughts…
Makala MK-S Soprano Ukulele Review
Originally I bought the Makala MK-S for my dad, he'd expressed an interest in learning ukulele very shortly after I started playing. Unfortunately due to the arthritis in his hands it wasn't to be, he just couldn't get his fingers into the required positions, even with the uke chord changer that I got for him. And so it is now in my possession, shortly to be sold on but I figured it was worth writing a review of the Makala.
Ohana SK-25 Ukulele Review
Ohana's entry level all-solid soprano is pretty well specced for the price. For around £140 ($220) you get a solid Mahogany soprano ukulele with a bone saddle and nut, rosewood fretboard, Grover tuners and Aquila strings. Want to know more? Read on…
iUke Sopranino Ukulele Review
I'd wanted a sopranino ukulele ever since I first saw one, I figured it's portability would make it a great companion for me when I'm away from home. The iUke sopranino clocks in at around £60 (I'm haven't seen anywhere in the US stocking them yet). For your money, you get a solid topped instrument with Aquila strings and a pretty nice padded gig bag. Here's my thoughts after owning one for the past few months…
Ukulele Books by The Quiet American
I recently purchased a couple of books by Aaron and Nicole Keim. Together Aaron and Nicole are husband and wife duo The Quiet American. They perform traditional old-time American folk music that feels and sounds incredibly authentic, it's American folk music at it's best.
Mahilele Soprano Ukulele Review
I recently got my hands on a plastic backed Mahilele soprano ukulele (a first for me) and I've been playing it quite a lot so here's my thoughts… Continue reading
Southern Ukulele Store Soprano Gig Bag with 10mm Padding
In anticipation of heading to the upcoming Grand Northern Ukulele festival I figured it was time to grab some kind of case for one of my ukuleles. At the moment they're all stacked up in the corner of my living room amongst my guitars and aren't getting much protection.
Lanikai LUTU-21P Soprano TunaUke Review
Is this the start of a little bit of UAS (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome) for me? I'm now the proud owner of a second ukulele – a lovely little Lanikai Soprano TunaUke (pineapple) in Mahogany. I've had this uke for a few weeks now, so here's my thoughts and a few pics too…
Octopus Soprano Ukulele Review
I have to admit I've been wanting to get my hands on an Octopus soprano ukulele to try out for quite a while now. Firstly because I've read good things about them (for the price) and secondly as I'm eventually going to do some custom artwork on a ukulele and it's a likely candidate.
Well, I'm now the proud owner of an Octopus soprano so here's my thoughts…


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Capitalism is dead
Capitalism finished a long time ago; if it ever existed. The use of capitalism as a synonym for greedy business is a sad commentary on the lack of language of our day. Capitalism is about capital formation and nothing to do with the ripping off of the masses. That's the role of religions and politicians who encourage everyone to work harder and accept their lot.
Capitalism is an idea born out of Protestantism. If I forgo pleasure today I will have more resources and therefore I can have more pleasure tomorrow.
Business is a simple matter. Find something you love to do and help as many people as possible. They will then throw money at you. Today's businesses, particularly financially based businesses and miners, do not seem to understand this principle and are hell-bent on destroying society and the planet so that they can be the richest survivors. They become rich, briefly in most cases, but never wealthy. Wealthy people do not spend their lives accumulating the riches of the world at the expense of others and there is never enough for the rich but non-wealthy. e.g. How much money does a man need to have before he shows his mother or father, "What a good boy am I?" Wealthy people share their wealth uplifting others and making themselves happy through their good hearts.
No country that has raised itself from under-developed to developed country status, has done so without the exploitation of others. We are seeing this process copied once again in Russia, India and China. India is the most disappointing because their people claim to understand morality. Accumulation of capital in developing countries is chiefly through corruption which is why The Party turned a blind eye to it for so long. Now that most of the Princeling families are rich they will prevent others following their methods. It's also a great way to get rid of rivals.
Britons think that the Industrial Revolution made them rich but the capital was obtained through slave trading and narcotic sales. The Yanks are so stupid they believe that their revolution was about taxes and not ripping off Native Lands. Capital was further accumulated by the Robber Barons.
Australians similarly stole the land and the Chinese have stolen from their own people and now everyone else who is naive enough to trust them.
Russia developed at the expense of desperate and innocent workers who gave up their share certificates to devouring oligarchs.
Britain refinanced the world by buying supplies from the Carpetbaggers and ending the Depression in the US. At the end of the war the US had the only factories still standing so used its financial power to enslave much of the world and create two empires: Their own and Stalin's. Britain has only recently escaped its clutches which makes one wonder how it got conned into Middle Eastern adventures. The US has more standing armies than Rome ever dreamed of but has sold its soul to the Chinese for a few pieces of silver. Coincidently the UK also sold out to the Chinese for silver in exchange for opium. The recovery of Hong Kong by the Party had nothing to do with land and was all about silver and face.
Long live capitalism; the real kind.


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The Examinations team, headed by our Examinations Officer, organises and administers all external and internal examinations at the Secondary Campus.
We are a certified examination centre for Edexcel, CIE and AQA and offer exams at GCSE, IGCSE and A Level. For further information regarding which subjects follow which examination boards and syllabus please request a curriculum guide.
External exams are sat in May/June each year. Under new regulations from the exam board, there is no limit to the number of times a student repeats a unit exam. Under such rules students will retain their best mark.
This means that a student could take a unit exam in the summer of their Year 12, and then retake the unit in summer of their Year 13. Naturally, the aim is for the student to do their best in the first sitting. However, it is a recognised fact that students mature as learners at different rates and that, particularly in certain subjects, a resit can improve a mark by a grade.
The majority of the units are formal examinations but some are portfolio/project-based coursework. The coursework units require good organisation and time planning on the part of the student to ensure success. Examinations are sat in line with UK directives and occur in the afternoon and early evening.
If you have any specific questions about examinations please contact the Examinations Office or Admissions.
Grades offered at AS/A Level are; A, B, C, D, E and all these
grades are seen as 'pass' grades, and can be credited for university entrance. At A2 level students can also achieve an A* grading.
Information about Edexcel exams can be found at www.edexcel.org.uk
Information about AQA exams can be found at www.aqa.org.uk
All such exam boards are regulated by Ofqual. Further
information can be found at www.ofqual.gov.uk
The Alice Smith School Primary Campus
2 Jalan Bellamy,
50460 Kuala Lumpur,
Phone: +603 2148 3674
Fax: +603 2148 3418
Email: Contact Us
The Alice Smith School Secondary Campus
3 Jalan Equine, Taman Equine,
43300 Seri Kembangan,
Selangor, Malaysia.
Phone: 603 9543 3688
Fax: +603 9543 3688


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Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Power of Self
I stumped upon this self portrait contest being held from Artist Wanted and on a whim thought why not!! Voting works two ways, with a little help from my friends, you that is, you can rate my images I uploaded up to 5 stars and the winner of this contest with the highest rates, will be awarded $1000.00, an art reception in New York City and all that fun publicity. Then comes the Grand Prize that is being judged by an amazing panel here. That would be 6 months of free living in New York City at The Edge ahhhhaeemm here... yea, or $7007.00 cash. A bit hard to choose, but I think I would take the cash and live for awhile in Europe. SO if you have some self portrait art, I suggest giving it a go yourself, only 4 days left and cross fingers (stiff competition from a few that I have seen)..
7 comments:
- I'm a mean street kid. said...
wow the prizes are amazing! i don't have enough talent to send anything in myself.. but i voted for you!
- January 10, 2010
- Absolutely Not Martha said...
these are wonderful! (and i just voted for you.)
- January 11, 2010
- Dancing Branflake said...
I love that last photo. Very dramatic in a timeless way.
- January 11, 2010
- Werner said...
tolle Frau!
Viele Grüße Werner
- January 11, 2010
- Phiephie + Minnie said...
Gosh what fantastic prizes! Enough to make anyone want to enter...
I hope you can check out The Fashion Smoke and follow us too, we're following you now :)
- January 11, 2010
- avant garde said...
fabulous. i just sent the link to another artist friend of mine too. you've got my vote! wish i had something ready, but alas i do not. maybe next year :)
if you want a link to my friends art, michael ornstein (he also acts, he's in the show sons of anarchy, and has been on seinfeld etc.) his link is here: http://www.mmo22.com/
- January 13, 2010
- Phil said...
Well, of course it's a 5-star rating. Your photos are great!!
- January 13, 2010


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Miguel Castro at GANG on March 15, 2006
SOUTHFIELD, MI - GANG (The Michigan Great Lakes Area .NET Users Group) is proud to have Miguel A. Castro presenting this Wednesday, March 15th at 6:00 PM. Miguel will be doing "Hitting the Ground Running with Custom Webcontrols – Parts 1 and 2". Should be a great presentation. And don't forget -- free pizza and pop!
(from Patrick Steele's blog)


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The UltraMax 640GB Desktop Hard Drive is designed to provide Mac users with secure, high-capacity storage that complements the new Apple Mac Pro and Power Mac series. The UltraMax also sports RAID 0 and a built-in Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) hub for future expansion.
The UltraMax for Mac is aimed primarily at users who work in digital content creation, graphic design and other disk-intensive tasks, a company spokesperson said.
"Large file transfers put a premium on data throughput," said Peter Wharton, vice president of marketing at San Diego-based Iomega.
"The UltraMax drive uses the Mac HFS+ file system and RAID 0 for power right out of the box, striping data across two hard drives for faster performance."
In addition to the default mode of RAID 0, which stripes data across the UltraMaxs two SATA hard drives, other drive settings include "spanned" (both hard drives are treated as a single volume) and "simple" (each hard drive is treated as its own drive letter), Wharton said.
For ease of use, the Iomega UltraMax Desktop Hard Drive has a manual RAID switch, allowing the user to turn off the RAID configuration and use the drive configured as JBOD (just a bunch of disks) enclosures.
The UltraMax Hard Drive is preformatted with Apples HFS+ file system for Mac OS X users.
"HFS+ makes more efficient use of large hard drives and supports journaling under Mac OS X, which makes it easier to recover data in case of a problem," Wharton added.
The UltraMax drive can be reformatted to NTFS or FAT32 for use with a PC (instructions are included), making it compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP Home and XP Professional editions.
Its three interfaces include FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0), and it provides users with a three-port Hi-Speed USB hub for easy expansion. Cables for FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 operation are included with the drive.
For secure storage and backup and disaster recovery, Iomega also includes EMC Retrospect Express with UltraMax. Retrospect Express enables users to back up open files, verify backup integrity during the backup, have scheduled backups proceed without logging in, and recover individual files or a complete system to any point in time.
The UltraMax is compatible with Mac OS X 10.1 or above on Apple computers with an Intel processor or G3 processor or higher and a built-in USB or FireWire connection.
Iomega said the UltraMax 640GB Desktop Hard Drive is expected to be available later this month for $449.95 retail. More information about the UltraMax will be available beginning Sept. 11 here.


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There's a little history I want to get down before I forget too much of it. It has to do with wireless Ultra WideBand, used as a local interconnect technology.
The wikipedia (and other) articles have already been so denatured, lost, hidden, covered up, re-analyzed, etc., that the cuplrit seems a saint, and the tragic hero seems nothing but a buffoon.
I have no specific evidence. Motorola was, as large corporations tend to be, depending on secrecy as a weapon, hoping to get a leg up on iNTEL by surprising the market with fait acompli devices that would become defacto standards before iNTEL could foist its junk on the world yet again.
Uhm, no, secrecy is not a good weapon. So the tragic hero is something of a buffoon. Oh, well.
So my brother, who was directly involved, did not encourage me to do anything that would have blown their secrets, and I did not record things as I should have. So I can only give a rough outline of the events.
Somewhere around the year 2000, while everyone else was worried about the possible effects of cutting corners in business computing on dates, and on mechanized control procedures that depended on dates, my brother was arranging a soft landing as he was processed out of Motorola. A couple of friends who also left about the same time had started a company, eXtreme Spectrum (or something like that, remember the X fetishes about that time?) to work on utilizing certain "under-utilized" radio bands for low power, non-obtrusive local interconnect. Those friends invited my brother to join them, and he did.
The technology borrowed heavily from spread spectrum cryptography techniques. (Think Hedy Lamarr. Think no data wires between your computer and your printer and your monitor and your disk drive and your speakers. Safely. No spilling the data out into your neighbor's living room or the war-drivers' laptops.)
There was a rash of companies that were competing to bring a UWB technology to use that spectrum before the IEEE and the FCC at that time, but, according to my brother (and according to my own research), only eXtreme Spectrum was using the spread spectrum techniques right.
Because of the cryptographic implications, I was concerned that the NSA and others who think that secrets are powerful weapons would scuttle their efforts. I don't know of any specifics to indicate one way or the other about the involvement of the NSA et. al., FWIW.
I was also worried about iNTEL's (lack of) willingness to play fair, for the obvious reasons.
(Owning a piece of the pipes everyone is using is always a lucrative business plan -- on paper -- and the Constitution be damned.
Why is it that so many people think they have some right to be the only ones not required to play fair? Why is it that they can't see far enough ahead to recognize what that does to their own future business environment? What is the blindness of the guy who wants to be the "benevolent" tyrant? I mean, there is a reason there is only one God. Perfection means everything, and none of us who are not perfect -- be honest, now -- are up to the job. We always, always foul our own water supply. Upstream. Where we're going to have to drink it as it comes down.
No escaping that. You may think you can always jump streams, but you're only fooling yourself. There is only one stream. What goes around comes around.)
iNTEL bribed a lot of companies. (Okay, I have no proof except for silly behavior on the part of said companies.) They also set up a lot of phantom companies. (No? Well, where did all those companies in their forum go?) They played the "future feature list" game. (I. E., "The information presented here are forward looking and depend on technologies we hope to develop in the future, and we tell you this in the fine print so you can't sue us later when it turns out we promised 200% more performance than you're implementation will ever achieve.") The organized a forum of fools. They put out cheap hack "samples". Every classic dirty trick.
eXtreme Spectrum did draw first real silicon, delivering a complete integrated circuit product that was scheduled to be used in some (I think it was Samsung, and other) consumer products. The first chip was capable of streaming two or three clean video feeds across the air in large auditoriums, at low power, without dropouts, and without interference. It got FCC approval.
(My brother said that Apple was talking with them about plans for the iPod. Yeah, that was about two years before Apple "switched". Or twitched. Whatever.)
iNTEL claimed that eXtreme Spectrum somehow broke the rules by going to the FCC to get approval instead of letting them bog the thing down in the IEEE committee. (Oh, yeah. The committee. ISO isn't the only one.)
Motorola eventually bought eXtreme Spectrum a little before the digital semiconductor sector was split off as Freescale, and then there were two players left standing. When it was clear that iNTEL's group was never going to concede the playing field, Motorola or Freescale, I forget which, did not just offer to completely open their tech, but actually did. Not just so-called reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. No IP toll, period.
Of course, I knew that would not satisfy iNTEL, iNTEL wants to own the pipes outright. Being able to participate fairly is not in their plan. Period.
Well, the IEEE committee ultimately caved. The standard efforts were discarded.
And on the bloody morning after, we have wireless USB. On paper. Someday. If you really want to spill your data all over the ether on a "bus" that allows only one master. (Put in layman's terms, think of what it would be like if only one bus -- the other kind -- were allowed on the streets at once, remote controlled by the bus company.)
One tin soldier rides away.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
UWB and the sins of another monopolist
Posted by Joseph Zukiger at 5:15 AM
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Voter ID is now the law in Iowa - details!
Voter ID is now the law in Iowa! It started yesterday and it means if you show up to vote you will be asked for your ID at polling places.
You can use a driver's license, a non-operator's ID, a passport, a military ID, a veteran's ID or a voter ID card.
If you don't have one of those, you will still be able to vote THIS year, but will have to sign an oath verifying your identity.
Starting in 2019, you will NOT be able to vote without ID.
For this year, if you need an absentee ballot, you must include your driver's license, non-operator's ID number, or voter ID number on the request form.
More details at the Secretary of State's Office HERE


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Practice Bookkeeper
- Recruiter
- Select Appointments
- Location
- Hildenborough
- Salary
- £28,000 per annum
- Posted
- 15 Apr 2018
- Closes
- 23 Apr 2018
- Sector
- Finance & Accounts
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Practice Bookkeeper Tunbridge Wells / Tonbridge Permanent £28,000 to £30,000 per annum Job Role: Our client is an independent, Bookkeeping Practice. Their client base includes a number of small, owner managed businesses and they offer these clients a monthly bookkeeping, accounting and VAT service. They are looking to recruit an experienced and qualified Bookkeeper to provide part of this service for a specific number of clients. The workload will principally comprise monthly/quarterly bookkeeping, VAT and CIS returns for various clients on SAGE. The working location will be split between the office in Tunbridge Wells and the clients premises and candidates will therefore need to own and drive a car. Personal Attributes: Candidates will have practice experience and be used to working with client time allocation sheets. They will be used to working with a number of differing clients and allocating their resources accordingly. They will have good communication skills and attention to detail together with the ability to work on their own initiative. Proficient in Sage Line 50 Some knowledge of "Quick Books" and "Zero" would be an advantage AAT qualified (or equivalent) Practice experience. Able to travel to client's premises. Benefits: This position attracts a salary of between £28,000 and £30,000 per annum. Flexible working hours starting between 8:00 and 10.00 am and leaving between 4.00 and 6.30 pm Monday to Friday with an hour lunch. 25 days holiday per annum.


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This post is for Kathy R.
A dear friend who faithfully and optimistically visits my blog every morning. And who, I fear, I have let down for quite some time now.
My apologies Kathy. I fear I have been inconsistent with my blogging. I neglect my blog whenever I feel that I do not have enough time to write substantial descriptions. Or at least something "worthwhile".
"Time to write something...?" Golly, under those conditions, I might never blog again!!
So here you have a quick blog. Gorgeous cards - with minimal description, but heartfelt intent and apologies!
I used the beautiful Birthday Blooms stamp set - embossed with black powder then quickly watercoloured using an aquapainter (with Watermelon Wonder, Calypso Coral and Daffodil Delight ink for the booms, and Old Olive for the leaves). Nothing fancy. But gorgeous nonetheless!
Hope you all have a fantastic day. God Bless, ~Cynthia <><
Product List


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Close UFO Picture Taken Over Dysart, Fife, UK
March, 07 2016
John Macdonald, 65, from Dysart, Fife was startled when he saw a bright and colorful UFO hovering above him last week.
The object was hovering, according to Macdonald, about 50 to 70 yards away from him in the air. It was large and made noise "like a thousand hoovers."
This all happened on Sunday february, 28 at 11pm. "I don't know whether I frightened it or not with the flash of the camera, because in the beat of a heart it was gone." Said Macdonald. He said: "It's definitely a space craft of some sort."
The image does not seem to have been tampered with according to our experts and Mr. Macdonald swears by what he saw. There were no other witnesses to the event as of yet.
"I always thought there was something out there, but have never seen anything until now," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind. I know what I saw."


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The Federation of Glenmoor & Winton Arts & Media College has recently established a Centre for Outdoor Learning Education (COLE). One of the aims of the COLE is to allow children to enjoy and understand nature. We would like to establish an orchard near our garden to allow teaching of the BTEC in Land Based Studies to be enhanced. Horticulture is already taught as a lesson for students who are struggling in traditional school lessons and would make full use of the new facility. By developing an orchard we can enhance the school grounds for students and wildlife and the current horticulture provision. The orchard will also be utilised by Science and Food Technology.
We need you to help us raise £250 which will enable our school to have a pack of 20 fruit trees, which we can plant in our school grounds and teach all our pupils the importance of growing our own produce.
It only takes ten people to pledge on the Abel and Cole veg box to get us to our target and recieve trees to plant in the school. We can do this!
We believe this project is so beneficial to all our pupils, we will be able to educate on sustainable and local produce and by planting our own trees we will be able to do this with our very own produce. Just one pack will provide us with 20 fruit trees including 10 apple, five pear, three plum, one quince and one medlar. All trees are kindly donated by Otter Farm. The fruit trees are two years old and will fruit next year.
Our campaign is supported by Abel and Cole, The Woodland Trust and River Cottage, who are both kindly donating some amazing rewards.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said: "I find the idea that the next generation could be growing more fruit, eating more fruit and cooking their fruit in a much more creative way incredibly exciting. I want to do what we can to make that happen."
With your help we can get all our pupils involved with a great project and show them how much benefit five trees can make to our school. We can use the fruit in our canteen and allow children to eat it during the school day. This also promotes healthy eating.
Please support us and help our school start a sustainable project with real educational benefit. All our trees are supplied by Otter Farm.
Thank You
If we exceed our target, we will use all the extra funds for enviromental projects going on at the school, minus the 5% crowdfunder admin fee.
Our Supporters:


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Caterpillars and the power of biodiversity
The Jakarta Post, 30 April 2011 The Brunei Times, May 2, 2011
"All we have yet discovered is but a trifle in comparison with what lies hid in the great treasury of nature", said Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the father of microbiology. Van Leeuwenhoek discovered bacteria in 1676. More than three centuries later, there are still much that is unknown and undiscovered about bacteria.
What van Leeuwenhok said is also relevant to what has been happening in Indonesia. Caterpillar population explosions have occurred in many regions across the country after the first outbreak occurred in Probolinggo, East Java. There has been no single reason as to why the outbreaks have occured. The fact that the incidents involve more than one species of caterpillars is also interesting. There are many questions, such as why have only the numbers of caterpillars exploded and not the numbers of other insects that share the caterpillar's habitat.
There have been many theories proposed to explain the caterpillar outburst. Damage to forest ecosystems from land clearing and natural disasters, for example, is believed to have contributed to the migration of moths from their natural ecosystem to urban and agricultural areas. On the other hand, the population of the caterpillar's natural enemies, such as birds, has decreased significantly. The practice of monoculture farming also makes crops more vulnerable to pests and diseases. Climate change may have also contributed to the problem.
Among uncertainties of the outbreak causes, one thing is certain: not everything can be controlled by humans. As natural ecosystems deteriorate, disease or species outbreaks might happen anytime. The population explosion indicates that the ecological balance is in peril. The accumulation of a higher rate of human population growth and a decrease in the ecosystem's capacity to support human lives has created ecological complexity.
Biodiversity is part of our life. The change in biodiversity will affect human lives, directly or indirectly. Humans are interacting, affecting and are affected by environmental processes.
Norman Myers identified 25 biodiversity "hotspots" in the world. Indonesia is one of them. These biodiversity hotspots only occupy 12 percent of the world's terrestrial area, but are home to 44 percent of terrestrial plants and 35 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.
However, these biodiversity hotspots are challenged by a high rate of ecosystem exploitation. When overexploitation of an ecosystem occurs, a biodiversity crisis is the result. A biodiversity crisis means not only the loss of biodiversity, but also the uncontrolled expansion of unwanted species. If the population of a certain species erupts, it means that there is a problem in an ecosystem's balance and processes.
The outbreak may not be totally negative. The caterpillar attacks might raise our awareness that we have done terrible things to our ecosystems and biodiversity. We hunt much wildlife, such as birds, which play a role as the natural enemies of pests.
Many agricultural practices do not consider environmental sustainability. The excessive use of chemicals destroys the habitat and kills beneficial organisms. Farming also tends to be more monocultural, which is not only making plants more vulnerable to diseases and pests, but also leaves no space for biodiversity to occupy the same habitat.
Another lesson from the caterpillar outbreak is in fact there are still small aspects of biodiversity that we have discovered. Andrew Beattie and Paul Ehrlich said that we are living on a little-known planet. Despite the belief that we have discovered most parts of the world, we actually just know about 10-20 percent of the species that share the world with us.
Therefore, what happens to our ecosystem provide a chance to study more about biodiversity. We can solve the problem, as well as improving our quality of life from biodiversity inspirations. The caterpillar outbreak might provide us insight as to what we might face under climate change. Studying biodiversity will also improve our understanding of the sources of food and medicine. As one a mega-biodiversity country, Indonesia actually could become a core region for biodiversity research.
The latest innovation by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology proved the power of biodiversity inspiration. By mimicking photosynthesis in a leaf, they created artificial leaves. These artificial leaves, just like natural leaves, use sunlight to break water into hydrogen and oxygen. The process then creates electricity current in a separate fuel cell.
This is also the time to develop biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices. We need to rethink our use of chemicals in agricultural lands. We need agricultural practices that could contribute to the improvement of biodiversity, such as agroforestry or polyculture. Jean-Marc Thiollay, for example, found that traditional agroforestry in Sumatra has played a pivotal role in the conservation of rainforest birds.
The caterpillar outbreak has reminded us the important of biodiversity conservation. Components of biodiversity may provide answers for humanity's problems in future. Biodiversity is our money in the bank. We have to spend it wisely for our current needs, so we still have some savings for our future lives.
The writer is an ecologist at the University of Bengkulu.


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Yesterday turned out to be the MOST UNEXPECTED day. I found my courage to go and talk to Tami and I found it because of Thomas. I asked him to place the call to Tami and request a meeting and he did so by telling her,
"My mom and I want to talk to you about my mental health."
I thought that was so brave of him to do and I thought that if he could place a phone call (something he's often scared to do) and then admit outright to his manager that it concerns his mental health, then I could get my act together and go through with this meeting.
Before going I did contemplate calling Opportunities Unlimited but I fought with the thought that it might come across as threatening to his manager. I felt this because it felt like bringing in the cavalry when perhaps all it would take is an informed discussion about Thomas and about schizophrenia. In the end I decided not to involve Opportunities Unlimited.
Before going I thought it would be wise to print up a fact sheet about schizophrenia and I put that in my purse to be presented to Tami when the time was right. I was incredibly nervous about having this talk and had no idea how it was going to be received. Since Tami had written Thomas up in the past for leaving work early I felt that she might be tough to get through too. I couldn't have been more wrong.
We got to the store, Thomas and I, and I met Tami out by the cash registers. I took one look at her and thought that there was no way that this woman was going to understand what I was about to tell her. We walked back to the office and when we got in there, there was one chair and Thomas plunked down in it leaving me standing there in my high heels teetering and trying to look confident. I think I need to teach Thomas that he should offer the woman the only chair in the room but I had to laugh when he took the seat himself.
I launched into explaining to her that Thomas had come to this job via Opportunities Unlimited. I was setting the stage to let her know that he has a "disability" and that technically they couldn't fire him because of that. I didn't say that directly but I wanted to get my point across. Then I revealed to her that Thomas's "disability" is that he has schizophrenia and I'm telling you, I couldn't have imagined what happened next.
She began by telling us that her sister has schizophrenia. Her sister! You've got to be kidding me. What are the chances of that? Then we talked about Thomas's challenges including that crowds cause him a great deal of paranoia and she told us that she deliberately doesn't schedule Thomas for big sale days because she knows it's hard for him. She said that her sister has some social anxiety also and that crowds do to her what they do to Thomas. Really? Seriously? Her sister is EXACTLY like Thomas? How could this be? She said that she had noticed that Thomas had struggled a couple weeks ago (when I was in Seattle) and because of that she had cut his hours back to give him a break. Since she mentioned that episode I thought I would bring up the fact that I was leaving again in April for the conference and that he'd probably struggle at work through that time. She completely agreed that he probably would so I tentatively asked her if it would be possible for Thomas to have that time off. I prefaced it with saying that we realized he was already pushing his luck because he was taking a vacation just a few days before that but she HAPPILY agreed to give him the time off saying that she felt it was a good idea too.
Then came the tough part of the conversation and that was the subject of Thomas being written up. She said she does that because she is "going to treat Thomas like everyone else there" and that his leaving "leaves them scrambling to fill his vacated space" and sometimes that causes a lot of problems. I wondered to myself,
"Can she seriously treat Thomas "just like everyone else there"? I mean, because he has a "disability", can she legally do that?"
I didn't know and that's something I'm going to have to look into but in the mean time Thomas is still in danger of being written up. That's not to say that I want Thomas treated like he's a pariah and get special treatment but I do think that his leaving early should be allowed because it's not like he's just walking off the job to be defiant. The takeaway, however, was that he will get written up sometimes but she said she will accommodate him as much as she can and she has since she last wrote him up. He will still be in danger of being fired (which I hate) but it seems like they'll do the best they can to keep that from happening. Really, I'm at a point that if they're seriously going to fire him because he's leaving early because of his illness then so be it. If his firing is somehow against the law then I'll cross that bridge when and if we get to it. I'd hate to raise hell in my small town by hiring a lawyer and pushing them to keep him there as an employee but I'm certainly not above doing that if I have to. I just really hope that I never have to take it that far. I think there are a lot of steps between being fired and then bringing out the big guns (lawyers) one of which might be Opportunities Unlimited or Thomas's advocate over at the State of Idaho's Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.
So, all in all the meeting was a HUGE relief. Both Thomas and I were visibly relieved and I thanked Tami for sharing her stories about her sister and for understanding. Underneath that thank you was a thank you to God for giving us this most unique situation where we met with a person that already knew the illness and not only knew it but had a close family member with it. All of my preparing for her to recoil at the sound of the word schizophrenia was for nothing and I was so thankful.
The moral of the story is this:
You have to take risks. You HAVE TO. You just never know what's going to come of it by doing so. It might not always turn out like you hoped but if you didn't take the risk in the first place you might never discover that instead of something being a debacle, the result is, in the end, the best possible outcome you could(n't) have imagined.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
The Boss With A Secret Of Her Own
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(Picture credit: thenextweb.com) I have been gone a long long time. I have been silent here on my blog. I have a reason that is not...
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Medical questions & health advice by board certified doctors
"Does acutane remove acne scars?"
I'm woman in her early 30s, and I've had severe cystic acne for almost 15 years. Recently, my dermatologist recommended that I try Accutane. I'm interested, especially since hearing that Accutane can help remove old acne scars. Is that true?
The management of acne vulgaris and use of isotretinoin (accutane) should involve specialists including internists, dermatologists, and others. Isotretinoin is effective for treating severe, refractory nodular acne but this medication is also associated with adverse effects and should be used with caution. It is felt to help treat acne by decreasing the size of sebaceous glands causing less sebum secretion and therefore inhibiting the formation of acne. In general, this medication is primarily used for severe, refractory nodular acne but has been used in treatment-resistance acne, scarring acne, and other related acne conditions. Treatment is started at a lower dose then increased after one month of therapy then discontinued after four to six months without a taper. Often, other acne medications will be held while taking isotretinoin. Currently, this medication is the only acne medication that can permanently alter the natural course of acne. There are significant side effects to be aware of. The medication can cause severe birth defects and you will likely be requested to undergo a pregnancy test prior to starting the medication. It can cause dry skin and dry mouth along with your skin being more sensitive to the sun. Importantly, there has been recent concern about an increased rate of depression so this should be monitored very closely if you start this medication. It is not possible to develop a clear treatment plan without seeing the patient. It is the strong recommendation to continue to work with your dermatologist in person to develop a treatment plan.
Need more info?See a dermatologist today
Zocdoc Answers is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc's Terms of Service.


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Pah! – kids of today will only have been born in 2000 and they don't know what they were missing out on. Who needs smartphones when you had such a world of possibilities in the new millennium? Lest we forget, here's a trip down memory lane if you owned a mobile phone in the year 2000.
1. A company called Nokia ruled the roost
Yep, kids of today will have little memory of Nokia dominating the market but in 1997 Nokia was just beginning to rule the world. Nokia produced some iconic handsets, including the 8310 which is apparently the modern drug dealers phone of choice.
2. 'Colour screens' was a concept only known to silkscreen printers
Colour screens were but a novelty back on 2000. Most phones has a few lines of text and all in glorious black and white. Most of us just sat and looked at text messages on mobile screens for years. I know, amazing.
3. Epic battery life was an actual reality
Much like Galadriel proclaiming that for several millennia the Ring of Power 'passed out of all knowledge' the same can be said for our memories of amazing battery life. The lack of wi-fi and apps like Facebook constantly pinging the network and draining your battery meant that a phone's battery life was measured in days not hours. Whereas extra long battery life is sought after and often seen as the holy grail of modern mobile phones, truth is that we likely passed the nadir of battery existence some 15 years ago.
4. Small was cool
Whereas there seems to be an insatiable desire for bigger and bigger phones in the form of the Nexus 6 and iPhone 6/6s Plus, the turn of the millennium was the complete opposite, where the trend seemed to move towards teeny-weeny little phones. Things just started getting really silly with phones like the Nokia 8210 that became a rave hit due to its Lilliputian size, but it also had the build quality of a 1970's Communist bloc manufactured Trabant.
5. Phones only made calls and sent text messages
We kid you not. There was once a time when people actually used to call each other on their mobile phones. Of course, the humble SMS was also riding high as an alternative means of communication, even if it cost 10p (15 cents) per text. If you wanted to keep a diary or do email you had a PDA (ahhhh Palm Pilot) or you have a CD player for your music or even a Diskman if you were really cutting edge. Watching TV and video was unfortunately confined to the latest 32 inch TV you likely had at home. For maps you used a thing on this substance called paper. We know it's all rather strange, but in 2000 most of the things you use your phone for now were done by some other device you owned. Just take a look at the Radio Shack advert below in which every single thing is now done by a mobile phone.
6. Polyphonic ringtones were the very height of sound sophistication
At the turn of the millennium, it was all about the ringtone graduating from a monotone series of beeps (listen to them in all their glory here) to the multi-track funk known as polyphonic ringtones. This then spawned an entire industry of companies trying to sell you ringtones on some terribly exorbitant monthly subscription. Don't just take our word on it – rock out to the polyphonic tones in this video.
7. Clamshells were cool …..in the US
What's a clamshell? We hear you ask. A clamshell was a phone that you had to flip open and shut to use. People would impressively terminate calls by slapping them shut with extra force to make a clear point. They never really took off with the Brits, but the Americans lapped them up for years and years, especially in the beloved TV show 24 which had people 'patching' through schematics to Jack's cellphone and the entire cast running around expending most of their energy slamming their phones open and shut. Jack's macho posturing ensured that he naturally slammed his shut the hardest.
8. You had to use the keypad to use your phone
In the year 2000 all phones had this plastic collection of numbered keys under the screen called a 'keypad'. Strangest of all, your mobile phone screen was just used for showing you stuff. You couldn't touch it…….well you could but it would just make a strange LCD smudge and then hopefully return to normal.
9. Mobile business was all about the Blackberry
Buy! Buy! sell! sell! If you were serious about business then you were serious about getting email no matter where you were, even whilst sitting on your sunbed on vacation. If modern angst about the excessively invasive nature of work email had any point of origin, then it surely must be with the good old Blackberry. It had executives so hooked on its simple ability to 'push' emails (which all our phones do now) at any time of the day that it spawned the moniker 'crackberry'. All we've done now is add layer upon layer of angst to email on our modern mobiles in the form of chat and social media, truly ensuring that it's not just business people checking for emails every few minutes.
10. Snake was the height of mobile gaming sophistication
We may be gorging ourselves at the table of mobile game goodness that currently presents itself – with even the lowest handset able to enjoy a decent game of Candy Crush, but back in 2000 the height of gaming glory had you guiding a black line, sorry we mean a 'snake', round the screen gobbling up pixels and trying not to bump into your ever-increasing body. The only real reason that Snake was so big was that it was embedded by Nokia on pretty much all of its handsets. It was either that or reading a book on the train.


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- Hits: 7579
CAS Hub
The Computing at School (CAS) Working Group aims to promote the teaching of computer science at school.
CAS is a grass roots organisation, whose energy, creativity, and leadership comes from its members. The primary aim of the CASl group is to directly support teachers promote the teaching of computing in schools. One way to achieve this is to provide teachers with a local forum to share ideas and mutual interests. These hubs form the foundation of much of the work of CAS, they seek to provide:
- the opportunity for teachers to meet in a relaxed and informal atmosphere
- to share ideas and resources
- to receive training, and
- to gain mutual support from discussing teaching methods with colleagues.
Furthermore, CAS derives much benefit from drawing in members from Universities and industry as well as schools. The CAS hub provides a unique opportunity to meet colleagues from local higher education institutions and local employers.
A CAS hub is a meeting of teachers and lecturers who wish to share their ideas for developing the teaching of computing in their schools, their classrooms and their community. It is a meeting of like-minded professionals with the general objective of supporting each other and the specific aim of providing (at least) one idea that can be taken and tried in the classroom.
The Bradford CAS Hub is run by Paul Scott from Bradford Council's Curriculum Innovation service and Christine Harvey from Bradford Grammar School, details can be found here.


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Atawhenua means 'shadow land' in Maori. It's the Maori name for Fiordland.
LJ and I had cabin-fever. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired (literally, we had colds) but the day was warmer than usual so I decided to go for a wander with my handsome boy down at the shore-line of Lake Te Anau.
I love the moody-grey-ness of these images...
I am going to miss this beautiful place.