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First Grade Chinese Foreign Language Worksheets and Printables
It's never too early to expose children to new languages. These first grade Chinese worksheets provide a wonderful introduction to Chinese. Each of these worksheets teaches kids how to write and read the Chinese characters that represent common words, such as home, good, water, woman, big, and little. With fun illustrations and clear instructions, these first grade Chinese worksheets cover the basics and get kids excited about foreign language.
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Today marks the return of the "Foreign Affairs" column to The New York Times. "Foreign Affairs" is actually the paper's oldest column. It was begun in 1937 by the remarkable Anne O'Hare McCormick and was originally called "In Europe." In those days "In Europe" was foreign affairs for most Americans, and it seemed perfectly natural that the paper's one overseas columnist was rooted on the European Continent. Mrs. McCormick's 1954 obituary in The Times said she got her start in foreign reporting "as the wife of Mr. McCormick, a Dayton engineer whom she accompanied on frequent buying trips to Europe."
Obviously, I was born in a very different era, one in which columnists only have to accompany their curiosity and engineers travel to Tokyo for buying trips, not Paris. Both factors have led me to start my column from Japan. While I have no intention of calling my column "In Asia," the thought did cross my mind. Let's face it, when the history of the late 20th century is written, the most important event may not be the reconstruction of Europe, the cold war or the collapse of Communism, but rather the rapid modernization in one generation of two billion people from Japan to the border of India. Never have so many raised their standard of living so far so fast.
I was recently in Singapore when its Government decided that to keep attracting top-quality Cabinet ministers, it would pay them a percentage of the average salary of the country's senior doctors, bankers and C.E.O.'s. That came to $765,000 a year for the Prime Minister and $400,000 for the others. No wonder an American diplomat in Hong Kong told me: "I go to parties here and without fail I am the poorest person at every event. The BMW's and Rolls-Royces roll in one after the other, and then I show up with my little Japanese car. During my first tour here a decade ago, I felt like Gulliver among the Lilliputians. We represented the future. Now I feel like I am brought along to parties as a potted plant for adornment."
Yet, Walter Mondale, our Ambassador to Japan, complains that many American business, educational and news organizations "still don't get it, still don't grasp how rich and dynamic this region is." He should know. The historic American ambassador's residence in Tokyo is being restored by a Japanese construction company because there were no American contractors here skilled enough to do the delicate job. A new study by the Mansfield Center found that there is still four times as much news about America on Japanese television as news of Japan on American television.
But if we are still smug about Asians, always waiting for their bubble to burst, it is nothing compared with their smugness toward America. They think they can defy the laws of gravity -- that economic consequences won't have political consequences. You can't have a conversation in Asia without being verbally caned over how flawed America has become and how superior is the "Asian Way." Their smugness, though, is as misplaced as ours.
How long can Asian governments keep their people so regimented and focused on export growth when their middle classes are growing so wealthy? Take Singapore. Thanks to its heavy-handed Government, it is clean, rich and seriously boring. Singapore is a shopping mall with passport controls. Any wonder American televangelists and Oprah Winfrey are increasingly popular out there?Continue reading the main story
How long can Japan's Government keep telling its youth that they have to accept lower wages and live in apartments as big as my garage so that Japanese companies can put all their profits into expanding markets abroad? How long will Japanese consumers pay $70 for a watermelon because Japan protects its highly inefficient food industry from foreign competition?
How long is China's leadership, the smuggest of all since it forced President Clinton to eat crow on human rights, going to be able to keep the lid on a country that is economically becoming North Carolina and politically still North Korea? And how long will Asians tolerate the fact that the economic boom has left them with five of the seven most polluted cities in the world?
The answer to all of the above is: not much longer, and that's why I chose to start here. Asia is not only going to be the world's biggest business story in the coming years. The economic revolution here is well under way, but the political revolution has just begun.Continue reading the main story

subset: commoncrawl


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Languages: DE - ES - FR - IT
Azithromycin 250mg / 500mg
Azithromycin is one of the world's best-selling antibiotics. Azithromycin is used to treat certain bacterial infections, most often those causing middle ear infections, tonsillitis, throat infections, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, Typhoid and sinusitis. It is also effective against certain urinary tract infections, such as non-gonococcal urethritis and cervicitis. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections.
Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic that inhibits the development of bacterial cells. It can be used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the physical body. Azithromycin also treats transmitted vaginal or urinary system infections due to chlamydia sexually.
It will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections. Generic azithromycin tablets are available.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
kidney disease
liver disease
stomach problems (especially colitis)
other chronic illness
an unusual or allergic reaction to azithromycin, other macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin), foods, dyes, or preservatives
How should I take this medicine?
Take azithromycin tablets by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow tablets whole with a full glass of water. Azithromycin tablets can be taken with or without food. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Finish the full course prescribed by your prescriber or health care professional even if you think your condition is better. Do not stop taking except on your prescriber's advice.
What if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses. There should be an interval of at least 12 hours between doses.
What drug(s) may interact with azithromycin?
magnesium salts
Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.
What side effects may I notice from taking azithromycin?
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
Rare or uncommon:
dark yellow or brown urine
difficulty breathing
severe or watery diarrhea
skin rash, itching
irregular heartbeat, palpitations, or chest pain
yellowing of the eyes or skin
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
dizziness, drowsiness
hearing loss
increased sensitivity to the sun
stomach pain or cramps
vaginal irritation, itching or discharge
What should I watch for while taking azithromycin?
Tell your prescriber or health care professional if your symptoms do not improve in 2 to 3 days. Contact your prescriber or health care professional as soon as you can if you get an allergic reaction to azithromycin, such as rash, itching, difficulty swallowing, or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.
Keep out of the sun, or wear protective clothing outdoors and use a sunscreen. Do not use sun lamps or sun tanning beds or booths.
If you get severe or watery diarrhea, do not treat yourself. Call your prescriber or health care professional for advice.
Antacids can stop azithromycin from working. If you get an upset stomach and want to take an antacid, make sure there is an interval of at least 2 hours since you last took azithromycin, or 4 hours before your next dose.
If you are going to have surgery, tell your prescriber or health care professional that you are taking azithromycin.
Where can I keep my medicine?
Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
Frequently asked questions:
What is a generic medication?
Wikipedia gives the following definition: "Generic drug (pl. generic drugs, short: generics) is a drug which is produced and distributed without a brand name. A generic must contain the same active ingredients as the original formulation. In most cases, it is considered bioequivalent to the brand name counterpart with respect to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. By extension, therefore, generics are assumed to be identical in dose, strength, route of administration, safety, efficacy, and intended use. Mind that the pills you will receive from us differ in appearance from the brand name ones. The looks of medications as well as brand names are the intellectual property of the brand manufacturer. Thus to avoid any accusation of copyright infringement we have to change the shape and the color of the generic pills as well as use the name of the active ingredient (generic name) instead of the brand name for printing on pills. Please be aware that the generic pills differ in appearance from the brand name medications. Our pills are round shaped and blister packed (10 pills per each blister). The name of the active ingredient as well as the weight are specified on the pill itself.
Why are generic pills cheaper than the brand name ones?
The principal reason for the reduced price of generic medicines is that the creation of the generic drug runs up less cost and therefore a lower price can be offered and still maintain profitability.
Manufacturers of generic drugs are mainly able to avoid the following three costs that brand name pharmaceutical companies incur: (1) costs associated with the research and development of the drug; (2) costs associated obtaining regulatory approval (i.e. proving safety and efficacy of a drug); and (3) marketing costs.
First, Generic manufacturers do not incur the cost of drug discovery and instead reverse-engineer existing brand name drugs to allow them to manufacture bioequivalent versions.
Second, generic manufacturers do not bear the burden of proving the safety and efficacy of the drugs through clinical trials - rather, generic manufacturers must prove the generic drug's bioequivalancy to the existing drug.
Third, these companies receive the large benefit of the marketing and advertising that goes into pushing the innovator drug. The brand name drug has to prove itself in the eyes of the consumer, generic ones do not. The drugs that generic manufacturers are selling have been on the market for usually a decade or more and do not need additional advertising. For the same reason, generic manufacturers also do not give away sample doses to promote their products. The significant research, development and marketing costs incurred by the large pharmaceutical companies in introducing a new drug to the market is often cited as the reason for the high cost of new agents - they wish to recover these costs before the patent expires. Generic manufacturers do not incur these costs, with bioequivalence testing and manufacturing costing relatively little, and are able to charge significantly less than the brand. Buy discount Azithromycin (azithromycin) online. Order cheap generic azithromycin (Azithromycin) . Purchase Azithromycin (azithromycin) - low cost and price, but high quality.
Do you require a prescription?
However we would strongly recommend you to consult your doctor before taking a medication. You may have some diseases contra-indicated for taking certain kinds of medicines and your doctor will advise you what you can or cannot take.
Do you guarantee the quality of pills?
High quality of the medications we offer is the subject of our primary concern. The logic is very simple: the better the quality of goods is, the more customers we have. Thus we are very attentive and selective in the choice of the supplier, the quality of goods is thoroughly tested and the documentation is closely checked.
How do you ship orders? Will I have to sign for the package?
If sent by the standard unregistered mail the order will come in a plain envelope without any reference to content. The envelope will be left in your mail box. There is no need to sign for it. If sent by a courier, the recipient needs to sign for the package. All orders are shipped in discreet packaging. There is no mention on the outside of the package as to what is contained inside. Furthermore, your name or any other personal information will never be given or sold to any other company. Your privacy is our utmost concern.
Will my order be delivered in one package or you will divide it in case the order is large?
If an order includes 90 pills (or more) or if there are different types of medications in one order we will have to send the pills separately. Thus the delivery will take longer than 3 weeks since the packages are sent with the interval of approximately 7 days one by one. This is done to secure the delivery.
All the information you provide is confidential and is not given to any third parties.
On our site, you fill in a form to order your medications. Your personal information inserted is used for the delivery of goods and for and orders confirmation message. This information is also used to contact the customer if needed. The information is not used for any spam or promotional messages etc.
Our stuff does not have any access to the customers' credit card information. Customer support operators can see only the last four digits of your credit card in the database.
All the data from the "checkout page" is directly transferred to the secure server of the payment system.
Payments security is ensured by encrypting your personal information during its transfer from the customer to the bank for the processing. We use 128 bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt the information you input.


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|Strawberry & Cream Celebration Cake
This, for me, is the best celebration cake ever. I love the combination of the light sponge, the pastry cream, the whipping cream and the strawberries (what else can you ask for??). Now that strawberries are not in season, you could also make it without them, it is still delicious, trust me. It's also perfect for children, as the sponge is moisten with sugar and orange syrup. Otherwise if you prefer a nice kick, you can use a mixture of limoncello and water (in equal parts), even better!
Ingredients (for a 24cm round tin)For the sponge
- Eggs, 5 (at room temperature)
- Caster sugar, 150g
- Flour 00, 150g
- Grated zest of a lemon
- A pinch of salt
For the pastry cream
- Whole Milk, 500ml
- Eggs, 6 (medium, and at room temperature)
- Caster sugar, 140g
- Flour 00, 80g
- A vanilla pod
- A pinch of salt
For the syrup (to moisten the sponge)
- Water, 150ml
- Caster sugar, 100g
- The juice of 2 oranges
- Fresh strawberries, 500g
- Fresh whipping cream, 600ml
- Caster sugar
|Another decoration idea
In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil with the vanilla pod (and the seeds scraped out into the milk). Allow to cool slightly and remove the vanilla pod. In a bowl whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar. Sift the plain flour, add it to the egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour the milk onto the egg mix, whisking continuously. Return to a clean pan and stir with a wooden spatula, bringing it to the boil over a gentle heat until it starts to thicken. Remove from the heat, transfer the pastry cream into a clean bowl and place some clingfilm over the surface. The clingfilm will prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate and chill completely.
Making the sponge
Heat the oven to 180°C. In a large bowl mix the eggs, the sugar, the grated lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Beat the mixture until very soft and fluffy, for at least 20 minutes! I normally use a kitchen mixer, but an electric handheld one will do. This is key to the success of this recipe, and to obtain a very light sponge. Please remember that you are not using any raising agents, this is why you have to incorporate a lot of air into the mixture. Sift the flour (I usually sift it twice). Fold the flour in, very slowly and gently, a bit at a time, with upward movements. Butter and flour the cake tin. Transfer the mixture very gently into the tin, and bake for about 35/40 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a clean toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Let cool completely.
Preparing the syrup
In a saucepan bring the cold water and the sugar to a boil. Turn the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the juice of 2 oranges, stir, filter and let cool completely.
Assembling the cake
Make sure that all of the ingredients are cold. Wash the strawberries (leaving some aside for the final decoration), slice them and transfer to a bowl. Add a couple of table spoons of sugar and mix together. Leave aside. Remove the crust of the sponge, cutting the borders, the top and the bottom. I do this as I like every bits of the cake to be soft and moisten. Don't worry too much about the shape, as you are going to frost the cake with the whipping cream. Slice the cake horizontally, in three slices/layers. Place the first slice on the plate or cake board. Spoon a little bit of pastry cream on the board, to make sure the first layer will stick to the base. Using a brush, moisten the first sponge layer with the syrup. Spoon half of the pastry cream onto the sponge, and spread it evenly with a flat spatula. Spread half of the strawberries (the ones you have already sliced) evenly on the cake. Repeat the operation with the second layer. Place the third sponge layer on top, and brush with the syrup. Transfer to the fridge to set for at least half an hour. In the meantime, prepare the whipping cream. Before whipping, transfer the cream in the freezer for about 20 minutes. The cream has to be very cold. Using an electric handheld beater, or by hand, whip the cream until firm, but not too firm. When you see the cream turning a little bit yellow, stop beating immediately, otherwise it turns into butter! With the help of a flat spatula, spread the cream onto the cake evenly. Decorate with more cream (I used a Wilton M1 tip) and the strawberries that you have previously left aside. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.


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|CBC (Complete Blood Count)
Jul 17, 2001
Dear Doc,
Since we don't have facilties to conduct CD4 counts here in our place... I'm wondering if CBC (Complete Blood Count) could be of any help in "at least" determining the status of a a risky person.
What are the figures which are useful in making analysis? At what level of white blood cells which could compare from normal to an hiv infected? what are the other imp't. things that should be look in to the blood during CBC test?
Hope for your kind reply the soonest. Thank you.
Response from Dr. Feinberg
The CBC holds clues to the possibility of HIV infection, but none are absolutely diagnostic. HIV+ people usually have leukopenia, with both neutropenia and lymphopenia. Often they are anemic, and a small proportion have thrombocytopenia. Unfortunately these same abnormalities can be seen in many other conditions.
Chronic Tonsilitis and HIV
timeframe for onset of ARS symptoms?
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Whenever you are providing a seminar space, the initial and most crucial item of furniture you are going to want could be the seminar table. It's crucial that the conference room table would be the center piece of this room, and also that the remaining portion of the décor flows naturally out of the summit table.
Conference Tables
There are many diverse sorts of conference tables(Also known as ตารางการประชุม in Thai language) in the industry it may be hard to not just differentiate between different kinds, but and to pick the ideal fit for the working environment.
Seminar rooms are at which company meetings are stored, at which interviews occur and at which demonstrations and notions are all offered up for training. It's crucial that guests and employees to any office visit your own boardroom for a spot where things have completed and where essential decisions have made. Ensure that your boardroom endeavors a warm, comfy and productive image.
Starting out
Before you begin, have a peek at the seminar room and decide just how you will put up things. The method that you want on using the seminar room will play a very significant role in which seminar table. This website http://www.thaiofficefurniture.com/ contains more information about the Modern furniture of Office, check and read more.
In the event that you're going to use the room for meetings or conference calls, afterward, the more substantial rectangular or boat-shaped one is best. For brain storming sessions or interviews, either a bigger round or modular seminar tables offer a much more romantic experience.
The seminar room dining table is the center piece of this room, therefore be certain it's sized and placed appropriately. There is nothing worse than using a too small individual in a massive place, or perhaps a massive one it does not fit nicely in small or darkened room. Look for a table that's in ratio to the remaining part of the space.


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1. Build a Math Notebook in Evernote
Evernote is my all-time favorite note-taking app, and that extends to math as well. In addition to typing text notes, students can attach documents (handouts, activities, etc) that they've viewed on their iPads and they can also take pictures through the app or attach pictures from the camera roll. That's helpful when they build models with manipulatives and want to archive their work.
2. Reinforce concepts or conduct inquiry research with math movies.
|Khan Academy
Two of my favorite apps to use in math are BrainPop and Khan Academy. I often use these to introduce a lesson or to differentiate instruction. I often feel like I get stretched pretty thin during math instruction because I have such a range of skills in my classroom, but these apps help. If I'm working with a student and a second student needs help, I can direct that student to a video on Khan Academy and encourage the student to see if that will help him or her figure out the problem until I can get there. Often the additional examples help the student understand the problem better.
3. Make math movies to assess understanding
|Show Me
|Explain Everything
4. Make a Vocabulary Notebook in Keynote
I like to use Keynote for their math vocabulary because we can create slides that use the Frayer Model for vocabulary instruction. In addition to typing definitions, examples, and non-examples, they can draw their own pictures on a whiteboard app, take a screenshot, and add them to the slide. They can also search for real-world examples to photograph and add. Once they're finished, they can easily alphabetize their entries by rearranging the slides.
5. Use QR codes
Our math word wall has QR codes linking to the definitions of each term so students can quiz themselves about the meaning of a term or review terms they've forgotten. If you click on the image below, you can get a freebie example of this for the properties of multiplication.
My complete sets for grade 4, grade 5, and 4/5 combo are available at my TpT store.
We've also written riddles in Geometry where students could scan a QR code to find the answer. You can read my post about that here.
And we've used QR codes to help check homework assignments. I've written about that here.
I'm really just scratching the surface here -- there are so many other possibilities and several math specific apps to use, but I'll save those for future posts. I'm excited to read other examples of integrating technology into math, though, and if you haven't visited the linky yet, you definitely should. I got so many great ideas for reading and writing from it last week!
How do you use technology in Math?


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I had a SUPER hard time choosing just 3 for November, I guess I must have been really feeling the mojo that month!!
Have a smiley kind of day!
Remember you can purchase all your stamping and crafting needs at my Stampin' Up website anytime~ Click HERE to go shopping!!
All items in bold type are Stampin' Up products!


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We did chatterpix. We painted ostriches. We did smart cards on our ostrich chart. We learned about the ostrich. Ms. Dolly gave us stickers. We learned about the pangolin. -Alex and Jared
We went on a field trip. Our class did a test. Here are some words we did: sneaking. -Indigo and CarolWe had a field trip. It was fun. For Fun Friday we watched The Lion Guard. -Cooper and Juan Carlos
We learned about ostriches. It was pretty cool. -Jaykob
We watched the second Lion King, The Lion Guard. I bet the third is going to be The Lion Dad. Liam and Nya are partners again! -Liam and Nya
We learned that a single stride of an ostrich can cover 10-16 feet. And we also learned that ostriches can't fly. On Tuesday we had a field trip. We had to mind our manners every time we answered a question. -Jade and Lea
For Social Studies our class went to a field trip. -Fabiana and Kendall
(Thank you parent chaperones for all of your help and for the fun photos!)
We want to learn about the cobra and the cheetah. -Jules and Lorenzo
A few things the kids didn't mention...
We read a funny book, "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"
Mrs. Duley was our mystery reader!
What's happening in Math? The kids are becoming place value experts! This week we learned about hundreds and we continued to work on comparing numbers. Understanding place value makes comparing numbers easier! (We even got to practice comparing numbers during science, when we watched a video of an ostrich racing a football player! 43 miles per hour is greater than 20 miles per hour, so the ostrich is faster!)
The kids wrote some great poetry! The best part? They went through the entire writing process DIGITALLY! We got some inspiration from Giraffes Here, Giraffes There, used our sentence patterning chart to do some prewriting, and then typed our rough drafts! The kids were doing some pretty advanced stuff... copying and pasting, changing font colors, sharing google docs, clicking between tabs in google chrome... So impressed with their teamwork while learning these digital skills and reviewing all of the parts of a sentence.
Here's something new we've started doing during our Africa unit... picture prompts! Today the kids were shown the photo below and given the task to simply write! So amazed at what they came up with!
Every day, I do my best to encourage my first graders to be good citizens. In the classroom, on the playground, and at home, they seem to have a pretty good idea of what that looks like. But what about being good digital citizens? Because so much of what kids do inside (and outside) of school is digital, and because technology is likely to become even more prevalent in their lives as technology continues to advance, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about digital citizenship. We started with a lesson on internet safety. Ask your first graders if they remember the three rules from the video we watched on Monday!


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The FSA has attacked banks and big financial services firms for basing their business models on aggressive sales tactics.
Speaking at a Which? conference on financial services reform in London this week, FSA interim managing director of the conduct business unit Margaret Cole rejected claims by the British Bankers' Association executive director of retail Eric Leenders that many people continue to trust high-street banks.
Cole said: "I am not in the business of banker bashing but if you look at the evidence, unfortunately in relation to payment protection insurance, which has been the most recent saga, it was really the big retail banks who were the major players."
She said various misselling issues have emerged over the last 20 years costing consumers £15bn, not including the £9bn cost of PPI misselling.Cole argued banks need to develop "a cultural responsibility" so less regulatory intervention is needed.
She added: "It is particularly striking to me that when we have done business model analysis we have seen how much of the business models of major institutions are being driven by aggressive product sales. If that remains the business model, there is always going to be a high risk of misselling of products.
"We have to be prepared in the new culture of the FCA to be more interventionist to head off those issues before they really get going."
Baronworth Investment Services director Colin Jackson says banks need to stop offering staff bonuses and setting high sales targets to tackle aggressive tactics. He says: "If banks were to abolish the bonus system that would stop staff aggressively selling."


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Summer is coming to an end and we hope you were able to relax and spend some time with family and friends and maybe even squeeze in some beach time. But now it's time to get back to business and round out 2016 with some serious success.
To that end, here are five best practices for building your brand.
1. Create better customer experiences. Your brand is about so much more than what your logo and website look like. Your brand involves experiences, as in how do you make your customer feel every step of the way? Think about the experience you want your customers to have and make sure everything you do and every interaction you have helps create this experience.
What to do: Take a hard look at the different areas of your business—customer service, social, sales, customer loyalty strategies, and so forth—and see what needs improvement. Pay attention to customer feedback. They won't be shy in telling you what's working and what's not, but it's up to you to take action. You will learn the most from your biggest critics, so listen carefully.
2. Be consistent. If you're touting one string of messages on your website and another on your social channels, then this creates a disconnect. Be consistent with your messaging across all channels.
What to do: Conduct an audit of all materials/places where your core messages appear and see if the messages are consistent. Better yet, ask someone else to look at your channels (e.g. website, social, online ads). Use a service like UserTesting.com if you need help. For each channel, ask the person what the main message is. Based on the feedback you receive, identify any inconsistencies and correct them.
3. Make sure your content marketing supports your brand. All the content you produce should reinforce your brand, and not just in terms of messaging, but also the look and feel.
What to do: If you haven't been using one already, get in the habit of creating a content calendar. A calendar provides a clear snapshot of all your content so that you can easily spot holes or issues (for example, perhaps you spend too much time on one message while neglecting another). Conduct an audit of all layouts and make sure the physical presentations align with your brand from a visual perspective as well.
4. Do something different. If you want your brand to truly stand out, then you need to do something that will make it stand out. And, yes, we're talking about something bigger than simply stating on your website the ways you're different from your competitors. Here are some ideas:
- Create a company mascot and use it on everything
- Become an industry thought leader
- Publish books or eBooks, whatever works for you
5. Develop brand ambassadors. You can't do it alone. The way to build your brand and get the word out is by tasking people with the job of promoting your brand—both employees and customers.


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Recently, in Evangelii Gaudium (Nos. 123-126), Pope Francis emphasizes "popular piety." He writes that popular piety enables us to see how the faith, once received, becomes embodied in a culture and is constantly passed on. He recalls Pope Paul VI stating that "popular piety manifests a thirst for God which only the poor and the simple can know" and that "it makes people capable of generosity and sacrifice even to the point of heroism, when it is a matter of bearing witness to belief."
In referring to Latin America, Pope Francis notes that the bishops there also refer to it as "popular spirituality" or "the people's mysticism"; it is not devoid of content, rather it discovers and expresses that content more by way of symbols than by discursive reasoning, and in the act of faith greater accent is placed on credere in Deum (to believe in God) than on credere Deum (to believe in a God).
"It is a legitimate way of living the faith, a way of feeling part of the Church and a manner of being missionaries." Journeying together to shrines and taking part in other manifestations of popular piety, taking one's children or inviting others, is in itself an evangelizing gesture.
Only from the affective connaturality born of love can we appreciate the theological life present in the piety of Christian people who cling to a Rosary prayed by candlelight in a warm home with a prayer for help from Mary. These are the manifestations of a theological life nourished by the working of the Holy Spirit who has been poured into our hearts (cf. Rom 5:5).
It is my opinion that the Holy Father wants us to open our spiritual hearts to the experience of devotions that seem to have been abandoned shortly after Vatican II. Devotions to the Eucharist; devotions to Mary (especially with the Rosary); stations of the cross; days of recollection; prayer and novenas, and prayers and devotions to special saints seem to have gotten lost in the gusto for a reform of the liturgy — especially as this reform centered attention more to the Mass as Liturgy of the Word and Sacrament as the locus for spirituality.
Of special note for Americans is that, in the mid-19th century, a great diaspora from Ireland brought to our shores poor folks looking to their newfound land for freedom. These Catholic Irish folks came mostly from farming areas where less was known of the faith because of the scarcity of the clergy. In the meantime, back in Ireland, Cardinal Paul Cullen initiated a "devotional revolution" that spread through the Catholics of Ireland.
Because so many of the Irish immigrants to the United States had had little catechesis in the faith, bishops in Ireland decided to send missionary sisters and priests who had experienced this "devotional revolution." As the Irish population in the U.S. increased, so did the devotional aspect, and eventually it changed the face of the American Catholic Church.
I personally have noticed in these past 10 years the budding increase in recapturing some of the devotions of our ancestors, especially with Benediction and Adoration among younger people, young adults and some in their 30s or 40s. I see more Rosaries being prayed and more devotions to our Blessed Mother. There seems to be a nostalgia for that something "warm" (Pope Francis's word) found in these forms of piety. I have noticed this in our Benedictine College and definitely in seminarians who come from different dioceses. There is definitely a yearning for such forms of piety.
I myself grew up (I am now 85) by going to the weekly devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help at our German church of St. Wendelin's where we had that beautiful icon of Our Blessed Mother before us. It was an understood practice with no questions asked. I carried my Rosary with me in my pocket then and, especially, when I joined the Air Force.
Yes, Vatican II came, followed by some too-eager liturgists who, with some pastors, did not want to share some of the principles of the changes. This resulted in a decline of piety practices. I became a bit mesmerized by it all and abandoned my own formation piety practices. Now, as I see the new buds of piety emerging, I too wish to return to those pious practices which will assist me in my spiritual journey. I hope there are other priests who feel the same.
FATHER BEAVER, O.S.B., is a retired monk at St. Vincent Archabbey located in Latrobe, Pa. Ordained in 1985 (at the age of 56), he was assigned to several parishes before his retirement in 2011. Before entering the Monastery at age 51, he had been an administrator in higher education institutions. He holds a Bachelor's degree in English, an MA in Education and an MS in Theology. He is the author several articles on liturgy, spirituality and sacraments, including two recent articles in The Priest.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


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The Hong Kong government has given a press release about the deaths of two men from Vibrio vulnifcus on the 20th of June this year (2012) (press release). V. vulnificus is a marine bacteria which can cause infection by ingestion (seafood) or through open wounds when swimming or wading in infected waters or via puncture wounds from the spines of fish such as tilapia. It prefers warm seawater or brackish (mixed fresh- and seawater) and occurs worldwide in warm salt-bearing waters and can be present in infected shellfish. It is a relative of the bacteria that causes cholera (Vibrio cholerae).
The infection presents itself with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a blistering dermatitis. In people with compromised immune systems, V. vulnificus is eighty times more likely to spread into the blood stream, when it can cause severe symptoms including blistering skin lesions, septic shock, and even death . Severe infection may occur regardless of whether the infection began via contaminated food or via an open wound. There is no evidence for person-to-person transmission.
One of the two men was found to have consumed raw mantis shrimp in an investigation. I would stress though that there seems to be no reason to assume that we are more at risk in HK than anywhere else. Infections also occur in US coastal waters, Japanese coastal waters and anywhere where infected shellfish is consumed. Given that shellfish is cold-stored and flown around the world in todays world, infections can happen almost anywhere. If you are concerned, the press release issued the following safety guidelines for the public:
People are reminded to adopt the following measures to prevent necrotizing fasciitis and Vibrio vulnificus infection:
* Avoid exposure of open wounds or broken skin to seawater or salty water;
* Wounds should be thoroughly cleaned and properly covered;
* Wear thick rubber gloves when handling raw shellfish;
* Cook seafood, especially shellfish (e.g. oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly; and
* For shellfish, boil until the shells open and avoid cross-contamination of ready-to-eat food with raw seafood.
Patients should seek medical advice promptly if they develop symptoms and signs of infection such as increasing redness, pain and swelling.


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Alright, please read through the author's excerpt, then provide your feedback in the comments. My detailed critique is below.
Today on the Beta Club, we have our first sequel! Stephanie's first book will be available soon from Lyrical Press. To find out more info about her and her debut book, go visit her at The Writer's Cocoon. Now, on to the critique...
For newbies: If you haven't been here on beta club day yet, don't be afraid to jump in with your comments. All feedback is welcome as long as it's constructive. And if anyone has an itch to be critiqued, the rules for submitting to the Beta Club are under the "Free Critiques" heading at the top of the page.
Author: Stephanie Haefner
Title: Karma Kameleon
Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Romance
"Rich, I'm pregnant."
The last time I said those exact
words to him, it led to our breakup and my entrance to a dark and dreary pit of
misery. This time his reaction was much different. Instead of the dumbfounded
confused look he wore last time, a huge grin formed and he kissed me and
laughed and told me how happy he was and how much he loved me.
"This is perfect," he said as we
lay on our bed. He combed his hand through my hair and found his way to the
edge of my tee shirt, his shirt that I wore as a night gown. He lifted it up
and rubbed his hand across my stomach, then leaned down and kissed it. "Only
one thing would make it better."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"You saying 'yes'. Marry me, Lexi!"
My heart leapt into my throat and I
felt the fluttering in my stomach. I stared at Rich, his adoring eyes staring
back at me. Was this for real? I'd never been proposed to before.
"Really? Are you sure? You don't
have to marry me just 'cause you knocked me up!"
"You're kinda ruining this moment,"
he said with a sly smile and reached into the nightstand drawer next to him. He
presented a black velvet box and popped it open. Inside sat a princess cut
diamond ring and not a small one either. "I've been trying to find the perfect
time to ask for weeks now."
I immediately teared and felt
stupid for doubting his sincerity.
"Will you marry me?" Rich asked
My body shook as I nodded my head.
"Is that a 'yes'?"
"Yes!" I screamed and leapt onto
him, covering his face with kisses.
"Wait," he managed between
smooches. "I want to make it official."
"Didn't we just do that?"
"Not yet." Rich pulled away and
plucked the sparkly gem from its box. He slid it onto my left ring finger and I
did exactly what all newly engaged women do. I flexed my wrist and held my arm
straight, admiring my hand and its brilliant adornment.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"I love it!" I exclaimed and truly
meant it. The square-shaped stone looked flawless, at least a karat, maybe
more. I couldn't have picked a more perfect setting myself—simple and elegant
platinum, nothing fru-fru about it.
"I know it's not as big as Abby's."
"Uh, there's no need for it to be.
I'm sure your penis is way bigger than Daniel's."
"Everybody knows that big fat
diamond rings are to make up for tiny di**s! Trust me—you have no need
what-so-ever to buy me a big diamond!"
I placed my lips back on his and my
hands found their way to his large hardness. Rich slipped his own hand under my
shirt in preparation of removing it from my body. We then heard a thud at the
door and then wailing. Rich and I looked at each other wondering what the heck
happened. I started to get out of bed and heard Marcus's voice on the other
side of the door.
"Sorry guys. Preston
got away from me."
"It's okay. Bring him in!" I
yelled, still hearing my little man's cries. Marcus pushed the door open slowly
and Preston immediately smiled and reached his
arms out to me.
"He's getting really fast," Marcus
said. "I turned around to pick up some toys and he crawled off down the hallway.
I think he crashed head first into your door."
"Poor baby!" I reached out and
Marcus put my baby in my arms, though I couldn't really call him a baby
anymore. It had been almost eleven months since his birth and it seemed like he
grew an inch a day. You always hear people go on about how "fast time flies"
but you never realize how true it is until you have a child.
"Should we tell him?" Rich asked as
he gazed into Preston's eyes. I nodded.
"Guess what, my precious boy! Daddy
Rich is gonna make an honest woman of me! See!" I wiggled my fingers for him.
He pointed at the diamond and giggled. I knew he had no clue what it meant or
how huge it was, but I liked to pretend that he did and that he was happy about
Below is my critique, click on FULL SCREEN, then once the document opens, RIGHT CLICK to zoom so you can see the comments.
Alright, please read through the author's excerpt, then provide your feedback in the comments. My detailed critique is below.
Alright, so what do you think? Are you hooked? What did the author do well? What things could be improved? Thanks ahead of time for offering your feedback!
*Today's Theme Song (Author's Choice)**
"Manic Monday" - The Bangles
(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)


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Firstly, I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas and has an even better start into 2014!
Also, this is the second part of my list discussing my favorite television shows of the last twelve months. If you haven't read the first half and would like to, you can do so via this link.
5 – Top of the Lake
I'll get this out of the way first and foremost: Top of the Lake, a Sundance Channel production, was not a show that everybody would like. It was almost dream-like in its surreality, with certain elements appearing to make little sense from the outset. It's what I would define as a strange show. Yet in spite of this, and of the things that really didn't work as well as they were intended, there were things that did–and they worked on an incredible level, making Top of the Lake one of my favorite experiences of the year.
Top of the Lake had several things that worked in its favor. For instance, the central story of pregnant 12-year-old Tui's disappearance never failed to be mysterious and engaging like all stories of such a nature should be. It formed a nice spine for everything else in the show to connect to, and as fundamentally dark as the subject matter was, it was wonderfully dealt with from beginning to end. Granted, there may have been lapses here and there, and it's debatable as to whether the final twist was masterful or regretful, but as is often the case with stories in television and otherwise, it was the journey that mattered the most.
But if there was one thing that propelled Top of the Lake above and beyond what it could've ended up being, it was the performance of main star Elisabeth Moss as the show's lead character. Robin was a deeply complex and multi-faceted character whose many layers were fascinating to peel away. From the exterior, she appeared to play the role of hardened detective tasked with unmasking the horrific truth that led a small girl to pregnancy, a subsequent suicide attempt, and then disappearance. As the series continued, however, it became clear that Robin was broken inside, the ghost of her past haunting her present, and as strong as Top of the Lake's story was, it was the process of exploring Robin's character that provided the series with its deepest narrative.
As said before, Elisabeth Moss' performance in Top of the Lake was, for want of a better word, extraordinary. Moss is no stranger to deploying fantastic performances in the shows she's been involved with, as fans of Mad Men can attest to, but in six episodes she managed to usurp almost every expectation I–and I imagine others–had of her. That's simply not an easy thing to do, yet the way in which she navigated the labyrinth of Robin's character was almost effortless. In fact, I would gladly label her performance my favorite of any actor in any show in the entirety of 2013. Which makes the fact she's had very little awards success since then even more difficult to comprehend.
It should also be noted that Top of the Lake was one of the most beautiful cinematographic experiences of the entire year–arguably at the same level as Hannibal. There were so many shots and scenes in the series that made me pause to take in how astonishingly gorgeous it was. Filming in New Zealand granted them with a stunning landscape to work with, and even if you discount their success in other areas, you cannot argue with the fact Top of the Lake was captivating in its artistry.
Six episodes was all Top of the Lake had to tell its story and show us who its characters were. It will not have any more now that it's finished. Turns out, however, that six hours was all it needed to become one of the most exciting and deeply engaging shows of the last twelve months, with one of the finest actresses on television exceeding even her own stratospheric heights. It's a shame Top of the Lake will not be returning in the future, but it's left behind a legacy of enormous strength.
4 – Breaking Bad
For years Breaking Bad dealt with its narrative explosions with bombast and fury, dealing pain and misery at every step of Walter White's transformation into a hideous monster. But Walt's transfiguration had been completed and 2013 saw the time come for the series to bid farewell to its beloved story and characters. Lives were lost, horror and carnage ensued at every corner, and finally it all came to an end. A glorious, devastating end.
It would be easy to discuss Breaking Bad's series finale before anything else that happened in its final run of eight episodes, but that wasn't its strongest hour. No, such a title should go to the incredible "Ozymandias," the season's fourteenth and most cataclysmic hour. Heart-pounding tension was entwined with horrifying loss to create one of most captivating and emotionally manipulative episodes of the entire year, with show-stopping performances from all of the show's cast members, including an exceptional Dean Norris, who is surely a lock-in for next year's Emmy nominations. "Ozymandias" was truly an outstanding hour for the show's final season, and of the series as a whole. The final two episodes didn't manage to match its angry momentum, but they didn't need to; the damage had already been done. The aftermath was the only thing that remained.
By the time Breaking Bad had said its final farewell, its characters had all been reduced to unrecognisable husks, turned upside down and emptied of their contents by the actions of Walter White. It was the culmination of years of character development, portrayed masterfully by the likes of Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Anna Gunn. But they'd reached their end. They'd endured so much at the hands of Walt's monster that all that remained was recuperation or, in Hank's unfortunate case, death. It was sad to see some of the finest characters on television leave, but the decision to end Breaking Bad at the height of its narrative game, as opposed to unnaturally extending it for profitable purposes, was very welcome.
Few shows have left behind a legacy as everlasting as Breaking Bad's. Few shows ever will. People will be discussing it for months and years down the line. Not just the series finale, either, but the entire five-season run. They'll be discussing the incredible journey of Walter White from mild-mannered cancer sufferer to drug kingpin. They'll be talking about the aforementioned "Ozymandias" and how it managed to blast everything into oblivion in time for the series' final two episodes. Certain sections will probably still be lambasting Gunn's Skylar White for daring to stand up to her repugnant husband. But regardless of where you look, Breaking Bad has long been regarded as a contributor to the so-called 'Golden Age of Television', and that's an honor that's not going to go away in the near future. Not if the final season has anything to do with it.
3 – Orphan Black
If there's a term you've no doubt heard a million times this year, it's "binge-watching." And rightly so, as the success of Netflix's model of releasing entire seasons at once, available to watch at your own leisure and pace, indicates it's a phenomenon that's becoming increasingly more popular. Certain shows benefit from such an activity, while others are better off being consumed on a weekly basis. BBC America's sci-fi drama Orphan Black, however, lends itself to the former rather than the latter.
I initially only discovered Orphan Black as it was approaching its season finale, but it took all of two days–and two sittings–for me to plow through nine episodes. The show had so many things working in its favor, such as the rapid pace that rarely let you come up for air, or the impossibly talented Tatiana Maslany displaying in excess of five characters, often at the same time. But binge-watching almost the entire season in such a short space of time magnified the show's strongest elements to such a degree that it became a better show. It became an unstoppable tour-de-force, ripping through its story like it was slashing a knife through dense jungle. Consequently, it was so darned brilliant.
I could talk all day and night about how strong Orphan Black's first season was and how you should stop reading and immediately watch it before you die without it having ever improved your life, but I'll summarise the strongest element in two single words: Tatiana Maslany. A relatively unknown actress before the show hit the waves, Maslany entered the game with the ostensibly insurmountable task of playing over five different characters, sometimes as one pretending to be another, with frequent technical wizardry ensuring she had to play off of herself in scenes. Not one to let such impossibility get in the way, Maslany demonstrated how phenomenal an actress she is by making each of her characters totally unique and distinguishable. I've never seen such a nuanced and attentive performance, and I still cannot quite believe Maslany made it possible. But she did, and in the space of ten episodes, she rose to become the actress everybody involved in TV should be falling over themselves to hire.
2013 was an incredible year for Orphan Black. If there is any justice, 2014 should be even more successful. Maslany's recent Golden Globes nomination almost makes up for her monumentally disappointing snub at this year's Emmy Awards. People are taking notice of the show, of the almost universal adoration from television critics, and now is as good a time as any to finally let Orphan Black into your life. You'll be thanking me later.
2 – The Good Wife
I wrote on my blog a while ago–and have frequently mentioned since–that The Good Wife was trapped in a narrative tornado. What's aired of its fifth season thus far has managed to do what most other shows rarely have the balls to even consider: throw everything into the air to see where they land. Everything the show built itself around for five years, from Alicia's position within Lockhart Gardner to the character dynamics that made the show such a thrill to watch, was ripped from its roots and tossed aside for something new and powerful to grow in its place. The end result was The Good Wife solidifying its position as the strongest, smartest, and most fearless network drama on the air.
For a CBS procedural set within the confines of a Chicago law firm, The Good Wife has no right to be in the position it's in. It has no right to be telling the stories it's telling in a way that totally disregards the ostensible limits of a procedurally driven show. It has no right to have the power to upend everything it's built to see what else can grow in the same lot. Yet that is exactly what's happening, and it's a testament to the show's writers and visionaries that they have managed to subvert every expectation had of them.
I'm not about to say The Good Wife has no right to be as good as it is because it's a network show, as I find that to be a backhanded compliment that unfairly implies all network shows are forever fated to fall behind their cable brethren. But it is undeniably a surprise to see a show with a premise such as TGW's storm ahead in such a manner–in its fifth season no less. Creative wells naturally begin to dry up the older a show gets, irrespective of its broadcast heritage, but The Good Wife has managed to build new, almost bottomless, ones for itself. For that reason alone, it has to be admired.
There will always be an argument to be had regarding whether creative freedom means that cable shows will always have the advantage, but that's for another day and for people with the time and expertise to argue it. For now, The Good Wife is proudly sitting at the centre of the storm it's created for itself, watching everybody run not away from the carnage but towards it. It's turned itself into an entirely new show in such a short space of time, and in the process, has become one of the most exciting and tempestuous dramas on television. The fact that it's a network show ultimately means nothing to its creative structure.
1 – Orange is the New Black
And here we are at my favorite TV show of the year, and while I cannot tell you how long I deliberated over what show to put in this position, in the end it seemed inevitable that Orange is the New Black, the fourth major Netflix original to be released in the year, would find itself here. Because whether it was in the characters and how they broke the stereotypes generally attached to them, or the incredibly human heart sat beating at the centre, or even in the performances of everybody in the show, Orange is the New Black astounded me with its unwillingness to walk with the crowd.
Honestly, I could gush about Orange all night, describing how it managed to drag me into its world at a speed that surprised even me, and how it told the stories of those living in the Litchfield Women's Correctional Facility with such passion and heart. But it was inarguably the show's characters that left such an impression on me. I fell in love with main character Piper Chapman's entry into an unfamiliar world almost instantly. I shipped her relationship with fellow inmate and former lover Alex harder than I've shipped anything in a very long time. I watched as the show gave me an insight into each of the prisoners' lives, and as I learned more about them, they became the show. Orange is the New Black was blessed with the strongest ensemble cast I've seen in years, and it knew just how to take that opportunity and spin it into gold.
I said before about how Orange is the New Black broke boundaries and stereotypes with its characters, and it was one of the things I loved most about the show. It featured several lesbian characters but never once treated their sexual preferences as a plot device; they were real, natural, normal people, and that's simply not something you see on television that often. The same goes for Sophia. a black transgender character played by a black transgender actress who wasn't just cannon fodder for the killer of the week on a Law and Order episode. These people, these characters, would probably never have gotten the same kind of treatment and care on any other show, and I cannot tell you how much I adore it for operating outside of the boundaries.
Without a doubt, Orange is the New Black was my favorite show of the last twelve months. It was heartfelt and human, it treated its characters–no matter how separate from society they unfortunately were–with a rare and infrequently seen delicacy, and in all, it filled a gap in my life that I never even knew was there. It's the rare kind of show I could watch over and over again without ever getting tired of. It's simply that good.
Honorable Mentions
When Arrow first premiered back in the Fall of last year, few could've legitimately prophesied the show becoming what it seemed born to do. What initially started out as a show standing on uneven ground, unsure about what it was or wanted to be, grew and grew in strength until it finally hit its stride at the end of its first season. That same tight control over its enormous character base and story arcs has carried over into its second season, and it's now sitting proudly as one of the most thrilling and exciting shows on the air.
People love mysteries. They especially love discussing them with others, taking every seemingly innocuous moment and running through them with a fine toothcomb in the hopes of obtaining another piece of the truth. Broadchurch, an eight-part murder mystery set in the heart of a British community, had all the makings of a classic whodunnit, with the added spark of excellent and intriguing characters portrayed by actors throwing everything they had into their roles. The result was, well, genius.
CBS' modern day retelling of Sherlock Holmes started off its debut season on uneven ground, leaning a little too heavily towards the generic procedural the show needed to avoid becoming. But as the show entered 2013, taking advantage of the coveted post-Super Bowl slot, it started to juggle some seriously impressive story arcs, resulting in a magnificent three-part finale to close off its first year. That same momentum hasn't quite continued throughout season two thus far, but the show is still firing on all cylinders.
Sleepy Hollow
Let's be honest for a moment: nobody really expected Sleepy Hollow to be a success. With a premise that promised Ichabod Crane being brought forward through time in order to fight demons and creatures with a cop every week, it initially seemed to be nothing more than an attempt at throwing a kooky concept at the wall in the hopes it would stick. But the most surprising thing of all? It did stick. It became a ridiculous yet brilliantly thrilling show with strong performances and genuinely interesting character work. Is it the strongest drama on the air? Hardly. But I'd be remiss if I didn't give it the praise it deserves for beating the expectations.
The Fall
While the previously mentioned Broadchurch explored its mystery with the killer's identity kept hidden until the very end, The Fall showed us who was doing the dastardly deed right from the beginning. The result was a character piece of sorts, with the two partners in the dance of wits being played by Jamie Dornan and the always magnificent Gillian Anderson. Dornan's portrayal of a brutal monster who disguised himself as a family man during the day was ruthless and compelling, while Anderson's performance as the ice-cold pursuer to Dornan's threat was deliciously exciting.
Person of Interest
In a year that seems to belong to the CBS procedural, Person of interest has steadily grown from being a monotonous cop show to a terrifically executed amalgamation of strong character work and bombastic story arcs, all wrapped around a core of adrenaline that surges every so often. The procedural is still there, but it no longer defines the show. The last batch of episodes has demonstrated exactly what the show is capable of, and it's in the exploration of its serialised elements where Person of Interest's strength shines.
In its second season, Scandal, the show whose veins carry nothing but adrenaline through its body, blew itself up. It went all-in on its story arcs and having them twist in all kinds of directions, and yes, you could argue it was at the expense of its characters. (You could definitely say this of season three thus far, and I would agree with you.) But irrespective of that, Scandal was pure dramatic dynamite in its second year. That has unfortunately not been something the show has carried over to its third season, but I still hold hope that it will at some point in the future.
Of all the shows to be canceled this year, it was Southland's premature demise that hurt the most. Because even though it had five seasons in which to tell its story, I never got the sense that it had reached the end of its creative life. In fact, season five (the unintended final season) demonstrated clearer than ever that the show had more to give, with "Chaos", its penultimate episode, being a devastating and cataclysmic hour of television that should sit on everybody's 'Best of…' list. It's a shame the show will never again get the chance to show us what it's capable of, but it at least went out soaring.
And with that brings this list of mine to an end. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the strongest TV shows of the year in the comment box below!


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I was doing a session last night for Ontario Teacher's Federation on Play, Math and Digital Tools for the early years. Together we explored a variety of tools from Shadow Puppet Edu to Chatterpix to Scratch Jr. We wanted apps that had "low floors, heigh ceilings and wide walls" as Mitch Resnick recently mentioned in a journal article but more than anything we wanted to share ideas that fostered that curiosity and inquiry we see in play.
Innately curious, children explore, manipulative, build, create, wonder, and ask questions naturally, moving through the world in what might be called an "inquiry stance."
Ministry of Education
Then this morning I saw it unfold in front of me as grade ones coded with Scratch Jr (always great when you get that reassurance after a session). From the student who forcefully was insisting no one feed the ducks in their local park as he recorded his voice to another friend discovering on her own the purpose of certain blocks of code. It was a quiet excitement as I walked over and she said: "hey I found this block. It makes everything repeat."
Then I kept thinking of professional learning opportunities and adult learners.
- Are there opportunities to play?
- Will people respond to playful learning experiences? What do they look like for adult learners?
- Who documents the learning?
- Am I willing to play and become uncomfortable?
Addendum: Then I wake up this morning to look through the chatter from MIT's day honouring #SeymourPapert and more questions abound.


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Posted from the book "The Religion of the Ancient Celts" - By J. A. MacCulloch - [1911] - (Obtain this full work and many more backups by clicking here!)
This book, is one of the best scholarly treatments of the ancient Celtic religion. Written early in the 20th Century, "Religion of the Ancient Celts" includes extensive treatment of that perennially fascinating subject, the Druids.
This book, is one of the best scholarly treatments of the ancient Celtic religion. Written early in the 20th Century, "Religion of the Ancient Celts" includes extensive treatment of that perennially fascinating subject, the Druids.
Animal worship pure and simple had declined among the Celts of historic times, and animals were now regarded mainly as symbols or attributes of divinities. The older cult had been connected with the pastoral stage in which the animals were divine, or with the agricultural stage in which they represented the corn-spirit, and perhaps with totemism.
We shall structure this study on three main aspects:1 - Traces of the older animal cults
2- Transformation of animal gods into symbols
Traces of the older animal cults
The presence of a bull with three cranes (Tarvos Trigaranos) on the Paris altar, along with the gods Esus, Juppiter, and Vulcan, suggests that it was a divine animal, or the subject of a divine myth. As has been seen, this bull may be the bull of the Táin bó Cuailgne. Both it and its opponent were reincarnations of the swine-herds of two gods. In the Irish sagas reincarnation is only attributed to gods or heroes, and this may point to the divinity of the bulls. We have seen that this and another altar may depict some myth in which the bull was the incarnation of a tree or vegetation spirit. The divine nature of the bull is attested by its presence on Gaulish coins as a religious symbol, and by images of the animal with three horns--an obvious symbol of divinity.
On such an image in bronze the Cimbri, Celticised Germans, swore. The images are pre-Roman, since they are found at Hallstadt and La Tène. Personal names like Donnotaurus (the equivalent of the Donn Taruos of the Táin) or Deiotaros ("divine bull"), show that men were called after the divine animal. Similarly many place-names in which the word taruos occurs, in Northern Italy, the Pyrenees, Scotland, Ireland, and elsewhere, suggest that the places bearing these names were sites of a bull cult or that some myth, like that elaborated in the Táin, had been there localised. But, as possibly in the case of Cúchulainn and the bull, the animal tended to become the symbol of a god, a tendency perhaps aided by the spread of Mithraism with its symbolic bull.
A god Medros leaning on a bull is represented at Haguenau, possibly a form of Mider or of Meduris, a surname of Toutatis, unless Medros is simply Mithras. Echoes of the cult of the bull or cow are heard in Irish tales of these animals brought from the síd, or of magic bulls or of cows which produced enormous supplies of milk, or in saintly legends of oxen leading a saint to the site of his future church. These legends are also told of the swine, and they perhaps arose when a Christian church took the place of the site of a local animal cult, legend fusing the old and the new cult by making the once divine animal point out the site of the church. A late relic of a bull cult may be found in the carnival procession of the Bœuf Gras at Paris.
A cult of a swine-god Moccus has been referred to. The boar was a divine symbol on standards, coins, and altars, and many bronze images of the animal have been found. These were temple treasures, and in one case the boar is three-horned. But it was becoming the symbol of a goddess, as is seen by the altars on which it accompanies a goddess, perhaps of fertility, and by a bronze image of a goddess seated on a boar. The altars occur in Britain, of which the animal may be the emblem--the "Caledonian monster" of Claudian's poem. The Galatian Celts abstained from eating the swine, and there has always been a prejudice against its flesh in the Highlands. This has a totemic appearance. But the swine is esteemed in Ireland, and in the texts monstrous swine are the staple article of famous feasts. These may have been legendary forms of old swine-gods, the feasts recalling sacrificial feasts on their flesh. Magic swine were also the immortal food of the gods. But the boar was tabu to certain persons, e.g. Diarmaid, though whether this is the attenuated memory of a clan totem restriction is uncertain. In Welsh story the swine comes from Elysium--a myth explaining the origin of its domestication, while domestication certainly implies an earlier cult of the animal. When animals come to be domesticated, the old cult restrictions, e.g. against eating them, usually pass away. For this reason, perhaps, the Gauls, who worshipped an anthropomorphic swine-god, trafficked in the animal and may have eaten it. Welsh story also tells of the magic boar, the Twrch Trwyth, hunted by Arthur, possibly a folk-tale reminiscence of a boar divinity.
Place-names also point to a cult of the swine, and a recollection of its divinity may underlie the numerous Irish tales of magical swine. The magic swine which issued from the cave of Cruachan and destroyed the young crops are suggestive of the theriomorphic corn-spirit in its occasional destructive aspect. Bones of the swine, sometimes cremated, have been found in Celtic graves in Britain and at Hallstadt, and in one case the animal was buried alone in a tumulus at Hallstadt, just as sacred animals were buried in Egypt, Greece, and elsewhere. When the animal was buried with the dead, it may have been as a sacrifice to the ghost or to the god of the underworld.
The divinity of the serpent is proved by the occurrence of a horned serpent with twelve Roman gods on a Gallo-Roman altar. In other cases a horned or ram's-headed serpent appears as the attribute of a god, and we have seen that the ram's-headed serpent may be a fusion of the serpent as a chthonian animal with the ram, sacrificed to the dead. In Greece Dionysus had the form both of a bull and a horned serpent, the horn being perhaps derived from the bull symbol. M. Reinach claims that the primitive elements of the Orphic myth of the Thracian Dionysos-Zagreus--divine serpents producing an egg whence came the horned snake Zagreus, occur in dislocated form in Gaul. There enlacing serpents were believed to produce a magic egg, and there a horned serpent was worshipped, but was not connected with the egg. But they may once have been connected, and if so, there may be a common foundation both for the Greek and the Celtic conceptions in a Celtic element in Thrace. The resemblances, however, may be mere coincidences, and horned serpents are known in other mythologies--the horn being perhaps a symbol of divinity. The horned serpent sometimes accompanies a god who has horns, possibly Cernunnos, the underworld god, in accordance with the chthonian character of the serpent.
In the Cúchulainn cycle Loeg on his visit to the Other-world saw two-headed serpents--perhaps a further hint of this aspect of the animal.
In all these instances of animal cults examples of the tendency to make the divine animal anthropomorphic have been seen. We have now to consider some instances of the complete anthropomorphic process.
The transformation of animal gods into symbols
An old bear cult gave place to the cult of a bear goddess and probably of a god. At Berne--an old Celtic place-name meaning "bear"--was found a bronze group of a goddess holding a patera with fruit, and a bear approaching her as if to be fed. The inscription runs, Deae Artioni Licinia Sabinilla. A local bear-cult had once existed at Berne, and is still recalled in the presence of the famous bears there, but the divine bear had given place to a goddess whose name and symbol were ursine. From an old Celtic Artos, fem. Arta, "bear," were derived various divine names. Of these Dea Artio(n) means "bear goddess," and Artaios, equated with Mercury, is perhaps a bear god. Another bear goddess, Andarta, was honoured at Die (Drôme), the word perhaps meaning "strong bear"--And- being an augmentive. Numerous place-names derived from Artos perhaps witness to a widespread cult of the bear, and the word also occurs in Welsh, and Irish personal names--Arthmael, Arthbiu, and possibly Arthur, and the numerous Arts of Irish texts. Descent from the divine bear is also signified in names like Welsh Arthgen, Irish Artigan, from Artigenos, "son of the bear." Another Celtic name for "bear" was the Gaulish matu Irish math, found in Matugenos, "son of the bear," and in MacMahon, which is a corrupt form of Mac-math-ghamhain, "son of the bear's son," or "of the bear."
Similarly a cult of the stag seems to have given place to that of a god with stag's horns, represented on many bas-reliefs, and probably connected with the underworld. The stag, as a grain-eater, may have been regarded as the embodiment of the corn-spirit, and then associated with the under-earth region whence the corn sprang, by one of those inversions of thought so common in the stage of transition from animal gods to gods with animal symbols. The elk may have been worshipped in Ireland, and a three antlered stag is the subject of a story in the Fionn saga. Its third antler, like the third horn of bull or boar, may be a sign of divinity.
The horse had also been worshipped, but a goddess Epona (Gaul. epo-s, "horse"), protectress of horses and asses, took its place, and had a far-spread cult. She rides a horse or mare with its foal, or is seated among horses, or feeds horses. A representation of a mare suckling a foal--a design analogous to those in which Epona feeds foals--shows that her primitive equine nature had not been forgotten. The Gauls were horse-rearers, and Epona was the goddess of the craft; but, as in other cases, a cult of the horse must have preceded its domestication, and its flesh may not have been eaten, or, if so, only sacramentally. Finally, the divine horse became the anthropomorphic horse-goddess. Her images were placed in stables, and several inscriptions and statuettes have been found in such buildings or in cavalry barracks. The remains of the cult have been found in the Danube and Rhine valleys, in Eastern Gaul, and in Northern Italy, all Celtic regions, but it was carried everywhere by Roman cavalry recruited from the Celtic tribes.
Epona is associated with, and often has, the symbols of the Matres, and one inscription reads Eponabus, as if there were a group of goddesses called Epona. A goddess who promoted the fertility of mares would easily be associated with goddesses of fertility. Epona may also have been confused with a river-goddess conceived of as a spirited steed. Water-spirits took that shape, and the Matres were also river-goddesses.
A statuette of a horse, with a dedication to a god Rudiobus, otherwise unknown, may have been carried processionally, while a mule has a dedication to Segomo, equated elsewhere with Mars. A mule god Mullo, also equated with Mars, is mentioned on several inscriptions. The connection with Mars may have been found in the fact that the October horse was sacrificed to him for fertility, while the horse was probably associated with fertility among the Celts. The horse was sacrificed both by Celts and Teutons at the Midsummer festival, undoubtedly as a divine animal. Traces of the Celtic custom survive in local legends, and may be interpreted in the fuller light of the Teutonic accounts. In Ireland a man wearing a horse's head rushed through the fire, and was supposed to represent all cattle; in other words, he was a surrogate for them. The legend of Each Labra, a horse which lived in a mound and issued from it every Midsummer eve to give oracles for the coming year, is probably connected with the Midsummer sacrifice of the horse. Among the Teutons the horse was a divine sacrificial animal, and was also sacred to Freyr, the god of fertility, while in Teutonic survivals a horse's head was placed in the Midsummer fire. The horse was sporadically the representative of the corn-spirit, and at Rome the October horse was sacrificed in that capacity and for fertility. Among the Celts, the horse sacrificed at Midsummer may have represented the vegetation-spirit and benefited all domestic animals--the old rite surviving in an attenuated form, as described above.
Perhaps the goddess Damona was an animal divinity, if her name is derived from damatos, "sheep," cognate to Welsh dafad, "sheep," and Gaelic damh, "ox." Other divine animals, as has been seen, were associated with the waters, and the use of beasts and birds in divination doubtless points to their divine character. A cult of bird-gods may lurk behind the divine name Bran, "raven," and the reference to the magic birds of Rhiannon in the Triads.


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The Thomas Mann Archives turn sixty
The Thomas Mann Archives are celebrating its sixtieth birthday with an international conference at ETH Zurich:
Thursday, 1 September 2016
9.15 to 15.30
Main Building at ETH Zurich
Semper Aula, G 60
Rämistrasse 101
8092 Zurich
The conference will focus on Thomas Mann's relationships with prominent Jewish colleagues, such as Max Brod, Franz Kafka, Jakob Wassermann, Samuel Fischer and Stefan Zweig. The speakers represent national and international institutions with key holdings for research on Thomas Mann and the Mann family. One particular highlight will be a panel discussion on the publication of the correspondence between Thomas Mann and Stefan Zweig chaired by Vittorio Klostermann.
Programme and registration (until 15 August) (external link)


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At PDC09, Microsoft unveiled the public beta of Office 2010, SharePoint Server 2010, Project 2010, Visio 2010, Office Web Apps for businesses and Office Mobile 2010. Also announced several new features in Office 2010. One key new offering is Outlook Social Connector, which brings communications history, business collaboration and social network feeds directly into Outlook, with support for Windows Live and SharePoint Server. Also released Outlook Social Connector SDK to help build connectors to third-party social networks.
Download: Office 2010 Beta


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Natural Chemistry Salt Water Magic Liquid, 4 Liter
Optimize Salt Generator Performance. Salt Water Magic Liquid removes two of the chief causes of inefficient salt generator performance, organic contaminants and phosphates.
It reduces scum lines and surface oils and leaves your water feeling soft and silky. Removes phosphate levels up to 200 ppb to near zero. More efficient operation of chlorine generators. Continually cleans pool filters to prolong filter cycles Reduces the need for adding acid.
- Salt Water Magic is for monthly maintenance of your pool, you only need to add it once monthly for optimal water quality and to prolong the life of your salt cell
- All natural and non toxic
- Works with all sanitizers and sanitizing systems
- Chlorine / sanitizers above 6 ppm may deactivate product
- Pool temperature must be above 70 degrees
- Color cloudy coffee
- Add 1 bottle per 20,000 gallons to the skimmer
- Use the convenient overcap as a measuring cup
- Can swim directly after use
- For heavily used pools may be double dosed
This product is included in the Salt Water Magic Monthly Kit.
Item # 2577P


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Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Democrats Wants to Steal Presidency From Trump Invents Russian Meddling in the Election
Democrats can't accept defeat in the last election that is why they are inventing this Russian hacking in the election despite no evidence. They are all in this together, CIA people who are loyal to Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama, the Bias Mainstream Media (CNN, Washington Post, CBS News, NBC News, CNBC, New York Times, Politico etc.), and the never Trump movement in the Republican party, they just can't accept Donald Trump as president. This is why Obama had quickly ordered an intelligence review of election-related hacking to undermine Trumps win with the purpose of stealing the will of the people in electing Trump.
In a Washington Post story it said that "Russia hacked Clinton to elect Trump" without any evidence at all. They just want this narrative because they hate Trump and they can't accept he's their president. There was no one reason Russia intervened nor there's any evidence. Even FBI and CIA disagree with each other the CIA (Influenced by Democrats) believed the case was solid even without proof, the just presume that it is based on the past Russian operations in Europe. The FBI believed it lacked the kind of evidence it would need to prosecute such a case.
Looking at the leak emails in which the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks published, the Democratic party clearly cheated Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders that angered Bernie supporters. This embarrassment prompted the resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Did the Russian somehow ordered the Democratic party to cheat Bernie?
Then there's Donna Brazile leaking CNN debate questions and topics to the Hillary Clinton campaign. This is a clear evidence that the mainstream media is against Trump. Did the Russians somehow force Brazile and CNN to give out those debate questions?
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell supported the lie that the CIA is peddling because he also hates Trump remember this: in a new Bloomberg Politics podcast Mitch McConnell said that Donald Trump "doesn't know a lot about the issues" and has not displayed the requisite "seriousness of purpose" for the presidency. And it certainly is clarifying to have the top Senate Republican admit this about the party's standard bearer. Even old farts who don't even know how to use computers like Sen. John McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham are joining in.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was too obvious with their plan to stop Trump's presidency with his rhetoric:
"It was the president-elect who refused to disclose his financial connections to Russia. It was the president-elect who hired a campaign chairman with extensive, lucrative, personal financial ties to Russia. It was the president-elect who had national security adviser on the campaign that had been a paid contributor to RT, the Russian propaganda outlet."
Democrats propaganda outlet CNN, Washington Post, CBS News, NBC News, CNBC, New York Times, Politico etc. will keep this lie churning since these vile people can't accept that they lost.
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Hunter Nissan car dealer, 1340 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville. 697-2222
Nest Family Resource Center, 51 N. Lexington Ave. 258-1901. http://nestorganics.com (pictured).
Lowes Foods, 1378 Hendersonville Road.
Trash, Inc. (closing by Dec. 31, ongoing sales until then), 711-B Biltmore Ave. 505-7855. http://trashincasheville.com.
Renovations and other changes
Maggie's Galley Oyster Bar, closed pending relocation to 1374 Sulphur Springs Road, Waynesville.


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Mon, 26 January 2015
Rory Vaden says everything you know about time management is wrong. Time management isn't logical, it's emotional. It's not about fitting more in and doing more, or doing less, it's about accomplishing results that matter to you. It's about a life of significance, spending my life doing things today that will really matter tomorrow.
Direct download: Rory_Vaden_-_Episode_122.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 11:00pm CST


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Consumer Complaint
More in this Section:
Consumer Complaint Process
Ciera Bank is chartered under the laws of the State of Texas and by state law is subject to regulatory oversight by the Texas Department of Banking. Any consumer wishing to file a complaint against Ciera Bank should contact the Texas Department of Banking.
Ciera Bank also engages in the money transmission and/or currency exchange business as an authorized delegate of American Express Company under Chapter 151 of the Texas Finance Code. If you have a complaint, first contact the consumer assistance division of American Express Company at 1-800-221-7282, if you still have an unresolved complaint regarding the company's money transmission or currency exchange activity, please direct your complaint to the Texas Department of Banking.
Consumers/customers may file complaints with the Texas Department of Banking by contacting the Department through one of the means indicated below:
|Texas Department of Banking
|In Person or U.S. Mail:
|Texas Department of Banking
2601 North Lamar Boulevard
Suite 300
Austin, Texas 78705-4294
|Telephone Number:
|1-877-276-5554 (toll free)
|Fax Number:
|(512) 475-1313
|E-mail Address:


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Extra Care Workers
- Recruiter
- Location
- Kendal, Cumbria
- Salary
- Up to £8.50 per hour based on experience
- Posted
- 02 Mar 2018
- Closing date
- 02 Apr 2018
- Ref
- Industry
- Charities, Community development, Health, Social welfare, Health, Public health, Support services, Social care, Elderly care, Health
- Job level
- Experienced (non manager)
- Hours
- Part time
- Contract
- Permanent
- Listing type
- Job vacancy
Here at Creative Support, we have a continuing mission to provide individually focused and respectful support to enable our service users to live fulfilling and independent lives. We are looking for caring, reliable and flexible individuals to join our team providing person centred service at our Extra Care Schemes in Ambleside, Kendal and Windermere. The services are a purpose built scheme which offers independent living opportunities for older people in a friendly, inclusive and safe environment.
For our services we want our service users to lead active and positive lives, to achieve this we need individuals to help us to deliver personalized extra care services. You will provide person-centred care and support to older people to enable them to live independent lives. You will engage with service users and build trusting therapeutic relationships. Good communication skills are key to this role, as is the ability to provide respectful personal care to meet the clients needs.
Previous experience within a similar care setting is not essential as we will provide full training and support when undertaking this role.
Applications are encouraged from graduates and people with life experience, as well as experienced care workers. We also offer a wide range of benefits to ensure job satisfaction. We can also offer Relief based posts and waking nights.
In return we offer a wide range of excellent benefits to ensure job satisfaction:
- Flexible working hours
- QCF Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 2 and higher
- Extensive tutor-led local training programs
- Free life assurance
- Pension with company contribution
- A range of employee discounts
- Free Uniform
- £100 (based on hours) bonus on completion of 6 month probationary period.
- Company Sick Pay
Creative Support is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to delivering local high quality care through a well-established and supported local work force. Creative Support has achieved the Investors in People Silver Award.
We do not accept CVs as a form of application, applicants must submit a completed Creative Support application form which can be requested or downloaded via the listed methods. An enhanced DBS check is required for which we pay. Creative Support is not a recruitment sourcing agency; all employees are directly employed by our organisation. We do not accept cold calls or sales/marketing contact from recruitment candidate sourcing/advertising agencies. Upon receipt of your application we will email you a confirmation of receipt. If you do not receive this confirmation email please contact us via telephone or email. Contact information can be found on our company website.


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Turn your TV into a smart TV with the Mi Box mini.
This convenient adapter plugs directly into your TV's HDMI port and turns any TV into a smart TV!
Check email, listen to music, watch movies, and browse the web from the comfort of your living room.
The Mi Box mini has built in WiFi and connects directly to your home WiFi network in seconds. Plug-and-play, so installation is easy!
System Requirements:
|Brand: XiaoMi
Color: Black
System: Android 4.4
GPU: Mali-450
Core: Quad Core, 1.3GHz, Cortex A7
Max. Extended Capacity: No
|Media Supported
|Decoder Format: H.265/AVC
Video Format: FLV, MOV, MP4, AVI, MPEG, MKV
Audio Format: MP3, AAC, OGG, FLAC, APE
Photo Format: JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG
|Support 5G WiFi: Yes
WiFi: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth: Bluetooth4.0
Power Supply: Charge Adapter
Interface: HDMI
|Dimension and Weight
|Product Weight: 0.073 kg
Package Weight: 0.150 kg
Product Size (L x W x H):1.84 x 1.84 x 1.49 inches
Package Size (L x W x H):2.28 x 2.28 x 1.97 inches
|Package Contents
Package Contents: 1 x XiaoMi MIUI TV Box,
1 x Bluetooth Remote Control, 1 x HDMI Cable


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I had a great time mastering Bryant Dope's new record "New New York" this past Spring here at Engine Room Audio, NYC. I was contacted by Bryant's people a couple months ago, and when I eventually got the "green light" from Young One Records (to master his album,) I opened the mixes and was highly impressed with everything; the songs, the productions, the rhymes, the mixes, everything was on point. Major props to Sal Gallassio for providing me with awesome mixes.
Produced by Hannibal King, this album is undoubtedly a New York album, but I cant help but notice musical influences from all over the place. The album is rich with diversity, but also really consistant.
"New New York" is a concept that speaks for itself. It is honest, and I am so glad I got to put my mark on this album.


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Architect & Designer Services
For Designers & Architects
Discover the benefits of letting Edelman serve you:
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The key to Edelman's success if helping you unleash your creativity and bring your projects to life. We are constantly updating our internationally-recognized showrooms so you can see and feel the hottest trends in kitchen and bath. Impress your clients with our vast selection complete with working displays. Use our highly trained support teams to ensure that your projects are executed flawlessly.
Edelman is committed to keeping our partners informed of all the latest trends. Discover the difference between air baths, jetted whirlpools, and microbubble technology. Taste the latest brewing technology from our Miele coffee maker in the appliance showroom. Relax your senses in front of the BainUltra Vedana, a therapeutic care unit complete with aromatherapy, chromotherapy, heat and sound. Whatever your client imagines as his or her dream home, we look forward to helping you bring that vision to life.


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It was just another crazy night in the Association, and I've decided that managing a winning fantasy hoops team might be the most difficult thing to do in fantasy sports. It's an everyday job, and there are lineup tweaks and injuries every single night. This week's victims include Andray Blatche, MarShon Brooks, Jameer Nelson, and Nicolas Batum.The lock out shortened season has wrecked havoc on NBA teams and fantasy teams alike. Regardless of if you were burned on a long term injury (ZBO, Lopez, Manu, Horford, Gordon) or a short term (Bargnani, Lawson, Rondo, Wade, Paul) one, everyone's feeling it. It's frustrating, but know that you are not alone. Yes, in the NBA and some fantasy teams have survived the carnage of fitting 66 games in 3 and a half months with no training camp, but for the majority of us we have felt the sting of way too many DNP-INJs.
You can get mad, curse computer screen, and maybe even punt the cat, but remember it's the same for everyone. Every NBA team must deal with it, and the same goes for your fantasy league. In weekly leagues especially, it makes line up decisions that much more difficult, the smallest bruise or twinge now sits players 2-3 games rather than just one. The best way to approach this season and DNPs is add a game or two to every day-to-day time table, and an extra week to every monthly injury, two weeks to any injury longer than a month. Kevin Martin had the very painful planter fasciitis this week, he was only set to sit out one game, but even after lobbying to play on the 2nd night of a back to back he was held out. Baron Davis was supposed to be back this week, surprise surprise he won't be ready until next week. Finally, many owners were hurt by Andrew Bogut this week, make his 8-10 time table 10-12 and hopefully you were smart enough to pick up Drew Gooden by now. Know your injuries by Sunday night and plan accordingly. A guy with a 3 game week that may not play the first game should be an automatic sit (in most cases). This year more than ever you must pay attention to your line up before it's set. A tweaked ankle needs to be monitored rather than ignored; otherwise you're going to get burned by coaches playing it safe with their stars.
The lockout-altered schedule has also made a huge difference in quality of play. Averages are way down across the board, especially in points and blocks. The condensed schedule has led to many nights of weak legs for aging superstars. Subsequently, the amount of twenty point scorers is the lowest it's been in many years. Dead legs also lead to the inability to rise up and defend, it could be apathy, but blocks have become almost a specialty stat. To put this in perspective, only 16 guys in the NBA are averaging 20 a game, 4 of them are hurt (either short or long term), and only 5 of them are besting their average from the previous season. League wide filed goal percentage is down from 46% to 44%, with the same 2% dip from 3, and not only are turnovers up, but teams are scoring 4 points less per 100 possessions than they were last year. Maybe it's the dead legs, or the lack of training camp resulting in simpler, less cohesive offensive sets, but either way if you're a team contending in points your going to have to lean on your entire squad and not just your superstars.
If you are an owner, you can attest that it's been an incredibly maddening fantasy basketball season, but it sure has been fun.
To completely understand this fantasy hoops season, click here!


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The poll has closed for the question, "Should Yasser Arafat have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994?" Thanks to all who participated by voting.
The answer was no for 74%. Yes got 10% while 14% were not sure.
It is a tough question. At my junior high school, bullies were often given "student of the week" awards when they did something like pick up trash. The idea was that this would motivate them to continue to do good deeds. Did it work with Arafat? Hard to say. I am sure middle east historians will argue this one forever depending on what side they back.