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For close to a year now, game code marketplace site G2A has been among the most controversial topics in the games industry. To understand why we've arrived at this current state of affairs, let's have a look at how G2A and other similar companies make their money.
Game code marketplaces operate on something called the secondary games market, also called the gray market. They function in a very similar way to eBay, but rather than new and second-hand goods, the sites sell download codes for games and digital items. Also like eBay, the codes themselves are sold by third-party users who are registered with the site. The controversy arises from the fact that many of these marketplace sites are not transparent about where exactly these codes come from, and who is selling them. In fact, mostly they don't know and don't seem to care.
Some of these codes may simply be spare. Some may be free codes, issued by developers to have them reviewed, tested, and given a wider audience. A vast part of the market is made up of legitimate codes that are purchased abroad in a country where they are less expensive, and then sold for a much cheaper price, but still for a considerable profit. The point is, there's no way of knowing.
Although this may seem like a victimless practice—in fact, you may think being able to buy a game for much cheaper than the retail price is a great benefit to the consumer—it results in the large numbers of the game being sold for less money, which in turn ends with the publishers and developers benefitting less financially. It's hardly a concern whether publishers make bucket loads of cash from a game, but the developers, who have put considerable time and effort into a project, deserve fair compensation for the work they've put in. And, don't forget, a partnership between a publisher and developer may sour if their game does not raise enough cash once its launched. This can be especially devastating for small indie developers who have worked hard to reach a publishing deal, only to lose it because their game didn't turn enough of a profit.
Whichever way you look at it, it's likely the people who create the real value that is going to suffer. This is why, even in its most legitimate form, the secondary market is contentious.
Then there are the codes which are be purchased illegally. Developers and industry insiders have maintained for years that a large part of the market for game codes is made up of sellers who have obtained their codes using illicit practices, such as through stolen credit cards. Code marketplace companies, unsurprisingly, tend to play down the significance of this segment of the market.
But G2A isn't the only company capitalizing on the secondary sales market without apparently much concern for where the codes sold on their site come from. So why has it gained the most negative attention, seemingly becoming the poster boy for the shady practices found in the industry?
Well, there are two main reasons. The first is simple: they are by far the most recognizable of the companies dealing on the game code gray market. They spend a huge amount on marketing, sponsor gaming and esports events, and retain high profile partnerships with YouTube and Twitch celebrities such as PewDiePie, among others.
The other reason is the constant stream of controversies that have enveloped the company over the last year, beginning with the very public spat between G2A and indie developers TinyBuild in June of 2016. On their blog, TinyBuild CEO Alex Nichiporchik took a big swing at code-selling websites in general, but specifically G2A, calling them out for "facilitating a fraud-fueled economy where key resellers are being hit with tons of stolen credit card transactions…" He explained that TinyBuild attempted to establish their own online store to sell codes for their new game to fans directly, only for thousands of codes to be bought using stolen and fraudulent credit card details. "I'd start seeing thousands of transactions," he went on, "and our payment provider would shut us down within days. Moments later you'd see G2A being populated by cheap keys of games we had just sold in our shop." Nichiporchik, after purchasing one of the codes for the game himself from G2A's site, was even able to trace it back to one of the exact fraudulent transactions TinyBuild had been hit with earlier. This all came at a time when G2A was really ramping up its advertising and sponsorship. They suddenly felt like a bigger target than ever.
G2A hit back with several defiant press releases (in a style they became known for), explaining they had offered to help TinyBuild if the developers gave them a list of the fraudulently obtained codes. TinyBuild made it clear they didn't wish to share any more information with G2A, with Nichiporchik even stating "I believe they'd just resell those keys and make more money off of it."
Consequently, the International Games Developers Association, which had a previous commercial relationship with G2A, were evaluating their ties going forward, signaling a trend which quickly snowballed. Many of the YouTube and Twitch influencers who had taken G2A's money to talk up the site in their content were starting to get edgy about associating their image with a brand that was quickly becoming toxic and began ending advertising associations.
The feud rumbled on and intensified further when G2A demanded TinyBuild pass on the fraudulently obtained keys "within 3 days" so that they could purge them from their marketplace. TinyBuild threw out an ultimatum of their own in response, telling G2A to change their practices by tightening up their security, especially surrounding user accounts, which had been available to anyone with an email address—no identification or verification needed. TinyBuild also asked for a minimum cut to be given to the developers of any codes sold, and for a minimum price for codes to be put in place, set by the developers themselves.
G2A ended up acquiescing to TinyBuild's requests and appeared to want to work harder at building a better relationship with developers. But in the end, the list of changes they said they were making at the company was pretty far from the broad strokes TinyBuild suggested, with the only concrete change being to give 10% royalties to developers for each code sale. But as Nichiporchik put it, "Unless they actually solve the main issue—fraud on their platform—this initiative invites developers to become accomplices".
Since then, G2A has come out in defense of its practices multiple times and has beefed up its verification process, now requiring a three stage provision of information before sellers can use the site. Though an improvement, this is still a huge step from verification using legally accepted forms of identification and bank account details (as with eBay).
But that fiasco didn't end G2A's uncomfortable relationship with the media. In April of this year, Gearbox software, who had partnered with G2A to release Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition's special edition exclusively on the code seller's website, teamed with YouTube influencer John 'TotalBiscuit' Bain (who had threatened to boycott Gearbox's future releases) to issue a new set of demands to G2A. In another statement, G2A detailed why each of Gearbox and Bain's demands were already part of G2A's practices. Gearbox then began extricating themselves from the company, saying "Gearbox Publishing will be doing their part to not directly support a marketplace that did not make the new public commitment to protecting customers and developers."
So, more than ever before, G2A is associated with disreputable practices within the industry, especially by the gaming media, with many of the indie developers who previously relied on the company for distribution now trying to extricate themselves from G2A's system.
But is G2A suffering from the controversy? Well, there are some signs that G2A sees the effect on the company's image as detrimental. Take their recent announcement of their latest single-priced 'G2A Deal' bundle. Gone is the combative tone taken by some of their previous press releases, in its place, direct references to the games coming "directly from the developers and publishers themselves, with no third-party sellers involved." It shows a company perhaps taking baby steps towards reconciling their image in the eyes of a gaming public whose opinion may be beginning to shift away from them.
Whether they intend to clean up their practices or not, according to G2A, the company's brushes with bad publicity have barely hurt business: "We are always looking to improve our processes," said the company. "Every day we get better. Every day we get faster. Every day we serve more customers. Every month 250,000 new customers arrive on the G2A Marketplace."


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Here is the list of the farmers' markets that I am usually available at. If you have any questions about anything, of course, you are welcome to email me at
hdebernard at gmail dot com
Sunday: Stafford Hospital Farmers' Market, 8am-2pm
Tuesday: Tyson's Corner Kaiser Permanente, 12 noon-5pm
Wednesday: Arlington Farmers' Market at the Clarendon Metro Station, 3pm-7pm
Thursday: Old Town Manassas Farmers' Market (under pavillion), 7am-1pm
Friday: Fair Lakes Kaiser Permanente, 12 noon-6pm
Saturday: Culpeper Farmers' Market, 7:30am-12 noon
If you are wondering where these markets are, please visit C & T Produce's website!
A great place to find recipes with a unique Southern flair! Coming straight to you from the kitchen on a 500 acre vegetable farm in Virginia!
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It must be hard trying to start out in the world of banking. There are all of these massive competitors, hoovering up business, and there is no way to match their scale. Without scale, you cannot pay the same level of wages, you cannot offer the same breadth
of services and you cannot reach as many customers.
What could be done? Well, regulators could think about taking banks licenses away for a start. That might create opportunities for new players to step into the breach and offer services that the bigger banks are prohibited from performing.
There is plenty precedent of precedent for banning firms. For example, Citi had its private banking operations shut down in Japan in 2004 for breaking the rules, and later had its retail bank sales function shut down for a month in 2009 because it hadn't
updated customer screening technology for five years.
A ban on a bank's activities keeps them sharp because the interconnected nature of banking means losing one business function can impact lots of others. Whereas a fine has NO impact.
Where is the evidence for this? Well, JP Morgan reached a US$13 billion settlement with the US government over bad mortgage deals recently and, as an excellent
article in Fortune recently pointed out, the people in charge are still very much in charge. They must be kicking themselves about how bad that fine hurt them.
This week the European Commission announced the fines it was levying against firms participating in Japanese and European interest rate derivatives cartels, totalling €1.7 billion.
Fines again. What does a bank have to do to lose its license? If you can be found to deliberately be engaging in a cartel and you are still considered OK to run a business, when would you not be?
If a pub served drink to underage drinkers, it could have its license taken away. If a shop did not have adequate fire escape access, it could be shut down.
If either was found to be acting deliberately, there would be no doubt.
Will banks improve if they don't face similar punishments? No. Will new, better behaved firms be able to break into the market if the firms found guilty of immoral behaviour are not removed from their positions? No.
So regulators, what is it to be? An orderly, competitive market, or business as usual?
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Hi... Im using Aztech 3g broadband, although it was working pretty quiet good, i want more speed, the reason why i bought one more aztech... is it possible for me to connect it together using only one modem? please help!
You wont get more speed by using two routers, things don't work that way. You are going to get all the bandwidth possible from the Modem.
The only way to connect to routers together is to have them in series, that is one following the other, not in parallel, that is side by side which is what you are suggesting.
Normally one router is enough for anyone unless there are very specific reasons why you should have two routers. A speed increase is not one of them.
i will elaborate it... i'm living in a compound... i've got now aztech 3g mobile broadband. there are three pc's connected through cable, the rest of the guys connected using wi-fi (laptop, pda...) im wondering if i cant separate the ones' using wireless and cables.... could you help me?
Ok, the details help us to help you.
You can achieve separation. On one router (router 1), don't enable wireless. On the other one (router 2) do so and configure it. Plug wired clients in to router 1. Wireless clients will connect to router 2.
With this type of scenario, there's no need to connect the two routers since they'll be accessing the internet separately as compared to sharing a single internet connection.
That is of course, unless you want them all to share one LAN. This makes it more complex, but it's still doable. If that's what you want to do, click on my name above in my reply and read my "adding a second router" how-to guide. You'll want to use the LAN port to LAN port scenario.
Example setup:
Router 1:
DHCP Scope: 192.168.0.100 to 192.168.0.199
DHCP Default Gateway IP: 192.168.0.1
Router 2:
DHCP Scope (for wireless clients): 192.168.0.200 to 192.168.0.225
DHCP Default Gateway: 192.168.0.2
It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
***William Henley***
I try doing it based on my knowledge before i read your reply...
and it works... i do it this way:
Router 1:
DHCP Default Gateway IP: 192.168.0.1
Router 2:
DHCP Scope (for wireless clients): 192.168.2.52 to 192.168.2.100
DHCP Default Gateway: 192.168.2.1
its working really both lan and wireless but dont you think im going to have a problem soon.
thanks! :):):)
its working really both lan and wireless but dont you think im going to have a problem soon.
What I gave you was simply an example. Your setup is pretty much what I described except for the fact that I said to have two DHCP servers which I shouldn't have. I was thinking separate subnets when I wrote that.
What you did is 100% correct. Since you're running a single subnet, one DHCP server (preferably configured on the upstream router or router 1) is all you need for all clients.
No, I don't think you're going to have a problem. It should work just fine like that as long as the router's don't have a hardware failure.
It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
***William Henley***
"DHCP Default Gateway IP: 192.168.0.1"
Mistype chineseEye? Because that is incorrect given the subnet of x.x.2.x
Router 2 and router 1 will need to be connected lan to lan NOT lan to wan for your configuration to work.
Normally dhcp is set on router1 and disabled on router2.
Here is a picture:
thanks curt R... its such a wonderful help for me nevertheless... but what i did is just trying my luck... hehe :) see you in another forum here!
@wanderer! yes its my mistake, what i did is just copy it from curt respnse, and paste it on my response window i forget to edit it! :)


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Written by:
Beyond GP365 – Workshop for senior registrars
Please save the date for our full day workshop in Adelaide designed for senior registrars and those nearing fellowship on Saturday 25 November, 2017.
Topics will include:
- social media in practice (FOAMed)
- doctors' health
- managing eating disorders
- the business of General Practice
- opportunities for further education as a registrar and fellowed GP (CPD points)
Your attendance at this event will be recorded on your training portfolio, awarding you 7.6 hours of 'out of practice' teaching time towards your RACGP fellowship.
RSVP on Eventbrite is essential by 17 November.
GPEx Beyond GP365 – Workshop for senior registrars
8:45am to 4:30pm, Saturday 25 November 2017


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As marketing and technology both evolve and become more entwined, new terms are coined to describe methods, systems, and concepts. One such term that you may have heard lately is "martech stack." Sometimes when someone uses a phrase you've never heard before, you immediately know what it means — this is not one of those phrases. It's a phrase that doesn't do much to convey its own meaning. When asked about their martech stack, most people instantly ask, "What's that?"
What Is a Martech Stack?
"Martech" is short for marketing technology. The term "stack" refers to "stacking" tools together to form a comprehensive marketing system. So, basically, your martech stack is the collection of marketing tools you (or your marketing team) use to do everything from placing ads and posting on social media to gathering results and analyzing ROI.
What makes the modern martech stack different from what was happening just a few years ago, though, is organization and integration. Marketers aren't just using one tool because it works well for email and another because it works well for social media. They are putting specific tools together to achieve specific overall results.
The rise of marketing technology is undeniable. Research conducted by Martech Today shows that in 2011 there were only about 150 companies developing marketing technologies. In 2017 that number was over 5000.
What Makes a Modern Martech Stack?
The exact tools that make up your martech stack will depend on how your firm operates and who your target clients are. For example, if your law firm generally works with individuals involved in criminal cases, your marketing needs probably aren't going to be the same as a firm that works in some area of corporate law where the target clients are businesses. There are, however, some technologies that should be considered no matter who you are targeting.
Content Management Systems
Often referred to as a CMS, a content management system does just what the name implies. It allows you to manage the content of your firm's website. A common and popular example of a CMS would be WordPress. If your firm only has a static website that never changes, you're falling behind. A modern website should be dynamic and add fresh new content on a regular basis.
Advertising Technologies and Management
Advertising technologies can cover everything from social media ads to PPC campaigns on specific website networks. It may be as simple as using systems like Google Adwords, Facebook advertising, and Bing Ads, or it may involve specialized software to help you analyze and control all of your advertising from a central dashboard.
Email and CRM Systems
Email communication is a critical part of customer relationship management (CRM) and almost every marketing effort and there is no shortage of email service and CRM providers. If your firm is not taking advantage of email marketing to help convert prospects into leads and new clients, you're really missing out. Any successful martech stack will include email technology.
Social Media Management
Social media technologies can do everything from simply sharing content and making posts to more complex tasks like monitoring your audience and controlling ad campaigns. The right technologies can help you to grow your audience, create better engagement with your exisiting audience, and boost your returns. See: Social Media Management Tools for Law Firms.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO goes beyond just publishing good content. It's important to take advantage of available technologies to monitor and analyze results. You can find systems to help you with everything from keyword research to link building strategies. See: SEO Tools for Lawyers.
Interactive Content Creation Systems
Competition is fierce. To stand out from the crowd, it's going to take more than just interesting articles and text. There are a number of technologies available that can help you to create everything from original pictures to complete videos, podcasts, and webinars.
Analytics are essential for tracking results. In most cases, Google Analytics will do everything you need, but there are other companies that provide various forms of specialized analytics to help you drill down into the details and find new ways to tune and improve marketing efforts. See: Website Analytics Tools for Law Firm Marketers and Lawyers.
Collaboration Software
Even a small marketing team will benefit from using collaboration tools that help keep everyone organized and on the same page. It's no secret that everything works more efficiently when all the people involved know their roles and the status of the project.
What's in your martech stack? If your law firm is not achieving its marketing goals, it could just be that you're not taking advantage of all of the tools available to you. Building your marketing technology stack, and analyzing how everything in that stack works together, could give you the insights you need to take your marketing campaigns to the next level.


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I always seem to talk about the weather in these posts but whilst we all say if it rains it's fine, we live in England what can we expect? Secretly we are all hoping and wishing that it's sunny and the 50 giant umbrellas we invested in remain in their cellophane. I promise I wish it too for each and every one of my couples even though I actually would prefer a nice flat cloudy sky instead of bright sunshine (as it makes photographing outside way easier) but it's not my day so I'll take bright sun over rain any day. So despite a changeable week leading up to the big day, Saturday arrived and so did the magical sun.
It was a truly beautiful day, filled with more flowers than you can imagine, a glorious array of bridesmaids dresses (hand chosen by each to suit themselves, I do love it when bridesmaids don't match!) and oh yes sunshine which showed off the flowers in the Walled Garden at Cowdray delightfully. Laura & James had booked time in the ruins and again we were lucky to hit it at just the right time so the light was just beautiful.
A stunning day from start to finish, this is a long post, I hope you enjoy it!


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Join us in the small business bazaar at the 10th and final Independents' Day Festival! The Independents' Day Festival is a celebration of music, arts and the creative spirit.
A free two day festival located in the heart of Columbus' vibrant Franklinton neighborhood, Independents' Day 2017 will feature live music on several stages, an array of local arts showcases, marketplaces featuring some of Ohio's most celebrated vendors, amazing food and drink, and live interactive features.
Get more details and RSVP here.


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you guys miss this bastard? no worries, he's, uh, here
no navys
.......n no
yeah so merry christmas guys! the comic's been running for almost a year now, feels good man
i'll upload a few pages tomorrow if not too busy
jajajajajajaja!!! xD
shinny middle finger OvO
a year already?? wow! :D
merry christmas! ^^
just found it and i think its great ^-^ (i really wondered why there aren't more comments.. o_O)
i really love your comicstyle and character work :3
keep going :D <3
@KrisBiest: thank you very very much!
found your comic today and i just LOVE it!! I Love your drawing style and the characters are awesome :)) Hope to see more soon, keep up the amazing work! :D
@.Thirteen.: oogh thank you kind person!


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The phrase "this too shall pass" is not found in the Bible, although it sounds like a helpful scripture. One reason why some people believe it is from the Bible is because it reinforces a pre-existing belief, and attributing it to the Bible helps to legitimize it.
It is not also a case of ignorance for people who think "this too shall pass" comes from the Bible. Sometimes it is a matter of confusion, where there is a similar verse and the words are slightly changed around. Additionally, differences in translation and versions of the Bible can cause some people to misunderstand a certain phrase. Misquoting a scripture can be dangerous because it may present an entirely different message from what was intended.


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| The video below is a little stop-motion animation made by IBM. Why would IBM researchers want to make a movie? So they can demonstrate that they can move individual atoms around - that's correct, the little dots that make up the movie are individual atoms!
The researchers aren't just having a laugh, they're actually trying to discover the smallest number of atoms that can store a bit of data. They're aiming to make an atomic memory data storage system. Once you've watched the world's smallest movie watch the "making of the world's smallest movie" for information on how and why it was done.
from The Universal Machine http://universal-machine.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
IBM release the worlds smallest movie
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The 2019 season of the Kenya Women's Premier League will kick off on Sunday 24th February, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed.
Mombasa Olympic and Baringo Starlets were relegated to the second tier Women Division One League while Kibera Girls Soccer Academy and Nyuki Starlets, who came out the top of the Division One League's Zone A and Zone B respectively, have been promoted to the top-tier.
The 2019 league will comprise of 16 teams, which will all be entitled to Grants from the FIFA Forward Program.
2019 WPL teams
Vihiga Queens, Thika Queens, Trans Nzoia Falcons, Eldoret Falcons, Gaspo Youth, Oserian Ladies, Makolanders, Kisumu AllStarlets, Wadadia, Mathare United Women, Spedag, Kayole Starlets, Vihiga Leeds, Soccer Queens, Kibera Girls Soccer Academy and Nyuki Starlets.


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Description: Practice uses an organized approach (e.g. use of PDSAs, Model for Improvement, Lean, FMEA, Six Sigma) to identify and act on improvement opportunities.
What does success look like?
|Practice does not incorporate standard improvement methodology to execute change ideas in the practice setting.
|Practice has decided on a standard QI methodology and is planning the implementation process.
|Practice is beginning to incorporate regular improvement methodology to execute change ideas in the practice setting but the methodology has not yet been implemented in all areas of the practice.
|The practice fully incorporates regular improvement methodology to execute change ideas in the practice setting.
Note: numbers are PAT scores
Why is this important?
Our healthcare delivery system is among the most complex in the world, and with continuous demands for improved health outcomes and cost savings, intentional and strategic planning for constant improvement is necessary. Quality improvement (QI) is not one methodology; rather, it is a management process and set of tools that is necessary for achieving transformational change within a system or individual practice. One QI definition states that it is "a continuous and ongoing effort to achieve measurable improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, performance, accountability, outcomes, and their indicators of quality in services or processes which achieve equity and improve the health of the community."1 QI activities are helpful for understanding processes, identifying areas for improvement, assessing capabilities, assessing why results may not occur as intended, and choosing and institutionalizing appropriate and feasible solutions.2 There are dozens of QI activities to accomplish these goals, with some of the most common being cause and effect diagrams, failure modes and effect analysis, run charts and control charts, and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles.3 QI programs are most successful when they consider the entire system being impacted, focus on the impacts that changes have on patients (and include patients in planning), focus on team processes, and meaningfully use data.4 Small incremental changes, when intentionally embedded within a larger vision for transformational change, can be powerful tools for improving processes for both patients and providers.
Potential Tactics
- Establish an interdisciplinary quality improvement committee to champion QI efforts. Include a physician champion and at least one patient representative
- Complete the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School curriculum
- Use the Model for Improvement to structure QI goals
- Develop a plan to train key staff in QI methods
- Systematically train and provide feedback to involved staff about ongoing progress
- Test one change at a time
Tools and Resources
- American Medical Association. Quality Improvement Using Plan-Do-Study-Act
- American Medical Association. Starting Lean Health Care
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Ways to Approach the Quality Improvement Process
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit
What might this look like in practice?
A practice has been challenged with long patient wait times leading to patient dissatisfaction and duplication of work. To better understand the cause of this problem, a Medical Assistant (MA) was trained to conduct a time-motion study recording the time it took for a patient to walk through each step from clinic check-in to time seen by the physician. After two days of tracking, this data was reviewed by the entire team observed who identified inefficient workflows between the front desk check-in and rooming of patients. A standardized work flow was developed to allow for immediate notification of the MA upon patient check-in and communication with the nursing team regarding room availability. Using a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) approach, this new standard work was piloted for 2 weeks. Each time the patient touched a new practice staff member, the time was recorded. This allowed for review of results at the end of the 2-week period. The newly implemented work flow reduced time from check-in to rooming by 5%. The group found ways to further optimized the standard work, extending it to immediate notification of the physician upon patient rooming and tracked this impact for a month. Patient wait times were reduced and this new standard work flow was integrated into the routine processes of all staff.
- Riley WJ & Moran JW. Defining quality improvement in public health. J Public Health Management Practice. 2010;16(1):5-7.
- Nunes JW, Seagull FJ, Panduranga R, Segal JH, Mani NA & Heung M. Continuous quality improvement in nephrology: A systematic review. BMC Nephrol. 2017;17:190.
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement. QI Essentials Toolkit. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2017
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Service Administration. Quality Improvement. 2011. Retrieved from https://www.hrsa.gov/quality/toolbox/508pdfs/qualityimprovement.pdf


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Tricentis Tosca User Conference Expands to Indiaby PCQ Bureau July 23, 2018 0 comments
Tricentis announced that it has hosted its first annual Tricentis Tosca User Conference across Bengaluru and Pune. The user conference gathered global thought leaders as well as Indian organizations including Capgemini, Infosys and Wipro and Tricentis' customers across sectors including HSBC, Linde AG, ANZ, Allianz, Philips and Varian Medical Systems. More than 1000 attendees attended informative sessions presented by 25 speakers and participated in numerous workshops, training sessions, and networking opportunities throughout the two-day event in both cities.
As DevOps becomes an integral part of the corporate agenda it is paramount to transform the software testing to keep pace with digital transformation. More than 25 conference speakers explored trends in software testing and gave attendees an early look at some of the latest innovations in Continuous Testing.
"It is increasingly becoming essential for Software Testing to transform so that it meets evolving customer demands, regulatory challenges and opportunities in a digital world," said Wolfgang Platz, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Tricentis. "Leaders in the C-suite need to be at forefront of driving adoption of DevOps and Agile and integrate it with software testing within their organizations as the success of their businesses depends on it."
"Specification-based manual testing has proven insufficient for the consistent delivery of high-quality software in today's accelerated release cycles," said Vaibhav Patil, Head of Tricentis India. "Test automation rates are skyrocketing in the enterprise, due to two main factors. One, modern approaches to test automation deliver true Continuous Testing that provides risk-based, actionable feedback at every stage of the SDLC. Secondly, Tosca's model-based Continuous Testing platform goes beyond legacy script-based solutions by enabling manual testers and business users to scale automation without the need for coding expertise. The phenomenal turnout of our first User Conference in India—and the number of partners and customers who were eager to support this event—demonstrated the massive demand for Tricentis' industry-leading innovation."
"The software testing market in India has dramatically accelerated its adoption of model-based test automation and Tricentis plays a huge role in this region," said Mahesh Venkataraman, Managing Director, Accenture.
"The 2018 User Conference was an incredible gathering of individuals who recognize the need for efficient end-to-end automation and transformation to quality engineering. The conference also provided attendees with great insight on strategic initiatives around analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning and their impact on software testing in the future."
Featured speakers include thought leaders and practitioners across multiple industries:
- Wolfgang Platz, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer – Tricentis
- Venkat S, VP – Edgeverve Finacle
- Prantik Biswas, Head TCoE – Linde AG
- Sujit Unni, CIO Cards Platform – Barclays
- Maheshwar Kanitkar, Leader Digital Assurance – Capgemini
- Jayesh Ingale, Sr Consultant – Seed
- Mahesh Venkataraman, Managing Director – Accenture
- Rajneesh Malviya, VP and Global Head – Infosys
- Hemanth Choudam, Global Head Quality – Wipro
- Parinita Patankar, Associate Director – Accenture
- Ramesh Pai, Global Head NextGen QA – Wipro
- Ingo Philipp, Distinguished Evangelist – Tricentis
- Alexander Mohr, Customer Success Manager – Tricentis
- Robert Wagner, Product Manager – Tricentis
- Clayton Baxter, Global Alliance Manager – Tricentis
- Vaibhav Patil, Head India – Tricentis
- Sanal Nair, Global Partner Marketing Manager – Tricentis
Accenture, Wipro, Capgemini, Infosys, QASymphony, UST Global, SEED Infotech and QAI are leading sponsors of Tricentis Tosca User Conference


text: Share: Comments Print November 13, 2008 at 1:02 PM More than 350 to be at tryout Posted by Jose Romero This from Sounders FC today: Sounders FC Registers Over 350 Hopefuls for Saturday Tryouts WHO: 350 potential Sounders FC players (24 prospects will travel to Seattle from outside and 16 U.S. states will be represented). WHAT: Sounders FC staff will oversee the three-hour tryouts. The field will be narrowed in the first hour through a series of speed and fitness drills followed by skills tests and mini-games. WHEN: Saturday, November 15 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Registration starts at 9 a.m. WHERE: Starfire Sports Complex 14800 Starfire Way Tukwila, WA 98188 www.starfiresports.com The tryout on Saturday is the second of three tryouts during the month of November. The open tryouts will be filmed for a reality based television show which will be televised on KING 5, KONG 6/16 and NWCN in late January of 2009. A minimum of three finalists from each market will take part in a televised one-hour tryout in Seattle. The final tryout will be broadcast on Sunday, February 1, 2009, following Super Bowl XLIII on KING 5. Viewers will have the opportunity to narrow the finalists to three. A distinguished panel of judges will determine the winner. The winner will be awarded a spot on the 2009 Sounders FC roster. To register or more information visit www.soundersfc.com. Comments


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Days Sixty-Two - Sixty-Five, Sunday, April 22, 2012/
Three days in a row without meditation. It was with relief and gratitude, I said hello to my time today. I am on an airplane returning home from Cuba, a country of contradictions, crumbling facades, and cigar factory workers who are read to as they roll tobacco. There is much to process and my head needs space to work it through.


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Rays' Reprisal is a ZX Spectrum version of the Atari 2600 classic – but incredibly bizarre – Yars' Revenge, a game which had a bizarre and pointless Xbox 360 version made back in 2011, so thankfully, we're back in familiar territory, here. ZX Spectrum? Yes, the homebrew scene is still alive and kicking for this […]
Posts Tagged 'Jonathan Cauldwell'
Rays' Reprisal on ZX Spectrum – The DVDfever Review – Yars' Revenge Remake
Posted by Dom Robinson on July 12th, 2018
Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict on Blu-ray – The DVDfever Review
Posted by Dom Robinson on October 13th, 2017
Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict focuses on the home computer that defined my teenage years – the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Originally known as the ZX-82, it was named the 'Spectrum' so to show how it's full of colour compared to its black-and-white predecessor, the ZX81. Add-ons came in the form of joystick connectors, and the […]


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Supported avidly by his mother and more reluctantly at first by his father, a working-class Austrian boy joins the Vienna Choirboys, where he proves to be unusually talented. The standard ... . You can read more in Google, Youtube, Wiki
Almost Angels
Supported avidly by his mother and more reluctantly at first by his father, a working-class Austrian boy joins the Vienna Choirboys, where he proves to be unusually talented. The standard initiation ordeals which new boys must endure at the hands of their seniors are intensified in his case because he has aroused the jealousy of Peter, the head chorister, by singing a solo which Peter had long sung himself. The fact is that Peter's voice is breaking, and with a broken voice often comes a broken heart. But, encouraged by the director and all the boys, Peter begins to develop in a new role as composer and conductor.
- Category:Music
- Stars:Vincent Winter, Sean Scully, Peter Weck, Hans Holt, Bruni Löbel, Fritz Eckhardt, Denis Gilmore, Hennie Scott, Gunther Philipp, Hermann Furthmosek, Hans Christian, Walter Regelsberger, Heinz Grohmann, Heidi Grübl, Bernard Hindinger,
- Uploader:BushCuLan
- Country:USA
- Director:Steve Previn,
- Writer:Vernon Harris, Robert A. Stemmle (original story)
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Almost Angels torrent reviews
Sathiya Soruban E (us) wrote: excellent cinematography,stylish direction and bold content...but still the film falls short due to its wavering screenplay
Cheryl L (br) wrote: It's good to see that Matthew McConaughey along with the other main actors/ actresses in this movie are capable of acting such a varied role in this movie compared with other movies they have been in. I found this storyline a bit too much for a movie in places, hence my lowered rating. However, I didn't get bored and it was watchable the one time.
sara k (kr) wrote: - u'll laugh ure whole way out
Dawn (us) wrote: This review could be quite biased in nature......my best friend recommended me to watch it......and after spending time with Romanian soldiers in Afghanistan....this movie was hillarious......but that might be due to the experience I had between watching American soldiers and watching Romanian soldiers. The movie is full of suttle laughs.....and the interactions between all the characters are as real as it can get.....in my opinion...California dreaming is a well made film and delivers to the audience a different topic then what they are typically use to....this movie runs on dialog.....not action....so those who need something to happen instead of being happy with just vieing the relationships between all the characters.....you may be disappointed......but me, I laughed a lot!
Asif H (fr) wrote: Despite the film being released several years too late, still watchable.
SteL P (us) wrote: Nice children's movie, very harsh though, didn't see that death coming.
jay n (jp) wrote: Stupid, stupid movie.
Shawn E (nl) wrote: "Cut" is an average slasher with a supernatural twist that is intriguing in concept but a failure in execution. The idea that a fictional killer is made flesh and blood via a horror film is an interesting idea, but the film never answers the questions raised by such an occurrence. Why did such a thing happen with this particular film and not the countless other horror films out there? Why does the killer only show up when others try to finish the film? It is shown that the reels of film themselves are what keep the killer alive, yet he's only around during these brief time periods? Also, the film falters by having the killer remove his mask and make little quips near the end of the film. The killer is much scarier as a silent figure in a mask than he is unmasked and spouting off witty remarks. The middle third of the film is the best part, when the murderer is killing off his victims and the film has a generally serious tone to it. There are some good kills during this time with one of the characters being dispatched via a log splitter to the head, and the actor playing the killer in the film within the film meeting up with his murderous counterpart. The beginning, however, is too campy for my tastes, with Vanessa's lame dialogue and Geoff Revell's overacting as Lossman being the worst aspects, and the ending loses focus after the supernatural element is introduced. The killer's face melting as the reels of film are destroyed was cool, but, otherwise, the ending was a disappointment. The movie also suffers from characters doing unbelievably stupid things at times. Two in particular stand out in my mind. One scene has Damien, the cameraman, watching the killer approach him through the camera after the rest of the film crew has already fled, just waiting to get skewered. Another scene has two members of the crew sitting in a car watching the killer go fill up a container with gasoline in order to set them on fire. Do they flee the car while he's doing this? No. It appears that they'd much rather sit still and wait to get cooked. The majority of the acting in the movie was pretty good, though, and the characters were actually rather likable and interesting for the most part. Stephen Curry's performance as Rick was genuinely amusing at times which was a pleasant surprise. Regardless of the film's many frustrating qualities, and despite there being far better slashers out there to watch than this one, you could also do much worse than "Cut". If you're into the slasher genre, it's a decent way to waste an hour and a half. Just don't expect much going in.
Michal (mx) wrote: O tv?r?m ivot? Jacksona Pollocka. Asi by to cht?lo znt n?co o jeho ivot? p?ed shldnutm filmu, je tam hodn? jmen a pojm?, co mn? jako laikovi nic ne?kaj. Tuil jsem, e Pollock byl alkoholik, e to ale ovliv?ovalo jeho ivot a tvorbu tak moc, to bylo pro m? p?ekvpko.
Joshua B (it) wrote: a better movie then what I thought it would be.
GwenEllyn A (ru) wrote: I thought and still think this is a very funny movie. Just sit back and enjoy.
joao b (us) wrote: Batman Returns se oferece como uma sequencia mais Dark que o primeiro,conseguindo trazer um universo semelhante ao das HQs.
Brody M (jp) wrote: Wonderful film.I just wish everything worked out for Melvin
Rick S (au) wrote: Very funny. Some parts of the plot are hard to follow.
HungYa L (ca) wrote: worst than the first one...
Daniel P (es) wrote: It only superficially resembles its source material, but Sleepy Hollow puts the combined efforts of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Danny Elfman to appropriately creepy use.


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"What's your Pleasure, Sir?"
– Merchant in the Bazaar of Baghdad
This Vulgar Display of Power is not for the faint of heart. If you like to play it safe, this is not for you. Return to your life of coloring inside the lines, and let the fear in your veins keep you from leaving the yard. What lurks beyond the threshold is not to be controlled, and once you have seen it you can never erase it from your mind. If you cling to your artificial importance, defined by your significance in a small, sterile cell, run now while your sacred tenets are still intact. What you will find here will threaten everything that gives you your identity.
Not all words can be safely written.
You will be faced with limitless potential. Will you embrace it, or will you scream for boundaries and beg for restraint? It is not an apple I offer you, and I am not a snake. Are you happy in the ignorance of your sheltered paradise, or will you join us in our parade through the wilderness beyond? Freedom is dangerous, it can never be held or defined, but if you succumb to it, you can taste divinity. It is up to you to decide if what you find is Heaven or Hell.
"Open the Box. What is the worst that can happen?"
-Squee, Goblin Nabob
With Grand Prix: Columbus just days away, I am feverishly pecking away at the keyboard in an attempt to update the Belcher Primer I wrote for Eternal Weekend 2015. This is rather ambitious given the limited time frame, the result of working too much, drinking too little, and weeks of procrastination. I have spent much of my free time eating LSD and watching Hellraiser movies instead of writing, though I did take the time to re-read "The Hellbound Heart" and I am about halfway through Clive Barker's "The Scarlet Gospels." So all of the time I have not been writing has not gone to waste.
Lets get to it.
There are many reasons you could be holding The People's Cannon in your filthy hands. Did a friend give it to you? If so, know this: He is not your friend. He gave it to you because you know nothing of the format, and it was a cheap way to satisfy your needs. He has no respect for the deck or for you. You have not been indoctrinated, and your obliviousness makes you a naive recipient. The gesture is heartless, but he is no monster. He is more foolish to hand it to you than you are to accept it.
He handed you the Lament Configuration with the impression it was a Rubix Cube.
Most of you in this position will never solve the puzzle. You will play your first big legacy event, fumbling about with the box, twisting and turning, maybe occasionally catching a glimpse of what it is capable of, but you will set it down long before you unlock its secrets. You will assume it is just a child's toy, projecting your inadequacies onto it, and cast it aside long before you ever witness its potential.
Perhaps you crave the power of Legacy but lack the resources to break into the format. After a little dabbling and research, you heard about an inexpensive way to get your start. You found the formula and assembled the contraption. You opened a door, expecting to find a way in to this magnificent world, unaware that you also opened a Gateway to something greater. That road flows both ways, and even if you never step through, if you abandon your ritual for the safer decks of the established format, you cannot keep the things from beyond from stepping through and finding you.
If you can overcome your fear and embrace the madness of what you have done, I have such sights to show you. If not, you are not lost yet. You can run back to the safety of your FNMs and your Modern Dailies. You can hide behind your Leylines and Force of Wills. But you will never be able to erase what you have done, and when you least expect it, we will come for you. When we do, it will be too late to join us.
Some of you knew what you were doing when you picked up the People's Cannon. You chose this. You know that it is not just a deck, but also a lifestyle. You are More Human than Human. Together we are the Disciples of the Eternal Cannon, the Belcher Cult. Those who do not understand will call us fools and lunatics. Are we mad, or are we prophets?
Likely we are both.
The last few weeks have brought about a new wave of those lusting for the power of the Cannon. Numerous messages. Late night phone calls. Social media pleas. They all seek the same thing. They want my current list, advice on sideboarding, and affirmation that they are making a sound decision. It seems that many who traditionally embrace the safety of more orthodox archetypes have deemed the People's Cannon well positioned.
They are not wrong.
The only flaw in their logic is not understanding that Goblin Charbelcher is always well positioned. It is the weakness of the wielder that skews the perception of the weapon. Fear is the Mind Killer.
As a response to the potential expansion of the Belcher Cult I am revisiting and rehashing much of what I have said in the past, preach in the present, and project into the future. Below you will find my list, both in written and picture form, as well as some explanation on why this is what you should be doing in Legacy and in Life. For those of you preparing to storm the frontlines of GP Columbus and want a glimpse into the war you are waging, you can find a detailed account of it by reading the Shaman's Trance (Or the time I saved the world by playing a Legacy Grand Prix.)
The Deck:
1 Taiga
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Chrome Mox
4 Goblin Charbelcher
4 Land Grant
4 Tinder Wall
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Rite of Flame
4 Desperate Ritual
4 Pyretic Ritual
4 Seething Song
4 Burning Wish
3 Empty the Warrens
4 Gitaxian Probe
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Infernal Tutor
1 Shattering Spree
1 Reverent Silence
1 Hull Breach
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Trash for Treasure
1 Pyroclasm
2 Pyroblast
4 Xantid Swarm
But the advantage that is most overlooked to playing the People's Cannon is time. Nine rounds on Day One. Six more on Day Two. And then the potential for a Top 8. This marathon of magic can be exhausting when you repeatedly go to time. Not only are you strained from the grinding but you are fatigued from the pressure of finding food and proper hydration in small pockets of downtime. Playing at the top of your game is nearly impossible under these conditions.
But as a Belcher pilot, you do not suffer these conditions. Playing shorter rounds leaves you refreshed, sharp, prepared. You have ample time for not only nourishment, rest and reflection, but also for activities. A mid round celebratory drink from your secret flask, some fresh air paired with a neatly rolled and lit supply of green mana, or perhaps just reading from your unabridged early edition of Moby Dick, the world is yours because time is not only on your side, but it is also working against your enemies. Until you have experienced this first hand, you can never truly appreciate its value.
Joining the Belcher Cult will change your life. Trust me. I am a professional.
It is no secret that there are differing opinions on how to build the People's Cannon. The two primary schools of thought revolve around the inclusion or exclusion of Burning Wish. There are variants, everything from building around Recross the Paths to playing without a Land, but it has been well established that these are inferior approaches. So let me discuss why it is correct to play the wish.
This is especially relevant in relation to this GP, as the philosophy of Ohio's Belcher Legends is the exclusion of Burning Wish. They delight in running a fifteen Island sideboard or a slew of Atogs, and while I appreciate both the humor and the madness of this, if you are devoting yourself to winning with the Cannon, it is best to have every resource at hand.
If you need tangible proof of the importance of Burning Wish, watch here. This is also a great time to mock Chalice of the Void set on One.
I have gone into more detail in the past, but if watching the above video does not convince you, I would be wasting my breath explaining it further. For now I want to talk about the breakdown of the deck, and then discuss the rules of engagement. Much of this is simply a cut and paste from the earlier primer, adjusted for language to unweave what was done by a meddling editor.
The Breakdown:
It can be argued that the People's Cannon is the best ramp deck to ever exist. The majority of the deck is a mass of rituals to power out your threats as quickly possible. I have read assessments that my mana base is wrong by people who claim to have crunched the numbers and found a "better answer" with math. But there are no results to back it up, and the alleged "perfect configuration" is mostly noise. Theory crafters who have never seen the field of battle. There is an engineer in every crowd.
Never Trust a Blueprint.
Eleven business spells are the maximum number you can play without becoming a different (inferior) deck. Again, I have written extensively about this in the past, but it mostly boils down to whether or not you play Burning Wish, and the short answer is still that you should.
This concludes the Business portion of our program.
I play four draw spells, and despite my occasional desire to return to eight, the importance of having a proper density of rituals outweighs the value gained by playing either of the two other options the deck can support. Gitaxian Probe is the best option, so it should be played before any other. The next best option is Manamorphose. The problem with this card is that it can cost you the game if it does not draw exactly what you need, which is typically mana. It also makes mulligans more difficult. I have cast this spell many times in the past, but I am convinced enough that it no longer belongs in this deck that I sold my copies. The third option is Street Wraith. It has the same negative effects of Manamorphose aside from the investment of mana, but it lacks the ability to add to Storm. I would never put this card in my Belcher deck.
There are two categories of sideboard cards for this deck: Cards you wish for and cards that you bring in after game one.
First, the wish targets, in order of their frequency of use:
Empty the Warrens enables your Burning Wishes.
Diminishing Returns is for games where wishing for Goblins will not get the job done. It enables you to draw seven more cards, and hopefully execute your opponent. But be warned: You cannot mulligan your new hand, and if you draw dead you will likely lose to the seven your opponent drew. If you can win with Empty the Warrens, always choose that first.
Infernal Tutor, typically in combination with Lion's Eye Diamond, allows you to either increase your storm count by wishing for a copy of Empty the Warrens that is in the deck, or use Burning Wish to get a Charbelcher. It enables lines of play that would not exist without it.
Pyroclasm, Shattering Spree, Reverent Silence, and Hull Breach are your answers for when things go wrong. This is as much utility as the deck can really afford. The Breach is likely overkill and could easily be something else, but I find myself using it just enough to keep it in my seventy five.
The final wish target is Trash for Treasure. This is the flex slot of the deck. I switched to this card at the suggestion of @GrandpaBelcher himself, and I have found myself using it frequently. It is a narrow and complex card, and it will be removed from my deck for the GP weekend for Tendrils of Agony, as the person borrowing it struggles to remember what the card does and the copy I own is German. There are many other cards you can play here. Goblin War Strike, Reanimate, Bribery, and Reforge the Soul are options. Play what you will possibly use.
The witching hour has arrived. I will likely come back and edit or expand this in the week or so to come, but for now I am going to share it for those who are still making last minute preparations for the Grand Prix. If you are in Columbus and you are playing this deck in the main event, make sure to let me know. Also do not hesitate to come find me. I would love to discuss it with you, share stories, and hear about how it is performing for you.


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Installation view, First Light: A Decade of Collecting at the ICA, The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, 2016-17. Photo by Charles Mayer Photography. © 2016 Kara Walker
Though she works in a variety of mediums, from painting and drawing to light-projection and video, Kara Walker is best known for her room-size tableaux of black cut-paper silhouettes. A visual language introduced at her New York debut at the Drawing Center in 1994, the silhouette has become Walker's signature means of interrogating the highly fraught histories of slavery, racism, and gender discrimination in the United States.
The Nigger Huck Finn … was commissioned for the 2010 exhibition Huckleberry Finn at CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art in San Francisco, the final in a trilogy of exhibitions based on canonical American novels. Huckleberry Finn revisits Mark Twain's investigation of racial tensions in America through an extensive range of materials, including historical artifacts, documents, silent film footage, existing works, and fourteen new commissions that responded directly to the novel. Walker's response is a sweeping cut-paper wall installation composed of silhouetted figures set on a light brown ground line painted directly on the wall, punctuated by seven framed gouaches. In preparing for the exhibition, Walker reread Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, coming away from it, as she has said, with "a better understanding of Huck, because he's an abused child and a seeker of freedom." Using this reading as a point of departure, The Nigger Huck Finn … depicts repeated Huck Finn–like characters—alongside caricatures of Jim and Pap, as well as Topsy from Uncle Tom's Cabin—in a series of scenes adapted imaginatively by Walker to convey a heightened sense of violence and sexuality.
The Nigger Huck Finn … is unusual within Walker's body of work, as it combines cut-paper silhouettes, wall paint, and framed works on paper, making it a major addition to the ICA/Boston's collection. It joins works by Kerry James Marshall and Lorna Simpson that also engage with the complex and pressing issues of race and identity through the distinctive vision of contemporary art.
The Barbara Lee Collection of Art by Women


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Throat Chakra Activation
Throat Chakra Activation
Focused on activating the throat chakra with new clear intentions after a healing process. I recommend spending a week listening to the activation after a week spent listening to the throat chakra healing.
*Please note file will download to your computer - you will receive a link good for 24 hours after purchase*


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The Lake Lovers Collection is about the relationship between us and the Great Lakes. A mixture of acrylic, gouache, neo-crayon and graphite contribute to an impressionist style and are a reminder that like us, the lakes are not perfect. 5% of the proceeds from this series will go towards Great Lakes protection efforts.
Read & watch: "Welcome to the Lake Lovers" by: Sam Corden , "Painting to Protect: The Great Lakes", The Glossary Artist Profile, Lake Lovers Film


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Day 11 – alphabet
I think the alphabet is something people never ponder upon. We learned the alphabet from our parents, from television, tapes and other materials our parents used to help us learn and eventually from school. According to wiki, the Filipino alphabet comprises of 28 letters though I was used to the Abakada alphabet when I was still in elementary school. As as child, I had sung the alphabet song with the children in Sesame Street. As a teenager, I was eager to practice my calligraphy using my speedball lettering set given by my Papa. As a young adult, I memorized and used different abbreviations when I was studying and practicing my profession And now, as an adult, I am still abbreviating words formed using the alphabet to communicate via a text message or through chat. I have evolved so as how I use the alphabet in my life. I often refer to them as merely, a b c and never as alphabet thus the artwork. And who would imagine that I would one day be marrying someone having the initials of a b c.


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We talk a lot about Fostering Happiness at Ruby® (it is one of our Core Values after all!), and we give our virtual receptionist team strategies to make our clients' and callers' days brighter. However, each Ruby is unique and each has their favorite way to make connections. In today's feature, I asked virtual receptionist Ellie B. how she spreads cheer over the phone:
What's your favorite way to make someone's day?
My favorite way to make someone's day is very simple: I like to wish them a good day at the end of our call. Our clients are very busy people — that's why we're here! By wishing them a good day, I usually get a thank you and they wish me a good day as well, and that puts a smile on my face, too. I feel like it ensures our clients that we do care about their day, and it reminds them that we are here to help make it a good one, too!
One small gesture can be a real mood booster! Sincerity shines — even through miles of telephone wire — and wishing someone well or genuinely asking how they are may make their day and yours, too!


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Can Cremated remains be taken overseas by Air?
Yes this is NOT a problem, unless you make it one!
It is suggested that if you are taking cremated remains overseas. First check with the embassy of the country you are intending to visit to find out if they have any legal requirements.
Frequently, the embassy will ask for the death certificate, the cremation certificate and sometimes a letter of authenticity. (This is either a letter or a certificate supplied by the crematorium stating that the cremated remains within the cremation urn are in fact the true remains of the particular person.) You also need to be aware that as English may not be spoken in the country you are going to; SOME of these countries will need translation of the certificates. Translations are best done by N.A.A.T.I. (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone 1300 557 470.
These people are experts in their field and their translations are accepted worldwide.
Furthermore, in some very rare instances the country you are traveling to may require an Apostille Seal. This is available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in your State. An "Apostille" is a form of authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961.
Furthermore, as we all know airport security is a strict and necessary evil that has been forced on us by those selfish people who want to cause harm to innocent people.
Consequently, the cremated remains taken as carry-on luggage will be x-rayed. The box that is supplied by the crematorium is plastic and can easily be x-rayed. (IT IS BEST TO LEAVE THE ASHES IN THIS CONTAINER and there will not be a problem) Whereas, those people who insist on purchasing an expensive cremation urn will frequently, find that the urn is metal or of some other substance that cannot be x-rayed. At this point you will have the cremated remains taken from you possibly never to be seen again.
Furthermore it is strongly suggested that cremated remains are taken as carry-on luggage. The last thing you want is for your loved one to be on their way to New York with your stowed baggage while you are going to Denmark with your laptop.
If you are traveling interstate with the ashes. Please drive safely and comply will all the road rules. We want you to come back home safe and sound. There is no need to obtain permission to move cremated remains or ashes around Australia.
For more information on funeral arrangements, please contact us at anytime, we are available 24/7.


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Arts & Entertainment // Music & Stage
High notes: Young Ancients at Gruene Hall on Saturday afternoon
SAN ANTONIO — Here comes another exceptional Gruene Hall entertainment bargain. Young Ancients, doing a free afternoon show at the venerable hall, is staffed by subdudes John Magnie (accordion, keyboards, vocals), Steve Amedée (drums, percussion, vocals) and Cary Morin (guitar, pedal steel, vocals). The trio, all of whom have deluxe musical and songwriting pedigrees, have joined forces to create an organic, soulful, welcoming sound that'll thrill folk/rockers as well as the hardcore subdudes faithful.
Jim Beal Jr.
1 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels. Free.
More Information
Read More


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We went down to the Woden Valley this week to take a look at the suburb of Isaacs.
This suburb was named after former governor general, attorney general and chief justice Isaac Isaacs. Let's all just take a moment to appreciate his name and ponder why his parents decided to give him essentially the same name twice.
Isaacs is surrounded by lots of beautiful bushland – the Long Gully Pine Plantation and Isaacs Ridge are wonderful areas to take a walk. A friend of mine used to live in Isaacs and her little dog Benny loved going for walks there. It's a very quiet area so it's perfect for smaller dogs, however, all dogs are required to be on a lead.
The Isaac shops is quite good. It has a bottle shop, a few restaurants, a little supermarket, a hairdresser and even a chiropractor. There are also a few office buildings.
The population of Isaacs was 2352 at the last census, with 36.8 per cent of the population born overseas, making it the tenth highest out of all the suburbs in Canberra. I presume this high foreign population is due to the embassies and high commissions next door in O'Malley.
A post going back ten years now on The RiotACT discussed what one writer referred to as the ugliest house in Canberra. The house was apparently built in Isaacs facing Hindmarsh Drive. I wanted to take a look but couldn't work out where the house was. From what I can tell, no part of Isaacs faces Hindmarsh Drive. Does anyone know the house?
Quick stats
Streets are named after: Educationalists
Federal Electorate: Canberra
Federal MP: Gai Brodtmann
Territory Electorate: Molonglo
Population: 2352
Population breakdown: 47.6 per cent male, 52.4 per cent female
Average children per family: 1.8
Crime: 84 incidents in 2014 (not including parking infringements)


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The South Fremantle resident and creator of Eye in the Sky might appear to love his �boys� toys�, snapping vintage and modern airplanes as well as working and military ships, but it is his work from the air that sets him apart.
Davison takes his camera all over the world, shooting well-known sites from thousands of metres in the air, including the Bungle Bungles, the Great Barrier Reef, lava flow in Hawaii and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
He said he enjoyed jumping on board an R44 or AS350 helicopter to take photos of the scenery below.
�My main love is shooting from the open door of a helicopter or aircraft,� he said.
�Shooting from a fast jet to another one is awesome. I love shooting anything that is moving and I love the earth from above.�
Having worked for companies such as Berlitz, AA Guides and Lonely Planet, Davison�s work has taken him all over the world, but he still rates northern WA as one of his favourite places to snap.
�I love imagery in all its forms, including painting and illustration, but the photographic image captivates me still,� he said.
Visit www.eyeinthesky.com.au for more information.


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Omkar Bhatavdekar, alumni of Institute of Chemical Technology – Mumbai, is currently pursuing PhD at Johns Hopkins University in the United States of America. In this exclusive interview with acadman.in he has talked about his early life, life at IICT, education system of India and the USA, among several other things.
Please tell us about your family background and your educational journey.
I'm from Pune. My father is a software engineer and my mother runs an NGO for children of the red light area. My schooling has been in Pune itself. After that, I did chemical engineering from Institute of Chemical Technology – Mumbai. Education was pretty much interactive, during my school days. I participated in a lot of competitions and the school motivated us to do so. We had a holistic approach towards education rather than merely academic and it felt like a second home.
What motivated you to pursue chemical engineering?
Well, initially I wanted to pursue engineering in physics because I was more interested in Physics. But just before my 10th standard exam, I suffered from a disease which, due to some problem in protein metabolism, leads to lack of breathing. After my recovery my interest shifted towards how drugs and medicines work so this is what diverted my attention to chemistry and later on, that same passion transferred to taking chemistry in my graduation. It was a slow transition from physics to chemistry, then from Chemistry to Chemistry plus Biology.
Please tell us about your college life.
It was fantastic. I don't have words for it, starting from the curriculum to professors to co-curricular activities and extra-curricular activities, the guidance from professors was awesome and I participated in almost every college event. I was on the organising committee for most of the events. I volunteered for a lot of social causes. I consider myself very lucky to have been taught by professor Ashwin Patwardhan. I wouldn't be where I am without him. My friends also played a very important role. I believe that if you don't have good peers you won't go anywhere. So the kind of peers that I had and the kind of people that I was competing against motivated me work very hard.
Please tell us about your field of research and its scope.
I am a PhD student at Johns Hopkins University. I am currently staying at Baltimore and have started with my research here about a month or so. I'll be mostly working on drug delivery and biomaterials.
It has tremendous scope right now, it is the field that's booming. If someone wants to get into the Medical side of Chemical Engineering, this is the field to go for.
Even in India, many Pharma Companies are very much involved in the development of this field. Worldwide it is one of the most funded and most explored fields right now because we are battling some diseases that seem to be here forever and there is no substantial cure for them.
Also, the basic engineering understanding always gives you an advantage over the others; that's why more and more engineers should try out this venue and I believe that it's time for us to convert the science part of it into technology in furtherance of development of products which would help millions of people.
How would you compare the Indian Education System with that in the USA?
In terms of education quality, I would say that there is a difference per se. But the biggest difference that I see is the kind of people that you meet there. They are of different nationality and different communities and you get to learn a lot from them.
In India, at max., the diversity you will have is a person from Assam or from down south, but here you interact with a lot of people who bring in different kind of knowledge- your professor is from Spain, you are from India, your neighbor is from New Zealand, someone from Africa, so you get to learn a lot from these people.
Another point is that in the USA everything is very systematic. You can register for a lot of classes or you can drop some classes. It's all open-ended. You don't have to be very strict about the curriculum.
Yes, when you are in a classroom, you need to be focused but other than that, you have few subjects and more time to explore the subjects. So rather than studying eight subjects, you study only four subjects in extreme depth.
Also, there is a lot of interdisciplinary approaches that they adopt while teaching.
One of the alleged problems of the Indian education system is that it is very theoretical. Do you see this similar approach in the US as well?
No, we do not see this trend in the US. It's very different and one of the reasons that this kind of system is prevalent in India because there the class size is humongous. So it's difficult for the professors to handle that many people through an objective way of teaching.
Hence, they stick to the books. You cannot give hands-on experience to a class of 60-70 people at the same time. So if you can reduce the class size there is still a possibility.
In the USA, the average class size does not go beyond 40, that is why it becomes easier to give hands-on experience to the students and application-oriented question papers during the exams.
Also, another major problem in India is that people come from a different social background and due to lack of standardized education, not everyone is educated in the field equally and it becomes very difficult to start on a common note. To make people pass the exams, teachers prepare question papers which are very theoretical so that even a below-standard student would pass the exam.
Also, in India passing the exam is a criteria for knowledge. So we tend to focus upon mugging up and not understanding what the subject is all about and since the question paper as well as what we are taught is strictly theoretical, we do not feel the need to understand the subject. All we need is learn what we have been taught.
Furthermore, in India, the focus is on teaching many subjects instead of teaching one or two subjects in detail. So in the end, we have around 8 or 9 subjects which we have to complete in one semester. So technically mugging up seems to be the only solution. It is the easy way out.
Is attendance a concern in the US as well, like India?
Attendance is not a concern per se. It depends, from professor to Professor, but usually, they do not care for the attendance. Here, the lecture is such that if you do not attend it, the next time you are in the class you don't understand anything. Also, here the professors are so good that the students naturally gravitate towards them and attend their classes.
So, even without any compulsion of attendance the students regularly attend the classes because it's very rare that a lecture becomes boring or incomprehensible. Even in India, in fact, in many cases, the professors who do not care about attendance are usually the good ones. I personally believe that attendance is a very trivial thing and I don't understand why someone should be forced to attend the class.
What are your future plans?
As of now, my plan is to go for a postdoc in the US only or as the opportunity comes and let alone, I want to go for a field in of academics. I would like to teach here for sometimes and then come back to India.
Would you like to compare the social conditions prevalent in USA and India?
Well in terms of social conditions I would say that the disparity between the rich and the poor is quite evident in India. It's not so much in the US. However, in terms of development, I would say that we are catching up and I believe that in a few years, Mumbai would leave behind many of the cities of US in terms of infrastructural. In fact, Mumbai is a bigger, better and brighter city than where I am living right now.
However, one thing that I found interesting here is that people follow the law. They have respect for the law. Their streets are clean. Everyone drives according to the traffic rules and there is far less hooliganism in the US when compared to India. Nonetheless, India is now rising and I can definitely say that in the next ten years the mega-cities in India would beat a lot of cities of US in terms of development
What would be your message to the students of Engineering?
I would say that concentrate on your Academics, that's the most important factor. There is no substitute for grades, at least not in the Indian education system. But at the same time, do not miss out on everyday experience that defines who you are, for example, if you can volunteer for some cause, do that. If you can organize some event for your college, do that. If you can participate and win something, do that.
Also, it is important that you interact with a lot of people as it gives you a different perspective. I believe that if you want to shape your personality, these are the four years that you are going to get. The four years will actually make or break you.


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The Good Fight by Andrew Grey
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
September 2012
Pages: 200
Contemporary Romance m/m
South Dakota
Jerry Lincoln has an IT consulting business in Sioux Falls and he has a problem as he has more work than one man can handle alone. That means he needs to hire some help. John Black Raven is Jerry's new employee. He is also proving to be distracting. Jerry hopes he will be more helpful than anything because he is finding that John's deep eyes and long hair are very distracting.
John left the reservation for an education and a chance at a life that wasn't possible on the reservation. What is most important as far as he is concerned is getting a job and keeping it. His sister died six months ago and now her children are in foster care. John can't get custody even with the law on his side. In fact he is unable to even see his nephew and niece.
John soon discovers he doesn't have to struggle alone as he and Jerry grow closer. With Jerry's help he gets visitation rights and some much needed support. Even with the victories there are still some setbacks. Native American children are the bread and butter of Child Services so everything is tangled up in red tape, politics and money. John and Jerry are determined to fight the good fight and win.
This is a story that pulls at readers heartstrings and will have readers hoping everything works out for the best for John and Jerry. The characters are well written and the story line proves to be so engrossing that readers will find it hard to put the book down for any reason. For readers that enjoy this genre this is definitely a book to check out and they will find that they will want to read more from this author. The story keeps building until the climatic end.
I give this one 4-1/2 red roses


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Have you ever read Gary Chapman's book, The Five Love Languages ? You should read it unless you have NO interest in reading to learn how to receive blessings from others and be a blessing to others!!Well Dr. Chapman writes in wonderful easy to read detail about the different ways that people may express their love. It is true that some people appreciate, and use words, more than others. I am one of those people, but that is besides the point. I have never met anyone who had a real aversion to nice things being said to them. Overwhelmingly, most of the time, everyone ,toddlers, teens, in-betweens, and old folks, all enjoy hearing nice thoughts about themselves. As a matter of fact, words can be a powerful influence to inspire hope, set a mind at ease, share encouragement, boost self esteem or confidence.
Please share the roses, or flowers, or daisies or any positive thought. Don't hold the flowers to be your own bouquet. Share! Venture out of your comfort zone if it's not your norm. Push your self to give or share one positive comment a day (past your norm) to each person in your day!! Try to keep it up for a few weeks, and see if it doesn't create a good habit in you. I think if you give lots of flowers away, your garden will grow. 💜
Share more flowers, with significant others, and accidental meetings. We would love to hear (read) about happy stories that follow!
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.


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This Jeff Banks Tie Bar features a rope detail design and is a great addition to your favourite shirt and tie combo. Presented in a branded presentation box this tie bar is also a great gift.
Silver Metal
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Please visit our Delivery & Returns page for full information.


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Style:Bikini panty.
Pure polyester front and back.
VPL Risk:medium.
Gusset type:Not set.
Amount of waistband stretch:Not set.
Extra features:Jewelry.
About ea Lingerie: ëa lingerie represents a combination of romanticism, sensuality, and sophistication. Ëa means mother nature in Nordic mythology, a goddess who yields fruit. It is a world created for luminous, beautiful women, and a blend between reality and fantasy.


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Day 1
Finished painting our new entry-way! Green & gray - loving it!!!
Marilee Fehr: looking good! can't wait to see it!
Sara Denyer: Wow! Gorgeous color!! Looking forward to seeing it!
Vickie Dyck: Great color! Looks like a nice entry, too!
Leona Neufeld: Looks good.
Tanja Funk: Karen, that looks great!
Nichole Cara: Gorgeous!
Nicole Laliberte: Love the colours! And I love this idea of finishing something. I'm interested to follow along
People who like this: Nichole, Boni, Jane, Sheryl, Sara, Heather, Lynn, Connie, Rhonda, Jody, Tabitha, Dan, Vi, Carol, Karen, Linda, Dela, Chrissie


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"Some people are just visionaries and they're able to come up with new ideas like the next Amazon.com or maybe Bright Health or whatever that can totally disrupt the market," said Mary MacCarthy, a Twin Cities based Marketing and Project Management Consultant. "But for the majority of us, we're not quite that much of a visionary. Maybe the product that we're coming up with is just an incremental improvement over what's currently out there."
For those of us not creating the next Uber, it's in our best interest to thoroughly understand if our product or service could support a sustainable business. This involves executing some market analysis to understand product potential.
MacCarthy, an entrepreneur herself, has performed strategic marketing and consulting services for several major players including Medtronic, Cardiovascular Systems, and 3M Health Care.
"I've made so many mistakes in the past. So, I really want to just hand along that information so that people don't go through the pain that I went through in launching their startup," she explained.
When MacCarthy was building her company, she says she spent too much time behind a desk working on a business plan and not enough time with "boots on the ground" trying to sell to customers right away and figuring out what they actually wanted to purchase. She instead suggests performing a lean market assessment to obtain answers to strategic questions. This helps for informed decision making to move the business forward.
"Generally, you want to spend a proportional amount of time doing your market assessment as you have to amount of risk you've got going in," MacCarthy explained.
If you are going all in with a large portion of your savings on the line, spend a bit more time on your market assessment. But if you're not taking as much risk, you don't have as much to lose.
Identifying a target market is one key component to the lean market assessment.
"You have to know exactly who you're going after," MacCarthy explained.
This includes understanding the geography of that target market, the demographics of the decision makers, and comprehending who will influence the ultimate success of the product.
Identifying drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the market is another essential piece of lean market assessment. This includes understanding what satisfies key decision makers in the market and what factors go beyond satisfying them. This process involves comprehending how each of your competitive offerings compare along each of these 'satisfiers' and 'dissatisfiers', which is also key for marketing and sales of the product.
Market sizing and primary and secondary market research are additional pieces of the lean market assessment puzzle.
"You don't need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on market research to answer every question," MacCarthy explained.
Entrepreneurs need to identify their competitors and understand what they are doing in the market. But a lot of this information can be obtained right from a laptop. This data is essential when speaking with investors but is frequently left out of fundraising pitches.
[See what MacCarthy has to say about perfecting a fundraising pitch.]
"You need to at least show the investors that you know who your competitors are and what their weak points are, and then how to apply your offerings to meet those needs and alleviate those 'dissatisfiers'," said MacCarthy.
Join Mary MacCarthy to learn more about market assessment next Tuesday at her Market Assessment 101 Expert Series at Collider Coworking.


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Gary Winn Safreed1,2
#18519, (29 June 1964 - 27 August 2006)
|Dorothy Ione Thomas3 (1930 - 2002)
|Michelle Brown b. 1962, d. 2016
|29 June 1964
|He was born on 29 June 1964 at Alliance, Ohio.1
|circa 1988
|He married Michelle Brown circa 1988.2,4
|16 September 1996
|He and Michelle Brown were divorced on 16 September 1996 at Columbus, Franklin Co., OhioG.4
|27 August 2006
|He died on 27 August 2006 at Franklin Co., OhioG, at age 42.1
- [S2156] Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home, online www.spencefuneralhome.com, "Gary W. Safreed, age 42, of Columbus died Sunday August 27, 2006 at his residence. Born June 29, 1964 in Alliance, Ohio to Dorrence and Dorothy (Thomas) Pounds. Gary was a 27 year employee and the current manager of Little Italy Restaurant, Groveport. He is survived by son Michael Safreed and daughter Sara Safreed, Columbus; father Dorrence Pounds, Groveport; brothers Harold (Marlene) Morris, Alliance, OH. and Jerry (Valerie) Safreed, Seabring, OH; many nieces and nephews; father and mother-in-law Glenn and Patricia Adkins, Columbus; brothers-in-law Scott Brown, Carroll and Victor Brown, Groveport, Tom (Tina) Adkins, Delaware and Tim (Marcia) Adkins, Myrtle Beach, SC; nephews Zachary and Nathan; his Little Italy family Nick Ward, Janet Ward and the entire staff. Friends may visit Thursday 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. at the Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home, 650 W. Waterloo St., Canal Winchester where funeral service will be 11 a.m. Friday. Pastor Dave Sells officiating. Interment Arlington Field of Honor, Canal Winchester. The family requests donations on behalf of the children: The Michael and Sara Safreed Memorial Fund at any Huntington Bank location, in Gary's memory."
- [S1683] Newcomer Funeral Home & Crematory, online www.newcomercolumbus.com, Michelle "Shelly" Safreed, 53, of Columbus,Ohio passed away suddenly on Thursday, June 16, 2016. She was born in Columbus on November 26, 1962 to Patrick and Patricia Brown. Michelle is preceded in death by her parents and brother, Victor Brown.
Michelle is survived by her children, Michael Safreed and Sara Safreed; brother, Scott Brown; three grandchildren; stepfather, Glenn Adkins; Godmother, Nancy Hall and nephews, Zachary and Nathan Brown.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 22 from 4 PM until 7 PM at Newcomer Funeral Home, SW chapel, 3393 Broadway, Grove City, OH. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 23 beginning at 10 AM at the funeral home with interment to follow at Betzer Cemetery 4024 Pickerington Road, Carroll, OH
Also in The Columbus Dispatch.
- [S2156] Dwayne R. Spence Funeral Home, online www.spencefuneralhome.com, Obituary for Gary W. Safreed, 2006,q.v.
- [S2158] Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007, online Ancestry.com, Gary W Safreed and Michell M Safreed, marr. 8 yrs., one child, divorce decree 16 Sep 1996, Columbus, Franklin Co. OH.


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Legal | A new study claim the shutdown two months ago of file-trading site The Pirate Bay by Swedish authorities "significantly, if temporarily, disrupted" the illegal trafficking of digital files worldwide. The emphasis is on temporarily. The white paper, released by anti-piracy company DtecNet, found the closing forced traffic to flood other BitTorrent trackers, "causing temporary secondary outages" for several days.
The study finds that BitTorrent traffic is soon expected to return to levels seen before the shutdown, with relatively new website OpenBitTorrent emerging as the successor to The Pirate Bay. [The Live Feed]
Sales charts | R. Crumb's much-publicized adaptation of The Book of Genesis debuts at No. 8 on USA Today's bestseller list. Meanwhile, the 46th volume of Masashi Kishimoto's popular shonen series Naruto inches up three spaces to No. 136. [USA Today]
Publishing | The UK's Daily Mail laps up a preview of Bluewater's Female Force: Princess Diana. [Mail Online]
Webcomics | Erin Polgreen spotlights five female artists who make a living creating webcomics: Kate Beaton, Danielle Corsetto, Lucy Knisley, Erika Moen and Spike Trotman. "Of all the creative fields you can go into, webcomics is totally neutral about gender," Moen says. "It's your work, speaking for itself, on the Internet. People read my work because they follow my life. It's a very level playing ground." [Campus Progress]
Manga | Deb Aoki lists 15 essential manga by Osamu Tezuka. [About.com]
Crime | Greg Bartholomew, owner of All American Comics in Warren, Ohio, helped police capture a man suspected in a string of car break-ins and thefts. [WYTV.com]
Creators | World-renowned author Salman Rushdie revealed on CBS' Late Late Show that he "might have a go" at writing a graphic novel. Rushdie's publisher is Random House, whose Del Rey and Pantheon divisions release graphic novels. [ICv2.com]
Creators | With an income of $35 million, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz slipped from No. 2 to No. 6 on Forbes magazine's annual list of the top-earning dead celebrities. [Forbes]
Creators | Your R. Crumb profile of the day. [Los Angeles Times]
Creators | Bestselling author Joe Hill discusses his IDW Publishing horror series Locke & Key. [TFAW]
Creators | The San Jose State University newspaper spotlights alumnus and SLG Publisher Dan Vado and his new comic (with artist Drew Rausch) Winchester. [Spartan Daily]
Creators | Writer David Gallaher talks about his award-winning horror serial High Moon: "Like television, I have to make sure readers are tuning in every week. With a graphic novel, the expectation is different. The entire story is there for you in one piece. … I do expect the reader to keep up — and hope that they'll continue to be engaged. And, one of the ways I like to do that is by ending every week's 'episode' with a cliffhanger that leaves the reader wanting more." [News Herald]
Creators | Brian Heater wraps up his multipart interview with Ken Dahl, and kicks off a Q&A with Neil Swaab. [The Daily Cross Hatch]
Creators | Tom Mason interviews Mordant Orange cartoonist Mike Bannon. [Comix 411]
Fandom | Ryan Jent provides 10 reasons you should read comic books, though I'm not entirely convinced by them. [Creative Loafing]


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How to Start a Profitable For-Profit K-12 School: Use the Ron Paul Curriculum..
How to Start a Profitable For-Profit K-12 School: Use the Ron Paul Curriculum.
This was posted yesterday.
he other reason is that most parents say "what's the alternative? I don't have the time or skill to home school and I can't take the kids to work."Gary has talked about this baby sitting or child minding problem. You see it in holidays where parents have to find somewhere to send the kids. The USA has the summer camp tradition. In other countries we have other solutions. Scandals and stories of kids getting lost on such activities pepper the holidays. Also, like all child care, its expensive or run by churches to the horror of the atheists. (For some strange reason the atheist attempts at holiday camps seem to always end in scandal. I wonder why? sac. ) If schooling, as we know it, ends then a half dozen new institutions are needed. As some have noted the libertarian/ Austrian schools solution is not to ask what law is needed but what new business is needed and how do I start it?
Making work places child friendly would also help.
http://www.garynorth.com/members/forum/openthread.cfm?forum=1&ThreadID=33322#166234Let me share with you one of my marketing strategies for the Ron Paul Curriculum. I will contact Christian day schools around the country, especially those that end their programs at the eighth grade. The problem has always been that the schools cannot afford teachers who are well-qualified for teaching in a conventional classroom environment. But that classroom environment is now obsolete. The classroom of the future is going to be a group of students, each sitting at a carrel.
Each carrel will have a laptop computer. This will be connected to WiFi. The student will be enrolled in the Ron Paul Curriculum.
What has been needed is a truly self-taught curriculum. That is what the Ron Paul curriculum offers. So, a school can shift away from the traditional classroom environment. Instead of a teacher droning on and on in front of the class, each student will have a pair of earphones. The student will get the lecture from the RPC videos. The student will also print out primary source documents. These can be printed out on a desktop printer. This cost is about three cents a page.
There are no textbooks. This cuts costs.
The school pays $250 a year for each student, but the school gets an affiliate fee of $125. Net cost: $125. Then the student signs up for each course at $50 per course per year. All of this is charged to the school. So, for a total of $375 per student, or possibly $425 if the student takes six classes, the curriculum problem is solved.
The school can then hire a teacher with a bachelor's degree, newly minted and probably not worth more than about $35,000 a year. This teacher teaches the largest number of students that the state allows in a classroom. Let us say that this is 35 students per teacher. If each student pays $1000 a year, this will cover the teacher's salary. But students in private schools are usually forced to pay at least $3000 a year. So, this is certainly enough to pay for the operations of the school. In my opinion, it should be more than enough. The school will become highly profitable. It can cut tuition to $2,500 a year. Maybe it can cut it to $2,000.
The keys to profitability are these: (1) increase the student-to-teacher ratio to the maximum allowable; (2) to hire brand-new teachers who can be paid low salaries, because these teachers are in abundance. This way, the major expense of the operation of any private school is reduced to a minimum, and the student is in no way harmed academically. The student does not need a teacher who has 30 years of experience, and who is paid twice what a brand-new teacher out of some state university is paid.
The teacher will have virtually no input. The teacher has only disciplinary functions. She fulfills a requirement imposed by the state. The teacher is also there to make certain that the insurance company is willing to offer insurance to the school. But for teaching the students, the teacher will have virtually no function. Maybe she will read daily essays. She probably can do that with no problem. But now that computer software is going to be made available that grades the essays, this will not even be required.
Everything is moving towards online teaching, and I intend to make available the Ron Paul Curriculum to every private Christian high school in America. I intend to make it available to private middle schools.
The courses are free from kindergarten through the fifth grade.
So, I do not see any reason why K-12 private schools cannot be made profitable. I think the wave of the future is homeschooling, but there is no question that some parents want to work outside the home, and they want their children to be in a safe environment where a good curriculum is used. As long as a private school, which could be simply a lady down the street, can offer a safe environment for children, the Ron Paul Curriculum can provide a first-rate education.
Education is changing. The Ron Paul Curriculum will change with it.


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The Muppets Sing Danny Boy
March 17th, 2011 by David Erickson
Clearly the three best singers the Muppets have ever had to offer, together at last. Found at YouTube from Blakwulf.
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This summer, we dealt with some pretty horrendous neighbors and we decided it was time to leave apartment life and try to buy a house. Well in a month, we accomplished finding said house, buying it AND moving in. Amazing stuff.
Now, I noticed from moving to our new house, the waking up with anger and wonder and anxiety of what type of problems my upstairs neighbors would cause that day was really changing my attitude and whole day negatively.
I would wake up angry, come home angry and just be angry! And during the summer is the time when I don't want to be angry!!! That is my relaxation time and this was the complete opposite. The. Whole. Summer.
It brings me to think about how what and who you surround yourself with can really change your life. Our apartment now had brought hate and anger into our lives and it was noticeable.
Moving to a new location has really changed my attitude. I look forward to coming home, I look forward to sitting outside. I look forward to being here. It's not a stressful environment anymore.
It's just so crazy how just being in a stressful environment can change people and it is noticeable. This also happens with the people you surround yourself with.
I never realized how real it could all be.
Has this ever happened to you ?