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By Ashlyn Shaji
About India
India (Republic of India) is a South Asian country. It is the 7th largest country by area and the 2nd most populous country in the world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east. Combination of many religions, where each religion has the own culture.
Current Events 2016
India launches mini space shuttle
23 May 2016,India has launched an unmanned model space shuttle, joining the race to develop reusable spacecraft. The model took off from Andhra Pradesh and was expected to fly about 70km (43 miles) into the atmosphere before coming down at sea. There has been strong international competition to design alternative reusable spacecraft, since NASA stopped its Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Such vehicles could significantly cut the cost of space exploration.
India orders inquiry into 'cancer-causing bread'
24 May 2016
India's health ministry has ordered an inquiry after a study found cancer causing chemicals in many bread and other bakery products. Researchers found residues of potassium bromate and potassium iodate in 84% of the samples collected from Delhi.The chemicals are banned in many countries, but India continues to allow their use in bakeries.


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Your Support Matters!
Make a Donation
If you would like to donate, we suggest that you give to the Tenleytown Neighbors Association (TNA), a non-profit organization comprised of residents of Tenleytown that welcomes donations. The TNA is an official party to the Board of Zoning Adjustment process.
Donations to the TNA are tax-deductible donation and used to defray legal and outreach costs.
Send a check to:
Tenleytown Neighbors Association Inc
3901 Alton Place NW
Washington DC 20016
The tax ID number for the TNA for your tax return is 52-2207138. The TNA currently does not accept online donations.

subset: commoncrawl


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Quick Summary
Flooding the market with premium and high-end products, both in terms of features and price is a specialty of Chamberlain. It is surprising however that the Chamberlain PD612EV is one of the most affordable items in the market. However its features weren't reduced by the manufacturer and everything that we loved about their software is still present in this model.
This generous move seems like a strategic one as well as Chamberlain is trying to penetrate the garage door niche. With their trademark security and safety features plus the MyQ and HomeLink compatibility, the Chamberlain PD612EV does come out strong in the pack.
Chamberlain is known for creating high-end models with robust features at a higher price as well. The Chamberlain PD612EV however, is a quick relief in the price as it is one of the most affordable in the market yet it wasn't stripped away with much options compared to models that belong to the same price range. It still has MyQ and HomeLink enabled and it does come with the classic safety-security measures.
We honestly had a hard time analyzing which aspect was affected by the cut in the cost but we can't seem to find any except for the 1/2 HP motor, which while weaker compared to 3/4 HP engines, is still as reliable and even more powerful than most models in the belt driven niche. Join us as we review this chain driven garage door opener.
- functions
It features a classic build for Chamberlain products- the metal frame and motor is enclosed in a neat box like fixture which exudes a premium and sleek mood. Security wise, it still is equipped with the PosiLock and Security+ 2.0 system which ensures that your doors are adequately locked once closed to prevent theft. It also has motion and infrared sensors that turns on the lights if you walk in the garage as well as reverse the door motion if you come in contact with it while the doors are being closed.
Its wireless signal can reach up to 10 meters, significantly high relative to its price. It also comes with a MyQ and HomeLink feature although you have to ensure whether your car is compatible to it. If your car is of older model, then you would be needing a repeater to fully enjoy this add-on. Also, you can control your garage door and monitor its status from your smartphone, albeit you'll need to purchase their gateway service first before enabling this addition.
The ½ DC motor is powerful and reliable yet it does have a limit in the mass that it can lift. Doors that do not exceed 500 pounds should be a piece of cake for this model. Installing it would take up to 3 hours, a decent rating for many garage door openers.
Operation wise, its chain drive is of industrial grade, enabling you to have a powerful and reliable lift even to the most solid doors. It also has a 200 watt bulb that illuminates automatically if the panel senses someone in the vicinity. Its wireless keypad is responsive and is equipped with an encryption and automatic code-rolling technology that prevented our sniffing devices from stealing the codes.
The most effective pitch of this product is perhaps its price. It is extremely cheap yet the features that it offers aren't. If you have enjoyed using Chamberlain before and you would want to expand, then this product does offer an affordable yet efficient solution.
We particularly loved the feature which enables you to control your garage from your smartphone even if you are away. The customer service is also pretty reliable and responsive. Overall, it is the price and continuity of smooth service that makes this product stand out amongst others.
The only problem with the Chamberlain PD612EV is it belongs on the noisier spectrum of garage door openers. While it may not be really loud, compared to other models, its noise is actually noticeable. However, this noise is due to the power that it can deliver, despite being a 1/2HP device.
Overall, the price does not justify what it can offer- in a very good way. We feel that the features are so much more than its actual price, meaning users get to enjoy more than what they have paid for to begin with. The decision of the manufacturer to pursue a cheaper product but still retain its software features was generous yet wise. In conclusion, the Chamberlain PD612EV is a good update and addition to your home expansion needs.


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Horrid Henry tricks and treats
Part of the Horrid Henry Early Reader series
1444001094 / 9781444001099
Out of print
20 cm 76 p. : col. ill.
Children / Juvenile Learn More
Quiz No: 220439, Points 0.50, Book Level 2.90,
Early Years - Key Stage 1 Learn More
Early Years - Key Stage 1 Learn More
Originally published: in Horrid Henry and the bogey babysitter. 2002.
Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books.
A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together.
A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. It's Halloween. With a bag full of tricks and the best costume in town, Henry can't wait to go trick or treating.
But, oh the shame! Surely Mum doesn't expect him to go out with Peter dressed as a fluffy pink bunny?
4Y Designed for home learning, YFQ Humorous stories (Children's / Teenage), YQCR Educational: English language: readers & reading schemes


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The Paxton hurricane builds an elegant statement on a foundation of classic precision machinery. The silver base features an engine-turned knurling pattern, harkening back to the golden days of motorsport while providing ample tactile interest.
View the entire Ralph Lauren Fragrance and Candles Collection.
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What began 40 years ago with a collection of ties has grown into an entire world, redefining American style. Ralph Lauren has always stood for providing quality products, creating worlds and inviting people to take part in our dream. We were the innovators of lifestyle advertisements that tell a story and the first to create stores that encourage customers to participate in that lifestyle.
Crystal Classics takes this participation to a new level as a rich and exciting interactive destination. When you're transported into the world of Ralph Lauren online, you can shop for great products for yourself and your home, learn about adventure, style and culture in RL Magazine and on RL TV, find one-of-a-kind vintage pieces and exquisite gifts and much, much more. Back when all this started, I felt sure that there were no boundaries. I'm even more sure of that today.
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Published by Noozhawk on July 1, 2017.
Kelly Marsh and Team Now at Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc.
Kelly Marsh, a top-ranking loan officer, has been named vice president at California for Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc. Marsh's entire 13-member team is moving with her to Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc., which has an office in Santa Barbara.
Marsh previously served as branch manager of Broadview Mortgage in Santa Barbara, where she was a loan originator. A Santa Barbara native, Marsh headed the local branch of Broadview Mortgage since 2008.
Established in 1988 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Cornerstone Home Lending is a national company with 29 years of industry experience and offers numerous loan products nationwide, as well as in-house processing, underwriting and funding.
Cornerstone is licensed to lend in 40 states and has some 100 branch offices throughout the U.S. Its Santa Barbara branch is at 1828 State St.
"This move offers a great opportunity for me, my team and all our clients. We look forward to providing exemplary service with Cornerstone Home Lending," Marsh said.
Earlier this year, Marsh received certificates of recognition from the offices of State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson and the city of Santa Barbara in honor of her 20-year anniversary as a licensed loan originator and for helping thousands of families buy homes.
Mortgage Executive Magazineranked Marsh last year in the top 1 percent of all loan officers nationwide. Marsh was ranked as the No. 1 top loan originator in Santa Barbara County for 2015,.
She is listed in Mortgage Professional America Magazine 2016 as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Women in the Mortgage Industry.
For more, visit www.TheKellyMarshTeam.com, or contact Marsh at 563-1100 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Want a little teaser from the first look over the weekend? https://vimeo.com/143329642
What a tease! I even teased myself. Did he start crying?
We started working on the video that we captured over the weekend and we are excited to share the whole thing when it is all complete! It is going to be epic. We should have the whole highlight reel ready soon.
We are going to drop this little teaser on facebook and Instagram for all the Fam to wet their appetite.


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Of all the things I have been through and concurred the one thing that holds true for all of them is that I have never felt a victim. Why? Well mostly because I refuse to. I don't want or need people to 'feel sorry' for what I have encountered in life, as far as I'm … Continue reading I am no victim
Month: October 2017
My babies are growing up, but are they?
This roller coaster ride has been quite intense lately. The youngest has finally started doing the work that I thought he was doing but turned out he hadn't. When he finally got onto the online course he hit a 'snag' pretty quickly. He didn't think to ask for help or speak up that he was … Continue reading My babies are growing up, but are they?
Trigger, triggers everywhere!
I woke up this morning ready to fight, ready to run and scared out of my mind! My brain took me back to a time when I did still experience fear and uncertainty, to a time when I was young and vulnerable and at the mercy of the adults around me. Before the warrior was … Continue reading Trigger, triggers everywhere!
I should be
I should be writing something right now in order to clear my head but currently every second word is profanity! Since that is not my style I will just do this for now and hope it helps!
Do you ever?
Normally in my days I have a very happy outlook, good attitude, permanent smile on my face. There really is not much that phases me these days ... I don't generally dwell on the past and I don't normally pay too much attention to the trivial everyday stuff that tends to bog people down. Life … Continue reading Do you ever?
One step forward, two steps back?
There is certainly never a dull moment around here, even when things seem quiet. I would say that the quieter things are the more likely something is up. Something that needs attention. W was having a really productive start at his online course, everyday he would log on in the morning and complete at least … Continue reading One step forward, two steps back?
Maybe there IS hope!
When I was younger I absolutely hated reading, it was not my thing and I would put off reading anything from school until the very last minute. I don't know what it was exactly, too tedious, too long, too many other things on my mind to concentrate! The only thing worse than reading for me … Continue reading Maybe there IS hope!
Well isn't that always the way?
We got to go to a Pink Floyd concert this past weekend, well a cover band anyway .... so of course I had to wear my hello kitty Gene Simmons! LOL Found out the day before the concert that Imagine Dragons was playing just across the river from us! Really?? Come on .... To make … Continue reading Well isn't that always the way?
Worth Remembering
Reflecting on your past can bring you insight and planning for the future is wise but be careful not to overlook the here and now. The key to being happy is finding peace in the now and letting it pass us by is a terrible loss. We only get one shot at it, might as … Continue reading Worth Remembering
Well they know some of it now ….
Had a nice thanksgiving dinner here on Saturday, invited my brother and his son and my in-laws. That side isn't doing much anyway and since I'm trying to get as much family spirit as I can together for my brother and his son and the in-laws were free I suggested to the Bear that we … Continue reading Well they know some of it now ….


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I was thoroughly disgusted with Jason and Grant on this season opener. At first I was sceptical about an inhuman entity in the Ladouceur house located in Blackstone, Massachusetts. Once I started tuning into the energy I changed my mind.
Something had shoved the end of the couch in the Ladouceur living room hard while wife/mother Roxanne was sitting on it. Also a loud booming sound was heard in the basement as if someone had hit the side of the dyer hard. Grant and Jason thought the forced air heating system caused the booming sound and attributed it to the sheet metal ducts that expanded and contracted with heat and cooling. It was a plausible debunking but I got that the same entity that shoved the couch had also hit the side of the dryer.
I picked up on two entities, one human, one nonhuman and definitely malignant. The frightening part was they were basically melded together.
When Amy and Kris first went into the basement they immediately heard a low, gravely male voice they caught on EVP saying "Please help me." That was the voice of a human male who had been murdered in the house. Interestingly his grave doesn't seem to be on the property, but he was killed inside the current structure. Like most murder victims he is angry and deeply unhappy about his untimely demise. These negative emotions and his brooding on the injustice of his death attracted a malignant dark entity that was definitely not human.
I have only seen this a few times before, usually at the hidden graves of murder victims. The odd thing about this relationship is the dark entity was holding the ghost of the murder victim hostage against his will. Kris asked the ghost if he wanted help. The murdered man definitely did want help. I think his name was Matt.
Now at the same time murdered Matt was trying to ask the girls for help the dark entity more or less glued to him was growling and chuckling, anticipating some fun messing with Amy and Kris. Apparently this didn't happen, or if it did, wasn't included in the show.
Later in the episode Jason and Grant were in the basement and Matt answered several questions via the K2 meter. Several things were established. There was a nonhuman creature in the house with the ghost. This creature was the source of the growls the family in residence heard. The ghost was scared in it's own right and was being held against it's will by the creature.
Jason and Grant had two visits to the master bedroom where growling had been heard by owners Paul and Roxanne. The first time they were in the master bedroom I felt the most activity next to the window. In fact I heard the male ghost say his murderer "Came in the window". I think Matt died in the master bedroom.
During Matt's communication via the K2 meter he indicated to Jason and Grant that the creature/entity had gained access to the house via the attic crawl space. The entrance to that crawl space was on the other side of the master bed, which separated the window from the attic crawl space. Assuming the information Matt was giving me was correct it would not be surprising for the creature/entity to come in or set up camp near the murder location.
The second time Jason and Grant were in the master bedroom was following their chat with Matt via the K2 meter down in the basement. They rushed up to the attic crawl space entrance, heard some growling beyond the access door and climbed in. Jason's right calf first felt cold and then hot. He raised his pant leg to find five scratches across the calf muscle.
For some reason at this point Jason and Grant decided they were NOT dealing with an inhuman entity. Grant spouted some nonsense about how a true demon entity would be throwing things around and would be accompanied by a strong stench. For starters they were in an attic crawl space, nearly everything was nailed down. How much could have been thrown about? I have yet to meet a demon or negative/nonhuman entity that stank. I suppose it could be part of such an experience but it isn't a defining characteristic of such run ins. At least not in my experience to date. Grant's reasoning sounded completely absurd to me.
I think Jason and Grant didn't know how to handle an inhuman, possibly demonic entity so they decided there wasn't one there. They were wrong. I was furious when they dumped the problem back in the lap of the family by telling Roxanne that the family had to sit around the kitchen table and "be stern"with whatever it was. I think it was misguided and possibly dangerous to tell the Ladouceur family there was nothing dark, malignant and nonhuman in their home when there absolutely was.
Jason and Grant declined to explain WHY they thought there was a human ghost trying to pretend to be an inhuman demon other than to say the dark thing didn't throw tables around or pull a fridge out from the wall or STINK. Good grief, this isn't the script to a horror movie guys, it was the real thing and you left them alone with it!
Roxanne Ladouceur looked disappointed and somewhat relieved during and after the reveal. The experts had not validated her and her families experiences but they had told her nothing truly dark or dangerous was there. A false sense of security was not helpful.
I felt this situation needed more direct attention. I called in my primary guide, Archangel Michael and the highest presence of God I could access and asked for three things to happen:
1) Matt the murder victim be separated from the dark malignant entity/creature. This was done. I saw Matt head straight for heaven. His father was there to meet him. He was one relieved ghost!
2) Asked that the dark inhuman entity be detached from Matt, the house and the Ladouceur family. This was done with the usual amount of writhing and cursing. Yawn. The inhuman creature was given a choice before God. It denied God and suffered the usual fate of such things, it was completely dissolved to the last atom by the love, light and power of the divine. It is gone. It cannot bother anyone nor return to the Ladouceur house.
3) Asked that any remnants of negative energy from Matt's murder and the dark inhuman creature be scrubbed from the house by divine light. This was done. Furthermore Archangel Michael sealed the house and the grounds to prevent any future incidents along these lines.
Hey Ghost Hunters, if you don't know how to handle it, admit it, call in those who do. Denial is not a solution, especially for the people who have to live in the haunted or infested space. "Empowering" Roxanne Ladouceur with a false sense of security was pretty much putting her at future risk. That won't happen since God source intervention has cleaned up the mess. That doesn't mean you don't have the responsibility to deal with real evil when you find it. If you cannot deal with it on camera at least deal with it once the cameras stop rolling. The people who trust in you deserve it.
The second location of this season opener was Brentsville Historic Center in Virginia. It was built as a judicial complex and included both court house and local county prison.
Alleged previous sightings included the faces of a woman and a man in the window of the judges office in the courthouse. At first I saw the pale face of a young white woman. Later I saw the fact of a young white male looking out from the same window. Interestingly prior accounts included the face of Virginia, a black slave woman who had been executed for murdering her master.
When Kris and Amy where in the Judges office on the second floor of the courthouse they were trying to establish contact with this doomed slave. They didn't get much in the way of a response. Yet, Virginia was quite upset about the girls saying if she didn't communicate with them that they would tell all their friends she was guilty. I realize Kris and Amy were trying to provoke. I don't know why Virginia didn't communicate with them. The story Virginia told me about her guilt or innocence was a bit more complicated than was she guilty or not. Did she kill her master? Yes. The part that didn't come up in the show is her white male master had tried to rape her. She paniced, fought him off and killed him in the process. Tragically for her, any slave in her era who killed a white person was automatically condemned to death regardless of the circumstances. She did swing for her crime. Today her actions would be seen as self defence.
I had the uncomfortable impression Virginia spent some involuntary time in the Judge's office being similarly abused. She sure seemed to draw unwanted male attention. That would lead me to speculate that she was probably young and attractive. I wonder if a picture of her survives? By the time I saw her she had been ill used repeatedly, been condemned to death and spent some time in the wretched local prison next door to the courthouse. That set or circumstances would make anyone look less than attractive. To me she looked exhausted, tired and afraid. She probably had lost some weight waiting for the court system to move as she had loose flesh around her neck. I definitely saw her BEFORE her hanging, not after. Seen enough ghosts after to know the difference.
Grant and Jason had a puzzling time with their thermal camera as they approached the jail. Jason described it as a vague humanoid figure that had burned itself into the lens of the camera until it suddenly vanished. I thought Tango and Steve did a good bit of potential debunking by superimposing Jason's outline over the figure in the thermal image to rule out Jason and Grant's reflections. The outlines didn't match up, but good thinking!
I don't have a satisfactory answer for that mysterious thermal image. The only impression I got was of a soldier watching Jason and Grant from about three-quarters of the way down the ground floor hallway of the jail as they approached the building. This ghost soldier was wondering who they were.
When Jason and Grant were on the second floor of the jail they heard numerous footsteps above their heads. One floor up was the attic of the jail. Grant stuck his head and camera up there through an access hatch but didn't see nor record anything. I saw a prisoner up there pacing the floor. I think the attic of the jail was sometimes used as solitary confinement for certain prisoner's. This particular prisoner was a soldier, an officer if his coat was any indication. It was much too fine for rank and file. Whatever trouble he was in, it upset him enough to keep him pacing the highest point of the attic over and over.
It was disappointing that TAPS didn't see or record more activity at this location. Grant had a good point, often documenting paranormal activity is a matter of being in the right place at the right time. It didn't happen to be their night.
Lynne Olson can be contacted for private readings via email at: email@example.com
(C) 2010 Lynne Olson. All rights reserved.


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A World of Wisteria
As you probably know by now, Wisteria is one of my favourite flowers. (Arguably in a brawl for first place with peonies.) I just feel that it is SO magical, that it instantly transports me into a disney movie where I'm the princess! I'm sure it's not just me...
So with my most recent wisteria painting (which is huge) I added about seven coats of paint to really give it depth and feel like you could walk right into it. I've had it drying in my bedroom waiting to put it on Etsy, and I have grown to love it more everyday that it is now going to be hard to let go of. But my house is starting to rip at the seams with art, so I have to learn to let it go, for somebody else to enjoy it. That's the thing with art though, they aren't just pictures for decoration. They have a piece of us in them, even if we haven't created them, there's some emotional bond that feels so personal. Like a secret between you both.
So here's some 'in process' photos and you can click the photos to see it on Etsy...or click here.


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There's always a lot cooking around here! We're in the process of taking over a new studio space, at the end of a pier in Sausalito — a killer spot surrounded by windows and water, and all the saltiness that keeps us attached to this place. Stay tuned for a view into the new space.
We host open studios periodically and have grand visions for the next one in our new digs. Sign up for a first look at new work, available collections, open studio announcements, pier party invites and more.


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The White Company Quote by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Clouds of insects danced and buzzed in the golden autumn light, and the air was full of the piping of the song-birds. Long, glinting dragonflies shot across the path, or hung tremulous with gauzy wings and gleaming bodies. ~ The White Company


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Securities Industry
Nationally Ranked in Securitization and Structured Finance Law by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers®.
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Bose McKinney & Evans represents local, regional and national brokerage clients in regulatory compliance and trading issues. Members of the Securities Group have assisted broker-dealers, investment advisors, investment bankers, mutual fund companies and private investment companies in compliance, dispute resolution, stockholder and investment suits, and proxy contests. We can advise on privacy programs, represent clients before the SEC, the NYSE, FINRA and state regulators, develop and review compliance manuals, prepare appropriate disclosure documents, prepare customer and clearing agreements and provide assistance with the legalities surrounding new products. Should a merger or acquisition opportunity arise between investment firms, attorneys can counsel our broker clients on the pros and cons of the potential deal.
317-684-5311 Office: Indianapolis


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Strongman Event EMG Analysis
McGill, SM, McDermott, A, and Fenwick, CMJ.
Comparison of different strongman events: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness.
J Strength Cond Res 23(4): 1148–1161, 2009
Strongman events are attracting more interest as training exercises because of their unique demands. Further, strongman competitors sustain specific injuries, particularly to the back. Muscle electromyographic data from various torso and hip muscles, together with kinematic measures, were input to an anatomically detailed model of the torso to estimate back load, low-back stiffness, and hip torque. Events included the farmer's walk, super yoke, Atlas stone lift, suitcase carry, keg walk, tire flip, and log lift. The results document the unique demands of these whole-body events and, in particular, the demands on the back and torso. For example, the very large moments required at the hip for abduction when performing a yoke walk exceed the strength capability of the hip. Here, muscles such as quadratus lumborum made up for the strength deficit by generating frontal plane torque to support the torso/ pelvis. In this way, the stiffened torso acts as a source of strength to allow joints with insufficient strength to be buttressed, resulting in successful performance. Timing of muscle activation patterns in events such as the Atlas stone lift demonstrated the need to integrate the hip extensors before the back extensors. Even so, because of the awkward shape of the stone, the protective neutral spine posture was impossible to achieve, resulting in substantial loading on the back that is placed in a weakened posture. Unexpectedly, the super yoke carry resulted in the highest loads on the spine. This was attributed to the weight of the yoke coupled with the massive torso muscle co-contraction, which produced torso stiffness to ensure spine stability together with buttressing the abduction strength insufficiency of the hips. Strongman events clearly challenge the strength of the body linkage, together with the stabilizing system, in a different way than traditional approaches. The carrying events challenged different abilities than the lifting events, suggesting that loaded carrying would enhance traditional lifting-based strength programs. This analysis also documented the technique components of successful, joint-sparing, strongman event strategies.
I hope everyone enjoyed the first blog post of the series. I thought it would be a fun to post something different that everyone may not think of as scientific. I will admit that the journal article itself is not well done, however that does not take from the fact that is different.
This is a unique study identifying a variety of factors, which contribute to lifting capabilities that strongmen possess in the events they compete in. At the time (2009) there were currently no other research articles investigating muscle activation patterns with estimates of joint loading. As Everett is well versed in, strongman events include but not limited to; Farmer's Walk (FW), Suitcase Carry (SC), Super Yolk Walk (YW), Tire Flip (TF), Log lift (LL), Atlas Stone Lift (SL), and Shoulder Keg Walk (KW). These movements are "functional" in the sense that the total body effort far surpasses the body effort required during free weight lifting and training machines. They challenge the whole musculoskeletal system in terms of both strength and physiological demand. The experiment used 3 subjects with an average age of 25 and are all actively competing. One subject is a world-classed ranked strongman. The researchers used an EMG (electromyography), 3 dimensional spine motion and external load recordings, which recorded torso stiffness, compression, and shear loading of the lumbar spine.
The following is the chart summarizing the findings mentioned above;
From the chart I have highlighted the important findings that would interest everyone from the highest to lowest forces. Now I will briefly discuss those lifts and what to keep in mind in terms of injury prevention. The findings that I want you to be aware of is that the Tire Flip causes the most torque through the spine. Some advice from me, this particular movement is when you want to really concentrate on good form (talk to Everett about proper technique). The amount of torque they are showing can destroy a spine and it's discs if not prepared for the movement, so be careful! The next major finding shows that the Super Yolk causes the greatest amount of compression in both the muscular and joint systems. For those that are already suffering from any type of disc injuries you will want to take extra care here, however for healthy backs this exercise will bullet proof your back to compression type injuries down the road. Those exercises causing the most amount of A/P (anterior to posterior or front to back) force is the Keg Walk (specifically right-sided) with the muscular system and the Farmer's Walk in the joint system. During these exercises I cannot stress the importance of creating complete core engagement, including but not limited to the abdominals, obliques, lumbar paraspinals, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles, to avoid shearing injuries in the spine.
Now for a couple interesting charts that examines the execution styles of the world-class strongman vs. amateur during a couple of the events.
This chart is examining the timing of muscle activation during the Log Lift. The column on the left side shows poor performance during the lift, which the amateur strongman activate his back muscles before the glutes. While on the right, the world-class strongman activates both back and glutes musculature at the same time. The hips are the strongest joint in the body and are important to co-contract it along with the back musculature in order to avoid injury and increase power output.
The chart above is showing the Tire Flip. The poorer performance is showing that the amateur strongman started his lift earlier and did not properly brace his abdominals, where the world-class strongman abdominally braced before he started his lift. As with most lifts, creating a strong core before the lift is important in performance and injury prevention.
You can see a general trend now. FOCUS on your body mechanics BEFORE you execute your lift. Depending on what kind of lift you do it is important to understand the biomechanics of it before you start lifting heavy. I will say I am not a strong man competitor, nor will I most likely never be one. If you have specific questions related to lifting techniques, look to Coach Sloan for advice. He is not the head of the Crossfit Strongman seminars for nothing! If you have any questions about biomechanics or any other body related question don't hesitate to stop me in the gym.
Happy New Year!
Dr. Young


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by Emma Sloley
The front gate whines like a hurt fox. Someone is out there but it's too late to hide now, whoever it is will have heard sounds from inside the house or seen my silhouette at the window. I steel myself, knowing whoever it is will be carrying the maimed, the abandoned, the lost souls. How did I get this reputation? The Florence Nightingale of broken animals. It's not how I see myself, but never mind, it's mine now. So they bring them, the injured or distressed wild creatures, they bring them around without thinking to call or text first. Hell is unannounced visitors as far as I'm concerned, but I don't have it in me to turn away those innocents who never asked to be brought here.
This time it's Ken—an affable, bearded young communist who lives in a teepee a few miles away—with a wounded crow. Ken has swaddled the crow expertly in a faded striped sheet and has it cradled to his chest like a baby. The bird's liquid black eyes are trained on the middle-distance, and it looks so much like a man trying to remain stoic in some unpleasant situation, like the dentist's chair, that I stifle a smile. It's a bad idea to anthropomorphize the animals; it doesn't help them or us.
"Hi, Heidi. Think he's a young one. Fell out of the nest maybe."
I nod and take possession of the crow. I can see one of its wings is broken. It won't live.
I offer Ken coffee.
"No thanks, need to get back to the hotel."
Ken works as a valet at one of the fancy hotels in town, the one with the hot pink walls and the pool lined with rows of sun loungers, filled during the season with beautiful tanned young men. It seems a funny job for a communist, although I suppose even Marxists need to live while they're waiting to smash the capitalist state.
After he leaves I turn to the crow, hands on hips, and say, "What are we going to do with you?"
The bird shifts in its box but avoids my eye. Its beak is so glossy I am reflected in it, a blur with a swinging ponytail.
Why did I say I'd come? I know why. Because even for me, the echoing emptiness of the high desert can sometimes get a bit much. That's why I drove twenty miles to attend this pool party in someone's immaculate midcentury-modern home at the foot of the mountains. I squeeze myself into one of my old black dresses and apply lipstick, but still I feel gauche when I see all the other guests; the men in preppy shorts and expensive watches, the women in flowing patterned maxi-dresses that sweep up red dust from the terrace.
The friend who invited me introduces me to everyone as "Heidi, the animal whisperer." I accept my role at this party is as the house novelty, the exotic recluse who lives on her own in the desert tending to doomed wild creatures. I don't blame my friend: most of the guests are screenwriters, or at least connected to Hollywood in some way, and who could resist a narrative like that?
Ken is here too, for some reason. His lips linger a little too long on my cheek when he kisses me hello in front of some friend of his, and I stifle the urge to rub where his coarse whiskers made contact. All the men have beards now, there's no use complaining. Ken asks after the crow and I shrug. What does he want: absolution? He knows as well as I do that some things can't be saved. Later in the evening I'm leaning with my back arched against the granite kitchen counter, alternating lifting each foot out of the unfamiliar torture of high heels, when I overhear Ken say to his eager companion about me: "She was very beautiful in her day."
They don't think I hear and I don't let on. But his throwaway remark shipwrecks the evening. On the way home, that in her day haunts me. Those three little words have always been used to put women in their rightful place: as the temporary custodians of beauty. There is only one season in which we are permitted to flourish, and people will line up to tell us when it's over.
Also, I'm only forty-five! But his words feel prophetic. Like when you start walking down a steep slope and at a certain point your body insists on accelerating its downward trajectory so that by the time you're halfway down you're running, arms flailing, and you can't imagine what will be left of your dignity by the time you get to the bottom.
It has been so long since I've been fucked. Not even a good fuck, but any at all. That's why I keep the card that a silver fox called John slips into my hand as he is leaving the party. One of the deep pleasures of getting older is the abandonment of ambiguity. We both understand what's going on, like spies exchanging coded messages during a war.
It would be easier to refuse. It would save us both a lot of trouble. But I say yes, I make the assignation, because I'm scared if I don't no one will ever look at me that way again.
I haven't been into town for a while, and as I drive anxiety swoops down from the mountaintop, a physical presence pressing on my sternum, stealing my breath. We meet at his house, which even from the outside has the neglected look of a vacation home. He has told me they only use it a couple of times a year. Do I imagine that he ushers me inside with a certain urgency? He closes the door behind me then wipes his hands down his pants like a schoolboy.
"Is it OK if we order in? I mean, it's just that a lot of people know me in town."
A bleakness descends, and I almost change my mind. But then he smiles, and his smile is as disarming as I remember, and he says, "I really didn't think you'd come. I convinced myself."
He looks at me so gratefully, and gratitude has always been my undoing. I smile back, take my jacket off and lay it on a chair.
He shows me around the house, and I can't tell from his manner—kind of dismissive, jokey, like he's rushing through the tour—whether he's proud or ashamed of it. On the desk in the office there's a framed photo of him with his wife and kids. The wife and children are abstracts. They are his problem, not mine. He is younger in the photo, clean-shaven, with magnificent hair and an unlined face. I have an urge to say: You were very beautiful back in your day. But why would I punish him like that with a line that doesn't even belong to him? I worry I have become ungenerous.
He is a surprisingly good lover. He attends to my needs, and when it's over he asks whether I am happy, as if he genuinely cares about the answer. I kiss him and that seems to reassure him. I don't tell him that during orgasm I always feel like I am going to die. It has always been this way, but I'm not complaining. The French understand it, that in coming some of us leave the vale of the living for a moment. It is beautiful and terrifying, this emptiness.
By the time I get home the baby crow is dead. The sheet in which Ken brought it here is now its shroud, and I bury it out the back with the others.
Emma Sloley is a journalist and fiction writer whose work has appeared in Catapult, Yemassee, the Tishman Review, Lunch Ticket, Structo, Travel + Leisure and New York magazine, among many others. She is a MacDowell fellow and her debut novel, DISASTER'S CHILDREN, will be published by Little A books in Fall 2019. Born in Australia, Emma now divides her time between the US, Mexico, and various airport lounges. You can find her on Twitter @Emma_Sloley and www.emmasloley.com


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Social Media Made This Modern Shabby Chic Condo Happen
"The whole thing took place on Skype, Viber, Pinterest… I experienced what it was like to be a virtual shopper, going through the aisles and sending them photos I took with my phone," recounts Michelle Riñosa-Dy, the interior stylist who put Randy and Kristel Pascual's modern shabby chic condo.
The owners are based outside the country, so Michelle considers this particular project her first long-distance relationship—professionally that is.
Despite the distance between the stylist and the young couple, Michelle still made sure she gets to know the owners. "It is essential for me to get to know the people I'm designing for," she shares. "Every detail helps me turn a space into something personal where items look well-chosen and homey."
So, Michelle took inspiration from the couple's lifestyle, and fused in a bit of minimalist Australian design. "Both of the owners are flight attendants…So it made sense to reflect their travels across the globe," Michelle shares. "Australian design is sunny but not too country, [it is] informal, clean, and spacious."
Michelle incorporated the hues usually used in standard classroom globes and painted the walls in light blue, pink, and green. The light palette makes the modern shabby chic condo feel cozy, inviting and warm despite its very compact size. Besides that, pastel colors are actually one of the owners' non-negotiables, along with a barn door, subway tiles, an entertainment system, and a space to hide their luggage bags.
Taking cues from the couple's checklist, Michelle replaced the regular bathroom door with a sliding barn door for better design flow in the small unit. Opposite the bathroom is the kitchen, where the bar area is next to. Above the bar are the words "eat, pray, love" requested by Kristel, and hand-drawn and digitally rendered by Michelle. A gallery of the couple's adventures also adorn the walls in the bar area.
Across, a neutral-toned sofa bed is placed in the living room, for the couple's other relatives who want to sleepover when they come to visit. In front of the sofa is the entertainment system placed behind the partition between the living room and the bedroom. As for the bedroom, Michelle elevated the floor to make room for extra storage.
When asked about Michelle's first meeting with the owners for the turnover of this modern shabby chic condo, she smiles and says, "They loved it."
This story first appeared on CondoLiving September 2016. Edits were made for CondoLiving.OneMega.com.


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Merv Peters BA, CCS
Certified Cash Flow SpecialistInsurance and Investment Broker
Financial Educator
With 20 years of experience in the financial industry, Merv has become known for helping people protect their income and grow their wealth using proven strong and reliable strategies.
Fresh Ground Financial was founded in 2013 by Merv. He recognized a need for financial education that was presented in a manner that is clear, understandable and practical. Now, after 4 years, Merv has become known throughout Manitoba for his financial education course which educates and empowers people.


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One of the season's high-end football card products will hit store shelves the week before the Super Bowl.
2009 Playoff National Treasures football will be released next week, the first time the set has been issued under the leadership of Panini America.
Typically one of the most anticipated high-end releases of the year, National Treasures focuses on autograph and game-used memorabilia cards, many from the NFL's early stars.
There are eight cards per pack, with each pack carrying an SRP of $400.
Each box/pack will contain six Autographs/Material Cards, at least three of which will contain signatures as well as two Commons/Legends/Rookies and Parallels.
Case hits will include on-card Signature Rookie Cards featuring Jumbo Prime Swatches, Souvenir Cut Signatures, Signature Embroidered Patch Cards
and on-card Signature Pen Pal Cards
On-Card Rookie Signature Rookie Cards featuring Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, Pat White, Knowshon Moreno, Mike Wallace, Donald Brown, Chris Wells, LeSean McCoy, Shonn Greene, Glen Coffee, Mohamed Massaquoi, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Michael Crabtree, Mike Thomas, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Hakeem Nicks and Kenny Britt
On-Card Signature Pen Pals Triples featuring Matthew Stafford/ Mark Sanchez/Josh Freeman, Knowshon Moreno/Chris "Beanie" Wells/Donald Brown, Darrius Heyward-Bey/Michael Crabtree/Jeremy Maclin, Knowshon Moreno/Mohamed Massaquoi/Matthew Stafford
On-Card Signature Pen Pals Quads featuring Matthew Stafford/ Mark Sanchez/Josh Freeman/Pat White, Knowshon Moreno/Chris "Beanie" Wells/Donald Brown/LeSean McCoy, Percy Harvin/Darrius Heyward-Bey/Michael Crabtree/Jeremy Maclin, Mathew Stafford/Mark Sanchez/Michael Crabtree/Jeremy Maclin, Matthew Stafford/Knowshon Moreno/Michael Crabtree/Brandon Pettigrew, Knowshon Moreno/Chris "Beanie" Wells/Michael Crabtree/Jeremy Maclin
College Game-Used Signature Materials Cards featuring Roger Staubach (Navy), Barry Sanders (Oklahoma St), Dan Marino (Pittsburgh), Lawrence Taylor (North Carolina), Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh), Marcus Allen (USC), Steve Largent (Tulsa), John Elway (Stanford) and Peyton Manning (Tennessee)
Timeline Signature Materials Custom Names and Team Name Cards featuring Dan Marino, Brett Favre, John Elway, Barry Sanders, Jim Brown, Joe Namath, Troy Aikman, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice
Souvenir Cuts featuring Beattie Feathers, Benny Friedman, Brian Piccolo, Doak Walker, Geroge Halas, Johnny Unitas, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Sammy Baugh, Sid Luckman, Vince Lombardi, Alfred Hitchcock, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Gerald Ford, Jack Dempsey, Jimmy Stewart, Joe Louis, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Ronald Reagan and Walter Hagen
Signature Embroidered Patch Cards featuring Bart Starr, Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Paul Hornung, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Joe Montana and Joe Namath.
Playoff National Treasures on eBay


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2019 MV-22 Osprey Demonstration Schedule Released
Another year, another light schedule for the MV-22 Osprey. You're going to have to get really lucky to see it fly this year. Here's the 2019 schedule for the MV-22 Osprey:
2019 Schedule:
May 25-26 - Miami Beach, FL
July 4 - St. Louis, MO
August 16-18 - Chicago, IL
August 23-25 - Ottumwa, IA


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Jenna Stempel-Lobell, Collaborating with T.S. Abe & Billelis for Ibi Zoboi's Pride
HarperCollins cover designer Jenna Stempel-Lobell looked to both old covers and modern art to create the cover for one of her latest projects, American Street author Ibi Zoboi's second novel Pride, a novel "especially suited" to her "typical design process."
According to Entertainment Weekly, Zoboi's latest book features Zuri Benitez, "a young woman with four wild sisters who's contending with a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood" and wants nothing to do with the teenage sons of the wealthy Darcy family who moves in across the street.
"Pride is an #ownvoices modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice and is set in present-day Bushwick, so there was a substantial amount of Jane Austen covers from which to take inspiration," said Stempel-Lobell. "I drooled over the recent leather- and cloth- bound reissues of traditional Western literary classics before creating a half-dozen initial comps that all tried to connect those refined drop-caps and pattern-driven covers with the spirited character of our protagonist Zuri Benitez."
Stempel-Lobell looked first to painter Kehinde Wiley, a New York-based visual artist who made headlines as the mastermind behind President Obama's official portrait earlier this year.
"[Wiley's] paintings echo this novel by quoting the same Western historical canon to address the current status of African-Americans," explained Stempel-Lobell.
Unfortunately, Wiley was busy painting President Obama's portrait at the time, and Stempell-Lobell wasn't working with "a Jay-Z budget."
"However, Jay-Z did provide a really cool album cover for his 2011 collaboration with Kanye West," she said. "The case art for Watch the Throne, designed by Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci, has been floating around in my brain for years, and was the thread that lead me to reference the historical tin ceilings we see in Brooklyn brownstones. From there, I pulled a bunch of plaster ceiling moldings from stock photography to comp up the idea and imagined our two lovebirds memorialized in bronze."
She commissioned artist T.S. Abe to draw two portraits based on the descriptions from the manuscript, and then had Billelis, a UK-based freelance 3D illustrator and art director who has collaborated with Nike, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Coca Cola, and Red Bull in the past, render everything in 3D.
"I could not be more pleased with their execution," said Stempel-Lobell, adding that the graffiti-like lettering "worked well to preserve" the book as an object.
"I didn't want to set type over the art in a way that flattened the three-dimensionality," she said.
Billelis was similarly pleased with the spray-painted title.
"I really enjoyed the urban influence on the typography," he said, citing Pride as one of his favorite projects. "It was a unique challenge taking T.S. Abe's illustrations and sculpting them in 3D. In all honesty, I think I say yes to every book project so far because they are simply so exciting and allow me creative freedom and a colloborative relationship with the client."
In addition to T.S. Abe and Billelis, Stempel-Lobell was joined by her art director Alison Donalty, who provided "crucial feedback;" editor Alessandra Balzer; and Zoboi herself, who proved "such an invaluable guide in the character details."
The experience left Stempell-Lobell "energized by innovative packaging."
"As someone with somewhat of an art history background, I found it gratifying to design a jacket inspired by modern art," she said. "I hope the cover, like the novel, is a fresh take on a classic."
Pride will be released on Sept. 18, 2018 from Balzer + Bray.
Hiba Tahir is a YA author, a freelance journalist, and an MFA candidate in poetry at the University of Arkansas.


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National Emblem March
These pieces (in Noteworthy Composer format) are for private use only. You may download them for your own personal use. You may NOT market them for monetary gain. You may NOT use the scores to give a public performance unless you have the permission of the copyright holder/user who submitted the file. You will find the contact details in this file. If you are having difficulties, please contact for further advice. For more information on copyright, please read this.
bagnatem.nwc (June 2000) 6 kB
|Full name of work:
|National Emblem March
|Bagley, E.E.
|Music category:
|Marches, anthems
|Name of file creator:
|William D. Dyer
|e-mail address:
|wddyer "at" nwol "dot" net
|Running time:


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Bedford fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) building materials offer the strength of steel but resists corrosion or rot. In addition to a range of FRP structural shapes and profiles, the company now has a selection of US-Coast-Guard-approved phenolic molded and pultruded grating. FRP is strong yet lightweight, which allows for transportation efficiency. It can also be installed with standard tools. Electrically nonconductive and nonsparking, the material can be used for oil rigs and refineries because it resists corrosion, humidity, and impact damage. Fire-retardant and no-slip options are available.
For more information, visit www.bedfordreinforced.com
Don't miss out on the latest technology delivered to your email every two weeks. Sign up for the OGF newsletter. If you are not logged in, you will receive a confirmation email that you will need to click on to confirm you want to receive the newsletter.


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Changes in the federal tax laws have provided a renewed focus on state income taxes and strategies available to minimize these taxes.While personal trusts have been used most commonly as estate and gift tax planning vehicles, they now have increased importance as tools for minimizing a family's federal and state income tax liability.
Tax Strategies
43 Results
Tax Reform Opportunities for Business Owners One-Year Post Tax Reform
As a business owner, it's important to understand how the new tax law changes can work to your advantage. Hear from our experts on current opportunities they see one year in under the new law.Please see important disclosures at the end of the video.
Making Your Charitable Estate Plan Great Again
An overview of an important presentation at the 53rd Annual Heckerling Institute on tax saving strategies when making charitable gifts.As a result of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the estimated number of itemizers has dropped from 37 million to 16 million.This is largely due to the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction and the increasedstandard deduction.


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Building Project Discussion and Updates from the Informal August 5th Parish Meeting/
The completion of the final site work has been delayed due to the amount of rain that has fallen in recent weeks. The installation of flooring in particular has been delayed by the high humidity of the air in the crawl space under the church. Seeding of the grass parking lot has also been delayed because of the rain. Instead of seeding, the church is now planning to move forward with laying sod, since it is too late in the season for seeded grass to securely take root. Landscaping of the property should commence shortly, as soon as the grading is finished. At this time it looks like we should be able to move into the new church by Labor Day weekend.
We are currently projected to be $90,000 under budget on the current phase of construction. $280,000 remains on our line of credit, and we should have $200,000 left on hand after the current phase of the construction is complete, with $350-400,000 projected to be on hand by the end of the year.
The Augusta Arbor property is on sale for $425,000 after having been assessed at $350,000 in 2011. We have an interested lessee who we are presenting a lease agreement that would pay us $2000 a month as well as cover utilities and other costs for the Augusta Arbor property, and that would include an option for the lessee to buy, perhaps with incentives.
Options for a Parish Hall Discussed
Two main options were discussed:
1) Buy a roughly 1600 square foot mobile unit (double wide trailer) for $50-75,000, which would be used for fellowship and office space until we could build a parish hall. It would likely take a couple months to get the mobile unit approved and in place. Until the mobile unit was in place, a tent could perhaps be used for fellowship and Sunday school.
2) Look into building an "event barn", an open structure with the frame of a barn (see examples here), which would be a permanent parish hall solution. The event barn would be 4200 square feet (the full square footage approved by the county for a parish hall) and would cost $450-475,000 to build. The barn would take around 6 months to finish, and it was proposed that in the intervening time a tent could be set up to host a simplified version of coffee hour and to accommodate Sunday school.
At the meeting, a vast majority in an informal vote were in favor of moving ahead with option 2 in the form of the first step of the event barn construction process: asking area event barn builders, which have been identified, to provide plans and estimates for our own custom event barn, which would be tailored to the parish's needs. This would cost an estimated $20,000 and take a month or two, but would require no further commitment from the church. Once plans were presented, the church would decide whether or not to move forward with construction. Till the event barn is constructed or decided against (likely meaning that the church would instead purchase a mobile unit), coffee hour and church school would be held in an on-site tent.
Several cautioned against making a "final decision" before we are in the new church and know what we might like to spend on finishing the interior before moving ahead with a parish hall solution.
During the week of August 19th, Fr. Marcus will be moving his office to the Synesis International offices just down the street from the new church building, courtesy of Ricardo Studart.
The Bishop's visit is planned for October 12th-13th.
Big question for the future: which parish hall solution will have us prepared for Pascha?


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Cubs President Theo Epstein on Wednesday declined comment on an WMVP-AM 1000 report that pitching coach Jim Hickey will not return in 2019.
"That's not a subject I'm able to address at this point," Epstein said at the general managers meetings in Carlsbad, Calif.
Epstein said the Cubs aren't ready to announce the coaching staff right now, but he did not elaborate. The on-air report was unclear about whether Hickey was going to be let go or reassigned in the organization.
The Cubs coaching staff already has undergone changes since the wild-card loss to the Rockies last month. Hitting coach Chili Davis was fired, and assistant Andy Haines left for the top batting coach position with the Brewers. Epstein announced Monday that the team would not discuss a possible extension with manager Joe Maddon until at or near the end of his deal next season.
It looks like chaos from the outside, though Epstein took pains Wednesday to avoid putting the blame for the disappointing ending on the coaches.
"We talked to Chili the other day," he said. "Outstanding hitting coach. It just didn't work with our guys. With 'Hick,' we got off to a little shaky start with our starting pitching, but that became a strength of the club by the end of the year and our bullpen was really solid all year. Our pitching really wasn't the issue last year. It was our second-half offense."
Hickey, who was Maddon's pitching coach with the Rays, was hired last winter to replace Chris Bosio, the longtime coach who was instrumental in the Cubs rebuild. Bosio was fired at the start of a coaching purge that also saw third-base coach Gary Jones and hitting coach John Mallee let go.
Davis was fired after only one season for lacking communication with key players and Rangers hitting coach Anthony Iapoce, who Mallee once mentored, replaced him.
Cubs minor-league pitching coordinator Brendan Sagara has been interviewed for a pitching coach vacancy for another major-league team, a source said. Whether Sagara's future factors into the Cubs decision on Hickey is unknown.
The Cubs pitching staff fared well under Hickey, statistically speaking. It ranked third in the majors with a 3.65 ERA, despite poor numbers from free-agent acquisitions Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood, neither of whom was in the rotation by the end of the year because of injuries (Darvish) or inconsistency (Chatwood).
The Cubs bullpen ranked second in the majors with a 3.35 ERA, even though it had to adjust to a bone bruise injury that sidelined closer Brandon Morrow the second half.
Epstein put the blame squarely on himself for his offseason signings.
"Incomplete would be the kindest thing I could say," he said. "I think there are a lot of talented players here that we didn't get off to a great starts with in their time as Cubs.
"But we're digging in and working really hard, as the players are, to try to turn that around. Steve Cishek obviously pitched really well and had a great transition. But obviously Darvish got hurt, Chatwood lost his control and we need to fix those things — get Darvish healthy and effective, and Chatwood, we have to turn last year into a real aberration. …
"Our offseason moves should not be evaluated well at all. Our in-season moves were pretty darn good. We'll try to have a pretty good offseason this time."
The Cubs have had a strange offseason for a 95-win team that made the postseason for the fourth straight year. Epstein's decision to let Maddon enter 2019 without a contract extension has led to speculation he's not a part of the long-term picture.
Maddon is fine with the decision, according to his agent, Alan Nero, who believes the media is blowing the story out of proportion.
Epstein disagreed.
"You guys have the right to cover any aspect of the organization any way you want," Epstein said. "You guys asked if we're going to extend Joe this winter, and I said 'no.'
"I believe in being honest and giving you guys information when we can. Look, to me the story is I'm excited about Joe being all in on 2019 and being right in the middle of everything going on with the team — deepening his relationship with players and being incredibly committed as he is to getting the most out of these guys. …
"He's sort of renewed and rejuvenated and ready to attack the season and we're all there to support him and do the same. I'm really excited about that.
"When I say we're not giving him a contract this winter, that's not punitive at all. And it's not a foreshadowing of changing managers per se, either. It's just a decision we've made. The focus is on all of us, doing what we can to get the most out of 2019 and evaluating from there."
Still, Maddon's overall success in Chicago, including the 2016 championship season, makes some wonder why there is a question at all about giving him an extension.
"Situations are dynamic," Epstein replied, adding he had "no qualm" over waiting until the end of his five-year deal for an extension.
"I know it's a little bit different — a front office and a manager," he said. "I understand that. But Joe (believes) a contract is a contract. We get it. 'Let's go. Can't wait for the season.' And that's how I feel."
Twitter @PWSullivan


text: Air cleaning services in Church Hill offer design, build and operation and installation of indoor air purification systems. This is achieved by using many different products, based on the ambient air quality, the usage of the indoor space, and the level of purification desired. Some equipment commonly used include home air cleaners, electrostatic furnace filters, whole house HEPA filters, chemical gas vapor filters, odor neutralizers, charcoal filters, dehumidifiers, negative ion generators, and air testing services, along with Biohazard HEPA filters, scanned 99.999% DOP HEPA filters etc. for more rigorous purification. Another major consideration during the present times is the environment-friendliness of the products used. Thus, many such equipment and services are certified "green" now. These products usually come with a warranty and maintenance. Some commercial spaces utilizing air cleaning includes fraternal organizations, private clubs, billiard or bingo halls, beauty shops or nail salons, casinos, restaurants and nightclubs.


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Here are Cowboys' Insider Jean-Jacques Taylor's 10 thoughts on the Cowboys' 37-9 loss to Philadelphia.
1. The NFL is all about trends. There are no coincidences. The Cowboys have been outscored 47-0 in the second half of their last two games, and Jason Garrett must figure it out or this season will crater quickly.
2. The Cowboys must find a way to get big plays in their passing game. l because that's how you score points. They did not have one in 32 attempts last year.
3. It's clear Jaylon Smith plays better when he's on the field between 25-30 plays. Any more than that, and Smith struggles.
4. Anthony Hitchens will have a MRI on his strained groin Monday. He will probably miss Thursday's game along with Sean Lee.
5. Tyron Smith had one hurdle to clear on game day before the Cowboys would clear him to play. He couldn't clear it, so he didn't play.
6. Alfred Morris did a good job running the ball, but he doesn't change how defenses play like Elliott does because he doesn't frighten them.
7. The Cowboys came close several times but couldn't sack Carson Wentz. It's the first time this season they didn't get a sack.
8. There's no way you can win in the NFL with Prescott averaging 4.6 yards an attempt and 6.7 this season.
9. Ryan Switzer had his best game, and he looked assertive on kickoff returns averaging 36.8 yards with a long of 61 yards.
10. Dez Bryant has gone 16 games without a 100-yard game and averaged 4.5 per route and 7.9 per catch.


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Many people think unless they have symptoms of diabetes such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, or pain and/or numbness in their feet or hands, they will not develop complications. What is just as important to know is blood sugars can be high without any of the usual symptoms of diabetes and can be doing harm to your vessels in the eye, kidney, heart, or damage nerves leading to the feet or hands, without a person knowing it is happening. According to the California Department of Public Health, in California, approximately 1.5 million or 5% of our adult population has diabetes but doesn't know it.
Are you aware of the risk factors for diabetes?
Age 40 or older
Immediate family member with diabetes
Being obese ( generally 30-40 pounds or more about ideal weight)
Had diabetes during pregnancy
Being Male
Being diagnosed with high blood pressure
Being physically inactive
If you have 2 or more or the above risk factors, check with your doctor to see if additional testing is needed. Prevention is the key. With awareness and some simple lifestyle changes, diabetes can be controlled and one's quality of life can be maintained or improved. Developing complications can often be minimized or avoided, if detected and acted upon early.


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Galvanized Pipe Replacement
Houston's Preferred Repiping Company
We do repipes and we do 'em right.
Houston's Preferred Repiping Company
We do repipes and we do 'em right.
Your home has galvanized water supply pipes? And you are experiencing:
Rusty-colored water
Decreased water pressure
Small pinhole leaks
The aforementioned are the telltale signs that its time to repipe. Call We Do Repipes today st 832-819-8337 for a plumbing evaluation and a no obligation quote to replace your galvanized pipes.
Ranked 5 Star on Yelp | BBB Accredited | Licensed & Insured
Free no obligation quotes with price matching
1-2 day repiping process using the best materials
Warranties on workmanship*
Budget-friendly financing available
Houstonian owned and operated
Galvanized iron pipes are actually steel pipes that are covered with a protective layer of zinc. Galvanized pipes were installed in many homes that were built before the 1960s. Over many years, zinc erodes from galvanized pipes exposing the steel. The steel then starts to rust or corrode.
Find where your piping enters your home and scratch it. If the piping is galvanized steel, the scratched area will be a silver-gray color and have threads on each end.
Houston area residents should consider replacing their plumbing if they have corroded (galvanized) plumbing and have or had a lead service line. We Do Repipes can send out a professional to help you determine if your pipes need to be replaced. If replacing your pipes is not an immediate option, it is recommended you install a NSF certified filter that removes lead at the tap or a pitcher filter are also acceptable alternatives. Call today 832-819-8337.
Repiping can eliminate many home plumbing problems. Galvanized pipe corrosion, rusting pipes, pipe leaks, rusty water, brown water and low water pressure are all signs your home is in need of a repipe.
We perform repipes or pipe replacement to avoid costly damage to your home. If you need to replace galvanized pipes, we recommend PEX (cross linked polyethylene pipe) for your repipe. PEX installation is the quickest and cleanest method for repiping. We only use high quality uponor PEX to repipe. Call today for a no obligation quote 832-819-8337.
Repiping is a process of installing a water supply system. This process usually includes removing old readily accessible pipe and then installing the new plumbing system. Included in the process is the installation of new uponor PEX water supply lines. After the new piping system is installed the water is turned back on, the system is pressure tested and then flushed out. The repiping process takes 1-3 days to install the new piping system. After the actual plumbing replacement, there will be some required wall patching.
A professional site inspection is critical to a successful repiping process. Standard repiping projects include installation of all new hot and cold domestic water piping from the water source to all existing faucets and fixtures. Unless specifically included in the proposal, drain replacement and fixtures are not included in a repipe. Call today for a no obligation quote 832-819-8337.
PEX plumbing systems are installed more often in new home construction than copper and CPVC systems combined. This is because PEX is more durable, more reliable and a cleaner option for a home's plumbing system. PEX-a is the most flexible of all PEX types.
Its shape and thermal memory allows the use of ProPEX expansion fittings which are the only fitting system that actually gets stronger over time – making it highly leak resistant.
PEX is the more affordable and contemporary option for repiping. Uponor's pex is a lead-free plumbing system from inlet to faucet, providing you and your family a safe, clean and healthy system for transporting water.
Call today for a no obligation quote 832-819-8337.
Mike J. from Champion Forest
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This company just did a complete Repipe for me this week. They did what they said they would do, when they said they would do it, and how they said they would do it. I was frankly dreading this project, but they executed flawlessly with attention to detail and multiple quality control inspections to make sure the job was done properly. I hope I never have to do this again, but if I do I'll just be making one phone call to this company!
To read more reviews, see our Review page.


text:
A quick rewind in our progress on the BIG LIST. Every once in a while, I come across another film that should be on the list that I missed when I made it last year.
So, this film is The Magic Serpent (1966).
My 11-year-old son, James, goes first:
Well, this one is one of the most horrible movies, they copied from Daimajin, but that's not it, one of the main characters gets his head chopped off and then he's the headless magic man and picks up his head. And one of the kaiju is a frog? Seriously?
So, rating wise, i'll say 0.888856 out of 5 Atomic Farts of Awfulness!My turn:
As stated in our reviews for the Daimajin trilogy, I'm a sucker for samurai-style pictures, particularly of the Kurosawa variety. So I enjoy feudal era tales.
Just like two-thirds of the Daimajin films (which came out the same year ... hmmmmm), this one involves a benevolent lord who is betrayed. The son is on the run and grows up in exile. Then he returns and exacts some measure of revenge.
That's the basic framework. Throw in some wizards and ninjas and you've got Magic Serpent. Like the equally unfortunate Orochi, The Eight-Headed Dragon, this film is based on a famous tale from Japanese history. It earns its place on the list thanks to the presence of guys in suits fighting the battles.
The lead bad guy is the dragon and the main protagonist is the giant horned frog (seen above). They are goofy. Beyond goofy. To top it all off, the sound effects for the giant animals are reuses of Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan sounds.
The model work is pretty good, even if the suits aren't. The acting is ... there. The music is often unnecessarily audacious. The hair: just look at the poster.
All of that plus some proto-Crouching Tiger wire-fu fight scenes and you've got yourself a movie.
The Magic Serpent ... it's goofy, but not much fun. 1.75 out of five atomic breath blasts.No trailer, but here's the fight scene between the frog and the titular dragon:
Up next, Godzilla 2000, for real.


text: The story I started in 2006 was offered as an additional object of desire during the great Spell Saga Kickstarter of 2014. While I get the final revised draft ready for download this year, people of any creed or nationality may now peruse the original rough draft, and every subsequent revision on my patreon page. It feels super very strange to share this thing after years of talking about it on Twitter and then sitting on it while Spell Saga and Merry Men took over. it you don't want to pay me shit, there's still cool stuff to see on the page. Go look. -mE. Cover Art by Weshoyot Alvitre. Todd RogersJanuary 8, 2015 Facebook0 Twitter