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The White House President George W. Bush |
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 9, 2004
Dr. Rice Previews President's Trip to Mexico
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
DR. RICE: Happy New Year. On Monday, the President and the First Lady will travel to Monterrey, Mexico for the Special Summit of the Americas. There, the President will meet with the other democratically elected leaders from the region to build on the progress we've made in strengthening democracy and promoting greater prosperity in the hemisphere.
The leaders will discuss their commitment and support to economic growth, especially as it pertains to the private sector and small businesses; ways to reduce the level of poverty in the hemisphere; how to improve the lives of citizens, specifically focusing on education; and also, how to address critical health issues, such as the pandemic of AIDS.
In a hemisphere where only one country, Cuba, remains uncommitted to the principles of democracy, President Bush will have an opportunity to remind his fellow leaders of the benefit of free and open markets and open societies, and the importance of transparent elections. He will also emphasize the need for countries to fight corruption and to consider concrete actions against those corrupt individuals who seek safe haven in their countries. Efforts to fight corruption will help strengthen democracy in the hemisphere.
The President will begin the official work of the summit by a meeting with President Vicente Fox of Mexico. Among other topics, I expect that they will discuss immigration, initiatives to make our borders more secure, and the economic relationship between Mexico and the United States.
Following the meeting with President Fox, the President will meet President Lagos of Chile, and then attend the inauguration ceremony of the Special Summit. At the inauguration ceremony, the President will deliver remarks addressing the strategic areas that I've outlined above. The inauguration ceremony will be followed by a plenary session. And later in the day, the President will meet with President Lula of Brazil. That evening, the President and Mrs. Fox will attend a dinner hosted by President and Mrs. Fox.
Tuesday morning, the President will have a breakfast meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada, Prime Minister Martin. The President looks forward to his first meeting with the Prime Minister and to discussing a wide range of issues important to both our countries. The President will attend the second plenary session on Tuesday morning, and will later meet with President Kirchner of Argentina.
The President will conclude his work in Monterrey with a final plenary session and a meeting with President Mesa of Bolivia. The President and Mrs. Bush will then depart Monterrey for Washington, D.C.
Now I'm happy to take your questions.
Q The meeting with the President of Mexico, could you describe how you -- the state of relations between the President and President Fox now, after the strains over Iraq and tensions over immigration? Do you think that this is a meeting to repair relations?
DR. RICE: Oh, Terry, I think we're well past that. They've had a couple of very good conversations, including one just the other day. Obviously, we went through a difficult time about Iraq, but the relationship with Mexico is one of our most important, one of our closest. We are cooperating daily on border matters, on fighting narcotics, on fighting to make the borders more secure. We've just had an extraordinary period of cooperation in this period of heightened threat with Mexican officials. I think Tom Ridge meets very often with his Mexican counterpart.
And, of course, they will have an opportunity to talk about the President's immigration proposals for a temporary worker program, which I think fulfills many of the principles that they first enunciated when they first met here in Washington a couple of years ago. The President said then -- in fact, they had talked when they were both governors about the importance of recognizing the economic contribution of these people. The President believes that it is a proposal that makes economic sense for the United States and that is also humane.
So we have a big agenda with Mexico. Of course, NAFTA has been an organizing principle for not just the relationship with Mexico, but also a trilateral relationship with Canada and Mexico. And so we have a lot of work to do. The relations are good, and I expect the meeting to be as fulsome as their meetings have been in the past.
Q What can you tell us about the reception that the Mexicans have given to the immigration proposal? We know what you're saying about it. It was not clear to the extent to which they thought it was a workable solution and would meet their concerns, aside from the humanitarian aspect, which seems to be fairly apparent.
DR. RICE: What the President is doing with this proposal --and we all have to remember that there is -- most of this has to be worked out with the Congress. This is not something that the executive branch does by fiat. And the Congress will have views. There are lots of proposals on the Hill that people will be working with, and so we also have to work with Congress. But we do have to work with the Mexican government, as well, to make something like this work.
But the -- it is a very sound and feasible and reasonable proposal that finally addresses what has been a festering problem in the United States for a very long time. And the President comes to this, I think, with the understanding of a border governor, as governor of Texas, of how corrosive this kind of problem can be. He comes to it with an understanding that the American economy, in effect, has been helped by these people, and that if you can match willing workers with willing employers, that you are both doing a good thing for the employee, but also for the employer, because these are jobs that Americans have not been willing to take.
And, finally, with the Mexicans, the broader discussion always has to be about why people are risking life and limb in the way that they are to come to the United States. And that's why the progress made in something like NAFTA is so important, because, ultimately, these people who are clearly ambitious and want to feed their families ought to be able to feed their families in Mexico as that economy improves. And so the growth of the Mexican economy, the ability for Mexico to keep its own workers home, the ability for people to circulate in the meantime between the Mexican and American economies -- these are all things that I think they share in common. And so we've gotten good response from the Mexicans, and obviously, there's a lot to work on to make it work.
Q Argentina still hasn't exactly taken the advice of the IMF, in terms of restructuring its debt. Is the administration satisfied with the pace of reforms in Argentina and its efforts to restructure debt?
DR. RICE: Well, we are in constant discussion with Argentina about the need to be very careful to meet the terms that it had signed on with the IMF for and that they're now working on this second letter of agreement. I believe that there's a good chance they will get there, because everybody wants to see the Argentine economy recover; everybody wants to see Argentina deal with the very difficult debt overhang that it has. But there have to be some difficult decisions and some difficult steps taken by Argentina. And the President will say that again when he meets with President Kirchner.
But there are ongoing negotiations between the IMF and the World Bank -- I'm sorry, the IMF and Argentina, and we are monitoring them. But I don't want to comment specifically about them, they are between Argentina and the IMF. What we're doing is encouraging Argentina to take the difficult decisions that it needs to take.
Q Dr. Rice, the Canadian government was unhappy when the list of countries that were eligible for the prime contracts in Iraq came out, and then the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chretien, said that when he spoke to the President, he was told not to worry, leading to the impression that this somehow would be changed. Do you see any progress or change on that front when the President meets with the new Prime Minister?
DR. RICE: There are several aspects of the contracting that is going to -- there will be about $5 million let -- $5 billion let in contracts very soon. And that will go with the list that is there. But, of course, subcontracts, which will undoubtedly make up a good part of that, are open to everyone.
Moreover, not everything is going to be let at once, and as further contracts are let, as further funds are released over the next several months, then we can review in some detail the circumstances and the changed circumstances for different countries. And I think that we will talk to the Canadians about this. I think there's some understanding of where we're going.
Q There is criticism that the President's plan for temporary immigration aids employers more than workers, and that it's merely a means of deporting millions of foreign workers after three years. How do you think the Congress will deal with this plan?
DR. RICE: Well, first of all, remember that this is expected to be a status that is renewable; as long as you have a job, it would be renewable. We would fully expect that eventually people will want to go home. People tend to want to do that. The President has talked about letting people be able to keep some of their own money so that that can be a reality.
And I can't think of anything better for a worker who has worked under these circumstances, kind of in the shadows in the United States, to finally have a way to come out of the shadows, to have certain protections that are not there now because they're having to live in the shadows, to have recognized that they are an important part of a strong American economy, and to get that kind of status.
Now, the important thing about this is that it strikes an important balance, because there are some who talk about amnesty -- the President simply believes that an automatic path to citizenship out of illegal behavior is not appropriate, but to recognize these people's status, to give them a way to come out of the shadows, to give them a way to play a role in the American economy, and most importantly then, making a living for themselves, and the dignity -- of themselves and their families -- and then the dignity that goes with that, I think it's a great opportunity for the workers and, of course, it benefits the American economy, as well.
Q Dr. Rice, is one part of your agenda with President Fox talking about dealing with or preventing a rush of illegal immigration in anticipation of this opportunity? And, also, do you mind elaborating on what the President will ask other leaders to do, as far as fighting corruption?
DR. RICE: On fighting corruption -- which, by the way, I think it's the World Bank that has called corruption a tax on economic growth, and therefore, a tax on the poor. I mean, the fact is when you have the kind of situation in which things are being skimmed off, you really are taxing economic growth. And so good governance has been a part of the President's agenda for development and growth, and he will talk to people about that.
It really means having a strong ethic of that at home for all of these countries, having laws and means of enforcement that are important, shining a light on corruption where it takes place, cooperating when there is information to be had about corruption, making clear that it is simply not acceptable to be corrupt and to be in leadership in business or in government.
And they've had these discussions before, and what this summit will do is to move that agenda forward and to continue to talk about these issues. But I think that people understand that good governance is at the core of economic development and growth. And, of course, when the President put up the Millennium Challenge Account as a different way of thinking about development assistance, along with, over the next three years, a 50 percent increase in American development assistance, it was to use development assistance to reward good governance, not just as a reward, but as a recognition that unless you have good governance, you will not grow.
Q On Argentina, there have been some tensions between Argentina and the United States on several fronts, not only Cuba, recently, but also immunity for American soldiers, and economics. How would you characterize today the relationship between the two countries? And what do you expect of the meeting between Bush and Kirchner?
DR. RICE: I think that we have had a really very good relationship with Argentina, particularly recognizing that Argentina has been through some extremely difficult economic times in the last couple of years, and that the United States has been very supportive of trying to help Argentina emerge from those difficulties.
Of course, Argentina would benefit greatly in terms of its growth when we make movement forward on a free trade agreement for the Americas. And so it's not the easiest thing to do, but it is something that I think that we should discuss and keep moving forward on.
In any relationship there are policy differences. But it does not get in the way of the fact that Argentina is an important country in Latin America; it's a country that emerged from a very dark past of authoritarianism and oppression, to emerge as a democracy. And that's a great story that the President celebrates with Argentina's leadership whenever he sees them. We had a very good meeting with President Kirchner here. I expect that we will have a very good meeting with him there.
And let me just say a word more broadly about the hemisphere. When you look back to the late 1970s or the early to mid-1980s, and you think of the number of juntas that were in power, the number of civil wars that were going on, economies that were collapsing completely, all over the place, and you look now at the fact that with the exception of Cuba, you have democracies in place in all of these places, and the road, at least, the road ahead for better economic growth and good governance, it's quite a remarkable story. And that's been a partnership between the United States and Latin America.
I would note that on Cuba, it is our hope that the fact that at the Organization of American States there's one empty chair, and that's because Cuba cannot fill it because of its lack of democracy, and because at the Summit of America, Cuba cannot go because it cannot hope to fulfill the democracy clause, that that is recognized and talked about. Because the people of Cuba need to know that they've not been forgotten by their hemispheric brethren.
Q Do you anticipate a new set of agreements on corruption emerging from the summit? And can you -- well, go ahead.
DR. RICE: I was just going to say, this is something that I think will be worked over time. No, I don't expect that you're going to have -- but what you do is you establish the agenda, and then over a period of time come to more concrete ways to express that.
But this is an agenda, the Summit of Americas agenda, that has been moving very effectively on a number of fronts and this is really a new element -- they've talked about it before -- but an element on which they'll place more emphasis. And I think over time, you'll see that ways of actually cooperating to combat corruption will begin to emerge.
Q And then on immigration and Mexico, do you anticipate that Mexico will take steps, itself, on its side of the border to improve border security and corruption while the U.S. is moving -- is there an anticipated level of change? Can you describe that?
DR. RICE: Yes. We will really need to have the Mexican government continue and increase its efforts in this area. And, you know, the Mexican government doesn't like to see people trying to cross the border illegally, particularly because, just in even humanitarian terms, the harshness of what faces these people when they try to walk across the Rio Grande, so to speak, is really, really awful. And it has been a problem that Mexico has identified.
We have increasing border cooperation. One of the advantages of some of the work that we've done really coming out of the September 11th period, post-September 11th period, is it has accelerated some of the ideas that were there for smart borders and for better technology on the borders which will help with some of the larger-scale problems, like some of the smuggling that goes on. It will by no means solve the problem on what is a huge border, but some of those efforts will even help. And, yes, we will, I think, need to have even better efforts on borders.
Q Dr. Rice, you have stressed that democracy is one of the main objectives of this meeting, of the summit. Venezuela is going through a very serious problem on their democracy, whether the referendums will take place or not. Venezuela is a very important supplier of oil to the United States. I see among the five bilateral meetings that are scheduled -- with Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia; I don't see Venezuela.
What I want to ask you is, what are the present relations between Washington and Caracas? And, number two, what do you think of the role President Chavez is playing in Latin America, especially in South America?
DR. RICE: Well, President Chavez has an opportunity to demonstrate that he believes in democratic processes by allowing this recall to go through unhindered, unfettered, and then living up to the terms of it. And that's what people are asking him to do.
Venezuela -- you're right -- is going through a very tough period in terms of its own democratic development. But there are other countries that have gone through those difficult periods and emerged. I would just point to Peru a few years ago and what the Organization of American States was able to do in rallying around democratic forces in Peru to make sure that Peru did not go off the path of democracy. And now you have, of course, in President Toledo, a democratic-elected, hardworking President of Peru that is trying to do all the things for his people that any democratically-elected government would try to do.
And so, yes, Venezuela is going through a difficult period of time. We're working very closely with the Organization of American States; we're working very closely with the non-governmental organizations, like the Carter Center, that are there trying to ensure that this process goes off without interference. And the best thing that President Chavez could do at this point is to demonstrate that he believes in a democratic future for Venezuela by carrying out the wishes of his people in this regard.
Q I have a follow-up question. Mr. Chavez has a very special relationship with Fidel Castro.
DR. RICE: Yes.
Q Some people think of it as an --
DR. RICE: Yes.
Q -- and he is playing roles in various countries --
DR. RICE: And not all -- there are roles that Venezuela has played that have not been very helpful. And we have talked to them about it. I think the Colombians, in particular, have had some concerns about activities that Venezuela may have been involved in. So, of course, those are the kinds of things that need to be raised with the Venezuelans, need to be raised by the neighbors with the Venezuelans, and I think will be.
And it is beyond me to understand why anybody who believes in democracy or wants people to believe that they believe in democracy would want to have anything, in that regard, to do with Fidel Castro, because that's the one truly undemocratic regime in the region.
Q Dr. Rice, a senior Syrian military intelligence official says that Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological, into Syria in February and March of last year, before the war started. He has documentation and cites three sites within the country, says he has maps and proof that it's there. Does the U.S. know that to be true? Does the U.S. believe that to be true?
DR. RICE: We're going to follow every lead on what may have happened here. I don't think we are at the point that we can make a judgment on this issue. There hasn't been any hard evidence that such a thing happened. But obviously we're going to follow up every lead, and it would be a serious problem if that, in fact, did happen.
Q Can you press Syria to let you look at the sites?
DR. RICE: We have a number of issues that we'd like to talk to -- that we talk to the Syrians about, including the borders with Iraq and what may have happened in the past there and what may be continuing to happen there; Syrian support for terrorism in Damascus, particularly support for Hezbollah and Hamas, and their relationship with Lebanon in that regard.
And, clearly, any indication that something like that happened would be a very serious matter. But I want to be very clear, we don't, at this point, have any indications that I would consider credible and firm that that has taken place, but we will tie down every lead.
Q But you wouldn't dismiss it, either?
DR. RICE: I can't dismiss anything that we haven't had an opportunity to fully assess.
Q A couple of weeks after the President took office, when he went to Mexico and met with President Fox, he said that good foreign policy begins with good relations with your neighbors. Three years later, a lot of these leaders have been disappointed with the pace of the FTAA talks, a lot of other issues, there were strains over Iraq that have been brought up. Does the President have a sense that this is part of the price that had to be paid for the post-9/11 adjustment? Will he express that in any way to these leaders?
DR. RICE: I think that there's a perception or a line of argument out there that somehow after 9/11 the United States lost interest in anything that didn't relate to terrorism and 9/11. It's just not true. If you look at the President's agenda, you look at the fact that he was able to get trade promotion authority so that for the first time in five years the President of the United States actually had the ability to make trade agreements with a trade partner without -- in a way that was going to make it possible, so that you didn't have Congress trying to vote on every aspect of a trade agreement.
If you look at the fact that we have signed a trade agreement with Chile, we've finished negotiating a trade agreement with the Central Americans; if you look at the fact that the Andean initiative has been renewed and continues -- the Andean Preferences Initiative; if you look at the fact that on -- that the Millennium Challenge Account, which is a -- really, there's so much talk was always made about how important development assistance was, but it was this President who made the commitment to increase American development assistance by 50 percent in exchange for good governance, that that Millennium Challenge Account is likely to benefit some of the countries of this region.
If you look at the fact that the President's AIDS initiative includes countries -- a couple of countries from the Caribbean, which are suffering just as the Africans are doing. If you look at the fact that our NAFTA relationship with Mexico and with Canada has both broadened and deepened, and that, in fact, the -- some of the border things that we did out of 9/11 have given us better means of cooperation and coordination -- yes, on terrorism, but also on drug traffickings, also on problems of immigration. If you look at the fact that we have supported a new strategy in Columbia, a much tougher strategy toward the FARC that is making inroads there.
This President has had a broad, deep, and intensive engagement with Latin America, and a lot has gotten done. One of the best things that will happen to this region is the recovery of the American economy. Because, as the American economy recovers, so, too, will the economies of Latin America.
So the President came in saying that he was going to put an emphasis on the neighborhood. He has come with an agenda that has done exactly that. And the Summit of the Americas will be an opportunity to celebrate that.
Q Can I ask you a follow up on Cuba? Secretary Powell yesterday portrayed Cuba as a real threat to the hemisphere. What is the government of the United States afraid of the government of Fidel Castro right now? And second question, you are talking why is not the free trade of the Americas in the agenda for this summit?
DR. RICE: First of all, there is plenty of talk going on about the free trade agreement of the Americas. You know there was just recently a ministerial in Miami and that relationship continues on on another course.
This special summit was called to do some specific things and they're mostly around issues of governance and issues having to do with economic development, with good governance, with education. There's a pretty full agenda for a day-and-a-half-plus. But to be very clear, there continues to be work on the free trade area of the Americas. It's not easy. There are a lot of interests to be considered when you talk about an area that's big and you talk about variations between extremely small countries of the CARICOM versus very large countries of the southern cone. So there's a lot of work to be done. But it is an agenda that is still very active. Bob Zoellick is in constant discussion with his colleagues.
As to Cuba, there are really two kinds of problems with Cuba. One is that Cuba does continue with the very limited resources that it has. Because if you look at the level of life for the Cuban citizen, you have to wonder what in the world Cuba is doing trying to stir up difficulty in other parts of the region that shouldn't be a Cuban interest, frankly. Cuba ought to be focused on its own people. But Cuba can't focus on its own people because it is an oppressive, nondemocratic state that is an anachronism in the Western Hemisphere. It belongs to another era. And what the President has done is to shine a spotlight on that.
You know, more than a year ago, the President had what he called the New Cuba Initiative, and he went out and he said, all right, we can even begin to change the nature of the relationship with Fidel Castro there, if Fidel Castro is prepared to allow his people some democratic exercise, for instance, in the parliamentary elections.
And how did Castro respond to that? He responded with an even greater crackdown against dissidents, a crackdown that has earned him the criticism of Europe and of Latin America and countries worldwide for the kind of crackdown he's been -- Cuba is an anachronism, and it's a sad thing that the proud people of Cuba are the only ones who have, at this point, no hope for a democratic future. But the President appointed, a couple of months ago, a commission to look into what the United States government could do, both to help stimulate democratic development in Cuba, and to prepare for the day when there will be a post-Castro Cuba that is democratic. And that day will come.
Thank you very much.


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The only problem with golf GPS technology was access to it. At first it was only found in golf carts. Eventually, it made its way into handheld units. However, I found these units too costly to be worthwhile. While technological advancements and market forces over time have greatly improved the value proposition of these devices, I still never felt comfortable dropping several Benjamins on one.
But having recently joined the modern age by buying my first smartphone, I discovered that its embedded GPS receivers can transform it into a golf GPS device. With several golf GPS iPhone apps available, I hit the Internet to find the best one. I read through many relevant threads on the main golf message forums and one name kept cropping up: the $19.99 Golfshot: Golf GPS. I installed it on my iPhone 5 and hit the course!
Golfshot is a full-featured golf GPS app that replicates the primary features of a dedicated unit. The company has over 40,000 worldwide course maps available for download without a subscription fee. There are two main screens that are easily toggled while playing. One is the aerial screen that displays your location on an overhead map of the hole with basic yardage information. There's a target reticle that you can drag with your finger to pinpoint a location on the map to discover the distance to that point and the distance from that point to the middle of the green. The second screen is the GPS list view and displays detailed yardages from your current location such as distances to hole landmarks and the front, middle and back green locations. Both screens have access to a sub-menu where you can take notes, snap photos, and, most importantly, track club distances. Once you finish playing a hole, you can enter your score on the electronic scorecard.
After playing several rounds with Golfshot, I'm thoroughly impressed. Initially, my main concern was accuracy. However, I compared the Golfshot yardages alongside those from golfers in my foursome who used dedicated laser and GPS handheld devices and found that they were always within a few yards of each other. While the aerial screen is nice visually, the GPS list view is the most useful. In fact, if you're already familiar with a course, you probably won't ever need to access the aerial screen. The swing tracking function is an easy way to track your true club distances and accuracy. Golfshot will store this data and give you valuable statistics on your clubs. Be sure to only track full swings, otherwise you'll skew the data lower. In any case, don't be surprised if your true club distances aren't as far as you think. Try as I might, those 300 yard bombs in my mind never quite registered much more than 250!
I didn't expect much from Golfshot's electronic scorecard, but I ended up pleasantly surprised. It asks for your score, putts, the club used on the tee, location of the tee shot, sand shots, and penalty strokes for each hole. Once I became familiar with the input screen, I found it faster and more convenient to use than the old-school paper version. Once the scorecard is completed, Golfshot emails the scorecard and a link to the Golfshot website where you can view more detailed stats that are presented in useful charts and graphs. Very cool stuff.
So the question remains, can a smartphone golf GPS app take the place of a dedicated golf GPS device? For the vast majority of golfers, I say "yes" for the following reasons:
- Accuracy: While some dedicated golf GPS devices boast "sub-meter precision", that level of accuracy is just not needed for 99% of golfers. Golfshot was more than accurate enough for me.
- Inexpensive: If you already own a smartphone, the cost difference between a smartphone golf GPS app and a dedicated golf GPS device can be several hundred dollars.
- No added weight or bulk: Software is massless. When you're lugging around over 20 lbs. on your back, every gram counts.
P.S. If you're too cheap to drop $20 on a golf GPS app, try Swing by Swing. Among the free apps, it's the best because there are no annoying ads. But like all of the free apps, it doesn't offer much beyond distance to the middle of the green.
Labels: Equipment

subset: commoncrawl


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What you drive impacts what you breathe.
With all kinds of vehicles emitting all kinds of pollutants into our air, many Americans are now suffering from related health problems.
"What I feel is tightness all around my chest," said Karen Jakpor ,M.D., MPH. "Pretend you had to breathe through a straw."
Jakpor lives in California's Inland Empire, an area east of Los Angeles, that has some of the worst air pollution in the country.
After years of breathing in pollutants, Jakpor developed asthma so severe that she lost her clinical career.
"That was very devastating to me when that first happened," she said.
Jakpor has since made a career change and is now advocating with theAmerican Lung Association with a goal of getting all internal combustion engines off the road within the next three decades.
"There's so many people who are affected and people dying and yet they don't even know that air pollution played a role in their medical condition," Jakpor said.
In its new report titled "Road to Clean Air," the American Lung Association encourages a nationwide shift to electric vehicles by 2050.
"Transportation is driving the unhealthy air that affects half of all Americans," said William Barrett, lead author of this report.
He predicts a transition to zero emission technology, for all transportation across America, could save countless lives and billions of dollars.
"In the year 2050 alone, we could generate $72 billion worth of public health benefits and approximately $113 billion worth of climate change benefits," Barrett said.
The move to reduce the use of fossil fuels has been an ongoing issue for decades.
Now, however, health experts say the need for change is becoming more urgent each day.
"Hopefully this report helps move the needle," said Meredith McCormack, M.D., MHS, associate professor of medicine atJohn Hopkins University.
She says prolonged exposure to car exhaust fumes can cause health issues ranging from heart attacks to lung cancer.
To make a national changeover to electric vehicles a reality, McCormack says communities need help from leaders at local, state and federal levels.
"For all of us as individuals, we also have our own ability to impact the future," she said.
A future of battery powered cars, however, does come at a cost.
For example, a 2020 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid costs about $8,000 more than a 2020 Toyota Corolla with a four-cylinder engine. But a study by the U.S. Department of Energyfound that while plug-in vehicles could cost more upfront, they make up for it in savings with lower fuel costs and reduced emissions.
That's something Jakpor believes is a small price to pay to improve America's air quality.
"We don't want to leave the next generation with even worse disasters," she said.


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- Product Sales Report for WooCommerce – setup a custom sales report for the products in your WooCommerce store with toggle sorting options. Including or excluding items based on date range, sale status, product category and id, define display order, choose what fields to include, and generate your report with a click.
- Export Order Items for WooCommerce – export the order details for each sale in your WooCommerce store. Simplify order fulfillment, generate accounting reports in a few clicks, and download into CSV format for readability and universal compatibility with Export Order Items.
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- Force Update Check for Plugins and Themes -force Update Check for Plugins and Themes forces WordPress to run a theme and plugin update check whenever you visit the WordPress updates page
- Connect SendGrid for Emails – connect SendGrid for Emails is a third-party fork of (and a drop-in replacement for) the official SendGrid plugin
- Custom CSS and JavaScript – allows you to add custom site-wide CSS styles and JavaScript code to your WordPress site. Useful for overriding your theme's styles and adding client-side functionality.
- Disable User Registration Notification Emails – when this plugin is activated, it disables the notification sent to the admin email when a new user account is registered.
- Inline Image Upload for BBPress – enables the TinyMCE WYSIWYG editor for BBPress forum topics and replies and adds a button to the editor's "Insert/edit image" dialog that allows forum users to upload images from their computer and insert them inline into their posts.
- Password Strength for WooCommerce – disables password strength enforcement in WooCommerce.
- Potent Donations for WooCommerce – acceptance donations through your WooCommerce store
- Shortcodes for Divi – allows to use Divi Library layouts as shortcodes everywhere where text comes.
- Stock Export and Import for WooCommerce – generates reports on the stock status (in stock / out of stock) and quantity of individual WooCommerce products.
- Random Quiz Generator for LifterLMS – pull a random set of questions from your quiz so users never get the same question twice when retaking or setting up a practice quiz.
- WP Layouts – the best way to organize, import, and export your layouts, especially if you have multiple websites.
- WP Squish – reduce the amount of storage space consumed by your WordPress installation through the application of user-definable JPEG compression levels and image resolution limits to uploaded images.
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Divi is a registered trademark of Elegant Themes, Inc. This product is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Elegant Themes.
Version 2.1.0
- Add: Font Awesome 6
Version 2.0.6
Version 2.0.5
Fix: Icon not showing on Divi back to top button (other elements may be affected as well)
Version 2.0.4
- Improve compatibility with third-party plugins
Version 2.0.3
- Fix for async ajax issue
- Fix: Addons tab is not displaying products
- Fix: Gutenberg > Insert modal – styling issue
Version 2.0.2
- Fix: Replace call to method that was removed in jQuery 3.0
Version 2.0.1
- Fix: potential syntax error on the admin page
- Rebrand to WP Zone
Version 2.0.0
- (PRO version) new: upload custom icon font (Fontello, Icomoon)
- change permissions to access plugin admin page from install_plugins to manage_options
Version 1.6.6
July 28, 2022
– Fix: pseudo-elements css issue
Version 1.6.5
June 22, 2022
– Fix: Multicolor icons not working in Divi Theme Builder
– Fix: Gutenberg Icon Block: search feature doesn't work
Version 1.6.4
June 20, 2022
– Fix issue when switching back to single color icons from multicolor icons
– Fix error in JavaScript console
– Fix: CSS for multicolor icons – minification issue
Version 1.6.3
June 9, 2022
– Fix: The icon setting in the Toggle module was not supported
Version 1.6.2
June 9, 2022
– Multicolor icons styling issues
Version 1.6.1
May 10, 2022
– Fix: Icons inserted into the paragraph module may overwrite following text in the paragraph and cause block validation issues
– Fix: Icons inserted into the paragraph module may have duplicate agsdi-icon classes
– Fix: TinyMCE icon insertion dialog -> the color pickers weren't updating based on the existing values for existing icons or entered values in the corresponding textboxes
– Add: multicolor icons support added to TinyMCE icon insertion and Gutenberg Icon Block
– Fix: Compatibiltiy issue with "Complianz" plugin (and possibly other plugins)
Added: Gutenberg support
Added: Elegant Themes icon pack
Fix: Filtering icons in the Divi module
Fix: Divi icons are not accesible in Divi module
Version 1.4.11 February, 17 20212
– Fix: search icon functionality doesn't work
Version 1.4.10 January 19, 2022
– Pro version – Divi Builder: multicolor icons width issue
– Icon filtering support in Divi
December 3, 2021
Fix warning: undeclared method called
November 15, 2021
– Fix: Icons from Divi's built-in icon set may be displayed as a series of icons instead of the expected icon
- Compatibility with Divi 4.13
- Fix: Incompatibility between Divi visual builder integration and the Rank Math SEO plugin
- Fix: 'CRITICAL Uncaught ArgumentCountError' in the Divi Blurb Module
- Fix: Icons were not displaying in certain browsers (e.g. Firefox < 84, Chrome < 88, Safari < 9, IE, Edge < 88)
- Fix: Blurb module icon may not display if a hover icon is set
- Fix: Divi Blurb module and circle feature issues
- Performance improvement : strip out some unnecessary commented out CSS
- Updated license file
- Fix: Icons may not display in some cases
- Fix: Free icon set was not being loaded
- Fix: Icons were not working with certain settings in Settings > Reading (resulting in an error message in the Divi/Extra visual builder, etc.)
- Added: search feature
- Fix: icon inserted not being loaded on the theme builder templates
- Rebranded admin page
- Fix: Icons may not be displayed in the visual builder for certain icon sets and modules
- Load all one-color icon sets as fonts
- Fix styling issue for the icon inserter in the Divi theme builder
- Fix .agsdi-color-preview flexbox
- Mixed performance improvements
- Added translation support
- Allow for triggering of icon rendering by external scripts (required for Divi Rocket support)
- Fix: Icons not displaying correctly in Divi visual builder
- Fix: Icon search bar not displaying in Divi visual builder
- Add icon insertion button to WYSIWYG editor fields in modules in the Divi frontend builder.
- Enhancement: reduced size of icons to speed up display.
- enhancement: reduced size of icons to speed up display
- bug fix: Search functionality missing on New Backend Divi Builder
- First release on WordPress.org
This plugin provides 1 block.
- Icon
Can I use the free custom icons on my commercial website?
Yes! All the icons included in WP and Divi Icons are licensed under creative commons and can be used and edited for use on any site.
To add an Icon to your menu, use the editor found in your post or page to add your icon of choice. Switch to switch to the text editor and copy the icon code. If you want the Icon to take on the size and color of the menu font, remove the style tag and settings from the code. Save the menu before you exit and the icon should now be displayed in your navigation menu.
Is WP and Divi Icons a Divi plugin?
WP and Divi Icons works with any WordPress theme and it has special integration with Divi theme modules. If your site is running Divi you are able to add or edit icons right from inside Divi just like you can with the Classic WordPress editor.
How do I add Font Awesome to my WordPress site?
Font Awesome and Material Design icons are a premium integration. Upgrade to the Pro version and you will be able to search, add, change the color, and set the size of Font Awesome and Material Design icons right from the post and page editor.
Contributors & Developers
"WP and Divi Icons" is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate "WP and Divi Icons" into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.


text: Cairobserver focuses on the modern architectural heritage of Cairo. Check it out for a discussion of why the current renovation of the Cairo train station is a disaster. I also completely agree with the suggestion that the NDP building's burnt outer shell be saved and incorporated into future plans for the building, as a striking reminder of the revolution (and the people's anger).


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If you're making the switch to freelancing, it's easy to miss some of the details that go along with completing your taxes. There are some major differences in the paperwork if you're working for a company or if you're self-employed. While there are plenty of ways to save money on your taxes or even make them easier to complete, there are some nuts and bolts that every freelance writer should know.
The Question of Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments
As a freelancer, you don't have a boss — which means that you don't have anyone handling your taxes during payroll. You're completely responsible for making sure that your taxes get paid. In the US, the IRS has created a system where anyone who is self-employed submits tax payments every quarter. The amount is based on how big your tax liability was on last year's tax return, although if you're making more money this year, the IRS expects you to bump up your payments.
Not getting those payments in on time can result in penalties, although some freelancers may have a little more room to maneuver. If you have a job where a certain portion of your paycheck gets withheld for taxes or it's your first year freelancing full-time, you may have a little more flexibility.
Watching Out for Form 1099
Any US-based client you work with probably will be reporting the money they've paid you to the IRS with a Form 1099, which is used specifically to report income paid to anyone who is a contractor or otherwise self-employed. You will receive a copy of any Form 1099 submitted by the beginning of March, so that you can use it to complete your own taxes. Unfortunately, it isn't impossible for a client to send you an incorrect form (or forget to send you a form entirely). It's important to double check each Form 1099 against your own records to make sure that the information is accurate.
Get Every Deduction You Can
As a freelance writer, you can write off any necessary business expenses as deductions on your taxes. Whether you had to pick up a new computer or you pay for a phone line for your business, you can reduce the amount of money you are expected to pay in taxes by claiming these deductions. You can even claim a portion of your home expenses (like your utility bills and rent) as costs of doing business as long as you have a dedicated home office.
What's Coming Next
We'll be getting into the gritty details of claiming taxes, reducing the amount of taxes you have to pay and the typical tax problems freelance writers can run into. However, I need to offer a disclaimer: it is important to remember that everyone's tax situation is different — in order to make the right decisions about your own taxes, it's important to talk to a tax professional who can walk you the specifics of your own tax situation.


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We puzzled over this for quite some time before inspiration struck in the form of that most Holy Grail of Taquerias: Tacos al Pastor! When we contemplated the imagery of a vertical rotisserie loaded with charred pork shoulder and pineapple piled high, we got giddy with the idea of a walk up Taqueria offering Taco Truck cuisine in the comfort of a restaurant setting.
TNT Taqueria offers full flavored dishes, always cooked from scratch using ingredients of the highest integrity. Natural and sustainable proteins coupled with five daily made salsas are the foundation for our menu that offers South of the border Taqueria standards all day long!
We start our day with hot, sweet & crunchy cooked to order churros, Mexican hot chocolate and a brief selection of early morning dining options that include breakfast burritos, tortas, huevos rancheros & chilequiles. We also offer a full roster of tacos & tazones with two distinct vegetarian options for an all day menu that we're serving up from 8am-9pm seven days a week!
Braised beef torta for breakfast? Heck yes! …huevos rancheros at 8:30 at night? You got it!
All menu items are packaged in 98.7% fully compostable containers for safe and sustainable travel. If and when we get our City to phase IV, you can grab a seat at the counter or one of the few tables to hang out and dine with us in house.
We're located one mile west of the University of Washington in the scenic Wallingford neighborhood. Just look for the canary yellow storefront, (like you could possibly miss it), directly across the street from the dearly departed
Guild 45th Theaters.
Copyright © 2020 TNT Taqueria - All Rights Reserved.


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Showing Collections: 1 - 1 of 1
Francis Lee Jaques field diaries and sketchbooks
Identifier: Mss .J37
Francis Lee Jaques (28 September 1887-24 July 1969), also known as Lee Jaques, is celebrated for his diorama paintings at the American Museum of Natural History, executed during the early and mid-twentieth century. A frequent collaborator with Museum curator and ornithologist Frank M. Chapman (1864-1945), the artist is especially associated with the Whitney Memorial Hall of Pacific Bird Life (that was co-designed with Robert Cushman Murphy, Museum curator and ornithologist). This collection...


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I've just finished reading the book. I loved it. The big joke in our house is that when we are watching a history programme, I will predict what is about to be said and, assuming I get it right (not always the case!) I end up saying, "I could have written it for them!" Whilst this can be applied to some of the history behind the Wartime Farm programme and book, there is plenty that is new to me. Farming and food production during the war years is something about which we as a nation have a vague collective consciousness but it is an area that is not extensively researched. There is much to be learnt and, frankly, the lessons of the war years can be applied to the modern world. Problems of poor diet, over-consumption of calories by some, under-consumption by others, waste, land use, health were all tackled successfully in the war years. Sadly, the UK as a whole has, for decades now, been forgetting much of what was learnt in the war years with terrible consequences: obesity in some, unhealthy lifestyles and lack of exercise, bad diets, to name but a few.
The book and the series covers a range of issues, not all directly to do with food. One of the most interesting was the revival of old skills that were dying out as the war began. For example, blacksmiths came out of retirement to help repair old farm machinery that had been left to rust for years in the corner of fields. Alex Langlands revived the art of making bee skeps. As a beekeeper myself, I found this fascinating. He even created the materials himself from straw available on the farm and from brambles.
"Make do and mend" is a familiar catchphrase from the war years. Its meaning is now something that is lost on modern Britain. There is a tendency now to throw something out if it is broken, rather than repair it for continued use. Indeed, some things are thrown out now that have years of life left in them. Look at the way clothes are bought and disposed of nowadays. The number of people who make their own clothes is, sadly, diminishing. I fear that we will lose those skills forever. Clothes are often thrown away because they are no longer fashionable. Such utter waste is killing the planet and would have been viewed with complete horror in the war years. Typically a person now would buy more clothes in a fashion season than someone living 70 years would have bought across the whole of the 14 years they had ration books. Then people knew how to make things last, how to reuse something, how to repair, how to get the best from something, how to make it into something else.
One of the unsung heros of the war was the Women's Institute. The book examines the tremendous voluntary work the WI put in during the war years to increase the country's food supply. Not only did they turn Britain's bounty of wild foods into the jams and preserves that are always associated with them, they also turned themselves into a mobile university and training organisation, teaching others the skills needed to preserve food and increase the food supply. In the war on the home front, they were the cavalry, charging in to do the job. Sadly, too many people now think of the WI as a small "c" conservative organisation, full of "Little Britain" ladies whose stomachs turn when confronted with people who do not follow a preconceived norm. The reality is totally different. The WI helped us get through the war. The book brings that out superbly.
Now that I have a copy of "The Wartime Farm", it is no longer on my Christmas present list. (The book has a section on making toys so if anyone wants to make me the Spitfire Alex Langlands made from tin cans, you know what to pop in my stocking this December.) The book however is a great read, even if you have no interest in history. So forget about asking for more clothes that will be unwearably unfashionable by this time next year. Get a copy of this book for Christmas (or even earlier) instead.
"The Wartime Farm" is published by Octopus Books, price £20.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device


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Guest Reviewer: LISA BROWN
For Halloween, another one of my earliest favorites.
"Up in the attic of this little house there lived a little ghost. His name was Georgie."
I believe this started my as-yet-unrealized childhood wish to sleep in an attic. Note the jaunty buttons on Georgie's ghostly shroud.
"Every night at the same time he gave the loose board on the stairs a little creak"
This house is Victoriana at its best. It's the home of Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker, and Georgie's gentle nightly hauntings helped to lull them to sleep. However, when Mr. Whittaker fixed the creaks and squeaks in the house, Georgie began to feel unwanted and had to leave.
But he was unable to find a new home that suited.
This drawing always scared me, for some reason.
"…each house already had a ghost."
Finally, Georgie ended up in a barn until the passage of time and extreme weather re-creaked the Whittakers' house. Only then could he move back in and resume his spectral duties.
"And Mr and Mrs. Whittaker knew when it was time to go to sleep again."
There is something chilling about a drawing of a little ghost standing over the unsuspecting, sleeping Whittakers. It definitely makes me think about ghosts, and what they are actually supposed to be: um, dead people. So is Georgie a little dead boy? So how did he die? Why is he haunting that house? And what's with the buttons?
CURIOUS COMMENT: For more Halloween fun, see Lisa's new book, VAMPIRE BOY'S GOOD NIGHT


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Child poverty is rising sharply in Texas. But while Texas kids go hungry, Gov. Rick Perry is living a lavish lifestyle on the taxpayers' dime.
Since 2000 (the year Perry became governor) the number of Texas children living in poverty has climbed 17 percent, even as the state has gutted spending on programs for kids. Currently, an astonishing 1 in 4 Texas children lives in poverty. The infant mortality rate is also up 10 percent since 2000.
Like George W. Bush before him, Perry demands steep sacrifices from ordinary working people---while living a luxurious taxpayer-funded lifestyle.
Take Perry's mansion, for example. While Texas is facing an eye-popping $27 billion deficit, Perry is spending $9,000 per month in taxpayer's money to live in one of Austin's most upscale estates.
When the Texas governor's mansion was damaged in a 2008 fire, Perry looked around for another place to live. With the state in financial meltdown, one might think Perry would have shown a little restraint in picking his new digs.
But no such luck. In fact, as of May 2010, Perry, according to AP, had already spent nearly $600,000 in tax dollars living in a lavish 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom sprawling rental mansion the previous two years.
As AP noted, Perry's mansion is 6,386 square feet and sits on more than three acres in the hills overlooking the Texas capitol.
Here's what Perry has been spending with our tax dollars:
- A 6,386-square-foot rental property that sits on more than three acres and was advertised in 2007 for sale at $1.85 million.
- $18,000 for household supplies and cleaning products.
- $1,001 in window coverings from upscale retailer Neiman Marcus.
- $1,000 for "emergency repair" of the governor's filtered ice machine
- A $700 clothes rack.
- A $56,000 stipend for food and beverages.
- Maintenance on the heated pool has cost taxpayers at least $8,400.
- The tab for grounds and lawn maintenance has topped $44,000.
Of course, none of this comes out of Perry's own taxpayer-funded salary, which is $150,000 per year.
While Perry spends our tax dollars generously on himself, the state of Texas is sinking into an ocean of red ink. The state's deficit is one of the largest of any state and puts it in the same league as California and other states facing fiscal meltdowns.
Even though Perry is living like a king, he still demands extreme sacrifice and fiscal restraint from the rest of us. And, of course, poor people rank at the top of Perry's list among those who should "sacrifice."
For example, despite rising child poverty, Texas ranks dead last among the 50 states in its extremely miserly and Scrooge-like food stamp program.
As the Houston Chronicle noted:
Texas does not have enough workers to process food stamp applications and is one of only three states that fingerprints applicants for food assistance. The state also imposes a time-consuming and complicated assets test that impedes the effort to help desperate and hungry people, Concannon said.
As Democratic state Senator Eliot Shapleigh noted in his "Texas on the Brink" report, it's a wonder that Texas has a budget deficit at all, considering how meager the state's programs are. Texas has abysmal rankings on just about every quality of life issue that exists for working people.
Here's how Texas ranks, in comparison with the other 49 states:
- Progressivity of Tax Revenues: 44th.
- Average Teacher Salary As A Percentage of Average Annual Pay: 49th.
- State Aid Per Pupil in Average Daily Attendance: 47th.
- Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Scores: 46th.
- Percent of Population 25 and Older with a High School Diploma: 50th
- Percent of the Population Without Health Insurance: 1st.
- Percent of the Population with Employer Based Health Insurance: 46th.
- Percent of Uninsured Children: 1st.
- Air Pollution Emissions: 1st.
- Rate of Incarceration: 2nd.
If Perry is elected president in 2012, we can expect a big, hefty dose of his "screw the working class" policies to be implemented at a national level. Perry is nothing less than Bush on steroids. If you think America is increasingly Third World-like now, you ain't seen nothing yet.


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Welcome To Camp Raglan *Sublimation T-Shirt - MADE TO ORDER*
Welcome To Camp Raglan *Sublimation T-Shirt - MADE TO ORDER*
*Shirt Info*
Brand/Style: Adult Next Level Unisex Raglan
These shirts are lightweight and super comfortable. The shirts are made from a polyester/cotton/rayon blend. The shirts are then made using high quality sublimation inks that when heated permanently infuse into the fibers of the shirt. This process makes the shirts incredibly long lasting! When cared for properly they will last a very long time.
Bleached and painted shirts are done by hand so no two shirts will ever be exactly the same. After being bleached or painted shirts are washed and dried to ensure there is no product residue left on the shirts before being sent home to you.
Due to a shirt shortage if the color or size you choose is out of stock I will contact you so that we can find another color, wait for the chosen color to come back in stock, or issue you a refund.
*Processing Times*
Processing times will vary depending on complexity of shirts, volume or orders, holidays, when you order, etc. General processing time will be 2-3 weeks excluding shipping times. If you need a shirt by a certain date please be sure to contact me before purchasing to make sure I can accommodate your request.
Please feel free to contact me at any time during the process to check on the status of your order and I will do my best to respond promptly.
I bulk order my shirts once a week so when you place your order will also impact your processing time.
*Custom Requests*
I do take custom requests for shirts, so if you don't see what you are looking for please feel free to contact me and see what we can work out.
*Refunds, Returns, Cancelations*
I only offer refunds in the event the color you choose is out of stock and you do not wish to choose another color or wait for the shirt to come back in stock.
I do not accept returns. If there is an issue with your order please contact me directly and I will do my best to fix it.
I only accept cancelations within 24 hours of the order being placed and only if I have not already begun processing the order. Once I begin processing the order I am no longer able to accept the cancelation.


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Look at these examples to see how participle clauses are used.
Looked after carefully, these boots will last for many years.
Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I avoided the question.
Having lived through difficult times together, they were very close friends.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Participle clauses enable us to say information in a more economical way. They are formed using present participles (going, reading, seeing, walking, etc.), past participles (gone, read, seen, walked, etc.) or perfect participles (having gone, having read, having seen, having walked, etc.).
We can use participle clauses when the participle and the verb in the main clause have the same subject. For example,
Waiting for Ellie, I made some tea. (While I was waiting for Ellie, I made some tea.)
Participle clauses do not have a specific tense. The tense is indicated by the verb in the main clause.
Participle clauses are mainly used in written texts, particularly in a literary, academic or journalistic style.
Present participle clauses
Here are some common ways we use present participle clauses. Note that present participles have a similar meaning to active verbs.
- To give the result of an action
The bomb exploded, destroying the building. - To give the reason for an action
Knowing she loved reading, Richard bought her a book. - To talk about an action that happened at the same time as another action
Standing in the queue, I realised I didn't have any money. - To add information about the subject of the main clause
Starting in the new year, the new policy bans cars in the city centre.
Past participle clauses
Here are some common ways that we use past participle clauses. Note that past participles normally have a passive meaning.
- With a similar meaning to an if condition
Used in this way, participles can make your writing more concise. (If you use participles in this way, … ) - To give the reason for an action
Worried by the news, she called the hospital. - To add information about the subject of the main clause
Filled with pride, he walked towards the stage.
Perfect participle clauses
Perfect participle clauses show that the action they describe was finished before the action in the main clause. Perfect participles can be structured to make an active or passive meaning.
Having got dressed, he slowly went downstairs.
Having finished their training, they will be fully qualified doctors.
Having been made redundant, she started looking for a new job.
Participle clauses after conjunctions and prepositions
It is also common for participle clauses, especially with -ing, to follow conjunctions and prepositions such as before, after, instead of, on, since, when, while and in spite of.
Before cooking, you should wash your hands.
Instead of complaining about it, they should try doing something positive.
On arriving at the hotel, he went to get changed.
While packing her things, she thought about the last two years.
In spite of having read the instructions twice, I still couldn't understand how to use it.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Language level
Hi giangphan,
This is an example of a reduced relative clause. It is a non-defining relative clause which describes not the noun preceding it, but rather than whole clause:
Most of the bodies were badly burned, which made identification almost impossible.
Which refers to (the fact that) most of the bodies were badly burnt.
Reduced, we end up with making most of...
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again giangphan,
When the relative clause describes the whole clause before, we can reduce it to a participle:
I gave Paul the day off, which I hoped might improve his mood.
I gave Paul the day off, hoping it might improve his mood.
When the relative clause describes the subject of the main clause, we can also use a participle:
The directors, who have finally finished their meeting, are going home.
The directors, having finally finished their meeting, are going home.
However, when the relative clause refers to the object of the main clause, we cannot reduce it:
I gave Sue a book, which I'd read when I was younger, for her birthday.
The LearnEnglish Team


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ATHENS, Greece (March 5) - Road construction on the western Greek island of Lefkada has uncovered and partially destroyed an important tomb with artifacts dating back more than 3,000 years, officials said on Wednesday.
The find is a miniature version of the large, opulent tombs built by the rulers of Greece during the Mycenaean era, which ended around 1100 B.C. Although dozens have been found in the mainland and on Crete, the underground, beehive-shaped monuments are very rare in the western Ionian Sea islands, and previously unknown on Lefkada.
She said the tomb contained several human skeletons, as well as smashed pottery, two seal stones, beads made of semiprecious stones, copper implements and clay loom weights. It appeared to have been plundered during antiquity.
With a nine-foot diameter, the tomb is very small compared to others, such as the Tomb of Atreus in Mycenae, which was more than 46 feet across and built of stones weighing up to 120 tons.
March 06, 2008
Discovery of Mycenaean tomb in Lefkada
5 comments:
- Unknown said...
Excellent news!!!
Lefkada island has also one of the biggest Kurgan tombs in Greece!
Since various skeletons have been found, a proper anthropological study of those could enlighten even further the physical appearance of Myceneans and if they were differences of any kind among the various Mycenaean populations of the country.
Prof. Pitsios will have a lot of work to do!!! - Friday, March 07, 2008 6:49:00 am
- Unknown said...
I forgot to say that last Autumn a Mycenaean cemetery was discovered in the eastern slopes of mount Olympus!!!
Most of the jewelery and artifacts were stolen by robbers but many bones and skulls have been unearthed there.
This is another answer to those who support that the Macedonian land was not Greek but it became so after Alexander's Empire. - Friday, March 07, 2008 6:54:00 am
- Unknown said...
Very exciting! Im sure there are alot of tombs and other monuments throughout Greece who are waiting to be discovered! The found sceletons must make every anthropologists heart beat faster! We are waiting for the studies and the results!
- Friday, March 07, 2008 1:51:00 pm
- Crimson Guard said...
Wish they would use the correct term, Achaean.
Not that it matters any, but one wonders if it was just the locals imitating the style, rather than settlement proper though. - Friday, March 07, 2008 10:10:00 pm
- Unknown said...
Why should they imitate burial customs my dear Crimson Guard?
Burial customs are exclusive marks of each tribe and very, very, very, AND I MEAN VERY rarely they get imitated and even then not exactly as the original form!!!
No, the Olympus burials were authentic Mycenaean burials.
And Mycenaean is the correct term for the culture since Mycenaeans might have been mostly proto Achaeans but proto Ionians and proto Aeolians were included.
Linear B tablets have shown this!!! - Saturday, March 08, 2008 9:58:00 am


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Do You Really Need to Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?
Many of us will develop our wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, at some point in our lives. Most commonly they start to show themselves in our teens but can make an appearance later in life… or perhaps never at all. However, these new molars can present a whole host of problems for us and are usually removed. But is this procedure really necessary? Let our dental office in West Caldwell help.
First, it's important to know that more than 90% of Americans need to have their wisdom teeth removed. It's an incredibly common procedure that's relatively easy, and thanks to advancements in technology, fairly comfortable. But why is it so important to have wisdom teeth removed?
No More Space
The most common reason why wisdom teeth need to be removed is due to the lack of space in the mouth for four more teeth. Dental x-rays will be able to tell if this is the case pretty early in the development stages and wisdom teeth removal will be recommended. However, if this is not caught early, or if treatment is not completed, the teeth will begin to erupt, pushing the other teeth out of the way. This will cause overcrowding and crooked, overlapping teeth. There's also the possibility that the teeth will get lodged under the gum line and in the jaw bone. This is known as impaction. Impacted wisdom teeth can be very painful and the procedure to remove them becomes more complicated. Lastly, impacted wisdom teeth can increase the chance for infection or an abscess.
Erupting The Wrong Way
Wisdom teeth tend to erupt just like any other teeth with the roots facing the jaw bone and the crown pointing toward the gum line. However, there are times when wisdom teeth can become crooked or start to erupt at an angle or sideways. If the happens wisdom teeth to be extracted before they have a chance to cause permanent damage to not only the other teeth but also to your bite.
Let's Say Everything is Perfect
Perhaps you're one of the lucky ones whose wisdom teeth came in nice and straight and had plenty of room. Your dentist in West Caldwell may still recommend that they be removed to prevent problems later. Since wisdom teeth are hard to take care of properly — brushing and flossing all the way back there can be very difficult — they do increase the risk of decay and even gum disease.
The best way to reduce the risk of your wisdom teeth causing you trouble is to monitor their development by visiting our West Caldwell dental office regularly and following through with any recommended treatment.


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You probably have never seen an original business card holder like this one. It's a unique way to display business cards and is sure to be a conversation starter! Simply give the lid a little push and out pops your business cards.
This intriguing design has a picture has a picture frame to display your favorite photo. You can make this even more of a one-of-a-kind gift with our options for personalization. Engraving a name or logo on it will make it a truly genuine original.
This statement-making business card holder is stylishly available in a rosewood or cherry wood finish. Size: 4" x 2 3/4" x 3 3/4". Frame size: 2 3/16" x 1 1/2"
Average Ratings:
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"Great Gift"
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"Very Elegant"
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"Attractive card holder"
Comments: I find this card holder to be very attractive; however, I thought the cards popped up mechanically. They do not; they just rise up as you rotate the top of box toward the back to open it. It holds about 20 business cards easily. I like the monogramming I had done on top.
>> Read all product reviews [5] | Write your own review


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Launching the #CPUOverload Project: Testing Every x86 Desktop Processor since 2010
by Dr. Ian Cutress on July 20, 2020 1:30 PM ESTOne of the most visited parts of the AnandTech website, aside from the reviews, is our benchmark database Bench. Over the last decade we've placed in there as much benchmark data as we can for every sample we can get our hands on: CPU, GPU, SSD, Laptop and Smartphone being our key categories. As the Senior CPU editor here at AnandTech, one of my duties is to maintain the CPU part of Bench, making sure the benchmarks are relevant and the newest components are tested with benchmark data up to date as much as possible. Today we are announcing the start of a major Bench project with our new Benchmark suite, and some very lofty goals.
What is Bench?
A number of our regular readers will know Bench. We placed a link to easily access it at the top of the page, although given the depth of content it holds, is an understated part of AnandTech. Bench is the centralized database where we place all of the benchmark data we gather for processors, graphics, storage, tablets, laptops and smartphones. Internally Bench has many uses, particularly when collating review data to generate our review graphs, rather than manually redrawing full data sets for each review or keeping datasets offline.
But the biggest benefit with Bench is to either compare many products in one benchmark, or compare two products across all our benchmark tests. For example, here are the first few results of our POV-Ray test.
At its heart, Bench is a comparison tool, with the ability to square two products off side by side can be vital when choosing which one to invest in. Rather than just comparing specifications, Bench provides real world data, offering 3rd party independent verification of data points. In contrast to the benchmarks other companies that are invested in selling you the product might provide, we try and create benchmarks that actually mean something, rather than just list the synthetics.
The goal of Bench has always been a regressive comparison, comparing what the user has to what the user might be looking at purchasing. As a result of a decade of data, that 3-5 year generational gap of benchmark information can become vital to actually quantifying how much of an upgrade a user might receive on the CPU alone. It all depends on what products already have benchmark data in the database, and if the benchmarks are relevant to the workflow (web, office, rendering, gaming, workstation tests, and so on).
Bench: The Beginning
Bench originally started over a decade ago by the founder of AnandTech, Anand. On the CPU side of the database, he worked with both AMD and Intel to obtain a reasonable number of the latest CPUs of the day, and then spent a good summer testing them all. This happened back when Core 2 and Athlons were running the market, with a number of interesting comparisons. The beauty of the Bench database is that all the data from the 30 or so processors Anand tested way back then still exists today, with the core benchmarks of interest to the industry and readership at the time.
With AMD and Intel providing the processors they did, testing every processor became a focal point for the data: it allowed users to search for their exact CPU, compare it to other models in the same family that differ on price, or compare the one they already have to a more modern component they were thinking of buying.
As the years have progressed, Bench has been updated with all the review samples we could obtain and have time to put through the benchmarks. When a new product family is launched however, we rarely get to test them all - unfortunately official sampling rarely goes beyond one or two of the high end products, or if we were lucky, maybe a few more. While we've never been able to test full processor stacks from top to bottom, we have typically been able to cover the highlights of a product range, and it has still allowed users to perform general comparisons using the data and for users looking to upgrade their three year old components.
Two main factors have always inhibited the expansion of Bench.
Bench Problem #1: Actually Getting The Hardware
First, the act of sourcing the components can be a barrier to obtaining benchmark data. If we do not have the product, we cannot run the benchmarks! Intel and AMD (and VIA, back in the day) have had different structures for sampling their products, depending on how much they want to say, the release time frame, and the state of the market. Other factors can include the importance of certain processors to the financials of a company, or level of the relationship between us and the manufacturers. Intel and AMD will only work with review websites at any depth if the analysis is fair, and our readers (that's you) would only read the data if the analysis was unbiased as well.
When it comes down to the base media sampling strategies, companies can typically take two routes. The nature of the technology industry is down to Press Relations (PR), and most companies will have both internal PR departments and also outsource local PR to companies that specialize in that region. Depending on the product, sampling can occur either direct from the manufacturer or via the local PR team, and the sampling strategy will be pre-determined at a much higher level: how many media websites are to be sampled, how many samples will be distributed to each region etc. For example, if a product is going to be sampled via local PR only, there might only be 3-5 units for 15+ technology media outlets, requiring that the samples be moved around when they have been tested. Some big launches, or depending on the relationship between the media outlet with the manufacturer, will be managed from the company internal global PR team, where samples are provided in perpetuity: essentially on long-term loans (which could be recalled).
For the x86 processor manufacturers, Intel and AMD are the players we work with. Of late, Intel's official media sampling policy provides the main high-end processor in advance of the processor release, such as the i7-4770K, or the i7-6700K. On rare occasions, one of the lower down parts down the stack are provided at the same time, or made available for sampling after the launch date. For example, with the latest Comet Lake, we were sampled both the i9-10900K and the i5-10600K, however these are both high-impact overclockable CPUs. This typically means that if there's an interesting processor down the stack, such as an i3-K or a low cost Pentium, then we have to work with other partners to get a sample (such as motherboard manufacturers, system integrators, or OEMs), or outright purchase it internally.
For AMD's processors, as demonstrated over the last 4-5 years, the company does not often release a full family stack of CPUs at one time. Instead, processors are launched in batches, with AMD choosing to do two or three every few months. For example, AMD initially launched Ryzen with the three Ryzen 7 processors, followed by four Ryzen 5 processors a few weeks later and finally two Ryzen 3 parts. With the past few generations from AMD, depending on how many processors are in the final stack of CPUs, AnandTech is usually sampled most of them, such as with 1st Gen Ryzen where we were sampled all of them. Previously with the Richland and Trinity processors, only around half the stack were initially offered for review, and less chance of being sampled for the lower value parts, or some parts were offered through local PR teams a couple of months after launch. AMD still today launches OEM parts for specific regions - it tends not to sample those to press either, especially if the press are not in the region for that product.
With certain processors, they target certain media organizations that prioritize different elements of testing, which lends to an imbalance of which media get which CPUs. Most manufacturers will rate the media outlets they work with into tiers, with the top tier ones getting earlier sampling or more access to the components. The reason for this is that if a company sampled everyone everything every time, suddenly 5000 media outlets (and anyone who wants to start a component testing blog) would end up with 10-25 products on their doorstep every year and it would be a mammoth task to organize (for little gain from the outlets with fewer readers).
The concept of tiering is not new – it depends on the media outlets readership reach, the demographic, and the ability to understand the nuance of what is in their hands. AMD and Intel can't sample everyone everything, and sometimes they have specific markets to target, which will also shift focus on who will get what samples. A website focused on fanless HTPCs for example would not be a preferred sampling vector for workstation class processors. At AnandTech, we cover a broad range of topics, have educated readers, and have been working with Intel and AMD for twenty years. On the whole, we generally do well when it comes to processor sampling, although there are still limits - going out and asking for a stack of next generation Xeon Gold CPUs is unlikely to be as simple as overnight shipping.
Bench Problem #2: The March of Time
The second problem with the benchmark database is timing and benchmarks. This comes down to manpower – how many people are running the benchmarks, and the timeframes for which the benchmarks we do test remain relevant for the segments of our readers that are interested in the hardware.
Take graphics card testing, for example: GPU drivers change monthly, and games are updated every few months (and the games people are playing also change). To keep a healthy set of benchmark data, it requires retesting 5 graphics cards per GPU vendor generation, 4-5 generations of GPU launches, from 3-4 different board partners, on 6-10 games every month at three different resolutions/settings per game (and testing each combination enough to be statistically accurate). That takes time, significant effort, and manpower, and I'm amazed Ryan has been able to do so much in the little time he has being the Editor-in-Chief. Picking the highest numbers out of those ranges gives us 5 (GPUs) x 2 (vendors) x 5 (generations) x 4 (board partners) x 10 (games) x 3 (resolutions) x 4 (statistically significant) results, which comes to 24000 benchmark runs, out of the door each month, in an ideal scenario. You could be halfway through and someone issues a driver update, making the rest of the data for naught. It's not happening overnight, and arguably that could be work for at least one full time employee if not two.
On the CPU side of the equation, the march of time is a little slower. While the number of CPUs to test can be higher (100+ consumer parts in the last few generations), the number of degrees of freedom is smaller, and the rate of our CPU benchmark refresh cycles can be longer. These parameters depend on OS updates and drivers like the GPU testing, but it means that some benchmarks can still be relevant several years later with the same operating system base. 30 year old legacy Fortran code still in use is likely going to stay 30 year old legacy Fortran code in the near future. Or even benchmarks like CineBench R15 are still quoted today, despite the Cinema4D software on which it is based is several generations newer. The CPU testing ends up ultimately limited by the gaming tests, and depends on which modern GPUs are used, what games are being tested, what resolutions are relevant, or when new benchmarks enter the fray.
When Ryan retests a GPU, he has a fixed OS, system ready to go, updates the drivers, and puts the GPU back into the slot. Preparing a new CPU platform for new benchmarks means rebuilding the full system, reinstalling the OS, reinstalling the benchmark suite, and then testing it. However, with the right combination of hardware and tests, a good set of data can last 18 months or so without significant updates. The danger is that whenever there is a full benchmark refresh, which especially revolves around updates to newer operating systems. Due to how OS updates and scheduling with the software stack effects the new operating system, all the old data cannot be compared and the full set of hardware has to be retested on the new OS with an updated benchmark suite.
With our new CPU Overload project (stylized as #CPUOverload in our article titles, because social media is cool?), the aim is to get around both of these major drawbacks.
What is #CPUOverload?
The seeds of this project were initially sown several years ago in 2016. Despite having added our benchmark data to Bench for several years, I had kind of known our Benchmark database was a popular tool, but I didn't really realize how much it was used, or more precisely, under optimized, until recently when I was given access to be able to dig around in our back-end data.
Everyone shopping for a processor wants to know how good the one they're interested in is, and how much of a jump in performance they'll get from their old part. Reading reviews is all well and good, but due to style and applicability, only a few processors are directly compared in a review to a different part specifically, otherwise the review could be a hundred pages long. There have been many times where Ryan has asked me to scale back from 30000 data points in a review!
Also it's worth noting that reviews are often not updated with newer processor data, as there would be a factual disconnect with the textual analysis underneath.
This is why Bench exists. We often link in each review to Bench and request users go there to compare other processors, or for legacy benchmarks / benchmark breakdowns that are not in the main review.
But for #CPUOverload, with the ongoing march of Windows 10, and the special features therein (such as enabling Speed Shift on Intel processors, new scheduler updates for ACPI 6.2, and having the driver model to support DX12), it has been getting time for us to update our CPU test suite. Our recent reviews were mostly being criticized for still using older hardware, namely the GTX 1080s that I was able to procure, along with having some tests that didn't always scale with the CPU. (It is worth noting that alongside sourcing CPUs for testing, sourcing GPUs is somewhat harder - asking a vendor or the GPU manufacturer for two or three or more of the same GPU without a direct review is a tough ask.) The other angle is that in any given month, I will get additional requests to benchmark specific CPU tests – users today would prefer seeing their workload in action for comparison, rather than general synthetics, for obvious reasons.
There is also a personal question of user experience on Bench, which has not aged well since our last website layout update in 2013.
In all, the aims of CPU Overload are:
- Source all CPUs. Focus on ones that people actually use
- Retest CPUs on Windows 10 with new CPU tests
- Retest CPUs on Windows 10 with new Gaming tests
- Update the Bench interface
For the #CPUOverload project, we are testing under Windows 10, with a variety of new tests, including AI and SPEC, with new gaming tests on the latest GPUs, and more relevant real world benchmarks. But the heart of CPU Overload is this:
We want to have every desktop CPU since 2010 tested on our new benchmarks. By my count, there are over 900.
110 Comments
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JustAKeyboard - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
Need to add some Via Nano and Eden entries. How negative does the scaling go on your graphs? -
Ian Cutress - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
I have a VX900-I motherboard, but last time I tried to install Windows 10, it wasn't having it. -
CrystalCowboy - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
This sounds like a bleep-ton of work. What about mitigations for the various CPU compromises over the last several years? -
webdoctors - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
Nice, looking fwd to the comparison of the i2500k with todays procs! -
Mr Perfect - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
I especially appreciate that Bench has power consumption in it. Comparing the performance of an old 95w CPU to a new "95w" CPU isn't complete without seeing those numbers. -
lightningz71 - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
Are you interested in processor donations from us for this project? I am reasonably certain that I have an i5-2400 that is in working condition on my shelf that I could gladly send your way.
If you maintain an actively updated list somewhere that includes the processors that you have, and the ones that you are still looking for, and how to get them to you, I'm sure that, especially for the older ones, many of us are happy to help you out! -
sorten - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
This sounds incredible! Thank you, Ian. -
8aravindk - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
Please consider open sourcing this project, not in terms of benchmarks, which you need to run yourself for authenticity, but maintain a publicly accessible wish list of processors (Like that Excel screenshot in yellow and red), I am sure people would love to donate their old processors that they were gonna chuck anyway, this would also reduce your investment by quite a bit. Also, please consider a cheap subscription as your ads are not good, people use reading modes now and I'll gladly pay for your service. -
danjw - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
I would really like to see the AMD Ryzen 2700X added. -
WiseSwampDragon - Monday, July 20, 2020 - link
I have an old system with a AMD Geode LX 800 CPU. I'd love to see that one in the Bench DB.


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To pray the Liturgy of the Hours click here or download the IBreviary app.
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer. At times the dialogue is between the Church or individual soul and God; at times it is a dialogue among the members of the Church; and at times it is even between the Church and the world. The Divine Office "is truly the voice of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses to the Father." (SC 84) The dialogue is always held, however, in the presence of God and using the words and wisdom of God. Each of the five canonical Hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation. The two most important or hinge Hours are Morning and Evening Prayer. These each include a Gospel canticle: the Canticle of Zechariah from Luke 1:68-79 for Morning Prayer (known as the Benedictus), and the Canticle of Mary from Luke 1:46-55 for Evening Prayer (known as the Magnificat). The Gospel canticle acts as a kind of meditative extension of the scriptural proclamation in light of the Christ event. Morning and Evening Prayer also include intercessions that flow from the scriptural proclamation just as the Psalms prepare for it.
In the Hours, the royal priesthood of the baptized is exercised, and this sacrifice of praise is thus connected to the sacrifice of the Eucharist, both preparing for and flowing from the Mass.
"The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. Moreover, the reading from the Word of God at each Hour (with the subsequent responses or troparia) and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters at certain Hours, reveal more deeply the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, assist in understanding the psalms, and prepare for silent prayer." (CCC 1177)
The five Hours of the Divine Office are:
Office of Readings
"The office of readings seeks to provide God's people, and in particular those consecrated to God in a special way, with a wider selection of passages from sacred Scripture for meditation, together with the finest excerpts from spiritual writers. Even though the cycle of scriptural readings at daily Mass is now richer, the treasures of revelation and tradition to be found in the office of readings will also contribute greatly to the spiritual life" (General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours [GILH], no. 55).
Morning Prayer
"As is clear from many of the elements that make it up, morning prayer is intended and arranged to sanctify the morning. St. Basil the Great gives an excellent description of this character in these words: "It is said in the morning in order that the first stirrings of our mind and will may be consecrated to God and that we may take nothing in hand until we have been gladdened by the thought of God, as it is written: 'I was mindful of God and was glad' (Ps 77:4 [Jerome's translation from Hebrew]), or set our bodies to any task before we do what has been said: 'I will pray to you, Lord, you will hear my voice in the morning; I will stand before you in the morning and gaze on you' (Ps 5:4-5)."
"Celebrated as it is as the light of a new day is dawning, this hour also recalls the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the true light enlightening all people (see Jn 1:9) and "the sun of justice" (Mal 4:2), "rising from on high" (Lk 1:78). Hence, we can well understand the advice of St. Cyprian: "There should be prayer in the morning so that the resurrection of the Lord may thus be celebrated" (GILH, no. 38).
Daytime Prayer
(can be prayed at Midmorning, Midday, or Midafternoon)
"Following a very ancient tradition Christians have made a practice of praying out of private devotion at various times of the day, even in the course of their work, in imitation of the Church in apostolic times. In different ways with the passage of time this tradition has taken the form of a liturgical celebration.
"Liturgical custom in both East and West has retained midmorning, midday, and midafternoon prayer, mainly because these hours were linked to a commemoration of the events of the Lord's passion and of the first preaching of the Gospel" (GILH, no. 74-75).
Evening Prayer
"When evening approaches and the day is already far spent, evening prayer is celebrated in order that 'we may give thanks for what has been given us, or what we have done well, during the day.' We also recall the redemption through the prayer we send up 'like incense in the Lord's sight,' and in which 'the raising up of our hands' becomes 'an evening sacrifice' (see Ps 141:2). This sacrifice 'may also be interpreted more spiritually as the true evening sacrifice that our Savior the Lord entrusted to the apostles at supper on the evening when he instituted the sacred mysteries of the Church or of the evening sacrifice of the next day, the sacrifice, that is, which, raising his hands, he offered to the Father at the end of the ages for the salvation of the whole world.' Again, in order to fix our hope on the light that knows no setting, 'we pray and make petition for the light to come down on us anew; we implore the coming of Christ who will bring the grace of eternal light.' Finally, at this hour we join with the Churches of the East in calling upon the 'joy-giving light of that holy glory, born of the immortal, heavenly Father, the holy and blessed Jesus Christ; now that we have come to the setting of the sun and have seen the evening star, we sing in praise of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…'" (GILH, no. 39).
Night Prayer
"Night prayer is the last prayer of the day, said before retiring, even if that is after midnight" (GILH, no. 84).The Psalms that are chosen for Night Prayer are full of confidence in the Lord.
Text taken from: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgy-of-the-hours/


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"Mountain Glaciers and ice caps", Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Oslo, Norway, xii, 2012.
, "Using surface velocities to calculate ice thickness and bed topography: a case study at Columbia Glacier, Alaska, USA", Journal of Glaciology, vol. 58, no. 212, pp. 1151-1164, 2012.
, "A Reconciled Estimate of Glacier Contributions to Sea Level Rise: 2003 to 2009", Science, vol. 340, pp. 852-857, 2013.