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At Mission Linen Supply, a California corporation (the "Company"), your privacy is very important to us. The purpose of this privacy policy (this "Policy") is to provide you with a description of the types of information we collect about you when you visit the Mission Linen web site located at http://www.mlsbuy.com or Company Affiliate webstores to which this Policy is posted and associated sub-domains (each of the foregoing hereinafter referred to as a "Site" and all websites to which this Policy applies are collectively referred to as the "Sites") and how we use that information. By visiting or using a Site or using the Services (defined below), you agree to the provisions of our Terms of Use http://www.mlsbuy.com/content.aspx?page=termsandconditionsand this Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Policy, please do not use or access the Site or use the Services.
This Policy applies only to information collected through the Sites and not to information collected offline. For more information on how a Site may redirect you to other web sites, please see the "Links and Redirection to Third Party Sites" section below.
We collect and store information that you voluntarily provide to us as well as data related to your Site visit and usage.
In some areas of the Site we request or may request that you provide personally identifiable information, including your name, address, email address, telephone number, username and other information from which your identity is or may be discernible. We collect personally identifiable information from our users at several different points on each Site. If you elect to create a corporate account, you may also have the opportunity to provide additional information about your business, including the number of employees you hire and your geographic service area, but it is solely up to you whether you furnish such information. If you do provide such information, you are thereby consenting to the use of that information in accordance with the policies and practices described in this Policy. We may also maintain a record of the purchases you make from the Site. This information may be stored on our servers and on the servers of third party service providers.
The email address you provide when creating an individual or corporate user account will only be used to send you information and updates. Emails are stored securely on an encrypted drive with controlled and audited access and only used to inform you of information specifically relevant to your account
In addition, during your visit we automatically collect certain aggregate information and analytical data related to your Site visit (see "Use of Cookies" below). Aggregate information is non-personally identifiable or anonymous information about you, including the date and time of your visit, the IP address of your computer or mobile device, your computer or mobile device browser information, the Internet address that you visited prior to and after reaching the Site, the name of the domain and host you used to access the Internet, the type of mobile device you use, your mobile device's unique device ID and the features of our Site which you accessed. These data are in no way associated with your personally identifiable information.
We use collected information to make available and to improve our high standard of reliable services. We use such information to:
We do not sell or rent personally identifiable information to third parties who are not affiliates of the Company. In addition we may disclose personally identifiable information to appropriate affiliates of the Company, including strategic alliance affiliates and third party service providers, to respond to a request for service or to provide information about available products or services. We are not limited in our use of non-personal information that does not permit direct association with any specific individual or non-identifiable aggregate information about our users (such as the number of users of our Services, the geographic distribution of our users, the amount of information located and/or removed, etc.).
We disclose information that we in good faith believe is appropriate to cooperate in investigations of fraud or other illegal activity or to conduct investigations of violations of our Terms of Use. For example, this means that if we conduct a fraud investigation and conclude that one side has engaged in deceptive practices, we can give that person or entity's contact information to victims who request it.
We disclose information in response to a subpoena, warrant, court order, levy, attachment, order of a court-appointed receiver or other comparable legal process, including subpoenas from private parties in a civil action. If the subpoena seeks information about an identified user or limited group of users, we will make reasonable business efforts to contact the user(s) before providing information to the party that requests it. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to contact the user(s) in all cases, whether because of a time limit, court order, inability to effectively contact a user or for any other reason.
We may disclose information to your agent or legal representative (such as the holder of a power of attorney that you grant or a guardian appointed for you).
We share information with companies that provide public relations and marketing services for us. Such information will only be shared by us to customize, measure and improve our products, Services and advertising; it will not be shared with third parties for their marketing purposes. These third parties are obligated to protect your information and are prohibited from using your personally identifiable information for any other purpose.
As with any other business, it is possible that in the future we could merge with or be acquired by another company. If such an acquisition occurs, the successor company would have access to the information maintained by us, including customer account information, but would continue to be bound by this Policy unless and until it is amended.
We share your information with our parent, subsidiaries and joint ventures to help coordinate the Services we provide to you, enforce our Terms of Use and promote trust and safety.
We may share aggregate (non-personally identifiable) information with certain third parties such as advertisers, national industry organizations and prospective affiliates. In addition we reserve the right to disclose aggregate information and personally identifiable information to third parties as required or permitted by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights.
Choice and Opt-Out
We provide you the opportunity to "opt-out" of having your personally identifiable information used for certain purposes when we ask for this information. For example, if you do not wish to receive marketing material from us, you can indicate your preference in the Site's options area. If you no longer wish to receive our promotional communications, you may opt-out of receiving them by following the instructions included in each communication.
We use a third-party credit card processor to process credit card purchases made on our Site. To make this possible, your name, billing address and order total are shared via secure (encrypted) means with this third-party payment processor for the sole purpose of completing your order. Please note that your credit card information (number, expiration date, security code) is provided directly to the third-party credit card processor and is stored by such third-party credit card processor and not the Company, and as such, it is important to review the privacy policy of the third-party credit card processor prior to providing this information. The third-party credit card processor's privacy policy will apply to the information you provide on the third-party credit card processor's web site. You hereby acknowledge and agree that the Company is not affiliated in any way with the third-party credit card processor and that we have no responsibility or liability for the services provided by such third-party credit card processor or for the third-party credit card processor's acts or omissions.
"Cookies" are simple text files stored on your computer for use by a browser. Certain Site features may only be available through the placement of a cookie. We may use "cookies" to assist in data collection and to track visitor Site usage and trends to help us better serve you. The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet web sites; most Internet browsers permit a user to accept, decline or delete cookies. This Site works with a first party cookie that collects anonymous traffic data at the Site.
We use persistent cookies to make it easier for you to navigate the Site. Specifically, we use persistent cookies to track whether you are logged into the Site. A persistent cookie remains on your hard drive for an extended period of time. You can remove persistent cookies by following directions provided in your Internet browser's "help" file.
We use cookies to compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We set a persistent cookie to store how you came to the Site and what listings and Content (as defined in the Terms of Use) you view. We may contract with third-party service providers to assist us in better understanding our site visitors. These service providers are not permitted to use the information collected on our behalf except to help us conduct and improve our business.
If you reject cookies you will still be able to view the Site, but your ability to use some areas of the Site, such as automatically-generated recommendations, will be limited. You will be unable to log into the Site if you reject cookies.
Some of our business partners (e.g., analytical tracking software providers) use cookies and tracking technologies on the Site. We have no access to or control over these cookies or tracking technologies. This Policy covers the use of cookies on the Sites and by us only and does not cover the use of cookies or tracking technologies by any such business partner.
Account Security
The security of your account relies on your protection of your user name and password. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your user name and password. You are solely responsible for any and all activities that occur under your account. You may not share your password or user name with anyone. We will never ask you to send your password or other sensitive information to us in an email, though we may ask you to enter this type of information on the Site.
Any email or other communication requesting your password, asking you to provide sensitive account information via email or linking to a website that does not link to this Policy should be treated as unauthorized and suspicious and should be reported to us immediately at (805)-963-1841. If you do share your password with a third party for any reason, the third party will have access to your account and your personal information, and you may be responsible for actions taken using your password. If you believe someone else has obtained access to your password, please change it immediately by logging into your account on the Site and changing your Profile settings. If you believe that an unauthorized access has already occurred, please report it immediately at (805)-963-1841.
We may have access to your password and may use such password to access your account for debugging, quality assurance or other internal purposes.
Updating Information
You may review, correct, update or change your personally identifiable information on your account profile at any time. Simply log into your account, go to your Profile, review your personally identifiable information and, if you wish, edit it with the options provided. If you are unable to edit your personally identifiable information by logging into your account please contact us for assistance.
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our Site by linking to third party websites ("Third Party Sites"). These sites include, among others, service providers and retail merchants who have a relationship with the Company.
Third Party Sites are not under the control of the Company, and the Company is not responsible for such Third Party Sites, including without limitation the accuracy, sufficiency, correctness, reliability, veracity, completeness or timeliness thereof, any link contained therein or any changes or updates thereto. The inclusion or access to Third Party Sites does not imply an endorsement thereof by the Company or of the provider of such content or services or of any third party web site. The Company reserves the right to terminate any link or linking program at any time. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our Site and welcome any feedback about these Third Party Sites.
Please be aware that when you enter a Third Party Site, any information you provide, including financial information, is subject to the terms of use and privacy policy of that Third Party Site.
This Site and our Services are not directed to persons under the age of 13. If you become aware that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at(805-963-1841. We do not knowingly collect or solicit information from, market to or accept services from children. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we take steps to remove such information and terminate the child's account.
Each time you use the Site, the current version of the Policy will apply. Accordingly, when you use the Site, you should check the date of this Policy (which appears at the top of the Policy) and review any changes since the last version. Our business changes frequently, and this Policy is subject to change from time to time. Unless stated otherwise, our current Policy applies to all information that we have about you. We will not materially change our policies and practices to make them less protective of customer information collected in the past or collect substantially more customer information than in the past without the consent of affected customers.
You must promptly notify us if you become aware that any information provided by or submitted to the Site is lost, stolen or used without permission.
This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of California, U.S.A. without giving effect to any principles of conflict of law.
California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits customers who are California residents and who have provided the Company with "personal information" (as that term is defined in Section 1798.83) to request certain information about the disclosure of that information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. If you are a California resident with questions regarding this, please contact us via email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by mail at the address listed in the "Contact Us" section below.
If there are any questions regarding this Policy, you may contact us using the information below.
Mission Linen Supply702 E. Montecito Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Please also visit our Terms of Use section establishing the use, disclaimers and limitations of liability governing the use of our Site at: http://www.mlsbuy.com/content.aspx?page=termsandconditions.
All trademarks, service marks and other proprietary materials herein are the property of Mission Linen Supply, 2012. All rights reserved.


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Bart riding his black Pug at the ski area at Voss, Norway.
Feel free to download it and use it as your own wallpaper. Just click on the image to open the full-sized version which you can right-click to save.
Got your own Wallpaper Worthy Photo?
If you've got a fat-bike related image that you feel is "Wallpaper Worthy", slap it in an email with what, where, why info and photographer's credit to firstname.lastname@example.com and you may see your creative work here!

subset: commoncrawl


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Patagonia Men's Better Sweater™ 1/4-Zip Fleece : New Navy
Pullovers make great additions to your winter wardrobe, allowing you to to quickly put on an extra layer if you're cold or if you are layering up to go outside in cold temperatures. The Patagonia pullovers we stock come in a range of styles and sizes, suitable for wearing as an outer layer or for wearing under a coat or jacket if you are faced with really cold weather. The advantage of a pullover is that they can also be worn indoors to keep you warm inside, perfect for if your heating is broken or you are visiting a place that you know will be cold. One of our best selling pullovers, the Patagonia R1 pullover, is perfect for all conditions. It is especially coveted by those who enjoy skiing or holidays to alpine locations that are often covered in snow and very cold. It is lightweight and easily compressible, making it simple to fit into a bag for later. We also have a selection of Patagonia fleece pullovers that are great extra layers to add under a coat or jacket in the most severe temperatures or are a comfy layer to add to warm yourself up at any time of the year. Keep the cold out by pairing a hoody or fleece pullover with an insulated Patagonia Jacket


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However, there is some controversy about this among sponsored climbers. Some ask, should certain individuals be sponsored? Certainly some may be asking this because they want to remain in a small elite crew of individuals. Others may be asking -- perhaps more legitimately -- the question because they don't see some of their peers as qualified.
Until recently, this particular question was left to the privacy of the brew pub...but then about a a couple of years ago Scott Semple wrote a blog entitled, "Is Sponsorship a Sin?" This question started a very serious conversation in the climbing community, both on his blog and in forums like cascadeclimbers.com.
Scott wrote specifically that the ability of some climbers to self-promote outweighs their actual climbing abilities. His thesis is that those who are lying or exaggerating about their abilities to secure their sponsorships shouldn't be sponsored.
Following is the heart of his blog:
The more you climb, the less you're interested in reading the same recycled stories with the same characters smiling from new faces. And the less you can tolerate the self-promotion that comes from white lies and self-serving exaggerations in hopes of becoming (or staying) sponsored. And those indulgences are rampant and widespread.
If sponsorship isn't backed up by a legitimate accomplishment that is significant to the sport, then being rewarded for something insignificant is sad and undeserved. And it's immoral, because it creates a facade, and facades are lies.
This happens more often than you might think. Many of the athletes you often see in climbing magazines are phenomenal at self-promotion, but range from average to crap at actually climbing. Ice, mixed and alpine climbing have the worst offenders. (Rock climbing is usually too consistent, popular and objective for lies to last long.) Truth is, many climbers are sponsored for what they say, or how well they're known, rather than for what they've done.
The problem stems from the fact that the "athlete" is the performer, but also the judge and the journalist. A lack of objectivity and a lack of integrity combine to create opportunistic self-promotion masquerading as journalism. The result is that average achievements beget above-average attention.
Scott got so many comments about this particular blog that he presented a slideshow on the topic at the Night of Lies event in Canmore. The 22 minute slideshow was videotaped and is one of the most interesting and intriguing issues that has been presented recently, that will never be covered by the major climbing news outlets.
Though it is impossible to see Scott in the video, it is well worth watching all 22 minutes of this piece and it is well worth hearing the comments that were made by the audience as he presented it.
For a larger video format, click on the "Is Sponsorship a Sin" link below the video.
After the slideshow, Scott wrote a second blog about the responses that he received. One of the main comments that he posted was from Dave Karl, a gear rep.
I disagree with the three-test rule. I have IFMGA & AMGA Mountain Guides that I sponsor that are totally worthy. Their personal (non-guided) climbing accomplishments may not be noteworthy among their elite peers, but they don't bullsh*t either, and they do help sell product. These guides help the entire sport and climbing community by educating the public and introducing new participants to climbing. A good mountain guide can be a great sponsorship investment.Scott agreed with this comment and indicated that "I agree with Dave that there are folks out there worthy of support that may not be on the cutting edge of climbing. They are typically local, grassroots climbers or industry-folk like guides that are in front of the target market on a daily basis. I have no objections to these athletes being supported, either by sales reps or by brands, on an informal basis."
The outdoor industry is full of sponsored individuals. And it is full of a lot of ego, arrogance and self-promotion. Sponsorship is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it's great. It provides us with an insight into who is at the top of the game. But on the other hand, if we can't trust the magazines and the gear manufacturers to screen their athletes, then the value of every sponsored athlete -- whether they deserve it or not -- is diminished.
--Jason D. Martin


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I recently had the good fortune to pay visit to a city I've wanted to experience for as long as I can remember: the city of Istanbul. Hearing from those that had been, I'd known it was a city rich with history, breathtaking landmarks, incredible cuisine, great cultural and commercial shopping, and that at some point, I had to see it for myself.
I was only there for a day, but that still left me the opportunity to stay at any hotel in Istanbul—and so I was elated to learn that I'd be able to experience the Marti Istanbul. And you would have been elated too! Here are 12 reasons why:
1. It's new!
The Marti Istanbul is a sheik new 5-star hotel offering 270 stylish guest rooms and all the amenities one could ask for. This includes 31 amazing suites spread over 11 floors, several restaurants and bars, a gym, spa and wellness center, banquet and conference rooms, a gourmet shop and even a private gated main entrance!
2. The location
The Marti is located in the heart of Istanbul in an area known as the Taksim, the shopping and cultural heart of the city. So no matter your destination for the day, you're just minutes away. From the airport it's a scenic 25- to 30-minute ride along the Sea of Marmara, and the hotel can arrange for a car to pick you up or drop you off. Or you can always hop in a cab.
3. The Brass Restaurant & Bar
Located next to the main lobby, this stylish restaurant and quaint bar offer a pleasant option if you decide to dine in or just meet for drinks before heading out. The bartenders and wait staff are incredibly nice and the food is fantastic!
4. The spa
After a long day of discovering Istanbul, spend some time at the Marti Wellness Center and you'll be sure to leave feeling like a Sultan or a Queen. From the minute you step off the elevator you're immediately transported into a utopia of simple bliss and relaxation. And if you like some of the products used while visiting the spa you have the opportunity to purchase them in the Spa Shop, which is also in the Wellness Center. And don't forget to stop by the Vitamin Bar!
5. The hammams (Turkish steam rooms)
There are four relaxing hammam units at the Marti Istanbul, and this includes sections for ladies and gentlemen. I've been to several hammams around the world and none were as opulent and relaxing as those at the Marti. Beautiful wall-to-wall marble with subtle hints of color created an atmosphere like no other. Perfect before or after your massage or any time spent at the Marti Wellness Center.
6. The staff
The staff at the Marti provides unparalleled hospitality. Want a reservation or recommendation? Forget your charger? Need to change currency or a ride to or from the airport? "Of course we can help with that." And always greeted with a sincere smile. I was only in Istanbul for about a day and the staff went out of their way to make sure that not only was my stay memorable but that so were those of others I had met at the hotel as well. Five stars to the Marti staff.
7. The rooms & beds
Sweet dreams! The Marti spared no expense when deciding on beds to make sure you get a good night of sleep. So whether you're staying in the opulent Regal Suite or one of the other 269 rooms, you'll be in heaven when you lay your weary head to rest. The 100% down pillows and duvets are reminiscent of the cumulous clouds that cover this incredible city. The rooms are spacious, quiet and many have their own private hammam steam room.
8. Breakfast at the Quad Restaurant
They say it's the most important meal of the day so why not stay at a hotel that offers one of the best? Served every morning in the Quad Restaurant, this breakfast is loaded with all the best options to start your day. How many hotel restaurants do you know that provide raw honey still on the comb for your tea? I know of one and it's the Marti. It's this kind of simple detail provided by the Marti that will sweeten the start of any guest's morning.
9. The gym & fitness center
Located on the top floor and above the spa, the hotel gym is a perfect place to get in some cardio while traveling. With several elliptical machines, stationary bikes, treadmills and free weights, you can spin your exercise wheels while overlooking Istanbul in this spacious fitness center. If yoga is your thing, there is lots of open floor space in the center allowing you to get your stretch on without being disturbed. There is also an incredible roof deck open in the warmer months, so if you'd like to relax in a chaise lounge or soak in one of the spa's jacuzzis, this is the spot for you. It's quite an impressive space for exercise and the view is incredible!
10. This guy
The executive chef at the Marti Istanbul is Eyup Sabri Yunusoglu. Not only is he responsible for the menu creation and kitchen operations at Brass and the Quad Restaurant & Bar, he also puts his stamp of approval on everything for the Lounge 11 executive club and the hotel's 24-hour room service. He also oversees banqueting and catering for on-site meetings and special events. So if you're there for a conference or a wedding, you're in good hands with Chef Yunusoglu. The food is fantastic and he's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet!
11. Guided tours
Why spend time trying to locate your destination for the day? Have the hotel arrange for either a group tour or a private tour to maximize your day. I had a private tour that started around 6:30 am to beat the crowds and it was worth every penny spent. The hotel arranged time with Sibel Kilic, a guide from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. She (like most everyone) speaks perfect English and possessed in-depth knowledge about every stop along the way, including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Royal Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar which are all very large.
12. Attention to detail
One thing I always notice about a hotel is its attention to detail. From the polished marble laid throughout the hotel to the cards given to you to provide a safe return, the Marti goes out of its way to keep their 5-star rating intact by paying close attention to the details that will make your stay memorable. It's the little things that often matter most and in that respect the Marti doesn't miss a beat.
I'll keep the closing brief as I know many of you are busy. It's simple…
If a resolution for 2014 is to travel, here's a good start: Go to Istanbul. It's so full of life, history and bustling with energy that it doesn't surprise me that it's regarded as one of the world's most amazing destinations. The people are fantastic and very camera friendly. As in any country it's always best to kindly ask first, but every person I asked had no problem with me taking a few pics.
As I mentioned earlier I was only in Istanbul for about a day and I only scratched the surface of everything this city has to offer. The locations I mentioned are all must-sees and the history behind them is brilliant. A truly amazing time. And be sure to fly Turkish Air; the planes are great, as is the Business Class lounge.
Check out the images posted below for a more complete tour of the hotel and my experience there, and check out my photo gallery here to see how I captured my day in the Turkish capital.
Additional links:


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Notebooks and Diaries
Like the journalist he was by training and occupation, Walt Whitman carried small, often handmade, notebooks with him wherever he went. He used them to jot down notes, names, observations and accounts of people he observed and met or descriptions of places visited. When a notebook was not handy, he scribbled on fragments and available scraps, or reutilized paper from a print shop floor. He kept short account of daily activities, addresses, and appointments in diary daybooks that served as informal scrapbooks for business cards and other miscellany. Notebooks from military hospitals contained names and information about soldiers in the wards. He also used notes and notebooks as a basis for his creative work as a poet and freelance writer. He drafted trial lines for poems, ideas for stories, or thoughts about famous people and various topics under the sun, and worked through philosophical perspectives he wanted to exemplify in his life and writings.


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Reporter Laura Mecoy wrote the story on Tuesday's approval of the proposed research standards by the agency's Standards Working Group. Her brief article also had this from Zach Hall, president of CIRM:
"We are going beyond existing standards. It becomes a much bigger issue with the South Korean debacle . . . Now the big need in the research field is to try to figure how to make this technology work in humans, and egg donation will be the key."


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- KLM Catering Services (KCS) Schipol is the biggest in-flight caterer in the Netherlands, with over 250 flights a day, producing 35,000 daily meals. KLM not only caters for its own scheduled flights, but also supplies meals to other airline operators such as Northwest Airlines, Cyprus and Kenyan Airways.
The greatest concern of Edo Cuiper, KLM Catering Services Technical Engineer was the freezing snow and ice on the floor and ceiling: "The floor was very slippery and unacceptably dangerous, and we had to do something," he said. As well as the risk of accidents, Edo said "We had ice and snow on the evaporator, it was difficult to clean, and difficult to keep at a constant -20ºC, we had frequent defrosts, typically six times daily for one hour." The simple and effective answer was to remove the moisture from the air and this is exactly what Munters IceDry® systems do so well.
KLM Catering Services installed three IceDry® systems in their cold stores, as Munters' system is designed for low temperatures. Munters desiccant dehumidifiers work by drawing air from the cold store through a rotor containing silica gel. In removing moisture from the air, Munters calculate, then control the dewpoint temperature required – the point at which moisture in the air will condense out and freeze onto surfaces. Once the moisture in the air is removed, the now ultra-dry air is piped back into the cold store area. By removing the moisture, the IceDry® system also assists in increasing the periods between defrosts, reducing energy utilisation and refrigeration plant cleaning.
"The difference before and after the installation of IceDry® is like night and day," says Edo Cuiper. "The coldstore rooms are clean and the floors are no longer slippery".
- Munters IceDry series
The safety improvements also got the thumbs up from the "ARBO" welfare at work organisation. Improving the safe operation of the environment had previously been attempted by adding grip strips into the floor to make it less slippery. This proved unsuccessful as after only two weeks, the ice built up again. Now with IceDry® this is completely clear. Moving the food pallets is also much safer, and loading is faster, the catering team can read all the labels correctly without having to wipe the frost off.
The improvements have not only been seen in safety, KLM Catering Services now only defrost once a day for half an hour, it is not really necessary, however, it is done as a precautionary measure for cooling equipment safety. Previously, KCS observed ice build up on the coldstore fan during the night, which occasionally was so severe that it meant that the fan could not blow anymore. Now this has been completely solved with Munters IceDry®.
KCS also found through constant electronic temperature tracking that they have been able to maintain much tighter temperature control. The reduced defrost with IceDry® enabled KCS to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant evaporator coolant from -27ºC to -22ºC.
KLM Catering Services see the Munters IceDry® as a primary element of their HACCP initiative for safe and effective working – in short, it has been a great success.
Contact SMAC Enterprises for more info & pricing on the Munters IceDry unit today!
SMAC Enterprises is the sole representative for Munters Dehumidification in Southern Africa and Africa


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Share Point 2013
Microsoft share point has been serving the globe with its bewildering platform for web development for many years. Share point was introduced as content and document management system, but now it is a comprehensive phenomenon of web development.
It's like web integration achieving scores with Microsoft share point's prominent offerings. Microsoft share point is an amazing web application platform and one stop destination for utilizing variant web technologies with a common technical infrastructure. Addition of share point 2013 in the world of Microsoft share point has made the platform bigger. It has become smarter and better with advance engineering, latest traits and polished services. Techlopes utilizes this amazing platform to serve with the best solutions to customers. We have utilized all exceptional traits of Microsoft SharePoint to deliver succinct web application solutions to our clients. Our amazing SharePoint developers at Techlopes are capable of providing you perfect solution according to your needs and demands relevant to intranet portals, extranets, documents and file management, social networks, websites, enterprise applications and more using this bundle of fineness most efficiently. We let you to have an amazing share point experience by blending perfect elements to your web applications and assist you to enter extensible and viable mode of operations.
Share point workflows feature enable us to design explanatory workflows which let you to have efficient and seamless workflow. Visually enchanting solution have perfect workflow trait that combines task management and sequential flow to deliver impressive outcomes. We have also utilized performance point services feature of share point to provide captivating web experience. Share point 2013 assists us to provide you illustrative solutions using Rich Dashboard Migration, Comprehensive Content, Filter Enhancement, BI Center Updates and Support & Analysis Services. These eminent solutions allow you to examine and optimize your business performance efficiently and effectively.
- Workflows Management
- Inclusive Packaged Functionalities
- Dynamic Integration Facilities
- Manipulate Content in Lists & Libraries, Pages and Sites
- Manage User Permissions, Manage definitions and properties, Manage Identity
- Directly Integrate Into the SharePoint SOA Bus
- Extensions to SharePoint Functionality
- Web Parts for Appending New Functionalities
- InfoPath Forms Services
- News and Events Management
- Product and Workflow Management Services
- SharePoint Quiz Client-Side Object Model Protocol
- Performance Point Services
- SharePoint Business Connectivity services


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- Posted on February 21, 2016
The Nano Ninjas won! #STEM4Girls #WomenInTech #Robots
Earlier this month we ran a short feature about the Nano Ninjas – an all-girls group of 7th and 8th graders who took part in the FIRST Tech Challenge and used Overleaf to create their engineering notebook to record their team and robot's journey throughout the season.
We're delighted to follow up on that post with news that the Nano Ninjas won first place in the Connect Award category at last week's Super Qualifier! They also placed second in the Inspire category, and were nominated for the Control, Motivate & Think Award! Go team!! :)
"Thanks for all your support. They won first place in the Connect Award and second place in the Inspire Award (finishing 2nd from 21 teams) in the competition and advanced to State Level. As a rookie team, getting second place in the Inspire category is a major achievement where they compete with teams that have 4-5 years experience." – Nixon Xavier, Nano Ninja Team Coach
Read more about the team and their robot's journey here!
The Nano Ninjas team with their robot and display!
Preparing to face the judges!
Demoing their robot during the qualifier!
The Nano Ninjas were proudly supported by companies from all areas of tech, including Overleaf!
All photos provided by Nixon Xavier, Nano Ninjas Team Coach. All rights reserved.


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Fast-food dining is most popular for those with middle incomes
- Date:
- November 4, 2011
- Source:
- University of California - Davis Health System
- Summary:
- A new national study of eating out and income shows that fast-food dining becomes more common as earnings increase from low to middle incomes, weakening the popular notion that fast food should be blamed for higher rates of obesity among the poor.
- Share:
A new national study of eating out and income shows that fast-food dining becomes more common as earnings increase from low to middle incomes, weakening the popular notion that fast food should be blamed for higher rates of obesity among the poor.
"There is a correlation between obesity and lower income, but it cannot be solely attributed to restaurant choice," said J. Paul Leigh, professor of public health sciences at UC Davis and senior author of the study, which is published online in Population Health Management. "Fast-food dining is most popular among the middle class, who are less likely to be obese."
In conducting the study, Leigh and co-author DaeHwan Kim, specialists in health economics, used data from the 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the accompanying Diet and Health Knowledge Survey. The nationally representative sample of nearly 5,000 people in the U.S. included data about food consumption patterns, including restaurant visits, over two nonconsecutive days, which was compared with demographic variables such as household income, race, gender, age and education.
They found that eating at full-service restaurants, which involve a range of food choices and sit-down service, followed an expected pattern: as income rose, visits increased. In contrast, eating at fast-food restaurants, characterized by minimal table service and food preparation time, followed a different pattern. Fast-food restaurant visits rose along with annual household income up to $60,000. As income increased beyond that level, fast-food visits decreased.
Leigh noted that the fast-food industry attracts the middle class by locating restaurants right off freeways in middle-income areas and by offering products that appeal to a large proportion of Americans.
"Low prices, convenience and free toys target the middle class -- especially budget-conscious, hurried parents -- very well," said Leigh.
Additional correlations revealed in the study included:
- Men were more likely than women to go to both fast-food and full-service restaurants.
- People with more education were more likely to go to full-service restaurants.
- People who worked more hours were more likely to go to both fast-food and full-service restaurants.
- Smokers were more likely to go to fast-food rather than full-service restaurants.
The study was limited by the fact that the data came from the mid-1990s, the most recent information available on this subject. Although incomes have changed considerably since then, Leigh believes that the eating-out patterns found in this study would still hold if more up-to-date data were available.
"It has traditionally been difficult to define patterns of restaurant consumption for Americans according to their incomes," said Leigh. "By using a very large, nationally representative database that includes detailed information on income, we have solved that puzzle."
Based on his findings, Leigh, who is affiliated with the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, suggests that policymakers and researchers look beyond restaurant type for reasons for and solutions to the obesity epidemic. He will study the effects of food pricing on food choices.
"Pricing is critical to low-income families, and over the past 30 years the costs of less healthy options have dropped compared to healthier fare," said Leigh. "One potential way to encourage healthier eating could be to charge taxes that increase based on the number of calories in food. Proceeds from the taxes could then be used to subsidize and reduce the costs of healthy foods."
Co-author DaeHwan Kim, who earned his doctorate in economics at UC Davis, is currently with the Korea Insurance Research Institutes in Seoul.
The research was funded in part by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of California - Davis Health System. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- J. Paul Leigh and DaeHwan Kim,. Are Meals at Full-Service and Fast-Food Restaurants 'Normal' or 'Inferior'? Population Health Management, 2011
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The art of bonsai has captured the imaginations of tree lovers for centuries. Now you can celebrate this ancient art with the LEGO® Bonsai Tree model building kit. Enjoy a sense of calm as you carefully shape the bonsai tree model with either green leaves or pink cherry blossoms. When you're ready for a change, it's easy to swap the colored crowns to create a totally new look. Take a closer look at the pink blooms – do you see the tiny frogs that make up each blossom flower?
A beautiful display piece
The LEGO Bonsai Tree model comes with a rectangular pot and a slatted wood-effect LEGO stand, creating a pretty display piece to take pride of place in any home or office. Whether it's a birthday gift for a loved one or a treat for you, this set is sure to capture the imagination with its beauty. Part of the LEGO Botanical Collection for adults, it includes leaf elements made from a plant-based plastic, produced using sustainably sourced sugarcane.
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What are address signs?
Browse our gallery and you'll find a sign solution for just about anything, from parking to point-of-sale promotions. And while every sign plays an important part in your business, few signs matter more than the humble address sign.
Ordinary yet essential, address signs are the cornerstone of your business. They show customers they're in the right place; they make sure service workers, business supplies, mail, and legal documents arrive on-time; and they help newcomers form first impressions about your brand.
Whether you own a business or not, no property or building design is complete without the right address sign.
We've helped countless Alpharetta businesses and private buyers put the finishing touches on their properties with custom address signs, and we can help you too, no matter where you're located. As members of the SignWorld Business Alliance, a network consisting of over 330 sign companies, we offer custom address sign products and services to clients nationwide.


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The wealth gap is the most acute indicator of racial inequality. Based on data from the 2002 Survey of Income and Program Participation, white median household net worth is about $90,000; in contrast it is only about $8,000 for the median Latino household and a mere $6,000 for the median black household. The median Latino or black household would have to save nearly 100 percent of its income for at least three consecutive years to close the gap. Furthermore, 85 percent of black and Latino households have a net worth below the median white household. Regardless of age, household structure, education, occupation, or income, black households typically have less than a quarter of the wealth of otherwise comparable white households.
Since the election of Barack Obama, a growing belief has emerged that race is no longer a defining feature of one's life chances. But the extraordinary overlap between wealth and race puts a lie to the notion that America is now in a post-racial era. The smallest racial wealth gap exists for families in the third quartile of the income distribution where the typical black family has only 38 percent of the wealth of the typical white family. In the bottom income quartile -- the group containing the working poor -- a black family has a startlingly low 2 percent of the wealth of the typical white family.
Those who recognize the racial wealth gap but still embrace the idea of a post-racial America have crafted two explanations for this disparity. The first is that, in search of immediate gratification, blacks are less frugal when it comes to savings. Indeed, in an April lecture at Morehouse College, Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke attributed the racial wealth gap to a lack of "financial literacy" on the part of blacks, particularly with respect to savings behavior.
Such an explanation, however, is not the case. Economists ranging from Milton Friedman to Marjorie Galenson to the recently deceased founder of the Caucus of Black Economists, Marcus Alexis, found that, after accounting for household income, blacks historically have had a slightly higher savings rate than whites. In 2004, economists Maury Gittleman and Edward Wolff also found that blacks save at a moderately higher rate than do whites, again after adjusting for household income. This indicates even greater black frugality because many higher-income blacks offer more support to lower-income relatives than do whites, further reducing their resources to save.
The second explanation given to support the post-racial narrative is that inferior management of assets owned by blacks has resulted in lower portfolio returns. However, recent research finds no significant racial differences in asset appreciation rates for families with positive net worth.
Recessions disproportionately affect black and Latino families. During the 1999–2001 recession, median household wealth fell by 27 percent for both Latinos and blacks, while it grew by 2 percent for whites. The current recession likely will worsen the racial wealth gap. Although whites are more likely than blacks to own their home, the share of black wealth in the form of housing is nearly twice as large as the white share. And with blacks far more likely than whites to have been steered toward sub-prime loans in discriminatory credit markets, the foreclosure crisis is bound to have a more deleterious effect on black wealth than on white wealth.
For example, a recent report on mortgage lending and race by the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota found that black Twin City residents earning over $150,000, in comparison to whites earning below $40,000, were twice as likely to be denied a home loan. Those fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to get a loan were more than three times as likely to have a sub-prime loan.
Economic studies also demonstrate that inheritances, bequests, and intra-family transfers account for more of the racial wealth gap than any other demographic and socioeconomic factor, including education, income, and household structure. These intra-familial transfers, the primary source of wealth for most Americans with positive net worth, are transfers of blatant non-merit resources. Why do blacks have vastly fewer resources to leave to the next generation?
Apart from the national failure to endow ex-slaves with the promised 40 acres and a mule after the Civil War, blacks were deprived systematically of property, especially land, accumulated between 1880 and 1910 by government complicity and fraud as well as seizures by white terrorists. During the first three decades of the 20th century, white rioters destroyed prosperous black communities from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Restrictive covenants, redlining, and general housing and lending discrimination also inhibited blacks from accumulating wealth.
Given the importance of intergenerational transfers of wealth and past and present barriers preventing black wealth accumulation, private action and market forces alone cannot close an unjust racial wealth gap -- public-sector intervention is necessary.
Indeed, the public sector already subsidizes asset acquisition. A 2004 report by the Corporation for Enterprise Development estimates that, even before the current financial crisis, the federal government allocated $335 billion of its 2003 budget in the form of tax subsidies and savings to promote asset development such as mortgage deductions. This excluded any corporate subsidies and tax savings and was more than 15 times the amount spent on education.
At issue is not the amount but the recipients. Those earning over $1 million a year received about one-third of the entire allocation, while the bottom 60 percent of earners received only 5 percent. Individuals in the bottom 20 percent typically received a measly $4.24 benefit. A more progressive distribution could be transformative for low-income Americans.
The surge in the post-racial perspective has moved us away from race-specific policies. However, wealth, given the racial disparity of its distribution, can be an effective non-race-based instrument to eliminate racial inequality. We could shift from an income-based to a wealth-based test for transfer programs. Policy eligibility based on net worth below the national median would qualify a large proportion of black households. Electronic financial records and publicly available home appraisals now make it easier to estimate net worth, and to avoid savings crowd-out, the program could be structured similarly to the Earned Income Tax Credit program, which uses a phase-out schedule to avoid work disincentives.
These changes in eligibility should be coupled with policies to promote asset building. For example, the American Dream Demonstration program uses individual development accounts to create match incentives for low-income savers. Another initiative, the Saving for Education, Entrepreneurship, and Downpayment, established children's development accounts (sometimes called "baby bonds") to create endowed trusts for children at birth. In the United Kingdom, since 2005, every newborn receives a trust ranging from 250 pounds to 500 pounds depending on familial resources.
In 2004, the American Saving for Personal Investment, Retirement, and Education (ASPIRE) Act was introduced in Congress to establish children's development accounts in the U.S. While the nation's first black president eschews race-specific policies, perhaps a strongly amended ASPIRE bill designed to progressively distribute funds based on familial net worth can be the policy that enables him to "bind ... [black America's] grievances ... to the larger aspirations of all Americans."
We envision a "baby bond" plan of much greater magnitude -- progressively rising to $50,000 or $60,000 for children in families in the lowest wealth quartile and accessible once the child turns 18 years of age. We also would determine eligibility for such a program based upon the net-worth position, rather than the income, of the child's family (all children whose family fell below the national median for wealth would receive baby bonds).
We should strive not for a race-neutral America but a race-fair America. For that to occur, the transmission of racial economic advantage or disadvantage across generations would have to cease. Public provision of a substantial trust fund for newborns from wealth-poor families would also go a long way toward achieving the ideal.


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Some bright sparks have noticed the "Add a Map" link in the new Google Maps Directory, and have already added their maps.
Using this link will not add your map directly into the directory. I want to avoid the directory being spammed so your map will only get added to the directory after I've checked that it really is a Google Maps mash-up.
If you wish to submit a new Google Maps mashup to Google Maps Mania it is still best to send me an e-mail. In an e-mail you can actually describe your map in more detail. My e-mail address is given at the bottom of the right sidebar.
Having said that, and to reward the keen eyed, here are the Google Maps mashups that were submitted via the new directory:
Fotodenucia GreenPeace
Fotodenucia GreenPeace is a photo-reporting Google Map mash-up for environmental blackspots in Spain. Anyone can submit their own photos to the site to highlight an area that they believe has been contaminated or may be about to be ruined by development.
When viewing the photographs that others have submitted it is possible to filter the pictures by category. The categories include water, contamination, transgressions etc. The map also has a nice clustering system, so that when there are a number of markers in one location a green plus sign is shown. Rolling over that marker tells you how many submissions there are in each category at that location.
Unfortunately my Russian is not as good as my Spanish so I can't tell you a lot about this Russian fishing map. From the website's name I would guess that the map shows great locations to go fishing in Russia.
Clicking on one of the tagged locations on the map opens an information window that contains a link. The link appears to take you to a page with more detailed information about that particular fishing spot.
Also Added
Also added to the Google Maps Directory was the previously reviewed eemap, a Chinese Google Map mashup that allows people to share their favourite locations.


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Whether you're situated in Fort Worth or across the state of Texas – If you're trying to find associate experienced and reasonably priced web site style company we are able to facilitate.
LIFT the Marketing Agency could be a full service, solutions-driven, agency targeted on growing your business!
Fort Worth Top Website Near Me +
Fort Worth Top Website Near Me | Our Fort Worth web management agency offers inexpensive services, SEO, and digital media tools for Fort Worth website design. We specialize in developing stunning, effective, and interactive websites. At LIFT Marketing we offer simple solutions for digital development and marketability. We can help the clients drive quicker into the shopping experience to have value without strings attached and an emphasis on consistent service or attention to detail. Furthermore on top of receiving all the services such as inexpensive web design, maintenance of websites, and web hosting.
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Also the fact that we offer both marketing and consultancy services is one of the main advantages of working with LIFT. We try to strengthen brands, and map out hurdles that could hold your company apart. Nonetheless there is more about web design than simply how the website appears. In the end it's about fulfilling your company priorities and providing better user experience to your future customers. In any case our web designers from Fort Worth can build something that looks and works seamlessly to ensure that it is in line with your company goals. Furthermore our team of web designers from Fort Worth remains focused on bringing value through objective-driven design to your local company. In addition, it can include the guests, turn them into paying clients, and convert them into regular customers.
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Additionally we partner with many different organizations and groups in many different sectors, supporting corporations across the globe. As well as assist with marketing for law companies, marketing for roofing institutions, promoting for technology, marketing for B2B, and the range is practically infinite. So to this case is why we view LIFT Marketing as the cornerstone of our skills as a full-service company with marketing and consultancy.
To give our customers fresh viewpoints and breakthrough market insights, our team offers each customer with a mix of industry experience and professional perspectives from other industries. The key challenge is to change the pace of marketing transformation and creativity. Therefore pushing company growth with closer and better customer interaction.
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LIFT Marketing is a top-notch digital communication firm for website development and design. A consultancy company working in the field for over 10 years specialized in helping companies change their experience on the web. Furthermore create a special efficient plan from our listed services so that you can achieve your company goals. We're ready to help if you're ready to improve how your customers view your website, experience culture, and decisions that fuel success at work and in life. Together lifting the bar with your staff and deliver meaningful outcomes so that you can flourish.


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GRAVITYWARS(6) | Games Manual | GRAVITYWARS(6) |
gravitywars - clone of Gravity Force
gravitywars [level-code]
gravitywars is a clone of Gravity Force, one of the greatest games for the Amiga. This version is a little different, with a much higher resolution, and better graphics. It also includes some new features like water, exploding doors, bonus objects, fans (ie. wind), and some other special effects like exploding bullets, and splashing water.
- Left, Right
- rotate the ship counterclockwise or clockwise
- Up
- accelerate the ship
- Ctrl
- fire the weapon
- f
- toggle fullscreen mode
- Esc
- exit the game
- level-code
- You'll receive this code after you complete a level, and can use it to warp directly to that level when the game starts. -j Calibrate joystick. Use this option to calibrate the joystick.
gravitywars was written by Sami Niemi <email@example.com>.
This manual page was written by Joey Hess, for the Debian GNU/Linux system, with updates from Sam Hocevar <firstname.lastname@example.com>.


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Each bottle holds 1 oz. of water soluble acrylic paint.
(Please note that the color "chips" are approximations of the actual colors.)
Per Pack: 1
People always ask us how we get such realistic results on our display models. For years we had to greatly tone down the colors that we bought to paint all of our displays, and those that you see here on our website. These paints that we offer are all specially formulated for use with GHQ models. They all have been toned down slightly to simulate the water vapor, dust, etc. that is present in the atmosphere when viewing an actual vehicle or ship from a distance. If you view a 1/285th scale model on a table from 3' away, that is the equivalent of looking at an actual tank from almost 900'! All of the dust and water vapor in the air catches light and tones down what you are looking at. Without the slightly toned down colors, your models will appear too dark, and not realistic. These paints are a must for obtaining realistic results with Micro Armour and Micronauts.
Each country designs their schemes using their own unique browns, khakis, greens, grays, etc. There are literally hundreds of different shades of each of these colors that are used in military camouflage. It would be impossible to offer a unique color for each of them. All of the top painters mix their own colors when they paint a unit. We offer these paints as a base to mix the perfect colors for your miniatures. Feel free to add more white, more brown, more black, more green...whatever it takes to get that perfect shade that you are looking for!
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- Scale:Other
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The kitten was found emaciated, exhausted, and hungry, but lucky to be rescued by a kind woman who gave this poor cat love and warmth. The woman had been walking down the street when she spotted the tiny feline huddled in a dark corner, barely able to move. It was clear that the kitten had been abandoned and left to fend for itself.
Without hesitation, the woman scooped up the kitten and brought it home with her. She could see that the little cat was in desperate need of medical attention, so she took it to the vet right away. The vet confirmed that the kitten was severely malnourished and dehydrated, and needed immediate care.
The woman spent countless hours nursing the kitten back to health, feeding it small meals throughout the day and giving it plenty of water. She also made sure to keep the kitten warm and comfortable, providing it with a cozy bed and a soft blanket to snuggle up in.
Despite its rough start to life, the kitten began to thrive under the woman's care. It grew stronger and more playful each day, and soon became a beloved member of the woman's household. She named the kitten Lucky, in honor of the fortunate turn of events that had brought them together.
Thanks to the woman's kindness and compassion, Lucky had a second chance at life. The kitten that was once emaciated, exhausted, and hungry was now healthy, happy, and full of energy. Lucky's story is a testament to the incredible impact that a little bit of love and warmth can have on a life in need.


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The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is the voice of organised civil society in Europe.
It represents employers, workers and civil society organisations. The expertise of its 329 members helps optimise the quality of EU policies and legislation.
Current plenary session
Previous plenary session
Next events
Upcoming events
EESC Members work in 3 groups representing Employers (Group I),
Workers (Group II) and Civil Society Organisations (Group III).
The EESC has six specialised sections and a Consultative Commission on Industrial Change. More about the sections and the CCMI


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Wymondham and AttleboroughTalking Newspaper is one of a number of independently-run Talking Newspaper (TN) groups in Norfolk, of which there are around 500 across the UK.
A group of volunteers produce a local news and information service in audio format, currently pubished fortnightly, for blind and partially sighted people in and around Wymondham and Attleborough. The service is free and is also available to those for whom reading a newspaper is difficult because of a disability or health condition. We concentrate on local news for the area including Hethersett, Mulbarton, Bunwell, Hingham, New Buckenham, Old Buckenham, not forgetting Attleborough and Wymondham and the surrounding villages.
For more information please contact us.


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This story is part of All Things Considered's "Men in America" series.
In America, nearly 40 percent of black boys live in poverty, and barely half will graduate from high school.
But it's quite a different story for young black men at a public charter high school in Chicago. For five years running, 100 percent of the graduating seniors at Urban Prep Academies have won admission to four-year colleges, and they've collectively earned millions of dollars in scholarships and grants.
Urban Prep's first campus opened in 2006, in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, an area plagued by gang crime, shootings and vacant homes. Two more campuses have since opened elsewhere in Chicago. Founder Tim King says he wanted to locate schools in challenged neighborhoods.
"Oftentimes with our students, the images they see are black males hanging out on the streets, being absentee fathers, being unemployed," King says. "So we do think that part of our job has to be to provide positive images."
King says students at Urban Prep see black men working together: The principals at the school's three campuses and 40 percent of the staff are all black men.
Urban Prep faculty teach students to be good people, King says, and by extension, strong black men. They learn facts, he says, that provide a fuller picture of black masculinity than the pervasive negative images around them.
We are college bound. We are exceptional — not because we say it, but because we work hard at it. We will not falter in the face of any obstacle placed before us. We are dedicated, committed and focused.
"There's a black man who is the CEO of McDonald's," King says. "We know there's a black man who is president of the United States."
Another key factor, says King, are the rituals that help create the school's culture. Every day students recite the school's We Believe creed. And when seniors get admitted to college, their uniforms — khakis, white shirts, dark jackets and ties — get an update: The solid red ties are switched to striped red and gold ones.
One of those striped ties was worn by Steven Clark, the Englewood campus' 17-year-old valedictorian, who will be attending Denison University in the fall. Clark was the president of the senior class and captain of the bowling team. His eyes light up when he talks about majoring in psychology and later going on to graduate school and starting his own business.
On one of the last days of school, Clark says he believes men should be strong and still able to show their feelings. And he says there are more positive images of black men in real life than you see on television:
"We get [the] spotlight for 100 percent of us graduating and going off to college, but that's only a small step. I feel the negativity outweighs the positive for us," Clark says. "It's sad, because I'm a black man and I just don't want people to think of me as negative."
Clark says when he came to Urban Prep, he began to learn much more about African-Americans and Africa.
"That's when I became more aware of who I was as a man," Clark says, "but not only that, as a black man."
Even so, Clark says, there's an even bigger influence in his life.
"My dad has been the biggest teacher I've had. He's supportive not 8 hours a day, he's supportive 24 hours a day," Clark says. "Even if [at] times I may come to school angry because we battled about something in the car or something, my dad is still my biggest role model that I look up to."
Clark is the youngest child in a large family. His parents are divorced, and he is among the last of his siblings to live at home with his father on a street full of tidy bungalows and neat lawns
Inside the house, his father, Allen Clark, points to pictures of his children — including a baby Steven. Allen Clark had already retired from one job and was working another when he decided to quit so he could drive his son to the Urban Prep campus in Englewood.
"He was [my] last kid, you know. The other ones are ... 15 or 16 years older than him, so they really never had situations as bad as it is in today's society, with the shooting and killing and getting jumped on," Allen Clark says. "So I said, 'To eliminate any mishaps here, I'll just pick you up [and] take you to school.' "
He says he has faith that when his son goes off to college, he will succeed.
"He went through four years at Urban Prep. I didn't have to get on him about studying or nothing," Allen Clark says. "He came home. He did his work. And I just hope he continues that habit and just pushes for getting ahead."
On graduation day, 250 seniors from Urban Prep Academies enter an auditorium, greeted by cheers and applause. Steven Clark takes his place on the stage to deliver Englewood's valedictorian speech.
"Growing up in Chicago we often hear these questions: 'Who was shot last night?' 'Who dropped out of school?' 'Who is the member of a gang?' But hold on — I want to show the world something real quick," he says.
Clark whips out his cell phone and takes a selfie in his cap and gown. He tells the crowd he'll post the photo on Instagram with the hashtag #collegebound.
"I have to show the world that the real black males of Chicago are sitting right here in this room, because we are graduates, not gangsters," Clark says. "We are dedicated, not delinquent. We are collegian, not convicts — and let the world know that. "
As a young black man, Clark says, he knows there may be some bumps ahead. But he says he'll be resilient — and the brotherhood he's been a part of in high school will be there to help.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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A Coachella survival guide
Each April, music fans head to the desert for a festival like no other: the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. First founded in 1999, the music, art, and culture festival is held for two weekends every spring, and is a draw for thousands upon thousands of spectators every year (tickets sell out lightning-fast). If you're planning to discover this beacon of California cool for the very first time, read on: we've put together a survival guide to help you look like a Coachella pro.
For first timers, Coachella is not in central Los Angeles but Indio, a desert town about twenty-five miles from Palm Springs. It sounds like a hike, but for those travelling from abroad to the festival, there's luckily no need to get behind the wheel: Coachella offers shuttles from Los Angeles International Airport to the festival grounds and the most popular hotels in the vicinity, so non-drivers are well looked after.
If cars are more your thing, try Zimride, an economical rideshare site by Enterprise. Festivalgoers list their rides, and all you have to do is grab a seat. With festival attendance north of 100,000 people a day, for sanity and safety Coachella encourages you to carpool. Do so and you may even get some lifetime VIP passes out of it. In 2007, the festival launched CARPOOLCHELLA, which awards a windfall of awesome prizes to those who carpool with four or more people, and write the aforementioned phrase on their car. The program is still going strong – and it's hard to think of a better reason to take a few friends along for the ride.
So, where to stay after the last band plays? Indio and its surrounding cities offer many options for a place to lay your head after a rocking day in the sun. The most convenient would be the on-site campground. Adjacent to the festival grounds, Coachella-goers can pitch a tent, camp out of their car, or rent a luxurious Safari Tent. Think of the latter as glamping, with amenities like showers, an Internet café, and even a farmers market.
But if you prefer the comfort of a hotel bed, there are plenty of options on offer, from the budget-friendly Westin Desert Willows Villas to the funky Saguaro Palm Springs, both of which are on the festival shuttle path. However, La Quinta Resort & Club is the closest hotel to the festival itself. If none of those options catch your fancy, there's always Airbnb for a home from home in the desert.
Tab Panel
Now, onto the music. No matter what you're into, line-up highlights include an array of acts from every music genre imaginable. Expect to see newcomers alongside big names – Jay-Z, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, and Prince have all headlined in the past.
When you want some down time from watching your favourite artists, there are lots of other activities to keep you busy, too. Why not fill up on a four-course meal prepared by top chefs in the beautiful Coachella Rose Garden? Or if you're a record geek, stock up on some new music at the impressive vinyl emporium, curated by Coachella staff. But most importantly of all: have fun (and download the official Coachella Festival App to keep on top of everything!).
Written by Lauren Garroni


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At Bourne Dental Associates, your comfort is our primary focus, so we have several anxiety- and pain-reducing methods available to our patients. One of our most commonly used dental sedation methods is nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas. You might not be giggling before it's used, but chances are you won't feel — or fret — much after you receive it.
What Is Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide is perhaps the most sought-after clinical sedative because it offers an ideal experience: a painkiller that induces a euphoric feeling. It is a safe and effective sedative that is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a mask that fits over your nose. It is odorless, pleasant tasting, and typically begins to work within five minutes.
When laughing gas is first administered, you'll feel:
- Relaxed
- A warm sense of well-being
- Happy or silly
- A tingling sensation
- Numbness in your mouth, hands, or feet
- Hearing changes
- Sleepiness
You will remain alert and able to respond to your Bourne dentist's requests and questions while breathing nitrous oxide. It's an effective option for increasing comfort, because relaxation occurs quickly and the depth of sedation can be increased or decreased, which few other sedation techniques allow.
Who Can Use Nitrous Oxide?
Laughing gas is appropriate for adults and children alike; however, children must be able to leave the soft nosepiece on and follow directions from the dentist.
Laughing gas may not be appropriate for you if you:
- Are pregnant
- Have a stuffy nose
- Have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Suffer from congestive heart failure
- Have a recent head injury
- Have an ear infection
- Are taking medicine for a psychiatric condition
The effects of nitrous oxide begin to wear off shortly after you start breathing oxygen again. It can take up to 15 minutes after the gas supply is stopped to feel normal again, so if you opt for this sedation method, you should be able to drive home after the procedure.


text: JERUSALEM, Sept. 20 (JTA) — As Prime Minister Ariel Sharon powers ahead with plans for disengagement from the Gaza Strip, charges are flying between proponents and naysayers determined to gain monopolies on legitimacy, each side accusing the other of trampling on democratic norms. The settlers claim Sharon does not have a popular majority for his plan and accuse him of "behaving like a dictator." Sharon retorts that the settler claims are a deliberate ploy to justify undemocratic, violent resistance. To settle the legitimacy question and take the sting out of the settler campaign, some pundits and politicians are suggesting a national referendum on the evacuation issue. Sharon says no. He argues that these proposals are a ruse to hold up, and ultimately sink, his plan, which also includes evacuating some West Bank settlements. The arguments over legitimacy and the referendum proposal will almost certainly dominate public discourse in Israel in the coming months. In a front-page editorial, Amnon Dankner, editor of the mass circulation Ma'ariv newspaper, compared the current situation with that in the months leading up to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin nine years ago. Dankner implied that Rabin had ridden roughshod over democratic norms and so provoked the settlers' anger and violence that led to his assassination, and that Sharon was now doing the same thing. The Rabin government, Dankner wrote, had only achieved a majority for the Oslo accords by "buying" the vote of right-wing Knesset member Alex Goldfarb, making him a deputy minister and providing him with the Mitsubishi sedan that came with the position. This, wrote Dankner, was "democracy only in name, not in spirit, not true democracy." And, he continued, "it's obvious how this pushed the settlers into a corner, and how it lit the fires of incitement and murder." Now, according to Dankner, Sharon is doing something similar: He has ignored party votes against his plan and fired right-wing ministers simply to secure a Cabinet majority for it. "The prime minister," Dankner wrote, "is pushing the disengagement plan with a blunt, crude and ugly trampling of democratic values and majority decision," and, like Rabin, would be partly to blame for the consequences. In Dankner's view, the way to avoid this would be to reinforce the legitimacy of the prime minister's policy by holding a national referendum — a vote he is virtually certain to win. Although Dankner was criticized for implying that Rabin was largely to blame for his own assassination, several pundits and politicians agreed with his demand for a referendum. The most outspoken of them was Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He argued that the Gaza pullout plan is tearing the nation apart and that a referendum would help reduce tension and preserve unity. He proposed expedited Knesset passage of a referendum law, which would be required to even hold a referendum. Then should a referendum be held, he supports putting just one simple question to the voters: "Are you for or against the gradual evacuation process approved by the government?" But as simple as it seems, Netanyahu's proposal highlights the complexity of the issue. He speaks of expedited passage of a referendum law, but legal experts say it could take months, if not years. First, there is the general question of what circumstances could lead to invocation of a referendum. Then, there is the matter of the referendum question. Sharon would never accept Netanyahu's formulation; the prime minister wants to carry out the evacuation process in one fell swoop, rather than in stages. Moreover, legislators could haggle for months over whether the referendum would need a simple majority or a plurality of 60 percent or more. And opponents of Sharon's plan could delay things further by challenging the legislation to create a referendum in the courts. Sharon's allies suspect that Netanyahu's proposal is merely intended to embarrass the prime minister by putting him in a no-win situation. If he accepts Netanyahu's proposal, passing the legislation will take so long it will sink the evacuation plan; if he doesn't, he will appear undemocratic, afraid to put his plan to the nation for approval. Sharon confidant Ehud Olmert argues that the very raising of the referendum idea by Netanyahu implies that Sharon's evacuation plan does not have full legitimacy, and requires the further imprimatur of the people. But, says Olmert, Israel's trade and industry minister, all the prime minister needs in accordance with the Israeli system is approval from the Cabinet and the Knesset — and he is assured of the support of both. Sharon says the referendum proposal is a transparent attempt by his opponents to gain time. His confidants go further. They say the settlers are bandying the referendum idea about, knowing full well that Sharon will reject it, in an effort to delegitimize the evacuation process and legitimize the use of force against it. Tough right-wing statements and actions suggest swelling undercurrents of violence. Netanyahu's father, Bentzion, along with other family members, recently signed a petition describing the planned evacuation as a "crime against humanity" and urging soldiers "to listen to the voice of their national and human conscience" and refuse to carry out evacuation orders. Netanyahu's brother-in-law, Hagi Ben Artzi, himself a settler, noted that "only the Nazi's had transferred Jews," and intimated that there would be violent and even armed opposition. Baruch Marzel, a former member of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane's now-banned Kach organization, has set up a new radical right-wing group called the Jewish National Front, dedicated to resisting evacuation. And another former Kach member, Rabbi Yosef Dahan, has said that, if asked, he would be willing to carry out a "Pulsa da-Nura," a religious curse condemning Sharon to death. Extremists performed "Pulsa da-Nura" ceremonies against Rabin in the weeks leading up to his assassination in 1995. In this volatile situation, settler leaders admit to playing a canny double game. On the one hand, they are trying to win the hearts and minds of mainstream Israelis just in case there is a referendum. To this end they are consciously toning down settler rhetoric. At a huge settler demonstration in Jerusalem Sept. 12, they took pains to silence extremists and take down banners that went too far. But at the same time, they admit to turning the flames of incipient violence "on and off," and allowing the threat of civil war to hover uneasily in the air. As the showdown over evacuation approaches, both the prime minister and the settlers are acting within brittle parameters of legitimacy and perceived legitimacy, and resorting to on-the-edge brinkmanship. In both cases, it is a dangerous game that could get out of hand. (Leslie Susser is the diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Report.)


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When you're setting up a website you've got to make a multitude of decisions about content, design and functionality — not to mention the type of web hosting service to use.
Regardless of the size of their organization, at some point during the early stages of the development process your client (or you, on behalf of your client) will need to decide how and where the site should be hosted for optimum performance, security and configuration options.
As an adviser, it's your job to help your clients decide what is the best website hosting service for their needs. The type of web hosting needed depends on the needs of the business and the goal for the website.
Showing off a portfolio? Marketing a killer blog? Developing a platform for an ecommerce store with thousands of SKUs? Whatever the needs may be, there is an ideal hosting solution to meet them.
Related: What is web hosting? Complete guide for beginners
The basics of choosing a web hosting service
Broadly speaking, there are three types of web hosting:
- Shared hosting
- Platform/CMS-specific hosting
- Cloud and VPS hosting
Let's dive into the differences between each type to help guide your client into the perfect solution for their needs.
Shared hosting
Ideal for: Small businesses, tight budgets, beginners, sites with low-to-medium site traffic, and sites that need to launch right away.
Shared hosting plans are among the most common hosting solutions. They're fitting for most small businesses looking to quickly get their web presence going.
How it works: The hosting company has servers where data is stored, and when you need some web space, they create an account for you and you share this server space with other people. Think of it like shared accommodations — it's like renting a room in a large house.
Editor's note: All annual Web Hosting plans from GoDaddy come with a free domain offer.
What's the upside of a shared hosting service?
It's budget-friendly. Shared hosting is often the least expensive way to get a website online. Plans can start at just a few dollars a month, and scale up to higher tiers with additional features and perks.
It's user-friendly. Shared hosting plans are friendly for beginners and great for clients who plan on managing their own service. These plans come with a dashboard like cPanel, making it easy to handle common tasks like setting up email addresses, adding users, and installing software like WordPress or Drupal.
What are the downsides of shared hosting?
Basic performance levels. Shared hosting is most appropriate for sites with low to moderate traffic. If a website sees a sudden spike in visitors it may become excruciatingly slow, or even taken offline, depending on the number of people visiting the site.
With today's technology and performance-minded web development, site speed on shared hosting is typically adequate for the needs of the average small business.
Site performance on shared hosts can be improved by limiting the number of ads and the size of images, or if you're using WordPress, by making changes to your site's configuration.
Limited control. Shared hosting is typically locked down to protect the integrity of the servers. This can be restricting for custom-coded sites. Languages like Ruby and Python may not be supported, and server configurations may not be freely changed.
CMS-Specific Managed Hosting
Ideal for: Small businesses, sites built with a supported CMS
Platform hosting is tailored to specific content management software (CMS) platforms. These managed hosting services, like GoDaddy's Managed WordPress, will take care of optimization that is usually handled by a developer.
What are the upsides of CMS-specific managed hosting?
Better performance. The biggest benefit of CMS-specific hosting is better performance. As already mentioned, these types of services are optimized to suit the CMS. This tailored optimization results in greater site performance and a better experience for the site's users.
Easily scalable. With a managed service you are typically charged by how much traffic the site serves, not by the size or speed of the server. You only pay for what you need, and the service handles spikes in website traffic.
CMS-specific managed hosting gives you a quick start for development.
Built with developers in mind. Managed services provide tools for moving the sites between different stages of release, like Development, Staging, and Production. This simplifies a process that usually involves more steps on other types of hosting.
What are the downsides of CMS-specific managed hosting?
Limited control. As with shared hosting services, managed hosting services have restrictions in place to If you need a tool outside of the specific ones provided by the hosting company, you're probably not going to get it with CMS-specific hosting services.
Cloud and VPS hosting
Ideal for: Large sites, SaaS, applications, high-traffic sites
Cloud and VPS hosting refers to servers in which you have the highest level of access of these three options. You run the show! This type of hosting best suits complex websites. If you are providing an application or service that needs a high level of flexibility and customization, cloud hosting may be your best bet.
Cloud and VPS hosting is ideal for high-traffic websites.
Cloud and VPS hosting pros
More control: Cloud and VPS hosting give you the most control out of the options listed here. Since you typically have command-line access to the server you can usually install any tools and processes you need. This method of hosting is also very scalable if you're working in the cloud, since the servers can usually be spun up and down as needed.
Cloud and VPS hosting cons
Complex: This type of hosting is the most complex of the options discussed here. Correctly configuring and optimizing your servers can be a labor-intensive task, and means there typically needs to be an experienced person or team helping manage this aspect of your digital world.
High maintenance: Since you are managing the server yourself, it's the responsibility of your in-house developers and security team of website support providers to make sure all software is up-to-date.
Some hosting providers offer managed hosting. In this situation, the hosting/IT company sets up the servers and gives you/your developer access to them, but they will also support you by adding new tools when requested. This is a desirable option for many owners of complex websites who want some control but might not have the development resources for total control.
Choose the right web hosting service
When helping your clients choose a hosting provider for their website, make an assessment of their needs using the above criteria and do some research to learn more about pricing, reviews and features. Then take your short list of providers and discuss your options with the client, who will ultimately be working with the site in the long-run.
Depending on the complexity of the website, anticipated traffic and the required architecture, there might be issues or complexities that need to be addressed when it comes to hosting solutions. Remember, you're the pro! Help your client understand what they need in a web hosting service.


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XG 86w rev.1 Security Appliance WiFi (EU/UK/US power cord)
Sophos XG firewall takes an advanced approach across all areas of network security. From the way firewalls are managed, to the way they report information and how they work with other security systems around them, giving you an unprecedented level of simplicity, insight, and advanced threat protection. With an interface designed to eliminate unnecessary complexity, it enables you to use the powerful features without needing to become an IT security expert.


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Amalgam is an economical blend of metals used to fill cavities in the mouth. Also known as 'silver fillings', amalgam fillings are comprised of silver, copper, mercury and tin. The majority of Americans have dental fillings – most of whom have at least one amalgam. Many prefer amalgam because it is the most affordable and long-lasting filling material available today. In fact, amalgam fillings are less likely to fall out or break than other filling material.
Did you know…that amalgam has been the filling material of choice for millions of dental patients over the past 150 years? It remains a commonly used filling material today, with the Food and Drug Administration ruling it safe for dental patients age 6 and up. Amalgam can be placed in a single visit and is made to be self-sealing – resisting the development of further decay. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I a candidate for amalgam fillings?
Nearly anyone with tooth cavities over the age of 6 is a candidate for amalgam fillings. However, the decision to get silver fillings can only be made between you and your dentist. Be sure to tell your dentist if you have any metal
from getting an amalgam filling.
What should I expect when I get my amalgam filling?
Your dentist will numb the nerves surrounding your tooth at the start of your visit. Then, your tooth will be drilled to remove decay and prepare the surface for your filling. Amalgam is mixed at the time of filling using a combination of metal alloy and liquid mercury. Blended together, these ingredients make a putty that hardens and typically requires no follow-up visit.
How long will an amalgam filling last?
Amalgam fillings are made to withstand biting pressure and last for many years. Instances of breakage are rare, and repair frequency is low. When properly cared for, most silver fillings last a minimum of 10 to 15 years. Your dentist will check the condition of your fillings during your periodic dental exams and cleanings.