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This story is part of a collaboration with APM Reports, the investigative unit of American Public Media, and Great Lakes Today.
For months, Rev. Falicia Campbell kept a secret from her congregation, her friends and even her adult children. It was a secret she was ashamed to divulge: She was living without running water.
Like a growing number of Americans, the 63-year-old Chicago resident couldn't afford to pay her rising water bills. She inherited her mother's house in Englewood, a poor neighborhood on the city's South Side, and last year received a $5,000 bill.
Campbell is partially blind and lives on a fixed income from disability payments. She dedicates most of her time to helping her community. Her church includes a resource center that provides food and shelter for poor and homeless people.
She couldn't pay off her water debt, and in August her water was turned off. The Chicago water department offered her a payment plan but required a more than $1,700 deposit before restoring her water. She didn't have it.
Here she was living a few miles from Lake Michigan, one of the largest sources of fresh water in the world, and she didn't have running water in her house. Without it, her daily life became a struggle.
"I just said, 'Oh God, whatever I did, forgive me,'" Campbell said. "This was a lesson. I had my lights off before, my gas off. But water, I didn't realize how important water was until I didn't have it."
Campbell is a victim of a growing American water crisis. In cities across the country, the cost of water has spiked in recent years, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to perilously endure weeks or even months without an essential resource.
The crisis is especially acute where you would least expect it – the Great Lakes, the region of the country with the most abundant fresh water.
A nine-month investigation by APM Reports examined the cost of water in six large cities near the Great Lakes – Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, Buffalo and Duluth – over the past 10 years and found that rates have risen alarmingly fast. In Chicago, the cost of water for the average family of four nearly tripled between 2007 and 2018. Cleveland's rates more than doubled – to $1,317 per year for an average family of four. And families in Detroit paid an astounding $1,151 annually. By contrast, that same average family living in Phoenix, which pipes in much of its water from 300 miles away and has been called the least-sustainable city in the country, paid about two-thirds less.
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
Many cities have been forced to raise rates to deal with decrepit infrastructure – leaking, cracking water pipes that in some places date to the 19th century. With the federal government allocating less money for water infrastructure, most cities have foisted the bill on to their customers, especially those who can least afford it.
The APM Reports investigation found that the rising cost of water has hit poor families the hardest; the government-run water utilities in these six cities have issued at least 367,740 shut-off notices in the past decade. And an analysis of shut-off data revealed disproportionately high concentrations of water shut-offs in poorer areas and in majority black and Latino neighborhoods in every city.
Unlike more visible infrastructure problems – such as electrical blackouts, dangerous bridges or clogged highways – wealthier Americans may not even know that water prices have spiked. But for millions struggling to afford water, or living without it, the crisis can be life-altering.
For months, Campbell's basic tasks like doing the dishes or getting ready to leave the house became expensive and arduous. To bathe each morning, she had to pour gallons of bottled water into a pot to heat on a stove. She then carried the water up the steep stairs to the second floor and dumped it into the bath tub. She made the trip multiple times until she had enough water to take a bath. Then she'd use the water for the toilet. By the time she was on her way to her church, she was already exhausted. And there was a financial burden too: She was having to spend $20 a week on bottled water.
"There's an old saying you never miss your water until the well runs dry. And I found that out. It's very difficult to get around without water," Campbell said one day last October. By then, her water was back on. With the help of friends and family, it had taken her a month to come up with the deposit demanded by the Chicago water department. She's enrolled in a $120.93 monthly plan. If she's lucky, she'll pay off her debt by September 2021.
Old Pipes, Expensive Water
Parts of America's crumbling water infrastructure was built more than a century ago. Even the newer pipes – the ones installed in the 1960s and 1970s – are nearing the end of their lifespan.
Dealing with these aging pipes, including repairing or replacing them or losing untold gallons to leaks, is costing water utilities an increasing amount of money. In Cleveland, for example, the water department is spending $25 million a year replacing its aging pipes and passing the costs on to consumers. Nationwide, experts estimate that updating the deteriorating system will cost about $1 trillion by 2039.
Meanwhile, federal funding hasn't kept up with the need. In the past three decades, the federal government's funding of water infrastructure has dwindled from 63 percent of total spending on water projects in 1977 to only 9 percent in 2014.
That means that the federal government decreased the money spent on water pipes from $76 per person in 1977 to $11 per person in 2014, according to a report by the Value of Water Campaign, which is made up of dozens of organizations, including city utilities and advocacy groups.
Congress tried to address the lack of infrastructure funding in October, passing the America's Water Infrastructure Act. The bill includes $250 million for states to supply to cities – in the form of low-interest loans – to upgrade or replace aging water pipes. But most experts say that amount is insufficient.
Phoenix Water Services Director Kathryn Sorensen said the cost of water is determined not by a city's proximity to water but by the quality of its infrastructure.
Phoenix gets its water from the Colorado River, about 200 miles away. It's piped to the city through the Central Arizona Project, built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation between 1973 and 1994. The project was for the most part federally funded, but there's a repayment plan in place.
"We're not like a natural gas utility or an electrical utility where you can move the product easily over thin wires or in relatively inexpensive pipes," Sorensen said. "You need concrete, steel, iron, and so the cost of a water utility is in its infrastructure, and the trap that a lot of utilities fall into is that they get behind in the rehabilitation and replacement of that infrastructure."
Advocates contend that water departments could be doing more to alleviate the pain that high rates inflict on poor residents. In some cases what struggling residents hear from the water department is a coldly, simple message: Pay up or lose water service.
"Water is the number one thing that people, all of us, cannot live without," said Virginia Miller, operations manager of the Midwest Workers Association, which advocates for low-wage workers on Chicago's West Side. "For our city to be shutting off water from families is unacceptable, and it's something that's unacceptable really in the eyes of the world."
An Uproar In Detroit
On a warm August afternoon, Cecily McClellan stood in a room filled with donated bottled water inside St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Detroit. She was getting ready to start her biweekly water deliveries. McClellan is a founding member of We the People of Detroit, a grassroots organization that advocates for affordable water and tries to help those in need, including handing out free water. Before she retired and became an activist, she managed the city's water assistance program.
Wearing an Aretha Franklin T-shirt, she climbed into her orange Chevrolet to make her water rounds. She arrived at the house of Reginald Newberry, a now 62-year-old man who had been living without water for two months. He was sitting on his porch when she pulled up. He'd been in the house since he was a baby. He was facing $1,336.93 in delinquent water bills, a total that's grown over the years.
As McClellan stacked five cases of water on his porch, Newberry described the absurd scenario he was facing. He suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and as McClellan pointed out, he'd recently been in the hospital with pneumonia. Though his water had been shut off for months, he was still getting bills – the city was charging him for sewer – and his balance was growing.
On one recent bill was a $22.50 charge for the "water assistance" fund. That's the city program for helping vulnerable people like Newberry who are struggling to afford their water.
But Newberry was not getting help from the "assistance" fund; instead he was being charged for it.
Back in her car on the way to another delivery, McClellan talked about the city's water crisis. Many of the people McClellan delivers water to have had their service shut-off due to nonpayment. In fact, between 2010 and 2018, the Detroit water department issued 142,953 water shut-off notices, according to records obtained by APM Reports.
The cost of water has nearly doubled in Detroit since 2007. The average annual cost of water and sewer fees for a family of four is now about $1,151, according to the APM Reports analysis.
"[We the People] let customers know that they do have rights, that water system is owned by the residents of city of Detroit, and that water is a human right and that water should be affordable," McClellan said.
High Prices And Desperate Measures
The extent of the water crisis in Chicago is clear on Domitila Valerio's bills.
One day last summer, the single mother of two living on Chicago's West Side grabbed several water bills and carefully reviewed them. She said she didn't understand the different charges. The only thing she understood was that her water bill had increased dramatically in one year, and she didn't know why. She pulled out a bill from 2017 that lists a total for water and sewer fees of $88. By 2018, her bill total increased to $716. She said the city water department couldn't explain the increase and only demanded payment. Unable to pay, she was forced into an installment plan to avoid disconnection.
"It really affected me," Valerio said in Spanish. "I work and earn minimum wage. I had to stop buying things for my children in order to keep the water on."
The APM Reports investigation found that the cost of water for customers like Valerio has more than tripled in Chicago since 2007, from $178 per year to $576 for a family of four.
In 2018, Valerio started noticing her bill increasing every two months. She was working six days per week for 12 hours a day at a temp agency, and when the bills escalated to more than $700, she couldn't afford to pay.
As a single mother with no family in Chicago to lend her money, and without savings or good credit, she had to apply for a $600 loan from a company that offers high-interest, short-term loans for borrowers with bad or no credit. She used that money to pay for her bills, including water.
The rate increases have affected the working poor like Valerio disproportionately. Over the past decade, the Chicago water department sent more than 150,000 water shut-off notices. At the same time, the department restored service to just 59,000, according to agency records.
Some in Chicago opted for a desperate strategy: stealing water. Residents illegally restored their service 61,642 times in the past decade, according to records obtained by APM Reports. ZIP codes with the highest rates of illegal water restorations were more likely to be concentrated in poor areas, APM Reports found.
Tellingly, illegal restoration of water, which carries a $500 penalty, outpaced legal restorations of water in more than half of the years reviewed, APM reports found.
Nearly 40 percent of the shut-offs were concentrated in just five of the city's poorest ZIP codes, on Chicago's South and West sides. One ZIP code, which encompasses parts of Roseland, Pullman and West Pullman, had the highest number of shut-offs – more than 17,500 in the past decade. Roseland is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Chicago.
The Chicago Water Department declined numerous requests for an interview.
Taking On A Bureaucracy
Many of the Chicago residents interviewed by APM Reports said the water department was not responsive when they tried to dispute a bill, locate possible water leaks or request a break because they were facing a disconnection despite a chronic illness. People in Cleveland and Detroit expressed similar concerns.
Julius Ciaccia, a former head of Cleveland's water department, said that cities used to pride themselves on having cheap water, and that federal investment in infrastructure may have even kept rates artificially low. Now that cities have to pay more for upkeep without much help from Washington, they must bring in more money.
"There really isn't another way to pay for these improvements," he said. "I think [water in Cleveland] is affordable for the vast majority of our ratepayers. Even though we have raised rates higher – we're probably on the high end as far as utilities across the country – I think we're at the appropriate level given the challenges we have with the age of our system and the mandates we have to protect the environment and Lake Erie."
But Ciaccia stressed that water departments have a responsibility to help people who can't afford water. There has to be a "safety net," he said, such as payment plans and assistance programs to ensure poor families aren't deprived of water.
Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Sunday, 9:08pm
Reno, NV
"Hit me. Hit me again. Again. Arrrgh…" (Blackjack dude going down…)
One of the truly fun parts of being in business are the Life Lessons you get to learn.
Or, rather, you're forced to learn (if you don't want to spend your career blundering down the same blind alleys time after time).
Early on, I took notice of the various quirks people exhibited running a business… especially the entrepreneurs, who were unencumbered with the rule books that franchise owners and traditional corporations worked under.
Now, you'll see startling examples of strangeness in any group of humans, doing anything, anywhere. So the first lesson is probably to acknowledge that reality…
… and stop pretending we're a race of logical, rational, functional beings going about the business of running a civilization efficiently and sanely.
We're not.
And savvy, experienced biz veterans survive by learning to work within the limitations that come with dealing with other humans.
It's actually one of the more fun parts of entering the biz world, once you get a handle on the basics of how spectacularly humans can screw something up.
Don't get me wrong — I love people. But I love them in spite of their near-consistent tendencies to botch things completely. (I'm by no means above the fray). (No one is. Scratch the surface of the most "together" person you now, and you'll find evidence of shocking weirdness.)
The reason little insights like these are so awesome, is that they can help you stay balanced… Read more…

subset: commoncrawl


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MBTA Fare and Service Changes Public Meeting (Cambridge)
Wednesday, February 29th - 6:00-8:00pm
@ Cambridge City Hall Council Chambers, 795 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
Today the MBTA is serving more people more efficiently than ever before—with customers taking more than 1.3 million trips every weekday. Despite this, the T faces one of the most serious financial crises in its history.
In Fiscal Year 2013 (July 2012 to June 2013), available revenues are projected to be as much as $185 million below operating expenses. This structural deficit will continue to grow through Fiscal Year 2016 and beyond under current conditions. To maintain financial stability, the T will have to make decisions in the next few months that will significantly impact fares and service. This information describes in detail the options under consideration and how they will affect you.
Information from LivableStreets
- Action e-lert: It's time to do something
- What's up with the proposed MBTA fare increases and service cuts
Join the Discussion Guide
A guide to proposed MBTA fare and service changes will be available in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, and Cape Verdean Creole.
If requested in advance, the MBTA will make available copies of the printed materials in the following additional languages: French, Russian, Cambodian, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Albanian, Korean, Polish and Gujarati.
Public Comments
Public comments are welcome in written form. Comments can be:
- Emailed
- Mailed to: Fare Proposal, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 3910, Boston, MA 02116
January 3, 2012 Press Release - MassDOT Releases Fare and Service Proposals Study: link
January 3, 2012 Finance Committee Presentation - Fare and Service Proposals Overview: link
MBTA/Other Transits Fare Comparison: link
January 3, 2012 Finance Committee Remarks: link
CTPS - Potential MBTA Fare Increase and Service Reductions in 2012 Impact Analysis: link
2011 - MBTA Efficiencies and Cost Savings Report: link
American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available at all public meetings / hearings.
If requested in advance, translation services will be available at the public meetings / hearings.


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A Reliable GM Repair Experience for All GM Owners
When you're looking for GM repairs in San Rafael or anywhere throughout Marin, pay a visit to Northgate Automotive. Proudly serving our community since 1978, our professional team is ready to handle any GM vehicle, be it a Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, or any Pontiacs or Oldsmobiles still on the road. No matter what your car needs are, trust Northgate Automotive to provide you with a superior GM repair experience you won't find anywhere else.
Our Quality GM Repair Process
Like any vehicle, your American-built GM needs regular GM repairs to keep it operating in top form. At Northgate Automotive in San Rafael, our ASE-certified technicians will conduct visual and mechanical tests to figure out exactly what's affecting your GM vehicle; it could be something complex such as exhaust system repair, or something simple such as replacing the battery. Either way, we will employ the most advanced methods to make sure the matter has not affected any other system. From there, we'll provide you with a comprehensive overview of our findings along with our GM repair recommendations. Ultimately, the GM repair decision is yours.
Expert GM Service to Complement GM Repairs
In addition to our GM repair expertise, our overall maintenance program covers all factory-recommended GM services. The following are available on every GM vehicle at Northgate Automotive:
- Confirm proper operation of instruments and warning lights
- Confirm engine start-up and idle off faculties
- Check exterior lights and wipers
- Perform a complete visual inspection of the engine compartment (belts, hoses, wiring, throttle body, fluid levels)
- Top off fluids as necessary
- Perform a complete visual inspection of undercarriage (seals, cooling systems, suspension, powertrain, fuel supply system, exhaust)
- Drain engine oil, replace oil filter, and drain plug gasket
- Check tires, rotate them if necessary, and adjust pressures to the proper specification
- Perform complete 4-wheel brake inspection (linings, surfaces, hoses, hydraulics) and adjust the parking brake
- Fill with manufacturer-specified engine oil and quantity
- Reset the Maintenance Required light (where applicable)
- Wipe down mirrors, instrument panels, and console
No matter what GM vehicle you drive, visit Northgate Automotive in San Rafael, California, for the finest GM repairs and services throughout San Rafael.


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Past research has associated stress with a number of health problems, including heart disease, asthma, obesity and depression. Now, a new study suggests stress can reduce sperm and semen quality, which could have implications for male fertility.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, in around 40% of infertile couples the male partner is the sole cause or contributing cause of infertility.
The main cause of male infertility is sperm abnormalities, including low sperm production or misshapen or immobile sperm. Medical conditions – such as undescended testicles or ejaculation problems – can lead to sperm abnormalities, as well as health and lifestyle factors.
In this latest study – published in the journal Fertility and Sterility and led by researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York, NY, and Rutgers School of Public Health in Piscataway, NJ – the team investigated whether stress may affect sperm and semen quality.
Life stress 'led to lower semen quality'
To reach their findings, the researchers assessed 193 men aged 38 to 49 between 2005 and 2008. All men were a part of the Study of the Environment and Reproduction at the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in Oakland, CA.
As part of the study, the men were required to complete a series of tests that measured levels of stress, including that from the workplace, stressful life events and overall perceived stress.
They were also required to provide semen samples. Using standard fertility testing methods, researchers from the University of California, Davis, analyzed semen concentration, and sperm shape (morphology) and movement (motility) in each sample.
The researchers found that men who experienced two or more stressful life events in the past year had a lower percentage of sperm motility and a lower percentage of sperm of normal morphology, compared with men who did not experience any stressful life events. They note this finding remained even after accounting for other factors that may influence semen quality, such as age, other health problems and history of reproductive health problems.
Although workplace stress did not directly affect semen quality in the men, the researchers found that those who experienced job strains had lower levels of the hormone testosterone in their semen, which could affect reproductive health.
In addition, they found that regardless of the levels of stress experienced, men who were unemployed had lower semen quality than those who were employed.
How can stress affect semen quality?
Although the researchers are unable to pinpoint exactly how stress affects the quality of semen, they do present some theories.
They say stress could activate the release of glucocorticoids – steroid hormones that affect the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins – which could reduce testosterone levels and sperm production.
Furthermore, they say stress could trigger oxidative stress – physiological stress on the body caused by damage from unneutralized free radicals – which has been associated with semen quality and fertility.
Commenting on the findings, first study author Teresa Janevic, PhD, an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, says:
"Stress has long been identified as having an influence on health. Our research suggests that men's reproductive health may also be affected by their social environment."
The researchers note that this is the first study to use subjective and objective measures of stress and, as a result, find links with reduced semen quality.
In a recent spotlight feature, Medical News Today looked at whether infertility is primarily seen as woman's problem, and whether there needs to be more awareness surrounding male infertility.
Ssource: www.medicalnewstoday.com


text: Roots Organics Surge nutritional and microbial stimulant is designed from the finest sustainably-harvested and enzymatically processed marine protein materials. The addition of molasses, kelp, and humic acid to a powerful fish base creates a potent fusion of natural compounds to enhance the distinctive qualities and flavor of your harvest. Faster growth, heavier yields, and lush plants rich with essential oils - all these benefits from one powerful product.


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Sudden loss of consciousness followed by paralysis caused by hemorrhage into the brain, formation of an embolus or thrombus, that occludes an artery, or rupture of an extracerebral artery causing subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Onset is acute. Unconsciousness. Labored breathing due to paralysis of portion of the soft palate; expiration puffs out the cheeks and mouth. Pupils sometimes unequal, the larger one being on the side of the hemorrhage. Paralysis usually involves one side of the body, with eyeballs turned away from the affected side, skin covered with clay sweat, surface temperature of the skin is often subnormal; speech disturbances. Onset more gradual if caused by a thrombosis. Prognosis depends upon symptoms. Often poor outcome leading to death.
Obtain professional medical attention immediately. Death may result if assistance is delayed.


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Mercantile Ports and Logistics (MPL) was established to develop, own and operate port and logistics facilities in India.
Its maiden project is the development of a world class multipurpose terminal and logistics facility at Karanja creek in the Raigad District of Maharashtra.
The port is being developed over 200 acres of land with a sea frontage of 1,000 metres at Karanja Creek. The port is in the heart of the commercial capital of India, and acts as the gateway to eight land locked states in the country. The facility has access to State and National highways and is near to India's largest and most congested container port, the Jawaharal Nehru Port (JNPT).
The multi-purpose terminal is designed to accommodate a variety of cargoes including containers, bulk, break-bulk cargo and Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll/off).
The Terminal will be comprised of;
The terminal will be designed to handle vessels of up to 4000 DWT having a draft of up to 5 meters, with the potential to handle vessels up to 10 meter draft at a later stage.
Logistics Facility
Karanja Terminal will also house an ultra-modern logistics complex spread over approximately 100 acres of land. The facility will comprise state-of-the-art logistic and warehousing facilities for storage of cargoes including cold and bonded storages and value-add services including sorting, labelling and breaking up or re-assembling of cargoes. The facility will be fully IT enabled, pilferage proof and will provide seamless supply-chain solutions to importers, exporters, shipping lines, custom house agents and freight forwarders.
The port is located in Navi Mumbai, an industrial area near to the City. The project site is near to a number of other projects expected to come online in the near term. These include the new Navi Mumbai International Airport, the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) bridge, and the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone. These developments are expected to boost the trade potential and capacity of the region.
The distance to the site from various existing and proposed transport routes are set out below:
We believe that the Major Ports in India are insufficient to meet the country's current and anticipated needs, with outdated berth configuration, outmoded cargo handling equipment, insufficient maintenance and inadequate operational draft.
Congestion within the ports means longer waiting times for ships, which increases transaction costs and has an adverse impact on the logistics chain. Road transport capacity is unable to compensate for the Major Ports' inefficiencies due to poor linkages, and railways lack the necessary equipment and structure to ensure a steady flow of container traffic.
Mercantile Ports & Logistics Limited expects significant demand for its port from importers, ship-liners, logistics companies, pure play warehousing service providers, trading companies and manufacturing units.


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I am thrilled to announce a benefit for the 501c3 non-profit Magical Healing, of which, I am honored to serve on the board of directors, and moreover, is such a great organization that it is worthy of many run-on sentences, including the one you are currently reading.
The show is on September 15th, 2019
Magical Healing teaches the art of magic to kids who are want to make a difference in their communities. Many of the kids who take our programs are marginalized due to familial problems, special needs, and various hardships.
Through magical healing, these kids learn beginner magic, and put on shows for good causes. This is a very empowering experience for the kids, and a great time for their audiences who could use a smile. It brings the kids out of their shell, and teaches them many valuable lessons.
I'll be doing a show to benefit the organization at the beautiful Sparta Avenue Stage. It's one of the areas only dedicated magic theaters.
This show will be family friendly. I like to think of it as a show for adults that's also a lot of fun for kids.
Here is a link for tickets!
Make sure to pick the Sunday show, because that's the only one I'm doing – Hope to see you there- thanks!!
When I first became a full time magician, the travelling part took a toll on my fitness and health. After tweaking my travelling routine, I'm the healthiest and most energetic I've been in my adult life! Here are 5 tips that can help you stay healthy when driving & flying!
1) When Flying: Get some exercise at the airport before boarding.
I used to sit at the airport and read before every flight, and I'd feel sluggish and lethargic at the end of the day – a few years ago I switched to walking around the airport before boarding, and it's made a huge difference! Now I walk around the airport and listen to audio books or podcasts before boarding. Getting 30-90 minutes of light walking in before boarding will make you feel a lot better for the whole day, and be less worn out when you land! This is a lot easier if all your carry on is on wheels.
2) When Driving: Pack healthy food and lots of water
Driving for a long time isn't great for your health and energy, but eating healthy on the road can make you feel a lot better! Most experts agree that nutrition is about FOUR times as important for health and fitness as exercise is.
Packing healthy food ahead of time has a number of benefits: You know you are going to have food you like. You don't have to stress about finding somewhere you like. You will be less tempted to eat worse than you do in your day to day life. Eating healthy by picking up food while on the road CAN be done, but it's takes a lot more time discipline and time.
3) Lower your stress level
Travelling can be a lot less stressful
The day before:
* Have a checklist you can reuse for things you have to bring. I use the same checklist for every flight, every car ride, and every show. It completely takes out the guess work, makes things less stressful, and allows you to be more consistent without any extra work
The day of:
* Breath. Take deep breaths during long drives
* Listen to things that make you laugh or think. Keep your brain engaged.
* Bring noise blocking ear plugs and noise cancelling headphones on the plane.
* Allow extra time to get where you are going.
4) Get enough sleep
Travel days can end up being a lot longer than you anticipate, so get enough sleep the night before!
5) I was bluffing about there being a 5th tip!
Bernardsville News – By P.C. ROBINSON Contributing Writer
BERNARDSVILLE – Don't expect Mine Avenue resident Simon Mandal's comedy magic act to disappear anytime soon.
Mandal, who with wife, Ruth Darcy, moved to the borough from Chatham three years ago, has performed "The Simon Show" more than 5,000 times before such A-list corporate audiences as Google, MGM Resorts, Princeton University and ABC-News, among others.
He also performs "close-up" magic, meeting unsuspecting "victims" one-on-one at private events, Boy Scout meetings and street festivals.
The slight-of-hand – and its associated improvised comedy – comes naturally to the 37-year-old London native who came to the U.S. as a child with his Irish-born parents.
"I guess I'm wired for it," he said over hot chocolate and an Asian chicken salad at The Bernards Café. "I was always a funny kid – genetic predilection."
Not that honing his craft was as easy as saying abracadabra.
"Starting out, it's fun but it's brutal," he said. "You need to figure out what's good for you that the audience will get a lot out of. Now, I'm really enjoying it. It's a good, steady life."
His craft also, well, does something magical to people when they experience it.
"It takes them out of the moment and re-sets their stress level," he said.
Does that also go for Ruth, the Pfizer business analyst he married five years after they met at a Manhattan comedy club?
"She's a huge fan. She thinks I'm a genius.
"You'll print whatever I say, right?"
Those interested in enjoying their own up-close magic can do so when Mandal appears at Chatham's annual Fishawack Festival on Saturday, June 11.
Like most performing artists, Mandal got the magic bug in his very early years in Kent, England, about an hour and a half southeast of London.
"I saw this hilarious comedy magic act on TV, and while I can't remember who did it, I can't remember ever laughing so hard," he said.
By the time he and his parents moved to the U.S. and made nearby New Providence their home, he had his own magic kit and was learning the trade.
After graduating from high school, he attended Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts, then transferred to the William Esper Studio in Manhattan, the alma mater of such well-known actors and comics as Kathy Bates, Larry David and Amy Schumer.
He also studied privately with Gazzo Osborne, an English street performer whose many international venues include Key West, Fla., and comic-magician Whit Haydn.
Eventually, he hit the floorboards of Manhattan's comedy clubs, honing his magic and improv skills while holding down an office computer job.
Finally, he quit his day job to follow his passion, a blend of improvisation, comedy and magic.
Like all successful magicians, Mandal must update and refresh acts to keep audiences captivated.
The ones he keeps, he said, "Are the bullet-proof ones."
Just what is in his bag of tricks?
Those include a mix of acts he learned from mentors and created himself.
Some, like the find-the-ball-under-the-cup trick, are virtually immortal, their original forms first played in Ancient Egypt.
Whatever the trick, Mandal said "things happen" where he'll understand the trick "in a new way."
"There's always another level to it. Some tricks might be easier and you can learn in a day. Others may take months but finally you get that a-ha moment where it all connects," he said.
What's the ultimate magic act?
As much as he enjoys the one-on-one performances, Mandal said "a really great stage show" is "as good as it gets."
"I've been working on the show for decades. It's always good, but to be really great it has to have the right dynamics.
"Close-up is a lot more forgiving,'' he said. "It has the power of seeing something up close, and it's less demanding on the audience because you have their attention for only 10 to 15 minutes."
Close-up or stage, for Mandal the name of the game is psychological misdirection.
Mandal is not one for sawing Ruth, in half – "although I'd saw her in three," he jokes – or using other contraptions to captivate the crowds.
He'd rather trick someone into thinking they know exactly what they saw, when in fact, they didn't.
"Magic takes advantage of a person's attention, getting them to remember things the wrong way. Intellectually it didn't happen, but emotionally, it did," he said.
See more press.
I just got done filming my first appearance on "Think Like an Entrepreneur". A new series where a variety of successful business owners form a panel to discuss business topics. Because my business is primarily word of mouth and repeat business, I was one of those selected to discuss networking strategies. I shared a couple of tips that I used to grow my network and business. Keep an eye out!
Fun announcement – I'm almost done with my new book. It's called "How to Outsmart Your Brain".
The book will teach you about mental loopholes that have historically only known to magicians, and will give you insights on how to improve your thinking, and life.
Among other things, the book will give you a magicians perspective on: Perception, influence, memory, habit building, networking, relaxation, focus, negotiating, and happiness.
If you'd like updates, feel free to email me at email@example.com
I will be performing four public magic shows at a fundraiser for the Madison Public Library on July 30th!
Informal shows are about 20 minutes, and start at 11, 11:30, 12, and 12:30.
The shows will feature a combination of magic, comedy, and audience interaction. This is an all ages event.
Full details below…
Touch a Truck Fundraiser for the Friends of the Madison Public Library
Madison Area YMCA
Saturday, Jul. 30, 10:00 -3:00 pm
The 2016 Touch A Truck event will be held on the grounds of the Madison Public Library and the Madison YMCA on Saturday, July 30th from 10 am-3 pm (rain or shine.)
There will be dozens of trucks to climb on and explore. Parents, great photo ops! You won't want to miss it!
Ticket price includes:
Magic shows by Simon Mandal of the Simon Show.
Lionel "O gauge" train show with new and antique railroad memorabilia.
Face painting, balloon animals and tattoos for the kids!
Tickets now on sale HERE:
Toddlers to age 12 are $8 (in advance) and $10 at the door
Teen and Adults are $5.00
RIGGED TRIVIA LOOKS like an ordinary trivia quiz, but the game is RIGGED! Each question contains a SECRET, SIMPLE CODE that tells you the right answer!
Impress your family! Astound your friends! You'll "know" the right answer to every question- in ANY SUBJECT- in ANY CATEGORY! History. Sports. Literature. Even Advanced Physics!
We call it: a Party Game For People Who Hate To Lose.
It's simple. Download the app for FREE and you'll be shown the SECRET TRICK. Then go to the SETTINGS PAGE and "DISGUISE THE APP". That's right, there's an actual button called "Disguise The App"- how awesome is that?!
The app will transform, like magic, into an innocent-looking trivia quiz called IVY LEAGUE TRIVIA. It will even appear as "Ivy League Trivia" on your menu screen.
Perfect for parties, bars, long car rides, any social situation. Challenge your friends to a trivia contest. Invite them to choose the category and the level. You'll look like a friggin' Jedi Master! They'll NEVER SUSPECT the game is rigged!
Even better: teach your children the trick, and watch them "show off" for relatives!
Rigged Trivia was developed by Andy Breckman, an award-winning comedy writer, and his friend, magician Simon Mandal.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help us spread the word! Follow us on Twitter. Even better, tape the game in action, and upload it to our Facebook page.
Hey genius– if you want to continue your "winning streak", check out RIGGED WORD SCRAMBLE. It's another Party Game For People Who Hate To Lose!
July 6, 2016 at 9:26 AM
WESTFIELD, NJ — On July 21, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., The James Ward Mansion, d'Luxe Events and Frungillo Caterers will team up to host a special event celebrating the life of Darren Lederman, a Westfield dad who died from leukemia in March.
Tickets are $50 each for an evening of hors d'ouevres, desserts, dancing, a tricky tray and entertainment. Money raised will go to help Darren's children, Emma and Noah Lederman, and wife, Stacey Katcher Lederman.
For tickets, RSVP to email@example.com with your mailing address. Checks can be made out to Stacey Lederman.
Danielle Aspromatis, owner of d'Luxe Events, said she grew up with Stacey and her brothers in Westfield.
"I did not know Darren and had been out of touch with Stacey for many years, but through the Lederman Strong Facebook posts and updates, I became so emotionally tied to Stacey once more," Aspromatis said. "Their story is one that could happen to anyone of us with another flip of the coin. I am a mom and a wife and, as both, I felt like I had to do something to help them. I would want my community to help me if I had to endure what Stacey and her children have had to go through. Community is supposed to rally around those who need help. And as human beings, we should all be able to not only to put ourselves in others' shoes to empathize, but we should all be able to take action, whatever small action that may be."
Aspromatis specializes in wedding planning.
"I thought, wouldn't it be amazing if the incredible vendors that I work with would help me throw an event where 100 percent of the proceeds could go to the Lederman family?" she said. "Love binds us together as a community and as a human race and that is what we were put on this planet to experience. Sometimes we have to deal with the opposite of that too — loss, grief and heartbreak. But we shouldn't have to experience those things alone. It's as simple as that."
Sponsors and donors making the event possible include:
Event planner: d'Luxe Events
Venue: James Ward Mansion
Caterer: Frungillo
DJ/MC: Paul Anthony Entertainment
Desserts: The Dessert Ladies
Hair/Makeup: Beauty Artist Group
Photography: Bright Lights Studio
Beer and Sangria: Peerless Distributors
Magician: Simon Mandal, The Simon Show
Stationery: Little Black Dress Paperie
Florals: Blue Jasmine Florals
Sushi: Akai Sushi
Cinematography: Kaan Tulgar Video
Mentalist: Fred Berthalot
Red Carpet Photobooth: Randall L Photography
Wardrobe: Lord & Taylor Westfield
To learn about becoming a sponsor or to donate giveaway items, contact Aspromatis at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The James Ward Mansion is located at 169 East Broad St. in Downtown Westfield.
I am thrilled to announce a benefit for the 501c3 non-profit Magical Healing, of which, I am honored to serve on the board of directors, and moreover, is such a great organization that it is worthy of many … Continue reading "Magical Healing"
When I first became a full time magician, the travelling part took a toll on my fitness and health. After tweaking my travelling routine, I'm the healthiest and most energetic I've been in my adult life! Here are 5 … Continue reading "Travelling health tips from a globe trotting magician"
Bernardsville News – By P.C. ROBINSON Contributing Writer BERNARDSVILLE – Don't expect Mine Avenue resident Simon Mandal's comedy magic act to disappear anytime soon. Mandal, who with wife, Ruth Darcy, moved to the borough from Chatham three years … Continue reading "For Bernardsville Man Life is Magic"
I just got done filming my first appearance on "Think Like an Entrepreneur". A new series where a variety of successful business owners form a panel to discuss business topics. Because my business is primarily word of mouth and … Continue reading "Simon appears on "Think Like an Entrepreneur""
Fun announcement – I'm almost done with my new book. It's called "How to Outsmart Your Brain". The book will teach you about mental loopholes that have historically only known to magicians, and will give you insights on … Continue reading "New Book Coming Soon"
I will be performing four public magic shows at a fundraiser for the Madison Public Library on July 30th! Informal shows are about 20 minutes, and start at 11, 11:30, 12, and 12:30. The shows will feature a combination … Continue reading "Public Shows on 7/30/16 – Madison, NJ"
Description From APP Store RIGGED TRIVIA LOOKS like an ordinary trivia quiz, but the game is RIGGED! Each question contains a SECRET, SIMPLE CODE that tells you the right answer! Impress your family! Astound your friends! You'll "know" … Continue reading "Our New Comedy / Magic / Joke app, "Rigged Trivia" is out."
I will be performing at a fundraiser for the family of Darren Lederman, of Westfield. A beloved man who recently passed away from Leukemia. Please join us in this celebration of his life! Money raised will go to help … Continue reading "7/21/16 Lederman Benefit Show / Event"


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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby's lawyers have asked a Pennsylvania court to overturn the actor's conviction and three- to 10-year prison sentence because of what they call a string of errors in his sex assault case.
The defense motion argued that trial Judge Steven O'Neill erred in declaring Cosby a sexually violent predator who must be imprisoned to protect the community. Lawyers called the sentence more punitive than necessary, given the standard two- to three-year guideline range for the crime and the fact Cosby is 81 and blind.
They also said the trial evidence never proved the encounter with accuser Andrea Constand took place in 2004, and not 2003, or that Cosby was arrested within the 12-year time limit.
Cosby was arrested on Dec. 30, 2015, and was convicted at a second trial this April. He has been in a state prison near Philadelphia since the Sept. 25 sentencing, when the judge refused to let him stay out on $1 million bail pending appeal. Given his fame, wealth and use of drugs to molest the accuser, the judge said, Cosby could remain a threat to other women.
The defense motion said O'Neill improperly considered the trial testimony of five other accusers in sentencing Cosby, instead of limiting that "prior bad act" testimony to the question of his guilt or innocence. O'Neill, in explaining the sentence in court, told Cosby he considered "voices from the past, your past," and that he "heard their voices loud and clear," the defense said.
The lawyers also challenged the state's sex offender laws, which have been revised several times amid challenges they are unconstitutionally vague. The law requires judges to find that a sexually violent predator has a "mental abnormality," a term they said has no legal or psychological meaning, yet subjects defendants to lifetime counseling and police registration.
The defense motion, dated Friday, was posted to a public court docket in the case over the weekend. Kate Delano, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, said the office will file a response.
The motion was filed by lawyer Peter Goldberger, a top appellate lawyer in the region, and Joseph P. Green Jr., who handled Cosby's sentencing after more than a dozen other lawyers on the case had come and gone. A former appellate lawyer on the case is suing Cosby over what he called more than $50,000 in unpaid bills.
The defense also complained that an audio recording played to jurors of a 2005 conversation between Cosby and Gianna Constand, the mother of accuser Andrea Constand, was "not authentic." They said they did not make the discovery until an expert review after the trial.
District Attorney Kevin Steele has dismissed that as a legitimate appeal issue, saying it's been widely known that Gianna Constand started her recorder after the call began. She had called Cosby to get answers about what happened to her daughter after Andrea Constand disclosed the assault a year later. The family went to police, who suggested they try to record Cosby.
During the call, Cosby acknowledged engaging in "digital penetration" after giving her daughter pills he would not identify, and offered money for Andrea to attend graduate school, Gianna Constand testified.
"If that's what they've got, it's beyond a Hail Mary," Steele said at the sentencing, as Cosby's lawyers sought to keep Cosby free on bail over the tape recording. O'Neill instead had Cosby led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.


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Antibiotic Supplements
Antibiotic Supplements products are formulated to supply the required nutrients to allow for the growth of microorganisms. Used in combination with a variety of selective agents and incubation conditions a wide range of specific organisms can be isolated. With careful raw material selection of the various media components E&O can ensure a consistent level of quality and performance. For each formulation the necessary ingredients are accurately weighed, combined and blended together to produce a homogenous powdered product.


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Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta welcomes the strong interest in its Draft New Curriculum for Religious Education. In response, an updated version will be shared with local families in early October.
Relieving Executive Director Christine Howe invites the community to learn more about how the Curriculum is about sharing our Catholic faith with children and young people in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
"I thank all involved for their commitment to finding the best ways to help form our children, young people and staff in our Catholic faith," Christine said. "Your feedback is important."
Faithful to Catholic Teaching, Traditions and Values, the Draft New Curriculum is the result of work with the Diocese of Parramatta, members of the clergy, parents and carers, teachers and schools over several years.
Designed to be age appropriate for children and young people, it's all about developing attentive, intelligent, reasonable and responsible young people and respecting the dignity of every student.
This up-to-date approach to learning and teaching is all about using Catholic teaching to help our young people answer the questions they are asking about faith and life so that they can understand and demonstrate these Catholics beliefs and values in their lives, every day.
Learn more about the new Religious Education curriculum


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This colorblock raglan sport shirt is a great choice for anyone. The Dry Zone technology ensures that moisture is wicked away from your body and to the surface where it can easily evaporate. Its also anti-microbial to manage odor. The raglan sleeves offer greater mobility and the tag-free label adds extra comfort.
Every order is custom printed and personalized to your needs direct from our production facility in Detroit, MI. Items are typically completed within 2-5 business days and then require additional shipping time to reach your location. Bulk orders of 12 or more items will take 4-6 business days for production.


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It's as vital as the air I breathe: CAKE. Very early in life, I internalized the message that cake was equivalent to joy, happiness, satisfaction, togetherness. Maybe it was the time my cousin's Rancher Wife friend rescued me from the terrifying scene of watching Mr. Bird saw down the bull's horn before it blinded him. My other cousin, Patricia, was there to help Mr. Bird take care of the bull. They left Pete and me (ages 6 and 8) in the farm truck (the "anchor") and tied the bull to it and began sawing. I began screaming hysterically immediately, so Mrs. Bird came and got me and took me inside to the warm kitchen. She wiped my tears and opened her deep freezer (what a fascinating box of frozen surprises it was!) and pulled out a slice of carefully wrapped homemade coconut cake. We sat in her small but cozy kitchen in the warmth and slowly the cake soothed the trauma of thrashing around in a truck tied to an angry and uncooperative bull with my cousin, Pete! Mrs. Bird taught me that day that I was better suited for the kitchen than the ranch!
So, today, I am sharing with ya'll one of my favorite Southern Cake recipes, Apple Dapple Cake. The photo does not do it justice – it should be covered in brown sugar-iced fresh pecans, but where was I going to get fresh pecans during an ice storm this weekend? Give yourself and your family a big treat today and grab some delicious apples, peel and dice them and create the world's most delicious cake. And if it is work you must today, sweeten the evening with my favorite solution to any and all things intolerable: CAKE.
Recipe courtesy of My Momma, Miss Rhetta
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
- 3 cups tart apples, chopped
- 3 cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- Beat eggs and mix with sugar, oil and vanilla.
- Combine flour, salt and baking soda and add to egg mixture.
- Fold in apples and pecans. Pour into greased and floured tube cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
- For frosting: Bring brown sugar, butter and milk to a boil. Boil only 2 1/2 minutes. Cool and spread on cake.
Eat it, You'll Love It, and it will DRIVE AWAY any thoughts of ANGRY BULLS GETTING THEIR HORNS TRIMMED!!!!


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The instructional design section of Academic Instructional Technology (AIT) provides instructional and program design expertise for the development and support of online courses and specialized educational programs.
We are available to assist faculty with the following:
- Planning and design in the creation of online course content.
- Reviewing and evaluating online course instructional design issues.
- Assistance in establishing optimal design of curriculum and instruction.
- Suggestions and guidelines for the effective uses of multimedia.
- Assistance with ADA compliance in online courses.
Top 5 reasons to integrate Blackboard into your face-to-face course
1. Online Syllabus: Instructors can have their students easily access the course syllabus from Blackboard. This way, unwanted syllabi do not get printed to only be thrown away, and students who come from a generation of technology will feel comfortable in accessing their syllabus. Students profit from a syllabus that arranges clear goals and expectations and other information that helps them do well in the course and capture the overall view of the course from the beginning. With a syllabus built in Blackboard, students who wish to print the syllabus can easily do so and students who want to have only an electronic copy of the syllabus will have continuous access for the duration of the course. Also, because students do benefit so much from a well-arranged syllabus, a Syllabus Quiz can easily be created and taken through Blackboard to insure that students are reading and understanding the syllabus and what will be expected of them throughout the course.
2. Online Quizzes with Immediate Feedback: Quizzes are a great tool for checking student retention of information, as well as helping hold students accountable in their ability to demonstrate that retention. Quizzes varying of all size and question type can be created in Blackboard and easily accessed/taken by students. Also for immediate feedback, if the quiz questions do not contain any short answer Blackboard can instantly grade the quiz and give students their score; along with correct answer feedback.
3. Availability: Blackboard can be accessed from the Internet at anytime and anywhere. Students can access all of their course materials including assignments, lecture notes, slides, hyperlinks, videos, etc. Any material the instructor would like students to view, read, or complete before class in order to enhance class discussion or lecture can easily be compiled, organized, and managed in a supplemental Blackboard course.
4. Communication: Instructors and students can take advantage of the populated email lists to connect with any or all members of a Blackboard course. With a supplemental Blackboard course, instructors can email certain users, groups, or classes as they choose. They can also use the threaded discussion boards to hold beneficial, asynchronous conversations that can improve students' engagement and commitment to course discussion and material.
5. Grade Book: The grade book can provide a quick and accurate way for students to access their grade in the course. From quizzes to exams, or from assignments to group projects, grades can be automatically and manually entered in the grade center to give students quick feedback on their progress. Different types of feedback can also be given through the grade book, and in today's age of information privacy concerns, Blackboard is an excellent way to share grade information in a secure environment.


text: by Dr. Jonny Bowden Agave nectar/ syrup is basically high-fructose corn syrup masquerading as a health food. It's easy to understand how agave syrup got its great reputation. Even the word "Agave" has a fine pedigree, coming from the Greek word for noble. The blue agave species- considered the best for the making agave nectar- flourishes in rich volcanic soil— (it's also the only variety permitted to be used for the making of tequila). And extracts from the agave plant have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. (Unfortunately there's zero evidence that any of those compounds are present in the commercially made syrup.) Agave nectar is an amber-colored liquid that pours more easily than honey and is considerably sweeter than sugar. The health-food crowd loves it because it is gluten-free and suitable for vegan diets- and, most especially, because it's low glycemic (we'll get to that in a moment). Largely because of its very low glycemic impact, Agave nectar is marketed as "diabetic friendly". What's not to like? As it turns out, quite a lot. Agave nectar has a low-glycemic index for one reason only: it's largely made of fructose, which although it has a low-glycemic index, is now known to be a very damaging form of sugar when used as a sweetener. Agave nectar has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener (with the exception of pure liquid fructose). All sugar- from table sugar to HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) to honey- contains some mixture of fructose and glucose. Table sugar is 50/50, HFCS is 55/45. Agave nectar is a whopping 90% fructose, almost- but not quite- twice as high as HFCS. Fructose- the sugar found naturally in fruit- is perfectly fine when you get it from whole foods like apples (about 7% fructose)—it comes with a host of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. But when it's commercially extracted from fruit, concentrated and made into a sweetner, it exacts a considerable metabolic price. Research shows that it's the fructose part of sweeteners that's the most dangerous. Fructose causes insulin resisitance and significantly raises triglycerides (a risk factor for heart disease). It also increases fat around the middle which in turn puts you at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease and Metabolic Syndrome (a kind of pre-diabetes) . And fructose has been linked to non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease. Rats given high fructose diets develop a number of undesirable metabolic abnormalities including elevated triglycerides, weight gain and extra abdominal fat. In the agave plant, most of the sweetness comes from a particular kind of fructose called inulin that actually has some health benefits- it's considered a fiber. But there's not much inulin left in the actual syrup. In the manufacturing process, enzymes are added to the inulin to break it down into digestible sugar (fructose), resulting in a syrup that has a fructose content that is at best 57% and- much more commonly- as high as 90%. ""It's almost all fructose, highly processed sugar with great marketing," said Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "Fructose interferes with healthy metabolism when (consumed) at higher doses", she told me. "Many people have fructose intolerance like lactose intolerance. They get acne or worse diabetes symptoms even though their blood [sugar] is OK". Agave nectar syrup is a triumph of marketing over science. True, it has a low-glycemic index, but so does gasoline- that doesn't mean it's good for you. If you simply must have some sweets once in a while, a small amount of agave nectar every once in a while isn't going to kill you. Just don't buy into the idea that it's any better for you than plain old sugar or HFCS. In some ways, it may even be slightly worse. For further information on Dr. Jonny please visit, www.JonnyBowden.com.


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UK households could be due a £169.50 refund on the cost of their TV Licence.
Every household in the UK is legally required to have a TV licence in order to watch or record live TV, regardless of what channel it is on.
However, you could be entitled to a refund on the cost of your TV Licence if you do not watch or record live TV, and don't stream BBC iPlayer either.
You can apply for a refund if you won't need your licence again before it expires, and you have at least one complete month left on it, due to not watching or recording live TV.
You can apply for a refund on your TV licence here. Refunds are usually processed and issued within 21 days of application.
However, your refund may be delayed if you have to be contacted for more information.
Any refund will be paid by cheque or a BACS transfer directly into your bank account.
The amount you will be due in a refund will be worked out by TV Licensing, the organisation that issues TV licences.
They explain how they work out the amount you will be due here: "Any refund due is calculated in unused months. You must have at least one complete month left on your licence that you won't need before it expires.
"So, you could get a refund for between one and 11 months, depending on how long you have left on your licence.
"You won't be eligible for a refund if there is less than one month between the cancellation date and the expiry date.
"If you haven't paid for your licence in full, its expiry date may be changed to reflect what you've paid."
When do I need a TV Licence?
You do not need a TV Licence to watch:
- streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus
- on-demand TV through services like All 4 and Amazon Prime Video
- videos on websites like YouTube
- videos or DVDs
You do need a TV Licence if you:
- watch or record live TV on any channel or service
- use BBC iPlayer
Am I eligible for a free TV Licence?
For those of us aged 75 or over who are in receipt of Pension Credit, the TV Licence can be obtained for free rather than costing £169.50.
Guidance from TV Licensing says: "Free TV Licences are only available if you're 75 or over and you, or your partner living at the same address, are receiving Pension Credit.
"If you think you're eligible for a free licence but can't apply online, please call 0300 790 6117* and speak to one of our advisors to request an application form (our lines are open between 8.30am and 6.30pm, from Monday to Friday).
"Once we've received your application it may take a few weeks to process. If there are any problems we'll write to let you know. We may also call you if you have given us your phone number.
"There are separate arrangements in place for over 75s on the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
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Read the rules here


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Baby sleep positioners which are linked to 12 deaths in America have been pulled from sale by Tesco and eBay.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US updated its advice this week after previously warning parents not to use the products - but they are still for sale on many other British websites.
The positioners, also called 'nests' or 'anti-roll' cushions, could lead newborn babies to suffocate, the FDA warns.
Tesco and eBay have both announced they will stop selling them, according to the Mirror Online .
The deaths in the US involved babies who rolled from their sides onto their fronts before they stopped breathing.
A spokesman for Tesco told Mirror Online that the products were sold by a third party on the firm's website, and they were not sold in stores.
Removed from sale as a 'precautionary measure'
The spokesman said: "We have removed these products from our website as a precautionary measure."
A spokesman for eBay said it would also stop selling them and take down existing listings.
The FDA first warned about baby sleep positioners in 2010 - causing some retailers to pull the items, but they eventually became available to buy again.
The FDA's website read: "These products - sometimes also called 'nests' or 'anti-roll' products can cause suffocation (a struggle to breathe) that can lead to death.
"The two most common types of sleep positioners feature raised supports or pillows (called 'bolsters') that are attached to each side of a mat, or a wedge to raise a baby's head.
"The positioners are intended to keep a baby in a specific position while sleeping and are intended for infants under 6 months old."
Infants should sleep on their backs on a firm, empty surface
To reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, infants should sleep on their backs, positioned on a firm, empty surface, the American Academy of Pediatrics said.
The surface should be free of soft objects, toys, pillows or loose bedding.
The Lullaby Trust in the UK also warns against using baby sleep positioners.
It says on its website: "There is no need to use any type of equipment or rolled up blankets to keep your baby in one position unless you have been advised by a health professional for a specific medical condition.
"It is much safer for your baby to be in their cot with just the sheets or blankets, and no extras which could be pulled over their face or cause an accident.
"As babies grow stronger they learn to move and roll and this is fine."


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Brand: Algis Crafts
Color: beige
Details: Rolling pin with PAISLEY pattern. Our embossing rolling pins can be a part of your kitchen or engraved keepsakes. They make a unique and touching gift for any person, family or occasion. Perfect for birthdays, house-warming, Christmas, Mother's Day or special occasion. They can even be given out as wedding favors for bridesmaids, groomsmen or couples. Baking with embossing rolling pin can be a fun, especially for kids! ********* We made many of trials and baked hundreds of different recipe cookies until we found the best patterns and created the best design for the rolling pin to get well embossed and beautiful cookies. ******* DESCRIPTION: The rolling pins are traditional and optimum size with big surface of engraving. The measure is 15" (38 cm) with handles, embossing part 7.5" (19cm), diameter 2.4'' (6 cm). ******** We include 3 our favorite RECIPES to get well embossed and delicious cookies. THE FOLLOWING ARE INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO ORDER 1. Select the quantity from the Drop Down Menu on this listing. Add to your shopping cart. 2. As you check out, please double check the shipping address and make sure it is correct! 3. If a rolling pin will be shipped as a gift, we can include a little postcard with your greetings. You are welcome to write your text in the customization section. We provide a tracking number for customer convenience. We do not to include invoices in any of our shipments. If you need an INVOICE, please let us know and we include it to the package.
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


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'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Passes 'The Dark Knight' At the All-Time Box Office
After just 17 days of release, Spider-Man: No Way Home has now grossed $609.8 million in the United States, and $1.36 billion worldwide. It's already the top-grossing movie of 2021 by a huge margin. (It's made more than double the #2 movie of the year, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.) Last weekend, it grossed another $52.7 million in the U.S. alone — more in three days than The Matrix Resurrections has earned in its entire run in theaters to date ($30.9 million).
For more perspective: No Way Home is now — after only 17 days and in the midst of an explosion of Covid cases around the globe — the 10th highest grossing movie in the United States ever. It's $609.8 million domestic gross already places it ahead of The Lion King, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and every Star Wars ever made except The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi — and Spider-Man is on pace to pass The Last Jedi in a couple of days to become the ninth biggest movie ever.
$609.8 million also means Spider-Man: No Way Home has now passed The Dark Knight on that same list; that film's $534.8 million domestic gross makes it the biggest DC Comics movie to date in the U.S. (No Way Home has grossed more internationally too, $1.36 billion versus $1.00 billion.) The only solo superhero movie that made more money in the U.S. than No Way Home at this point is Black Panther ($700.4 million), although No Way Home has already grossed more money than Black Panther worldwide.
Basically: The film is a massive, massive hit. Here was the weekend box office via Box Office Mojo:
- Spider-Man: No Way Home - $52.7 million
- Sing 2 - $19.6 million
- The King's Man - $4.5 million
- American Underdog - $4.5 million
- The Matrix Resurrections - $3.8 million
Spider-Man: No Way Home is still in theaters. Obviously the live-action Spider-Man movie franchise will continue in some form but ... what could possibly top this?


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Paterno family sues NCAA: Will the judge throw out the case?
| BELLEFONTE, Pa.
A Pennsylvania judge said Tuesday he would decide later whether to allow a lawsuit against the NCAA filed by the family of longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and others to go forward. After hearing more than three hours of arguments, Judge John B. Leete said he planned to issue a written opinion but did not say when.
A lawyer for college sports' governing body urged him to throw out the complaint.
The lawsuit and the court are "a poor forum for the venting of frustration, and the NCAA should not be made the scapegoat for the errors and omissions of university officials," NCAA lawyer Everett Johnson said.
Leete is considering a host of issues, including whether Penn State itself is an indispensable party to the lawsuit, which challenges the NCAA penalties imposed on Penn State as a result of the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation scandal.
The Paterno family — joined by four university trustees, four faculty members, nine former players and two former coaches — allege breach of contract, contract interference, defamation, civil conspiracy, and commercial disparagement.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Joseph Loveland, called the sanctions "coercion and a cram-down of the highest order." He said his clients wanted to compare the Penn State matter with how the NCAA has handled other cases.
"The truth of the matter is they were acting completely in uncharted waters with nothing whatsoever to support them on it," Loveland said.
The court session was held a day after Penn State announced $59.7 million in settlements with 26 young men over claims of abuse by Sandusky, who was the school's longtime defensive coach. He was convicted last year of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and is serving a lengthy state prison sentence.
Paterno's estate and family and the other plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in May, saying the NCAA had no authority to impose sanctions based on criminal matters that were not related to the sports it oversees.
Paul Kelly, another lawyer for the plaintiffs, explained how former coaches Jay Paterno and William Kenney were harmed by comments critical of the way the coaching staff handled Sandusky.
Being the subject of the NCAA's legal settlement with Penn State makes a person "radioactive in the coaching world, and most other programs aren't going to want to touch you," Kelly said.
Tuesday's arguments also centered on the procedures the NCAA used to determine penalties.
"They cut a new path with this case, no question about it," Leete told the lawyers.
The lawsuit seeks a court order voiding the agreement between the NCAA and Penn State last year, which included a $60 million fine, a four-year ban on post-season play and the elimination of 112 wins during the final years of the Paterno era. It also imposed a temporary reduction in scholarships, a penalty the NCAA softened last month.
Johnson said the erasure of Paterno's wins was not a sanction against Paterno.
"Coach Paterno doesn't own those wins," Johnson said. "Those are wins at Penn State University at a time when he was an employee."
Paterno died in January 2012 — about two months after Sandusky's arrest — of complications from lung cancer. The university took down a statue in his honor outside Beaver Stadium, although the school library and other facilities still bear the name of the coach who spent six decades at Penn State.
His son Scott Paterno, a lawyer, was in the courtroom for the hearing but declined to comment afterward.
Sandusky maintains his innocence, but a mid-level state appeals court recently turned down his request for a new trial.
The abuse scandal rocked Penn State, leading the board of trustees to fire Paterno and resulting in the unprecedented sanctions against the famous football program.
Three former Penn State administrators await trial in Harrisburg on charges they engaged in a criminal cover-up of the scandal. Former President Graham Spanier, retired Vice President Gary Schultz and retired athletic director Tim Curley deny the allegations. A trial date has not been scheduled.


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Life Insurance Policies and Cash Value
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Well, I haven't been here for a while.
But here's an update! Just finished Warhammer 40k commission for my friend.
It's Tyranid Scythed Hierodule from Forge World, hand-painted with Citadel paints.
I was supposed to make it look easy to copy for my friend.
I have a few started/ready to paint figures, but somehow I can't make myself into mood to make any. I get distracted way too easily, can't find enough time to just sit and paint without breaks, or my neck starts to hurt. Soon™.


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The labor market continued its modest rate of expansion in July, according to today's employment report. Employers added 163,000 jobs last month, the largest increase since February. The unemployment rate remained essentially unchanged at 8.3 percent.
A notable aspect of the July employment report is the decline in public-sector employment. In fact, public-sector employment (i.e. federal, state, and local government jobs) declined in 10 of the past 12 months, in sharp contrast to 29 consecutive months of private-sector job growth. Indeed, falling public employment has been among the largest contributors to unemployment in the United States since the end of the Great Recession.
In this month's employment analysis, The Hamilton Project examines public-sector employment trends over the last three decades and finds that government employment contracted, both in absolute numbers and as a share of the population, during the Great Recession and throughout the current recovery. Additionally, we report on the results of a new analysis that finds that the cuts in public school teachers are projected to reduce the future earnings of today's students by more than five times as much as the current budget savings.
We also continue to explore the nation's "jobs gap," or the number of jobs that the U.S. economy needs to create in order to return to pre-recession employment levels.
Declining Government Employment
Total government (i.e., the sum of state, local, and federal) employment has decreased by over 580,000 jobs since the end of the recession, the largest decrease in any sector since the recovery began in July 2009. State and local governments, faced with tough choices imposed by the confluence of balanced-budget requirements, falling tax revenues, and greater demand for public services, have been forced to lay off teachers, police officers, and other workers.
In order to look at specific occupations, it is necessary to turn to the Current Population Survey; the below table uses the data to assess the occupations where some of the key reductions in the public-sector workforce occurred. In raw numbers, the largest cuts were to teachers, but of these occupations, the largest percentage decline was among emergency responders.
Occupation |
Employment (2009) |
Employment (2011) |
Change in Employment |
Percent Change in Employment |
Teachers |
3,942,700 |
3,721,938 |
-220,762 |
-5.6% |
Policemen |
666,579 |
610,427 |
-56,125 |
-8.4% |
Fire fighters |
233,051 |
277,158 |
44,107 |
18.9% |
Emergency responders |
69,370 |
39,170 |
-30,200 |
-43.5% |
Air-traffic controllers |
23,959 |
17,128 |
-6,831 |
-28.5% |
A look at the last four decades indicates that we are in unchartered territory with regard to government employment. From 1980 to 2012, 9.6 percent of adults were employed by the public sector, with a slightly higher fraction (9.7 percent) employed by the government in the years 2001-2007.
The below chart reveals that once the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) began to phase down – and state and local governments struggled to balance their budgets – government employment dropped precipitously and now stands at 9.0 percent. As the graph illustrates, this is the lowest level of public-sector employment in over 30 years.
The Short-Run Consequences of Government Layoffs
In the short term, reducing government employment, particularly during recessions, adds workers directly to the unemployment rolls. In addition, fewer workers translates into fewer paychecks, which dampens consumption and further spreads through the economy, magnifying the effects of the recession.
To examine the direct consequences of lower government employment, consider the case in which employment had hewed to its historical level. Between 2001 and 2007, the average ratio of government employment to population was 9.7 percent. Had that share remained steady, government employment would have been more than 23.6 million in June 2012 as compared to its actual level of 21.9 million. That is, employment would be 1.7 million jobs higher today if the share had remained constant, and the unemployment rate would be 7.1 percent instead of the current rate of 8.2 percent (see graph below).
The Long-Run Impact of the Reduction in Public Employment
Of course, it is always critical for governments to assess whether taxpayers' money is being well-spent. It also goes without saying that many public sector employees provide health care, maintain state and local infrastructure, provide protective services, and help educate the next generation of workers.
One area where there is a sound body of literature to draw upon is the returns to education – specifically, the impact of class-size on student achievement and lifetime earnings. Drawing on this evidence, we quantify the impact of reductions in the number of public school teachers on our country's future.
In 2011 there were over 220,000 fewer teachers in America's classrooms than in 2009, a reduction accounting for nearly forty percent of the decrease in public-sector jobs during this period. This decline in the number of teachers increased the student-teacher ratio by 5.9 percent.
To determine the consequences of these reductions, we assumed that class-size increases were applied equally across all grades in K-12 schools. We then drew from recent research that links future earnings with class size to assess the wage impacts for today's children, when they become working-age adults.1 All of this is explained in more detail here, but the bottom line is that this research suggests that the Great Recession will live on for decades through the lower future wages for our children.
Of course, an important test for the efficiency of government spending is whether the benefits exceed the costs. The savings from these cuts, in terms of teacher salaries and benefits, are $11.8 billion per year nationwide. While a significant figure, it is substantially smaller than the estimated present value in foregone earnings of $49.3 billion dollars for the children, whose education is affected by larger class sizes. To put a fine point on these findings, this translates into a per-student, per-year loss of nearly $1,000 in future earnings. In summary, the foregone benefits are more than four times larger than the current budget savings!
The July Jobs Gap
As of July, our nation faces a "jobs gap" of 11.3 million jobs. The chart below shows how the jobs gap has evolved since the start of the Great Recession in December 2007, and how long it will take to close under different assumptions of job growth. The solid line shows the net number of jobs lost since the Great Recession began. The broken lines track how long it will take to close the jobs gap under alternative assumptions about the rate of job creation going forward.
If the economy adds about 208,000 jobs per month, which was the average monthly rate for the best year of job creation in the 2000s, then it will take until June 2020 – or eight years – to close the jobs gap. Given a more optimistic rate of 321,000 jobs per month, which was the average monthly rate of the best year of job creation in the 1990s, the economy will reach pre-recession employment levels by September 2016 – not for another four years.
The private sector continues to be an engine for growth as the United States recovers from the Great Recession. However, tight budgets force a number of difficult decisions on policymakers (especially state and local ones), who are forced to lay off workers in order to meet their bottom lines. The result is that public-sector employment has been in sharp decline. This has worsened the current economic situation and the nation's unemployment rate. These cuts – at least in the case of public school teachers – have also compromised our children's future in ways that fail the even the strictest cost-benefit test. As state and local governments continue to face challenging budgets, a real risk is that they will be forced to make decisions that are both penny and pound foolish.
[1] Chetty, Raj, John N. Friedman, Nathaniel Hilger, Emmanuel Saez, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, and Danny Yagan. 2011. "How Does Your Kindergarten Classroom Affect Your Earnings? Evidence from Project STAR." Quarterly Journal of Economics 126(4): 1593-1660.


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1) Start with a concept. Anything will do, it's not really going to matter. The standard form of "just like X except with Y" is perfectly fine.
2) Believe that it's a real game. It already exists, in a sense; games are mathematical objects, they have independent existence in the Platonic world of forms. Or something. Whatever it takes to convince you that it will work.
3) Start with the smallest thing that the player does regularly in the game. If they're mostly moving a character around, then that. The core interaction. Code it.
4) Spend lots of time on graphics, and on getting the feel of the controls right. These are really important for being able to trick yourself that this could plausibly be an Actual Game.
5) Play with it. Lots. Pretend the rest of the game is there. Yay, you made a game! (Now you just need to finish it.)
6) Drop your original concept. There's not enough time to implement it, and it's probably stupid anyway, what were you thinking? Just forget it. What you've done already can work without it.
7) Okay that's probably left some threads hanging: tie all of them together. You had this big idea but now that you don't have time for it there's a gap there, something else needs to fill its role. Just join everything up, it'll work out somehow. If there are two characters that aren't properly fleshed out - just make them the same person. If you've dropped your elaborate crafting system but the player still needs to acquire items somehow, and you've dropped your complex AI controller but you still need to introduce enemies somehow - just make the items be the enemies. Does that even make sense? It doesn't matter.
8) Keep playing the game. This is important, way more important than programming it. You need to get a feel for what it wants to be.
9) Realise it's not going to work, and throw it all away to start again. It's stupid, it's not interesting at all, and even at its newly reduced scope there's no way you're going to finish it, you were just deceiving yourself all along. You've probably still got time to make something really small... goto 1. (NOTE: skip this step in the event that your game is actually any good.)
10) Uh if you reached this then you have something interesting, keep working on it until it's done I guess? Don't worry too much about the deadline, it's better to make something good than force it into some arbitrary constraint. Neat.


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Holmes Family Says They Support Colorado Shooting Suspect [VIDEO]
The parents of James Holmes say they support him because "he's their son."
The family's lawyer spoke to clarify the statement made by Holmes' mother Arlene in which she replied, "You have the right person" when contacted by ABC News hours after the shooting inside a theater in Aurora, Colorado. TMZ reports she was referring to herself, not her son.
The Colorado movie theater shooting suspect made his first court appearance with reddish orange
Holmes was wide-eyed and unshaven as he sat staring down. He appeared Monday after being accused of the shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater that killed 12 people and injured 58 others.
FULL COVERAGE: Colorado Theater Shooting
At one point, he closed his eyes as the judge spoke. Prosecutors said later they didn't know if Holmes was on medication. Authorities have said he is being held in isolation at the jail.
Holmes didn't speak once during the hearing. His attorneys answered for him when the judge asked if he understood his rights. One woman's eyes welled up with tears during the hearing. Tim Teves, father of victim Alex Teves stared at Holmes the entire time.
Tim was born in Verona and grew up in Phoenix. He is being called a hero for taking a bullet for girlfriend Amanda when he jumped on top of her when the shooting started.
Authorities say the 24-year-old former graduate student is refusing to cooperate and it could take months to learn what prompted the horrific attack on moviegoers at a midnight screening of the latest Batman film.
Investigators say they found a Batman mask inside Holmes' booby-trapped apartment after the attack.
Holmes has been held in solitary confinement since Friday
Prosecutors say they may consider the death penalty but will make that decision after consulting with victim's families. He will be formally charged next Monday.
University of Colorado Denver officials talked about a graduate program the movie theater shooting suspect was in the process of withdrawing from but refused to answer questions about James Holmes.
At a news conference, they said Holmes received a stipend of $26,000 a year and his tuition was paid. But he began the process of dropping out of the program last month. The school has refused to say why.
One official says that to the best of their knowledge right now, they think they did everything they should have done.
Victims of theater shooting remembered
The community of Aurora, Colo., still reeling from Friday's movie theater, has sought comfort and solace at an evening vigil.
The service featured prayers led by clergy and hymns. The mayor of Aurora, Steve Hogan, declared that "while our hearts are broken, our community is not." The mayor said, "We will take this experience and use it to strengthen our commitment to each other."
The governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper, told the crowd, "We refuse to even allow our state, our communities to be defined by irrational, senseless violence." Hickenlooper drew a strong ovation when he made it a point of saying he would not refer to shooting suspect James Holmes by name, only as "Suspect A."
The governor read aloud the names of the 12 people who were killed in Friday's rampage. After each name, the audience chanted, "We will remember."
The service concluded with a rendition of "Amazing Grace."
Obama offers comfort after Colorado shooting
President Barack Obama says he told the families of the victims of Friday's movie theater massacre that
"all of America and much of the world is thinking about them."
Obama met with the family members Sunday at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, which treated 23 of the people injured in the mass shooting; 10 remain there, seven hurt critically. The massacre left 12 people dead, dozens injured and a nation in stunned sorrow.
He told reporters after the meeting that he came "not as president but as a father and a husband." He said "we can all understand what it would be to have someone taken from us in this fashion."
A half dozen Denver Broncos visited with survivors of the Colorado theater shooting on Sunday to try to lift their spirits.
The group visited with five patients at the Medical Center of Aurora and also met with the emergency room staff that provided the initial treatment Friday morning for many of the shooting victims of the massacre at a suburban Denver movie theater that left 12 dead, 58 injured and a nation in sorrow.
"What we were trying to do was go in there, show support and try to put a smile on these peoples' faces. But the thing is, they put a smile on our faces," linebacker Joe Mays said.
"They had such positive attitudes. They knew they were blessed to live and they knew they were going to have another chance to walk about with their families."
Mays was joined by linemen Ryan Clady, Chris Kuper and Ben Garland, receiver Eric Decker, tight end Jacob Tamme and former teammate Brian Dawkins, who retired earlier this year.
New Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning called several of the victims.
AP Source: Batman mask found at suspect apartment
A law enforcement official says investigators have found a Batman mask inside the apartment of a man suspected of opening fire at a midnight premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises."
The official spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.


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DNSBLOG(8) DNSBLOG(8)Powered by man-cgi (2024-03-20). Maintained for NetBSD by Kimmo Suominen. Based on man-cgi by Panagiotis Christias.
dnsblog - Postfix DNS white/blacklist logger
dnsblog [generic Postfix daemon options]
The dnsblog(8) server implements an ad-hoc DNS white/blacklist lookup service. This may eventually be replaced by an UDP client that is built directly into the postscreen(8) server.
With each connection, the dnsblog(8) server receives a DNS white/black- list domain name, an IP address, and an ID. If the IP address is listed under the DNS white/blacklist, the dnsblog(8) server logs the match and replies with the query arguments plus an address list with the resulting IP addresses, separated by whitespace, and the reply TTL. Otherwise it replies with the query arguments plus an empty address list and the reply TTL (-1 if unavailable). Finally, The dnsblog(8) server closes the connection.
Problems and transactions are logged to syslogd(8).
Changes to main.cf are picked up automatically, as dnsblog(8) processes run for only a limited amount of time. Use the command "postfix reload" to speed up a change. The text below provides only a parameter summary. See postconf(5) for more details including examples. config_directory (see 'postconf -d' output) The default location of the Postfix main.cf and master.cf con- figuration files. daemon_timeout (18000s) How much time a Postfix daemon process may take to handle a request before it is terminated by a built-in watchdog timer. postscreen_dnsbl_sites (empty) Optional list of DNS white/blacklist domains, filters and weight factors. ipc_timeout (3600s) The time limit for sending or receiving information over an internal communication channel. process_id (read-only) The process ID of a Postfix command or daemon process. process_name (read-only) The process name of a Postfix command or daemon process. queue_directory (see 'postconf -d' output) The location of the Postfix top-level queue directory. syslog_facility (mail) The syslog facility of Postfix logging. syslog_name (see 'postconf -d' output) The mail system name that is prepended to the process name in syslog records, so that "smtpd" becomes, for example, "post- fix/smtpd".
smtpd(8), Postfix SMTP server postconf(5), configuration parameters syslogd(5), system logging
The Secure Mailer license must be distributed with this software.
This service was introduced with Postfix version 2.8.
Wietse Venema IBM T.J. Watson Research P.O. Box 704 Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA Wietse Venema Google, Inc. 111 8th Avenue New York, NY 10011, USA DNSBLOG(8)


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An Ember in the Ashes - Paperback / softback Trade paperback (US) is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIESInstant New York Times bestsellerFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa TahirAmazon's Best Young Adult Book of 2015People's Choice Award winner - Favorite FantasyBustle's Best Young Adult Book of 2015 "This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human — and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear." — The Washington Post "An Ember in the Ashes could launch Sabaa Tahir into JK Rowling territory…It has the addictive quality of The Hunger Games combined with the fantasy of Harry Potter and the brutality of Game of Thrones."—Public Radio International "An Ember in the Ashes glows, burns, and smolders—as beautiful and radiant as it is searing."—Huffington Post "A worthy novel – and one as brave as its characters." —The New York Times Book Review Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They've seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.