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Contents of Webcomics Folder in Google Reader for Monday: 1 episode of Lewis Trondheim's Les Petits Riens, 1 episode of John Allison's Bad Machinery (Note to John if he's reading this: Do you realize the only place your name appears on your home page is in the copyright notice at the bottom?), Yeast Hoist #1 by Ron Regé Jr..
Les Petits Riens is French comic artist Trondheim's latest autobiographical comic (you may have seen some of his earlier ones serialized in Fantagraphic's "The Nimrod" or the Mome anthology). NBM has been translating and publishing the collections of these pages as the "Little Nothings" series (three to date). Trondheim's is not the confessional type of autobiography, he keeps a distance, but it is often very funny, most frequently at his own expense as he plays up his foibles and neuroses. The art is drawn with a simple line and a light watercolor that is at worst attractive and at its best really beautiful (many of the nature scenes, particularly an early sequence where he is on vacation on the island of Reunion). It's worth checking out the print collections if this sounds interesting to you, especially since the web version is in French and the archives slowly fade away as they age (an interesting way to handle a time limited archive). NBM's lettering is pretty stiff when you compare is to the originals, but the reproductions of the colors are nice.
Today's episode finds Trondheim unable to find page 11 of his current project, despite having finished up to page 21. He imagines the possible that he mailed it away recently with his tax papers, then considers a more absurd idea: that he never drew it at all. This page, like many of them, takes the form of a gag strip (note the "beat" panel second from last on the page), though with a page of space he tends to have more time to fill in the context for the joke.
Bad Machinery is probably already known by most webcomics readers, or at least it's predecessor Scary Go Round. About a year ago now, creator John Allison, switched the comics from the latter to the former, though I've never really seen them as all that different. The art style is the same, a number of the characters are the same or related (younger siblings) to previous characters. Perhaps the name change was more of psychological issue for Allison, the need to feel like he was making a new start, a rebirth, as I doubt it was a marketing ploy (Scary Go Round readership was already very high it seemed, and making changes (gasp) is probably more likely to scare away readers than keep them). Sometimes I think I keep reading Bad Machinery more from inertia than real interest, I think Allison's real skill lies in the way he deals with the characters and their interpersonal relations, but he tends to frame it in fantastical stories that often fall a little flat. The fantasy doesn't really get played for suspense, and he tends to drop the solutions to mysteries without a real build-up.
For instance today's strip, gives us the answer to: what are these strange animals that have been an ongoing mystery/concern for the cast of characters and where did they come from? But it doesn't feel particularly surprising or revelatory. Perhaps Allison is purposefully subverting the suspenseful elements, though I'm not sure to what end as he does tend to let them push out the other parts of the story (as has been the case for the past week or two.
What a coincidence after I started to blog about "web to print, print to web" that Ron Regé's Yeast Hoist #1 (from 1995) made an appearance on the What Things Do website yesterday. Here's a great example of minicomic that is probably pretty rare, finding a new home online. It's not the greatest read, but it has a certain historical/archival insterest. Regé continues to make Yeast Hoist issues, the latest #15 being a zine hung around the neck of an earthenware bottle of beer.
The What Things Do site has been posting a lot of formerly print comics onto the web by a host of great comic artists. Issues of Jordan Crane's Uptight, stories from John Porcellino's King-Cat, parts of Kevin Huizenga's Glenn Ganges, and much more. It's a site well worth following.


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Chrissy Teigen Reveals First Sonogram of Her Baby Boy
Chrissy Teigen gave her fans a first look at her unborn son over the weekend.
As a way of keeping her followers up to date on the progress of her pregnancy, the model and expectant mommy-of-two posted the first ultrasound image of her baby boy to Twitter on Saturday (March 3).
"Hello I'm a bebe boy kinda," Teigen tweeted humorously with a sonogram photo that almost makes out the face of her future progeny, who is expected to arrive in June.
Earlier this year, shortly after departing the 2018 Grammy Awards, the Lip Sync Battle co-host revealed she and her husband John Legend were welcoming a son in a surprise photo shared to Instagram, captioned, "mama and her baby boy."
The 32-year-old Cravings author and the "All of Me" singer, who wed in September 2013, already share another child together, a daughter named Luna Simone Stephens, born April 14, 2016.
Much like his future big sister, the couple's expected son was also conceived with the aid of in vitro fertilization, a decision Teigen has had to defend in the past. And while the journey to baby number two was, indeed, a worthwhile celebration, the Sports Illustrated star hasn't overlooked the bumps in the road leading up to the glorious moment.
In a personal essay she scribed for Glamour last March, the New York Times best-selling cookbook author detailed her personal struggles to conceive and the anxiety and postpartum depression she experienced after giving birth to Luna.
"I had everything I needed to be happy. And yet, for much of the last year, I felt unhappy. What basically everyone around me—but me—knew up until December was this: I have postpartum depression," Teigen wrote. "How can I feel this way when everything is so great? I've had a hard time coming to terms with that, and I hesitated to even talk about this, as everything becomes such a 'thing.'"
She added: "I'm speaking up now because I want people to know it can happen to anybody and I don't want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone. I also don't want to pretend like I know everything about postpartum depression, because it can be different for everybody. But one thing I do know is that—for me—just merely being open about it helps. This has become my open letter."

subset: commoncrawl


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Teen birth rates in the U.S., which have been declining for two decades, have reached a record low, with significant drops in almost every state.
The report, from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that teen birth rates fell at least 15% in all states with the exception of West Virginia and North Dakota during the years 2007 to 2011. Rates in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah fell by 30% or more.
The CDC based their findings on birth certificates collected during the study period. Overall, the rate of births to teen mothers dropped by 25% from 41.5 per 1,000 teens between the ages of 15 to 19 in 2007 to a record low of 31.1 births per 1,000 teens in 2011.
The greatest drops were recorded among Hispanic teens — 34% from 2007 to 2011. Teens from other groups saw steep declines too, with non-Hispanic black teenagers showing a at 24% decline in teen births and non-Hispanic white teenagers a 20% drop.
(MORE: Fighting Teen Pregnancy: Portrait of a Radical High School Program, 1971)
The report, compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, did not address the reasons behind the decline, but experts say it's a mix of greater access to birth control and better sex education.
"The short answer is that it is a combination of less sex and more contraception. Teenagers have a greater number of methods of contraceptives to choose from," says Bill Albert, the chief program officer of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "The menu of contraceptive methods has never been longer."
It's a validation for public health programs that have advocated safe sex messages and sex education in schools; critics of that strategy raised concerns that such efforts would only promote more sexual activity among adolescents and drive up teen pregnancy rates. Studies do show, however, that more contraceptive options work only if teens understand how to use them appropriately. So quality sex education may partly be responsible for driving down teen birth rates. "When we look at the menu of proven programs, programs that have been shown to actually move the needle, that number has grown over the last years, and to the credit of the federal government, they have invested in it," says Albert.
The HHS currently recommends 31 evidence-based programs and curricula that are proven to work to prevent teen pregnancy. To establish their effectiveness, the HHS reviewed more than 1,000 studies that analyzed outcomes such as preventing teen pregnancies or births, reducing sexually transmitted infections, or reducing rates of risky behaviors such as having unprotected sex and multiple sex partners.
Programs that focused on reducing not only risky sexual behaviors, but addressing other behaviors such as violence and substance abuse tended to be the most successful. Those that included parents and community interventions were also more effective. "We know from teens themselves that teenagers are much more likely to delay sex and much more likely to use contraception if they feel supported by their parents and have close relationships with their parents. When we ask teenagers directly: who influences your decisions about sex? Surprise. Year after year after year they say parents," says Albert. And even efforts to educate adolescents about healthy living behaviors that involved nutritional education and physical activity were useful in improving teens' overall awareness of their health and sexual health.
Some teen pregnancy prevention programs, like the Denver Health and Hospital Authority's Wyman's Teen Outreach Program (TOP), have embraced social media to promote their message. TOP supplements their nine-month youth development invention and community service program with text messages that corresponded to lessons taught that week in the program.
(MORE: Why New York's Latest Campaign To Lower Teen Pregnancy Could Backfire)
Other cultural trends may also be contributing to the trend. More people are getting married later and putting off starting a family, and it's possible that teens are mirroring what they see in their own families or their friends' families. The report also gathered data from the middle of the downturn in the U.S. economy, and recessions typically lead to some slow down in birth rates. "I do understand that most teens are not checking their 401Ks, but it is reasonable to say that teens are very keen at observing the world around them. I think that it can have a somewhat sobering effecting on teenagers," says Albert.
If that's the case, then another cultural phenomena — putting teenage mothers on reality TV shows like "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom" — may also be exerting it's own form of birth control. In a survey commissioned by the The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and Durham, N.C., research firm iRT separated 162 teens from Boys and Girls Clubs in North Carolina into a group that watched three episodes of "16 and Pregnant" and a group that did not. They also polled 1,008 teens about whether they watched the shows. Both of the teens from the viewing study and the polled teens reported that watching the show made pregnancy more real to them, and 82% of the teens who watched said the shows gave them a better understanding of the challenges of being pregnant and of parenting, and how to avoid it.
(MORE: 16 and Pregnant: Tuned-In Teens Are Turned Off by Teen Pregnancy)
Despite this gains in reducing teen pregnancy and birth rates, however, some argue that sex education still has a way to go in the U.S., and some methods have been criticized as ineffective, or counter-productive. For example, a recent New York City subway poster campaign that featured pictures of crying toddlers with the message, ""Honestly Mom…chances are he won't stay with you. What happens to me?" was ridiculed for shaming teens into acting responsibly, a tactic that hasn't always proven effective.
Not every public health campaign may hit home with teens, but at least the data suggest that most of them, and as well as the sex education programs that are becoming a part of school curricula, seem to having an impact.
For advice on how to talk to kids about making responsible choices about sex, see the CDC's recommendations here.


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Want to carry out an effective job search? Learn more about how to access the hidden labour market and how to strategize your marketing efforts. Organize and track job search activities; use the internet as a job search tool; and enhance your networking potential (This might be a workshop that you want to do first!)
Date(s) - 19/07/2022
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm


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JDM Subaru Impreza WRX STI OEM 02-05 Sedan Front Right Door
JDM Subaru Impreza WRX STI OEM 02-05 Sedan Front
Right Door
Please note: We...
JDM Subaru Impreza WRX STI OEM 02-05 Sedan Front
Right Door
Please note: We DO NOT warranty any wear and tear parts
Door does not include door panel or window switch
Pulled from a JAPANESE WRX STI version 7
Please be sure to do your research before purchasing and make sure this fits your vehicle!
Top Tier Japan LLC does not provide install instructions or fitment guides
*NOTE: Top Tier Japan DOES NOT PROVIDE INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS OR FITMENT GUIDES. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH PRIOR TO PURCHASE *
All of our motors are clean, complete and in 100% working order. We encourage you to compare our products, service and reputation against any competitors!
Local Pick Ups Welcomed! We even offer a discounted rate for pick ups. Please call 602-596-4747 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com for details
Top Tier Japan, will not accept returns or refund money for items that do not fit. Only in the case when Top Tier Japan is found to have mistakenly posted incorrect information about the JAPANESE Specifications will an exchange, return, or refund be considered. Make sure to read our WARRANTY page for additional details..
Top Tier Japan provides free ground shipping on all to the Lower 48 States. Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Maritimes and Alaska are NOT qualified for free shipping. Please phone or emails us for a quote. Free Shipping is offered only for Urban locations (Major Cities and locations only) Any Rural locations (Small towns and counties) will be extra or would require you to pick up at closest dock location. Shipping address can be either a business, residential, or pick up from the dock. If you are paying via Paypal we can only ship to your confirmed address (no exceptions) If you require a residential delivery service it is $80 additional


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Ghostist PC Game Download
Thank you for Downloading the Game...
We are generating your Download link...
Please wait 10 Seconds
NOTICE: We have already pre-installed the game for you. Hence, you need not install it again. In case you receive a missing dll error, ensure checking for a Redist or CommonRedist folder and install directx, vcredist, and other required tools available in the folder. These files are mandatory for the games to function aptly. For further information, check out the 'HOW TO RUN GAME!!.txt' file. Also, if you're having trouble saving the game, right-click the exe and pick "Run as administrator." Make sure that you turn off your antivirus software before extracting the game to avoid it from destroying the crack files. For further information, click here.
Do you have a concern about one of the games?
Our top recommendations for troubleshooting games that aren't running are as follows:
Ensure turning off your anti-virus and Windows Defender before downloading and extracting the.zip file. Why? Because the crack files are frequently recognized as a "false positive" and are sent to the vault. If you have previously downloaded a huge file-sized game and do not want to re-download it, go to your Windows Defender vault anti-virus and make restore the crack file from the vault. For safety, we strongly advise deactivating anti-virus software before downloading games.
Before you hold the gaming gear, make sure you have all of the necessary apps installed. How do you know what you're looking for? Look for a _CommonRedist or Redist folder and install all the necessary software, such as DirectX, vcredist, DotNet, and so on. After you've installed everything, 90% of missing dll issues will be resolved, and you'll be back into the game.
3. Run the game as an administrator at all times. This resolves the "Game not saving" issue. Right-click on the game and select "Run as administrator" for the same.
Notice: If you receive a hotlink protection error, it is because you clicked the uploadbeast link from somewhere other than Gaming Beasts. You must obtain the game from the official Gaming Beasts website. This problem will also occur if you copy and paste the download URL into a new window/tab. In addition, the Brave Browser is not supported and will result in a Hotlink Protection issue.
*JDownloder users:*
Because of the new hotlink protection, you'll see that Jdownloader is not able to obtain the link successfully. So, instead of pasting the "uploadbeast.com/" URL, copy the exact URL once the download begins. Here's an example- "download162.uploadbeast.com/.."
We recommend starting the download in a browser and then hitting Ctrl J on your keyboard. Then copy the download URL, which you can then paste into JDownloader or Free Download Manager.
1. What is gamingbeasts.com?
Gamingbeats.com is a website that allows you to get all the games you love on PC/Steam for free.
2. Is this website safe to download from?
Yes! Before they are released, all the files are thoroughly examined. There is no hidden malware, and each game comes pre-installed.
3. Why am I getting the hotlink protection error while trying to download a game?
The error might have come up because you clicked the uploadbeast link from a source other than Gaming Beasts. The game must be downloaded from the original Gaming Beasts website. Directly copying and pasting the download URL might also result in this issue. Please make sure that you are not also using the Brave browser. As Brave doesn't correctly manage referrer settings, uploadbeast has no idea where the users originated from.
4. What exactly does "pre-install" mean?
Make certain that you are not also using the Brave browser. Because Brave doesn't correctly manage referrer settings, UploadBeast has no idea where the users originated from.
5. When attempting to download a game, why am I getting a 403 forbidden error?
If you receive a 403 forbidden error, it signifies that you are attempting to download more than one game at the same time. Uploadbeast currently allows only one active download per IP address. Hence, you must cancel any other downloads and just download one game at a time.
6. Is Jdownloader not working? What should I do?
Because of the new hotlink protection, you may find that Jdownloader is not doing its job properly. Instead of pasting the "uploadbeast.com/" URL, copy the precise URL once the download begins. Here's an example for you- "download162.uploadbeast.com/.." We recommend starting the download in a browser and then hitting Ctrl J on your keyboard. You may then copy the direct download URL, which you can then paste into JDownloader or Free Download Manager.
7. Why is my download taking so long? The download is very slow.
If you are experiencing sluggish download speeds, we strongly advise you to use a download manager. We suggest you use Free Download Manager while downloading games. (You do not need to have your browser option enabled.) To use the manager, first, download the desired game on your browser as normal. Then, in Chrome/Firefox, press CTRL J to see your recently downloaded files. Copy the direct URL (the one that displays download122.uploadbeast.com...) from the active download, then click + on the manager, paste the link, and finally click OK. The manager should then start your download. Remember to cancel the browser download.
8. Why is my .zip file becoming corrupt after downloading?
Use only Google Chrome to download the game. Also, while downloading a game, do not halt and resume the download. You must allow the game to download completely without interrupting. If you pause and then continue the download, it will become corrupt.
9. Why did my anti-virus identify the game as a virus?
Many anti-virus systems identify game files as "viruses" because they contain cracked files that allow the game to operate. Many of these anti-virus businesses are paid to do this for you to buy the game instead. To avoid this, deactivate your anti-virus software and re-extract the.zip file. The game will then start. Every game on our website has been tested on our own computers. Hence, we can assure you that these files do not contain any viruses. Anything your A.V. says is a false positive.
10. Why am I facing errors when I try to run the game?
The errors are caused by missing applications 99% of the time. Check for a Redist or _CommonRedist folder, and then install any essential software in those folders: DirectX, vcredist, DotNet, and so forth. Another handy advice is to disable any anti-virus software as well as Windows Defender if the game does not launch. Normally, you don't need to do this, but some antivirus software programs identify the game files as a "crack" and delete them.
11. Why am I facing difficulties while saving the game?
If you're having trouble saving a game, right-click the exe and choose "Run as administrator." Your problem would be solved.
12. Why am I having issues while downloading the game?
We recommend downloading the games using the Google Chrome web browser (click here to download). It is the most download-optimized browser. The servers may be unavailable at times, so if it doesn't load, try again in a few hours. If you receive a 403 forbidden error, it signifies you are attempting to download more than one game at the same time. Uploadbeast currently permits just one active download per IP address. So stop all other downloads and just download one game at a time.
13. Where can I go to request any new games be added to this site?
Game requests can be made in our request section, which can be found here.
14. Your work is fantastic! Where can I make a donation?
You can support us on Patreon by clicking here. Even though we do not expect anything beyond your support, yet your little donations help up create a better experience for you on our website.


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Vatican City, Feb 18, 2014 / 00:13 am
During a recent interview, Archbishop Arthur Roche spoke on the significance of the Traditional Latin Mass, explaining that the Mass nourishes us, and that the special rite brings us together in a unique way.
"It's a common language, as it were, that brings us together, that holds us together," the archbishop noted during a Feb. 13 interview with CNA, adding that "the Latin Mass…is a beautiful expression of the worship of God."
Archbishop Arthur Roche is the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, and is helping to organize a special conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's apostolic constitution "Sacrosanctum Concilium."
"Sacrosanctum Concilium" is the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, which was promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1963 in order to foster a greater participation of lay people in the Mass by allowing them to hear the Gospel proclaimed in their own language. It also promoted a greater use of Gregorian chant.
During the conference, running from Feb. 18 – Feb. 20 and which has been organized by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, experts will discuss the impact the constitution has had in reforming the order of Mass and how Mass is said.
Archbishop Roche observed that the most important thing is to keep the Eucharist at the center, because "the Eucharist itself creates community because it is Christ who shares himself abundantly."
"The act of worship is something that we do together for God. It is not something that is simply expressive of ourselves" he emphasized, stating that "It is expressive of our love for God; our response to his greatness, to his goodness for us, to the wonderful mercy that he gives to us."
If we maintain this view, the archbishop noted, it creates community, "because first of all, we attend Mass because we are in need. We are there because we need to be fed."
Recalling how Jesus in the Gospel stated that "unless you eat of this bread, and drink of this blood, you shall not have life within you," Archbishop Roche reiterated that "we go to be fed," and "we go to become more like Christ, and that itself creates a wonderful communion."
Speaking of the Mass celebrated in Latin, the archbishop highlighted that it "will always be a part of the Roman rite" because it maintains "the language in which the Roman rite is written - whether it be the ordinary or indeed the extraordinary form."
"It is the way in which the Church expresses itself," he explained, observing how there has been an increase in use of Gregorian chant during Mass, "especially at international events."
Drawing attention to the special international reach of the city of Rome, Archbishop Roche went on to say that "people from throughout the world, from every continent and from the different hemispheres, come together to share Mass and are joined together in that common expression of the singing of the Latin part of the Mass."
Turning his attention to Pope Francis take on the rite, the archbishop explained that "the Pope hasn't expressed anything about the extraordinary form nor in fact about the ordinary form either."
However, he "is a very open man, as you know, and a very fair minded man," the archbishop noted, and is someone who "when he celebrates Mass, as is visibly seen, is taken up in what he is doing, is very attentive, and very recollected in the celebration of the Mass."
"And that's the important thing," Archbishop Roche stated, "it's the function of Peter to hold the Church in unity and he will be more aware of that than I am."
Participants of the conference will have the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis on Wed. Feb. 19 during his weekly General Audience.
Estefania Augirre contributed to this piece.


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We recently traveled to Maine to attend an all day auction featuring the entire collection of the Webb Museum of Vintage Fashion in Island Falls, Maine. Frances Stratton, the owner and curator of the museum was a vintage clothing collector for 45 years and filled her 14 room home with displays of vintage fashion. She recently passed, and the entire collection was auctioned off to support several Maine charities. 800 lots of clothing and accessories were auctioned off in a day long affair. We were lucky enough to bring home a huge assortment of garments including some of the finest hats we've found in quite a while.
Many of the hats were tagged "Maybelle Farrell Collection" and were donated by her son Bill. I've seen women express their sense of style through jewelry, color, and specific key wardrobe items. Maybelle expressed hers through her extraordinary hats.
I love hats, and some of Maybelle's will stay in my closet. The rest will be offered for sale in our store at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion . We've got enough hats to last for months, so check back often!


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Over the years, experience has taught us one thing time and time again: when something sounds too good to be true, chances are good that it won't deliver as promised.
That's why we're somewhat skeptical about a new tire-coating process, described in The Detroit News, that promises to prevent flat tires (from small punctures, anyway), boost fuel economy by up to 10-percent, make tires last up to 25-percent longer and significantly reduce tire noise.
Called "Rhinotire," the process involves coating the inside of a tire with a unique polymer, developed by engineers in Hungary looking for a permanent fix for flat tires. It took a decade of research before the proper formulation was found, and tests soon showed that the product yielded additional benefits.
Sealing the inside of the tire, for example, can help to reduce pressure loss and maintain (if not boost) fuel economy. Rhinotire's American distributor, Kevin Fields, claims the product will also keep the tire tread cooler (an important consideration for running at high speed) and reduce both noise and vibration.
The process involves coating the inside of each tire with the polymer at Rhinotire USA's New Jersey facility. Application costs between $75 and $100 per tire, and Fields claims that the Rhinotire polymer adds "only" about a pound of weight to each tire. That's no big deal for commercial trucks, but it certainly won't make sports cars handle any better.
If all goes as planned, we won't have the opportunity to be skeptical for long. Fields states that a "major international tire maker" will soon begin using the Rhinotire polymer in the manufacturing of tires, meaning that the technology has been shown to produce documented results.
We won't be sending our tires off for coating just yet (since we have a hard tire believing that an additional pound of unsprung weight in each corner is a good thing), but we'll certainly keep an open mind when a brand we trust brings such a tire to market.
Image credit: flickr user Tiger Girl


text: Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China prevailed over Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy by 1.02 points to capture the Pairs Short Program at the 2011 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The new Russian couple Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov finished third in what was a high-level competition. While the Chinese couple stood out because of their elegance, the Germans were very lively and the Russians powerful.


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Photo: Video - Why Travel With CIE Tours?
CIE Tours has been the premier tour operator for Ireland and Britain vacations, earning a reputation for excellence rooted in its signature Irish hospitality since 1932. Expertly crafted vacations to Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales plus Iceland and Italy suit every travel style and taste - from the camaraderie of coach tours and custom group travel to a variety of independent adventures, small group tours and personalized private driver experiences. Having served over three million travellers, CIE Tours has the knowledge and experience to take care of every detail, so travellers can focus on enjoying every moment of their experience. CIE Tours makes it easy for guests to immerse themselves in a new destination with exclusive access, authentic experiences, and in-depth knowledge. The genuine warmth and expertise of its guides and hosts shines through, with guest satisfaction ratings of 95%.
As the largest North American tour operator sending visitors to Ireland and Scotland, CIE Tours has taken more than three million travelers on the vacation of their dreams. While their own journey over nine decades in business has taken them through numerous historic moments, their experience has proven that while travel might look a bit different for a while, the famously warm welcome of CIE Tours and Ireland itself will always be there to greet you.
For ultimate flexibility, purchase their enhanced travel protection plan that allows you to cancel your travel plans for any reason, up until 24 hours before you leave.
CIE Tours has instituted comprehensive health and safety standards, working closely with local partners to ensure appropriate sanitizing, health protocols and physical distancing all while maintaining their famous CIE Tours hospitality. Many of their partner relationships go back decades, and they only work with service providers that will consistently deliver upon their high standards.
Photo: Spectacular views at the Cliffs of Moher along the Atlantic Coast in Ireland.
CIE Tours includes a variety of attractions on every tour for an interesting travel experience. Check each tour itinerary to see exactly which places are featured. Admission costs are included in the tour price so that you don't waste time paying as you enter each attraction. Our decades old-relationships and deep roots Ireland enable us to give our guests access to exclusive venues and experiences no other tour operator can offer.
As the lowest airfares are non-refundable, we guarantee most of our land tour departures – see our website, where they are updated daily. We guarantee land tour costs will not increase, once you have paid your tour deposit, to protect you against international currency fluctuations. When you have paid for your airfare in full, there will be no change in the cost of the ticket.
When we book your flights together with a coach tour, we include complimentary group transfers on the starting and ending date of tours at times specified on each itinerary – a $30 per person fee applies to land only bookings.
We offer the option to purchase a travel protection plan that can provide you with peace of mind. Change or cancel your travel plans for any reason, up to 24 hours before you leave. Once on the road, you'll have comprehensive coverage for your travel investment, for your belongings and most importantly, for you in case of any unexpected occurrences.
CIE Tours will supply coach tour clients with airline e-tickets, tour vouchers, ticket wallets, destination information, rain poncho, carry-on backpack, VAT tax card, luggage tags and a strap. Self-drive clients receive accommodation vouchers and listings, ticket wallets, luggage tags and a strap. Use the tags and strap on your baggage for easy identification throughout your vacation. All you need to supply is a valid passport and, if driving, a current driver's license.
Most of the hotels we use offer wonderful leisure facilities and spas. When you travel on a coach tour, you will have some free time most days and may like to enjoy some relaxation and spa serenity! So be sure to pack a swimsuit and workout clothes.
Photo: Historic castle on the banks of a body of water
People who choose to travel in Ireland and Britain usually have an interest in the long history of the region and, as you tour around, you will visit a lot of ancient cities, churches and castles. All of our tour directors are well trained in the background information of the places and incorporate this history into their narratives in a manner that is fun and easy to digest. Similarly they are able to give you facts on the geography of the regions you travel through, giving you an insight into climate, farming, weather and other topics.
Some people think that on a coach tour, all you do is sit on the coach all day. Not true with CIE Tours! We have created balanced and varied days of sightseeing with plenty of stops for taking photos, shopping, lunch, snacks and bathrooms. You never travel for longer than two hours without getting off the coach.
Photo: Couple enjoying the view of Kylemore Abbey while travelling with CIE Tours
CIE Tours monitors all aspects of their travel programs carefully by choosing local tour directors and training them in every detail; by inspecting all hotels and attractions; and by listening to their clients. At the end of every coach tour, they distribute a questionnaire so that travellers can evaluate their own experiences and give feedback. All completed questionnaires are fed in to a computer program that provides CIE TOURS with percentages on every facet of the tour. Their Quality Control Department follows these ratings and comments very carefully and, if not up to standards, the hotel, restaurant or visit is advised that it needs to improve if it wishes to continue to feature in the portfolio of tours offered by CIE TOURS.


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BERLIN- Wednesday's highly anticipated match-up between
old neighborhood rivals Stephen Decatur had a little bit of everything
including rumbling thunder, a 30-minute lightning delay, great shots, big hits
and lots of penalties, but in the end, the Mallards edged the Seahawks, 8-7, in
front of a big bi-partisan crowd at Decatur.
Fans from both area schools filled the stands on either
side of the field as the two teams prepared for the annual dust-up between the
neighborhood rivals with nothing more at stake than bragging rights in the
community for another year. The game ended up being everything as advertised as
both teams exchanged blows in the heavyweight fight before the Mallards emerged
Decatur got out to a quick early lead on a pair of early
goals by Bruce Howe and a third by Nick Hogan. Worcester's Dan Bunting got the
Mallards on the board and the first quarter ended with the Seahawks leading
Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score in a very
physical, penalty filled second quarter, but steady goalkeeping and stingy
defense on both ends of the field kept the score at 3-1 as the clock ticked
down. Meanwhile, the dark skies out to the west crept closer and closer to
Seahawk Stadium and the rumbles of thunder grew louder with each passing
Worcester ended the scoring drought with 4:24 remaining in
the second quarter when Max DiFillipo hit Alex Fisher on the crease and Fisher
finished the play to cut the Decatur lead to 3-2. Then, with 2:40 remaining in
the first half, Worcester's Travis Gregory fired a hard bounce shot from the
perimeter that nestled under the crossbar and the game was tied at 3-3.
About 30 seconds later, Decatur's Logan West provided the
answer with his first goal of the game at the 2:04 mark in the first half and
the Seahawks took a 4-3 lead into half-time. At the start of the third quarter,
Worcester methodically worked the ball around the perimeter of the Seahawk
defense before Gregory found a seam and fired a shot to tie the game at 4-4
with 7:48 in the period. With 6:27 left in the third quarter and the game tied
at 4-4, the referees spotted a lightning flash in the distance and suspended
play for 30 minutes.
Both teams retreated to the locker rooms and the big
bi-partisan crowd cleared the stands for shelter, but hardly anybody was going
home early. When play resumed after the interruption, Gregory hit Will Regan
with a perfect feed on the crease and Regan converted the shot to stake
Worcester to a 5-4 lead.
Worcester scored again at the 1:52 mark in the third
quarter when Christian Payne found Brian Carey on the crease and Carey scored
on a perfect quick-stick to extend the lead to 6-4, but the game was far from
over. On an unsettled situation in front of the Worcester goal, a Decatur
middie scooped up the loose ball and flipped to McGarry who fired a jump shot
passed Mallard keeper Christian Coates to pull to 6-5 with 56 seconds left in
the third.
Worcester's Hank Fisher then scored on a crank shot from
the perimeter with nine seconds left in the third to push the lead back to two
goals at 7-5 with a whole quarter to go. Decatur's West wasted no time getting
the Seahawks right back in the game when he took the ball coast to coast and
converted the hard shot to cut the lead to 7-6 with 10:41 to play in the game.
After Coates made a big save to kill a Seahawk extra-man
situation, Decatur defender Drew Murray intercepted the clear and hit McGarry
streaking to the goal and McGarry converted the fast break to pull even at 7-7
with 6:59 remaining. With the score tied and the tension building, Gregory made
another big play to put the Mallards back in front.
After Decatur was flagged for a penalty, the Mallards
worked the ball around the Seahawk cage in the continuation before play was
stopped when Gregory found a gap on the right side and fired the shot to put Worcester
up 8-7 with 4:34 remaining but there was still plenty of time left for Decatur.
A Worcester penalty with 2:39 left gave Decatur a one
minute extra-man situation, but the Mallards were able to kill the penalty
after several close calls. Worcester passed the ball around its offensive end
to kill the clock, but a huge hit jarred the ball loose and Decatur had one
last chance. The length-of-the-field clear landed harmlessly in the Mallard end
and the game ended with an 8-7 Worcester win.
The Mallards bench rushed the field and congratulated
their teammates on the field, while the sullen Seahawks appeared dejected and
quietly walked off, but there were no losers in the game. It was well played
from start to finish and illustrated just how far high school lacrosse in
Worcester County and across the Eastern Shore has come.


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Red Paint Not Blood: Photographer nabbed shooting fake images of 'Aleppo suffering' in Egypt
By RT
It was destined to be an iconic image: a small girl holding a teddy bear in a white dress marked by blood splotches with the ruins of Aleppo behind her. But according to Egyptian authorities, it was also a set-up, shot hundreds of miles away in a different country.
Egypt's Interior Ministry has revealed on its Facebook page that it arrested a group of five people caught in the act of producing images purportedly depicting scenes of suffering in Aleppo that they had planned to pass off as real pictures from Syria.
The ministry said that the residents of Port Said, a city on the Suez Canal, were caught in the middle of their shoot as the 12-year-old star, Ragd, was posing for 21-year-old Mustafa, who told the authorities that he "normally photographed weddings and ceremonies, but had an idea for something else."
"In a conversation with them, the suspects revealed that they had shot a series of scenes to be spread on social media, as actual pictures from Aleppo," said the ministry, which posted a video of the arrest, and interviews with the suspects online.
The stand-in for Aleppo was "the ruins of a house that had been slated for demolition by the authorities some time earlier." The blood was obtained from a "tin of red paint" that was liberally smeared on the girl, her fake bandages, and her stuffed animal.
The girl herself was known to the photographer beforehand, and came to the session with her mother, the photographer, and three other local men.
Mustafa is being detained in jail for an initial four days, while the others have been set free, and Ragd has been returned to her guardian.
While it is unknown whether Mustafa's staged photo would have gained social media traction, vivid photographs – some of them fake – have been powerful tools in shaping public opinion since Aleppo was re-captured by Syrian government forces earlier this month.
The "girl running to survive " and the original screenshot from a music video
"الطفلة الحلبية تفر " والصوره الأصل من فيديو موسيقي #Aleppo
The most notorious hoax picture, which has been shared thousands of times on Twitter and Facebook, features a girl running through a debris-filled street. The caption reads "Girl running to survive, all her family have been killed. It's not in Hollywood. This real in Syria." In fact, the image was cut from a 2014 Lebanese pop video.
Another video, called "Executions have begun in the middle of the street in Aleppo," which has also been widely shared, depicts supposed government forces allegedly taking out retribution on civilians. In reality, the video dates back from 2012, and contains unverified images.


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ELEANORA E. TATE is a children's book author who has won numerous awards, including a CBC/NCSS Notable Childrení s Trade Book in the field of social studies for Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! and a Parent's Choice Gold Seal Award for The Secret of Gumbo Grove.
Eleanora is retired from Hamline's faculty.


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Here's the Solution to Your Biggest Challenge
Recently my soon-to-be-10 year old son was doing his weekly job of vacuuming the family room floor when he proclaimed with frustration, "This is going to take forever!"
I noticed he was using our little stick vacuum, so I responded, "I think if you were to use the big vacuum you could finish faster."
He replied, "I know."
And continued to use the stick vacuum.
"I know" seems to be one of my kids' favorite phrases, so I've developed a favorite response of my own:
If you know⦠then do.
Leadership guru John Maxwell wrote:
The greatest gap is the gap between knowing and doing.
I think he's right.
We find ourselves in a lot of difficult situations in life. Most of the time we know what we need to do.
What do you know you need to do?


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Who Should Be David Letterman's Successor? [POLL]
Late Show host David Letterman announced last night on his show that he would be retiring sometime in 2015 and then joked that he and Paul Schaffer could then go and get married! Late night television will not be the same without David Letterman. His famous Top 10 Lists, Stupid Human Tricks and Pet Tricks segments will come to an end along with all the other great funny stuff that he's become famous for.
After shocking the entertainment industry with this news yesterday, the big question is "Who should replace David Letterman on the Late Show?" This will be a big question that CBS execs will have to figure out in the coming months. The New York Post's Page Six has already come up with a list of candidates that could step in after Letterman leaves and that list includes Craig Ferguson, Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jerry Seinfeld and more.


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The majority of Americans are stressed, sleep-deprived and overweight and suffer from largely preventable lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. Being overweight or obese contributes to the 50% of adults who suffer high blood pressure, 10% with diabetes and additional 35% with pre-diabetes. And the costs are unaffordable and growing. About 90% of the nearly $4 trillion Americans spend annually for health care in the U.S. is for chronic diseases and mental health conditions. But there are new lifestyle "medicines" that are free that doctors could be prescribing for all their patients.
Lifestyle medicine is the clinical application of healthy behaviors to prevent, treat and reverse disease. More than ever, research underscores that the "pills" today's physician should be prescribing for patients are the six domains of lifestyle medicine: whole food plant-based eating, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, addiction reduction or elimination, and positive psychology and social connection.
We are a primary care preventive medicine physician and a computational immunologist, both committed to applying state-of-the-art research to inform the clinical practice of lifestyle medicine. Our findings and recommendations were just published. We highlight the key take-home points for each of the areas below.
Whole-food, plant-based eating
Diets high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and lower in animal products and highly processed foods have been associated with prevention of many diseases. These diets have also improved health and even reversed common cardiovascular, metabolic, brain, hormonal, kidney and autoimmune diseases as well as 35% of all cancers.
We believe that future research should include larger trials or new research methods with emphasis on quality of diet. This would include more data on the micronutrient composition and protein sources of plant versus animal-based foods – not just proportion of fat, carbohydrates and protein. Such trials should include children, as many adult disorders are seeded as early as infancy or in utero.
Regular physical activity
For decades, surgeon generals' guidelines have emphasized that daily moderate-to-vigorous aerobic physical activity has both immediate and long-term health benefits. For example, why we age and the rate at which we age – chronological age versus biological age – is determined by multiple molecular processes that are directly influenced by physical activity. And now scientists are gaining a better understanding of the cellular and molecular changes that exercise induces to reduce disease risk.
Research priorities for scientists and physicians include obtaining a deeper understanding of the type, intensity and frequency of activity, and better insights into the molecular and cellular alterations that occur with exercise.
Restorative sleep
Sleep helps the cells, organs and entire body to function better. Regular uninterrupted sleep of seven hours per night for adults, eight to 10 hours for teenagers and 10 or more for children is necessary for good health.
Though understudied, there is evidence that high-quality sleep can reduce inflammation, immune dysfunction, oxidative stress, and epigenetic modification of DNA, all of which are associated with or cause chronic disease.
Therefore, research into the biological mechanisms that underlie the restorative properties of sleep could lead to environmental or population-based and policy approaches to better align our natural sleep patterns with the demands of daily life.
Stress management
Though some stress is beneficial, prolonged or extreme stress can overwhelm the brain and body. Chronic stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel disease, obesity, depression, asthma, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders and obesity.
One of the most powerful mechanisms to reduce stress and enhance resilience is by eliciting a relaxation response using mind-body therapies and cognitive behavioral therapy.
More research is need to gain a better understanding of how these therapies work.
Addiction reduction and elimination
Many social, economic and environmental factors have fueled the national rise in substance abuse generally and, most tragically, the opioid epidemic.
Physicians and researchers are beginning to understand the underlying physiology and psychology of addiction.
Yet the continued stigma and disjointed or absent access to services remains a challenge. Clinicians and scientists need to explore how to predict who is more vulnerable to addiction and find ways of preventing it. Treatment that incorporates integrated care focused on all the patient's needs should be prioritized.
Positive psychology and social connection
Maintaining a positive mindset through the practice of gratitude and forgiveness has a significant impact on psychological and subjective well-being, which are, in turn, associated with physical health benefits.
Social connectivity, namely the quantity and quality of our relationships, has perhaps the most powerful health benefits.
Conversely, social isolation – such as living alone, having a small social network, participating in few social activities, and feeling lonely – is associated with greater mortality, increased morbidity, lower immune system function, depression and cognitive decline.
Further study is needed to uncover how an individual's biology and chemistry change for the better through more social interactions.
Inflammation's role in lifestyle-related diseases
Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors produce a vicious cycle of inflammation. While inflammation is a healthy, natural way the body fights infections, injury, and stress, too much inflammation actually promotes or exacerbates the diseases described above.
The inflammatory response is complex. We have been using machine learning and computer modeling to understand, predict, treat and reprogram inflammation – to retain the healing elements while minimizing the detrimental more chronic ones. Scientists are unraveling new mechanisms that explain how chronic stress can turn genes on and off.
Overcoming challenges and barriers
We and others who study lifestyle medicine are now discussing how we can leverage all of these approaches to improve clinical studies on the impacts of lifestyle interventions.
At the same time we and our colleagues realize that there are environmental challenges and barriers that prevent many people from embracing these lifestyle fixes.
There are food deserts where healthier foods are not available or affordable. Unsafe neighborhoods, harmful chemicals and substances create constant stress. Poor education, poverty, cultural beliefs and racial and ethnic disparities and discrimination must be addressed for all people and patients to appreciate and embrace the six "pills."
The application of lifestyle medicines is particularly important now because unhealthy lifestyles have caused a pandemic of preventable chronic diseases that is now exacerbating the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately afflicts those with these conditions.
Ask your doctor to "prescribe" these six "pills" for a longer and better life. After all, they're free, work better than or as well as medications and have no side effects!
Via: https://theconversation.com/


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Hey, if they keep winning, I'll keep writing. Does that make me a fair-weather fan?
- You all realize that if the Royals had not blown a 4-0 lead on the Giants last Friday, they'd currently be riding their longest winning streak (11) since 1994?
As it is, 10 of 11 ain't bad. I almost prefer it this way – an 11-game winning streak might focus attention on the fact that the Royals aren't a laughingstock anymore. I prefer sneaking up on people. Or in the case of the Indians, sneaking past them.
A few weeks ago I wrote that you're never as bad as you look when you're losing, and you're never as good as you look when you're winning. We need to remember that adage now that we're on the other side. At one point in tonight's broadcast, Denny Matthews said, "the baseball gods have really been smiling on the Royals the last few weeks." That's probably the first time you could make that statement about the Royals since 2003, but it bears repeating: for as good as the Royals have been playing, they've gotten some breaks as well. The biggest, of course, being that they've been playing Quintuple-A (not quite Quadruple-A, not quite major league) teams for the past two weeks.
- You know things are going well when Ross Gload is keying the offense. He went 2-for-4 on Sunday, including a pivotal single in the five-run sixth; he walked and hit his first homer of the season on Monday; a pair of singles on Tuesday, both of which keyed rallies; and he went 3-for-3 tonight, scoring the team's first run after a double and then driving in the last two runs with another double.
Since June 14th, when this streak began, Gload is 14-for-42 (.333) with three doubles and a homer. He was hitting .239/.277/.276 prior to then. Mike Aviles became the starting shortstop on June 6th, and since the 14th he's 16-for-44 (.364) with six doubles and two homers. It would be an overstatement to claim that the only reason that the Royals are playing so much better than before is because they are getting some semblance of production from shortstop and first base. It would be an overstatement, but not by much. The Royals spent almost two months trying to compete with a seven-man lineup. If anything Gload's hot streak only serves to remind us what a difference it makes to have a first baseman who can, you know, hit. If only we had one of those somewhere…
- Counting the brief and ineffective cameos that Callaspo and German have made at the position, Royals shortstops other than Aviles have hit .153 (32-for-209) this season, with six extra-base hits. You want to know how bad that is?
Royals SS: 209 AB, 32 H, 4 D, 2 T, 0 HR, 10 BB, 10 RBI, .153/.191/.191
Cardinals P: 161 AB, 30 H, 6 D, 0 T, 2 HR, 10 BB, 21 RBI, .186/.233/.261
The Royals' numbers above don't count
So there you have it: the difference between the Royals of June and the Royals of April and May is Michael Anthony Aviles. Long may he reign.
- Coming into the season, Luke Hochevar projected to be a league-average starter, and that's exactly what he's been: in 13 starts, he's 5-5 with a 4.60 ERA, which is as average as they come. But league-average pitchers come in all shapes and sizes, and the particular shape of Hochevar's performance has surprised me. Specifically, I had no idea back in April that he was such a groundball pitcher. The talk about Hochevar was that he had four pitches that graded out at average or better, not that he had an outstanding sinker. Today, we know better.
Tonight was a virtuoso performance, one unseen in these parts in a long, long time. Hochevar struck out just 3 of 31 batters he faced, but he was nonetheless brilliant. He got 17 groundball outs, against just three flyball outs. He got two key double plays. Groundballs are less likely to go foul than flyballs, which is why groundball pitchers tend to be more efficient with their pitches – and Hochevar threw just 95 pitches in eight innings. Only once in the last five seasons had a Royal thrown 8+ innings with 95 pitches or less. (You won't guess right in a million years – Jorge de la Rosa, last April, threw 94 pitches in eight innings.)
Counting tonight's performance, Hochevar has allowed 140 groundballs and just 71 flyballs this season, a ratio of 1.97 which would rank him 11th among major league starters (min: 60 IP) this season. The three guys directly above him on the list are Greg Maddux, Chien-Ming Wang, and his opposing starter tonight, Aaron Cook. That's excellent company for a starter to be in, particular a starter who doesn't have a huge strikeout rate. We've come to grips with the fact that Hochevar won't be an ace befitting his draft status, but he seems to be on the career track of a guy like Cook or Derek Lowe, a guy who can give you 200 innings a season and keep his ERA a little below league average. There are a lot of #1 overall picks who would have loved to have a career like that.
- The similarities between Greinke and Schilling continue to amaze me. I've previously documented the pair's stinginess when it comes to the unearned run. On Tuesday night Greinke struck out 10 and walked none, but somehow still managed to surrender 9 hits in 6 innings – that's the sort of start Schilling is famous for. (Although Zack will be hard-pressed to match this start.)
Greinke is the exact opposite of Hochevar - he gets lots of strikeouts and lots of flyballs, and you pretty much have to beat him with the home run, which makes him a perfect fit for Kauffman Stadium. I'm not sure I'd agree with the sentiment that "If you asked me which pitcher will be the most successful over the next seven years I would take Zach [sic] Greinke." But between now and the end of the season, the single most important step Dayton Moore can take in securing the future of the franchise is to get The Baseball Jonah signed to a long-term deal.
- Last Thursday I was watching the afternoon game from work through my MLB.com connection, which is high-quality for streaming video but still a little choppy. The Royals were nursing a one-run lead in the top of the ninth when Teahen batted with a man aboard. As the 1-0 pitch reached the plate the feed flickered for just a millisecond, enough that I could not see the impact of bat on ball. But in the fraction of a second before the cameras showed the trajectory of the ball, my synapses flashed, "that's a home-run swing." And that impression means more to me going forward than the fact that the ball cleared the right-field fence.
Teahen's plate approach has been discussed and dissected by far greater writers than myself, including both Posnanski and Michael Lewis, to the point where even soccer fans in
The simple fact is that Teahen has been an above-average hitter exactly one time in his career – the one time (2006) when he hit for power. A corner outfielder who doesn't hit for power has to hit .310-.320 consistently to have much value, and that high a batting average requires either blazing speed or an excellent contact rate. Teahen is fast but not that fast, and he's averaged 133 Ks per 162 games in his career. He's a .270 hitter, and that's not going to change.
What can change is his power, but he's not going to hit for power until he starts pulling the ball in the air (Monday's impressive opposite-field homer notwithstanding.) Teahen has the talent, and he has the track record, even if it was just a three-month span two seasons ago. Last Thursday, he showed the kind of swing that we need to see a lot more of. He's hit five homers this month, and if his power barrage continues, I may withdraw my standing request that hitting coach Mike Barnett be dismissed.
- For the record: I think the acquisition of Robinson Tejeda is intriguing. Tejeda has a 5.01 career ERA in over 260 innings, but he's just 26 and has a power arm. But what really gives me reason for optimism is that he's never really been tried as a reliever, either at the major or minor league level. In ten pro seasons he has made just 35 relief appearances. All pitchers have a tendency to pitch better in relief, and as I mentioned a while back when talking about Soria, the pitchers who tend to show the most improvement are Three True Outcome pitchers, i.e. guys who get lots of strikeouts, lots of walks, and lots of homers. That's pretty much Tejeda in a nutshell. Let's see what Bob McClure can do with him; "better than Yabuta" would be a nice, and easily reachable, first step.


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Say No! to a Constitutional Convention
With all the things that are going on politically, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with the latest goings on in that arena. We have all heard voices in the not to distance past, talking about the need for a Constitutional Convention to right the wrongs of our current government. Pick an issue, and there are many, there are far too many people who seem to think that a CC is the way to "fix things." And now I am seeing articles/stories to that effect on my news feed. Apparently the desire is again being expressed to convene a CC, so we can fix our country.
Folks, this is not 1787 and that group of clowns, misfits, ne'er do wells, and outright idiots in Washington, D.C. is not your Founding Father's Congress. The same can be said for far too many state houses as well. Do you really want to allow a CC to be convened and then wait to see what comes out of that? Seriously? I don't know about you, but the mere thought scares the hell out of me.
The fact is that there is nothing at all wrong with our "form" of government. There is, however, a great deal wrong with the people who occupy the seats of that government and ultimately, you're not going to like me for this, but ultimately the fault/responsibility lies with each and every one who continues to vote for incumbents who have proven themselves to be enemies of the Constitution and the Republic. Oh it's one thing to vote for an unknown quantity and then find out you were duped, but to see the actions of your current representative over several terms, to look at the record and compare it to the rhetoric, to see the lies and the damage done, and yet continue to vote for "your guy," while admonishing the rest of us to "vote the bums out," is the height of selfishness and stupidity.
You want to fix things? You want to return to a constitutional government in a free Republic? THEN STOP VOTING FOR THE LETTER NEXT TO THE NAME, STOP VOTING FOR WHOMEVER YOUR "PARTY" OR THE MSM TELLS YOU TO VOTE FOR. Educate yourself and vote for the person who most closely represents your values and stop rewarding bad behavior with your continued support. Your representative is not going to change his ways because you write him a nastygram and threaten to take away your vote, only to vote for him yet again in the next election. He knows this and so he will tell you what you want to hear. Like the husband who beats his wife, he will promise to be better and never do it again, and then, after he gets your vote again, go right back to slapping you around.
Wake up, people! Stop trying to lay the blame at everyone's feet but your own. You can fix this. You can fix it in the next election cycle. All you have to do is stop giving your vote to scofflaws who lie to you at every opportunity, knowing that you will vote for them again. And for the love of all that is good and decent, stop demanding a Constitutional Convention! That will only allow them to screw things up even more by codifying it into law.


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The work was planned to be carried out in two stages. Both first and second phase houses (210 apartments and 21 commercial premises) are of class A energy efficiency.
All apartments at Raitininkų Sodas will have spacious balconies with panoramic city views or view of Gediminas Castle. YIT Lietuva invested about 34.6 million euros in a modern apartment complex and 17.2 million euros for the development of commercial premises.
This project stands out by its size - Peikko supplied great amount of PSB® reinforcement systems and the largest amount of EBEA® Balcony Connectors not only in Lithuania, but also in Northern and Central Europe.


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Motherloders, it's a Happy New Yeah Yeah Yeah,
2001 Kubrickian greetings this January 1st. Maybe the no-strings simplicity of this New Year will serve as a reminder of just how huge last New Year's Eve was. No chance of computer meltdown this time, though my Crocodile Dundee underbelly was still a bit frit of an accidental showdown if you want the real Luddite lowdown. With Shitehouse in the White House and no deal on global warming forthcoming, Britain's floodplains are gonna continue to take a right hammering. And the savagery of last night's New Year's Eve wind across the Marlborough Downs made it seem as though Odin himself was at the door.
But what a winter festival it's been. Two Jewish friends from New York got me in an early Chanukah mood so my menorah has been primed and well-to-the-fore. Since the end of the tour, I must've eaten over 450 mince pies and X-Massive amounts of figgy pudding. Now, I'm sitting at my pewter listening to Granicus drop their load on America and wondering why such a proto-Physical Graffiti sound wasn't the biggest thing ever. Fools who overrated Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle" should've creamed their undies for "Welcome to America", whilst the 11-minute "Prayer" is the wailing-est, lost-est howl at the moon to occupy any end-of-side-one since "Stairway…"
These past weeks have been spent scrambling my brain with all manner of monolithic dreck, from the turgid genius of Randy Holden's Population 2 to Die Krupps' Stahlwerksynfonie, via Sabbath's Sabotage and Alex Harvey's overlooked masterpiece Rock Drill. I need sluggish bombardment. I neeeed sludge. I love Dylan's "Ballad of Hollis Brown" as played for eight drum machine minutes by Iggy and James Williamson. But I'm a sick sick boy, and I like Nazareth's 10-minute death's head version even better. Albany and Avalon gave me a bright orange toy doubleneck guitar for X-Mass, and its pre-programmed noodling has turned me into Edward Van Gottsching.
On the subject of rhythmless dirge, sometime in March should see the Head Heritage release of the first album by L.A.M.F. or Like A Mother Fucker. This enormous slab of drummerless guitar FX will be known as Ambient Metal, and is a collaboration between several of my favourite contemporary guitarists. I won't tell ya right now whose starring, as it's more fun to be coy and you can probably guess whatever. I'm clothing the CD in that blue'n'grey urban camoflage so beloved of myself and other Action Man fans in the 6-10 year range. I'm even hoping we may take this collaboration on to the rockstage at some stage.
Thank y'all again for The Tour. I dug it so much that I asked my agent Mick Griffiths if he could find any more weird and unlikely places that would have me. And guess what? Yeah, no shit. I'm booked to play throughout April and May. I asked for another Highlands & Islands tour, as Donneye's family all come from Unst in the very north of the Shetland Isles, and he's never been up there on to Ordnance Survey map 1. What a trip it is! No luck so far, but we're persisting. And all those who complained that I'd not come to Wales will be happy to know that I'm gonna be in Aberystwyth and Swansea sometime soon. Rock! Man, I'm going to Whitehaven on the Cumbrian coast, Hanley in the Potteries, Blackheath south of the Thames, and all manner of other exotica. As some guy in the front row of the Shepherd's Bush Empire show kept calling out to me: "Julian, you're so local!" Rite ON! When I'm 50 years gone, I want to have travelled and played and written about so many parts of these British Isles that no matter where people are from, they can always say "Yup, Cope came here. He's a local in these parts."
I need to travel to the Shetlands and Orkneys this year in any case. Getting the gazetteer ready for Let Me Speak to the Driver is one of this year's priorities. I'm still talking to the British Museum about a possible 2-day festival around the late summer, so putting my mind into a …Driver headspace (and getting back out into the wilderness) is gonna be a right Practical Gas. Watching the last TV moments of the Castaways on Taransay, I felt so sorry for them. That island is so bleak that even the hardy Harrismen who live in nearby Tarbert will think them all just crazy city dwellers on a thrill ride. Yet I can feel only a deep compassion for them all. The BBC called it Castaway 2000, but the real journey to the outside will only kick in when they arrive back on the mainland. The film crews should really have started filming Ben & Co. only when they left – for sure their real test is just starting. For only their returning to snivilisation will make genuine castaways of them. Castaway 2001 – You betcha life.
Finally, Brain Donor releases its first thang in the next month or so. The single is "She Saw Me Coming" and features a stunningly loud guitar solo from Doggen. I'd love to make President Dubya the cover star, but it's just too damn obvious. 2001 is the ideal time for a celebratory Getdown with our barbarian selves, so you keep the forums as buoyant as ever, and we'll continue to top this site up with massive Albums of the Month and a Vast Overhang of Thang.
Drudion, love to y'all and your families, too.
M'Lud of Yatesbury (Self-styled)


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Why I need a repeater and perhaps you as well
Recently with the hot weather we wanted to sit in our garden, but nowadays we take a tablet with us instead of a book.
Unfortunately the telenet router is all the way on the other side of the house, so the range is about nil and zilch once you go 2 meter further than our backdoor. So I needed a repeater, which is basically an extension for your wifi and is normally totally transparant to your tablet or laptop or smartphone.
In detail: your router talks to the wifi repeater (via wifi, no develo in sight here!) and the repeater is just a client on the network.
The repeater broadcasts the exact same wifi access name as your router (hence the name of the thing), and as it is closer to the devices that want to connect to the wifi, those devices use the more powerful radio of the repeater. Invisible to them, the repeater relays all those requests back to the router.
This is of course not optimal for speed but at least a slower connectivity is better than no connectivity. And it really depends on where you put the repeaters (yes, you can install multiple ones that connect to each other!). One caveat is that they need to be somewhere close enough to the router so that there still is a reasonable connection, but far enough that your devices farther away can still reach them.
So I recently purchased the Fritz!WLAN Repeater 1160, which I read some good comments about on tweakers and can be had for about 70 euros or slightly less.
It's a stylish flat box with some red on it and some symbols so it is not the most un-noticable item in your room. If you can tuck it away in some powersocket nobody is using but still have good wifi connectivity, the better. On the box it says "Gigabit Wifi" but that all depends on how you configure it and how far away it is from the router (see above for more detail).
The front is actually quite well thought out.
You have a WLAN symbol, with below it the WPS button and under that status lights for power, WLAN and info.
The WLAN symbol lights up bars according to how strong the connection is to the router. In my case, I get about 3 bars, which is very good.
As such it gives you a rough estimation of how good the repeater can reach the router.
Setup was so easy that I was actually doubtful that I done it :
1) plug it in somewhere close to the router
2) press the WPS button on your router
3) press the WPS button for 5 seconds on the repeater
4) done !
Connections can be either on 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz, or a combination of both, where you receive 2.4 and send on the 5 Ghz. This can help with the throughput speed, if you set it up right.
You can configure it manually if you don't have a router with WPS, but for me WPS worked immediately. I actually reset it to factory settings just so I could try the other way as well. There are actually only 3 actions you can do with the device without going into the config screen :
– press the WPS button for 1s to turn the WIFI on or off
– hold the WPS button for more than 5 seconds : start the WPS handshake sequence
– hold the WPS button for more than 15 seconds : reset to factory settings
There was one problem that I had : once connected via wps to the router, I could not connect to the local fritz.repeater admin page that is described in the manual for further configuration. The only way I could access it was right after resetting it to factory settings. Once connected to the router the page was no longer accessible.
Surprinsingly good performance, and very stable. Both in seamlessly connecting to it and in the throughput to the router.
Absolutely no problem to watch youtube on the tablet all the way in the back of the garden !
So I heartily recommend this device if you want to extend your wifi for a low price !


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Humus is the layer of topsoil that is richest in organic matter and most biologically active. Citizen participation is the "humus" of a healthy democracy.
In its desire to help people live in better harmony with nature, the Montréal Space for Life invites everyone to develop their eco-citizenship by taking individual or collective action. The Montréal Space for Life seeks to foster and maintain citizens' natural ability to exchange ideas, since this is essential to the health and growth of society. By sharing space, expertise, passion and commitment, creativity and collective intelligence can flourish and find solutions to many social and environmental challenges.
With a view to initiating and sustaining the movement towards a new way of life, the staff of theMontréal Space for Life can rely on seven key principles to guide them in the implementation of citizen participation. With these principles, the Montréal Space for Life can put down deep roots in order to maintain a strong position on sustainable development. They also serve as a means to gather citizens' ideas and bring them to the organization's attention, so that initiatives based on community interests can bloom.
FLEXIBILITY, OPENNESS AND WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN. Show openness and willingness to listen when it comes to the needs expressed and directions defined by citizens and partners. Accept the necessity to alter methods and show flexibility to allow for innovation and to incorporate citizens' contributions with regard to the co-creation of content and projects.
ACCESSIBILITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. Make the Montréal Space for Life facilities and institutions more accessible and welcoming for all communities. Ensure that every citizen has the potential to contribute to the citizen participation process.
TRANSPARENCY. Define a framework ensuring full transparency of all citizen participation processes, from the conception of projects to their achievement. Share the information and results.
ENGAGEMENT AND RECOGNITION. Recognize the contribution of citizens, highlighting actions both large and small. Ensure long-term citizen engagement and empowerment while taking care to respect people's boundaries.
RALLYING AND MEDIATION. Serve as a rallying point: bring citizens together through activities, and encourage exchange and debate. Help create links among citizens in the community.
REFERENCE. Serve as a place of reference, providing information and expertise with respect to nature and eco-citizenship. Support citizens and provide them with tools to take collective action while inspiring pride, excellence and the desire to act.
GOVERNANCE. Implement structures for participation and a reception mechanism enabling citizens to share their ideas and to express their interest in working with the Montréal Space for Life.


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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary April 3, 2003
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I want to thank the Vice President and the leadership of the Congress for coming down for breakfast today. We had a really good discussion about our common concerns. The leadership is committed to moving important legislation forward, legislation that will help expand our job base. We talked about the energy bill; we talked about terrorism insurance; we talked about the defense appropriations; we talked about the appropriations process.
We also talked about Iraq. We talked about the fact that Saddam Hussein has stiffed the United Nations for 11 long years, and that, once again, he said -- made some kind of statement, trying to take the pressure off of himself. This statement about unconditional inspections was something he's made in the past. He deceives, he delays, he denies. And the United States, and I'm convinced, the world community, aren't going to fall for that kind of rhetoric on -- by him again.
We talked about a resolution out of Congress and how it was important for us to work with Congress to pass a strong resolution. I told the members that within the next couple of days this administration will develop language as -- that we think is necessary. And we look forward to working with both Republicans and Democrats to get a resolution passed.
I want to thank the leadership for its commitment to get a resolution done before members go home for the election break. I think it's an important signal. It's an important signal for the country, but as importantly, it's an important signal for the world to see that this country is united in our resolve to deal with threats that we face.
And so, thank you all for coming. I'll take a couple of questions. Fournier, Kyle.
Q Like it or not, is it accurate to say that Saddam playing his move has made the allies go --
THE PRESIDENT: Do what now?
Q Has Saddam's latest move helped make the allies go wobbly on it?
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, all they've got to do is look at the record. It's his latest ploy, his latest attempt not to be held accountable for defying the United Nations. He's not going to fool anybody. I mean, he is -- we've seen him before. And we'll remind the world that by defying the United Nations he is becoming more and more threat to world peace. And I'm convinced that the world understands the ploy. And one of the jobs the United States has is to remind people about not only the threat, but the fact that his defiance has weakened the United Nations. And the United Nations, in order for the world to be a more peaceful place, must rise up and deal with this threat and hold him to account. And that's what we expect out of the Security Council.
Q Mr. President, a follow on Ron's question. Do you think that you'll be able to persuade France and Russia to go along with us on whatever it is you and the Congress decide to do? And frankly, sir, is that necessary? Are you prepared to go it alone?
THE PRESIDENT: Listen, we're speculating about what nations are going to do. I'm convinced that when we continue to make the case about his defiance, his deception, his -- the fact that time and time again, dozens of times, he has told the world, oh, I will comply, and he never does -- that the nations which long for peace and care about the validity of the United Nations will join us.
And so we're going to work hard to continue to make the case. I think reasonable people understand this man is unreasonable. And reasonable people understand that this is just a ploy, this is a tactic, this is a way to try to say to the world, oh, I'm a wonderful, peaceful fellow, when, in fact, he not only kills his own people, he's terrorized his neighborhood and he's developing weapons of mass destruction. We must deal with him.