text:
Hey Josep!
Just a quick note that my short story, The Olive Harvest, published in Reckoning in December, is now available to read online here. The editor described it as "a parable about otherness and coming together, as told by an olive tree." It's a quick read, only 900 words, and I expect a full literary analysis from you by next Thursday.
I kid, I kid.
The editor interviewed me about the story, and I think a lot of what I wrote there is highly relevant to this blog. (Which is why this is an "on-blog" rather than an "off-blog" note!) We covered the Biblical references in the story; writing about the Middle East conflict; environmentalism in Israel; the symbolism of the slow growth of the olive tree; and my childhood tree-hugging habits. 🙂
An excerpt:
Michael: I want to ask what sources you were drawing from. I think immediately of Genesis 1:26, where God grants us dominion over all the earth, that phrase so hotly contested between capitalists and conservationists. But I come from an American Catholic background, and I feel like my grasp of the religious lore is very limited. Are there other references you're making I'm not getting? What about more recent influences on your style and voice?
Daniella: Yes, this story actually draws on quite a number of sources.
The most recent one, the one that really influenced the rhythm and cadence of the story, is a famous folktale of unknown origin, about a pair of brothers who work on a field together and split the portions evenly at the end of every workday. Each brother is concerned that his brother needs more than he does, so in the middle of the night, each of them takes from his own portion and transfers it to the other's. Every morning they are both mystified as to how the piles are even again. This goes on day after day, until one night, their paths meet in the field, and they understand what has been happening, and they embrace and weep together. Jewish legend teaches that the Holy Temple was built on the spot where those two brothers embraced.
Obviously, there is reference to the story of the Noah and the Ark in chapter 8 of Genesis. It's a story about a global disaster brought about by human cruelty, and the image of the dove with the olive branch, signaling to Noah that the Flood is receding and that they will soon come upon dry land, has become a universal symbol of peace.
"Between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal" is a direct reference to a mysterious ceremony mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy (chapters 11 and 27) and the book of Joshua (chapter 8). It took place just after the Israelites entered the Holy Land, on these two mountains, which rise up around the Biblical city of Shekhem, known now as Nablus in Arabic–a hotly contested area in our times.
The purpose of the ceremony was to demonstrate that if the Israelites followed God's word and carried out His commandments, they would inherit the land and prosper, but if they ignored His commandments, they would experience famine and hardship, and may eventually be expelled from the land. "I call upon the heaven and the earth today as witnesses: I put before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, so that you and your offspring will live." (Deuteronomy 30:19) Every time I read those words I get a tingle down my spine.
Finally, there is a less obvious, but more fundamental reference to Deuteronomy 20:19. At the end of a chapter about the rules of waging holy war, a rather peculiar, out-of-place commandment pops up. God forbids the Israelites to destroy trees that bear fruit in the process of laying siege upon an enemy city. "For you may eat from it," He explains. "Is a tree of the field a man, to go into siege before you?"
In Jewish tradition, we believe that the Torah (the Jewish Bible) is centered around the experiences and actions of man. That is its focus. But I see this passage as a little peek into God's relationship with the rest of His creation. "You go ahead and wage your wars and cleanse the world of human evil as necessary," He seems to be saying. "Just… leave My trees out of it, okay?"
You can read the full interview here.
Shabbat shalom and Happy Purim! (It's on Saturday night, and I still have no idea what my costume is going to be. :-/ )
Much love,


text:
Full dataset for the 2015 ranking
Below, you can find the links to download all the raw data and sources used for the ranking.
Scores of the Democracy Ranking 2015.
Comprehensive Scoreboards and Scoreboards for the Dimensions
Download: Excel format
List of Indicators
Download: Excel format
The Democracy Improvement Ranking 2015
# Campbell, David F. J. (2008). The Basic Concept for the Democracy Ranking of the Quality of Democracy. Vienna: Democracy Ranking.
Download: A4 | Letter

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If we don't count the several cups of coffee, I really don't have a habit of eating breakfast. And I know it's bad. Very very bad. While I am doing my best to get into the habit of feeding myself something nutritional every morning, I haven't had much success in the past. Traditional Turkish breakfast dishes such as feta cheese and tomatoes in olive oil, honey and clotted cream, poached eggs with yoghurt, etc. are the last things I want to see in the morning. I've come to realize that I have a better chance with things that can be soaked in milk. So when I read Molly's post about homemade granola, I wanted to give it a shot.
If she says it is the greatest, there is no need to think twice (she is one of those food bloggers whose recipes I follow religiously).
The preparation was a breeze. I've made it twice since then and reached a perfect mix for my own taste. The photos belong to the first batch. For the second batch, I used almonds with skins and it definitely tastes better (much healthier too). I also reduced the amount of almonds to 2 cups and got rid of pecans (not a big fan). Brown rice syrup isn't available here in Turkey so I used grape molasses instead. Since grape molasses is already naturally sweet, I didn't use any brown sugar. Apple sauce isn't easy to find in Turkey as well, so I used baby food (fruit puree without additives and sugar) instead! There were lots of varieties and I've decided on a mix of apple and peaches.
By the way, I totally concur with her suggestion of soy milk. I was especially fond of the result after the granola was soaked in soy milk for about half an hour. It might not make sense to soften the granola after all the stirring to make it extra crispy in the oven, but the soaking process tints the soy milk (a wonderful teak color) and lends a delicious smoky flavor. Just yum!
A big thank you to Molly for introducing this great recipe.
Molly's original recipe is here.
Yields approximately 9 cups
Dry ingredients
- 5 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups raw almonds (with skins on)
- 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup unsweetened peach puree
- 1/3 cup grape molasses
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat your oven to 300 F.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Stir to mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones, and mix until completely blended.
- Spread the mixture evenly on two rimmed baking sheets.
- Place the baking sheets on lower and upper thirds of your oven.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pans and stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.
- Remove the pans from the oven, give it a good stir and set aside to cool.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in your refrigerator.


text:
The Last Poets – Chastisment
1972 Blue Thumb Records – BTS 39
This reissue, Celluloid Records, 1992
Tribute To Obabi (Ogun) 10:16
Jazzoetry 3:46
Black Soldier 5:56
E Pluribus Unum 4:38
Hands Off 4:05
The Lone Ranger 0:28
Before The White Man Came 3:43
Bird's Word 6:10
Artwork By – Jim Dyson
Bass – Jon Hart (tracks: A1, A2, B5)
Congas – Obabi, Omiyinka (tracks: A1, A2, B5), Omonide (tracks: A1)
Cowbell – Alafia Pudim (tracks: A1)
Engineer – Tony Bongiovi
Other [Undefined] – Last Poets, The* (tracks: B3)
Photography – Edmund Watkins
Producer – Last Poets, The, Stefan Bright
Saxophone [Alto] – Sam Harkness (tracks: A1, B5)
Saxophone [Tenor] – Sam Harkness (tracks: A1, A2, B5)
Shaker – Bessermer Taylor (tracks: A1)
Vocals – Monjile (tracks: A1), Okantomi (tracks: A1), Olubiji (tracks: A1)
Voice [Poet] – Alafia Pudim (tracks: A2, B, B5), Suliaman El-Hadi (tracks: A3, B2, B4)
Written-By – Alafia Pudim (tracks: A2, B1, B5), Suliaman El-Hadi (tracks: A3, B2, B4)
Produced by The Last Poets and Stefan Bright for True Sound Communications, Inc.
Recorded at Media Sound Studios, New York City
Manager for The Last Poets: Obawole Akinwole
All Selections: Spoet Publishing Corporation
I had a request to repost this one, so here it is. The early work of the Last Poets, like Leroi Jones/Amiri
Baraka, or Gil Scott-Heron, has to be contextualized in the Vietnam era
of post-MLK, post-Malcom X Afrocentricity, anger and indignation, or else any
interpretations you make are going to be as clueless as the kind of stuff they publish on, let's say, the All Music Guide… Anyway, the Poets records are ones I listen to
occasionally rather than frequently (in contrast,for example, to Gil's work), not
so much because of its intensity but because they are more interesting
poetically than musically most of the time. This record has a lot more
variety than their first two, however, although not as much as the next one, "At Last" which is probably the most compelling to my ears. The jazz elements in the instrumentation that are only occasionally present here are given pride of place on "At Last" so that also probably explains my predilection for it. (Unfortunately for "Chastisement" one of those tracks here is "Bird's Word" which is a bit tediously didactic.) The opening cut plays like a
long candomblé or santeria invocation, drawing down the blessing of the
Orixás on the rest of the music that follows. It goes without saying that The Poets didn't shy away from polemic. The track Black Soldier questions the priorities of Black men going to fight in a foreign land in the name of a country that was also making war on their own people in the streets, "helping your oppressor oppress another man." Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin served as a paratrooper but was discharged for not saluting the flag; he's sympathetic towards soldiers but thinks their skills could be put to better use at home. The track is so tightly written, packed with excoriating critique, that it's unjust to single out single lines. But when they end the cut by warning that the violence in Newark and Detroit "wasn't a riot, it was a dress rehearsal for things to come", it's chilling enough to make it clear why these guys were in the sights of COINTELPRO. This album is also
impressive in that, given how much this music is tied in with a
particular place and time, it still sounds refreshingly relevant,
sometimes unnervingly and depressingly so: listen to E Pluribis Unim
and you might think you're hearing an anthem written for the Occupy
movement. A classic, solid record all the way – I just wish they would get around to reissuing "At Last" already.
password: vibes


text:
It is with much sadness that tonights sketch will be our last.
I have spent the past few months thinking long and hard about the future of Pencil Lines. As some of you may remember I started Pencil Lines with a group of scrapping friends back in October 2006 just for fun. Six years later Pencil Lines receives over 15,000 visits a week, I have published a book and had six wonderful years working with the most amazing and talented deisgn team I could imagine!
My heart is not in scrapbooking and I am neglecting Pencil Lines. My career has taken a different path and I am now a full time photographer. It is unfair of me to try and continue with Pencil Lines when I cannot give you the readers and my design team 110%.
Tonight is our last sketch, the website will remain active, and I will PDF all our sketches for you to purchase at a small cost with a percentage going to a chosen charity.
This weeks sketch is by myself ironically, and I was to be your design team spotlight. I havnt done a layout though, my heart wasnt in it :(
Here are this weeks deisgn team layouts :
Don't be a stranger, we will still be here just not providing a new sketch each week.
Thank you for all your support over the years its been so appreciated by myself and the design teams.
Happy Scrapping!


text:
Jimmy Fallon Calls Out Jessica Biel For Not Being a *NSYNC Fan in the '90s
Jessica Biel is obviously a Justin Timberlake fan, but she was admittedly not into her hubby's band *NSYNC when they were all the rage in the '90s.
During a visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night (October 22), the talk show host brought up the topic and Biel explained how she was a "lame music geek" during *NSYNC's golden years.
"Well, not lame, I was just listening to old-school stuff," she clarified. "I was listening to theater productions, I was listening to Rent, I knew every word from Rent, I was listening to Motown."
"I lived under a rock, I wasn't into pop culture music," she added.
Of course, Fallon was able to dig up a video (he's good at that) of a young Biel discussing how she's not a "huge fan" of the boyband back in 1999, and she was not looking forward to that particular walk down memory lane.
"Jimmy. Jimmy… no…" she pleaded. "No, please."
But of course he didn't listen.
"To be honest, I don't really listen [to them]," she says in the old interview. "I mean, I know of them, of course. And I've heard of them, and I've heard the music. But I don't think I own any of their CDs."
"I'm not a huge fan," she concluded with a shrug. "But, cool, I guess."
Watch the hilarious interaction and old interview below.
Deleted Tweets Celebrities Wish We Never Saw


text:
During the 2000s a number of strategic acquisitions further strengthened Arjo's offerings in hygiene and patient handling – the acquisition of Canadian BHM Medical in 2004, which resulted in the launch of the Maxi Sky ceiling lift among other innovative products.
In 2007, Getinge Group made another significant acquisition – that of British company Huntleigh Technology PLC – and combined it with Arjo to create the ArjoHuntleigh brand.
Huntleigh was founded in 1983, and was listed on the London Stock Exchange two years later. Its first groundbreaking product was the Nimbus Dynamic Flotation System mattress, which remains a part of Arjo's product offerings to this day. Huntleigh was a trusted manufacturer of specialised mattresses for the treatment of pressure injuries, beds for intensive care, specialist care and nursing homes, products for the prevention of venous thromboembolisms, and equipment for foetal and vascular diagnostics –and was a market leader in several of its product categories. At the time of the acquisition by Getinge, Huntleigh had over 2,600 employees and a sales reach of 120 countries.
The merger of Arjo and Huntleigh created a globally leading player with a comprehensive portfolio, with combined net sales of approximately SEK 6 billion and more than 4,400 employees around the world.
Through strategic acquisitions, ArjoHuntleigh continued to expand. In 2012, it acquired Chinese bed manufacturer Acare, strengthening its offerings for emerging markets, as well as the TCI (Therapeutic Support Systems) division from KCI, which added to its portfolio of pressure injury prevention.


text:
Lili St. Cyr aka Willis Marie VanSchaack
March 1, 2010 by Rockabilly Guy
Filed under All Articles, Burlesque, Clothing & Dress, Featured, Pinup Modeling
Late one night at club Music Box in San Francisco, a g-string was flung into the balcony by a fishing rod. This unusual act was the ending to an Ivan Fehnova production known as The Flying G and the beginning to a great strand of creative shows. But these obscene and scandalous productions would not […]


text:
We strongly recommend that every learner should use both the printed coursebook and the interactive one to study effectively and to enjoy all the benefits our company offers. The Interactive coursebook for learning English based on the principles of the direct method, published by Direct Language Lab.
The interactive coursebooks contain all the material from the Direct Language Lab coursebooks (Wydawnictwo DEEP sp. z o.o. sp. k.), apart from the communication and grammar lessons.
The interactive coursebook can be downloaded from Google Play and iTunes.


text:
It might just be the slogan of the 2016 Republican National Convention.
But it has real meaning. As has been widely reported, Donald Trump's campaign manager Paul Manafort worked for the former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, a Russian puppet who ultimately abdicated in 2014 and fled to Russia when even his own supporters couldn't defend him firing on protestors in Kiev.
When the pro-Russian clique in Ukraine yelled, "LOCK HER UP" in 2010, after Manafort helped Yanukovych win election, that's exactly what Ukraine's new government did. Yanukovych put Yulia Tymoshenko — his 2010 presidential opponent and a former prime minister — in prison. And she spent three years imprisoned, until Yanukovych fled Ukraine and launched the country into a civil war that continues to cripple and divide the one-time Soviet republic to this very day.
Most ironic of all, Tymoshenko's ostensible crime was for making a natural gas deal as prime minister (under duress) with Russia that Yanukovych, a sycophant of Vladimir Putin, decreed too unfavorable to Ukraine. Even the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Tymoshenko's jailing was politically motivated.
As I argued in an email earlier tonight to Andrew Sullivan (who's live-blogging the two conventions for New York Magazine), this is a bad sign for American democracy.
Politicians, and especially presidents, make ethical mistakes. Bill Clinton probably committed perjury about his sex life. Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were both knee-deep in Iran-Contra. George W. Bush enabled torture and may have fabricated evidence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as a pretext for war. Hillary Clinton absolutely disrespected the concept of freedom of information with her email server. Yes, she lied about the emails.
But when I hear an entire political convention yelling "LOCK HER UP," as a slogan, it's a troubling sign for American democracy and, let's say it, the critical thinking of an electorate who would be led by a strongman like Donald Trump and, apparently, New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
I almost wish Clinton would invite Tymoshenko to the Democratic National Convention, just to show Americans how dangerous this moment is in American politics. I know that's impossible, but Tymoshenko knows something about the abuse of law and being a political prisoner. It was tragic to see it happen in Kiev, but to think that we're at this point in American politics is frightening.
It's anything but conservative.
It's anything but respect for the Constitution.
It's anything but liberty.


text:
Money and Life
(Financial Planning Association of Australia)
What does living well mean to you in 2020?
People around the world shared their take on living well in a 30-second video. Find out how five global citizens are planning for their best life.
Ever wondered about the right formula for living a good life? If the entries in a recent video competition are anything to go by, it's a pretty simple recipe for success. In the lead up to the last World Financial Planning Day, the Financial Planning Standards Board ran their #PlanWell2LiveWell Video contest inviting people around the world to answer the question 'what does living well mean to you?'
In watching clips shared by citizens from Germany to the Philippines, you'll discover that people around the world have plenty in common when it comes to achieving happiness in the present and planning for their hopes and dreams.
"Doing what you love while spending time with the people who mean most to you." Meg – Japan
The path to happiness
While the activities and interests people enjoy most vary, many follow the same path to happiness and life satisfaction. As Porter from the USA says in his video "the source of happiness is different for everyone, but the path is nearly universal." Deividas from Lithuania values "being healthy and striving for new physical achievements" while Joe from the USA enjoys "living in the moment and being creative." But all agree you need to plan for these personal goals so you can take the right steps towards achieving them.
"Being able to focus on present moments without a series of worries in the back of your head." Porter – USA
Health, planning and freedom
So what are the right ingredients for happiness, both here and now and in your future? According to our global panel of video finalists, there are three key steps to living well
- Look after your health – Meg from Japan and Purva from India are among those who agree that making time for mental and physical health is a top priority.
"Plan your mental and physical health well." Purva – India
- Plan for the future to achieve dreams or goals – whether it's a new car, getting married or travelling the world, many agree with Yu-Chen from Chinese Taipei that you need a plan to live your dreams.
"I don't have to pretend my life is perfect because I am living what I dream to be." Yu-Chen – Chinese Taipei
- Enjoy the present more with peace of mind about the future – a plan for financial security in the future gives you the freedom to enjoy happiness here and now, without any stress about money.
"It's important that I have enough money to feel secure but also to travel and enjoy the finer things in life." Benjamin – USA
Plan for peace of mind
This last step is one that's particularly important but sometimes difficult to get right. Living for the moment without compromising your future finances can be quite the balancing act. In our Live the Dream research report, the FPA found that choosing their current lifestyle is the top priority for 59% of Australians who want to live well. But when it comes to planning for the future, it's a different story. Only 29% of Australians put their future goals first for living well.
So how can everyday Australians make an equal commitment to their present and future wellbeing? According to an ASIC report from August 2019, seeking professional advice about money can help. Australians who receive financial advice are more likely to experience a sense of security about their financial future (82% compared with 68% for all Australians) and set long-term goals and work towards achieving them (76% compared with 58%).
To get your current and future lifestyles in balance, a CFP® professional can help by combining short, medium and long-term goals in a financial plan to ensure you're planning for your future and living well in the present.


text:
Mayor Apologizes
For Market Confusion
In the two-hour plus discussion at Monday's Berlin Council Meeting about the possibility of moving the Berlin Farmer's Market from downtown to the Town's parks many people spoke passionately and thoughtfully about their views on this issue. Ironically, it was something that was not said that needs to be stated now to set the record straight.
The President and Executive Director of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce made their request to move the Farmer's Market to the town parks in Berlin at the urging of myself and the town council. Their straightforward request for consideration was made in an effort to accommodate the Mayor and Council's concern that motor vehicle parking is becoming steadily less available throughout the downtown area with each passing year.
I and the council not only supported the request, but asked the Chamber to make it in order to begin a process to provide more parking for the downtown area. I did not take the opportunity at Monday's meeting to make it clear that the Chamber representatives were requesting the move at the urging of myself and other officials of the Town of Berlin.
No member of the farming community or any Berlin business should in any way condemn or criticize the motives of the Chamber of Commerce when they were simply seeking to accommodate the Town's effort to create more parking for downtown merchants and businesses. The Chamber, as it has for several years, was once again being a good partner in promoting the Town of Berlin. Any animosity or dissatisfaction with the Chamber's request should be solely directed at myself, as the Mayor of Berlin. Not making this clear at the meeting is something that I bear full responsibility for.
The Berlin Chamber of Commerce has diligently and effectively represented and promoted the businesses of our town and greater Berlin. Working hand-in-hand with the Berlin Main Street Program, the Chamber has played a critical role in Berlin's economic renaissance and will continue to be a leading force in the economic growth and vitality of our community.
My concern for the less than adequate parking in downtown as Berlin attracts more guests, workers and residents to the commercial core of our town, ultimately led to the confrontation between the supporters of the Berlin Farmer's Market and the Berlin Chamber. I should have foreseen the consequences of the town's efforts to encourage the relocation of the Berlin Farmer's Market and I alone am responsible for any discord or misunderstanding in this public debate.
I trust the businesses and the community at large and particularly the participants and supporters of the Berlin Farmer's Market will strive to strengthen their ties to Berlin in general and the Berlin Chamber of Commerce in particular. From this confrontation there is great opportunity for those who wish to embrace it.
As for myself, I offer my most sincere apology to the officers, board and staff of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and all those who continue to make the Berlin Farmer's Market a success for any ill will or misunderstandings created by this well-intended effort that led to this unfortunate confrontation.
Gee Williams
(The writer is the mayor of Berlin.)
OC On Right Course
We now find ourselves in the final innings of the campaign season. This is when things really tend to heat up, as the candidates raise the severity of their attacks on their opponents. This is when the candidates try to use statistics and misleading statements to help their cause. Unfortunately, in most cases, the voters do not know what statistics or statements are valid and which ones are not. On the federal level, you have organizations, such as FactCheck.org that check the validity of the candidates' claims.
Here in Ocean City there is no organization to turn to for help. You need to verify yourself. So I decided to check out a claim made by one of the candidates, Dennis Dare. Recently in an interview, Mr. Dare, in response to a claim made by Councilman Brett Ashley, stated "The fact is when I started in 1982 as city engineer to 2011 when I retired the size of government did grow, but so did its responsibilities. There's probably a third more dwelling units in town. The permanent population doubled and the summer population has grown in that time."
As for the summer population claim, Mr. Dare's statement is true. I checked the figures for the summer population which the Ocean City Communications Office had previously published. The numbers I have start in 1984 and end in 2010. It is true the number of summertime visitors has climbed from 3,615,509 to 4,108,725, or a 13.6% jump over those 26 years. Not much of a gain though. On average just about one half of one percent.
Now here is my problem. Why is Mr. Dare quoting a gain from 1982? He did not become city manager until 1989. If you look at the number of tourist in 1989, when Mr. Dare became manager, you will notice that 4,425,644 individuals visited Ocean City during that summer. When you compare that number with 2010's 4,108,725 visitors, you actually get a decline in tourists. It is a 7.1% reversal in people that vacationed here.
So under Mr. Dare's rein, summertime visitors declined. They did not increase as Dare would like you to think. So it seems Mr. Dare was taking credit for something that the prior manager accomplished. So this becomes an example of misleading comments by candidates that I spoke about earlier.
In that same time frame, 1989-2010, the marketing budget leaped from $831,090 to $3,900,000. So the marketing cost soared 369%, yet at the same time summer population dropped 7.1%. Not a pretty picture. In private industry a Board of Directors wouldn't stand for such a dismal performance and I doubt that they would have kept any CEO for such under performance.
Why the drop in visitors with so much marketing money being spent? People just do not treasure Ocean City in the way they used to. Something is wrong. But that is a topic for another day.
Did Mr. Dare intentionally try to mislead the voter? Obviously, I have no idea. The point is the number of visitors under his watch fell 7.1% and the marketing budget soared 369%. Not a great deal if you are a tax payer that lives in Ocean City, Md.
The city manager should be a leader and not a manager. And the same goes for the City Council. You need leaders with vision to sustain the growth of Ocean City. To me, the majority presently on the council have demonstrated that trait.
Finally, I recently read on the Internet a response to one of my earlier letters to the editor. It was from an Ocean City employee who basically said that until I live or work in this town that I should put a sock in it. They went on to state that I do not "reserve the right to have an opinion". Now I guess this scholar meant to say "deserve" instead of "reserve" But who knows.
This is a perfect example of someone that really does not understand the economy of the State of Maryland or any municipality. This employee has tunnel vision at best and is only parroting the words of a few egoistical and disgruntled council members and a few employees.
You see all Marylanders are affected by the decisions of the town of Ocean City. For example, the convention center which according to Mr. Dare has tripled in size loses money every year. Well, who do you think pays for the loss? Each year the losses are divided equally between the town and the Maryland Stadium Authority. Guess who supports the MSA? All the tax payers of Maryland do.
When visitors from Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia and New York stop coming to Ocean City, the Maryland sales tax receipts drop which once again hurts all Md. tax payers. I could go on with other examples but I am sure most readers recognize my point even if the OC worker I referred to above does not.
When it comes to voting for your elected officials you really need to do your homework and then make a rational and not an emotional decision. If you think a dwindling visitor population and big spending is good for the city, then by all means vote against the majority.
But if you want Ocean City to reclaim its prior family oriented environment, keep the city's spending in line, treat the employees fairly and assure the workers of their retirement and health benefits then you only have one choice. Keep the majority in office.
David Clogg
Question 7 Issues
Some people view gambling as an evil and think it should be outlawed. It is an evil if taken to an excess as is everything else. If you eat too much, exercise too much or drink alcohol or even water too much, there are negative consequences. This is why the Bible says, "moderation in all things".
The evils of gambling come from those who do it to an extreme, leading to financial ruin. These people will find a place to gamble be it in Maryland or someplace else. So it makes sense to keep the money here. Many people enjoy the activity as others enjoy spending money on a movie or dinner. Many set a limit on how much they will spend gambling as do many on how much to spend on any night out. If you indulge in the stock market, bingo or any 50/50 activity, you are gambling.
My problem with Question 7 is how do we force the money extorting politicians to keep their promises as to how they will spend the money? Also, if Question 7 passes, I've heard that Worcester County can keep our casino's 18% (that we currently must send to Baltimore). We certainly can use it. If Worcester can keep the 18%, I will vote "yes" on question 7.
Dennis W. Evans
Candidate's Union
Dodge Revealing
I hope the voters in this city read Mr. Dare's responses to questions asked to him in The Dispatch this past week. I believe it gave a clear insight into the man.
His answer to the question regarding unions where he would not indicate his personal feelings but instead made it a political issue leaving it up to the voters was revealing. In case you haven't noticed Mr. Dare, towns, cities, states and even countries are presently in financial difficulties due to unsustainable commitments to benefit packages agreed to by political leaders and union bosses. No Mr. Dare this is not a political issue, it's a spending issue and one that all present and future politicians should be concerned about and take a firm stand against.
But your final statement really indicates how you think and what you believe is the "Right Direction" when you stated that "big spending has made this town successful". No Mr. Dare what made this town successful was the people who were willing to invest their money in second homes so they could come here on weekends, holidays and vacations with family and friends to relax and enjoy the ocean. That is what made this town successful.
Your commitment of their tax dollars on large expensive projects such as buildings and parks had nothing to do with its success. It was location that made this area desirable for people to want to come here. The problem with most people who are involved with the operation of a town, city, state or country is they seem to forget after being in office for some time is that it's not their money but the money of the taxpayers they seem so willing to spend.
Maybe it's time, based on present financial conditions, that the voting public consider term limits as a possible solution to the problem. We have to find some way to limit spending. I'm not sure if even that would solve the problem but it would be a start. We have to start somewhere and spending is one of the major reasons we're in this problem today. This coming election will determine which direction this country will go. God willing the people will make the right decision. Whatever the outcome, we will all have to live with the results.
But remember when voting people it's the taxpayers' dollar and consumers' spending that help a nation financially not a politicians desires. Politicians and Government only take from us, the taxpaying citizens, and produce nothing but reams of rules and regulations that can hinder the ability of a nation to grow and prosper.
So, Mr. Dare, I hope you understand and will reconsider your present position on spending and unions for the sake of the relatively few permanent residence who vote. I fear the majority of them will probably vote for you. I for one won't.
Paul St. Andre
Ocean City
Thanks For Support
Friends of the National Ataxia Foundation would like to sincerely thank everyone who supported our 2nd Annual Ataxia Awareness Bingo, held at the Berlin Fire Hall on Sept. 29, 2012. We want to thank all of our kitchen and bingo helpers who volunteered for the event. The evening was a great success with many happy winners.
Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation goes to the following sponsors that contributed to the event:
Sam and Kay Bromley, Cynthia and John Watson, Brooks Taylor, Jim Welch, Jerrold Canakis MD, William Greer MD, Couglin family, Treasure Chest, Charles and Joan Townsend, Lou Taylor, Dee Altobelli, The Moore Companies, Dot and Gill Simpson, Linda Mariner, Bank of Ocean City, Burbage Funeral Home, Pete and Karen Pettenati, Taylor Bank, Church Mouse Thrift Shop and Friendship Church Ladies Circle and members.
Local businesses that provided auction items or services were ABC Printers, Bayside Gazette, Boardwalk Hotel Group, Burley Oak Brewery, Ace Printing, Carrabas Italian Grill, Deer Run Golf Club, Mary Lynn Donaway, Down Under Sunglasses, Donaway Furniture, Kristin Mallery Hooks, jj Fish Studio, John's Cigars, Paul Jones, Lombardi Pizza, McDonalds, Tracy McCready, Outback, SpicePlace.com, Stewarts Antiques, TADA, Venables Cleaners, Victorian Charm and Watermans Seafood.
The proceeds from our event will be used by the National Ataxia Foundation (www.ataxia.org) in their efforts to fund research to find a cure for this neurological disorder that effects approximately 150,000 people in the United States.
JoAnn Simpson
Rally A Success
On Oct. 20, the Downtown Association sponsored the second OC Vintage License Plate Rally and parade down the Boardwalk. The event was co-sponsored by the Town of Ocean City and supported by the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC).
A Halloween theme was added this year and many of the participants decorated their vehicles accordingly – to the delight of all. The Collins of Abingdon, Md. was the winners of the parade with a Disney theme the judges couldn't resist.
We have many businesses, organizations and people to thank for making this event a huge success and one we trust will grow with each passing year. The Kite Loft, Shenanigans, Greene Turtle, Blue Ox, Pickles, Dough Roller (4 locations), Wockenfuss Candy, the Captain's Table, Dolle's Candyland and The Pour House offered a 15% discount to participants. The Art League of Ocean City, the Coastal Bays Program, OCDC, AARP Chapter 1917, and several City departments were on hand at the Inlet Lot offering local information. DJ Bigler provided entertainment and Lisa Capitelli took a photo of each participating vehicle as it rounded the pier.
A group photo was taken from the bucket of an OC Fire Company tower truck. Photos are available at http://lisavcapitelliphotography.smugmug
The event is open to anyone who has an OC Vintage License plate. The program was started several years ago and there are now more than 12,00 vehicles around the state bearing the vintage license plate. Anyone interested in obtaining the vintage license can go to www.oceancitymd.gov click on City Hall and then City Clerk.
Downtown Association
Ocean City


text:
Bugzilla::WebService::Server::JSONRPC - The JSON-RPC Interface to Bugzilla
This documentation describes things about the Bugzilla WebService that are specific to JSON-RPC. For a general overview of the Bugzilla WebServices, see Bugzilla::WebService.
Please note that everything about this JSON-RPC interface is EXPERIMENTAL.
If you want a fully stable API,
please use the Bugzilla::WebService::Server::XMLRPC|XML-RPC
Bugzilla supports both JSON-RPC 1.0 and 1.1. We recommend that you use JSON-RPC 1.0 instead of 1.1, though, because 1.1 is deprecated.
At some point in the future, Bugzilla may also support JSON-RPC 2.0.
The JSON-RPC standards are described at http://json-rpc.org/.
The endpoint for the JSON-RPC interface is the jsonrpc.cgi
script in your Bugzilla installation.
For example,
if your Bugzilla is at bugzilla.yourdomain.com
then your JSON-RPC client would access the API via: http://bugzilla.yourdomain.com/jsonrpc.cgi
The most powerful way to access the JSON-RPC interface is by HTTP POST. However, for convenience, you can also access certain methods by using GET (a normal webpage load). Methods that modify the database or cause some action to happen in Bugzilla cannot be called over GET. Only methods that simply return data can be used over GET.
For security reasons,
when you connect over GET,
cookie authentication is not accepted.
If you want to authenticate using GET,
you have to use the Bugzilla_login
and Bugzilla_password
method described at "LOGGING IN" in Bugzilla::WebService.
To connect over GET,
simply send the values that you'd normally send for each JSON-RPC argument as URL parameters,
with the params
item being a JSON string.
The simplest example is a call to Bugzilla.time
Here's a call to User.get
, with several parameters:
jsonrpc.cgi?method=User.get¶ms=[ { "ids": [1,2], "names": ["[email protected]"] } ]
Although in reality you would url-encode the params
argument, so it would look more like this:
You can also specify version
as a URL parameter, if you want to specify what version of the JSON-RPC protocol you're using, and id
as a URL parameter if you want there to be a specific id
value in the returned JSON-RPC response.
When calling the JSON-RPC WebService over GET, you can use the "JSONP" method of doing cross-domain requests, if you want to access the WebService directly on a web page from another site. JSONP is described at http://bob.pythonmac.org/archives/2005/12/05/remote-json-jsonp/.
To use JSONP with Bugzilla's JSON-RPC WebService, simply specify a callback
parameter to jsonrpc.cgi when using it via GET as described above. For example, here's some HTML you could use to get the data from Bugzilla.time
on a remote website, using JSONP:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://bugzilla.example.com/jsonrpc.cgi?method=Bugzilla.time&callback=foo">
That would call the Bugzilla.time
method and pass its value to a function called foo
as the only argument. All the other URL parameters (such as params
, for passing in arguments to methods) that can be passed to jsonrpc.cgi
during GET requests are also available, of course. The above is just the simplest possible example.
The values returned when using JSONP are identical to the values returned when not using JSONP, so you will also get error messages if there is an error.
The callback
URL parameter may only contain letters, numbers, periods, and the underscore (_
) character. Including any other characters will cause Bugzilla to throw an error. (This error will be a normal JSON-RPC response, not JSONP.)
For JSON-RPC 1.0, the very first parameter should be an object containing the named parameters. For example, if you were passing two named parameters, one called foo
and the other called bar
, the params
element of your JSON-RPC call would look like:
"params": [{ "foo": 1, "bar": "something" }]
For JSON-RPC 1.1, you can pass parameters either in the above fashion or using the standard named-parameters mechanism of JSON-RPC 1.1.
fields are strings in the standard ISO-8601 format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ
, where T
and Z
are a literal T and Z, respectively. The "Z" means that all times are in UTC timezone--times are always returned in UTC, and should be passed in as UTC. (Note: The JSON-RPC interface currently also accepts non-UTC times for any values passed in, if they include a time-zone specifier that follows the ISO-8601 standard, instead of "Z" at the end. This behavior is expected to continue into the future, but to be fully safe for forward-compatibility with all future versions of Bugzilla, it is safest to pass in all times as UTC with the "Z" timezone specifier.)
fields are strings that have been base64 encoded. Note that although normal base64 encoding includes newlines to break up the data, newlines within a string are not valid JSON, so you should not insert newlines into your base64-encoded string.
All other types are standard JSON types.
JSON-RPC 1.0 and JSON-RPC 1.1 both return an error
element when they throw an error. In Bugzilla, the error contents look like:
{ message: 'Some message here', code: 123 }
So, for example, in JSON-RPC 1.0, an error response would look like:
{ result: null, error: { message: 'Some message here', code: 123 }, id: 1 }
Every error has a "code", as described in "ERRORS" in Bugzilla::WebService. Errors with a numeric code
higher than 100000 are errors thrown by the JSON-RPC library that Bugzilla uses, not by Bugzilla.


text:
The statistical measures that are used to evaluate NBA players are evolving; utilizing the Hornets' 2011-12 season, let's take a look at what everything means and where the team needs to improve going forward.
For a few of you, this column may include explanations of stat categories about which you're already familiar. To those people, I salute you for being a fan who is substantially ahead of the curve. To the others, allow me to introduce a group of statistical measures that have not yet become mainstream, but certainly will be before long. At Hornets247, we consistently aim to provide our readers and fellow New Orleans Hornets fans with the best insight that we can in order for them to be the most informed NBA followers around. What follows is yet another step in making that goal a reality.
The funny thing about these so-called "advanced stats" is that most of them really are not that advanced in nature; "advanced" is simply a fancy word for "more accurate." These alternate metrics simply take standard NBA statistics – points, rebounds, assists, etc. – a step further. Most basketball fans understand the concept of efficiency; for example, scoring ten points on five shot attempts is clearly more beneficial than scoring ten points on ten shot attempts. Advanced statistics are all about efficiency; how much does each player contribute (or take away) from his team while he is on the court? We can use the metrics that follow to get a pretty good idea. Each advanced stat category is followed in parentheses with the closest comparable "traditional" stat category.
Offensive Rating (Comparable "Traditional" Stat: Points Scored per game)
Explanation: The intuitive reaction to a team that scores lots of points per game is to assume that team has a potent offense. In reality however, this assumption is not always the case. A team could be scoring a ton, but if that team jacks up a shot within five or ten seconds in every possession, its point total could be quite misleading. Therefore, the best way to truly gauge a team's offense is by utilizing a statistic called offensive rating, or offensive efficiency. The premise is simple; instead of looking at the team's points per game, we instead add up the points that team scores per 100 possessions. This way, no matter how quickly or slowly a team runs its offense, they will all be evaluated equally. The 2011-12 league average offensive rating was 101.8.
Example of Impact: In the 2011-12 season, the Milwaukee Bucks finished 5th in the NBA in points per game with 99, while the Chicago Bulls came in 18th at 96.3. However, the Bucks were 15th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, scoring 102.4 points per 100 possessions, well behind the Bulls, who ranked 5th at 104.5 points per 100 possessions.
2011-12 Hornets: 29th in PPG (89.6), 26th in offensive efficiency (98.3). Therefore, the Hornets' offense was actually more efficient than their points per game would indicate. 2011-12 League average: 101.8
Defensive Rating (Comparable "Traditional" Stat: Points Allowed per game)
Explanation: This stat is basically the exact same thing as offensive efficiency, except on the other side of the ball. A team that gives up a lot of points may seem like a bad defensive squad, but in reality it could just be a function of a fast-paced offense that allows for more possessions. By utilizing the amount of points allowed per 100 possessions, we can get a better indication of the defense's actual ability. Logically, the league average for defensive rating was the same as the league average offensive rating – 101.8.
Example of Impact: In the 2011-12 season, the New Orleans Hornets finished 7th in the NBA in fewest points allowed per game with 93.4, while the Oklahoma City Thunder came in 17th at 96.9. However, the Hornets were 16th in the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 102.3 points per 100 possessions, well behind the Thunder, who ranked 9th at 100 points per 100 possessions.
2011-12 Hornets: As indicated above, the slow pace that the Hornets employed on offense helped to make their defense look better than it actually was. Their defense was not bad by any means, but it was not a top-10 unit like points allowed per game may have made it seem.
Net Rating (Comparable "Traditional" Stat: Points Scored – Points Allowed)
Explanation: A team's net rating is just its offensive efficiency minus its defensive efficiency. Simply put, a positive net rating should indicate an above average team, while a negative net rating should indicate a below average team.
Example of Impact: Over on At The Hive, Rohan analyzed the net ratings of the past 20 NBA finalists and determined that for a team to reach the NBA finals, it typically needs to achieve a net rating of around +6.
2011-12 Hornets: The Hornets finished the 2011-12 season with a net rating of -3.98, which placed them 24th in the NBA.
Effective Field Goal Percentage (Comparable "Traditional" Stat: Field Goal Percentage)
Explanation: The goal of this statistic is simple – to account for the added benefit of making a 3-point shot. Using 2-point shots as the standard, eFG% weights every made 3-pointer as 1.5/1 instead of the traditional 1/1. The 2011-12 league average eFG% was 48.7%.
Example of Impact: Look no further than the 2011-12 Orlando Magic. As a team, they shot 44.1% from the field overall, which ranked 21st in the NBA. However, after adding in the increased value of a 3-pointer, they shot up all the way to 4th with an eFG% of 50.6%, a clear indication of their prowess from long range.
2011-12 Hornets: The Hornets finished 13th in FG% at 45.1%; however, their league ranking of 21st in eFG% (47.6%) properly displays their struggles with the 3-pointer relative to the rest of the NBA. For more detailed information, Jake Madison recently reviewed these struggles.
True Shooting Percentage
Explanation: TS% takes eFG% a step further, accounting for not only 3-point shots, but free throw attempts as well. True shooting percentage is very valuable as an all-encompassing scoring statistic; players who can both knock down 3-pointers as well as get into the paint and draw fouls are properly rewarded for their ability to create efficient scoring opportunities. A team with a low TS% in comparison to its FG% and eFG% typically needs to either get to the free throw line more often or convert on a higher percentage of its free throw attempts. The 2011-12 league average TS% was 52.7%.
Example of Impact: By measuring only FG%, you would be led to believe that the Timberwolves were atrocious, finishing 27th in the NBA at 43.3%. However, Minnesota's TS% tells a different story; at 52.4%, they ranked 18th in the NBA, just .3% below the league average TS%.
2011-12 Hornets: Another bad stat for the Hornets here; their TS% was 22nd in the NBA at 51.7%, eight spots below their traditional FG% of 45.1%.
Free Throw Rate (Comparable "Traditional" Stat: Free Throw Attempts per game)
Explanation: As with any "per-game" statistic, results can often be skewed based on varying paces at which NBA teams play. A much more reliable metric to determine how effective a team is at earning free throw attempts is to weight it against the amount of shots the team takes. This concept is precisely what free throw rate does – all you have to do to calculate it is divide a team's total free throw attempts by its total field goals attempted. This stat can also be utilized from a defensive standpoint to determine how prone a team is to giving up free throw attempts. The 2011-12 league average free throw rate was 27.6%.
Example of Impact: The Milwaukee Bucks attempted the 19th most free throws per game, averaging 21.4. Their free throw rate, however, was fifth worst in the league at 25.0%.
2011-12 Hornets: This stat is actually one that helps the Hornets out. Their free throw attempts per game average was tied with Phoenix for 21st in the NBA at 21.2. Their free throw rate, however, was 27.4%, good for a tie for 15th in the NBA and only slightly below the league average. Look for this number to improve this season, especially if Eric Gordon can remain healthy.
In Part Two of this series, we'll look at some of the other advanced metrics for some of the non-scoring stat categories. If there are any questions that still loom after reading this post, I strongly encourage you to post them in the comments below so that I can continue to update this piece and make it as reader-friendly as possible. All stats courtesy of HoopData.com, a part of the ESPN TrueHoop Network.


text:
MTNA offers a number of membership types for teachers, students and those involved in the music industry.
For well over a century, MTNA has been the backbone for a collaborative community of music-teaching professionals, connecting both the seasoned educator and those at the beginning of their career.
Membership with MTNA does more than simply complement your career as a music professional—it supports, supplements and shapes it. It empowers music teachers nationwide to become better educators through networking, leadership, mentoring and educational opportunities.
Already a member? Sign in to Your Account


text:
Prince's Super Bowl halftime show recalled as best ever
It's been called the greatest Super Bowl halftime show ever -- that time that Prince belted out "Purple Rain" amidst a driving Florida rainstorm.
It was Super Bowl XLI back in 2007. Peyton Manning had led his Colts to a 16-14 halftime lead over the explosive Devin Hester and the Chicago Bears. High winds and heavy rains had turned Miami's Sunlife Stadium into a soggy mess. But that didn't faze Prince.
In fact, it only seemed to help him shine.
The 12-minute set -- which included everything from "We Will Rock You" to "Let's Go Crazy" to "All Along the Watchtower" -- rocked the stadium. But the iconic moment came when the stadium's lights went lavender, bathing the artist and his dancers in, literally, a purple rain for an unforgettable performance of "Purple Rain."
"That was one of those times when things worked magically and all you can do is say 'Thank you,'" one of the show producers later recalled in an NFL documentary.
Last year, Rolling Stone magazine named the show the best in Super Bowl history, topping U2, Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen.
VIDEO: You can watch the performance on the NFL's YouTube Channel or below:


text:
As part of the Real World Windows Azure series, we talked to Paddy Srinivasan, CEO at Cumulux, about ManageAxis, the company's monitoring, management, and deployment solution for customers who use the Windows Azure platform for delivering cloud-based applications.
MSDN: Tell us about Cumulux and the services you offer.
Srinivasan: Cumulux is a leading provider of cloud-computing products and services to Fortune 100 enterprises and major independent software vendors. Cumulux is led by Microsoft and industry veterans and was recently named one of the top 150 cloud-computing companies by the Cloud Computing Journal. Our newest product, ManageAxis, enables robust monitoring, management, and compliance of enterprise-class applications that run on the Windows Azure platform.
MSDN: What are the biggest challenges that ManageAxis is solving for Windows Azure customers?
Srinivasan: Businesses that are developing and deploying cloud applications on the Windows Azure platform face several challenges:
- Management and governance-Cloud applications have to be managed efficiently and proactively to control costs. Tight policy-based governance controls over who has access to cloud assets and periodic and on-demand logging and reporting are essential for managing mission-critical cloud deployments.
- Operational visibility and compliance-Operational and compliance regulations mean that businesses need to monitor and track critical application metrics like performance, security, and geo-location of services. However, many cloud-based applications are black boxes that provide little visibility into performance or other operational metrics.
- Application life-cycle management-Businesses that adopt the Windows Azure platform need to manage the application life cycle, including managing multiple versions and automating development, testing, and staging configurations for their cloud-based applications.
MSDN: Can you describe how ManageAxis addresses the monitoring, management, and application life-cycle needs of customers using Windows Azure?
Srinivasan: ManageAxis addresses these challenges through the following functionalities:
- Monitoring-ManageAxis helps customers monitor application performance, storage, and transaction metrics; monitor business key performance indicators (KPIs), service level agreements, and compliance metrics; and monitor operational costs of the application on Windows Azure.
- Management-ManageAxis enables customers to establish and implement policies for dynamic scaling based on forecasted peak loads or unplanned bursts in traffic. It also gives them the ability to create roles-based compliance workflows and provides reporting on critical business and performance KPIs.
- Deployment and application life-cycle management-Through ManageAxis, customers can manage multiple deployment configurations through the application life cycle and support rapid deployment with single-click cloning of solution topologies. They also gain roles-based access to manage the deployed version of the application.
MSDN: What makes your solution unique?
Srinivasan: ManageAxis is the first-of-its-kind management, compliance, and deployment solution for Windows Azure. As customers look to Windows Azure as a viable part of their architecture and technology road map and make plans to deploy cloud-based applications, ManageAxis fills that critical need to help customers gain operational visibility and granular application control. As a result, customers are assured operational excellence and optimum performance.
MSDN: What kinds of benefits are you realizing with Windows Azure?
Srinivasan: Windows Azure provides us with a great platform that enables visibility into application and performance metrics and helps us to manage the applications on our customers' behalves. We currently consume about 10,000 Windows Azure compute hours to host the various applications that we manage for our customers. By using ManageAxis, we are seeing a 40 percent reduction in the operational costs by adjusting the instances according to the performance and application metrics. Additionally, we are saving significant support time and costs by using ManageAxis for monitoring, alerting, and logging, rather than having our support team perform the same actions.
To read more Windows Azure customer success stories, visit: www.windowsazure.com/evidence
Visit Cumulux at: www.cumulux.com/products/manageaxis/


text:
Getting a pc nowadays isn't as simple because it was 10 years ago. Today, there are other computer parts and hardware that may be added on. Utilizing a computer has additionally become harder. There are lots of applications you can use and lots of computer accessories that may be utilized and needed when utilizing a pc, whether it is a desktop or perhaps a laptop.
You will find computer accessories you can use for desktop and laptops. A couple of seem to be the next: Memory cards are utilized being an additional and mobile space for storage for computer files. Card readers could be attached to the computer to see the information of the storage device. Earphones, headsets and microphones are attached to the computer to listen to and record a pc audio. Rather of utilizing the loudspeakers, a headphone can be used as private listening. A microphone can be used for recording audio within the computer.
A headset is really a headphone and microphone in a single. For those who use their computers for gaming, gamepads and joystick are extremely helpful. This enables these to play video games easily. Webcams are utilized like a computer camera and it is very helpful when contacting someone on the internet. There's also Infrared and Bluetooth technologies with enables wireless file transfers. Most personal computers don't have one already installed and older types of laptops might not have one installed either. Infrared and Bluetooth devices could be connected with the USB port from the computer. A graphics or computer tablet could be attached to the computer which enables someone to input hands-attracted images in to the computer and it is used much like a paper and pen.
Some computer accessories can be used as personal computers only. Power supplies are utilized to give capacity to every part from the computer. Current usually depends upon what country it's used. There's also available Controllers for computers which serve exactly the same purpose just like any handheld remote control. Personal computers may also have changeable cases. They might be either PC cases or tower cases for generally used today.
Laptops have a bit more accessories than pc have. You will find batteries for laptops. As it is a mobile computer, batteries are essential along with a back-up battery is useful when no power outlet can be obtained to charge battery already drained using the laptop. A mouse could be linked to a laptop if your are unfamiliar with utilizing a track pad or simply feels much more comfortable utilizing a mouse. There's also available docking stations for laptops which rely on what computer brand you use. It's also important to possess a new laptop bag that's durable and sturdy to maintain your laptop safe while travelling. Utilizing a laptop security system is important too to keep your laptop safe. You will find available locks especially created for laptops computers.
If you're the kind of person who loves to do things by yourself, you may also choose to obtain a repair or service manual for the computer. If you're knowledgeable and assured enough, this can help you save from taking your pc to service centers for straightforward repairs.
For more information visit Lenza tech


text:
- 925 silver stud earrings
- rhodium plated
- really be part of the Savage Lifestyle with these studs!
- comes in complimentary luxury packaging
All orders are gift wrapped in our beautiful packaging and must be signed for on receipt.
Standard UK Shipping 3-5 Working Days - FREE
Next Day Delivery - Order before 3pm Mon-Fri - £4.95
Please order before 12.00pm GMT to receive your order the next working day.
Orders received after 12.00pm GMT will be processed the next working day and will be delivered the day after processing.
Please visit our Delivery page for more information.
We will be happy to offer you an exchange or refund within 28 days of purchase.
Goods purchased online must be returned to us in perfect condition and in their original packaging in order for us to process an exchange or refund. Due to health reasons, earrings may not be returned.
Upon receipt of items, the credit or debit card originally used for the purchase will be credited with the cost of the goods minus the delivery charges (exceptions may apply). We will process your refund within 48 hours of receipt. Your credit card company may take 4-7 working days to credit your account.
All of our jewellery at Savage and Rose has been hallmarked at the Assay Office in London which fulfils the requirements established by the Hallmarking Act 1973. This guarantees the purity of the metals used in each piece.


text:
It's Even Worse Than We Imagined
Students Reveal Teacher Brought Anti-Gay Bias to the Classroom
Weak Anti-Bullying Policy Leaves Lake County Students Unprotected
Strengthen Lake County Anti-Bullying Policy
More troubling revelations have emerged surrounding Jerry Buell, a Lake County teacher who posted virulently anti-gay comments on Facebook.
Last week Jerry Buell, a Lake County teacher at Mount Dora High School gained national attention for publicly posting comments comparing gay couples to "a cesspool" on Facebook. Initially Mr. Buell was suspended from his teaching position, though the Lake County School Board has since placed him back in the classroom.
A growing number of students have come forward to describe Mr. Buell's homophobic behavior in the classroom. Brian Blaise, an honors student who graduated in 2003, described the day Mr. Buell offered his disturbing take on the issue of gays serving in the military:
"I looked up when he said he supported gays in the military, stunned by the answer. He immediately followed that comment with the statement that we should then put them on the front lines, and pull back," Blaise said.
Another of his students recounted Mr. Buell invoking the quote "A pig in a tuxedo is still a pig" to declare his disdain for recognizing gay relationships.
A syllabus that Buell admits to have used for many years states his beliefs plainly,
"I teach God's truth, I make very few compromises. If you believe you may have a problem with that, get your schedule changed, 'cause I ain't changing!"
Last week nearly 300 of our members in the Lake County area sent letters calling for a thorough investigation. Now we need everyone to step up and deliver the message that every student deserves a safe learning environment.
60% of Florida's students live in school districts that provide specific protections from anti-gay bullying and discrimination. But, Lake County is not one of them.


text:
Irma Boom
Selected to accompany the exhibition A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes, on view at Cooper Hewitt from July 7, 2023 to February 4, 2024.
Mid-twentieth-century California offered fertile ground for design innovations. The state's reputation as a land of unlimited opportunity, its many institutions of higher learning, and its perpetually booming population created conditions that allowed designers and craftspeople to flourish. They found an eager market among educated and newly affluent Californians, and their products shaped the material culture of the entire nation. This book, a companion to the popular 2011 MIT Press/LACMA publication California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way," reveals the complex web of influences, collaborations, institutional affiliations, and social networks that fueled the California design economy.
This book offers more than 140 illustrated biographical profiles of the most significant mid-century California designers, including such famous names as Saul Bass and Charles and Ray Eames as well as many lesser known but influential practitioners. These designers, craftspeople, and manufacturers worked in the full range of design media, creating furniture, fashion, textiles, jewelry, ceramics, and graphic and industrial design. Each entry includes a succinct biography, a portrait of the designer or image of an important design, cross-references to other entries, and a list of sources for further research. Significant examples of California design and craft objects are featured in more than 180 illustrations and rare photographs.
Created by internationally renowned graphic designer Irma Boom, the book is a beautifully crafted object in its own right. It will become an indispensable resource for all those interested in modern design.
Bobbye Tigerman is Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and was cocurator of the exhibition California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way."
Lisa Gabrielle Mark is Director of Publications at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
Sold Out


text: Hollywood has burned us before with the overhyped and improbable BlackHat, the cliched and boring CSI: Cyber, and the WTF? Scorpion. Given so many cyberflops, the bar was admittedly low for USA Network's new hacker drama Mr. Robot to succeed. And yet it does despite a few missteps, a convoluted plot that mashes together several headlines of the last few years, and a spotty supporting cast of hackers.


text:
Sky Tower
Tuesday, 10th June 2008 by Alex Turnbull
The 12th tallest member of the World Federation of Great Towers, Auckland's Sky Tower is 328 metres tall (from ground level to the top of the mast), which makes it the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere1.
Friend of Google Sightseeing, Nev, is currently doing a 29000 mile trip around the planet, and yesterday (or today, or possibly tomorrow depending on your time zone) decided to leap off this very tower. Twice.
He was able to achieve this death-defying feat thanks to a "fan descender free fall system" that controlled his descent over 192 metres! Here's a picture of someone engaging in this utterly ridiculous pastime.
If you're thinking this all sounds a bit familiar, then you may have read our 2005 post on the Macau Sky Tower, which was commissioned by billionaire Stanley Ho Hung-Sun after he saw the Auckland Sky Tower, and decided he wanted one for himself. A little bit taller, naturally.
You can read more about the Auckland Sky Tower at Wikipedia, or entertain yourself with posts about other members of the World Federation of Great Towers that we've featured in the past.
You'll recall that antenna are allowed in height category 4 of the world's tallest buildings. ↩


text:
Jul 16 2013
The Significant Benefits of Zoho Help Desk for Your Business
In the world of business, many people already knew that help desk is a technology, which is presented in the form of software, which can be really helpful for every single business owner. To be more specific, this software is beneficial for business owners whose businesses are related to customers. Those businesses can certainly be various. They can be the ones that sell products to people or they can also be the ones that sell services instead of products. If you yourself are an owner of a business and you never have any experience in using this kind of software before, it seems that you better start thinking about using it because basically this software is beneficial for you as a business owner. If you are confused about which one to choose, you can try the Zoho Help Desk. This one is mentioned to be more beneficial than any other similar help desk software. Here are some examples of its significant benefits.
User-Friendly Help Desk Software
The very first benefit of this help desk software is that is is user-friendly. Even if you are quite new to it because of the fact that you never really use any help desk before, there is no need to worry that you will not be able to use it well to help you dealing with customer support, for you to know; the basic function of this software is to make customer support to be much easier for business owner to provide. Other similar help desk software might not that easy to use. Moreover, they take too much of your time because they need to be installed, they need some upgrades, and others. When you use this help desk software, there is no need for you to do all those things. This way, you can focus more on supporting your customers better.
Help Desk Software That Is Suitable for Small Business Too
Other than the benefit mentioned previously, there is still another significant benefit that can also be found in the same help desk software. The benefit is that it is not only limited for big to huge business types. Instead, it can be used also in small business. If the business that you are running is small in scale and you think you can handle the customer support without any pro help, it seems to be good for you to try using the help given by this help desk software. The good thing about the help is merely about the fact that you can later on provide better quality customer support. Instead, it is also about the fact that the payment is designed to be more suitable for small business in relation to the requests you handle. This way, there is no need for you to worry too much if the help will be some kind of exaggeration that is not really needed in the business that you own.


text:
60" wide by 36" high flag with "10 BABYMETAL YEARS" design printed on the front with your choice of CD or clear vinyl.
"10 BABYMETAL YEARS" is the first ultimate collection of highlights taken from BABYMETAL's three studio albums BABYMETAL (2014), METAL RESISTANCE (2016) and METAL GALAXY (2019) and it gives an excellent overview on one decade of Metal.
In the first 10 years the band has achieved an outstanding amount of success around the world with hundreds of millions of audio streams, and almost a billion YouTube views. They played to 110,000 people over the course of two nights at the massive TOKYO DOME, supported Red Hot Chili Peppers on their UK/US arena tour along with additional support slots with Metallica in South Korea and Guns N' Roses in Japan.
1. Doki Doki Morning
2. Head Bangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!
3. Ijime, Dame, Zettai
4. Megitsune
5. Gimme Chocolate!!
6. Road of Resistance
8. THE ONE (Japanese Version)
9. Distortion (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
10. PA PA YA!! (feat. F.HERO)
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …
Powered By Merch Traffic.


text:
Sounds like a wonderful thing, doesn't it? It's created more divisions among people than can be counted. What is it? A PAC formed to produce propaganda, which became a Free Speech lawsuit upheld by a Supreme Court decision in 2010 and made way for "Dark Money", or anonymous campaign contributions and effectively unlimited corporate donations.
SUMMARY OF CITIZENS UNITED V. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION March 2, 2010 2010-R-0124
Wikipedia: "The Political Action Committee (PAC) Citizens United was founded in 1988 by Floyd Brown, a longtime Washington political consultant, with major funding from the Koch family (industrialists who own "the second largest privately owned company in the United States"). The group promotes corporate interests, socially conservative causes and candidates who advance their mission.
Citizens United President and Bannon's propaganda producer David Bossie, along with Catholic, Lenin-loving Steve Bannon. Lawrence Kadish is a wealthy real estate investor/founder of Chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, whose Victory Film Group pushes Tweets that work with Breitbart New's Anti-Muslim stories. Funded by the Koch Brothers and the Mercers.
FRIENDS: Kellyanne Conway, Newt Gingrich, Michael Reagan, nationally syndicated radio show host and chairman of Citizens United's Faith and Family Project. The Mercers funded Citizens United in later years.
FOES: Obama, Clinton, John McCain, NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
A Closer Look at Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon from Wall Street on Parade: "Three of the men associated with Citizens United, the right-wing organization that took the legal case to the U.S. Supreme Court that ushered in today's unprecedented era of unlimited corporate money in U.S. elections, took key posts in the Donald Trump campaign beginning this past summer.
One of the men, Stephen K. Bannon, has been named by President-elect Trump to be his Senior Counselor and Chief Strategist in the White House. While Bannon is widely cited for his executive role at Breitbart News prior to joining the Trump campaign, he is also the long-tenured, right-wing filmmaker for the Citizens United organization. A number of the films made by Bannon list Lawrence Kadish as Executive Producer and Victory Film Group as an affiliated entity involved in the documentaries.
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the Citizens United Case in 2010, David N. Bossie, then President of Citizens United (who also joined the Trump campaign this year) had this to say about Lawrence Kadish:
"First and foremost, I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kadish who have been incredibly generous from the very first day of this process. We would never have been able to reach the Supreme Court without their support. I also need to thank the thousands of donors who exercised their right to free speech to support Citizens United and this defense of the First Amendment."
What the Citizens United decision effectively did was to drown out the voice of millions of average Americans while hedge fund titans and Wall Street billionaires can now individually contribute over $3 million, $5 million, $7 million and more to Super PACs supporting pro-corporate candidates.
Kadish is a wealthy real estate investor and founding Chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition. He has prominently backed a series of neoconservative pro-Israel groups. Kadish's full-throttle support for Israel and his involvement in numerous Bannon films for Citizens United, suggest that the heavily distributed rumors of Bannon being anti-Semitic are peculiar charges at best.
The Victory Film Group that is associated with the Bannon/Kadish movies has a Twitter page that plants the seeds of distrust of Muslims and appears to be a form of co-branding with Breitbart News, frequently promoting news stories on the Breitbart web site. One reTweet reads: "Judge Who Ended Interrogation Of Boston Bomber Has Ties To Muslim Brotherhood." Another reTweet states: "57 Million New Immigrants to Enter America."
Positions and advocacy
Citizens United is known for its support of conservatives in politics. The group produced a television advertisement that reveals several legislative actions taken by John McCain, which aired on Fox News Channel.[5]
On October 2, 2006, in reaction to revelations of a cover-up of inappropriate communications between Republican Congressman Mark Foley and United States House of Representatives Page, Citizens United president David Bossie called on Dennis Hastert to resign over his role in covering up the scandal.[6]
The group sued New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman over Schneiderman's demand that it disclose all its donors. Citizens United lost the case.[7]
Citizens United campaigned against Michael Moore's 2004 film Fahrenheit 9/11, advocating for government limits on how much advertising the film received.[8] It simultaneously made advertisements attacking the film,[9] and produced a film called Celsius 41.11, meant to counter Moore's film.[10]
Citizens United's best known campaign centered around a documentary film it produced that was highly critical of Hillary Clinton.[11] It has also produced and screened advertisements attacking other Democrats, including Bill Clinton,[8] John Kerry,[12] and Al Gore.[11] In the 1988 US presidential election, Citizens United ran an ad that used Willie Horton to attack Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis. The ad was described as racist by commentators such as Mother Jones.[11]
The group has produced a film criticizing the United Nations.[10]
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission 558 U.S. 310 (2010) is a landmark U.S. constitutional law and corporate law case dealing with regulation of campaign spending by organizations. The United States Supreme Court held (5–4) on January 21, 2010 that freedom of speech prohibits government from restricting independent political expenditures by nonprofit corporations, for-profit corporations, labor unions and other associations.[2][3]
In the case, the conservative non-profit organization Citizens United wanted to air a film critical of Hillary Clinton and to advertise the film during television broadcasts shortly before the 2008 Democratic primary election in which Clinton was running for U.S. President. This would violate a federal statute prohibiting certain electioneering communications near an election. The court found the provisions of the law that prohibited corporations and unions from making such electioneering communications to conflict with the U.S. Constitution.
However, the court upheld requirements for public disclosure by sponsors of advertisements. The case did not affect the federal ban on direct contributions from corporations or unions to candidate campaigns or political parties.
The decision was highly controversial when announced and remains a subject of much discussion today.[4]
Citizens United and the Trump Administration
In 2016 the Donald Trump presidential campaign enlisted Citizens United president David Bossie as deputy campaign manager.[13] During the campaign, Bossie made regular television appearances on behalf of the Trump campaign.[14] Bossie is a close friend and longtime acquaintance of Trump administration officials Stephen Bannon and Kellyanne Conway,[15] having introduced Bannon to Trump in 2011.[16]"
Citizens United Productions
Citizens United Productions, headed by president David Bossie, has released 25 feature-length documentaries. The following is a list of films produced by Citizens United Productions.
- ACLU: At War with America
- America at Risk
- Battle for America
- Blocking 'The Path to 9/11'
- Border War: The Battle Over Illegal Immigration
- Broken Promises: The UN at 60
- Celsius 41.11 (reaction to Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11)
- A City Upon a Hill
- Fast Terry – documentary on Terry McAuliffe's controversial business deals
- Fire From the Heartland: The Awakening of the Conservative Woman
- Generation Zero [using the 2008 financial crisis as a promo for Major War, The 4th Turning]
- The Gift of Life
- Hillary: The Movie [2008 film resulting in the Supreme Court Decision]
- The Hope and the Change – release date September 2012
- HYPE: The Obama Effect 2008 [Discrediting Obama, from Birtherism on Fact Check by Huff Post]
- Nine Days that Changed the World – hosted by Catholic Newt Gingrich and his [mistress while leading the Clinton impeachment] wife, Callista Gingrich about Pope John Paul II's visit to Poland presenting some 4th Turning ideologies]
- Occupy Unmasked
- Perfect Valor
- Rediscovering God in America
- Rediscovering God in America II: Our Heritage
- Rocky Mountain Heist
- Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny
- We Have the Power: Making America Energy Independent
- Torchbearer


text:
In the battle to control health care costs, hospitals are deploying their political power to protect their bottom lines.
The point of contention: For decades, Medicare has paid hospitals — including hospital-owned physician practices that may not be physically located in a hospital building — about double the rates it pays other doctors and facilities for the same services, such as mammograms, colonoscopies and blood tests.
The rationale has been that hospitals have higher fixed costs, such as 24/7 emergency rooms and uncompensated care for uninsured people.
Insurers, doctors and consumer advocates have long complained it's an unequal and unfair arrangement that results in higher costs for patients and taxpayers. It's also a profit incentive for hospitals to buy up physician practices, which health economists say can lead to hospital consolidation and higher prices.
In December, the House passed a bill that included a provision requiring Medicare to pay the same rates for medical infusions, like chemotherapy and many treatments for autoimmune conditions, regardless of whether they're done in a doctor's office or clinic owned by a hospital or by a different entity. The policy, known as site-neutral payment, has sparked a ferocious lobbying battle in the Senate, not the first of its kind, with hospitals determined to kill such legislation.
Don't bet against them. The House legislation would save Medicare an estimated $3.7 billion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. To put this in perspective, the program is projected to pay hospitals upward of $2 trillion during that same period. But hospitals have long argued that any adoption of site-neutral payments would force them to cut jobs or services or close facilities altogether, particularly in rural areas. And senators are listening.
"The Senate is very much attuned to rural concerns," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, told KFF Health News. His panel has jurisdiction over Medicare, the health program for adults 65 and over, as well as people with disabilities.
"I have heard lots of questions about how these proposals would affect rural communities and rural facilities," he said. "So we're taking a look at it."
Outpatient departments at rural hospitals can have outsize importance to their communities. Taking any funding away from stand-alone rural hospitals is seen as risky. Scores have closed in the past decade due to financial problems. With fewer patients, rural hospitals often struggle to attract doctors and update technology amid rising costs.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician who also serves on the Senate Finance Committee, indicated he was apprehensive about the legislation.
"In some cases," he said, higher Medicare payments for hospitals are "justified."
"In some cases, it doesn't seem to be," he said. He told KFF Health News he was planning to introduce legislation on the issue but didn't provide details, and his office didn't respond to inquiries.
As the two senators show, the issue doesn't break cleanly along partisan lines. In December, the House easily passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, the broader bill that included this Medicare payment change, with 166 Republicans and 154 Democrats voting in favor.
"It's more about how close different members are to the hospital industry," said Matthew Fiedler, a former White House health economist under President Barack Obama and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
The American Hospital Association describes the site-neutral policy as a "cut" to hospital Medicare payments and said in a statement to a House subcommittee that the policy "disregards important differences in patient safety and quality standards required in these facilities."
Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, which represents for-profit hospitals, offered a similar characterization of the House-passed legislation. "This is no time for so-called 'site neutral' Medicare cuts that could harm beneficiaries," he said in a statement. He urged lawmakers to drop the policy from the broader bill and instead prioritize patients' access to hospital care by not only protecting Medicare but also strengthening the health care safety net.
Hospitals argue they need the extra money because they have higher costs, said Salama Freed, an assistant professor of health policy and management at George Washington University and a nonresident fellow at KFF. But "it doesn't necessarily warrant the amount that they end up getting paid for this," she said.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), which advises Congress on the program, has recommended implementing site-neutral payments for over a decade.
"This is not a hospital cut. It is rolling back an unethical price increase," said Mark Miller, a former MedPAC executive director who's now an executive vice president at Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy founded by John and Laura Arnold, an energy industry investor and an attorney, respectively.
Large hospital systems with the money to buy physician practices, Miller said, have exploited the disparity between Medicare payments to physician offices and hospitals to increase their revenue and consolidate.
Arnold Ventures advocates for site-neutral payments, and its leaders have discussed the issue with lawmakers. (The organization has also provided funding for KFF Health News.)
Miller said he's hopeful the site-neutral provision of the House bill will be part of a larger government spending bill that must be passed next month to keep the government open. If lawmakers need to offset the bill's costs, "then [the provision] is more likely to get in the funding package," he said.
Though the House-passed legislation is viewed as an "incremental" change, said Fiedler, it faces a rough path forward. Evening out Medicare payments for physician-administered drugs, hospitals fear, could lead to similar moves for other outpatient services.
"Hospitals have a lot of money at stake and will fight this hard," he said. "Hospitals feel if they lose here, down the road there will be more substantial steps."
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.
Copyright 2024 KFF Health News. To see more, visit KFF Health News.


text:
Download Now Price : $59 View Demo
A powerful, super flexible responsive real estate theme for WordPress!
WP Pro Real Estate 6 is one of the most powerful real estate WordPress themes purpose built to showcase your listings, loaded with features & beautifully designed! WP Pro Real Estate 6 is fully responsive so no matter what device your users are on it always looks SHARP!
Since 2008 I've been hand crafting leading edge real estate WordPress themes for thousands of professionals, so you know you're getting a top notch theme, with five star support from an Elite author!
WP Pro Real Estate 6 can be used for anything from real estate to vacation rentals to automotive sales. Don't be fooled by others promising clean code and easy customization, I've coded this theme from the ground up with customization and ease of use in mind. Get up and running in minutes!
Simply the Best Real Estate WordPress Theme on Themeforest if not the Planet!
Video Tutorials
Updated – 12/2/15 — View complete changelog here
What People Are Saying
"Actually the theme is much more than only flexible, it has a good quality design, nice features, personal support by the author, fast code, written and video documentation and a rich knowledge base."
"Chris has been so responsive in his assistance. Getting to understand how he built the features has made me realize what a well together template this is. The options, feature set and flexibility is top notch. My client enjoys the look and feel as well as the ease of managing listings. Blows Agent Press out of the water."
"I want to say thanks to Chris for the fantastic support he's provided. Real Estate 6 is a fantastic product with loads of functionality and flexibility but when I needed help it was there to support me. Thanks Again. Top Class Service and Product!"
"Great, quick support. Theme is easy to use and very flexible"
"We're very happy with their support, 5 Stars!!!"
"Great theme, great support! If you're looking for a theme for listing anything – boats, real estate – I mean anything, this is an extremely flexible theme. Customer support is top-notch!"
"Seriously, the best WP real estate theme I've worked with!"
"Great Theme, Great Support. Recommended!"
"Design Quality, simple to use and customize, great theme!"
"Awesome design, very fast customer support !!!"
"Very good design and very easy to set up. Great customer support as well!"
"Feature availability, love the theme — awesome support!"
"Great feature availability, easy to use and great support!"
"Nice theme, easy to customize & super flexible! 5 Stars!"
"Five Stars, nuff said!"
Theme Features
- Front End Listing Submission & Management System
- Fully Responsive Design
- WordPress 3.5+
- Built with HTML5 & CSS3
- Easy Listing Management
- Powerful Custom Built Listing Mapping
- Powerful Page Builder
- Awesome Drag & Drop Homepage Builder
- Child Theme Creator – Video
- Retina Ready
- Translation Ready! Full Localization support, .mo & .po files provided
- WPML Compatible
- Unlimited Skins & Patterns
- Unbranded AJAX Powered Admin Options Panel
- 8 Widget Ready Sidebars
- Widget Ready Footer
- 6 Custom Page Templates
- Agents
- Contact
- Full Width
- Left Sidebar
- Sitemap
- Testimonials
- 14 Custom Widgets
- Adspace – Use this widget to add any type of Ad as a widget.
- Agent Info – Use this widget to display your listing agent information, can only be used in the Listing Single sidebar as it relies on listing information for content.
- Agents Other Listings – Display your agents other listings, can only be used in the Listing Single sidebar as it relies on listing information to function properly.
- Blog Author Info – Use this widget to tell your audience a little bit about your company and all the awesome things you do! Optional Gravatar, and Read More link.
- Broker Info – Use this widget to display your brokers information.
- Contact Info – Use this widget to display your contact information.
- Flickr – Use this widget to populate photos from a Flickr ID.
- Follow Us – Use this widget to show your social profiles.
- Latest Posts – Use this widget to display your latest posts.
- Listings – Use this widget to display your listings from any taxonomy and tag combo.
- Listings Agent Contact – Display an agent contact form. Can only be used in the Listing Single sidebar as it relies on listing information for content.
- Listings Search – Use this widget to display the advanced listings search form.
- Search – Use this widget to display the blog search form.
- Tabs – Use this widget to display Latest Posts, Recent comments and a Tag cloud.
- 400+ Custom Google Fonts
- 50+ Pre-defined Background Patterns
- Custom User Profile Fields (Profile Image, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Phone, Fax, Title, & more!)
- SEO Optimized
- Built-in Breadcrumbs
- Facebook Share, Tweet this, Google +1 & LinkedIn Share
- Child Theme Creator
- Video Ready
- Two Custom Menu Locations (Main & Footer)
- Bunch of Shortcodes with a Powerful Generator
- Extensive Documentation
Thanks for purchasing one of my premium themes! I pride myself on supporting my customers — if you're experiencing trouble getting setup, I'll do my best to answer your questions as soon as possible. Support covers getting setup, trouble using any features and bug fixes. I unfortunately can't provide support for modifications or 3rd party plugins.
Theme support is only offered to verified customers, through http://support.contempographicdesign.com — any other method will be redirected back there. Please search the knowledge base before submitting a ticket.
I actively update my themes with new features and additions, if you have any suggestions please leave a comment or shoot me a message via my profile.


text:
Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes 100ml Red Blaze
Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes 100ml - Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes can be used in a variety of ways. You can use it in the traditional way or use it with a layering technique with adhesives.
Use with Cosmic Shimmer Flake & Glitter Glue or with the double sided tape. When using with the glue you apply the glue to your project and wait for the glue to dry. Once dry the glue will remain tacky, place the flakes onto the glue and pat them down. You can then use a dry brush or sponge to remove the excess flake and reveal the detail. Use the same techniques for the double sided tape with any of your favourite crafting dies.
You can use with stamps and glue. If applying the glue with a stamp ensure you wash the stamp immediately after in warm water.
Yes, AU Warranty for Parts only
SKU CSGFSMBLAZE Barcode # 5055260923274 Brand Creative Expressions Shipping Weight 0.0500kg -
Be The First To Review This Product!
Help other SDH Co. Pty Ltd users shop smarter by writing reviews for products you have purchased.
More From This Category


text:
This was published 10 years ago
Next-generation condom that feels like skin comes closer
By Nicky Phillips
Many strange things take place in the name of science. For biomedical engineer Robert Gorkin that meant a trip to a sex shop.
In his endeavour to design the next generation of condoms to replace latex versions with a material that feels like skin, the University of Wollongong researcher needed a mould for his prototype.
"I had to go into a sex shop and talk to the owner about the different types of dildos that could withstand certain temperatures and other things," he said.
When the owner gave Dr Gorkin a puzzled look, the engineer assured him the purchase was for "science".
"He was like, 'sure buddy, I hear it all'," said Dr Gorkin.
But the adventure paid off. On Wednesday, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the University of Wollongong researcher and his team $100,000 to further develop their design as part of an initiative to encourage bold ideas for global health problems.
Dr Gorkin hopes the new design condoms will give couples another option to control conception and reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, espcially in countries like sub-Sahara Africa.
The team's condoms will be made of a material known as tough hydrogels, a network of long-chain polymers embedded with water, that are super strong but remarkably elastic.
"You can think of hydrogels as a wet, soft, squishy material very similar to [your body's] tissue," said team member and materials engineer, Sina Naficy.
The material's skin-like feel is what gives it an edge over current condoms made of latex.
"One of the problems with condoms in general is the perceived lack of sensation," Dr Gorkin said.
Regardless of whether the plunge in pleasure men associate with condom wear is real or imagined, it has a significant effect on a man's choice to use them or not, he said.
"We need to design condoms that men want to use because they increase sexual pleasure," he said.
If his new materials could offer more skin-like sensation, it could increase their uptake, said Dr Gorkin.
The networked structure of the material also means lubricants and drugs can be integrated into the condom. The new material will also be biodegradable and avoid the issue of latex allergies, which about 5 to 10 per cent of the population have.
Hydrogels are used in contact lenses and are being studied for use in wearable and implantable bionics, said Dr Gorkin.
With the Gates Foundation money, the group will test different formulations of hydrogels to design condoms with the right amount of elasticity but the correct mechanical properties to prevent breakage.
They will also need to confirm the materials are safe, that they prevent pregnancy and stop the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.
Dr Gorkin said the reasons people avoided condoms differed among cultures, and changing people's perceptions would require talking to users about their needs and wants to try to incorporate those things into the design.
"We are trying to be realistic about the project and it involves an open and frank discussion about wants and needs in this area," he said.