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It's been three whole months since the last time shares of Lululemon (LULU) blew up, and now they've gone and done it again. While the previous 20% implosion was caused by the unexpected resignation of CEO Christine Day, the current one is more general and tied to a weak forecast.
Specifically, the high-end Canadian yoga apparel retailer now sees third quarter sales at $370 million -$375 million, versus a $390 million consensus estimate, and earnings $0.39 to $0.41 per share compared to expectations of $0.45. Similar reductions were made to Lulu's full year outlook too, as the company's guidance and store growth seem modest compared to the stellar valuations (30x 2013 estimated EPS) the stock trades at.
"One of the issues for the stock is that it doesn't have any valuation support," says Yahoo Finance senior columnist Michael Santoli in the attached video. "When these cult, momentum growth stocks break, they kind of stay broken for a little while."
Even before today's misstep, the company was already trying to erase a 10% year-to-date loss, having recouped nearly half the ground lost from the tumble in June.
Another risk overhang is the fact that Lulu has yet to name a new CEO or fill at least three other senior management positions that are seen as critical for the $10 billion company to expands its breadth beyond Canada and the U.S. Recent reports had speculated that current Lulu board member and former Coach executive Jerry Stritzke might be in line for the top job, but he just signed on to run outdoor equipment retailer REI, replacing Sally Jewel, who left to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Bottom line: Lulu's CEO search continues at a time when the company needs to get in gear and fight back burgeoning competitors like the Gap's (GPS) Athleta brand which has new management, store growth and positive momentum.
As it stands, only 38% of analysts currently rate the stock a ''buy'' although the median price target of $77 is still about 20% above the current price, yet well below the all-time high of $82.50 hit three months ago.
"I do think they're going to grow into this valuation," Santoli says, "but it's just going to take longer than people thought."
More from Breakout:
Another Gold Rally Bites the Dust
Facebook Shares Top $45: Time to Thrive, Not Just Survive
Strong Dollar to Propel U.S. Markets Higher: Bespoke's Hickey


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Here's another Clean & Simple card. I matted the snowflake paper bag on white cardstock and tied the ribbon around both. The chipboard letters were coated in Paper glaze and silver thread glitter and set aside to dry. After attaching the letters, I glued on the confetti snowflakes and added a little bling w/some gems.
Have a fab day!
Julz =)
Supplies: Reconnections cardstock, designed paper bag, confetti snowflakes, Silver ribbon, gems, Chipboard Letters, Silver thread glitter, Paper glaze

subset: commoncrawl


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VentureClash Terms and Conditions
Your participation in the VentureClash global venture capital challenge (the "Challenge") is subject to the following terms and conditions. As used herein, the term "you" shall mean you personally and any company that you enter in the Challenge.
Early-stage digital health, insurance technology (insurtech), Internet of Things (IoT) and financial technology (fintech) companies that (1) have been in business for at least one year, (2) have paying customers or customers who are actively testing their product, and (3) have agreed to these Terms and Conditions, including maintaining a Connecticut Presence.
The VentureClash website will accept applications from March 1, 2017 until 11:59pm Eastern Time on June 23, 2017. Any applications submitted after 11:59pm Eastern Time on June 23, 2017 will not be considered absent specific approval from VentureClash, which approval may be withheld, conditioned or delayed at VentureClash's discretion.
March 1 – June 23, 2017: VentureClash website accepts first-round applications.
By June 29, 2017: Approximately thirty (30) semifinalists are selected for continued participation in the Challenge.
June 29 – July 28, 2017: Semifinalists' second round application submissions accepted.
By July 7, 2017: Semifinalists' two-minute elevator pitch video submissions accepted.
July 17 – August 18, 2017: Semifinalists may participate in potential Camp Venture, either virtually or in person, and submit the semifinal application. Applicants unable to participate can request exemption via email.
By August 22, 2017: Semifinalists' final pitch videos and slide decks accepted.
By September 15, 2017: Finalists are notified.
October 20, 2017: Finalists will be invited to Yale University to compete in person for up to a $5,000,000 investment award pool.
Semifinalists will be selected by Connecticut Innovations. Finalists will be selected by Connecticut Innovations and external judges (some of whom may be CEOs, venture capital investors or other industry experts). A panel of 5-8 judges will select winners on Friday, October 20, 2017.
First place: $1,500,000 investment award.
Second place (up to two): $1,000,000 investment award.
"Runners Up" (up to three): $500,000 investment award.
All awards are subject in all respects to the discretion of Connecticut Innovations including, without limitation, Connecticut Innovations' satisfactory completion of due diligence with respect to the participating company (the "Company"), the determination of a transaction structure acceptable to Connecticut Innovations, and the negotiation and documentation of definitive transaction documents with terms and conditions satisfactory to Connecticut Innovations in its sole discretion. The awards may be structured as preferred equity, convertible debt or any other structure satisfactory to Connecticut Innovations. Connecticut Innovations has no obligation, and shall not be deemed or construed to have any obligation, to provide any funding to any participant in the Challenge. Reasonable expenses incurred by investors in connection with negotiating and documenting any investment award including, without limitation, due diligence fees, legal fees, etc., will be deducted from the amount of such investment award at the closing of the applicable investment.
Connecticut Presence
Any prize or award made by Connecticut Innovations in connection with the Challenge shall be subject to, among other things, the Company agreeing to maintain a "Connecticut Presence." A Connecticut Presence can be maintained in any one of the following ways: (i) by the Company having some significant operational presence in the state, (ii) by the Company relocating its headquarters to Connecticut, or (iii) for non-U.S. entrants, by the Company making Connecticut the location of its U.S. office. Upon any failure of a Company to maintain a Connecticut Presence, Connecticut Innovations shall have the right to sell to the Company, and the Company shall be obligated to purchase from Connecticut Innovations, in one or more transactions, all or any part of Connecticut Innovations' investment at a price that would provide Connecticut Innovations with an 8% annual return.
Specific Legal Provisions
In addition to the Connecticut Presence requirements, any prize or award made by Connecticut Innovations in connection with the Challenge shall be subject to, among other things, the Company agreeing to provisions substantially similar to the following:
A. Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Provisions
(a) The Company agrees and warrants that in the performance of the Agreement it will not discriminate or permit discrimination against any person or group of persons on the grounds of sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, intellectual disability, mental disability or physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, unless it is shown by the Company that such disability prevents performance of the work involved, in any manner prohibited by the laws of the United States or of the state of Connecticut; and the Company further agrees to take affirmative action to insure that applicants with job-related qualifications are employed and that employees are treated when employed without regard to their sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, intellectual disability, mental disability or physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, unless it is shown by the Company that such disability prevents performance of the work involved.
(b) The Company agrees, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the Company, to state that it is an "affirmative action-equal opportunity employer" in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.
(c) The Company agrees to provide each labor union or representative of workers with which the Company has a collective bargaining agreement or other contract or understanding and each vendor with which such contractor has a contract or understanding, a notice to be provided by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities advising the labor union or workers' representative of the Company's commitments under this section, and to post copies of the notice in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment.
(d) The Company agrees to comply with each provision of Sections 4a-60 and 4a-60a of the Connecticut General Statutes and with each regulation or relevant order issued by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities pursuant to Sections 46a-56 and 46a-86 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(e) The Company agrees to provide the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities with such information requested by the commission, and permit access to pertinent books, records and accounts, concerning the employment practices and procedures of the Company as relate to the provisions of Sections 4a-60, 4a-60a and 46-56 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(f) The Company shall provide Connecticut Innovations with one of the following:
(i) documentation in the form of a company or corporate policy adopted by resolution of the board of directors, shareholders, managers, members or other governing body of the Company that complies with the nondiscrimination agreement and warranty under Section (a) herein;
(ii) documentation in the form of a company or corporate policy adopted by a prior resolution of the board of directors, shareholders, managers, members or other governing body of the Company if (i) the prior resolution is certified by a duly authorized corporate officer of the Company to be in effect on the date the documentation is submitted, and (ii) the head of Connecticut Innovations, or a designee, certifies that the prior resolution complies with the nondiscrimination agreement and warranty under Section (a) herein; or
(iii) documentation in the form of an affidavit signed under penalty of false statement by a chief executive officer, president, chairperson or other corporate officer duly authorized to adopt company or corporate policy that certifies that the company or corporate policy of the Company complies with the nondiscrimination agreement and warranty under Section (a) herein and is in effect on the date the affidavit is signed.
Occupational Safety and Health Act Compliance
The Company certifies that it: (i) has not been cited for three or more willful or serious violations of any occupational safety and health act or of any standard, order or regulation promulgated pursuant to such act, during the three-year period preceding the date of the Agreement, provided such violations were cited in accordance with the provisions of any state occupational safety and health act or the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and not abated within the time fixed by the citation and such citation has not been set aside following appeal to the appropriate agency or court having jurisdiction; or (ii) has not received one or more criminal convictions related to the injury or death of any employee in the three-year period preceding the date of the Agreement.
C. Certification Regarding Campaign Contributions (TBD)
Ethics Laws Summary
The Company affirms: (i) that it has reviewed a summary of State ethics laws developed by the Office of State Ethics which can be found on the State of Connecticut's Office of State Ethics website at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/lib/ethics/guides/contractors_guide_10.pdf; and (ii) that key employees of the Company have read and understand the summary and agree to comply with its provisions.
Providing Certain Information and Documents to the Department of Labor and Connecticut Innovations
The Company agrees that it shall furnish to Connecticut Innovations copies of the quarterly reports filed by the Company and any of its subsidiaries with the Connecticut Department of Labor and, upon request, employment records and such other personnel records to the extent permitted by law as Connecticut Innovations may reasonably request to verify the creation or retention of Connecticut employment. The Company hereby authorizes Connecticut Innovations to examine, and will at any time at the request of Connecticut Innovations provide Connecticut Innovations with such additional authorization satisfactory to the Connecticut Department of Labor as may be necessary to enable Connecticut Innovations to examine, all records of the Connecticut Department of Labor relating to the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries. The Company shall furnish to Connecticut Innovations, as soon as practicable after the end of each quarterly accounting period in each fiscal year of the Company, and in any event within forty-five (45) days thereafter, a copy of the Company's Connecticut Department of Labor Quarterly UC-5A Employee Earnings Report for such quarter.
Conditions Regarding Relocation of Company within the State
The Company agrees that if it relocates within the State within 10 years of the date of the Agreement, it shall offer employment at the new location to its employees from the original location if such employment is available.
No Liability
Connecticut Innovations shall not be liable and shall be held harmless in the event of any legal action of any nature arising out of or in connection with the Challenge. Without limiting the foregoing, Connecticut Innovations hereby expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for the following, all of which shall be the sole and exclusive responsibility of you: (i) any agreements between Challenge participants and third parties; (ii) domestic or international intellectual property rights of Challenge participants or the confidentiality of any information provided by any participant to Connecticut Innovations in connection with the Challenge; (iii) any entry materials provided by any Challenge participant; or (iv) the immigration status of any Challenge participant.
Your Obligations
You shall be solely responsible for (i) any agreements between you any third parties; (ii) domestic or international intellectual property rights you or your company; (iii) protecting the confidentiality of any information provided by you to Connecticut Innovations in connection with the Challenge; (iii) the accuracy of all information provided in connection with the Challenge, including any entry materials; (iv) your immigration status; (v) complying with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and guidelines; (vi) conducting yourself in a manner that does not adversely affect the image of Connecticut Innovations, the Challenge or other participants.
Connecticut Innovations reserves the right to remove any participant from the Challenge at any time and for any reason.
You represent and warrant that you do not participate in or otherwise sanction any terrorist activities. Connecticut Innovations shall not be liable and shall be held harmless from any harm resulting from breach of this warranty.
The Challenge is subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Connecticut Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA")
You should be aware that any information you provide to Connecticut Innovations may be required to be disclosed by Connecticut Innovations in response to valid legal process, such as a search warrant, subpoena or court order, or pursuant to the FOIA. Connecticut Innovations is a "public agency" for purposes of the FOIA, and documents and information received by Connecticut Innovations in connection with the conduct of its business, including in connection with the Challenge, generally constitute "public records or files" for purposes of the public access requirements of the FOIA. However, the FOIA includes an exemption from required disclosure for "trade secrets" and "commercial or financial information given in confidence, not required by statute" (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-210(b) (5)). In addition, Connecticut Innovations benefits from a FOIA exemption specific to certain categories of information received by Connecticut Innovations in connection with an application for, or the provision of, financial assistance (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 32-244 ), including:
(1) Actual trade secrets or information that a person intends to become a trade secret;
(2) Material that a person intends to patent;
(3) Patented material;
(4) Marketing or business plans;
(5) Plans for new products or services;
(6) Reports of customer orders or sales or other documents that would disclose names and addresses of customers or potential customers;
(7) Information concerning the financial condition or personal affairs of any individual;
(8) Financial statements or projections;
(9) Sales or earnings forecasts;
(10) Capital or strategic plans;
(11) Information regarding research and development;
(12) Tax returns; and
(13) Other commercial, credit or financial information with respect to the financial condition or business operations of an applicant for or recipient of financial assistance which is of a type not customarily made available to the public.
Connecticut Innovations may update the Challenge rules at any time. All updates will be posted on the VentureClash website and you shall be bound by all such updates. These rules include by incorporation any material posted on the VentureClash website.


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Tag Archives: Rovia
Manhattan by Cruise and Foot [Day 3 as ASL Host for Rovia]
DAY 3 Woke up to a cloudy morning and perfect weather for being outside! I worked on my goals before going downstairs to spend time with everyone at breakfast. I had some time to rest before we headed out on … Continue reading
Posted in ASL Host Travels Tagged ASL, ASL Host for Rovia, ASL Travel, Deaf, Deaf Rovia Members, Destiny Yarbro, Rovia, travel hacks Leave a comment
Sunrise over NYC [Day 2 as ASL Host for Rovia]
DAY 2 I was up at 5 – I'm an early bird – so without planning to, I got to see the "sunrise". Which was mainly watching the colors change on the building reflections – but it was really peaceful … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged ASL, ASL Host for Rovia, Deaf community, Deaf culture, Deaf Rovia Members, Deaf World Travel, Destiny Yarbro, Rovia Leave a comment
My first trip as the ASL host for Rovia!
My first trip for Rovia is FINALLY here! After two months of waiting, I just flew into New York and am all set up in Le Parker Meridian near Central Park! Oh my goodness, I am so excited!! I'm here as … Continue reading


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Hosted By:
Gleason's Gymnastics School Maple Grove
Gleason's Gymnastics School
9775 85th Ave N
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Entry Fees:
$85 flat fee per athlete
Entry Deadline:
Monday, February 27, 2017
Meet Date:
Sunday April 2, 2017
Entries are to be completed through USAGYM meet reservation system. Refer to Meet Reservations PDF document for instructions.
Mail synchronized entries to Gleason's Gymnastics School ATTN: GMG Invite Meet, 9775 85th Ave N, Maple Grove, MN 55369.
Late fees will still apply if check is not received by entry deadline. Mail a day or two ahead.
NO ENTRIES AFTER March 5th, 2017
Late Fee:
Entries received after 2/27/2017 will be charged a $10 late enrey fee per change per athlete
Entries received after 3/5/2017 will be charged a $20 fee per change per athlete.
Refunds will not be given for scratches. If an athlete is injured, a doctor's note must be provided and amount refunded may reflect
any costs already spent.
Make checks payable to Gleason's Gymnastics School. One check per team. Only entries filled out on provided entry form will be accepted.
Entry fee includes a meet gift.
Changes received after 2/27/2017 will be charged a $10 late entry fee per change per athlete
Changes received after 3/5/2017 will be charged a $20 fee per change per athlete.
NO CHANGES AFTER March 12th, 2017!
Any fees must be paid prior to meet starting.
140' rod floor, 6' x 12' landing zone, two Euro trampolines/Ross beds, Euro double-mini with landing zone and 66' of run up.
Combination of trophies, medals and/or ribbons.
Tentative Schedule:
Session 1: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Age groups 10 & under
Session 2: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Age groups 11 & 12
Session 3: 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Age groups 13& over
*Age groups may be combined to form competitive groups*
$10 for 13 and older
$5 for 12 and under
Please bring cash or check


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CP: opening weekend question
I'm leading a group of 17 of the nation's best Cutco Cutlery sales representatives to CP opening weekend.
We'll be there Sunday the 12, which I expect to be crazy crowded, but how about the Monday after opening weekend? Who's been there this day? What type of crowds should we expect on the Monday following opening weekend?
May 13-17 is considered "Math and Science Week" at the Point as schools from all over Ohio descend upon the park to allegedly learn a few things. To be honest, they should just call May "Math and Science Month" because the school groups are there seemingly every day.
As far as crowds go on Mondays, with the opening of a new coaster, expect it to be busier than usual and expect most of the people to be lined up for GateKeeper. On the plus side, lines for MF and Maverick may finally decrease a bit this year! I went to CP the first Monday of the 2000 season and waited 3 hours for Millennium Force. Ouch!
And if things are too crazy crowd-wise, you guys can pool some money together for FastLane passes... :)
Enjoy your visit to America's Roller Coast!
* This post was modified at 4/24/13 6:23:27 AM *


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See what's on the Agenda for upcoming Authority Board and Committee meetings.more
CONCORD, Calif. - Excitement is building about fully autonomous vehicles - especially in the Bay Area, where GoMentum Station is going full throttle to help change the way people, goods and services will eventually travel about the world. Read the full story in the Bay Area Monitor.
Concord selects autonomous vehicle to be parade's grand marshal.
CONCORD, Calif. (KGO)- It's an American tradition for parades to have a grand marshal, and that grand marshal is usually a person. But Tuesday's Fourth of July parade in Concord was a bit unusual.
The grand marshal this year was a little red bus with no steering wheel and no driver's seat- an autonomous vehicle.
Read the full story at ABC News.
Artificial intelligence holds the promise of rapidly altering existing industries, and transportation is not immune.
CONCORD, Calif. — Machines today can do incredible things. Computer algorithms are advanced enough to best world champions in chess or the multi-week champion on Jeopardy! If you ask that same chess-playing computer to a game of checkers, however, complications arise.
While said computer may excel at one task, using that same computing power to solve an equally or even less complex problem is the largest hurdle for artificial intelligence (AI) developers. During a discussion on how AI will effect mobility at GoMentum Station's Redefining Mobility Summit on March 30, a series of speakers took on this question head on.
Read the full story at Government Technology.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced ten automated vehicle proving ground test sites that will form a Community of Practice with the goal of advancing autonomous and connected vehicle technology.
Randy Iwasaki, executive director of the Contra Costa County Transportation Authority, which operates GoMentum Station in Concord, Calif., said he was "honored to be selected as one of the ten locations in the United States. This is the only technology on the planet that can help reduce traffic fatalities to zero."
Read the full story at Government Technology.
The June 2016 eNewsletter introduces the CCTA Board's tranformative 30-year Transportation Expenditure Plan, announces a closure of I-80 on June 18-19, gives an update on GoMentum Station and features highlights of the Redefining Mobility Summit and Bike to Work Day. Read our newsletter.
The Highway 4 Corridor Project, led by California's CCTA, will expand and modernize Highway 4 to accommodate increased traffic volumes and future construction of commuter rail in the fast-growing eastern portions of Contra Costa County, near San Francisco. Read the article


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Product Features
Once you slip on a pair of Analog Arto Jeans you will feel the difference right away. Not only do Arto jeans utilize top quality denim to provide a strong pair of jeans that can withstand the wear and tear of regular use but they are also elastic to conform to your body as comfortably as possible. The thick material in the Arto jeans makes them warm and snug; ideal for colder months and when you are outside in nasty weather.
Key Features of the Analog Arto Blue Grey Jeans:
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All Gear by: Analog


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I received a call from a reporter [CAROLYN LOCHHEAD] at a national newspaper [SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE], which will remain nameless until I see if she actually uses anything from the interview with me, and if she quotes me honestly. This was a newspaper to which I've sent a few editorials and letters to the editor, which never saw the light of day. I have a file of 50 different such submissions to American newspapers, none of which ever got acknowledged or published.
It was quite stunning to hear the reporter say that she wanted to interview me about my involvement with antigay hatred in Uganda and Russia. After taking a few deep breaths and holding back from saying, "huh?!?!?!", I asked her why she would be interviewing me about two countries that I've never been to, have said almost nothing about, don't have any contact with, don't work with, and can't communicate with since they aren't countries that speak the eight languages I've studied -- Greek, Latin, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese [NB: Uganda's official languages are Swahili and English, so I am not sure how to count that, on second thought]. Maybe I could understand if she wanted to interview me about Latin America, which I visited on business long before I was active in any social justice movements. It would be a stretch, but plausible.
But Uganda? Russia?
After all the work I've done on children's rights in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Italy, to protect a child's right to -- 1) be born free, not bought or sold; (2) have a mom and a dad; (3) connect with their origins -- why on Earth would I be asked to comment on laws about propagandizing to minors in Russia and threatening severe penalties to homosexuals in Uganda? I've referred obliquely to those places in here and there, in a half-dozen out of the 1,200 columns I've written on children's rights. But it honestly makes no sense. I told her, "I shouldn't even be included in this interview. I am not involved in Russia or Uganda."
She explained to me, "well, I'm sure you've seen this around, but gay groups have named you as one of the 'rising stars' of the antigay movement, and they say you are fomenting antigay hatred with your trips overseas. So I wanted to ask you about what the role is of Americans who speak out against gays overseas."
[NB: At the risk of getting conspiratorial, it is of course rather strange that the few scraps that Carolyn Lochhead got from me in this interview ended up not in the San Francisco Chronicle but rather in the Human Rights Campaign's infamously wrong Export of Hate report four months later--especially the point about my being a "rising star."]
So regardless of whether this woman is seriously tied to the San Francisco Chronicle, she seems about as solid in her thinking as the many trolls who have harassed me with peculiar accusations for the last two years. I realized, at this point, that Jeremy Hooper, Scott Rose, Straight Grandmother, and the rest of these ridiculous trolls in the gay blogosphere aren't merely incredibly dangerous because they use desperate tactics to distract people from real, serious issues and impose their totalitarian agenda on others through character assassinations and psychological operations. They are also incredibly stupid!
I am not saying the reporter is stupid -- after all, she did take the time to call me for a quote, which is better than many other journalists. But let's take a step back and see what we can learn about the "gay rights groups" -- which I refuse to call gay rights groups, since they are really anti-children's rights groups -- from this bizarre encounter.
1. They have zero sense of geography. Below is a map of Europe which I have downloaded from the Internet.
I have never set foot in any part of Europe east of Venice. The only countries I have visited in Europe are the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and Italy. I never even made it to Holland. And when I went to Venice in 2005, nobody knew who I was and I was there to look at great Titian exhibits and such.
In my travels to Europe since 2013, to "speak out" for children's rights, I have visited the following cities:
Paris, Brussels, London, Strasbourg, and Milan.
Notice how none of these cities are anywhere near Russia. And please be reminded that Uganda is not part of Europe.
Now, I suppose they can get huffy and puffy about the fact that I went to the European Union in Brussels. Please note that I was there for approximately forty-five minutes in March 2013, and was translating what other people were saying, for almost the entire time. Also please note that Russia is not part of the European Union. If you are awake and following the crisis in Ukraine, you will note that is quite an obvious fact for people in Europe.
2. They define "pro-gay" as anti-children and pro-slavery, and then get mad when people debate about children's rights and the history of slavery. Pope Francis, who was Advocate's man of the year for 2013, recently issued a statement that children have a right to a mom and dad. That's all I'm saying -- what the pope is saying, even though I am not Catholic, and note that this Pope is beloved by people at the Advocate. The entire basis for calling me a rising star of the "anti-gay" movement depends upon a belief that it is anti-gay to protect children's rights against slavery or deprivation of a mother/father. This is why Jeremy Hooper tries his psychological operations routine where he says "Robert Oscar Lopez equates same-sex marriage with slavery." Slavery is defined as purchasing and ownership of human beings as chattel. If you pay a price to someone else for control of a child, you have engaged in human trafficking and are a slaver. Gay parenting depends on pairs of people acquiring children whom they can't conceive, so often, when there aren't orphans conveniently roaming around for the picking, they end up paying people for their genetic materials or directly for their children. To be considered "pro-gay," apparently, you have to be completely fine with this and cannot even call it what it is. So I told the reporter quite specifically, "they are not gay rights groups, they are groups devoted to taking other people's rights away," since "they are anti-children's rights, and I am pro-human and by extension pro-gay." Why am I pro-gay and not them? Because gay people have a right to a mother and father, and that right will be eliminated if the LGBT lobby gets its way.
3. They don't read or think. If I can piece together the claims of these people who have accused me of fomenting anti-gay hatred in Uganda and Russia, I think -- though I am not sure -- their reasoning rests on this sequence of logic: Bobby Lopez has a passport and goes overseas to deliver speeches in other countries, sometimes in other languages. Uganda and Russia are other countries that do bad things to gay people. It's his fault. I know it's hard; it would take a lot of time to read through the various speeches I delivered in Europe and the 1,000+ pieces I've written here on English Manif, as well as in American Thinker and Public Discourse. But it's probably a good idea to do some homework before you throw up a web page with a bunch of out-of-context quotes and then accuse someone of things they haven't done. There are laws against libel and slander. If they had read through my work, they would know:
- One of the first things I published on English Manif was this. It clearly lays out what my objections to the gay lobby are, and what I oppose and support. I denounce antigay violence but support a child's right to a mother and father as well as other human rights threatened by the LGBT movement's overreach.
- I have never worked with people from Russia other than giving interviews to Russian journalists, who asked me about my personal experience growing up with a lesbian mom. Since gay adoption is a hot topic and Russia recently dealt with the topic, and seeing as I do not support gay adoption for rational reasons I can explain quite succinctly, this is fair game. These interviews were conducted, though, in the United States.
- I repeatedly say that gay people are not the same as the gay lobby.
- I support gay foster care but not adoption. I support civil unions for gay people but not marriage. The reasons are complex, like most aspects of these debates.
- English Manif denounced the anti-gay laws in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Uganda. My views on these laws, nonetheless, is that the American gay lobby makes things worse by pushing its agenda too much at the United Nations and at the EU. To the extent that Africans can legitimately perceive an "International Gay War on Black People," it doesn't help when we confirm these fears by engaging in cultural imperialism under the guise of advancing LGBT rights.
- In the piece I wrote entitled, "Why I Can't Blame Russia and India for Taking on the Gays," I state very clearly in the first paragraph that "I would ostensibly oppose on principle" the Russian law against gay propaganda and the Indian law against sodomy. The point of that essay is, however, that the West's gay culture is sick with disease and unhealthy social interactions, plus the West's gay lobby has become callous and aggressive, so people in places like Russia and India have a legitimate reason to feel protective. Please notice that India is not Uganda and neither Russia nor India is in Africa. I end the piece by saying "Who am I to judge?"
5. They are completely clueless about cultural differences. Consider two very different things: Going to France and speaking out about the dangers of gestational surrogacy, when the country, which has had domestic partnerships for gay people since the late 1990s, is in the midst of a debate about gestational surrogacy. Or, on the other hand, going to Russia, where the rhetoric against homosexuals has gotten overheated and there is a real danger of antigay repression if things go the wrong way, and telling people, "round up those homos and send them to jail!" Context, people, context. You will never find me on video or in print urging people to abuse homosexuals. Regardless of how offended some prickly and hypersensitive gay activists feel when confronted with someone who talks about the effects of pederasty on young men or the loss one feels at having been deprived of a dad or mom, there is a big difference between offering a counterpoint in countries that have massive pro-gay legislation already in place, and denouncing homosexuality in a place that is passing loads of anti-gay legislation. France, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, are in a totally different place; the context is different, the concerns are different, the role of the gay lobby is different. In France, Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the gay lobby is a powerful elite and people who object to its overreach need support because they are being oppressed by pro-gay governments. Capisce?


text:
Decision makers are considering future plans for the Columbia River Crossing, now that nine legislators from Southwest Washington have made it clear they have major reservations about the current shape of the project.
Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, and several state and county leaders - all Republicans - say new direction is needed. They point to the failure of a CTRAN bond issue as a public rejection of having light rail in the bridge design.
Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat, is a former member of the Transportation Committee and now serves on Ways and Means. He notes over $100 million has been spent on planning so far.
Blumenauer explained, "We have some serious issues with the Columbia River Crossing, at best. If people are going to pull the plug on how it's going forward, that will easily set it back ten or fifteen years. I think it's a real unfortunate development."
A spokesman for Washington Senator Patty Murray did not respond to a request for comment. She has advocated for the project as a key to the region's economic future. And Murray has said the federal funding needed for it won't come through unless the bridge carries light rail.


text:
Warning: Clams, salmon from B.C. distributor could kill
The BC Centre for Disease Control has issued a warning for several products sold on BuySellTrade.ca, including whole clams. Dec. 16, 2012. (Handout)
The Canadian Press
Published Sunday, December 16, 2012 6:25PM PST
Last Updated Sunday, December 16, 2012 6:26PM PST
VANCOUVER - The BC Centre for Disease Control is warning people not to eat clams, salmon and other seafood sold by a private distributor in Port Hardy because of the risk of shellfish poisoning and botulism.
The products include frozen and jarred clams, frozen barbecue salmon and canned salmon in clam juice, all of which were sold online and through other means.
The centre says anyone who bought the products should throw them out and that cooking will not destroy potential toxins.
So far, the centre is not aware if any of the seafood and shellfish has been made available through stores or restaurants.
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning include tingling and numbness, which spreads from the mouth to other parts of the body, respiratory failure and possible death.
Botulism is a serious form of food poisoning from improperly canned foods and can also be fatal.


text:
Creative Arts Can Help Fight Dementia
March 16, 2017 in Our News & Bulletins by Uptown HC
According to recent research from the Mayo Clinic, joining a sculpting class or learning to paint lowers the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the first sign of many forms of dementia including Alzheimer's disease. The participants reported their involvement in creative art activities such as painting, drawing, and sculpting over a four year period. Those who had taken part in arts were 73 percent less likely to have suffered memory or thinking problems.
The study included 256 people who were 85 years and older. In addition to analyzing the effect of the creative arts on dementia, researchers also looked at the results of crafting, socializing, and using technology. These activities also lowered the risk of MCI by 45, 55, and 53 percent, respectively. Study authors feel that the reason that practicing the creative arts is so successful is that it not only stimulates the mind but uses fine motor skills. Results were risk adjusted by gender and education.
Source: Roberts R, Cha R, Mielke M, et al. Risk and protective factors for cognitive impairment in persons aged 85 years and older. Neurology, 2015; 84(18): 1854-1861.


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Wiggles and Wags Pet Resort is the perfect blend of homelike boarding accommodations and recreational activities. Our inviting, Premier Resort features a clean, secure, fun filled atmosphere that far exceeds kennel industry standards. We offer Boarding, Grooming, Training, Day Care, and Personalized Exercise Programs, just a short distance from the Airport and Arizona State University, at the Southeast corner of McClintock and Baseline in Tempe.
At Wiggles and Wags Pet Resort we pride ourselves on being family owned and operated. You will feel the difference in the atmosphere immediately! We strive to put all of our experience and passion for animals to work for you and your pet. We invite you to come in for a tour of our facility anytime during normal business hours. Suites are all hand crafted tempered glass…..no chain link fence here!
With 8 dogs of our own, we understand how difficult it can be to leave your pet, so at Wiggles and Wags Pet Resort we will work hard to gain your trust and keep it! We will provide your pet with all of the comfort, care, and support that he needs to thrive in our fun, relaxed atmosphere!
You are important to us and we will show you with our extraordinary personal attention. You will see firsthand why we have been so successful here in Arizona . Our goal is to make you a happy repeat customer. We are focused on providing you with peace of mind knowing that your canine companion is in very capable and loving hands while you are away!


text:
I'm sure by now you've heard that you can have new stars named after you or a loved one, even those discovering new species sometimes offer up the chance to have the new species named after yourself (ie Stephen Colbert now has a spider named after him!), but did you know that you can buy the moon too? Well .. a piece of it, I mean.
Uh huh .. I probably should have left this story for my husband Chris to write about on Odd Planet since it is weird news – in my books any way.
A company called Lunar International is allowing people to order a personalized Lunar land claim for real moon property.
Here's the description:
Millions of people have purchased their very own property on the moon, and now you can too. Lunar International, Earth's recognized leader in lunar real estate, has designed an innovative plan to return mankind to the moon. Through our program, anybody who wishes to own land on the moon can do so by purchasing an officially authorized lunar land claim from our organization. Whether it be a gift for a loved one, a reward for a valued employee or simply a treat for yourself, property on the moon makes a unique and affordable gift that anyone can enjoy.
It would certainly make a great gift for the person who has everything!


text:
I have read many reviews on Sierra Designs '99 Clip Flashlight 2, and I have found that most people
suggest this tent. What I was wondering was, should I get the footprint with it or just use a basic
ground sheet? What is the footprint? Please help.
Nat Baker
A footprint is simply a waterproof abrasion-resistant piece of fabric cut out to the precise
dimensions of the tent. Use of the footprint will extend the life of the tent's floor and increase
waterproofness of the floor (i.e. in extremely rainy situations the floor may leak, the footprint
increases protection against water.) The two main drawbacks of a footprint are increased cost and
weight when backpacking.
A cut piece of painters plastic can quickly and inexpensively be made for the same purpose as a
footprint. Usually the plastic is adequate, but a manufactured footprint usually offers better
protection, as the fabric (usually a ripstop nylon) is more durable than plastic.
Bottom line: get the footprint if you'll be camping in wet areas (e.g. the Northwest), or in rough
terrain. Otherwise it boils down to cost. Most tents will function fine under normal circumstances
without a footprint, but the footprint will likely extend the life of the tent's floor over the long
Steve Mann


text:
Food Wars: Jimmy Buff's vs. Dickie Dees
An upcoming episode of the Travel Channel's Food Wars will feature the 2 most well known makers of the signature Newark style Italian Hot Dog, Jimmy Buff's and Dickie Dees. This popular sandwich was invented by James Raccioppi who later founded Jimmy Buff's in Newark, N.J. in 1932. It consists of one or two beef hot dogs (a single or double) topped with mustard, peppers, onions, and potatoes. The ingredients are fried in oil and put in pizza bread, which is Italian bread baked in a pizza oven that resembles a pita. The result is a delicious sandwich that is to North Jersey what the Cheesesteak is to South Philly.
The popularity of this sandwich grew and others began making it. Dickie Dees and Ting-A-Ling's became the most well known of Buff's competitors. Ting-A-Ling's is gone, but Dickie Dees is still going strong. Today there are around a dozen or so places that specialize in Italian Hot Dogs. Many pizzerias also make them.
I've sampled many Italian Hot Dogs. Jimmy Buff's makes the best. Not only the original, but the best as well. I am happy to have been picked as a "superfan". I will be on the program and will compare the 2 sandwiches blindfolded. Then I will pick the best one. I am most confident that it will be Jimmy Buff's. Dickie Dees will have their "superfan". There will also be 3 impartial judges. The five of us will pick the best Italian Hot Dog.
The episode will be aired sometime in June. Should be fun. See here for a little history of the Italian Hot Dog.


text:
It's fitting that the Specials chose Los Angeles as the location for their first reunion shows in the United States in nearly three decades. Southern California has long proven to be the American ska scene's ground zero, spawning the likes of Sublime, No Doubt, Operation Ivy and Rancid, among others — all of whom were both clearly influenced by the U.K. "2 Tone" legends; Specials lead singer Terry Hall even co-wrote the hit "Our Lips Are Sealed" by archetypal L.A. band the Go-Gos.
So when the band hit the stage for a sold-out show at downtown Los Angeles' Club Nokia last night, it felt like a homecoming. While missing founding member Jerry Dammers, the band otherwise featured all original members, save Dammers' keyboardist replacement and a crack three-piece horn section. And despite the gap in years since the Specials' last U.S. tour, when the band kicked into "Do the Dog" as its opening number, it was clear nothing had been lost in the interim. From the first note, everyone in the nearly 10-piece band played with a manic intensity that wouldn't suggest its members were in their fifties. For the majority of the sprawling, 22 song set — drawn from the band's classic first two albums and assorted singles — most numbers careened full stop into the next with startling, infectious velocity. If only all reunion tours felt so vital and fresh. Right off the bat, it was clear this was the real deal and not a money grab.
"Do the Dog" was an appropriate starter, its opening lines — "All you punks and all you teds/National Front and natty dreads/Mods, rockers, hippies and skinheads/Keep on fighting 'til you're dead" — sounded like a call to arms for the multiracial tribes assembled, and a prescient reflection on the audience's behavior. By the fourth song, "Up To You," the crowd had grown unruly in their excitement — a little too authentic to the spirit of the original punks. "If you spit anymore, I'll dive down and break your head," Hall exclaimed with brimming vitriol at the start of the fourth song, "Up To You"; the rough atmosphere continued, however, with fights breaking out sporadically and the stage repeatedly invaded by audience members. Then again, the hectic vibes radiating through the venue proved this was no mere nostalgia trip: it only reflected the continued significance of the music's relentless riddims and inner-city tension.
Any drama, however, didn't detract from the incredible chemistry and musical interplay between its nattily attired members: ska is a music built on precision and control, and here the Specials triumphed, moving from stop-on-a-dime uptempo grooves to deeper, dubby textures effortlessly. Drummer John Bradbury thrilled with machine-gun rimshots and hyperactive hi-hat; guitarists Roddy Byers and Lynval Golding added strikingly soulful solos to songs like "Blank Expression"; and bassist Horace Panter's crisply sinister basslines never faltered. The two frontmen, however, proved a study in crucial contrasts, meanwhile. Toaster Neville Staple was all gleeful dance power, skanking constantly and hyping the crowd with glee; Terry Hall, meanwhile, evoked a bluebeat Johnny Rotten, roiling with nervous energy and sarcasm, gripping the mike stand aggressively and even pulling back from the spotlight at times. Dammer's absence proved most notable in songs from the band's second album, 1980's More Specials: on record, tracks like "Stereotype/Stereotypes, Pt. 2" featured an ironic muzak influence and studio trickery, all of which was dispensed here in lieu of sweaty immediacy.
Seeing the Specials live drove home the artfulness of the band's songwriting, which could be potentially lost in the performance's driving power: hearing a crowd sing in unison the choruses to classics like "A Message To You, Rudy" conveyed just how indelible their hooks remain. Instead of seeming dated, the songs' themes came off timeless — if anything, more relevant today than when they were released in the '80s. The nuclear-war paranoia of "Man At C & A" and the economic-doldrums dub dirge "Ghost Town" (which made for a truly affecting encore) to the growing pains of shifting racial attitudes (nearly every song) could be ripped from today's headlines. "Sorry it took a lifetime to get us back here," Golding said midway through the set, and the apology felt apt: another 30 years is truly too long to wait for music so trenchant and powerful, no matter when it's played.
Set list:
"Do The Dog"
"(Dawning Of A) New Era"
"It's Up To You"
"Monkey Man"
"Rat Race"
"Hey, Little Rich Girl"
"Blank Expression"
"Doesn't Make It Alright"
"Stupid Marriage"
"Concrete Jungle"
"Friday Night, Saturday Morning"
"Stereotype/Stereotypes, Pt. 2"
"Man at C & A"
"A Message To You, Rudy"
"Do Nothing"
"Little Bitch"
"Nite Klub"
"Too Much Too Young"
"You're Wondering Now"
"Ghost Town"
"Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)"


text: The Educational, complex known as ˜ArguS academy was established in year 2006 as a vocational training institute. We are ISO 9001:2008 certified institute. We are affiliated to government of India and issue Govt. authorised certificate. Also, recognised under STPI i.e. Software Information Technology Park Of India and concentrate on Apka Sapna Hamara Lakshya.Very soon we attracted the attention of the public and started developing with the timely, sincere & devoted efforts of our hard working staff & faculty members. Our Institute provides career oriented courses in computer on programming, web designing, software accounting, animation , basic computer and hardware, graphic designing, film making. Also classes of Spoken English, Professional Communication, Interview classes, G.D. It is a matter of pride to be a student of this institute as institute offers newest of the new course along with rigorous training plan under guidance of highly professional Faculty member which can meet the challenges of the best in the competitive world.


text:
In 1979, a few years before the picture above was taken, my mother, Margaret Heywood, asked my father, David
Heywood to make tape recordings of his memories of growing up and other life experiences. She transcribed the recordings, added illustrations and produced copies of his autobiography, 'Dave's Story' using xerox copying methods.
In 2015 I reversed the process, using speech to text software to create a document that could be made available on the
internet. So far I have completed the first section which covers his first 23 years. I plan to add other sections as I'm
able as well as transcribing my mother's autobiography, 'Two Loaves.'
Most of this time was centered on his experiences on a ranch near Red Canyon
Even though the family photos used in that book were of poor quality, I have provided access to them as links throughout
the text. I used few of the many illustrations from material Mother found at the Salt Lake Public library because of the
poor quality of the copies and possible copyright concerns. I worked from the original typescript, but unfortunately the graphics were poor even at that stage. Instead I have added images from internet sources.
List of links to illustrations:
Inquiries, suggestions, comments: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Annual Day of Prayer for Children 2013
The last Sunday in March has been set aside for The Salvation Army's Annual Day of Prayer for Children. Salvation Army corps (churches) and centres around the globe are encouraged to place the world's children before God in focused prayer, acknowledging that they are precious in the sight of God.
The Bible verse chosen for the 2013 Day of Prayer is: 'Teach them the way they should live and they will remember it all their lives' (Proverbs 22:4 Good News Bible).
Because Sunday 31 March is also Easter Sunday this year, the option has been made available to mark this special day on the following Sunday, 7 April.
A poster created by Communications Section designer Berni Georges can be downloaded here:
Sunday 31 March
Sunday 7 April
Commissioner Eva Marseille (Mission Resources Secretary, International Headquarters) has put together a prayer outline which may prove helpful: Day of Prayer for Children prayer outline (Word document)
For anyone using languages other than English, French or Spanish, a version of the poster without text can be downloaded here: Text-free Poster PDF


text:
Mason Monitors Entrepreneurship Globally
Posted: January 10, 2007 at 1:00 am, Last Updated: November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) assesses entrepreneurship activity throughout the world. Initially involving 10 countries when it was begun in 1999, GEM now conducts research in almost 50 countries.
George Mason's School of Public Policy (SPP) and Babson College collaborated to produce the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2004–2005 Executive Report. This is one of the most in-depth studies of entrepreneurship in the U.S. economy.
SPP Professor Zoltan Acs, formerly research director for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, head of GEM Hungary and author of the 2004 global report, wrote two major sections of the executive report: "High-Potential Entrepreneurship in the United States" and "Policy Framework for an Entrepreneurial Economy."
"Ever since the dot-com boom of the 1990s, I have been trying to figure out what is at the heart of America's economic strength," says Acs. "Other countries have rule of law, universities and democratic institutions. What other countries do not have is our strength in entrepreneurship. But the secret is out. Other countries are trying to learn the secrets of entrepreneurship, and the GEM is the only research project that has its fingers on the entrepreneurial heartbeat of the world. It is the largest and most important think tank on the subject."
Acs explains that one of GEM's strengths is its ability to provide timely comparable data on entrepreneurial activity across countries. Along with collecting data, GEM documents behavior of potential entrepreneurs, as well as information on the entrepreneurial process and its many phases.
Acs will make a presentation at the first GEM Forum, which is being held today and tomorrow in London.
This article originally appeared in a slightly different form in SPP Currents.


text:
Sodje Set For Owls Return
Wednesday's on-loan striker Akpo Sodje is set to return to Hillsborough next week, unless Charlton Athletic take the hitman to The Valley on a permanent deal.
Injury-ravaged Sodje has spent two months at the London club after falling down the pecking order at S6 under former boss Brian Laws, and needing some much-needed match action.
And Phil Parkinson could well look to extend Sodje's loan deal for another month, with Charlton's postponed weekend fixture meaning the striker has played his last game for the Addicks in his current loan stint.
But Owls caretaker boss Sean McAuley has revealed that Wednesday won't allow Sodje to join Charlton for another month, insisting the only way they'd let the former Port Vale man leave S6 again is on a permanent deal.
That could all change with the news that former Preston boss Alan Irvine is all set to be appointed as Owls boss.
But it's thought Irvine will want all of his squad at his disposal, unless Charlton make the Owls an offer they can't refuse.
Sodje has come out in the press and revealed that he'd love to make his deal at the League 1 high-fliers permanent.
But, with just two goals to his name during a loan stint plagued by injury, Sodje could well find himself fighting for a first team place back at Hillsborough next week.


text:
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text:
Daddy didn't move. "That your hand Annie Carmody found in her wolf trap?"
The man nodded, though it was at first hard to tell that apart from his quaking. "It's bad infected," he said. But his voice sounded far away.
Daddy looked over my head to Ona, and she looked back at him steadily. Finally Daddy nodded and moved out of the way to let the man in. And that was how I knew Ona told the man to come here. It was how I knew she told Daddy what really happened with Ruby. It scared me, because Ona's the closest thing I've got to a Mam, since the fever took my own mother, and her Ruby is the only sister I'll ever have.
Nobody trusts the wolves. My Mam used to say "Shoot a wolf in the back before it bites you in the front." It was a big risk for Ona to tell Daddy that she was one of them, even if they had been married since I was a mite and Ruby newborn. Telling him that she turned into her other self so she could swim the flooded river when Ruby fell in could have gone all wrong. And until this moment, I thought she never would tell. I saw it happen, or maybe I wouldn't know either. They tried not to tell me things that they thought I didn't need to know.
I suddenly wondered if Ruby was a wolf, too, if her first Daddy was a wolf before the fever took him like it took my Mam. But there was no way to ask in this room with a dying man coming in the door.
"Birdie, Ruby, go fill my big cauldron and drag it up from the well," Daddy said. He was the village wizard. People did what he said. Even his own daughters. He and Ona were going to have a conversation, though, and I wanted to know what they would say. Ruby and I walked out together, but instead of taking her to the well with me, I pushed her back towards the house. She grinned and trotted up under the window. I can fill the cauldron alone, and I only need help dragging it when I head up the hill towards the house.
Ruby joined me exactly at the spot where I needed more hands. She whispered, "They have to cut off his arm."
Together, we heaved the cauldron up over the threshold and indoors. Ona had already tied the man's arm off just above the elbow using rags. He lay in the floor, a piece of stout wood clutched between his teeth and tied around his head. I would have thought he looked funny if I hadn't known it was to keep him from biting his tongue.
Daddy said to Ruby and I, "Now go for Mrs. Carmody. Both of you."
Ruby darted out the door at once, but my feet wouldn't carry me back outside. I turned around to stare first at Ona, then Daddy. The man was lying on his stomach now, with Ona straddling his back. Like the chock in his mouth, I would have thought it funny if I hadn't known the purpose. Ona looked away. She wouldn't meet my eyes. But Daddy held my gaze. "She'll come, Birdie," he told me. "She can't abide suffering any more than I can. For all she knows, I've only taken pity on the man who lost his paw in her trap. She won't know any more than that if you don't tell her. Now go on. And hurry." But I felt the worry in his voice. Healing this man, getting help from Mrs. Carmody, it was dangerous.
I looked back to the house as I ran to catch up with Ruby and saw Daddy going to his shed. That would be for the meat saw, the one he used to break through bones in the venison he brought in. I ran a little faster then, and when I passed her, Ruby also sped up to follow. Even so, we heard the terrible screaming begin when we were halfway to Mrs. Carmody's. I wouldn't have imagined a sound could carry so far. I wondered how much Ruby remembered about the day she fell in the river. I wondered again if she was a wolf.
The noise stopped when we were halfway back with Mrs. Carmody, and I thought maybe he was dead. But he was still in the big middle room jerking and groaning when we walked in.
It felt like we had been gone a very long time, but it had really only been a little while. The cutting was over, but blood covered the floor. I realized only after we walked through the door how bad the wound smelled, and I wanted to throw up. Daddy was pushing our stone table back where it belonged, and I saw bloody rags hanging down from the legs. They tied him down then, though Ona sat on his back again now.
Behind me, I heard a gurgling noise, and I turned around just in time to catch Ruby's vomit in my skirt. It startled me so much I pushed by and ran straight out the door, her right behind me. "I'm sorry, Birdie!" she said. I ran for the well and a cold drink, but only made it halfway before I spewed my own breakfast.
None of the grown folks followed us, and as grateful as I was for that, I wanted to know what they were saying. So I took off my dress and Ruby's, too, and we both scooted back up to the house. I said loudly, "No, you wait here, and I'll get us fresh things and climb out the window to you." Then I ran straight through the middle room. The grown people froze when I came inside in just my drawers, and their voices stopped completely, all but the groaning man.
In the bedroom, I made a great noise like I was having trouble getting down my other dress or Ruby's. And instead of going out the window, I pulled Ruby in it. Then, we were both very quiet, as if I'd gone out the window like I said. They started talking again, and we crept on our hands and knees to hear their voices.
"We've all known him for years," said Mrs. Carmody. "Why didn't Birdie tell me?"
"I doubt she recognized him," said Ona, low. "You have to admit he doesn't look much like the herb man." And that's how I knew his muddy hair was really yellow. Because the herb man who came and traded Mrs. Carmody and Ona's cuttings and roots for more exotic ones had shaggy yellow hair.
"I knew he was late," Mrs. Carmody went on. "But I thought it was the water. I never imagined the wolves had got him." I heard a hitch in her voice that meant she was crying. "I never saw someone that's been bit before."
"He wasn't bit," said Ona. Her voice was ragged, like holding down the man had maybe been noisy work for her, as well.
Daddy said, "Hush!"
But Ona went on, "I've known him all my life, and he's always been a wolf." Mrs. Carmody expelled a long whistle. "The wolves are everywhere, Annie," Ona continued. Such a risk for our family! Ona said more than Daddy feared I might speak. Beside me, Ruby whimpered.
Mrs. Carmody said, "I wouldn't think I'd hear such from a wizard's wife!"
A grinding rumble sounded, and I peered around the corner. On the man's back I saw a wolf draped in Ona's clothing, its snout daring Mrs. Carmody to argue.
Ruby squalled, "Mam," and she burst out from beside me. Only before she'd got halfway there, she fell down and rolled over twice. And then she wasn't Ruby anymore, she was a wobbly-legged wolf pup yelping in pain
In an instant, Ona shifted back into the skin I knew best, crying out as her body came back into itself. She left the twitching man and ran to Ruby. And then Mrs. Carmody went to them both, her angry voice replaced by a healer's concern for the little girl we all loved so much. "What does she need?"
"Easy, easy, easy," Ona said, wrapping her arms around my sister's now furry chest.
"Can she have a willow bark tea?" Mrs. Carmody prompted.
"Yes, when she's changed back," said Ona. Without turning my way, she said, "Birdie, put your clothes on. Get me Ruby's dress."
I ran back to our room to get what I'd claimed to be coming for in the first place. As I returned to the middle room, a crack like snapping wood announced Ruby's return to herself. She lay sobbing in Ona's arms and didn't protest when the dress was pulled on to protect what passed for dignity in girls of five summers. Mrs. Carmody was carrying a cup over from the fire, where Ona and Daddy had already brewed the willow bark tea for the man in the floor. I knew it hurt. I heard Ona cry out, and when they fished Ruby out of the river, I heard the pain in the blacksmith's nephew when he changed, but I don't think the man who lost his arm was in half so much pain as poor Ruby just then.
Mrs. Carmody handed the tea to Ona, then bent over the herb man like she'd never been afraid he might bite her. He groaned, but picked up his head at Mrs. Carmody's sharp command. "Here, help me out," she said to Daddy. "He needs to be on his back, now that the worst is over."
They rolled him, and Mrs. Carmody examined the stump. Daddy had wrapped a dressing on it, and Mrs. Carmody seemed reluctant to remove it, or to disturb the arm very much. "I've got teasel. Birdie, bring my bag over." she commanded. Then, she asked, "Did he have his pack with him?" Daddy pointed over to a corner by the hearth, where the mud crusted shirt and cloak lay. "Birdie, bring it to me." Again to my father, "Did you cut at the joint?"
I brought the things she had asked for, and she carefully unwrapped the herb man's bundle. He said suddenly, "Drynaria leaves near the bottom." It was the first sensible thing I'd heard from him since he told Daddy about the infection.
"Were you using them before?" Mrs. Carmody asked. But the man was gone again, lost in his pain. "Well, it's something," she said. "And if you live, this will be what saved your life."
It was hours later before Ruby could be tucked into her bed. By then, Mrs. Carmody had soaked the man's arm stump in more of the willow bark tea and made him drink a tincture of drynaria leaves and teasel roots. She went out back, and I followed her down to the river.
She tugged a leather thong off over her head and threw it into the stream with a harsh cry. "What was that?" I asked.
She jumped a little, and I realized she hadn't known I was behind her. "Birdie, they named you aright, child," she said. "You flit around behind us and listen when we least think you're paying attention."
"What was it?"
"Foolish superstition," she finally said. "When he was courting me, my husband gave me a rabbit's foot, and I've kept it around my neck all these years. But after seeing that man in there and knowing what part I played in laying a good friend low, I can't keep it any longer. It reminds me of something your Mam used to say."
Suddenly, my mother's phrase came back to me as if I could hear her voice speaking. I said, "Do not rely on a rabbit's foot for luck. After all, it didn't work out too well for the rabbit."
"Yes, Birdie," said Mrs. Carmody. "That's exactly what she used to say." And she took my hand and led me back inside for the night.
This piece stands alone, but it follows this one.
For the IndieInk Writing Challenge this week, Tara Roberts challenged me with "Do not rely on a rabbit's foot for luck. After all, it didn't work out too well for the rabbit." and I challenged Joelyn with "And spring and spring and spring burst out finally in my soul."
Jessie Powell is the Jester Queen. She likes to tell you about her dog, her kids, her fiction, and her blog, but not necessarily in that order.
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Dixie County is defined by the Gulf of Mexico to the west, the Steinhatchee River to the north and the historical Suwannee River to the south. It is located in Natural North Florida, along the Hidden Coast of Florida's Big Bend region.
*Under Florida law, all information, including e-mail, written letters, documents and phone messages sent to the Dixie County Board of County Commissioners is subject to Public Records law.
This includes the sender's e-mail address, home address or phone number if shown in the message, the content of the message and any associated attachments to the mail. Also please be aware that electronic correspondence (e-mail) is made available on the Commission's public archive site immediately upon being sent.


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Well if you have some $50,000 to spare in the times of the global economic slowdown or even if you don't, we are sure this piece would be of interest to you. Plantronics, a company known for making cool mobile phone accessories. In fact, its Discovery� 925 Bluetooth headset, available in colors black, white and purple, has been quite a rage with the yuppies.
And now, the company is hoping auction off a limited edition gold and diamond encrusted version of its Discovery 925 for the hands free user who has a truckload of money in the bank. Don't worry, Plantronics is not interested in earning profit. In fact, we hear that the company is planning to forward the proceedings of the auction to the Elle Charity.
A noble thought indeed. But we do have a feeling that the monetary expectations are a tad too high. Let's hope Plantronics doesn't meet disappointment on this little venture.
Via� pocket-lint & plantronics


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Trade 1: Trading Lilblue for her Heart Scale, thanks!
Trade 2: Trading 1 candy for Rabid Squirrel's Heart Scale as well, thanks!
Thanks you both :d
Trade 1: Trading Lilblue for her Heart Scale, thanks!
Trade 2: Trading 1 candy for Rabid Squirrel's Heart Scale as well, thanks!
Thanks you both :d
1x Heart Scale to Furizaa for 1x Rare Candy.
*Trade Confirmed*
You're welcome. =3 Happy Holidays!
1x Heart Scale to Furizaa for 1 candy
*Trade Confirmed*
No problem!^^
Trading two rare candies for Joshua's two Heart Scales.
Level 1 (Female) Stunky to MM for three rare candies.
*Trade Confirmed*
Enjoy your Skunk.
Trading Lv. 1 Torchic (M) to Tyranidos for 2x Rare Candies.
Torchic Lv. 1 (M)
Nature: Undecided
Ability: Blaze
Pokéball: Pokéball
Beauty Points: 0
Level Up Moves:
Focus Energy - Lv. 7
Ember - Lv. 10
Peck - Lv. 16
Sand-attack - Lv. 19
Fire spin - Lv. 25
Quick Attack - Lv. 28
Slash - Lv. 34
Mirror Move - Lv. 37
Flamethrower - Lv. 43
Other Moves (Learned):
Bye, lil' chickie! Hope you'll have fun with your new trainer. <3
Traded x1 Heart Scale for Furizaa's 2 candies
*Trade Closed*
Thanks, dude.
Trading this Shuca Berry, this Shuca Berry, and this Rabuta Berry for Stu's Shuppet.
Last edited by Tyranidos; 16th February 2008 at 6:51 PM.
Traded the Shuca Berries+Rabuta Berry for Stu's Shuppet.
*Trade Closed*
Last edited by Tyranidos; 4th March 2008 at 8:05 PM.
Trading to the Wayneightor my Lv.01 [M] Piplup for [x04] Rare Candies and a Lure Ball, Psychic Ball, and another ball. He'll link 'em up.
*trade commenced*
4 candies, Lure Ball, Psychic Ball & Rocket Ball to THE Dae~Maker himself for his Piplup (M) Lv.01.
Thanks, I promise to take care of the little cutie. ^^
Last edited by Wayne; 24th February 2008 at 7:40 AM.


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American dramedies about well-off families coming together to sort out their differences are not exactly rarities, but here is a pretty decent one from journeyman director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Real Steel). It was written by Jonathan Tropper, who adapted the screenplay from his own novel of the same name: This is Where I Leave You.
Our protagonist is Judd (Jason Bateman), a likable guy whose life is torn apart by two developments at the very beginning of the film. First, he comes home – birthday cake in hand – to find his wife sleeping with his boss. Then his father dies. After the funeral, Judd and his three siblings are forced by their mother (Jane Fonda) to sit Shiva – a Jewish seven-day period of mourning. This was their father's last wish, so the family begrudgingly decide to honour it. Cue all sorts of relationship dramas. Conveniently, all the main characters have unfinished business in their hometown, in one way or another, and the script takes its time to elucidate them all.
Judd's siblings Wendy, Phillip and Paul (Tina Fey, Adam Driver and Corey Stoll, respectively) are divided a little too simplistically into the categories of nostalgic mum, immature layabout and hard-nosed bore, but the performances often raise them beyond the script's rather blunt categorisations. Indeed, this is a recurring theme in This is Where I Leave You: occasionally mediocre material lifted by committed players.
Levy and his actors deserve credit for that. The film veers dangerously close to schmaltz on a number of occasions (not helped by a far too on-the-nose score), but most of these are saved by good performances, especially from Bateman and Driver, whose character at least partially sheds his generic qualities. Bateman in particular has the shifts in tone down pat – something the film can't always claim. There are some funny bits in here, and some moments of real emotion, but the film fails to really find a consistent level of either comedy or drama. For instance, Paul's marriage-threatening battle to conceive with his wife Annie (Kathryn Hahn) is given roughly as much screen time as a pooping toddler, and about as much attention in the script as the gargantuan pair of fake breasts the siblings' mother is newly sporting.
There are contrivances, too. Rose Byrne's Penny (Judd's childhood sweetheart), for instance, is positioned a tad too neatly in proceedings, and the conclusion of their rather bolted-on rom com subplot, given what has gone before, is a little baffling, although as with so many other aspects of the script, the frothiness is given a shot of flavour by the committed and likable performances. Timothy Olyphant, meanwhile, is given the most thinly drawn role as a local hunk stricken by an unexplained brain injury. Connie Britton, as Phillip's older girlfriend, fares much better, bringing refined dignity to a small part.
Despite it all, I rather liked the film. Bateman is the anchor, and he's a reliab le one. There are moments when it's far too sugary for its own good, and the script can't quite find the right amount of laughs or tears, but for all that it still made me smile.


text: > > Is anybody going to cut new versions of the X binarys for the > > new kernels with 64 bit off_t's and 32 bit uid/gid? I'm especially > > interested in new versions of the libes, Xmono and xmosaic... > > Anyway, if, indeed, the 940319 bin-dist is post off_t, then everything should > work ok (at least for the Xamiga server, anyway) and I'll go ahead and upload > to eunet. probably this weekend. > > ERic mehlhaff, email@example.com > The 940319 binaries on eunet are 32bit off_t. The set that I'm planning to upload to sun-lamp will be 64bit off_t. -SR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------