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Office of the Attorney General
Honorable Tom O'Connell
Letter Opinion No. 89-093
Dear Mr. O'Connell:
On behalf of the Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector, you ask:
Does the Commissioners Court have the authority to dictate or specify to an elected official of a constitutionally defined office the materials of that elected official's office, including the use of the official's name on those materials?
You note that a 1985 order of the Collin County Commissioners Court requires all elected and appointed public employees to use generic (in other words, not personalized) stationery, envelopes, stamps, and other office supplies and limits the number of personalized business cards that may be purchased each year. Stationery, forms, letterhead, and similar items are printed with the name of the county office or department only; the official's name does not appear.
In 1988 the order was expanded to prohibit altering, modifying or reprinting of generic office materials. The Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector argues that "as an elected official of a constitutionally defined office ... [he has] the authority to determine the form and content of his official stationery and forms...."
We understand that this expanded order is intended to prohibit the additional expenditure of funds for the modifying or reprinting of stationery outside of an individual officeholder's office. Use of generic materials further eliminates waste that might result when an officeholder's term of office ends. Because we do not interpret the court's order to include a prohibition on an officeholder's use of his official stamp, office equipment, or office personnel to modify generic stationery in the officeholder's own office, we limit our discussion accordingly. We believe that the Collin County Commissioners Court can order use of generic office materials by the tax assessor-collector and other county officers to the extent that such use affects the county's budget.
Article V, section 18, of the Texas Constitution empowers the county commissioners court to "exercise such powers and jurisdiction over all county business, as is conferred by this Constitution and the laws of the State, or as may be hereafter prescribed." The Local Government Code authorizes the commissioners court to make contracts and purchases on behalf of the county. See Local Gov't Code s 262.001 et. seq. As the governing and administrative body of the county, the commissioners court has the power to determine the county budget and make appropriations of funds. Rheuark v. Shaw, 628 F.2d 297, 301-02 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 931 (1980). The court has implied authority to exercise its discretion in order to accomplish these purposes. Anderson v. Wood, 152 S.W.2d 1084, 1085 (Tex.1941). Therefore, the Collin County Commissioners Court, not the tax assessor-collector, has the authority to determine what supplies are necessary for the tax assessor-collector's office. See Attorney General Opinions JM-725 (1987) (county department may only buy office supplies with commissioners court's approval); H-544 (1975) (commissioners court alone is general business and contracting agent for the county); O-6918 (1945) (commissioners court determines what office expenses are reasonable and necessary); O-5685 (1943) (commissioners court not obligated to furnish stationery and blanks to county surveyor). Several 1989 amendments and additions to the Local Government Code further authorize county commissioners courts to use their discretion in managing county budgets. See Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1, ss 11, 36, 37, 38; id., chs. 58, 117, 167, 253, 872.(1)
The Texas Constitution provides for the election of the tax assessor- collector. Tex. Const. art. VIII, s 14; see also id. ss 16, 16a (providing for tax assessor-collectors in counties having fewer than 10,000 residents). The duties and compensation of the tax assessor-collector are defined by statute, Tax Code ss 6.21-6.29, and he has only those powers expressly conferred by statute. State v. Cage, 176 S.W. 928, 930 (Tex.Civ.App.--Fort Worth 1915, writ ref'd). No statute grants the tax assessor-collector the power to determine the content and form of his office supplies.
In summary, the Collin County Commissioners Court has the authority to order the use of generic printed materials and limit the number of business cards purchased for the county tax assessor-collector.
Yours very truly,
Karen C. Gladney
Assistant Attorney General
Opinion Committee
Rick Gilpin
Opinion Committee
Sarah Woelk
Letter Opinion Section
1. See, e.g., Local Gov't Code ss 111.003 (court decides when to prepare county budget), 111.010 (court may amend budget by transfer), 113.903 (providing for collection of county funds with the prior consent of the commissioners court), 155.042 (court may establish a cafeteria plan for county employees), 157.002 (court may provide medical insurance for county employees), 157.062 (court may establish daycare in county with 500,000 population), 157.903 (court may indemnify county officers), 159.003 (court may require financial disclosure in county with 125,000 population), 262.0115 (purchasing agent serves at the pleasure of commissioners court in county with more than 125,000 population).


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Friday, September 28, 2012
Do chunky books discourage you from reading?
Looking back at my September list, I realized I didn't read that many books again this month. Although, I don't feel like I read any less. If I don't finish another book, I would have only read 5! I normally read about 8-10 books a month. However, two of the books this month were chunksters. The Tea Rose was 592 pages, and The Diviners is 608 pages. Often times, I don't read thick books because I feel like I need to get reviews written. I don't consider myself a fast reader. I would really like to change this, because I know I'm missing out on some great books. I'm really happy that I finally read The Tea Rose, despite it's size. I couldn't ignore The Diviners because I love Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series. Do you ever not pick up a book because of its size? If I'm reading a book too long, I feel stressed to finish it.
Does the size of a book ever discourage you from reading it?
I might start including page count in my monthly list. This might give me a better understanding of how much I read.
10 comments:
Yes! Sad but true.ReplyDelete
I keep track of page count too but it hasn't really helped me in feeling better about it... I avoid chunksters as well. I think the solution (for me) is going to have to be changing the format of my blog a little bit and feeling comfortable writing about all kinds of things and not JUST book reviews, because you're right I think about how I just want ot write another review so short books are best for that.ReplyDeleteReplies
That's what I'm struggling with. I think I'm going to start talking more about bookish things, and not just have reviews. I have alot of interest in ereaders and ebook technology. I think I want to start incorporating some of that into my blog.Delete
I tend to lean the other way. I don't buy books if they are too short, because if I'm going to invest the money in them, I want them to last a while. But I feel your pain about getting reviews done!ReplyDelete
It didn't in the past but since I've been blogging, I do avoid thick books.ReplyDelete
I love chunksters, but there are several on my shelf I admit to putting off reading simply because they are so big! In general, however, I don't avoid long books. My current read is close to 900 pages in length, and I've read a fair number of books coming in at over 500 pages so far this year. I track my page count and, even though I'll likely read more books this year than I did last year, my page count is probably going to be less :-(ReplyDelete
I tend to avoid chunksters too.ReplyDelete
Never! When I was in my early twenties and buying books I always looks for the biggest books I could find since I can easily devour a typical paperback in a single evening..so I wanted something that would last at least two nights on my limited budget..lol. Some of my favorite books have been monsters in length. I think this is why I like series or trilogies too..since I want to submerse myself in whatever place the book takes me for as long as I can. Last year I read 177 books with a page count of 55,928. This year I have read 179 books with a page count of 53,530..but i am not sure how accurate that is since i have read almost all ebooks can the ebook says 202 pages but the hardback editions says 416..so idk.ReplyDelete
I mix it up. If I finish a short book, I'm more inclined to delve into a thick one and vice versa. Works well.ReplyDelete
Nice post.thanks a lot for this knowledgefull post. Carryon boss. Thanks to all. Warning! You May Be Addicted to Stress!ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


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Ironhand : Stoneheart Trilogy, Book 2. / Charlie Fletcher.
Electronic resources
View other formats and editions
Record details
- ISBN: 9780545122337 (sound recording)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource (8 audio files) : digital.
- Edition: Unabridged.
- Publisher: New York City : Scholastic Audio, 2009.
Content descriptions
|General Note:
| Unabridged.
|Participant or Performer Note:
| Narrator: Jim Dale.
|Summary, etc.:
| The war between the statues of London rages on as George Chapman must complete three challenges to save his own life.
|Target Audience Note:
| Text Difficulty 5 - Text Difficulty 9
MG/Middle grades (4th-8th)
990 Lexile.
6.6 ATOS Level
|System Details Note:
| Requires OverDrive Listen (file size: N/A KB) or OverDrive app (file size: 262771 KB).
Search for related items by subject
|Young Adult Fiction.
|Electronic books.


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Is anyone still playing Chore Wars? It was built on such a brilliant concept that I really hoped to see it take off, although having put it through its paces myself I can see why it might be slow to do so.
My problem was that when I tried to rope my husband in to play, he'd do the chores but just wasn't interested in updating the site, so I ended up with a solo game that wasn't any fun. I might've hung in there longer given SMS updating and better support for parties that don't actually live together (and if that stuff ever makes it in I'll go back and give it another shot), but as it is I can thank the experience of Chore Wars for helping me figure out a few things that I want from a chore-focused game.
- Efficiency. Sometimes I just have too many ways I could spend a chunk of time, and I waste part of it trying to decide. I need to minimize waffle on days when I've got loads of things to finish, but I don't want to spend a huge investment on setup or turn the assistant into a micro-manager. So, if I tell it how much time I have, it can give me appropriate options or pick a task for me.
- Adventure. While there are a lot of tasks I need or want to get done, I also occasionally get this unsettling feeling that there are lots of interesting things I could be learning and doing too. So I'd like to give my friends, and maybe even random people, the ability to offer me little 'bonus' adventures and things to explore, both online and irl.
- Choice. Am I bored? Overloaded? Feeling sad? I (or others) can categorize tasks, enabling my assistant to recommend activities to suit my situation and mood.
- More rewarding rewards. OK, so points, game items and badges are great, but I really want a Nabaztag. The system allows me to assign currency values to my tasks, and at the end of every day my assistant manages a bank transfer from my current account (or my friend's, who assigned me a task) into my reward account, or savings, or whatever.
- Convenience. Want optimal updating flexibility. I've finished a task writing a doc on my laptop, so I IM my assistant. I'm in Soho with an hour to kill before meeting a friend for lunch, so.. OK, what the heck, I'm dreaming so here's how it goes: I call.
A (automated and customized to sound like Patrick Stewart): Hello, Jen. Can I help?
Me: Track me. [My Blackberry is GPS-enabled.]
A: I've found you. You're in London.
Me: Search local tasks.
A: OK. Minutes available?
Me: Sixty.
A: I'll find something for you. [MP3 plays while searching.] Good news! I've found four activities: two tasks, and two adventures.
Me: Tasks please.
A: OK. One – Fabric samples from Liberty's. Two – Adapter from Apple Store.
Me: Pass. Adventures please.
A: OK. One – Cool music at Sister Ray, a random adventure. You are near to that location. Two – Trust me, you'll love this, from Kim.
Me: Send Adventure two.
A: Sending adventure two. Have fun! When you see Alice at 1:00, tell her happy birthday from me. [My assistant interfaces with my Outlook calendar and contacts.]
Loads to think about here! Makes me wish I had any programming capability whatsoever. :)


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hey guys! My name is Philip Andreas Lund and I'm a 14 year old boy from Norway. I'm a beginner around producing music. Please help/support me by sharing my song(s).
L*ND's Fanbase
SoundCloud tracks
This is my first ever self-produced song! Please like, share and comment your thoughts.
Member since May 2016


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Posted Tue Jul 10th by Jon Heath
We're celebrating some of the greatest hits in Denver Broncos history. Â Today, we remember Rahim Moore's big hit against Buffalo.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for Hit No. 13! Â After the series is over we'll top it off with one big hitastic video.


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RUFC - Gaffer 'Time Our Fans Were Considered'
Rotherham United Manager Steve Evans says he 'feels' for the Millers faithful who travelled down to Bristol today only to find, once again, that the game was off when they got there.
With Bristol Rovers making the game a special price day, the Millers fans were travelling in numbers with the Millers Boss telling the Official Site, 'I really feel for our supporters who had travelled down to the South-West in big numbers.
'As the rain continued to lash down I sent two members of my coaching staff to look at the pitch mid-morning. They telephoned me immediately to confirm the pitch was sodden and had puddles all over it. The match referee made the correct decision as the pitch was clearly unplayable but to be fair to him he confirmed he was consistently told via telephone all morning that the match was not in any danger.
'It is about time our travelling fans were taken into consideration because what has gone on recently isn't acceptable.'
I think we have to put this one down to Bristol Rovers - if they told the referee the pitch was fine then why should he disbelieve them? Although, to be honest, if it had been me and I'd seen the weather, I might have made an early trip to the ground to see for myself.
Vital Rotherham on:


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EDMOND, Okla. (AP) – Two small earthquakes have been recorded in central Oklahoma near Edmond and near Langston.
No injuries or damage are reported.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.3 magnitude quake was recorded at 3:57 a.m. Tuesday about 5 miles southeast of the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond and a 3.1 magnitude quake was recorded at 2:04 a.m. about 3 miles south of Langston – about 30 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
Geologists say earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 to 3.0 are generally the smallest felt by humans and that damage is not likely in temblors below magnitude 4.0.


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Forums → Game Walkthroughs → The Last Stand - Union City Guide
Alright, so I've been playing this game for two days now, and I've completed it twice, both on hard. But those don't have anything to do with this but oh well.
These are the missions that I've done and have had enough time to write some crap down for it.
So yeah, here we go.
1. After creating your character you'll be dropped into the game.
2. Follow the instructions at the bottom of the screen.
3. Keep going right to get out of the area.
4. Kill all the zombies.
5. Search the first house for everything. Only grab things that are essential. Do NOT grab the worthless stuff, since yeah, it's worthless.
Task 1: Breaking Through - Find a way into Brookvale
1. If on Hard mode go to the safehouse and rest if you need to. Also serves as a great save spot.
2. You could go and talk to the people inside the safehouse but it's a waste of time. Also, search everything.
3. Go all the way to the right of the screen to find the survivor and Ed Boone. He will give you a quest. Follow the instructions and find Ray.
4. If you didn't follow the instructions he's at the blue house with the mailbox that says '12'.
5. Go inside, go upstairs and you'll find him. Search EVERYTHING, like I said, if on easy mode I found some money in the drawyers on the first floor.
6. Ray will tell you to go back to Ed, since he didn't have it. Go to Ed and continue the task.
7. He tells you to go get the bolt cutters himself. Go to house 14, the one with the dual garages. Go inside the house and go right, kill the zombies and search to the very far right, the bolt cutters should be there.
8. Go to Ed to turn in the task/quest thingy. You'll earn 300XP.
-New Map Area Unlocked-
Brookvale - Danger Level 4.
For now I'm going to keep going on this, but I'm still going to keep playing the game. If I missed something please reply and tell me!
I need help with this also, if you have any info tell me! And I'll include your username in the post.
Also, with people with issues with the game, take them somewhere else. This isn't a rant post.
- 176 Replies
Where do I find the Biohazard suit and how do I equip it?
You can find it in your storage when you complete a certain percentage of achievements. When you complete more of them, you can also open a battleaxe and a 50cal sniper rifle.
The part is unexplainable do you live? or does your wife eat you? P.S. WTF why did the ******* boat stop in the middle of nowhere?
It seems that the boat ran out of fuel. And we can't now what happened then.
how do we get to waterside?
Where can we get armor i keep diein i need som armor!
Where can we get armor i keep diein i need som armor!
*grammar Nazi mode activate*
Jeez, man my eyes hurt. Oh well, better answer your question.
You can get your armor at the police station located at Uptown(not the safehouse but at the infested one) or in Waterside, in the Military Base.
how do we get to waterside?
You have to talk to Jack in the safehouse in the Docks and he'll give you a quest to get there.
Does wearing armor actually affect the damage we take ?
Does wearing armor actually affect the damage we take ?
Kind of, but you get the better ones towards the end, which really makes it not entirely worthwhile.
how do you go up the ladder????????????????????????????????????????
how do you go up the ladder????????????????????????????????????????
Where is the ladder ? I think there is no ladders except in the background.
Where is the ladder ? I think there is no ladders except in the background.
There are a few towards the end. If you look up towards the ceiling, there should be a trapdoor if the ladder is meant to go somewhere. Mouse over, and then open.
Actually they are more toward the middle of the story line at the stadium but yeah.
somehow i f*cked up my storyline, great... went back to the stadium (i know that mistake) in "breakout" mission and private simmons dont let me outside from stadium(requires key text appears if i want to leave)... i'm stuck at there... no, i dont want play again
any help, any idea guys?
oh what a shame...ok i found it, sry!
What does the biohazard suit do beside taking room in yuor inventory?
I think it's a decent armour. But heck, I don't bother with armour at all. Dump it if you want to.
Something I've noticed is that your partner/ally hast their own ammunition supply so when you get a powerful weapon but you have no ammo hand it to him/her. I find this works best with the SAW. Hope this helps anyone.
You must be logged in to post a reply!


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If you've disabled TechSmith Snagit from auto-updating, (if you don't know, you can do it by opening Snagit preferences, click on 'Advanced' tab, under Snagit Update, remove the tick mark for 'Enable automated update checking') and still seeing a popup from Snagit Updater informing that 'A new version of Snagit it available' and it the displays release notes for the update, which you can read by scrolling (check the screenshot below).
If you click 'Update' button, update will be downloaded and installed, if you click on 'Later', this notification will re-appear after some days. If you've decided to stay on a particular version, these update notifications can be annoying, here is how you can turn it off.
READ: What's new in Snagit 12.3
Disabling Snagit update notification or popup
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TechSmith\SnagIt\12, on the right pane, create a new dword32-bit key with name 'NoAutoUpdateSupport' and give the value as 1.
Caution: Use this guide at your own risk, following the instructions removes 'Check for Updates' option in Resources of Snagit Editor and 'Enable Automated update checking' under 'Advanced' tab in Snagit Preferences.
Snagit 12.2 Update adds Light Theme Option for the Editor, improves Scrolling Capture
To get the above mentioned update options back, delete the registry key you've created before and restart your computer.
Bonus tip: Want to disable @Snagit handle notifications in Snagit editor? Open the editor, click on File Menu> Editor Options, select 'General' and Under 'Assistance', untick 'Show all tips', click 'OK' to apply the changes.
TIP: How to Create a Shortcut for Image Profile in Snagit 12?


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Singapore Airlines - Promotional Flights and airfares
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Singapore Airlines has evolved into one of the most respected travel brands, growing from a regional airline into one of the world's leading carriers. Singapore Airlines has a young, efficient fleet, educated staff attuned to quality, and a top-ranked travel gateway, Singapore's Changi Airport, at the centre of their extensive route network. Today Singapore Airlines route network spans 94 destinations in 38 countries, serving Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, the South West Pacific, and Africa.
Singapore Airlines made Aviation history when the Airline became the first to operate the world's largest aircraft, the A380, on the 25 October 2007 between Singapore and Sydney. In addition, Singapore Airlines introduced Suites - in a class beyond First, together with cabin improvements in all other classes while still providing excellent service.
In 2000, Singapore Airlines became a full member of the global Star Alliance, the world's largest global alliance providing valuable network and loyalty benefits to customers.
Classes of Travel
First Class
Singapore Airlines has created the world's most exclusive First Class cabin offering superior levels of privacy and comfort. SkySuites are crafted with your comfort in mind. Indulge in fine wines and cuisine from around the world while you relax in your leather seat. World-class service, luxurious amenities, turn-down service, and exceptional entertainment make your travels a pleasure. Experience the exclusive cabin aboard Singapore Airlines B747s, and discover more of what the airline has to offer.
Business Class
Singapore Airlines' Business Class cabin offers more room, world-class service, and greater privacy to assure your comfort. Providing you with top-shelf choices, Singapore Airline's in flight entertainment system, KrisWorld, offers more than 450 entertainment options, including feature films, classic movies, and favourite TV programmes. The large personal screen in Business class brings it all right to your seat, and Singapore Airlines 225-CD music collection guarantees you'll find just the right soundtrack for your travels. Beyond a simple business-class seat, the Italian-Swiss designed SpaceBed on Singapore Airline's gives you unparalleled comfort, from the multiple seating positions, to the lie-flat sleeping mode at a comfortable angle of 8 degrees.
Economy Class
Relax in Singapore Airline's bright and cheerful cabin, get comfortable in specially designed seats, and enjoy flavourful cuisine. The close to 500 entertainment options -- including the latest blockbuster movies, hit TV shows and interactive games – guarantee you'll stay entertained. Beyond the standard economy class, Singapore Airlines Economy class seats keep you more comfortable with adjustable footrests and winged headrests.
In-flight Entertainment
Revel in KrisWorld, Singapore Airlines' state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system. Imagine a feast of movies, TV shows, music, games, language courses and office software on wide screen LCDs. An exhaustive range of entertainment options, including audio and video-on-demand, leaves you spoilt for choice. Featuring 100 movies, including the latest blockbusters, and more than 180 TV shows, KrisWorld presents you with your very own cinema in the sky. For the music lover, choose from an extensive library of 700 CDs and over 20 radio channels. Singapore Airlines is also pleased to bring you action-packed 3D games and built-in office software to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations effortlessly.


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Program Development:
Program Development Environment (PDE) enables users to carry out an entire program development life cycle for the Grid. During the program development cycle the user prototypes, implements, debugs and tunes his application. PDEs help users to express, manipulate and manage complex workflows, and also facilitate development using Grid specific programming languages such as scripting languages and workflow languages. They also help to reduce the complexities of understanding different environments as they act as a standard environment across all the resources of the Grid.
The GARUDA PDE includes basic program development tools such as editors and compilers; program analysis tools like debuggers and profilers; workflow environments and tools that help in porting, conversion and scalability. For a seamless interface to the user it would be ideal if all these components are made available through an Integrated Development Environment (Grid IDE). The important tools are


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I find lichen identification extremely difficult and if anyone has any tips I would love to hear them. However, there is one lichen anyone can identify. All you have to do is walk out on to one the Dorset heaths and look amongst the heather and in no time at all you will find 'reindeer lichen'.
Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia portentosa)
Originally uploaded by Peter Orchard
Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia portentosa)
Originally uploaded by Peter Orchard
Whilst there are various similar species of 'reindeer lichen' there is only one found here. The others are confined to the Arctic tundra and is a favourite food of ... reindeer, of course!
Not much look at at first glance but get down close, add a bit of magnification and you have this wondrous mass of intricate 'branchlets' that spread out in all directions to make delicate, fluffy, tufted mats.
In some books this can be listed as Cladonia impexa as some lichens are being reclassified after DNA analysis reveals more about them and their relationship to other lichens.


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There's an increasing and amplifying cultural trend in our society that I think is in need of a temporary cease-fire, or at least a little reappraisal. The Halloween Whore. It's a trend that's been slowly increasing for some years, but when Tina Fey made the joke in the movie Mean Girls- "Halloween is every women's opportunity to dress up like a whore, and for men to dress up like women"- it became apparent that the trend had crossed a certain cultural threshold. Last Halloween some friends and I strolled up and down the crowded, energized streets of Vancouver's main downtown bar district, and on all sides the streets teemed with masses of sexed up nubility. There were nurse outfits, soldiers, wonder women, leather, fishnets, buoyant breasts and more than a cheek or two. On one level it's a man's dream come true, a chakra two bonanza . But alas, despite the rather tempting fruits of this cultural expression, I think it should be questioned on a few grounds.
The first concern has to do with a lack of mature embodiment that this expression has taken. Much of what I've witnessed on recent Halloween nights are a lot of young women who look rather awkward in their outfits, sort of knock-kneed and uncomfortable. I'm all for sexual expression, liberation and the overcoming of what Foucault calls biopower- the power wielded over bodies through social control- but the trend of the Halloween Whore doesn't seem to be truly a case of liberation. It strikes me that the trend has regressive, vulgar and slightly dark aspects. Instead of dressing up like a whore in a spirit of play and carnival, it seems as though many young women are largely whoring themselves, and this is a critical difference. It doesn't feel very "sex-positive", to use a phrase from the sex columnist Dan Savage. Rather than a victory of sexual liberation, it feels like women once again placing themselves under the strictures of a rudimentary and predatory male gaze. Gloria Steinem has said that, "Pornography is about dominance. Erotica is about mutuality. Erotica is as different from pornography as love is from rape, as dignity is from humiliation, as partnership is from slavery, as pleasure is from pain." I'm not against women dressing up in sexy, erotic outfits. Far from it. But someone who owns their sexuality and is expressing it healthily is very, very different than someone who's pressured into displaying herself in a way that advertises her sexuality and leaves her feeling awkward, uncomfortable and powerless. This, according to Steineim's definition, would be pornographic, and this is sadly a part of what I've witnessed on Halloween nights.
But even the more embodied and seemingly empowered expressions of the Halloween Whore are problematic too. They seem to be more an extension of Girls Gone Wild raunch culture than anything else, an attempt to find meaning in a postmodern world where, as Leonard Cohen put it, things are sliding in all directions, with nothing left to hold on to any more. And as value and meaning continue to slide and slip and disappear into our secular consumer quagmire, it's a natural move to explore licentious transgression as the newfound path to wholeness and fulfillment. But in the end, to quote Cohen again, it looks like freedom but it feels like death.
In a recent podcast Dan Savage, somewhat contra my view, strongly supports the sexual expression of Halloween night. For Savage, the sexually explicit extravaganza of Halloween could become a sort of "straight pride parade", where straight folks can celebrate and live out their sexuality in a way that's "all really healthy". I support Savage's basic vision here; I just don't really see this happening yet. So the question arises, what could we do to create the type of more positive event that Savage envisions? Perhaps it's in the costuming. Savage mentions wearing "crazy-ass revealing costumes" where we display our sexuality publicly. Maybe we need more creative sexy costumes, not just the stock run-of-the-mill hooker get up that's so dominant, and so boringly cliché. Knee-high boots, a short skirt and boobs falling out does not instantly equate to healthy sexual expression.
Maybe we need to see more famous female characters, or fantasy outfits, or Lady Gagaesque art-project chic, or something else. Something more than the dreary porn inspired mimetic uniformity that we see out there now. And we can't let the men off the hook here either. Half the time a good majority of the men don't dress up at all on Halloween night, they're just wearing the same clothes they'd wear to a club on a Friday night. This lopsidedness makes me uneasy, and generally leads me to conclude that the night's still more about sexual exploitation than liberation. So men, what might it look like for us to dress up and be sexually expressive in this "straight pride parade" too? Could be interesting, and our creative endeavors- Roman soldiers, Indiana Jones, Clint Eastwood, James Bond?! What or who would you be?- could set the tone for an altogether different kind of festival night.
However, before we officially make Halloween solely about sexual expression, another key reason to reappraise this general trend is precisely that it's taking away from the diversity of expression to be found on Halloween night. There's recently been much interest in Continental philosophy in the concept of the "carnivalesque", found in the work of the Russian literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin (1895-1975). The carnival, a long standing tradition in Western culture, and of which our modern day Halloween is a somewhat pale remnant, has been described thus: "Carnival acts through strategies that ape, parody and indeed parallel the dominant social order. There is a calculated inversion of existing social forms and cultural configurations…Carnival is a finite interlude of licensed mayhem, but carnival is also an artful and highly orchestrated tilt at sacred establishment icons". (1) Some of the best costumes I've seen in recent Halloweens were the multiple versions of Sarah Palin, the 'dead' John McCain, the Top Gun guys, the band of Arabs, the riffs on Barack Obama. The overemphasis on Sex plugs up creativity and undermines the full potential of this important cultural event. The carnival is supposed to be about the temporary transgressing of fixed societal norms, the subversion of taboo and convention, but what boundary is the Halloween Whore really overcoming. It practically is the cultural norm! I'm reminded of the Bill Maher joke, "You know who I feel bad for these days- prostitutes, because what can they wear anymore. They're standing on the corner going, No, I'm selling this shit, really". If anything, the Halloween Whore is perpetuating the social order, not aping it or parodying it in ways that create fissures and generative openings in the body politic.
So I guess there are two lessons for me here. If we're going to use Halloween as a night of healthy sexual expression, as Dan Savage urges, then let's be both creative and true to our real desires when we pick our costumes. And let's also not forget that it's not all about sex- it's also about "the artful and highly orchestrated tilt at sacred establishment icons". Halloween is a rare cultural gift, where the chokeholds of local order are momentarily loosed, and the rivers of life free to flow. Let's use this opening wisely.
(1) Jenks, Charles. Transgression. New York: Routledge, 2003. Ch. 7


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Shania Twain fans brave freezing cold for tickets to Charlottetown show
The Guardian
By Dave Stewart
March 7, 2014
They came from Montague, camped out overnight in the freezing cold but were still singing on Friday morning.
Kristena McCormack, her mother Mary McCormack and Mary's best friend Donna Cain arrived at the Eastlink Centre at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, nearly 14 hours before tickets to one of the biggest shows in Charlottetown this year went on sale.
Shortly after 10 a.m., they were literally singing and dancing out of the building with their Shania Twain tickets in hand.
The women spent the entire night cuddled under blankets in their car, occasionally turning the engine on in minus-30 degree weather to keep warm.
"Look at me, I'm shaking. This is awesome,'' Mary McCormack said as she gazed down at her prized tickets. "I need to go outside to scream. Was it worth it? 110 per cent. I waited a lifetime and I still have six months to go.''
Twain will headline a concert at the Charlottetown Event Grounds on Saturday, Aug. 30, as part of Founders' Week to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
Tickets appeared to be selling fast.
Dave McGrath, general manager of the Eastlink Centre, which operates the concert grounds, said the reserved grandstand seating is sold out but that there are still general admission tickets left. He wouldn't say how many tickets had been sold.
The Eastlink Centre spent the week upgrading its computer system and testing it out. McGrath said staff was pleased with how things went and he thanked fans for their patience during the day.
About a half hour before the ticket windows opened, there are approximately 35 people waiting in line but most people were expected to turn to the Internet.
Kristena McCormack said it was worth camping out overnight even though the lineup wasn't long.
"What if we didn't and when we got here there were 100 people waiting? You never know,'' Kristena McCormack said. "(I've been a huge fan) since birth because of my mother.''
Gail Feehan of Charlottetown also camped out in her car overnight so she could be close to the front of the line.
"I sat in my car with a couple of blankets and a pillow. It was (cold). My feet were a little chilly but it was well worth the wait,'' Feehan said.
One Charlottetown woman who bought tickets won't even be able to go to the show. The Guardian isn't publishing her name because she bought tickets for her father as a birthday present (don't want to ruin the surprise).
"He has no idea,'' the woman said. "We grew up listening to Shania. That's how I got into country music. He has no idea (I'm buying him tickets). He is going to be so excited. I can't wait.''
For more information on tickets, go to www.shaniapei.ca.


text:
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Beverly's Angie Miller had a big night on "American Idol" Wednesday night, getting rave reviews from the four celebrity judges. After her last performance, veteran judge Randy Jackson shouted, "She's in it to win it."
In a surprise results show last night on "American Idol" no one was voted off. There was an extra show scheudled in for the judges save, which wasn't used for the first time this season, so the show producers will tally last night's votes with next week's to determin who goes home next Thursday night.
Angie Miller had a big night on Wednesday night's performance show, getting rave reviews from the four celebrity judges. After her last performance, veteran judge Randy Jackson shouted, "She's in it to win it."
During the live performance show on Fox Wednesday, the Top 4 female "American Idol" contestants, including Miller, sang three song each, two solos and one duet.
The first song, contestant's choice, naturally brought Miller to the piano to sing Jessie J's "Who You Are."
Nicki told Angie, "There's no one that compares to you that's in this competition when you are behind the piano. No one."
For the duet, Miller and fellow contestant Candice Glover then took on Rihanna and Mikki Ekko's "Stay."
"Unbelievable," said Jackson. "That's how to do a duet right there."
For the One-Hit-Wonder song, Angie Miller tackled the Julie London song, "Cry Me A River."
Again, the reviews were glowing. Mariah Carey said it was more "classic" than one-hit-wonder. Keith Urban called her performance, "mystical and celestially powerful." Nicki, after she tried to count and pronounce Urban's words, said "honey-child" was snatching wigs and declared that it was Angie Miller's night.
"I gotta tell ya, the best of the night," shouted Jackson. "Angie, wins the night. Hands down."
After the two-hour show came to an end, America took to the phones to vote. Will Miller make it into the Top 3?
Find out tonight when "Idol" live results airs at 8 p.m. on Fox. If you miss it, don't forget to check back with us for a recap of the show, and also continue to visit our special section dedicated to Angie Miller at wickedlocal.com/beverly/angieidol, for all Angie related news, like us on Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
Scroll down to see videos of Miller's three performances as well as her Top 4 Finalist Diary.


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Soprano saves the day
Out There
by Roberto Friedman
What a wild ride at the opera it was last Thursday for the opening night of San Francisco Opera's Tosca. After a first act with renowned diva Angela Gheorghiu in the title role, SFO General Director David Gockley announced from the stage that La Gheorghiu had become stricken with intestinal flu (TMI!) and was being rushed to the hospital. Her cover Melody Moore would step in for her, in her very first time essaying the role, to complete the performance. Of such drama are operatic legends made.
Out There's week was full of such operatic occasions. The culinary highlight was definitely a media luncheon held at the elegant restaurant Spruce, at which vintners Paula Brooks and Bob Cook and winemaker Andy Erickson presented their complex and soulful Mad Hatter Napa Valley Red 2009 and Dancing Hares Vineyard 2009, wines crafted in the style of right-bank Bordeaux. They discussed their approach and philosophy in winemaking and blending varietals. The fruit of their grapes washed down a menu of Cinderella pumpkin soup, bavette steak with turnips, radishes, foraged mushrooms and oxalis, artisan cheeses, and chocolate devil's food cake with carmelia mousse and cocoa nibs. Urp.
T party
Sundance Channel revealed its scripted development slate for 2013-14 earlier this month, five new dramas including projects from Robert Redford, Steve Buscemi , Stanley Tucci, Wren Arthur, Ira Glass, Dan Futterman and Anya Epstein . Among the series in development is T, described as "a deeply personal look at Terrence, a transgender male who has recently undergone gender reassignment surgery and is beginning to live life as a man. The series cuts between Terrence's emotional struggle in the present and his past as Thora, a lesbian activist at Mt. Holyoke College circa 2005 struggling to find her true self." The writers are Epstein (In Treatment) and Futterman (In Treatment, Capote), the producers, Glass & Alissa Shipp (This American Life ), high-wattage names all.
Bully pulpit: Stars of Broadway hit musicals including Kinky Boots, Wicked, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Ghost The Musical will gather for Broadway Against Bullying, a one-night-only holiday cabaret benefiting No Bully and their efforts to bring solutions to bullying and harassment in schools, on Mon., Dec. 3, 7 p.m. at Club Fugazi. Performers will include Nick Adams , Annaleigh Ashford , Ellyn Marie Marsh , Billy Porter, Tory Ross and Constantine Rousouli. Tickets ($50, $100: reserved seats, post-performance reception with cast): call (415) 421-4222 or go to www.nobully.com.
Fall into the app
We were most interested to read the press release about a new app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, an evolved e-book format for a novel we'd enjoyed, History of a Pleasure Seeker, Vol. 1 by Richard Mason. With the app, readers can "step between hearing and reading at will, by tapping any paragraph to hear Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens read to them; hear the characters sing and play the music of Chopin , Bizet, Bach, Mozart and Puccini as they seduce each other; tap page illustrations to open windows into scenes of Amsterdam and New York in the early 20th century; learn about the story's historical context from essays on the banking panic of 1907, the history of Holland and Amsterdam, and the pleasures of the Belle Epoque; make notes in the eLume which can be shared on Facebook or Twitter; ask the author questions about the creation of the book and app, and watch as he answers them; and share opinions with friends via e-mail, Twitter or Facebook."
Well goodness, with all that, who has time to actually read the book?
Finally, here's the anecdote to go along with the DVD review of Johnny Guitar in this week's issue. Joan Crawford rued making the movie and shooting at Republic Studios. She said about her poodle, "He loved it when I worked at the glamorous studios, like MGM and Warners. He nibbled on the carpet at Republic, and got sick."


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Twins saddened by death of Herb Carneal
MN -- The Minnesota Twins are saddened by the death of long-time radio
broadcaster Herb Carneal. Carneal, 83, passed away this morning at his
home in Minnetonka due to congestive heart failure.
Hired away from the Baltimore Orioles in 1961, where he was part of the play-by-play team for five years, Carneal had been behind the microphone for all but the first of the Twins' 46 seasons in Minnesota. He became an institution not only in the state of Minnesota, but throughout the vast reaches of the Upper Midwest, to which his voice carried.
Carneal was the recipient of the Ford C. Frick award, baseball-broadcasting's highest honor, in 1996. The award is presented annually to broadcasters who make major contributions to baseball and its fans. He was also inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Metrodome's baseball press box was renamed in his honor in 2005.
Carneal is survived by his daughter Terri and grandson Matthew. Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced when they become available.


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How do you mobilize an entire community to address the issue of improving outcomes for children and youth? In 2013, FrameWorks began a four-year engagement with Jacksonville's Partnership for Child Health and the System of Care Initiative. As the Initiative works to better integrate the city's social services for children in general and make dramatic improvements to children's mental health services in particular, FrameWorks is supporting the initiative's efforts to build a more robust public understanding of child health and wellbeing. The project, funded through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, includes original research into how Jacksonville residents currently think and talk about children's issues, and how the public conversation might be reframed to include a more scientific understanding of the social determinants of child wellbeing. In the work ahead, FrameWorks researchers will be developing and testing framing recommendations that will help community leaders better advocate for a city that fulfills the needs and rights of all of its children. In addition to communications research, this partnership includes deep engagement with community leaders and community members, including youth and families.
Talking Child Well-Being and Public Health in Jacksonville • A FrameWorks MessageMemo (2013).
This Multimedia MessageMemo summarizes the findings from our research, and provides advocates and experts with a communications map for improving the public's understanding of a number of children's issues in Jacksonville, Florida. It also includes videos and infographics that help show what advocates are up against and how strategic reframing can work to bring people to deeper, more nuanced understandings of children's issues.
New! All Aboard: Explanatory Tools to Talk About Children's Well-Being in Jacksonville. Reports the results of experimental framing research and recommends ways of explaining "system of care" initiatives to address child mental health. Solid Tracks for Development is an Explanatory Metaphor that helps make the coordination of systems concrete and accessible for the public.
"If You've Got a Good Harness on Your Kids…": Models of Child Well-Being and Learning Among Jacksonville Residents
This report explores the cultural models that Jacksonville residents use to think and talk about children's issues. By documenting these shared assumptions and understandings, the report identifies features of public thinking that challenge efforts to create broader social change. These challenges set the stage for subsequent reframing efforts.
Stuck in a Tale of Two Cities: Mapping the Gaps on Child Development and Well-Being in Jacksonville
This report maps the gaps between how experts talk and Jacksonville residents think about child development, well-being, and child rights. It describes a set of specific communications challenges, and provides initial strategic recommendations to address these challenges. The report concludes by charting a course for the next stage of prescriptive research.
The Potency of Potential: Values to Bring Jacksonville Together to Support Children (Values report)
This report presents the results of an experimental survey that explores how three values — Civic Potential, Human Potential, and Civic Responsibility — can be used to shift attitudes about children's issues in Jacksonville. The report concludes with strategic recommendations for using these values to increase support for the policy and programmatic solutions needed to improve the lives of children in the city.


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Recently I got together with 2 of the most bold and badass babes I know, Scarlet Chamberlin and Alexandra Franzen. Scarlet is a killer fashion stylist, and Alex is a sought-after writing guru. We got to talking about how across our industries, going big pays off. Alex put it perfectly when she said:
During the photoshoot, Jolie, Scarlet, and I started talking about the idea of being "too much." Too colorful. Too bold. Too confident. Too sexual. Too opinionated. Too successful. Too happy. Too… whatever.


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Information for schools and colleges
The Community Rail Partnership works closely with local schools, colleges and youth organisations in order to encourage a greater awareness of the line and its importance to the community. If you or your school, college or organisation is interested in getting involved with the Community Rail Partnership, please do not hesitate to contact the CRP officer via our Contact Us page.
We can arrange special trips for school groups and provide transport for school trips. The Community Rail Partnership also works with schools to provide artworks to brighten up stations.
For many of the children it could be their first train journey!


text: The Southwold Sailors' Reading Room was built in 1864 as a refuge for fishermen and mariners when not engaged at sea, as an endeavour to keep them out of the pubs and encourage them in Christian ideals. Displays of a seafaring nature line the walls and fill glass cabinets. Pictures and portraits of local fishermen and seascapes, model ships and maritime paraphernalia offer a fascinating history of Southwold's connections with the sea.


text:
Kenny Bell Quotes
Nebraska Football
Weekly Press Conference
Monday, Oct. 21, 2013
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)
Kenny Bell
On how the bye weeks have been
"Very nice. It has been great, especially getting some guys healthy. Guys are feeling better now going into these last six weeks that we have ahead of us. We definitely needed these two bye weeks. They couldn't have timed up better for us."
On the possible return of senior quarterback Taylor Martinez
"I am very optimistic (he will return). I would love to have Taylor back. I have always wanted Taylor as our quarterback, but at the same time I have just as much faith in Tommy (Armstrong Jr.) and Ron (Kellogg III). They have been playing good football for us. Optimism is high with Taylor. I am excited to see him back with pads on practicing. Whoever is going to be healthy is who I want out there on Saturday."
On how Martinez looked at practice Sunday
"Looked good, moving well, so like I said we are very optimistic."
On the short passes that worked against Minnesota last year
"Minnesota has been the same for three years now. I think we can expect the same kind of things out of them this year, not that they haven't gotten better. That is not what I am saying, as far as schematically how they play the game will be very similar to last year."
On his success against Minnesota the past few years
"Just coverage really. Opportunities. Just like Quincy (Enunwa) has taken advantage of being open this year. It is really what the defense gives us is what we are going to take. Past couple of years Minnesota has given us big plays in areas that were more to my strength. I was blessed to make some big plays the past two years."
On if the bye weeks were good for the team and this final six-game stretch
"Preparation-wise absolutely. It gives you a chance to take a deep breath and watch some film. I think more so health-wise is the biggest factor that is playing for us. We have been a little banged up through the first six games, so for us to get some rest it couldn't have happened any better for us."
On Nebraska's depth at wide receiver
"I think not only does it speak of the depth we have but the maturity of it. We are going deep into our offense now with Spencer Long out, and Quincy and I have been banged up the last couple of weeks. We have a lot of guys stepping up, obviously Tommy and Ron, so it is not easy to come in to play for a guy who has played three or four seasons here. The mental aspect is more than the physical. It is nice seeing the young guys and the guys who haven't played much doing the things they are doing. I am proud of those guys, we talk about it in every single meeting. We are going to need every single guy. Everybody makes a difference."
On the Husker faithful traveling to away games
"I don't feel like we have been on the road since I have been here, honestly. UCLA was packed with Nebraska fans, I think Ohio State was the only one that kind of felt like an away game. It is nice, it makes you feel like you are at home when your crowd is just as loud as the home crowd."


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Mimosa for Mother's Day
Sunday is Mother's Day. The day when mothers everywhere get to sleep in, have fancy breakfasts served to them in bed and get to do whatever they please while their husbands take over and take care of the kiddies. Yeah, right.
It's a nice theory and while plenty of us will be awoken at 7 am with thoughtful breakfasts of cereal and underdone pancakes, most of the day will be spent with family doing exactly what we do every other day of the year, playing, eating and enjoying each other.
But before the fun begins do your mom a favor and serve her one of these delicious classic cocktails with that bowl of cereal. After all, with everything she does every day, from cooking and cleaning, to picking us up from various school activities, and being there when we need an ouchie kissed or a shoulder to cry on, doesn't she deserve a little shot of alcohol to start off her day? Don't we all? Yes, coffee is wonderful, but holidays deserve something extra special. And nothing's better for a holiday brunch than a nice mimosa, especially when it's made with fresh orange juice.
Unlike some of my other classics, this cocktail is a pretty popular choice for today's brunches whether they're special or not. But since it is so common, you're probably wondering what makes it a classic? Well, believe it or not it was created in 1925 at the Paris Ritz Carlton hotel. It was named after the Mimosa flower because when mixed together, the drink resembles the bright orange/yellow blossom native to Mexico and South America. But the original adult beverage had an extra ingredient the modern day concoction seems to lack – Grand Marnier.
Whether you choose to add the Grand Marnier to this delicious mid-morning drink or not, nothing is guaranteed to make Mom smile more than a sparkling, fruity cocktail brought to her by the ones she loves most. And if it happens to be on a tray while she's in bed, even better.
- 4 ounces champagne
- 5 ounces orange juice
- 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
- Squeeze the orange juice into a frosted champagne flute. Add the Grand Marnier, finish with the champagne and stir.


text:
YAMAHA AC-XG Audio Driver version 220.127.116.112 for VAIO Desktop PCV-RX1 (Windows XP)
YAMAHA audio driver version 184.108.40.2062 resolves the issue where the audio no longer functions after installing Windows XP Service Pack 1.
Download Instructions
- Prepare a new folder to place a file downloaded from the web. Name itDownload.
- Download theaw2152s.exefile into theDownloadfolder.
- Browse to theDownloadfolder and double-click theaw2152s.exefile - TheWinZip Self-Extractorprogram starts.
- ClickUnzip- The file is extracted to the following new directoryC:\aw2152s.exe"
- ClickCloseto exitWinZip Self-Extractorprogram.
Installation Instructions
- Open Device Manager .
- Double-clickSound, video and game controllers.
- Right-clickYAMAHA AC-XG Audio Device, and then clickUpdate driver...from the shortcut menu.
- TheHardware Update Wizardstarts - Select[Install from a list or specific location (Advanced).
- ClickNext.
- SelectSearch for the best driver in these locations.
- ClickInclude this location in the search, and type or browse to the directoryC:\aw2152s.exe.
- ClickNext- Please wait while the wizard installs the software.
- ClickFinish.
- Close theDevice Managerwindow.
Informazioni file
Nome del file
- ACD_yam_613102152.exe
Struttura del file
- 32 bit
Dimensioni file
- 2.48 Mb
Data del rilascio
- 15-10-2002


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Simon Heart is one of Australia's premier magicians. Having performed in over a dozen countries around the World. Simon is the only Australain Magcian in recent times to be asked to be the oppening Gala act at the IBM Magicians Convention in the UK. Simon is a long time favoutite with many corporate clients. A regular perform of Escapology on TV Simon re-enacts some of Harry Houdini's greatest escapes.
Simon the consumate performing gentleman whether for children or adults Simon never fails to amaze and defy belief with his slight of hand magic or his large stage illusions. Working with his Doves or Rabbit Simon will amaze you and leave you spellbound.
Simon will perform anywhere around Australia or theWorld.
Simon's Clients include -
Simon has performed for a wide variety of celebreties both in Australia and overseas. If your looking for the most versitle magician in Asutralia today who need look no further - Kids, Adults, Corporate, private are all well withn Simons extrodinary capabilities.
Also an established MC & Guest Speaker (on all things 007) Simon offers a complete one stop package for clients who are looking for continuity at their function/event


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AT&T Set Sales Records For Both iPhone And Android Devices In Q4 2011
Android Reaches 39% Tablet OS Market Share (Standing On Amazon's Shoulders)
AT&T this morning released its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011. Consolidated revenues clocked in at $32.5 billion, up 3.6 percent compared to the year-earlier quarter. They recorded a huge net loss for Q4 2011: $6.7 billion, or $1.12 per diluted share.
Zooming in on smartphone sales, it's worth noting that AT&T delivered its best-ever quarter to date, hands down.
In the fourth quarter of 2011, the company says it sold 9.4 million smartphones, nearly double the number sold in the third quarter and 50 percent more than the previous quarterly record.
This also led to 19.4 percent growth in wireless data revenues, the company said.
During the quarter, more than 7.6 million iPhones were activated, the "majority of which" were iPhone 4S, and AT&T says more than twice as many Android smartphones were sold last quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. AT&T also said it sold 311,000 tablets in Q4 2011.


text: I'm still recovering from a bad cold; it knocked me out Thursday and Friday. I was feeling a bit better Saturday and was pretty much just sitting around taking it easy. I was still getting exhausted easily, and still congested, but one of the things I hate about recovering from being sick is having to sit around not doing anything, particularly with projects sitting half-done. I decided that finishing up the bottom of the boat would be ok. Putting the last few coats on would not be physically demanding, and would likely mean a half hour of putting on epoxy followed by a nap for an hour and a half between coats. I'm still congested and exhausted today, but am feeling good about the little bit I did on the boat yesterday to keep me sane. Anyway, for better or worse, I went ahead and did it, starting late Saturday afternoon. I rolled on the first coat of expoxy + graphite, so it went on pretty thin. I figured this was the best way to ensure good adhesion. (I did rough up the previous epoxy coat with 80 grit sandpaper first). I let that cure for an hour and a half then applied a second coat of epoxy + graphite while the first coat was still slightly tacky. This coat I put on with a 3" foam brush, so it went on a good deal thicker. I checked on it after an hour and a half; it had kicked, but a few spots still seemed like they could afford to wait a bit, so I let it go another half hour. (90-110 minutes at 70 degrees is what the manufacturer calls for.) Things were cooling off at this point, and about 7 pm, I put a final coat on using another foam brush. This morning I went out and inspected. In general it looks ok. There's a few thinner spots and a few thicker spots. The thick spots feel really slick and smooth, like a piece of glass. Most of the thinner spots do too, but there are a few of the thinner spots that feel a little less smooth; more like a smooth hardwood floor than a piece of glass. I think ideally another rolled on thin coat over everything would be ideal, but since everything has cured at this point, it would mean sanding the whole thing again. I'm confident that it's good and strong, and completely sealed, so anything more at this point would be cosmetic, and while you can tell it was done by an amateur, for a first attempt, I think it'll pass. I still need to put the aluminum guards back on the bumpers (this will help cover up some of the poor cosmetics on the bumpers as well). I plan to screw these in, but will wet out the screw holes with epoxy first, which it appears the previous owner did not do. Here are the pictures I took today. If I end up doing work on this scale again, I'll put a tent up over it. I kept having to pick dead bugs out of the epoxy as it hardened! Next steps: I'll sand the tops of the bumpers to catch any places where the epoxy dripped over them, paint the tops, then put the aluminum guards back on them. Repaint the side guards using some black boatbottom paint. (probably overkill to use the antifouling stuff, but I have it here, so why not.) Caulk where the the guard and and bumpers mate to the side wood using marine caulking. There's a couple of small scrapes on the side hull that I want to fill. (Maybe I'll hit the whole thing with another coat of spar varnish too.) Inside- hull bottom: there are some places inside where the wood grain has popped a bit. Plus the varnish in these areas is yellowed. I'm thinking a light sanding and re-varnishing would be sufficient. That sounds like a lot, but most of that is pretty quick stuff. I've also got a number of other improvements in mind for the interior (more dry storage, replacing the solid deck with slats, updating the seating, etc.) but those may wait until next season, or be done a bit at a time, we'll see how adventurous I get. I'll continue to post progress, thanks for all the feedback and support thus far! --Tracy


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Whitney Houston documentary in works
Oscar-winning Scottish director Kevin Macdonald is set to helm a documentary on the life of singer Whitney Houston, who was found dead at her home in 2012 at the age of 48
Los Angeles: Oscar-winning Scottish director Kevin Macdonald is set to helm a documentary on the life of singer Whitney Houston, who was found dead at her home in 2012 at the age of 48.
Whitney Houston
The as-yet-untitled project, the first to be officially authorised by the singer's estate since her death, will be introduced to buyers in Cannes by the banner behind "Amy's" record-breaking UK release, said The Hollywood Reporter.
Houston was known as one of the music industry's most naturally talented and successful artist, with an estimated 200 million records sold worldwide and the only singer to have enjoyed seven consecutive number 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits.
Proving her crossover appeal, she had an acclaimed starring role in 1992's "The Bodyguard", which would win her a Grammy and still remains one of the biggest-selling soundtracks of all time.
But while Houston's career would influence a generation of female performers, the star also had widely-known personal struggles, including a turbulent 15-year marriage to Bobby Brown and a long-history of drug addiction and abuse, which would culminate in her being found unconscious in a bathtub in the Beverly Hilton Hotel and later pronounced dead at the age of just 48.
The "unvarnished and authentic" story is set to "examine both the highs and lows of her dramatic career." Among the figures lined up to be interviewed are Clive Davis, founder and president of Arista Record and currently chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment.
Davis is universally acknowledged to have helped bring Houston to prominence, having first seen her perform in New York in 1983.
Friends, family and collaborators are also set to tell their side of the story, helping reveal a woman who was "both blessed and cursed with perhaps the greatest natural ability of any pop star in history."
Never-before-seen footage will chart her whole life from her church's gospel choir to her tragic death, alongside exclusive demo recordings, rare performances and audio archive.
The filmmaker asserted that he wouldn't "shy away from the darker parts of Whitney's life," including her descent into addiction.


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When will I get my coach tickets?
Once you've made a coach booking, your tickets will posted to you the next working day by First Class mail. If you make a coach booking at a weekend, your tickets will be sent out on a Monday.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will I have to hand in my car keys? - Answer?
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- What do I do if my flight is delayed and I go over my pre-booked parking period? - Answer?
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- Are the prices per room or per person? - Answer?
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- What do I do if I exceed my 8/15 days parking package? - Answer?
- Can I park before my stay? - Answer?
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On Mon, 2004-08-23 at 11:51, A Palmblad wrote: > Memory has been tested, and it was okay. What's the best way to test the > CPU and hard drive / controller? > -Adam What method did you use for testing the memory? For testing the hard drive I usually write a large file of random / semi-random garbage that I have the md5 for, then md5 what's on the disk. Over and over, usually for days when testing a new server. The CPU will cause many other problems should it really be acting up. While it's a remote possibility the CPU is causing the problems, it's more likely another bit of hardware, if not a kernel / fs bug. I'd read the article the other poster mentioned, and try a different FS to see if the problem goes away. I'm not quite as leery of Gentoo as the other fellow, but I probably wouldn't be using it in production either. Do you have an unusual setup? HW/RAID/LVM etc?
Next: From: Ben Date: 2004-08-23 20:21:44 Subject: Re: Unsupported 3rd-party solutions (Was: Few questions Previous: From: Thomas Hallgren Date: 2004-08-23 20:03:13 Subject: Re: Unsupported 3rd-party solutions (Was: Few questions


text: While working on merging Perl bindings changes for Subversion 1.0, i think i found the problem with our devel/p5-subversion package. Unfortunately, i do not know the best way to solve it. I'd appreciate any help. Subversion's Makefile.PL contains this: OTHERLDFLAGS => join(' ', $apr_ldflags, (map {"-L$_"} @ldpaths), @ldmodules, '-lsvn_swig_perl-1', `swig -perl -ldflags`), which results in this in the Makefile: OTHERLDFLAGS = -L../.libs -L../../../libsvn_client/.libs -L../../../libsvn_delta/.libs -L../../../libsvn_fs/.libs -L../../../libsvn_ra/.libs -L../../../libsvn_repos/.libs -L../../../libsvn_wc/.libs -L../../../libsvn_diff/.libs -L../../../libsvn_subr/.libs -lsvn_client-1 -lsvn_delta-1 -lsvn_fs-1 -lsvn_ra-1 -lsvn_repos-1 -lsvn_wc-1 -lsvn_diff-1 -lsvn_subr-1 -lsvn_swig_perl-1 -L/usr/pkg/lib -lswigpl But perl5/module.mk clobbers OTHERLDFLAGS :(. I can think of plenty of hacks, but no clean way to solve this. I'm hoping someone who knows more about perl and/or pkgsrc can help. Thanks. -- Eric Gillespie <*> email@example.com


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American Craftsmen
by Tom Doyle
Cover Artist: Dominick Saponard
Review by Jon Guenther
Tor Books Hardcover ISBN/ITEM#: 9780765337511
Date: 06 May 2014 List Price $24.99 Amazon US / Amazon UK
Links: Author's Website / Show Official Info /
While this was an unusual story to find in the realm of your typical fantasy, there's little doubt Tom Doyle will be a writer to watch. In this debut novel, American Craftsmen, I was immersed in what I felt to be an entirely new sub-genre that I can only describe as paramilitary fantasy.
This is the story of Dale Morton, a soldier capable of not only embarking on high-stakes secret missions for the government, but also of wielding what Doyle calls craft (a.k.a., magic spell-casting) against his enemies. And while it's not quite clear, Morton is the descendant of one of the families directly involved with the founding of America. Or so that's what I got from the narrative.
Alongside Morton is the young and naive (or we're supposed to believe she's somewhat innocent) Scherie, who provides both the romantic link and serves as aide-de-camp when Morton goes up against his arch enemy, Major Endicott, who is a Craftsman from a rival house. In an interesting twist, however, it would seem Endicott is also somewhat a beneficent sort given his Puritan roots and the idea of the two assassins attempting to kill Morton pose the greater evil.
I actually found myself surprised that as I progressed my reticence turned to enjoyment, although there were times the storyteller had a tendency to ramble. During those moments I wondered if everything being explained was that important to the underlying story. I sometimes found this to be the case, in other moments I deemed it authorial intrusion. At the end of game, I ultimately found it forgivable as I was mystified by the originality of the plot and premise.
Two other things I found admirable: a newer author who was actually able to pull off a quite decent climax and ending. Also noteworthy was the transition between first and third person. Most authors who risk this approach can't pull it off effectively. I found Mr. Doyle quite adept on that point. In contrast, it should be pointed out that some of the language, such as the use of perspicacity (and used more than once in proximity) and a couple of other fifty-cent words, seemed like a false reach for literary merit. Not to nitpick but they were plain out of a place in a novel that demands a more gritty and banal narrative, and I found it distracting.
Nonetheless, Doyle did well on the score of entertainment factor with American Craftsmen. I surmise the book will at least draw a considerable cult following if it succeeds into a series.
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Search results for '8720'
Vienna Brushed Metal$31.00 As low as: $30.00 Per YardVienna™ brushed metal is available in 9 colors. Extremely resistant to light, Vienna™ colors do not fade, even after years of exposure, making it highly appreciated in the jewelry industry. The hospitality industry uses Vienna™ for menu covers and wine lists. Learn More


text: ok so im taking my mr3 out for the first time to the field this weekend. Last time i played pb was when i was 14 and they where rental pumps. So this is what i have can some one please dictate what else is needed. I have the marker oil but no lube i hear its not needed if i use the oil thru the co2 intake. I have a plastic squeegy, guy at pb shop said its just like using the feather ones. and a 100% cotton hand rag, but i feel like im missing something....one help?


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~I received a Pictures on Gold sample for the purpose of reviewing. Opinions and stories are my own.~
I am super picky about the jewelry I wear and I have to really love it or I won't wear it. The locket I reviewed from Pictures on Gold last year is still one of my all time favorite pieces of jewelry. I wear it so much that I have constantly heard all year long how my oldest daughter wants one for herself. This year I designed one just for her and she is going to squee with delight when she opens it on Christmas morning.
I don't think I would ever buy custom jewelry online if I could not see the finished product first and that is what makes Pictures on Gold so perfect. You get to design the front, back and the insides with a huge variety of choices and when you are all done you get to see exactly how the finished product is gonna look. Here is a screen shot of the finished design I made of mine.
The final product came out exactly as I built it. I can attest to the quality because the one I got a year ago still looks just like new. I like to put colored etched pictures inside but you can make it so you put print out pictures in it if you so desire.
You get to select from 1000's of front designs which range from decorative hearts, Nationality symbols, hobbies and more. Then you upload your photos and resize them as you wish to fit perfectly inside the locket. Next, there is a personalized engraving option which allows block or script writing all while it shows you exactly how it will look while you are working on it. Since you are the artist then the designs are endless.
The website offers so much more than just lockets. They have several types of photo engraved, religious, sports, medical ID and regular engravable jewelry. Along with children's jewelry, chains, state pendants, rings and so much more! Of course I think a personalized locket is a great choice for women and girls alike. Having a favorite picture permanently laser engraved into a piece of jewelry is a special way to wear it and look at it any time you want. The holidays are rapidly approaching and these make absolutely stunning gifts to be treasured for a lifetime.
Connect: You can connect with PicturesOnGold.com on their website, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram and Twitter.
Promo Code: Use HOLIDAY 14 at checkout for a 10% discount for all orders placed on their website by December 23, 2014.


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Do USB ports hold you back in overclocking?
for the life of me I cannot get this P3-650e to run on 133 FSB. it keeps crapping out. and yes PCI is set to 1/4 divider!
Video card has seen 100AGP MHG already
and THe RAM has seen high 140's
CPU temps are from 23-27C using a waterrig!
even had the temps to 15C and still no go. lockup just after DMI POOL!
jopecooler industries: We aim to mame, sever, and dice up any extremitity you have left to use. And if you have Ziplocks we will package it to go!
HWC - OCN Drinking Active List. 67864797
HWC/Force3d active list. 57497564


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Current Size: 100%
40 Washington St.
Quincy, MA 02169
Mon-Thu 9am-9pm
Fri-Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 1-5pm
381 Hancock St.
Quincy, MA 02171
Mon 1-5pm
Tues 1-9pm
Wed-Thu 1-5pm
Friday Closed
Sat 9am-5pm
Sunday Closed
617-376-1320 (adult)
617-376-1321 (children)
The North Quincy Branch has designated handicapped parking spaces in the library parking lot and automatic door openers. The building is accessible to users with mobility impairments and has an accessible bathroom. Some areas of the building are not accessible and require staff assistance.
Branch Programs
519 Sea Street
Quincy, MA 02169
Mon 1-9pm
Tues 9am-5pm
Wed-Thurs 1-5pm
Fri-Sun Closed
617-376-1325 (adult)
617-376-1326 (children)
The Adams Shore Branch has designated handicapped parking spaces in the library parking lot and automatic door openers. The building is accessible to users with mobility impairments but has no accessible bathrooms.
Branch Programs
For Children
41 Beale St.
Quincy, MA 02170
Mon-Tues 1-5pm
Wed 1-9pm
Thurs 9-5pm
Fri-Sun Closed
The Wollaston Branch is not accessible to users with mobility impairments. If mobility impairment prevents use of any service at Wollaston Branch, users may request service at the Main Library, which is fully accessible.
For Children
My name is Nick Weinstein. I'm a scriptwriter for a low budget sci-fi TV series, Chronicles of the Intrepid. The people I wrote in my scripts exist. I know because I met them right there in the flesh. I could reach out and touch them. Whenever I kill one of them off, they actually die. To me, it's just putting down words on a page. To them, it's getting eaten by a Borgovian Land Worm, or shot to smithereens by a rogue robot, or being eaten by a bear. Think about that.
"Smart, stoned neurofiction for the posteverything world" is how Cory Doctorow summed up this engaging thriller. Set in the near future, a group of friends designed a drug to solve many of the world's longest-lasting problems. The drug allows the user to directly communicate with their own, personal god. Were it to make it to the market it could eradicate all religion - who needs an interpreter when you can have a private conversation with your deity?
Holly Sykes is a typical teenager, breathing in the smells of "warm tarmac, fried spuds and week-old rubbish," and prey to inexplicable visitations and "daymares" in which she slips into another universe. Visions and coincidences reorder her reality until they assume the aura of a nightmare brought to life. Mitchell leaps through six different universes, crossing into epochs, and throwing off mini-novels that double as pieces of a fabulous jigsaw puzzle.
Sci-Fi dystopian fiction meets missionary tale. Peter once was lost, a drunk and a thief headed for an early death. Then he fell in love with a devout nurse and the two of them started a new life spreading the good word. The novel opens as Peter is just about to head millions of miles away from home to the next chapter in his life. A multinational corporation (and even that description seems too small, given their inter-planetary reach) has recruited him to work on a planet they are active upon.
Abandoned for dead by the rest of his crew after a horrific storm forces them to evacuate the planet, Mark Watney's challenges are immense. Facing starvation, loneliness, broken machinery, an unforgiving environment, human error and no way to contact earth this botanist/engineer nevertheless is not willing to surrender. Will his ingenuity be enough to overcome the impossible odds he faces? A terrific adventure/survival tale. Check Our Catalog
Sometime in the near future a virus has infected thousands of people around the world and completely severed their ability to control their bodies. Being of sound mind these people (Holdens) are literally locked inside their human form. The virus had no respect for class or status and many very wealthy people were locked in. They were able to harness political power to subsidize rapid advances in technology that now enable people locked in their bodies to navigate the physical world by controlling very advanced robots - as well as habitating in expansive virtual worlds.
No one writes dystopian science fiction quite like Octavia Butler. Captivating and terrifyingly real, Parable of the Sower tells the tale of young Lauren Olamina, an empath who feels and experiences the pain of others around her. Forced to flee her home in Southern California, Lauren finds an America where anarchy and violence have completely taken over as a result of unattended environmental and economic crises.
This is a fabulous tale! It starts in the mid-1980's in the English countryside when 15-year-old Holly Sykes storms away from home over her first-love - an older boy who does her wrong so fast its barely even mentionable. Earlier in Holly's life she heard voices and had visits from what other's chalked up to an imaginary friend. But it was never imaginary for Holly, and she is quite sane. The novel skips forward and around the globe, introducing several other interesting characters, all of whom have compelling stories of their own.
A project to bioengineer a race of super warriors who can master any skill in moments and heal from the most catastrophic wounds produces mutant "virals" that wipe out most of the human population in short order. One hundred years later a small group of survivors at the end of their resources decide to place their hope in a young girl who can so something unusual: communicate with the "virals." Meticulously plotted, full of a host of well-drawn and empathetic characters, and enough plot twists to keep one guessing to the pause at the end . . . eagerly anticipating the second installment.
Picture this: a multinational corporation specializing in internet-related services and products has been devouring all competitors for years. 90% of the the world's searches go through this company. Without competitors this will only increase. Control the flow of information and you control everything including what anyone sees and knows. The company can bury information. It can ruin any person. No one can rise up against it because it controls all the information and access to it. What happens when the company controls all searches and has full access to all data about every person?
© 2011 Thomas Crane Public Library
Developed by Isovera, Inc.


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Everyone is sitting around the table. You're just about to kick-off a new project and the room is brimming with anticipation and excitement. Everyone has been waiting for this project to come in for a long time. Not only will it be a fun project to work on, but it's also just what the company needed in order to make their numbers for the next quarter. Great news!
It's your job as project manager to finish the project planning process. So far, all the deliverables have been identified and assigned to their logical owners. Your engineering team knows their exact responsibilities. QA is right in line and agrees with what they need to do. Marketing gives a big thumbs-up to their part of the project and Documentation is sitting there nodding their heads reassuringly. All the logical deliverables have been assigned to their respective departments.
This leaves you with a handful of items that just don't fit in. These deliverables don't lend themselves to the clear ownership of one department over the next, but they do need to be done, nonetheless.
These may be deliverables that require joint collaboration between two or three departments. Or, it may just be a brand new deliverable that hasn't been implemented prior to this time.
You describe the deliverable and then ask who can take ownership? Dead silence. You wait and ask again… "who would like to take ownership of this deliverable?" Again… nothing. You can hear crickets in the background. People pretend as if they're checking their messaging or are deep in thought about some critical activity they have to do later that day. They're doing everything they can possibly do to avoid eye-contact with you. They know that if they catch your eye, they are "it".
But then… the silence is broken… and three little words are uttered that you rarely hear during project planning.
No, it's not "I love you" (although those words are probably NEVER heard during project planning), but rather…
"I got that".
What?? Did somebody just say "I got that?"
Someone actually volunteered to take on a deliverable that didn't necessarily have a clear owner? Did you hear them right? You did. You're grateful. Someone from the team stepped up and took ownership of something that they didn't necessarily have to own.
We're not saying that this type of behavior never happens, but it's a rarity nowadays. The following are some of the reasons why this type of behavior may be rare during project planning and some things you can do to hear those three little words more often.
Why is Volunteering So Rare?
Volunteering to take ownership of something that doesn't have a clear owner is a rarity for a number of reasons. For example:
It Means More Work – Let's face it…everyone has more than enough work to keep not only themselves busy, but probably a second or third person as well. There's just not enough time in the day to get done what people are already responsible for, let alone signing up for additional work.
It Stretches Comfort Zones – Most people like routines. They like predictability. They like to know that if there's a task or activity ahead of them, that they'll be able to accomplish it without too much of a problem.
When someone volunteers for something new or different, it puts them in the position of having to try something new. They may not feel entirely comfortable doing what is being asked of them and this causes reluctance when it comes to taking ownership of something new.
Something Could Go Wrong – Another reason why you may hear crickets when you look for someone to take ownership of something is that they may have been burned before. It may have been earlier in their career that they were gung-ho about taking on new and exciting challenges. But then they fall victim to "no go deed goes unpunished" and they find themselves backing off as their career progresses.
It's an unfortunate long-term consequence of poor management, but it doesn't take too many times to get burned if something goes wrong before people wise up.
Should You Volunteer as a Project Manager?
A trap that many newer project managers may fall into when it comes to project planning is to volunteer for everything themselves. They can't stand the silence. It's awkward. It may make them feel as if they don't have control of the situation. It's especially easy to succumb to volunteering for an unassigned deliverable if you know how to do it.
For example, you may have a technical background that would allow you to accomplish that task.
Don't do it. By the book, a project manager should own NOTHING other than the project plan and all the activities associated with project management. You never, ever want to be on the critical path yourself and run the possibility of slowing the project down.
There are, however, some things that you can, and should, volunteer for when it comes to project planning. It may be an administrative task or organizing something that will make your resources jobs easier or something that will clear an obstacle of their way. You should be all over that type of activity for a couple of reasons.
You'll Garner Respect from Your Team – There are "hands-off" project managers that do nothing more than bark out commands, forward emails and drink way too much coffee. They refuse to get their hands dirty or dig into some of the details that will help move the project forward, faster. If they see you digging in and helping out, you'll certainly go up a notch or two on their respect-o-meters.
It Keeps Your Team Focused – Your resources need to stay heads down on what they need to accomplish. If you've volunteered to take care of something (that's not on the critical path) then this will allow them to keep focused on those items that are on the critical path. There's nothing more frustrating for a person that's "in the zone" to have to stop and start over and over again. You can remove that frustration.
It Sets a Good Example – Your volunteering as a project manager for those items that you can take care of sets a great example for your team when it comes to having a volunteering spirit. The next time you need to have something done and there's deafening silence in the room, perhaps people will remember your example and step up to take ownership.
Project planning isn't always fun. There are a lot of things that must be accounted for when it comes to resources, identifying work that needs to be done, conflicting demands, and tight schedules.
However, project planning can become easier if people on your team start uttering those three little words you long to hear as a project manager…"I got that".
Those three little words make everyone's job that much easier, remove unnecessary stress and pressure from the team and help build morale across the entire group.


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Master of Science in Bioinformatics (Systems Biology)
Recent technological advances have dramatically changed our view on life science research. Huge amounts of system-wide data such as transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome data are being produced on an almost daily basis, while whole genome sequences are being determined at an ever increasing pace. Genes and proteins are no longer studied as isolated entities, but as part of complex regulatory and interacting biological networks. Retrieving from these data emergent properties of the studied biological system, or the entirety of processes occurring in a system on multiple scales of organisation, from genomes to cells and from organs to organisms, depends on the use of computational and statistical modeling approaches.
It is in this context that bioinformatics, a booming interdisciplinary field, has evolved from a new research domain to a basic discipline in only 15 years (it is sometimes called 'the New Biology'). Bioinformatics aims at gaining a better and preferentially more quantitative molecular understanding of cellular processes by integrating and modeling high throughput molecular data (omics data). This requires the use and development of state of the art techniques for storing, retrieving, organising, analysing and interpreting biological data.
It is self-evident that this ever increasing data avalanche, together with the need for highly interdisciplinary approaches to use these data, have created an urgent need for highly trained scientists with an interdisciplinary mind set.
The two year Master of Science in Bioinformatics at Ghent University seeks a balance between generalisation and specialisation. In addition to a common package designed for the acquisition of interdisciplinary competences, we try to respect the individuality of the different students' backgrounds by offering numerous specific courses in each of the specialisations.
Specifically, there are three specialisations, each with its own focus.
- Bioscience Engineering (leads to the degree of Bio-ir.)
- Systems Biology
- Engineering (leads to the degree of Ir.)
Master of Science in Bioinformatics: Bioscience Engineering
The specialisation 'Bioscience Engineering' focuses on the application, combination and integration of existing (bio)-informatics tools and techniques for solving complex problems with industrial/practical finality. It is aimed at students with a biological training (Bachelor of Science in Bioscience Engineering (cell and gene biotechnology), Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biotechnology) who also want to delve into technical engineering aspects. A strong interest in mathematically oriented subjects is expected. Students follow besides a package of 'Applied Mathematics and Informatics' (21 credits), which is common with the 'Systems Biology' specialisation, also a 'technical engineering broadening' package of 31 credits. Here mathematical and technical engineering skills are further accentuated. To ensure sufficient theoretical knowledge of students from the Bachelor of Science in Bioscience Engineering, they must follow an 'Advanced Molecular Biology' package. Students from the Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biotechnology do have this basic knowledge, but need to follow a redirection package with technical engineering subjects (Bachelor of Bioscience Engineering courses) to ensure a base in engineering competencies. In this track, students will obtain the degree of Bio-ir.
Master of Science in Bioinformatics: Systems Biology
The second specialisation 'Systems Biology' aims at selecting and applying existing (bio)informatics tools and techniques for common bioinformatics problems. The focus is on the design of interesting biological questions for which the analysis of 'omics' and public data is required, in support of the wet lab or to answer fundamental biological questions. It is aimed at students with a biologically oriented education (Bachelor of Science in Bioscience Engineering (cell and gene biotechnology), Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biotechnology). Since the 'biological problem' is central, more depth is required in the fundamentals of physiology, evolution, ecology. The track offers a scientifically oriented package of 31 credits in which the foundations of biology are taught.
Master of Science in Bioinformatics: Engineering
The third specialisation, 'Engineering' is aimed at training bioinformaticians to develop on an independent basis new algorithms and complex software implementations to improve current techniques or to respond to new developments in the domain. Students with a math/informatics oriented background (Bachelor of Science in Engineering: Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Informatics) with a strong interest in biologically oriented courses will follow this track. It consists of an engineering module (42 credits) and 'biologically oriented' courses (9 credits). The latter have been specifically prepared for this course. Taking into account the absence of biologically oriented courses in the curriculum of the bachelor, these courses provide an introduction with sufficient depth based on relatively few credits. The engineering module consists of a number of compulsory courses with a strong link to the bioinformatics application domain (24 credits), supplemented by a number of elective courses taken from engineering-oriented courses within the Faculty of Engineering (18 credits). In this track, students will obtain the degree of Ir.
In each track an internship or university-wide elective courses can be chosen. The university-wide courses can include societal subjects.
The master's dissertation (30 credits), compulsory for all students of the master, is intended to learn some general skills (teamwork, planning, communication, presentation skills, technical programming skills and scientific knowledge, etc.), but also to refine specialisation specific competencies. For the 'Bioscience Engineering' bioinformatician, the focus is on demonstrating analytical, generic resolution ability with practical objectives. For the specialisation 'Systems Biology', the emphasis is on solving a specific biological problem. This student should be able to select appropriate bioinformatics tools from the literature based on biological and methodological insights, and possess sufficient computer skills to use and combine them in an analysis pipeline. For the specialisation 'Engineering', software development, a minimum of biological insight and demonstrating sufficient theoretical mathematical and statistical knowledge and skills to formulate new solution methods to an existing or new biological problem are essential.
There is a great need for bioinformaticians, since there is a large discrepancy between the exponential increase of biological data (28% each year) and the number of newly educated bioinformaticians (increase of only 5,8 %). Obviously, there is a huge demand for bioinformaticians both in pharmaceutical, agronomical and biotechnological companies, and at universities and (governmental) research institutions. Rooted within the Bioinformatics Institute Ghent N2N, renowned for its expertise and impact, the Master of Science in Bioinformatics at Ghent University prepares its students for a future full of challenge and job security.