text:
What is Firewise
With origins dating back thirty years to 1986, the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Firewise Communities program encourages local solutions for wildfire safety by involving homeowners, community leaders, planners, property developers, firefighters, and others in the effort to protect people and property from wildfire risks. It brings together physical fire science research and human behavior research so brush fires, grass and forest fires don't have to be disasters. Homeowners can take a series of simple steps to dramatically reduce the risk of dwelling ignition and destruction. Practiced in over 650 communities in 40+ states the Firewise principles and practices work to keep communities safer.
Horseshoe Lake Firewise Community
Originally established in 2006, the Horseshoe Lake Firewise Community was the first community in Alaska to fully adopt the firewise principles and practices to reduce wildfire risk to homes and property. Located just north of Big Lake, covering 2100 acres, portions of the community of homes and recreational cabins were devastated in 1996 by the Miller's Reach fire. Whether energizing the community by coordinating clean-up days, educating how to best mitigate the risk of property damage by wildfire, coordinating community wildfire response and evacuation plans, developing partnerships with local fire departments and government, or sharing the firewise message with surrounding communities, the award winning community is gearing up for another busy year. Please visit the About Us page for more information about our firewise community.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tasseled Platform Over-The-Knee Boot By Wild Diva®
The winter staple for every wardrobe, this over-the-knee boot is made with soft microgore. Shown in black, it features a daring heel and platform. Pair it with a sweater dress and tights!
- By Wild Diva®
- Height: 26.5 in.; including 5 in. heel
- 1 in. platform
- Side zip closure
- Non-skid sole
- Man-made materials
- Imported


text: Back to school time! Quick poll: How many of your kiddos start school this month vs. next month? My girls started yesterday! It seems like they're starting earlier and earlier every year! Anyway, so I received my Hormel cooler a few days ago. Every month, they deliver me a cooler of goodies to cook with,… Continue Reading… Continue Reading


text:
The recent debacle over Entanglements has helped me realize that I don't know how to write normal healthy people. Seriously. I mean, while I myself may now be kind of a recovered whatever-I-was and feel somewhat normal and healthy, I will probably never have the first clue of the perspective of someone who was raised by a normal healthy family. That's not to condemn my own family; we did the best we can and I love my parents. It's just difficult for me to understand and relate to someone who had a completely healthy upbringing.
That's where I run into this overwhelming problem with getting bored and having trouble really getting hold of the emotions of somewhat healthy characters. I've come to the conclusion that I have to write people who have had similar experiences as me, who haven't walked the "conventional" life, and came from a slightly less advantaged background. They may have worked their way up or gotten a lucky break, but they still have that in common.
Despite coming from an upper middle class life, Mattie from Corridors of the Dead had an extremely dysfunctional family and on top of that is a lesbian, so her outsider status was pretty much cemented from an early age. The fact that she embraced an outsider subculture was just a natural outgrowth of who she was, and the same applies to the new narrator of Entanglements, growing up as an impoverished black woman who aspires to be a songwriter in rural Texas. I think that's part of why she became so interesting and why she spoke so much in my head as opposed to the other main character, Carla, who had somewhat cold parents but a fairly stable life as a child.
I think outsiders have an especially strong and vivid history in literature and film. Luke Skywaker is a hick farm boy who had the most dysfunctional possible parents and guardians. Jack Kerouac and the Beat movement were all about looking at society from the outside in. I think at their cores fantasy and sci-fi are all about being outside of consensus reality. That's kind of the point of the genres and, to me, one of the problems of presenting a "normal", white-bread character in a crazy environment is that character might have a lot of trouble adjusting to that altered reality, whereas someone who came from a more unstable background is used to having things change at a rapid pace and trying to stay ahead just to survive.
For me, it's more compelling to take someone who hasn't had all the advantages and has had to learn to survive on their own wits, not to mention that a lot of innovative approaches have come from people who have stood on the outside. Look at the stereotype of the once-nerd who becomes a titan of software development; it's a stereotype for a reason – because it happened to so many.
I'm not downing modern mainstream society. While it has its flaws (as does everything), there are a lot of advantages to it; one of its prime advantages is the comfort to be taken from its predictability, as well as its definition of roles for its members. What I write is all about removing that comfort and that role definition, about rewriting who people think they are. That's one of my primary interests, and it's a lot harder to do with someone who's heavily steeped in the modern mainstream – they can just go catatonic, like Carla was. Add to that the fact that I just don't know how to get inside their heads, and the answer becomes clear.
In retrospect you know it's kind of always been my thing. Take video games, for instance. Most video game heroes are white males, in order to, I suppose, apply to the broadest demographic, but I'm bored of it, and it says nothing to me despite the fact that I am a white male. I just can't identify, but give me a chance to create an African-American female and put her in the lead? Now you're talking about something interesting. It's been that way forever for me, so I need to embrace this fact about myself, that I want to see people who aren't your "traditional" heroes and protagonists doing the things that those characters would do. It just makes for fresher storytelling.
So I solemnly swear to apply this approach to all of my stories from now on. All of my narrators, at the very least, will have some sort of outsider status, something that sets them apart from normal society, even while retaining their essential humanity. That's not a challenge – that's just plain fun.


text:
It was election night and it was shaping up to be a very good night for Harold Albrecht. He was headed toward his third victory as the Conservative MP for Kitchener–Conestoga in Southwestern Ontario.
But as he and his wife, Betty, watched the returns on television, she suddenly collapsed. Later, she died in hospital of a spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage.
Mr. Albrecht told his story Monday night in the House of Commons. It was close to 11 p.m. when he took to the floor of the Commons, however, and so it's doubtful many people were listening.
Too bad. What Canadians usually hear from the House are the heckles and insults traded back and forth during Question Period. But at this late hour, Mr. Albrecht was participating in the "take note" debate on organ donation. He was one of the last MPs to speak.
A religious man, Mr. Albrecht talked passionately and personally about the decision he made on election night in May to donate his wife's organs. There was not a hint of politics or partisanship in his remarks.
The debate was inspired by the situation facing Garry Keller. The 35-year-old chief of staff to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird recently went public with his plea for a living kidney donor.
Seven years ago, Mr. Keller suffered kidney failure and has been on dialysis ever since. Recently, his doctors informed him that dialysis could soon harm his other organs and that he really needed to start actively looking for a donor.
"It was clear that Betty's physical life was over," Mr. Albrecht said, recalling that night. "Brain activity had stopped completely. We knew instinctively that the Betty we had come to know and love was no longer there. Her spirit was still very much alive but her body was only breathing with mechanical help. What to do?"
He and his wife of 39 years had often talked about organ donation every time they renewed their drivers licenses. And he knew that her wish was that if she could help, she would.
"Again, our faith has its foundation in the Christian scriptures, which uses many different metaphors for the physical body," Mr. Albrecht said. "It is referred to as a tent, a house, a temple, or even as clothing for the spirit within. So if the person who lived in that temple or had occupied that house or camped in that tent was no longer here to need any of those things, why would we not share them with someone in need?"
There was a downside, though, Mr. Albrecht noted. Keeping his wife alive by machines as tests were carried out was difficult. But he said that officials from the Trillium Gift of Life Network, plus his own faith and that of his family, helped him through.
As a result, five people were helped because of the Albrechts' decision. Betty's heart, liver, lungs and her two kidneys were transplanted.
MPs from all parties participated in the Monday night debate. There was no vote. No legislation stemmed from it. Rather, it was a way for parliamentarians to highlight the need for organ donation and encourage Canadians to sign donor cards.
More than 4,000 Canadians are waiting for organ transplants. Last year only 1,803 transplants were performed and 200 people died waiting for an organ, according to information provided during the debate.
As Mr. Albrecht noted, health is under the provincial purview but he suggested MPs could raise the issue in the brochures they send around to their constituents to "point out that there is an urgent need."
He added: "I know that because of our decision to donate there are now at least five people enjoying fuller, richer lives and even more who are benefitting from tissues transplanted.
"We are in a death-defying society. No one wants to think he or she will die before 80 or 90, because of amazing medical advancements many people will live to that age or even beyond. However, we have no guarantee as my family discovered so quickly and with no warning of any kind."Report Typo/Error
Follow @janetaber1on Twitter:


text:
Endowed Chairs and Distinguished Professorships are prestigious term appointments for scholarly achievement and distinction within a specific departmental unit. Contact your dean's office about open chairs.
Criteria for Appointment
- Quality and number of scholarly and/or creative works.
- Enhancement of the university's reputation through regional, national and international recognition of the professional work.
- Quality of university teaching.
- Service to the university and to the profession which distinguishes the individual and university. Appropriate professional and personal conduct.
- Normally, recipients must be full professors at the University of South Carolina or eligible for initial appointment at that rank. In the former case, it is particularly important that the same high standards be adhered to for selection as in the latter. Appointment or reappointment to an endowed chair or named professorship should not be made merely as a reward for long service, however devoted.
Endowed Chairs and Distinguished Professorships
|Albrecht, Helmut
|Internal Medicine
|Heyward Gibbes Distinguished Professor in Internal Medicine
|Angel, Michael
|Arts & Sciences
|Chemistry & Biochemistry
|Fred M. Weissman Palmetto Professor of Chemical Ecology
|Avignone, Frank T.
|Arts & Sciences
|Physics & Astronomy
|Carolina Endowed Professor of Physics and Astronomy
|Benicewicz, Brian
|Arts & Sciences
|Chemistry & Biochemistry
|USC Educational Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
|Bennett, Charles
|Frank P. and Josie M. Fletcher Professorship in Pharmacoeconomics
|Berger, Allen
|Moore School of Business
|H. Montague Osteen, Jr. Professorship in Banking and Finance
|Berger, Franklin
|Arts & Sciences
|Biological Sciences
|George H. Bunch, Sr. Professor of Science
|Booze, Rosemarie M.
|Arts & Sciences
|Bicentennial Chair Professor in Behavioral Neuroscience
|Bowman, Vicki V.
|Arts & Sciences
|Biological Sciences
|Wade T. Batson, Jr. Professor of Botany
|Brett, Allan S.
|Internal Medicine
|Orlando B. Mayer, Sr. And Orlando B. Mayer, Jr. Professor of Internal Medicine
|Brinkmeyer, Robert
|Arts & Sciences
|Emily Brown Jefferies Professor of English & Claude Henry Neuffer Professor of Southern Studies
|Burgis, Judith
|Edward J Dennis III MD Professor of Obstetrics And Gynecology
|Chaudhry, M. Hanif
|Engineering & Computing
|Civil Engineering
|Mr. and Mrs. Irwin B. Kahn Professor of Civil Engineering
|DeFord, Diane E.
|Instruction and Teacher Education
|John E. Swearingen Professor of Literacy Education
|Dougal, Roger A.
|Engineering & Computing
|Electrical Engineering
|Thomas L. Gregory Professor in Electrical Engineering
|Doyle, Don
|Arts & Sciences
|McCausland Professor of History
|Eagle, Josh
|Solomon Blatt Professor of Law
|Feldman, Paula R.
|Arts & Sciences
|C. Wallace Martin Professor of English
|Finney, Nikky
|Arts & Sciences
|John H. Bennett Jr. Chair in Southern Letters and Creative Writing
|Fitzpatrick, Mary Anne
|Arts & Sciences
|Arts & Sciences
|Educational Foundation University Professor
|Fridriksson, Julius
|Arnold School of Public Health
|Communication Sciences & Disorders
|Arnold School of Public Health Distinguished Chair in Communication Disorders
|Gabel, Joan
|USC Educational Foundation Distinguished Professor
|Giurgiutiu, Victor
|Engineering & Computing
|Mechanical Engineering
|John Ducate, Sr. Chair Professorship of Mechanical Engineering
|Grant, August
|Mass Comm & Info Studies
|J. Rion McKissick Chair in Journalism
|Gurdal, Zafer
|Engineering & Computing
|Mechanical Engineering
|McNAIR Chair in Aerospace
|Hebert, James R.
|Arnold School of Public Health
|Epidemiology & Biostatistics
|Health Sciences Distinguished Professor
|Heiney, Sue
|Dunn-Shealy Professor of Nursing
|Holton, Abner "Woody"
|Arts & Sciences
|Peter and Bonnie McCausland Professor of History
|Jayachandran, Satish
|Moore School of Business
|James F. Kane Professor of Business
|Kim, Sei-Hill
|Information & Communications
|Eleanor M. and R. Frank Mundy Professorship in Journalism and Mass Communications
|Kostova, Tatiana
|Moore School of Business
|International Business
|Buck Mickel Professorship in International Business
|Kridel, Craig
|Educational Studies
|E. Smythe Gambrell Professor of Education
|Lipe, Marlys
|Moore School of Business
|Friends of Accounting - Donald H. Cramer Professor of Accounting
|Littlefield, Daniel
|Arts & Sciences
|Carolina Professor of History
|Lomazov, Marina
|Ira McKissick Koger Professor of Fine Arts
|MacKenzie, Simon P.
|Arts & Sciences
|Caroline McKissick Dial Chair in History
|Malhotra, Manoj K.
|Moore School of Business
|Management Science
|Jeff Bates Professor of Public Administration and Finance
|Martin, Michelle
|Information & Communications
|Lib & Information Science
|August Baker Chair in Childhood Literacy
|Medlin, S. Alan
|Real Estate, Trusts & Estates
|David W. Robinson Professor of Law
|Messias, DeAnne
|Emily Myrtle Smith Professor of Community Nursing
|Mihalik, Brian
|Sport and Entertainment Management
|William McFall Pearce Endowed Professorship
|Mills, Heidi
|Instruction and Teacher Ed
|John C. Hungerpiller Professor
|Morris, James T.
|Arts & Sciences
|Biological Sciences
|Class of 1932 Distinguished Professorship in Marine Studies
|Oh, Haemoon
|USC Educational Foundation Distinguished Professor
|Outten, Caryn
|Arts & Sciences
|Chemistry & Biochemistry
|Guy F. Lipscomb Professor of Chemistry
|Outten, Wayne
|Arts & Sciences
|Chemistry & Biochemistry
|Guy F. Lipscomb, Sr. Professor of Biochemistry
|Ployhart, Robert E
|Moore School of Business
|Management Science
|Bank of America Professor of Business Administration
|Portnoy, Donald C.
|Ira McKissick Koger Professor of Fine Arts
|Reynolds, Anthony P.
|Engineering & Computing
|Mechanical Engineering
|Frank B. Herty Bicentennial Chair in Engineering
|Richardson, Susan
|Arts & Sciences
|Chemistry & Biochemistry
|Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry
|Ritter, James A.
|Arts & Sciences
|Chemical Engineering
|L. M. Weisiger Professor of Engineering
|Rizvi, Ali
|Internal Medicine
|A. T. Chalk Professorship in Internal Medicine
|Roth, Kendall J.
|Moore School of Business
|International Business
|J. Willis Cantey Professor of International Business and Economics
|Stephens, Diane L.
|Instruction & Teacher Ed
|John E Swearingen Professor of Education
|Taylor, R. Caughman
|William Weston, MD Professor of Pediatrics
|Teegen, Hildy
|Moore School of Business
|International Business
|USC Educational Foundation Distinguished Professor
|Vazsonyi, Nicholas
|Arts & Sciences
|Languages, Literature, & Cultures
|Jessie Chapman Alcorn Memorial Professor of Foreign Languages
|Wei, Ran
|Information & Communications
|Gonzales Brothers Professor of Journalism
|Weidner, John
|Engineering & Computing
|Chemical Engineering
|CEC Campaign for Excellence Professor of Chemical Engineering
|Weiss, Scott
|Sarah Bolick Smith Distinguished Professor of Music
|Wright, Patrick
|Moore School of Business
|Management Science
|Thomas C. Vandiver Bicentennial Chair in the Moore School of Business
|Yell, Mitchell L.
|Educational Studies
|Fred & Francis Lester Palmetto Chair in Teacher Education
|Zur Loye, Hanno
|Arts & Sciences
|Chemistry & Biochemistry
|David W. Robinson Palmetto Professor


text:
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Authorities in Putnam County are investigating after a local trucking company said $21,500 worth of Coors Light beer was missing.
A report by sheriff's Deputy Steven Elrod stated the load being shipped on a Transpro Express truck was supposed to have reached Montgomery, Ala., but did not arrive from Florida.
The trucking company is based in Silver Point, about 12 miles southwest of Cookeville.
Transpro officials called the sheriff's office after learning the cargo was not delivered.
Trucking company officials told the deputy that when the truck returned to its Silver Point terminal, it contained only a few packs of beer and some packing material.
No charges were immediately filed.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text:
Diabetes 60 System Review-Is this Diabetes 60 System Scam Or Not?
The Diabetes 60 System program is all about teaching you the natural system cure to diabetes with a strategic approach discussed inside the program. All the suitable and necessary home remedies you need to permanently reverse the effects of diabetes in your body, you will discover inside this great product. In a nutshell, the Diabetes 60 System is basically geared around in-depth research that has proven a smart and natural way of dieting with home treatments that will help you reverse any and every effect of this deadly diabetes in not even more than 4 weeks. The strategies contained inside this program are the things that even most of it, your doctor will not be able to effectively teach you.http://jrhonest.com/diabetes-60-system-review/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/drryan-sheltons-diabetes-60-system-review-free-download-fazleen-fazle


text:
Nicole TSC is a Centerfold from United States. She is listed on FreeOnes since 2011 and is currently ranked 7649th place. She currently has 15 gallery links in her own FreeOnes section.
Our records show that Nicole TSC is currently retired which means she is not making movies, doing live shows and/or doing photo shoots at this time.
Currently we have only a few links of Nicole TSC. You can help us out by submitting more photos and videos links to Nicole TSC galleries.
To submit new links please click here
No need to register!


text:
The Adrian G. Marcuse Library will be closing Thursday, October 20 at 6pm and will remain closed until Monday, October 24 for the 2016 Fashion: Now & Then: Fashion as Art Conference. We will re-open on Monday, October 24 at 7:30am.
For more information on the Conference, please check out our Conference website.
Registration is required and you can register here.


text:
Phillies 2, Braves 1
ATLANTA — Cole Hamels held the Braves to four hits through seven innings and Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer to lead the Phillies. Hamels won for the second time in three starts, giving up a run, striking out nine and walking none. Rollins' 12th homer, coming off reliever Shae Simmons, made it 2-0 in the seventh. Atlanta, which had a three-game winning streak snapped, cut its deficit to 2-1 in the seventh inning on Chris Johnson's RBI double.


text:
Purse Shines In Wednesday Win
Wednesday captain Darren Purse started the new season in fine form and has been awarded the man-of-the-match award against Dagenham & Redbridge by Vital Wednesday members.
The defender helped the Owls keep a clean sheet in their opening match of the npower League One season as Wednesday cruised to a 2-0 win against the Daggers at the weekend.
And although Purse didn't exactly have his busiest day in an Owls shirt, he shone alongside Mark Beevers at the heart of the Owls defence - something Wednesdayites will be keen to see continue.
Purse pipped new signing Giles Coke to the first award of the season.
Coke, a summer arrival from the SPL, came into Saturday's match with a lack of match practice over the summer but still did enough to impress the Hillsborough faithful.
Mark Beevers also impressed Wednesday members, as did new arrival Gary Teale, who had a hand in both of Wednesday's goals.


text:
USA TODAY Sports breaks down the National League Division Series matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers:
The matchups: Game 1 — Clayton Kershaw (16-9, 1.83 ERA) vs. Kris Medlen (15-12, 3.11), today, TBS, 8:37 p.m. ET. Game 2 — Zack Greinke (15-4, 2.63) vs. Mike Minor (13-9, 3.21), Friday, TBS, 6:07 p.m. ET. Game 3 — Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-8, 3.00) vs. Julio Teheran (14-8, 3.20), Sunday, time TBA.
OCTOBER: Postseason schedule
Why the Dodgers will win: They have the best lefty-righty pitching combination in the majors in Kershaw and Greinke, each capable of taking over a game. Kershaw, also scheduled for a possible Game 5, has led the NL in ERA each of the past three seasons and became the only Dodgers starter other than Sandy Koufax with a full-season ERA below 2.00. The Dodgers won't have outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in the starting lineup, but with dynamic players such as Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford, their offense is diversified enough to cover for such absences.
DODGERS: Puig's wild ride hits October
Why the Braves will win: Postseason games often come down to the bullpen, and nobody has a better one than the Braves, anchored by the majors' best closer in Craig Kimbrel (50 saves). With the return of Jason Heyward, the emergence of Chris Johnson and Freddie Freeman's consistency, the lineup has made up for down seasons by B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla, who was left off the roster. The Braves hold home-field advantage, a key for a club that had the majors' best home record at 56-25.
MORE: Get to know the Braves
Watch out for this guy: Crawford. The 2009 All-Star Game MVP got lost in the excitement over Puig's splashy rookie season, but he could play a pivotal role in jump-starting the L.A. offense. Crawford was swinging the bat well at the end of the season (8-for-20) and still can be a factor with his speed.
Little-known fact: The Braves won the season series against the other three NL teams still in the playoffs, going 5-2 against the Dodgers and 4-3 each against the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates.
In the end: The Braves' best chance lies on Medlen continuing his hot streak — he was 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in September — and capturing Game 1. If the series went five games, the Braves would face a lefty starter three times, a big challenge for a club that relies on left-handers such as Freeman, Heyward and Brian McCann. It might not get to that. Dodgers in four.


text:
- Products
- |
- Articles
Yosemite Facelift: The Camp 4 Scrub
This fall, Black Diamond athletes and employees joined a record-breaking 750 people to participate in the 13th annual Yosemite Facelift, where we rapped for trash and gave the Camp 4 boulders a well-deserved scrub. Mehr erfahren >
Colette McInerney: Get Psyched on the Women's Climbing Festival
BD Ambassador Colette McInerney explains why you need to attend this year's Women's Climbing Festival. Mehr erfahren >
Jordan White: Skiing the 13ers of Colorado's Elk Mountains
Black Diamond Ambassador Jordan White has climbed and skied every 14er in Colorado. Now he's set his sights on the rugged 13ers in the Elk Mountains. Mehr erfahren >
ROCK Project: Our Athletes are Committed and Here's Why
As this year's ROCK Project tour comes to a successful close, our Athletes and Ambassadors explain why being involved in this movement is so important. Mehr erfahren >
Utah climbers raise $18K for Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
On June 12th, the 5th Annual Salt Lake Climbers Alliance fundraiser party, held at BD headquarters, raised $18,000 for climbing access and education initiatives. Mehr erfahren >
The Diary of a First Ascent: Chapter II
Florian Haenel, Chris Kalman and Austin Siadak explore the walls that ring Chile's Cochamó Valley, finding that nothing is as it first appears. Mehr erfahren >
Johnny Collinson Skis La Grave
Black Diamond athlete Johnny Collinson heads to La Grave, France and samples the big, steep, complicated mountains with the crew from Teton Gravity Research. Mehr erfahren >
Committed #1: Peter Metcalf
In the first of a new series of posts on conservation, creative environmental solutions and the commitment required to implement them, Black Diamond founder and CEO Peter Metcalf goes back to the beginning. Mehr erfahren >
A Question of Risk: Conrad Anker
In part three of our ongoing discussion on the inherent risks of climbing and skiing, Black Diamond athlete and world-renowned alpinist Conrad Anker provides his unique and highly experienced perspective. Mehr erfahren >
BD employee Corey LaForge reports on climbing and teaching trip to Tajikistan - Part I
BD employee Corey LaForge and three teammates took a three-week trip to Tajikistan to climb unclimbed peaks and help train local guides of the newly established Pamir Mountain Club. Mehr erfahren >
Black Diamond Athlete Mason Earle on 24HHH
Arkansas's 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell is notorious for its wacky team names, bomber sandstone and wild after parties. Despite having an aversion for competitions, Black Diamond athlete Mason Earle, along with teammate Nik Berry, took the 24HHH by storm this year, shit talking Alex Honnold, grunting through 5.8 cruxes and winning the team division while setting a new high score. Mehr erfahren >
BD athlete Brittany Griffith loves the Mountain Project App
Black Diamond athlete and perpetual road-tripper Brittany Griffith gives her two cents on the Mountain Project smartphone app, now available for free download with the support of Black Diamond. Mehr erfahren >
A Question of Risk: Bruce Tremper
In this installment of our video series on risk, Utah Avalanche Center Director, author of Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and skier Bruce Tremper talks about risk from the perspective of someone who manages it everyday. Mehr erfahren >
Chasin' the Rubbish 3.0: Cleaning up the Forests of Font
This past spring, BD employees, athletes and climbers from all over Europe congregated in the famous forests and sandstone blocs of Fontainebleau, France, where over four days, they removed 300 kg of trash. Mehr erfahren >
Bouldering in Namibia: Nils Favre's Quest for Quality
Namibia has its share of wildlife and sand dunes, but, until recently, it remained lacking in quality bouldering problems. This year a Belgian-Swiss team arrived in the South African country, seeking a trip off the beaten path. Mehr erfahren >
Ready When You Are
Arbeiten bei Black Diamond ist mehr als nur ein Job. Es ist ein Lebensstil. Der folgende Film wurde von den Mitarbeitern und Athleten von Black Diamond aufgenommen. Mehr erfahren >


text:
FCPA Opinion Procedure Release 09-01
The Department of Justice released its latest Opinion Procedure Release under the FCPA: 09-01
The Requestor designs and manufactures a specific type of medical device. The Requestor's competitors already operate and sell their products to the government of a certain foreign country and the Requestor wants to enter that market.
A senior government official laid out the foreign government's plan to provide a specific type of medical device for patients in need in the country. The government intends to purchase the medical devices, and then subsidize the cost of such devices when it resells them to patients. The Requestor and its competitors would be allowed to participate in the program.
To get the foreign medical centers familiar with their product, the government official suggested free samples for evaluation. The Requestor must have been nervous given that a sample size of 100 units was needed for evaluation. Since each cost $19,000, that was a $1.9 million payment involving a foreign official.
Ten different medical centers will each get ten medical devices. The Requestor will select the centers that will participate in order to ensure that the participating centers have the requisite expertise, resources, and experience to successfully participate in the evaluation.
The obvious comparison is to the Iowa Beef Packers request to send free samples addressed in FCPA Review Procedure Release 81-02. But that only involved 700 pounds of beef, with an estimated total value of less than $2,000.
The key element in the DOJ's decision in this latest release is that the devices are being provided to the foreign government, not to individual government officials. Close family members of the Government Agency's officers or employees, working group members, or employees of the health centers are ineligible to receive a sample device except in certain, specific circumstances. Also, the names of the recipients will be published on the Government Agency's web site for two weeks following the selection.
There is nothing inherently wrong with giving stuff to a foreign government. You just have to make sure it does not personally benefit a government official.
The DOJ does not presently intend to take any enforcement action with respect to the proposal described Opinion Procedure Release 09-01.


text:
Call (888) 651-9785
Certified photos by travelers like you. What's this?
June 2015
This was much easier than I thought! Rolled omelettes are a lot of fun!
April 2014
The finished product: sauteed spinach with sesame seeds and multi colored maki! YUMMY!
April 2014
A wonderful mil long covered market sellign everything from rice, to tea to dried fish and pickled vegetables!
April 2013
This is me with my finished product after the cooking lesson. Nothing beats fresh cooking, as we demonstrated by eating what we made, pretty well straightaway...!
April 2013
This is our cooking-sensei (that's Japanese for 'teacher') who provided great insights into Japanese cooking and culture. I must confess, to being a little worried at first, but with such wonderully kind teachers, it was a lot easier than I thought and I really enjoyed it - no stress and all fun!
April 2013
This amazing man was making biscuits at the Nishiki Markets in Kyoto. Watching his skill at his craft was amazing, and you can watch many amazingly talented people as they go about their daily work. A real eye opener.
April 2013
Nishiki Market is full of wonderful people and characters like this beautiful and kind lady whose stall only sells eggs. The market stall holders are very friendly and will talk to you providing a unique opportunity to learn about Japanese culture.
April 2013
This tempura was soooo delicious! It's made fresh before your eyes.
April 2013
Amazing variety of Japanese food - enjoy the colours, smeel and taste.
Page: 1
Some content licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
© 1997–Fri Feb 23 20:52:37 PST 2018 Viator, Inc. CUR015 - 330208 All rights reserved. Viator is a registered trademark of Viator, Inc.
is a Service Mark of Viator, Inc. Travel with an Insider is a Service Mark of Viator, Inc.
Use of this website constitutes acceptance of Viator's Terms & Conditions.
Viator uses cookies to improve your experience on our website. Learn more about how we use cookies and how to change your cookie settings | Close message


text:
Inspiration and vision are the keys to successful art. Using the right tools or artistic ideas can help you bring your concept to life. Currently, storyboard work plays a vital role in both the entertainment and the business world. In this regard, here are some benefits organizations gain from storyboard artworks.
Make it easier to stay on budget
Crafting a cohesive, organized storyboard will make it simpler to stay on budget. This is attributed to the fact that generation of these artistic design solely depends on creativity. However, there are cases where the costs might be relatively high depending on the complexity of the project.
Map out their projects
Many of today's most innovative indie directors rely on storyboard artworks programs when they begin to map out their plans. From horror flicks to documentaries…the newest software has what it takes to create "feel" in mere minutes. If you've never used storyboard programs to craft storyboards, you will be pleased to see just how many options and variables there are to play with.
Help to show Storyboard Artist can amaze and inspire
Storyboard help to show you just how Storyboard Artist can surprise and inspire! In this clip, the director talks about how impressed he is with digital storyboard software. Using Storyboard Artist to create his frame-by-frame storyboards is helping him "tighten up the movie," get his pre-production up and running, and map out all of his angles and shots.
Offer pre-loaded artwork
Hot new programs like Storyboard Artist and Storyboard Quick offer pre-loaded artwork (including a full cast of characters and props!) that take the need for a live artist out of the equation. Since using artists can bring a lot of delays (and drama!) into the mix, using pre-loaded drawings can be very liberating…you'll finish your storyboards sooner, and you won't have to deal with the hassles of outsourcing. In fact, you'll be able to do your storyboards without anyone else's help.
Work with your kind of intelligence
The best storyboard software takes into account your own unique and creative mindset – it is designed to operate with your way of thinking. "Creatives" have their methods and these programs are designed to work with your kind of intelligence. You don't need to be a techie or a computer wizard to use storyboard artworks. Intuitive programs that keep you organized and moving forward are the secret to fast, easy storyboards that "pop."
Storyboard artwork is a powerful creative tool – by showing you a test run of your film; it can pinpoint problems, weak spots, and issues. It's an excellent way to refine your vision before you put it on film!


text:
A lick of flame [electronic resource] : Boys of Beachville Series, Book 2. Cathryn Fox.
Electronic resources
Record details
- ISBN: 9781609289614 (electronic bk)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource
- Date Published: 2012.
Content descriptions
|Summary, etc.:
| Where there's heat, there's a smoking-hot firefighter.Boys of Beachville, Book 2No man lights Madison Kelly's fire quite like Sean Adams, the firefighter she's been hired to guard during the Boys of Beachville calendar shoot. Though he stars in her hottest, steamiest fantasies, he's the last person she's going to tell. An accident left its mark on her, body and soul. But when she catches Sean looking at her like she's water for a man dying of thirst, she wonders if it's possible he might see the girl beneath the scars.Ever since he pulled Madison from the fire that injured her, Sean's been hot for her. Too bad she clearly has no interest in him—or so he thinks, until he sees a spark in her eyes that says she burns for him as much as he does for her. No more tiptoeing around the matter—a blatant seduction is in order.Soon they're igniting the sheets, but come morning Madison's old fears and insecurities threaten to snuff the flames to ashes....
|Reproduction Note:
| Electronic reproduction. Macon : Samhain Publishing, Ltd., 2012. Requires OverDrive Read (file size: N/A KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 487 KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 793 KB) or Amazon Kindle (file size: N/A KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 532 KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 792 KB).
Search for related items by subject
|Electronic books.


text:
Lots of fun for all ages – an experience like no other!
Sponsored by Wilder Auto, High Tide Seafoods, and Puget Sound Anglers
Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm
Participate in the Grab-a-Crab Derby by crabbing from large holding tanks (donated by High Tide Seafoods) on the city pier using crab snares and bait. A $5 entry will allow you to crab for 10 minutes. No license or gear is required.
Volunteer "crabbers" from Puget Sound Anglers are there to help make this a great experience.
If you catch a specially tagged crab, you get to keep your crab to take home! Or you can purchase your catch for fair market price. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. This is the freshest crab you can get! When live, these crabs average about two pounds each, so this is a great deal!
Have your crab cleaned and cooked on the spot for a small donation, or take it home live. Many thanks to the Peninsula College Men's Basketball team for being crab cleaners extraordinaire!
Crab To Go – You can take home a fresh, cooked, cleaned crab, wrapped to go. We also have "to go" kits with a crab cracker, bib, and wipes. Canadians, YES! you can take home your cooked crab!
There is always lots of fun at the Grab-A-Crab Derby – an experience like no other!


text:
Democrats to choose City Council nominee - PittsburghLIVE.com Political activist Mark Rauterkus, of the South Side, is running as a Libertarian.The news behind the news is that Ed Jacob is out, as I had assumed since Thursday when he was a no-show at the candidate event.
I am sure that there are two others in the race as recently switched former Ds.
The other buzz centers upon what Ds are going to do once they do not get the nomination. Both Jeff Kock and Pat Sweeney said that they'd pull out of the race if they don't get the endorsement from the closed secret ballot old-party choice. Krane is in regardless, so he says.
The ones who don't get the endorsement are going to need to get their signatures on their nomination papers on Monday, the day the papers are due.


text:
Lake Houston Family YMCA hosts sixth-grade dance Dec. 7
Published 3:49 pm, Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Lake Houston Family YMCA will host its final Lake Houston Family YMCA sixth-grade dance of the year from 7:30-10 p.m. Dec. 7.
The chaperoned dance events occur at least once a month. Lake Houston Family YMCA sixth-grade dances are open to students enrolled in Kingwood, Riverwood, Creekwood, Atascocita, White Oak, Humble, Timberwood and Keefer Crossing middle schools, as well as Copeland Intermediate School.
Students interested in participating in Lake Houston Family YMCA sixth-grade dances must submit a parent-signed behavioral contract, agreeing to abide by the dress code and be on their best behavior during each dance that they attend.
More Information
Lake Houston Family YMCA Sixth Grade Dances
Time: 7:30-10 p.m.
Dates: Friday, Nov. 2; Dec. 7
Location: Lake Houston Family YMCA, 2420 W. Lake Houston Parkway
Admission: $2 advance purchase or $5 at the door (YMCA facility members); $5 advance purchase or $10 at the door (YMCA program members)
The behavior contract also requires at least one parent to chaperone a minimum of two dances per calendar year.
Parents may select the dates of the dances they'd like to chaperone and are required to reschedule if they cancel.
In addition to parent chaperones, the dances are also chaperoned by various YMCA staff members.
For more information on Lake Houston Family YMCA sixth-grade dances, or to register to participate, call 281-360-2500 or visit www.ymcahouston.org/lake-houston.


text:
Ask the Health Insurance Expert
I recently started a new job and I cannot get insurance for 30 days and COBRA is very expensive. Can my husband and I just wait until the 30 days is over and then we are covered? Or, do I need to get COBRA or a short term 30-day policy?
You don't have to buy individual health insurance for a month if you don't want to. This isn't required to comply with the terms of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, you may want to buy a short-term policy in case of illness or injury.
The great thing about COBRA is that you have 60 days to elect it, and it will cover health claims retroactively within those 60 days. So you can wait to decide on COBRA, and if you have a claim you can elect COBRA for a month and have the claim paid.
Read about the basics of health insurance and what is required under the ACA here.
Last updated: May. 8, 2014


text:
On 06/05/2012 12:31 PM, Nilsson, Claes1 wrote: > Ok, sounds reasonable to use the system level Contacts API in a Web Intents Service application supporting the "Pick contact" intent. So in addition the system level Contacts API we need to standardize the Web Intents interactions between Client and Service for contacts. The Contacts API could define those. > Same would apply for other use cases. For example a Web Intents Service application for providing sensor data uses a system level Bluetooth API. Getting sensor data doesn't look like an intent to me. Cheers, -- MounirReceived on Tuesday, 5 June 2012 10:47:48 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 20:14:47 UTC


text:
The Gallery of New York Folk Art
Robin Lazore
Robin Lazore began weaving in her teens, learning from elders such as Mary Jocko (a relative) and Irene McDonald. When Mary retired, she passed on some of her handmade basket forms to Robin. Robin uses split ash and sweetgrass as materials. She is known for her strawberry and pineapple twist baskets.
Robin Lazores baskets are available for purchase through the on-line gallery shop of the New York Folklore Society: New York Traditions.
The gallery is made possible with the generous support of the
William Gundry Broughton Charitable Foundation.


text:
Won't be easy to get John Farrell back
Credit: AP
If the Red Sox really want John Farrell to be their next manager, it's going to cost them.
Even though the Toronto Blue Jays haven't won in two seasons under Farrell, who has been at the center of some controversy over the past few weeks, a major league source said yesterday that team president Paul Beeston would demand compensation for allowing Farrell out of the final year of his contract, especially to join an AL East rival.
|The article you requested has been archived
- More On:
- John Farrell
- Red Sox
- Blue Jays


text:
Front page rankings allows for more customers to find you and use your services when they need it.
Use search engine optimization on your website to reach the front page and dominate your competition.
We analyze your website to determine what can be done to help increase your conversions
Get your business the local exposure it needs by showing up in the front page rankings in Google.
When it comes to effective Search Engine Optimization, the primary goal is to get your business's website to the top of the search engine results when someone searches for the goods or services that your company offers. Traffic generated from this type of internet search is called organic traffic. The visitor performs a web search and clicks through your site looking for the things they need or products interested in purchasing. Organic traffic generates much of the revenue of a company's online business. The need for more organic is why competition is stiff when it comes to search engine ranking and why effective SEO strategies are vital to your business.
Stay up to date on the progress of your campaign with daily emailed reports and monthly progress calls.
Month-to-month contracts. Why should you be forced to stick around if you no longer want SEO?
No outsourcing, black hat tactics, or cutting corners. All work is performed in-house by our team of professionals.
We only work with one business per industry per area so you rank over your competition.
SEO is the fuel that drives online marketing, and no business in Portland can make significant strides on their competitors without investing in proper search engine optimization. The internet is the only platform that business can have a local and global impact. Our Portland SEO experts has the strategy that continually evolves to suit current local business needs. Nevertheless, there are certain localized optimization measures that we take to improve our client's SEO campaign outputs.
It is important for companies to consider user experience as they invest in other aspects of optimization. It is a move that calls for having a website that delivers a flawless user experience. The site and the pages, as well as the content, should be viewable on different devices such as smartphones, tablets, IPads, and Laptops.
Image is everything for every business. Men are visual beings and thus levitates towards what they find pleasing to their eyes. Therefore, the website should have a significant appeal to the local market before shifting focus to the global market. And this is a subject closely linked to user experience with a focus on the website's User Interface. Presentation and Navigation will thus be two elements about a site's optimization that go hand-in-hand.
More and more people are relying on the mobile phones to stay informed, and the number of internet users using these devices is bound to double within the next three years. In light of this matter, businesses in Portland should consider using our Portland SEO consultants for giving significant regards to mobile viewing.
Google+ is one of the services business should consider using. Establishing a Google+ local page and post as much information about the business as possible can significantly increase the odds of registering more local traffic. Companies can boost this by also using online directories and linking them to their Google+ local page. Google Analytics is a tool that Google uses to track the location of site visitors, how long they stayed on the website, and the pages they viewed among other things. That data is then used to rank websites and businesses and check the data to know which steps they can take to improve their local traffic.
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone, which are contact information needed in the citations business use on their online directories. It is, nevertheless, important to manage the citations but ensuring the content is optimized as this will further our overall localized SEO efforts.
Email marketing is a relatively straightforward concept that businesses can employ to further their search engine optimization and online marketing campaigns. The aim is to incentivize as many potential local customers as possible to register for different things such as essential alerts or online promos. The businesses can automate the emailing system to have it send messages directly to their customers' email accounts or text messages to their phones.
Social media channels are very effective platforms that can be used for optimization campaigns. The most efficient strategy when using social media is staying social; keeping the local target market engaged. It can be used as an avenue to reach out to customers and have thing express their views besides just talking about business. It is important to listen and have a positive outlook of both the good and bad comments expressed on the social media channels. Negative responses to the bad comments will not help. The best approach is to engage the critics on the issues they highlight and strive to find suitable solutions that they will find sufficient. If not, the other appropriate alternative would be to ignore their negative remarks.
Underestimating the competitors is a huge mistake for any company to make. The world of business has a cutthroat competition, and it calls for creative and innovative tactics even when doing search engine optimization. The biggest competition stems for other players in the local market. Thus, businesses should keep vigil and not the trends and have a keen eye on the upcoming competition and the tactics they employ. The goal is to avoid coping their strategies but using these to formulate effective local marketing campaigns.
Bing Local and Google+ Local are online directories developed by the two big search engines for companies to list their businesses. The goal is to make it easier for users to find the various products and services the companies offer online. It is not enough to have the business listed, companies should also ensure that their listings are optimized to ensure even the location, working hours, and description of the business are easily found and understood by the target market.
People are five times more likely to leave a mobile site that isn't mobile-friendly
As mobile device use continues to grow every year, more people will spend time on their mobile devices and tablets but many websites are not optimized for smaller screen sizes and site speed. We can help optimize your website to ensure that visitors who access your site from any mobile device will have a smooth, easy experience.
Contact us to find out what we can do for your website.


text:
New family drama brings a 'Sopranos' vibe to TV
Updated 11:19 am, Friday, June 28, 2013
Showtime's new tough-guy family drama, "Ray Donovan," brings a welcome "Sopranos" vibe back to television.
The similar feel of the two shows, at least initially, seems no accident. Allen Coulter, a director and producer on "The Sopranos," directed the premiere of "Donovan" and is a producer on its gripping first two episodes.
Like Tony Soprano, the central character here also is complicated, a family man with a wife and two children who's conflicted over some of the things he's compelled to do in his job. The drama bows at 9 p.m. Sunday.
Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber in his first lead series role) is a professional fixer — sort of a grittier male version of "Scandal's" Olivia Pope, only his workplace is the flashy realm of Hollywood. When a star basketball player wakes up beside a dead girl, Ray comes to the rescue. When a hot action star is caught in a compromising situation with a transvestite — right before the release of the actor's blockbuster movie — Ray transforms the PR nightmare into an acceptable press event.
Sometimes, Ray is the perpetrator of violence. When he warns a creepy fan to stop stalking a pretty young singer, then finds him at it again, the result is blood-curdling.
Ray's biggest problem, however, isn't related to the job, but to his family. After 20 years in prison, his dad, Mickey (Jon Voight in his juiciest role in years), has been released earlier than expected. The former Boston mobster makes his way to Los Angeles, insinuating himself back into the lives of his other sons. Ray seethes with hatred for Mickey and is bent on concocting a plan to put him back in the clinker. He's determined to keep this man, who brought much pain and sorrow to him and his siblings during their childhood years, away from his own family.
Though it's a testosterone-filled drama full of scenes guaranteed to make one wince, sometimes cringe, "Donovan's" biggest strength is its richly drawn characters. Topping them is Donovan, whom creator and executive producer Ann Biderman ("Southland," "Primal Fear") strove to make anything but a cliché — a man who can fix everything except for his own life.
Entertainment Channel
- Lindsay Ell's career: 'I sort of pinch myself and it feels surreal' Associated Press
- 'Teen Mom' Star Jenelle Evans' Husband FIRED from Show After Homophobic Twitter Rant Hollyscoop
- Brendan Fraser Says He Was Groped by Ex-Hollywood Foreign Press President Wibbitz
- Could Kris Jenner STOP Travis Scott from Seeing Kylie and Baby Stormi!!? Hollyscoop
- Radiohead Announces US Summer Tour Wibbitz
- Dove Cameron's Reaction to the 'Descendants 3' Teaser Trailer is ADORABLE Hollyscoop
- Kehlani - This Is How I Made It Cosmopolitan
- Jaden Smith Tries Unsuccessfully to Teach His Dad Will About Instagram Hollyscoop
- U.S. Snowboarding Star Chloe Kim Lands Cover of 'Sports Illustrated' Wibbitz
- Cast of 'The Resident' and '9-1-1' talk winter getaways Associated Press
Donovan's marriage is important to him, yet is constantly put in peril by his behavior - his attentions to other women and constant distractions from the needs of his wife, Abby (portrayed with an interesting edge by Paula Malcomson). She longs for some of the nicer trappings enjoyed by Ray's wealthy clients — a prestigious private school for her son and daughter, in particular — and is constantly disappointed by her husband's failure to make them happen.
Ray also is frustrated by his inability to fix his damaged brothers: "Bunchy" (Dash Mihok), who was abused as a child by his parish priest and can't stay sober; and boxing coach Terry (Eddie Marsan), who developed Parkinson's as the result of being left in the ring too long.
"I think to have a character who can excel at something and yet has a fatal flaw that is tied into that isn't gratuitous to me," Biderman said of Ray at a recent Showtime press session. "I think it's how you do it, and hopefully we've done it in a way that elevates it a bit and gets above the cliché."
Schreiber's portrayal of Ray is solid yet thrilling. Even at his character's coolest and calmest, the intensity beneath crackles, sometimes given away by the slightest twitch of Schreiber's distinctive jaw. The actor said he knew what a plum opportunity this was, calling the writing "deeply investigative spiritually, emotionally, physically in every way."
Voight, too, commits ferociously to the role of Mickey, a man who can be charming at one moment and menacing the next.
"It's a very complex character, Mickey," Voight said, "a dangerous fellow to himself and others, but he's got a lot of dimension. So I'm really very challenged ... excited to be playing the part."
It's the way the fine ensemble works together, however, that is the drama's biggest triumph: manic and mesmerizing, the chemistry here is marvelous.
Jeanne Jakle's column appears Wednesdays and Sundays in S.A. Life, and she blogs at Jakle's Jacuzzi on mySA.com. Email her at email@example.com.
Jeanne Jakle's column appears Wednesdays and Sundays in S.A. Life, and she blogs at Jakle's Jacuzzi on mySA.com. Email her at email@example.com.


text:
Hyatt Regency Long Beach
Hyatt Regency Long Beach Rates and Deals
Hyatt Regency Long Beach Reviews
3 reviews
Beautiful view of the Rainbow Lagoon May 04, 2011
I recently had a fried from Canada come to visit me in Long Beach. We decided to get a room at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach. It was an excellent choice! It was about $180 but was definitely worth the price. The hotel was very clean and the room size was nice. We had a great view of the harbor,rainbow lagoon, and the aquarium. My favorite part was they had free toothpaste ( I've never seen this before!) It was also within walking distance of the harbor, and Pine ST which is where are the fun bars and restaurants are located. Over all I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone.
Join TravBuddy to leave comments, meet new friends and share travel tips!
Hyatt Regency Long Beach Overview
Conveniently located in the heart of the city, the Hyatt Regency Hotel Long Beach is near several attractions including the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, the historic Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, Catalina Island, Disneyland, Shoreline Village, Newport Beach, Rainbow Harbor and much more. Located in central Long Beach just off the 710 Freeway, the Hyatt Regency Hotel Long Beach has a shuttle bus stop near the front door that transports guests to downtown Long Beach, area attractions and the metro train station. The hotel is only seven miles to Long Beach Daugherty Field Airport.
With 523 guestrooms, the Hyatt Regency Hotel Long Beach offers many amenities including wireless Internet access, cable TV, in-room pay movies, voicemail, data ports, climate control, turndown service, water views, goose down comforters, and many others.
Popular with business and leisure guests, the Hyatt Regency Hotel Long Beach has two onsite restaurants, an onsite bar, well-equipped meeting rooms, state-of-the-art gymnasium, heated outdoor swimming pool, business center, concierge, dry cleaning, babysitting and much more. There are also many restaurants and shops within walking distance of the hotel.
Hyatt Regency Amenities


text:
Windows X's Live Team
Founder / Software Developer
Name: Keetakawee Punpeng (Windows X)
Contact: email@example.com
Website: www.WindowsXLive.net
Co Founder / Web Manager
Name: Mohamed El-Safty (Saftawy)
Websites: www.WinXSoft.com, www.ThemeMyPC.net
Also provides Transformation/UX Packs official download source, and beta testing.
This website requires at least 1024×768 on IE 8+, Firefox 2+ and Opera 10+.
Online since 2006 created by Saftawy and Windows X, powered by WordPress.


text:
"Octomom" Nadya Suleman got into a fight with a celebrity Friday night without knowing she was arguing with a famous star, according to celebrity website TMZ. Suleman was apparently flying back from New York City after she did an appearance on NBC's Today Show and the altercation apparently occurred when her eight two-year old children were being very loud while on the plane, which caused 3rd Rock from the Sun star Kristen Johnston to confront her to tell her kids to settle down.
TMZ reports that when Johnston confronted her, Nadya said, "How would you like me to keep eight 2-year-olds quiet?" Johnston shot back, "Get more help!" But according to Suleman's representative, she had a friend as well as her well-behaved older children on the flight with her to help their friend/mom. Suleman apparently said, "Why don't you grow a baby and get a life" before Johnston apparently had enough and got off the plane.
Her rep, via E!, said the following in a statement regarding the incident: "Nadya and her children were in business class, apparently Kristen became upset and came from 1st class to tell her to keep her kids quiet. They had an altercation and Kristen got off the plane and never returned. While Nadya had help from her friend and two older children, it's not easy to travel with one two-year-old let alone eight two-year-olds on a plane. She did the best anyone could."


text:
Arizona ranked No. 9 in the nation for identity theft in 2014, with 96 identity theft complaints for every 100,000 people, according to the Federal Trade Commission.Read More »
Online Impersonation bill could silence satirical critics
In recent years, several state lawmakers have had fake, unflattering social media accounts spring up in their names.Read More »
4 indicted in student aid scheme that used inmates
Federal prosecutors say they have broken up a ring of women who used the names of Perryville prison inmates to fraudulently get federal student financial aid.Read More »
Deputies raid Phoenix business in ID theft probe
Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies have made 14 arrests during a raid at a west Phoenix business where workers were suspected of identity theft.Read More »
Feds to announce arrest in yearslong fraud probe
Federal officials plan to announce that they have broken up a sophisticated tax fraud scheme that used identity theft, computer hijacking and wire and mail fraud. The results of the yearslong investigation are to be announced at a press conference ...Read More »
Ex-Arizona lawmaker indicted over petitions
A former Arizona lawmaker has been charged with identity theft, forgery and fraud in connection with signatures on his nominating petitions when he ran unsuccessfully for the state House last year. The Pima County Attorney's Office indicted John Kromko earlier this month on nine counts of identity theft, nine counts of forgery and one count of fraudulent scheme.Read More »


text:
After months of debate, the Los Angeles City Council adopted a $6.9 billion budget plan for next year that cuts city services, but offers compromises to appease police and firefighter unions. Daily News.
In a daylong meeting, the council agreed to a plan that makes up a $336million deficit by continuing the past three years of reduced spending. It also reduces firefighter deployments – but by less than initially proposed – and proposes additional savings to be negotiated with the police officers union.
"This is a realistic budget where we rejected borrowing to balance it, where we rejected cuts in public safety and where we are restoring library service to the city," Council President Eric Garcetti said. "After 10 years on the council, this was the smoothest one we have had."


text:
Posts filtered on Tag
It's never too late to ask: Is this the way to health?
The data is clear on the reason for discontent. The Commonwealth Fund has tracked the quality of U.S. health care since 2006 and shows it to be the most expensive system in the world even though it consistently under-performs health care systems in most other countries. What we assumed and trusted would make us healthy simply isn't performing.
But on the heels of discontent comes the longing for a change.…
Key Factor To Health – Your Thought
Case in point:
In the post Your Birthday Can Kill You Newsmax Health shares interesting details from research published in the Annals of Epidemiology. "Overall, the research revealed a 13.8 percent greater probability people will die on the day they were born, said the report."
If fixating on your birthday causes stress and/or readies you "for a possible major life event on that day," can't you assume your thought is a key factor to your health?…


text:
Letham Gardening Club Annual Flower Show will be held on Sunday, August 10 from 1.30 to 4 p.m. in Letham Village Hall.
The show will be part of the Village Dempster Day event.
Staging for the Flower Show will be on Saturday, August 9 from 6.30 to 9.00 p.m. and Sunday, August 10 from 7 to 9 a.m.
Judging will start at 9.15 a.m. The show is open to all and schedules are still available at the Letham Spar and Hamelt Tea Room.
Trophies and awards are being presented by George Dempster at 2 p.m. in the village hall.
If your group or organisation is holding an event then please let us know.
You can email your details to email@example.com, call in to our office on Monday or Friday or telephone us on 464899.


text:
Minahasa Marine
Habitat Enhancement Program
Brief Overview of the Project
Unsustainable fishing practices (principally poisoning and
bombing) have resulted in degradation of reefs in the coastal
region of North Sulawesi. Harvesting of mangroves for
construction materials has also resulted in significant
degradation of this important fish nursery and feeding
Newmont Mining Corporation operates the Minahasa Gold Mine
in North Sulawesi, Republic of Indonesia. Working with local
communities and partners, Newmont has developed and is
currently implementing the Marine Habitat Enhancement Program
as a part of the Integrated Sustainable Development Program
for the local area. Two key elements of this program are the
Reef Ball (development of artificial reefs) and Mangrove
Rehabilitation projects. The Reef Ball Project is the largest
of its kind conducted by the private sector to date. These
projects are being conducted in conjunction with
micro-financing and training programs for local fishermen and
women and other coastal conservation programs such as the
Water Police and the Coastal Clean-up programs.
The Marine Habitat Enhancement Program at
Minahasa is described here as it embodies the three pillars of
sustainable development. Specifically, the program promotes a
partnership between Newmont, academic institutions, NGOs and
local government and communities; enhances both the marine
environment and environmental awareness of the local
communities; and, provides economics benefits during project
implementation and subsequent to the completion of the
program. The Reef Ball and Mangrove Rehabilitation projects at
Minahasa have been a great success due to measurable, and
therefore tangible, environmental and economic benefits since
their inception in 1999. In addition, since Reef Ball
construction and mangrove planting are conducted by local
residents, the projects are germane to the Minahasan tradition
of undertaking cooperative projects for the good of the
Three Legs of Sustainability
The Minahasa Marine Habitat Enhancement
Program incorporates all three elements of sustainable
development. The environmental importance of coral reefs and
mangrove habitats in coastal regions and on fishery resources
is well documented. Loss of coral reef habitat due to
unsustainable fishing practices (e.g., poisoning and
bombing) and natural factors such as climate and ecological
changes (e.g., crown of thorns and bleaching) may have
a significant impact on the marine ecosystem in general, and
fishery resources, in particular. Coral reef habitat
enhancement though the deployment of Reef Balls is therefore a
significant contribution to conserving this important
ecosystem and promoting a sustainable marine fisheries
industry. In addition, though the involvement of local
residents in the manufacturing and deployment of Reef Balls
and mangrove planting, environmental awareness of local
communities, which are heavily dependant on fishing, is
Economic benefits of the project relate to
the construction of Reef Balls and the increased fishery
resources subsequent to artificial reef and mangrove habitat
formation. In respect to Reef Ball construction, Newmont
purchased the
Social benefits of the project arise from the
full inclusion and participation of local residents
demonstrating the connection between environmental
conservation and increased resources for the local
communities. Training and education (techniques in sustainable
fishing, processing, storing, transporting and marketing)
programs implemented by Newmont will further enhance the
sustainability of program.
Measurable Results
Surveys of Reef Ball sites have been ongoing
at Minahasa since 1999 to monitor the development of the
artificial reefs. The survey techniques employed are
internationally established protocols for description and
quantification of coral ecosystem components and are conducted
by divers using SCUBA. These surveys have been conducted by
independent scientists, scientists from Sam Ratulangi
University in Manado and scientific staff of Newmonts
Environmental Department. The surveys of the Reef Ball sites
are being conducted on a quarterly basis. Time-series results
of surveys conducted at Reef Ball sites may therefore be used
to quantify and document coral growth and changes in abundance
and composition of coral fish communities.
Mangrove rehabilitation is planned for a
total of 5 ha in the local area. To date, 1 ha has been
rehabilitated and approximately 10,000 mangrove seedlings of
local species have been produced in the community nursery.
Measurement and quantification of the resulting mangrove
habitat (both in terms of area and number of trees) is
therefore relatively simple.
Qualitative fish catch information may also
be derived by systematic interviews with fishermen and women.
For example, questions and documentation of data regarding
fish caught (e.g., type, size, weight, value,
etc.) will provide an indication of the impacts of the
Reef Ball and Mangrove Rehabilitation projects on the local
fishery industry. These surveys/interviews would be conducted
on a regular basis to qualitatively assess temporal trends in
the quantity and quality of fish caught in local waters.
The application of the Marine Habitat
Enhancement Program to other coastal sites is highly
appropriate given the programs simplicity, relatively low
implementation costs and short-term realization of benefits to
the local marine environment, coastal habitat and fishery
resources. Since 1999 at Minahasa, approximately 3000 Reef
Balls have been deployed at three main locations,
demonstrating that significant artificial reef initiation can
be achieved in a relatively short time span. The Minahasa site
represents the largest Reef Ball Project undertaken by a
private company in the world, and second only in size to the
Reef Ball Project implemented by the Malaysian Government.
The replicability of the project has been
demonstrated by a recent agreement between Newmont and two
Diving Centres in Manado, whereby Newmont will provide
approximately 300 Reef Balls for establishing two artificial
reefs (house reefs) for the centres. Other coastal villages
have also requested Reef Ball deployment in their local waters
and plans are currently underway to extend the Reef Ball
Project to these nearby villages. Additional Reef Ball
projects in Asia, Australia, Middle East, North and South
America demonstrate the ease of replication of this marine
habitat enhancement technique.
Considerable local expertise in Mangrove
Rehabilitation has been developed as part of this program. A
community organization responsible for the Mangrove
Rehabilitation Project, which is managed by local residents,
has recently been established. This organization has drafted a
zone plan (including areas for conservation, plantation,
aquaculture and recreation) which has been submitted for
ratification by the Village Assembly.
Although the technology employed in this
project is not new, Reef Balls have been deployed in over
1,500 projects worldwide, the integration of this technique
with a comprehensive Marine Habitat Enhancement Program has
resulted in a significant advance in sustainable fishing
practices and environmental awareness in the area of the
Minahasa Mine. The community participatory approach embraced
by this project has also promoted a real feeling of ownership
by all partners, in general, and the local residents, in
Mangrove species selection by local community
members has resulted in significant innovation on a local
scale. The community organization responsible for mangrove
rehabilitation has also led the process of assessing the
suitability of species for their local area and conditions.
This participatory approach has also been a significant source
of inspiration for local residents that can observe the
results of their efforts in enhancing their local
Newmont considers local communities,
government officials, lending agencies and non-government
organizations to be its partners in implementing sustainable
mining practices at all its sites. Newmont pledge to its
partners is a legacy of increased prosperity, healthier,
better-educated people with marketable job skills, and at
closure, reclamation of the environment to a level consistent
with pre-mining use.
Several organizations and community groups
have been collaborating in the Reef Ball Project. The
principal partners in the project were the Marine Ecology
Department at Sam Ratulangi University in Manado, Association
of Scientific Divers (ASPISIA-NGO), the Reef Ball Foundation,
Water Police, local government, local residents and Newmont.
These groups and organizations have been involved in various
aspects of the Reef Ball Project including Reef Ball
fabrication, site selection, ocean deployment and ecological
monitoring of the artificial reefs. The Water Police, which
have been established and funded by Newmont, are responsible
for reporting and arrest (in case of repeat offenders) of
people engaged in illegal fishing practices, such as reef
bombing and poisoning.
Initial training of local communities in
mangrove rehabilitation techniques and protocols was conducted
by University of Sam Ratulangi, ASPISIA and Newmont.
Subsequently the local communities have led the processes of
site selection, species selection, growing of mangrove
seedlings and planting and mangrove habitat monitoring. It is
envisaged that the recently developed community


text:
Reader's Ride of the Month
Enter the Chux Trux "Reader's Ride of the Month" Contest
Get your car, truck or Jeep entered in the Chux Trux "Reader's Ride of the Month" contest! Win a Chux t-shirt and get your ride featured on the home page of our website, listed on our Facebook page and sent to our email newsletter list.
Click the red title bar above to enter your vehicle!
Have you ever wanted to see your ride displayed on Chux Trux website? Now's your chance! Starting March 1st Chux Trux will be conducting a Ride of the Month contest. To enter, all you need to do is submit a photo of your ride and tell us what you've added to it.
We'll choose one winner each month. The winner receives a Chux Trux T-Shirt, will have their car, truck or Jeep featured on the home page of our website, on our Facebook page, and in our email newsletter!
The Ride of the Month contest will be judged by store management and administrators at Chux Trux. The lucky winner will be notified via email.
- Click Here to See the Rides That Have Been Submitted Want to see what the competition is? Check them out here!


text:
Stephen Hawking and the Big Bangby Spike Psarris
Did you hear the momentous announcement from Stephen Hawking? Famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking announced that the Universe was not created by God. Instead, the Universe created itself, via the Big Bang. Was this an unlikely event? No. This was actually an "inevitable consequence" of the laws of physics, especially gravity. As he explained:
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist."
Hawking is a respected scientist, and the author of several bestselling books. So this story got wide media coverage. That's a shame, because it's easy to show that Hawking's idea is absurd. Before talking about absurdity, let's talk about irony. Hawking first became prominent as a physicist by proving that the Universe must have had a beginning. Since then, he's spent years trying to prove that it didn't.
Another irony: Hawking recently retired from the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University. He shared that honor with (among others) Sir Isaac Newton. The contrast between the two could hardly be stronger. Newton is famous for formulating the law of universal gravity, among numerous other accomplishments.
Conversely, some of Hawking's peers today are denying gravity even exists. Newton is also famous for his devotion to the Bible. He wrote more about theology than he did about science. Conversely, Hawking is disdainful of Christianity. Newton believed that the Universe was clear evidence of the handiwork of God. He wrote:
"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent Being... This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont to be called 'Lord God'... or 'Universal Ruler'... The Supreme God is a Being eternal, infinite, absolutely perfect."
Newton also wrote that atheism is "senseless and odious." Conversely, Hawking is an atheist. But enough about irony. Let's examine Hawking's claim that scientific laws produced the Universe.
One hundred years ago, atheists like Hawking wouldn't have bothered to make a statement like this. Back then, atheists thought the Universe was eternal. Since an eternal Universe wouldn't have had a beginning, atheists didn't need to invent a cause for the Universe. That all changed in the 1900s when Edwin Hubble discovered evidence that our Universe was expanding. This led to the invention of the Big Bang model and the discrediting of the eternal "steady state" models of the Universe.
Now the atheists had a problem. The Universe had a beginning. And that which had a beginning, also had a cause. This has also led some Christians to view the Big Bang as evidence for Biblical creation. This is incorrect for several reasons, as I've explained in other articles. Nevertheless, it still makes many atheists uncomfortable. Anything even remotely consistent with a Creator needs to be eliminated. Thus the statement by Hawking: God didn't create the Universe, because it created itself. This is rubbish, of course.
Hawking says that, "the laws of gravity and quantum theory allow universes to appear spontaneously from nothing." But the Big Bang model itself says this idea is nonsense. According to the Big Bang, the fundamental forces in physics—gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force—were created after the Big Bang occurred. So if these forces didn't exist until after the Universe began, how could they have created the Universe? Obviously, something can't create itself. Before something can do anything, it must exist. Thus, for something to create itself, the something would need to exist before it existed. This is clearly absurd.
This brings up a bigger problem than just scientific laws. The Big Bang model requires the entire Universe to pop into existence from nothing. According to this model, before the Big Bang there was nothing. Then suddenly there was something. But again, this is rubbish. As philosophers have pointed out, nothing can't do anything. Put another way, nothing can do nothing. Nothing can cause nothing. From nothing, nothing comes.
Every effect has a cause. But before the Big Bang, there was nothing that could be a cause. Therefore, the Big Bang could not have happened. At its core, the Big Bang requires a miracle to have occurred. But nothing cannot perform any miracles. Atheists sometimes retort that although the Big Bang was extremely improbable, if you wait long enough, even the extremely improbable will eventually occur.
But this too is rubbish. According to the secular model, time did not exist before the Big Bang. Thus, there was no time in which to wait for the near-impossible to occur. (And what would have waited? Nothing existed.) Plus, it's also incorrect to say that the Big Bang was near-impossible. It's straightforward to show from science that the Big Bang idea is fully impossible. That's why even a brilliant man like Hawking is reduced to using empty platitudes like "spontaneous creation" to explain where the Universe came from. Since he rejects his Creator, that's the best he can do.
Hawking and his fellow atheists cannot explain the Universe. Many of them even realize this. That's why so many of them are resorting to "multiverse" theories. Details vary, but the basic idea is that there are an infinite number of Universes which are created and destroyed in an eternal cycle. The one we live in just happened to start 13.7 billion years ago, and will die eventually and be reborn in some other form.
This is usually presented as science, but it's anything but science. At best, it's irrational, self-contradictory philosophy. By definition, the Universe is everything that exists. Except for the spiritual realm (the existence of which atheists deny), there can be nothing outside of the Universe. Multiverse theory is just a weak attempt to sidestep the need for a beginning. Since more and more atheists are resorting to it, they're in effect admitting the bankruptcy of their worldview.
Conversely, the Bible stands firm and true. There was a definite beginning, when God created the heavens and earth (Gen. 1). Atheists often try to refute the Creation model by saying that if every effect needs a cause, then what caused God? But the question is nonsensical. God has no origin. He is eternal. God is not an effect. Therefore He needs no cause. He is the Ancient of Days—the One who inhabits eternity.
Spike Psarris was previously an engineer in the United States' military space program. He entered that program as an atheist and an evolutionist. He left it as a creationist and a Christian. Spike is the author of the Our Created Solar System DVD and maintains the CreationAstronomy.com website. Spike can be seen and heard presenting his powerful messages about Creation Astronomy at conventions around the country.


text:
We worked many-many time and got perfect result!
Work with us and get leadership!
We worked many-many time and got perfect result! Work with us and getting leadership!
Our Services
Free SEO audit, report of your website
Your website will be scanned and checked for On page, off page, domain authority, social engagement and other SEO factors. Not only that but we will also do competition analysis.Send request now!
Why Us?We offer end-to-end solution to enhance your online presence.
Our Team
SoftTek Solutions has been an amalgamation of hard working and competent professionals who love what they do. As a fully stacked Digital Marketing Agency, SoftTek Solutions endeavors to impact, influence and inspire all around us.
Sanjana Pandey is a Social Media Marketing Expert at SoftTek Solutions
Read More
Nidhi, a Marketing Major and a certified Google Adwords professional is the Creative head of Softtek Solutions.
Read More
Anshu Ahuja, an MBA by profession is the SEO head who indulges in the most ethical and effective SEO practices such as optimizing a website etc.
Read More
Content is true king of Digital Marketing field today and Softtek Solutions has a competent in house content writing team, headed by Gunjan Bhandari.
Read More
An IGNOU graduate who is highly creative and focussed Ashima Pahwa Bhatia is the SMM head at Softtek Solutions.
Read More
As an inner worx coach, one of my core beliefs is that each person is capable of being their own director in life. SoftTek Solutions has been working closely with me to establish my Social...
Owner/Life Coach
Hutkay.fit is an ecommerce website that proffers world class squash gears of top brands such as Dunlop, Harrow, Prince, Head and Victor. SoftTek Solutions has been working proactively towards creating our social media presence on...
Jahanzeb Masood
Saffron strands teamed with the digital marketing agency softtek SOLUTIONS. They have helped us in positioning ourselves as a brand which is compatible with the way our consumers see themselves. We don't just design clothes…we...
CEO at SAFFRON STRANDS
Edelevate helps people in fulfilling their dream of education abroad. Our association with the digital marketing agency SoftTek Solutions has been a satisfying experience. They have been providing us quality Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Service...
CEO at EDELEVATE
As a travel company, Globe Trotters endeavours to give it's clients eye opening and life changing experiences. As our Digital Marketing partners, Softtek Solutions has been more than satisfactory. Their services have been par excellence...
CEO at GLOBE TROTTERS
At Remarkable Images for us, all our bottlenecks and hurdles were seamlessly answered by SOFTTEK SOLUTIONS. They have customised solutions for all your requirements, and also ensured that posts were tailor made according to the...
CEO at REMARKABLE IMAGES


text:
When you follow the same fitness routine day-in and day-out, you can easily become bored.
Even the results you were once seeing may not be showing anymore. When that happens, it's time to add variety and try a new workout routine. Here are 3 steps to make it happen.
Make sure you have a goal
Set a goal and then build your new workout routine around that specific goal.
For example, if you're looking to add muscle, build your routine around strength training. If you're just trying to keep fit, consider 30 minutes on the AMT and lifting some free weights afterwards. No matter what, keep that main goal in the front of your mind.
Find inspiration
What motivates you to work out?
Maybe it's getting healthier and setting an example for your family. Or perhaps fitness is a lifestyle choice you have in common with your friends. No matter the case, find inspiration through these interests – like sharing your Preva badges with your friends and family to keep them up-to-date on your fitness progress.
Keep time in mind
Only have 30 minutes at the gym? No problem.
Just keep those time constraints in mind as you build your new routine. By keeping time limits in mind, you'll be more likely to fit in your workout during lunch instead of skipping out on it. And if you truly are on a tight schedule, consider implementing exercises into your routine you know take less time but still provide great health benefits.
How have you mixed up your fitness routine in the past?


text:
Bacon, Cheddar and Ranch Waffle
Combine favorite flavors in these tangy waffles! Check out all of Rachael's recipes from Waffle Week!
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 2 cups buttermilk pancake mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Dill, chive and parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- Butter, melted, for brushing, plus 1 tablespoon
- 4 eggs, for topping
Pre- heat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan and bake until crisp, 15-18 minutes. Let cool and chop.
Pre-heat a waffle maker to medium.
In a medium size bowl, mix the pancake mix with buttermilk and sour cream. Season the batter with the onion and garlic powders, pepper and chopped herbs. Stir in the chopped bacon and cheese.
Brush the waffle maker with melted butter and ladle a third of the batter on to the hot iron. Let cook for 5-6 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium size skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is hot, add the eggs; season and cook until desired doneness.
Top each waffle with one egg and serve.


text:
Mr. Kent Worford, the Superintendent for the Europe South District, has served a total of twenty years as an educator and coach with DoDEA.
Prior to being Superintendent of the Europe South District, Mr. Worford served as one of the two Assistant Superintendents of the District. Previously, he completed a four-year term as the Principal of Lakenheath High School (England), after serving a two-year term as Assistant Principal at the same school. Prior to that, he completed three years as Assistant Principal at SHAPE Elementary School (Belgium).
Mr. Worford's teaching career in DoDEA included assignments at Croughton HighSchool in England and SHAPE High School, where he taught AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), Social Studies, Business and Computer Science, and coached football, basketball, and track.
Mr. Worford holds a Master's Degree in Education and Educational Administration from the University Southern Mississippi, and a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Education from the University of Kansas.
One of his goals as Superintendent is to provide 21stCentury educational opportunities to all staff members to ensure the best possible educational opportunities for all children in all of our DoDEA schools.


text:
Tales from the Vault
Online selling has been around for a bit more for a week, and I for one and glad to see it. Although it must be said that it works against me a bit, since I was one of the lucky ones in the Pacific Time Zone who could begin selling after the daily reboot and stay there all day long.
Online selling definitely increases the liquidity of EQII markets. More stuff is available more often. And usually at a better price, since there is more competition. That's good news for buyers. The good news for sellers is that you don't have to give up play time to sell. That's good news for sellers who don't have dedicated sales accounts.
But those folks can have a reason to be relieved, at least. There is still an advantage to selling with a character versus selling via the vault, namely, a customer can come to your room and buy from you direct and avoid the transaction costs. This means that your prices can be more competetive, at the same profit to you, your price is going to be more attractive to a consumer. Also, with another account you've lots more inventory space.
But it hasn't fixed everything. There are still opportunities for arbitrage, by moving stuff through time, buying when it's cheap, and selling when it's dear. I do this with commodities that I also use for my tradeskill, since I'm inherently interested in them. Of course, arbitrage is made easier by vault selling, too.
And there still seems to be a marked difference in the price/availability of one spell versus another. Some Adept 1 upgrades are abundant and cheap, while others can't be found.
I suspect this exists for two reasons. Probably not all spells of a given tier or level drop off of all mobs, there might be variation there. And certainly some spells are not valued the same either. Some, like Breeze for enchanters, are seen as core spells that are critical to performance, while others are seen as more peripheral. But I don't think this can account for the wide variations I've seen on the broker, since for example Daunting Gaze usually has many copies on the broker, and it's extremely valuable, one of the best tools in the tier 2 enchanter toolbox.
Vault selling serves the interest of the game designers in that it takes more coin out of the game. One of the problems with managing a game economy is that the money comes from nowhere. There is an endless supply of mobs, which drop stuff that can be sold to vendors for coin. Vendors will buy skeletal hands for the same price no matter how many people have sold to them recently, and they never run out of coin to pay. So, money flows into the game.
The game designer then is faced with the problem of taking money back out of the game. Buying things from other players doesn't take either the item or the money out of circulation. However, attunement does take things out of circulation. Buying permanent items from vendors, such as mounts, paintings, furniture, takes the money out of the game, but not the item, which can be sold, though often at a discount.
The brokerage fees simply go away, leaving nothing of value in their place. This is also true of consumable items, such as arrows, potions, food and drink. Spell upgrades are like attuneable items, only better, from the game design point of view, because attunable items can be sold back to NPC vendors for some coin, but spell upgrades (and tradeskill books), once scribed, cannot.
I took the position a few months ago that the lack of offline selling represented a point of view that espoused that if a player wasn't online, then they had no right to be making money in-game. An extension of the "a person must be sitting in the chair" philosophy. Only that isn't what I was doing.
When I wanted to sell, I'd set up the seller, and go off doing something else. Sometimes I'd be at home and be able to see my screen and hear the clink of coins when someone bought something from me. But I wasn't sitting at the chair.
In all fairness, it doesn't really seem appropriate that the timezone you live in should have an effect on how well you can be a merchant in-game, but it did. If you could start up your merchant after the daily reboot because you didn't have to already be at work, that gave you a big advantage. Vault selling just cancelled that out, and I think that's a good thing.


text:
Argos to repay £2.4m to workers after failing to pay National Living Wage
Argos must pay staff a total of £2.4m after HMRC discovered security searches and colleague briefings outside working hours meant staff were not receiving the National Living Wage (NLW)
A spokesperson for Sainsbury's, which took over Argos last year, confirmed that 37,000 people – current and former colleagues – are due to be paid back an average of £67 each.
In a letter to staff, John Rogers, chief executive of Argos revealed that a routine visit by HMRC shortly after the takeover uncovered pay discrepancies at the retailer.
"After we acquired the Argos business last year it was brought to my attention that, as part of a routine visit, HMRC had uncovered an issue with some of our Argos store systems and processes, which means that some colleagues have been paid below the National Living Wage," Roger wrote.
"In particular, this related to the timings of colleague briefings, which could happen before colleagues had clocked into their shifts and security searches, which could happen after colleagues had clocked out of their shifts."
Rogers added that he was "very disappointed" to hear staff weren't being paid correctly and immediately launched an investigation.
He said they have been working closely with HMRC to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and concluded conversations with the Revenue last week.
Workers who were paid below the NLW prior to December 2016, will receive a payment on 28 February for the amount owed to them.
Argos has also introduced new processes to ensure there can be no repeat of this issue.
"Without doubt colleagues make the difference to Argos and we are looking at pay and benefits across the business," Rogers added.
"We are pleased that we have already been able to make a number of positive changes, including extending the discount on Sainsbury's shopping to all Argos colleagues and we are proposing to give most Argos store colleagues a 2% pay increase and to move the basic rate of pay for our over 25 Zone B and C colleagues from £7.20 to £7.66 an hour."
Last year Sports Direct came under fire for failing to pay staff the National Minimum Wage (NNW) and subjecting them to a regime of searches and surveillance before and after their shifts.
Earlier this week, the government named and shamed more than 350 companies for failing to pay either the NLW or the NMW.
A spokesperson for BEIS said, "Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage. That is why we named and shamed more than 350 employers who failed to pay the legal minimum this week, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished."


text:
Garden Statue of Otter and Pup
More questions? Get in touch
Concrete garden statue of otter and pup with translucent eyes, has lichen and moss.
WIDTH: 20 in | HEIGHT: 10½ in | DEPTH: 16 in
Shipping Estimate: $75 | White glove
Domestic shipping within the 48 continental states is quoted on each item via FedEx or White Glove delivery.
International shipping can be arranged upon request.
Delivery times will vary depending on the locations of origin and delivery, packing requirements, and the method of shipping used.
Once your order is processed, you will be notified of shipping status and given an estimated time of delivery.
We accept payment by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover through our secure portal. We also accept payment via check, money order, or wire transfer. All payment options are available at checkout.
CONDITION: Weathered, good amount of lichen and moss are present


text:
Last edited by yunasashafan; 03-01-2010 at 02:08 AM.
My, we are paranoid aren't we!
Not paranoid at all. You may be too young to remember, but when Kristi Yamaguchi won in 1992 (she was Japanese American) it is a fact that she did not receive many endorsements because it was said people still held a grudge from World War 2. Sounds ridiculous, maybe but it was true. I don't believe anyone feels that way now, but it was certainly true back then.
I wrote NBC an e-mail. Probably won't do any good, but hopefully someone will read it and at least think about it. Does anyone know if NBC or ABC will do Worlds?
Case in point: In the recap, they talked about V/M but not about D/W
See, this is what I've been complaining about all along. NBC broadcast = EPIC FAIL


text:
I am in Japan at the moment and in January will be starting my travels. I have never traveled before so i really have no idea what i'm doing.....
I am continuing to read up, but i think advice is the way to go!
I am planning on getting a boat to China, then from China to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, then India, after India onto Europe till i run out of money. i'm worried because of the time as India starts getting rough from May time. Also i have about 3000 pounds to do it!
Is all this possible on my feeble budget and can i get to India before June without rushing too much?
Oh, i have joined couch surfing, so i'm hoping this will save me some money.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.


text:
Reno/Carson City
(775) 785-2365
N. Las Vegas
(702) 643-7667
Las Vegas
(702) 331-8202
Subscribe toPULIZ NEWSLETTER
Get a Quote
We've got it. At Puliz Records we understand that there are a variety of scenarios where only on-site deconstruction of sensitive data will do; when confidentiality and security is of utmost concern. We understand those instances where being witness to the destruction of the data by your company personnel is not just nice, but mandatory.
For these pivotal situations we come right to your business and then take care of business in a professional and completely confidential manner.
Make sure that you've suitably protected your company and your clients' vital, confidential information from start to finish with on-site shredding offered by Puliz Records.
In the Vegas area we offer:
It's Easy to Get Started:
First, we assess your shredding needs together and then we distribute our secure shred consoles or bins in handy areas around your warehouse and/or office locations.
Then, by following a mutually predetermined schedule, Puliz Records sends out our specialist courier-operator and they retrieve the contents of the containers and bins and relocate it to our safe and secure mobile shredding vehicle.
Following this the sensitive data is proficiently (and confidentially) shredded and then relocated to Puliz Records' secure facility where it is baled and environmentally recycled.
Why Trust Puliz Records?
There are many reasons, not the least of which, your company representative can be on hand to view the shredding process from start to finish.
We also make it easy for you; as we observe strict diligence protocols and stay in line with regulatory government compliance obligations and privacy laws throughout the entire process.
Not only that; no matter how large or small the shredding scenario is, once it is completed we will give you a Certificate of Destruction for your company files.
You can feel GREAT about putting your trust with Puliz Records for all of your shredding requirements. The serenity that only comes with confidential, secure, and environmentally sound deconstruction is found with Puliz Records!