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Eileen Hosey believes that gardens make life richer and souls whole.
So in the spirit of sharing what it takes to make Juneau gardens grow, the Juneau Garden Club, of which Hosey is president this year, will be hosting their annual Falling for Gardens event from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday in the Egan Room of Centennial Hall.
The local club is inviting the public to hear, free of charge, from garden professionals on how to organize and plan an oriental garden, how to get involved in community programs such as "Adopt a Basket" and how to be part of the beautification of Juneau.
"We try to give people ideas to think about over the winter," Hosey said. "Our fall programs give people food for thought and give inspiration for next year."
Presenters this year include Darren Snyder from the UAF Cooperative Extension, Chris Mertl, a local landscape architect, and Merrill Jensen, a certified horticulturist and manager of the Jensen-Olson Arboretum.
Hosey said there will be plenty of time for attendees to ask questions and get advice on what works and what doesn't work when it comes to cultivating in the region's wet climate.
"The presenters are extremely philanthropic with their advice and expertise," she said. "These guys are A-plus, top notch and passionate about their professions."
The gardening club opens this event to the public because, as Hosey said, "it's all in the spirit of gardening."
"It's free because we love to garden," she said. "We've found that condensing information into something that's available to the public is really what it's all about. Everybody in (the gardening) community will share perennials, share advice and pull weeds in their neighbor's yard."
In all, Hosey hopes the public comes away from the event excited about the possibilities for their own garden and she hopes many will have learned a thing or two, as well.
"We just want to encourage people to come and have fun," she said.
Contact Outdoors editor Abby Lowell at email@example.com.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Cotillard said:
"We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes. Are they burned? They [sic] was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burnt for 24 hours. It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there [in New York], in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed."
"It was a money-sucker because they were finished, it seems to me, by 1973, and to re-cable all that, to bring up-to-date all the technology and everything, it was a lot more expensive, that work, than destroying them."
Cotillard's stardom and increased earning power looked assured following her Oscar win.
But after her outburst, in which she also queried the 1969 Moon landings, a successful future in Hollywood appears to be in jeopardy.
She said: "Did a man really walk on the Moon? I saw plenty of documentaries on it, and I really wondered. And in any case I don't believe all they tell me, that's for sure."
Cotillard, who was born and brought up in Paris, made the comments on Paris Première.


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Hadi speaks in one of the scariest rooms ever, It's built on the top of this sports arena. Way way up with a ridiculous steep angle down to the stage. Butterflies in my stomach:
Specifications today are written in the language of the client but most of the data modeling is done in a relational model. Hadi talks about foreign keys and the idea that a invoice have to have a customer because the relational model requires a foreign key and a bunch of other things. This makes some changes inflexible, like a client wanting to invoice an anonymous customer.
We have an impedance miss match between how we look at the data and how the client looks at the data. When client talks about invoices they see the actual invoice, when we see invoices we see the relational mode.
In Domain Driven Design, et al, we model the clients perspective using objects and then use an ORM to map between the business perspective and the relational model. Which in Hadi's opinion brings a heap of other problems into the flexibility of responding to change and feature implementations.
Hadi's session will show how to work with document databases using CoachDb
The Tool
CouchDB is a document database that stores complete documents in JSON. It has ACID compliance for each documentation and uses REST to access the stored documents. The initial engines was built in C++ was was ported to Erlang because of it's strength in concurrent operations, which accessing and writing data is really about. It works on a lot of platforms; Windows, Linux, Andriod, Maemo, Browser Couch (HTML 5 storage) and CouchDB is able to synchronize data between any number of instances on any type of platform.
CouchDB doesn't have a schema, well there is a small schema with an ID (_id) and a Revision (_rev), which allows you to store documents in any format you want and change that format during the documents lifetime.
Since CouchDB is built as a REST-based db, everything is done through HTTP (GET, POST; UPDATE and DELETE) and JSON which makes it very easy to access either by running your own HTTP requests or using the browser based admin app Futon.
Writing and versions
CouchDB uses an insert only approach, so each write to a document creates a new version of that document. This means you can track changes through the documents lifetime, but it also means that there is no locks and thus data consistency will follow the Eventual Consistency paradigm.
CouchDB enforces optimistic looking by enforcing the rule that you have to pass a revision number when updating.
Since the nature of CouchDB is to be distributed, this means that you can have a lot of versions spread out in your eco-system up-until the synchronization occurs. This makes it scalable but changes how we have to think about consistency.
When creating new documents, the engine wants you to specify an iD. Anything can be an ID but the DB uses UUID as the default and let's you generate them easily.
Since the REST-Api only allows you to query on ID's you can't do this;
select * from customers where email ='firstname.lastname@example.com'
Which means that you have to use MAP / Reduce. That is create a Map (a view as another document) of the data which is a javascript function which executes the against the documents and returns the data that you need.
This means that all queries have to be pre-created. There is no ad-hoc queries in CouchDB, you have to think about all of your queries in advance.
The perspective
NoSQL is a curious thing and CouchDB falls into that category. There are great advantages in using documents databases if documents is all you want. It won't support things like reporting or BI.
CouchDB will probably really quick find documents using it's ID but I'm still skeptical about performance when it comes to more advanced queries, especially if you need queries based on cross references.
The architecture of CouchDB allows to simply replicate and scale out instances across the internet, but I'd love to see some numbers on hardware vs performance. Javascript and JSON is not quick, so maybe it needs more hardware to achieve the same performance as other options.
All in all, I'll probably pick up the tech and play around with it a bit to find good scenarios where it is a perfect match.


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College of Business Dean Lynda de la Viña hosted a sunset reception for New York City area alumni on April 28 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
More than 20 alumni and friends gathered at The Empire Hotel Rooftop for a first-ever UTSA College of Business alumni reception in New York City.
Alumni in attendance included Christopher Pett, '08; Joe Raetzer, MBA '02; Dyanna Salcedo, '09; Sergio Silva, '09; David Sotello, '03, MS '05; and Jeninne Wright, '93. NY-area Roadrunners hope this is the first of many UTSA events to come to their area and are eager to help current students make their way to the Big Apple to further develop their professional careers.
UTSA participants included Dr. Dan Hollas, senior associate dean; Dr. Pam Smith, associate professor of accounting; and Kim West, executive director of advancement.
Wendy Frost—
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Ivory Coast welcomes IKCO products
Accompanied by a delegation, Anvar Safavi, the general manger of Ivory Coast New Sight company paid a visit to IKCO.
During the visit, Safavi said that the quality, variety, and the number of IKCO products as well as its professional staff would cause the company to face receptive target markets.
He also admired the company's capabilities and said, "We toured IKCO's press, body and assembling shops and decided to discuss the ways of any possible future cooperation with this industrial group.
He then stated that IKCO products, particularly Samand and Runna enjoy good quality and design and we hope to see these cars on Ivory Coast's roads and streets in near future.
"Our precise studies indicate that Iran has made remarkable progress, especially in automotive industry and we could benefit from the experiences of the biggest car maker of Iran and the Middle East", he continued.
Comparing IKCO products with well-known carmakers', Safavi pointed out that everyone can feel the innovation and technology in IKCO products and it is the winning trump of these cars.
According to Safavi, Ivory Coast's market is really competitive into which in addition to American, European and Asian brand cars, second hand cars are also imported.
Anvar Safavi finally expressed hope that as a business partner, his company would be able to introduce and present IKCO cars in the west of Africa and Especially in Ivory Coast.
Hassan Bananej
Head of Int'l Media & Associations
IKCO Communication and Int'l Relations Dept
Tel: + 98 21 48 22 84 45
Fax: + 98 21 48 22 84 99
- Scott Rea
by DarkMatterAmbareen Musa
by Souqalmal.com
- Stephen Brennan
by DarkMatter


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When delivered, on a silver platter, an opportunity to demonstrate learning and fulfill the Fourth Estate's essential role of fostering a more informed public, Associate Press reporter Raphael Satter and Washington Post reporter Juliet Eilperin trip over themselves in a rush to press and disseminate deceptive truthiness rather than engage in truthful reporting.
Satter seems to double down on reporting innuendoes and falsehoods disproven in multiple investigations by institutions around the world.
Although their context couldn't be determined, the excerpts appeared to show climate scientists talking in conspiratorial tones about ways to promote their agenda and freeze out those they disagree with.
Even though noting that the "context couldn't be determined …", Satter decides to move forward with "excerpts appear" even though the 2009 "ClimateGate" stolen email leakage was shown, through the following year, to have been a manipulated effort by those seeking to undermine climate science. The stolen material released today all dates back, evidently, to prior to the first theft — this is old material that the thieves have had for years. And, even so, they have released only a small share of the material. And, even with that selective manipulation, what we have are appearances as opposed to some form of proof (for anyone other than the most serious anti-science syndrome suffering haters of a livable economic system).
Note that Satter is explicit about shortfalls in reporting,
The content of the new batch of emails couldn't be immediately verified — The Associated Press has not yet been able to secure a copy — but climate skeptic websites carried what they said were excerpts.
Thus, Satter / AP are running with a story based solely on material provided by people who have repeatedly been documented as promoting deceitful information.
Satter at least had the common sense (decency) to engage and quote some of the targets of this selective and deceptive representation of stolen emails.
Penn State University Prof. Michael Mann — a prominent player in the earlier controversy whose name also appears in the latest leak — described the latest leak as "a truly pathetic episode," blaming agents of the fossil fuel industry for "smear, innuendo, criminal hacking of websites, and leaking out-of-context snippets of personal emails." He said the real story in the emails was "an attempt to dig out 2-year-old turkey from Thanksgiving '09. That's how desperate climate change deniers have become."
Bob Ward, with the London School of Economics' Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, said in an email that he wasn't surprised by the leak.
"The selective presentation of old email messages is clearly designed to mislead the public and politicians about the strength of the evidence for man-made climate change," he said. "But the fact remains that there is very strong evidence that most the indisputable warming of the Earth over the past half century is due to the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities."
Juliet Eilperin, who simply should know (far) better than this, seems determined to jump on the bandwagon of conspiracy theorist rather than serious reporting. In a piece highlighting climate denial spinmaster Marc Morano ("Marc Morano, a prominent climate skeptic and editor of the website Climate Depot, welcomed the e-mails' release."), in the first paragraph, Eilperin theorizes that this release of stolen emails
may ignite a renewed debate, at least among some bloggers and climate-change skeptics, over whether scientists have exaggerated the link between human activity and global warming.
Later in the story, Eilperin quotes a University of East Anglia press release that comments on how investigations (repeated and exhaustive investigations) have found no scientific wrong-doing and nothing in these emails that undermines the Scientific Theory of Global Warming and humanity's growing impact on the climate. E.g, quotes an involved party's press release in a 'he says, she says' manner rather than providing truthful and direct reporting about these investigations.
Two years after a global rush to report, rather than investigate, facilitate a criminal conspiracy to undermine climate science, these two reporters have sadly provided a quick response to Brad Johnson's question: Climategate 2.0: Have Journalists learned their lesson?
Update: See Jocelyn Fong's excellent Media Already Botching Reports on Hacked Climate Emails for additional perspective and documentation.
Earlier today I asked whether American news outlets would do their due diligence in evaluating the content of the newly-released batch of "Climategate" emails hacked from the University of East Anglia two years ago. It didn't take long for our esteemed print outlets to disappoint.
Writing on the Washington Post's website, Juliet Eilperin quotes an email exchange that she said was about "whether the IPCC has accurately depicted the temperature rise in the lower atmosphere" …. Astoundingly, Eilperin does not tell readers that these email exchanges took place in February 2005 and were about the first draft of a chapter of the IPCC report released two years later. The emails depict the authors of the chapter hashing out what should be included — exactly what you would expect this process to look like.
Note that Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) called for an intelligence community investigation into these efforts to disrupt international negotiations:
This is clearly an attempt to sabotage the international climate talks for a second time, and there has not been enough attention paid to who is responsible for these illegal acts. If this happened surrounding nuclear arms talks, we would have the full force of the Western world's intelligence community pursuing the perpetrators. And yet, with the stability of our climate hanging in the balance with these international climate treaty negotiations, these hackers and their supporters are still on the loose. It is time to bring them to justice.
See the following for thoughts on the stolen leaked emails:
- Jocelyn Fong, Media Matters, Memo To Media: Research First, Then Report On Climate Emails
- Jocelyn Fong, Media Matters, Media Already Botching Reports on Hacked Climate Emails
- Brad Johnson, Think Progress Green, Climategate 2.0: Have Journalists learned their lesson?
- Richard Littlemore, DeSmogBlog, Climategate Hackers Slither Again in the Night
- Shawn Lawrence Otto, Climategate 2.0? New Emails Hacked — Pay No Attention to the Energy Industry Behind the Curtain
- Joe Romm, Climate Progress, Fool Me Once, Shame on You, Fool Me Twice, Shame on the Media: More Stolen Emails Can't Stop Catastrophic Global Warming, Only We Can
- Peter Sinclair, Climate Denial Crock of the Week, Been There. Done That. Got the T. Climate Hackers try again.
- Scott Brophy, Say What? Breaking Story: Climategate Redux? (Nah, Broken Story, Except for the Theft, the Smear Campaign, and the Upcoming Press Coverage)
- Barry Bickmore, Anti-Climate Change Extremism in Utah, New Stolen Emails Released
- Kate Sheppard, Blue Marble, ClimateGate … again?
- A Siegel, Get Energy Smart! NOW!, ClimateGate Redux: An opportunity to show learning


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You should get some tips how to record voices , it will be much better then!
xD Ya think? I hate voice acting personally, and I dislike the english languge, its very hard for me to put emotion into it...wish I could have done it in russian ^^ Plus I had to have my partner voice act, so no blaming me on his terrible voice acting xD
Points for animation and effort.
The animation was well done, to a degree at least, and the style was fitting. R+J are very much in contest with Hamlet for being the first Emos. But besides this, on to the main problem. Voice acting.
Juliet, good. nothing spectacular, but no complaints. Romeo, oh romeo, how he doth suck royally. No offense. It was flat. It had no real emotion. Romeo was a horndog 18 year old who bedded the 15 year old Juliet after a less than a week of knowing her. You might think I'm being cynical here, but I'm not. Romeo was lusty and passionate and full of those fun confusing teenage hormones. Show that in your speech and this could be great. But for now, it lacks emotion and sounds like just reciting your grocery list. I dont mean to say you lack talent, just that you need to put in some better depth of emotion. Otherwise, good show.
Lmao! I agree xD I cannot watch this without laughing my head off every time Romeo goes "Oh speak agian bright angel"
Trust me it wasn't my choice of partner, it was assigned groups and everyone needed to have a part. I was paired off with some boy and I gave him Romeo's lines, I was the girl ^^ Plus, I'm not sure that he even understood half of what he was reading, probebly why it lacked emotion xD
Thank goodness I'm not getting graded on his voice-acting, just mine and my animation. Also side note, Juliet was 13, so not only did he rage his hormones and do her, but he was also being a peodophile :P
Shakespeare?! OH YEAH!
It's like an... emo Shakespere))) And it's all right, cause Romeo and Juliet were kids, who fell in love and committed suicide - how more emo can you get? And it's fuckin awesome!
But sure, a little color won't do any harm - a color will make this thing ultimate. If you would manage someday to do the WHOLE play - you'll be legend.
Thanks~ Your review made my day ^^ I'm really glad you liked it though, for a rushed animation that I put no soul and heart into...aw well, better than my other animation ^^ I finally figured out that frame by frame drawing is a wonderful alternitive to tweening.
For 4 weekend days wasted, it better get me at least a B...
And, there is no way I will ever color this xD To be honost if you notice the animation gets progressivly worse and more lazy as I become more and more sick of drawing Juliet. I swear to god, if I had to color this I would go insane.
But I do really want to animate their deaths, and mercutio's death and fight. Just because that's awesome, and trust me, if I ever do anything like this agian, I will not have that guy voice acting xP
i really loved it
great use of color! superb. My eyes are tearing, no joke. Maybe in part 3, we can see the tragic finale!
Good effort.
The art in this movie was above average in my opinion. The animation was also smooth and overall good. The girls voice was great, though the males was kinda annoying, but that's just a nit-pick. Anyways with some more polish and a bit more length this would of been really great.
Anyways nice job.


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The violence in Ukraine is escalating and spreading. Russia is behind most of it, using an effective mix of covert and overt intimidation to destabilize the transitional government in Kiev ahead of the May 25th national elections. As the crisis has evolved, the West has found itself in the worst of all worlds. Russia's new, …
Tag Archive: NATO
May 03 2014
NATO and the Seeds of the Ukrainian Crisis
Foreign Policy, National Security, Obama Administration, President Obama, Ukraine
by duffysoa
Tags: Baltic Republics, EU, NATO, NATO expansion, Putin, Russia


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Effect of transfer schemeE+W+S+N.I.
6(1)Subject to the provisions of paragraph 7, on the effective date for a transfer scheme, all property, rights and liabilities—E+W+S+N.I.
(a)to which immediately before that day the supplier was entitled or subject; and
(b)which are allocated to a nominated associate by the transfer scheme,
shall become by virtue of this paragraph property, rights and liabilities of that associate.
(2)For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, the "effective date", in relation to a transfer scheme, is the day on which section 6(2) of the 1989 Act (as substituted by section 30 above) comes into force or such earlier day as the Secretary of State may direct for the purposes of the scheme.


text:
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 2/7/13, Apple Inc (NASD: AAPL) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $2.65, payable on 2/14/13. As a percentage of AAPL's recent stock price of $444.51, this dividend works out to approximately 0.60%, so look for shares of Apple Inc to trade 0.60% lower — all else being equal — when AAPL shares open for trading on 2/7/13.
Click here to learn which 25 S.A.F.E. dividend stocks should be on your radar screen » or Click here to find out the 50 highest yielding preferreds, at PreferredStockChannel.com »
Below is a dividend history chart for AAPL, showing historical dividends prior to the most recent $2.65 declared by Apple Inc:
In general, dividends are not always predictable; but looking at the history above can help in judging whether the most recent dividend from AAPL is likely to continue, and whether the current estimated yield of 2.38% on annualized basis is a reasonable expectation of annual yield going forward.
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According to the ETF Finder at ETF Channel, AAPL makes up 20.71% of the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund ETF (AMEX: XLK)which is trading higher by about 0.5% on the day Tuesday.
See what other ETFs contain AAPL »
See what other stocks are held by XLK »
In Tuesday trading, Apple Inc shares are currently up about 0.5% on the day.


text:
Story highlights
- Ferguson, Missouri, has seen large protests, some violence
- Residents are angry over police shooting a teen, the police response afterward
- Authorities say they respect rights to assemble, but also have a duty to maintain security
On the one hand, there's the need to respect and protect people's constitutional right to congregate and express their opinions. On the other, there's the need to make sure all people and all property are safe and secure.
But, if and when these responsibilities' conflict, where do you draw the line?
That's a question authorities in Ferguson, Missouri, are having to answer this weekend. In fact, they've had to answer it every day and night since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot dead by a police officer.
The shooting stirred anger, indignation and emotional, expansive, racially-charged protests. At times, these protests have been followed by looting -- as happened overnight Friday -- and confrontations with police.
"If there was an easy way to separate those who hurt from those who helped, we would. But it's hard," Gov. Jay Nixon said. "And sometimes, especially at night, we can't."
Acknowledging "the balance is important" between maintaining security and protecting the First Amendment right to free speech and peaceable assembly, Nixon on Saturday decided that -- for five hours daily, at least -- security will take precedence. He's instituted a curfew for Ferguson to last between midnight and 5 a.m.
"This is not to silence the people of Ferguson or this region or others, but to contain those who are drowning out the voice of the people with their actions," Nixon said. "We will not allow a handful of looters to endanger the rest of this community."
His decision stirred instant indignation among many gathered at the community meeting where he announced it. Some screamed out that authorities' priority should be to provide justice to Brown's family, not to clamp down on those calling for it.
Carissa McGraw is one of those protesters who don't think the curfew makes sense, accusing authorities of being focused more on intimidating people than addressing their core concerns and calls for justice. The order might further fuel residents' animosity by giving the implication that police don't trust them to be on the streets.
Beyond that, McGraw simply thinks having a curfew won't work -- and, in fact, might make things worse for community-police relations if it leads to confrontations.
"They're not going to do this," McGraw said of people abiding by the curfew. "You have people who -- at this point -- do not care what authorities say right now."
Rebuilding trust seen as key
The shooting of Brown spurred animosity among Ferguson residents toward their police force. The fact that Brown was black while the man who shot him, officer Darren Wilson, is white added fuel to the tension.
The police response in the days afterward didn't help, with some criticizing it as too militarized and heavy-handed. Nor did Ferguson police Chief Thomas Jackson's decision to release video and documents calling Brown the "primary suspect" in the robbery of a box of cigars from a convenience store, only to add hours later that this robbery wasn't related to why Wilson confronted the teenager.
Multiple officials -- from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, who has been overseeing the security in Ferguson since Thursday -- have spoken about the need to rebuild trust in the community for law enforcement.
But as community members' shouting down of Johnson and the governor at a meeting Saturday illustrated, it hasn't happened yet. Far from it.
The situation did appear to calm significantly Thursday, when Johnson literally and figuratively embraced the protesters rather than confront them. Then came Friday night and early Saturday morning, violence that McGraw said she believes was "instigated by the police officers themselves (who) were in their militant stance against the people.
"At that point, the people were like, 'Wow, we're supposed to have our freedom. We're supposed to be able to do this. And you're still being very aggressive.' "
Ex-FBI official: 'No choice' but to have curfew
There are also those who think police weren't aggressive enough as men looted stores around Ferguson overnight Friday. While some activists criticized authorities for using armored vehicles and tear gas in one instance, on the other side store owners ripped police for not stepping in and arresting those responsible.
Not being as aggressive could invite more criminal acts in Ferguson, claims Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director and CNN law enforcement analyst.
"If I was a police officer on the street once again in that situation, I'd be scared that the message went out to all the hooligans in the greater St. Louis area, if you need a new TV set or you need something, come to town because we're not going to stop you when you start looting stores," Fuentes said.
"That's a horrible message to send."
In Fuentes' opinion, authorities had "no choice" but to institute and enforce a curfew. A full week in, the situation has not gotten much better -- as the unrest overnight Friday shows.
As Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell said, "There is no excuse for looting to be going on six days later in a community in the United States."
If people go after more stores, what are police supposed to do? If they throw rocks or Molotov cocktails at police, what's wrong with having them wear riot gear and armored equipment? And, the bottom line, how long can this go on before authorities step in and clear the streets?
If the protesters aim to get their message out and, in so doing, get justice for Michael Brown, then "we must first have and maintain peace," Nixon said. And having a curfew should help in that regard, he argued.
"The eyes of the world are watching," the governor added. "This is a test of (whether) a community -- this community, any community -- can break the cycle of fear, distrust and violence and replace them with peace, strength and ultimately justice."
Cincinnati chief: Some residents must 'stand up'
Will Ferguson pass that test? Will residents and the police come to see other as being part of the same solution, rather than seeing each other as the problem?
A big part on how that relationship turns out might depend on what happens with officer Wilson, including whether he's charged and/or convicted in Brown's shooting.
But beyond that, the most important thing all parties must do is talk, Blackwell said. Really talk.
"Their needs to be words of healing," the Cincinnati police chief said of what police and other officials must express. "There needs to be a strategic dialogue that is aimed at resolution and reconciliation."
It's not all on police, though. The people of Ferguson -- especially the leaders among them -- also have a responsibility to speak up, act out and take care of their community, according to Blackwell. That means working with police as partners, not as adversaries, for the common good.
"There needs to be some people that stand up," Blackwell told CNN. "... The people in Ferguson that stand for justice and stand for peace need to be in the trenches with law enforcement, right now."


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A salon professional often has a uniquely intimate relationship with his or her clients and can serve as a first line of support for victims of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse. The New York Times recognized this phenomenon in a 2008 article called "Enlisting the Aid of Hairstylists as Sentinels for Domestic Abuse." One program that helps train salon professionals to recognize signs of abuse and teach them how to talk about it with their clients is CUT IT OUT, which is a program of the Salons Against Domestic Abuse Fund. CUT IT OUT builds awareness of domestic abuse through awareness materials to be displayed in salons, the Adopt-a-Shelter initiative to involve salons in helping local domestic violence agencies, and educating salon professionals to recognize warning signs and safely refer clients to resources. WomensLaw.org has no relationship or affiliation with this organization and cannot vouch for their services - we provide it for your information only.
Updated:January 5, 2017
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A good friend of mine sent me the below pics of his dad's homemade offset BBQ wood smoker. It's a 250 gallon rig with a welded-in water pan that runs the length of the smoker. It also has a gas-fed food warmer on one end. If you've never heard of an "offset" smoke, the concept is pretty simple: there's an offset fire box where the wood and/or charcoal burns and then a metal pipe that runs through the length of the smoker with holes cut in it, evenly distributing the smoke and heat from the fire box. Not all offset cookers have a water pan built in, but it's easy to just fill an aluminum tray with water and sit it on the grill if it doesn't. Some guys don't use a water pan of any sorts at all…., though…I'm a big fan of them as I think water does a better job of keeping the meat moist versus opening the lid every 45 minutes or so and spraying or mopping the meat. The rig below is something that is perfect for competitions, catering, charity events or large parties. Though I'd absolutely LOVE to have one of these one day, I do pretty good w/ the Weber products I have and honestly don't know when I'll invest in something like this….
5 Responses to Homemade Offset Wood Smoker
Stephanie Grant February 9, 2012 at 8:33 am #
That smoker looks familiar. 🙂 One of his dad's many talents.
Brandon February 18, 2012 at 5:03 pm #
He actually just picked up another 120 gal tank the other day. Don't think he has plans for it yet.
wood smoker box plans | DIY Woodworking Projects -
May 15, 2016
[…] Homemade Offset Wood Smoker […]


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About the Hotel
Property Location
When you stay at G.I Guesthouse in Pattaya, you'll be on the beach and convenient to Dongtan Beach and Colosseum Show Pattaya. This beach hotel is within close proximity of Singha D'Luck Cinematic Theatre and Yin Yom Beach.
Make yourself at home in one of the 24 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have showers and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include complimentary bottled water, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Make use of convenient amenities, which include complimentary wireless Internet access and tour/ticket assistance.
Breakfast is available for a fee.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a 24-hour front desk and a safe deposit box at the front desk.
Hotel Facilities
- Free WiFi
- Designated smoking areas
- Tours/ticket assistance
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 24
- Free parking nearby
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
Room Facilities
- Private bathroom
- Free WiFi
- Shower only
- Free bottled water
- Cable TV service
- Refrigerator
- Free toiletries
- Daily housekeeping
Hotel Policy
Know Before You Go
- No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.


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Colorfully fun, the My Little Dream photo series definitely looks like it's someone's innocent fantasy. I mean, it's not everyday that we see women that seem to shine like a rainbow, now do we?
Photographed and post-producedby Ventzislav Iliev, the My Little Dream series stars Mariya Kirova who was styled by Mariya Kirova and Ventzislav Iliev, but t is the disco ball glasses that instantly caught my eye. The innovative pieces of eyewear were designed by Ventzislav Iliev and Metodi Iliev.
Disco Ball Sunglasses
More Stats +/-
Pearly Posh Photography
Brazen Bride Photography
Squeezing Solo Shoots
Revealing Tree Light Spreads
Riot Beauty Photography
Ventzislav Iliev's 'My Little Dream' Series Colorfully Fun
- By: Meghan YoungJan 29, 2011
References: behance.net & behance.net
References: behance.net & behance.net


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Red Rock State Park
Guided Geology Hike – May 11th, 2014
Guided Moonlight Hike – May 14th, 2014
Do you love hiking in Sedona? Have you ever wanted to learn more about the geology of Sedona or see how beautiful the red rocks are by the light of the moon, here is your chance! Red Rock State Park's Guided Geology Hike takes place on May 11th, and their very popular Guided Moonlight Hike is scheduled for May 14th. Below you will find a brief description of each hike, if you are interested in taking one or both of these Sedona hikes make sure to contact the park about schedule changes or reservations. Call 928.282.6907 or visit Red Rock State Park
Guided Sedona Geology Hike
May 11th, 2014 (1:00 pm)
Red Rock State Park is located at the base of the Mogollon Rim, the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Over millions of years of erosion the rim has receded over four miles leaving behind the picturesque features of Sedona. Join Red Rock State Park's knowledgeable volunteers as they venture out on our trails and discuss how Sedona transformed into what we see today. This is an interpretive experience for both the beginner and experienced hiker, lasting between 2-2 ½ hours and an elevation gain of 250 feet. Please bring water and wear suitable footwear.
Guided Sedona Moonlight Hike
May 14th, 2014 (6:00 pm check-in)
The Moonlight Hike is among the most popular interpretive hikes at the Park. Led by a naturalist, it gives hikers the rare opportunity to enjoy the sunset and moonrise from an overlook and return by the light of the moon, while also having the chance to learn about Sedona and its surrounding areas. The hike lasts two to 2 1/2 hours and covers a distance of approximately two miles. Wear suitable clothing and shoes (prepare for cool nights) and bring water, a flashlight, and insect spray. A $5.00 per person program fee is charged at the time of the reservation. Reservations are required please call 928-282-6907. There is also a $10.00 entrance fee to the park for a car of four adults.
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Enjoy Fly Fishing this Summer in Sedona, Arizona
- 1 Night at the Best Western PLUS Inn of Sedona, with additional nights available at a great rate!
- A morning of casting for 2 Adults, includes instruction, does NOT include fishing licenses, which can be purchased on line at www.az.gov/app/huntfish
- Package is priced for 2 people – Call Concierge for additional anglers
- Your expert guides will pick you up at the hotel
- Full Hot Breakfast Buffet each morning
- To book this package click here.


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The firm will offload its entire shareholdings in its businesses in the Maldives, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the Seychelles, among other areas, to Batelco, run by Sheikh Mohamed bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Tony Rice, chief executive of CWC, said the disposal was part of the group's strategy to reshape its business, reduce its geographic spread and focus on the central American and Caribbean region – as well as increasing the firm's financial flexibility.
The sale, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to complete by next April and will enable CWC to pay down debt.
Analysts welcomed the move as a "positive step" towards refocusing CWC. "With this deal, CWC takes a major step towards its stated ambition of focusing more on the pan-American region and reducing the disparate footprint," said Keval Khiroya, research analyst at Deutsche Bank, who has a 'buy' recommendation on the stock.
Under the deal, Batelco will also buy a 25pc stake in Compagnie Monegasque de Communication (CMC), the firm which holds CWC's 55pc interest in Monaco Telecom; the main telecoms provider in Monaco.
Under a "second stage" of the deal, Batelco could also buy the remaining 75pc stake in CMC for a further $345m, if it gains regulatory approvals. But if the approvals are not obtained, Batelco could return the 25pc CMC stake back to CWC for $100m.
Analysts at Espirito Santo described the sale as a "good deal", adding they were "confident" in management's ability to execute deals.


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Not so shabby
English shabby boho that is. I found these photos on the site of talented British photographer Tom Scott and I was intrigued. English boho versus Scandi boho. White walls, white floors, mirrors and aged wood, distressed leather and the obligatory, seemingly careless drape of a dress. What is the difference between shabby and Scandi boho? Less midcentury and more Laura Ashley? Cute as a button shots of this Kent house though by Scott. Can you call a photo adorable? As in "pinch its cheek" adorable?


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Efavirenz (Sustiva, Stocrin)
January 25, 2001
; Updated October 2016
Susa Coffey, MD
Selected References
Staszewski S, Morales-Ramirez J, Tashima KT, Rachlis A, Skiest D, Stanford J, Stryker R, Johnson P, Labriola DF, Farina D, Manion DJ, Ruiz NM.
Efavirenz plus zidovudine and lamivudine, efavirenz plus indinavir, and indinavir plus zidovudine and lamivudine in the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults. Study 006 Team. N Engl J Med. 1999 Dec;341(25):1865-73
[PubMed ID:
BACKGROUND: Efavirenz is a nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). We compared two regimens containing efavirenz, one with a protease inhibitor and the other with two nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, with a standard three-drug regimen. METHODS: The study subjects were 450 patients who had not previously been treated with lamivudine or any nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor or protease inhibitor. In this open-label study, patients were randomly assigned to one of three regimens: efavirenz (600 mg daily) plus zidovudine (300 mg twice daily) and lamivudine (150 mg twice daily); the protease inhibitor indinavir (800 mg every eight hours) plus zidovudine and lamivudine; or efavirenz plus indinavir (1000 mg every eight hours). RESULTS: Suppression of plasma HIV-1 RNA to undetectable levels was achieved in more patients in the group given efavirenz plus nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors than in the group given indinavir plus nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (70 percent vs. 48 percent, P<0.001). The efficacy of the regimen of efavirenz plus indinavir was similar (53 percent) to that of the regimen of indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine. CD4 cell counts increased significantly with all combinations (range of increases, 180 to 201 cells per cubic millimeter). More patients discontinued treatment because of adverse events in the group given indinavir and two nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors than in the group given efavirenz and two nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (43 percent vs. 27 percent, P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: As antiretroviral therapy in HIV-1-infected adults, the combination of efavirenz, zidovudine, and lamivudine has greater antiviral activity and is better tolerated than the combination of indinavir, zidovudine, and lamivudine.
Robbins GK, De Gruttola V, Shafer RW, Smeaton LM, Snyder SW, Pettinelli C, Dubé MP, Fischl MA, Pollard RB, Delapenha R, Gedeon L, van der Horst C, Murphy RL, Becker MI, D'Aquila RT, Vella S, Merigan TC, Hirsch MS; AIDS Clinical Trials Group 384 Team.
Comparison of sequential three-drug regimens as initial therapy for HIV-1 infection. N Engl J Med. 2003 Dec;349(24):2293-303
[PubMed ID:
BACKGROUND: The optimal sequencing of antiretroviral regimens for the treatment of infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is unknown. We compared several different antiretroviral treatment strategies. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, partially double-blind trial used a factorial design to compare pairs of sequential three-drug regimens, starting with a regimen including zidovudine and lamivudine or a regimen including didanosine and stavudine in combination with either nelfinavir or efavirenz. The primary end point was the length of time to the failure of the second three-drug regimen. RESULTS: A total of 620 subjects who had not previously received antiretroviral therapy were followed for a median of 2.3 years. Starting with a three-drug regimen containing efavirenz combined with zidovudine and lamivudine (but not efavirenz combined with didanosine and stavudine) appeared to delay the failure of the second regimen, as compared with starting with a regimen containing nelfinavir (hazard ratio for failure of the second regimen, 0.71; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.48 to 1.06), as well as to delay the second virologic failure (hazard ratio, 0.56; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.29 to 1.09), and significantly delayed the failure of the first regimen (hazard ratio, 0.39) and the first virologic failure (hazard ratio, 0.34). Starting with zidovudine and lamivudine combined with efavirenz (but not zidovudine and lamivudine combined with nelfinavir) appeared to delay the failure of the second regimen, as compared with starting with didanosine and stavudine (hazard ratio, 0.68), and significantly delayed both the first and the second virologic failures (hazard ratio for the first virologic failure, 0.39; hazard ratio for the second virologic failure, 0.47), as well as the failure of the first regimen (hazard ratio, 0.35). The initial use of zidovudine, lamivudine, and efavirenz resulted in a shorter time to viral suppression. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of antiretroviral drugs depends on how they are combined. The combination of zidovudine, lamivudine, and efavirenz is superior to the other antiretroviral regimens used as initial therapy in this study.
Gallant JE, Staszewski S, Pozniak AL, DeJesus E, Suleiman JM, Miller MD, Coakley DF, Lu B, Toole JJ, Cheng AK; 903 Study Group.
Efficacy and safety of tenofovir DF vs stavudine in combination therapy in antiretroviral-naive patients: a 3-year randomized trial. JAMA. 2004 Jul;292(2):191-201
[PubMed ID:
CONTEXT: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF) is a once-daily nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tenofovir DF compared with stavudine in antiretroviral-naive patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study conducted at 81 centers in the United States, South America, and Europe from June 9, 2000, to January 30, 2004. A total of 753 patients infected with HIV who were antiretroviral naive were screened and 602 patients entered the study. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to receive either tenofovir DF (n = 299) or stavudine (n = 303), with placebo, in combination with lamivudine and efavirenz. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Proportion of patients with HIV RNA levels of less than 400 copies/mL at week 48. RESULTS: In the primary intent-to-treat analysis in which patients with missing data or who added or switched antiretroviral medications before week 48 were considered as failures, the proportion of patients with HIV RNA of less than 400 copies/mL at week 48 was 239 (80%) of 299 in patients receiving tenofovir DF and 253 (84%) of 301 in patients receiving stavudine (95% confidence interval, -10.4% to 1.5%), exceeding the predefined -10% limit for equivalence. However, equivalence was demonstrated in the secondary analyses (HIV RNA <50 copies/mL) at week 48 and through 144 weeks. Virologic failure was associated most frequently with efavirenz and lamivudine resistance. Through 144 weeks, the K65R mutation emerged in 8 and 2 patients in the tenofovir DF and stavudine groups, respectively (P =.06). A more favorable mean change from baseline in fasting lipid profile was noted in the tenofovir DF group at week 144: for triglyceride levels (+1 mg/dL for tenofovir DF [n = 170] vs +134 mg/dL for stavudine [n = 162], P<.001), total cholesterol (+30 mg/dL [n = 170] vs +58 mg/dL [n = 162], P<.001), direct low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+14 mg/dL [n = 169] vs +26 mg/dL [n = 161], P<.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+9 mg/dL [n = 168] vs +6 mg/dL [n = 154], P =.003). Investigator-reported lipodystrophy was less common in the tenofovir DF group compared with the stavudine group (9 [3%] of 299 vs 58 [19%] of 301, P<.001). The number of bone fractures and the renal safety profile were similar between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Through 144 weeks, the combination of tenofovir DF, lamivudine, and efavirenz was highly effective and comparable with stavudine, lamivudine, and efavirenz in antiretroviral-naive patients. However, tenofovir DF appeared to be associated with better lipid profiles and less lipodystrophy.
DeJesus E, Herrera G, Teofilo E, Gerstoft J, Buendia CB, Brand JD, Brothers CH, Hernandez J, Castillo SA, Bonny T, Lanier ER, Scott TR; CNA30024 Study Team.
Abacavir versus zidovudine combined with lamivudine and efavirenz, for the treatment of antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2004 Oct;39(7):1038-46
[PubMed ID:
BACKGROUND: Zidovudine, lamivudine, and efavirenz comprise a highly effective and well-tolerated triple regimen for antiretroviral-naive patients. Evaluating other unique nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) combinations for long-term viral suppression is desirable. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind noninferiority clinical trial compared the efficacy and safety of abacavir with that of zidovudine plus lamivudine and efavirenz in 649 antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients. The primary objective was a comparison of proportions of patients achieving plasma HIV-1 RNA levels <or=50 copies/mL through week 48 of the study. RESULTS: At study week 48, 70% of patients in the abacavir group, compared with 69% in the zidovudine group, maintained confirmed plasma HIV-1 RNA levels of <or=50 copies/mL (in the intent-to-treat exposed population). Virologic failure was infrequent (6% in the abacavir group and 4% in the zidovudine group). There was a significant CD4(+) cell response (209 cells/mm(3) in the abacavir group and 155 cells/mm(3) in the zidovudine group). Safety profiles were as expected. CONCLUSION: Abacavir provided an effective and durable antiretroviral response that was noninferior to zidovudine, when combined with lamivudine and efavirenz.
Saag MS, Cahn P, Raffi F, Wolff M, Pearce D, Molina JM, Powderly W, Shaw AL, Mondou E, Hinkle J, Borroto-Esoda K, Quinn JB, Barry DW, Rousseau F; FTC-301A Study Team.
Efficacy and safety of emtricitabine vs stavudine in combination therapy in antiretroviral-naive patients: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2004 Jul;292(2):180-9
[PubMed ID:
CONTEXT: Emtricitabine is a new, once-daily nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) with potent activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of emtricitabine as compared with stavudine when used with a background regimen of didanosine and efavirenz. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Randomized, double-blind, double-dummy study conducted at 101 research clinics in North America, Latin America, and Europe. The first patient was enrolled on August 21, 2000; no investigator or patient was unblinded until the last patient randomized completed the week 48 visit on October 24, 2002. Analyses were based on data collected in a double-blind setting with a median follow-up of 60 weeks. Patients were 571 antiretroviral-naive, HIV-1-infected adults aged 18 years or older with viral load levels greater than or equal to 5000 copies/mL. INTERVENTIONS: Receipt of either 200 mg of emtricitabine once daily (plus stavudine placebo twice daily) (n = 286) or stavudine at standard doses twice daily (plus emtricitabine placebo once daily) (n = 285) plus open-label didanosine and efavirenz, once daily. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Persistent virological response, defined as achieving and maintaining viral load at or below the limit of assay quantification (< or =400 or 50 copies/mL). RESULTS: At the interim analysis on June 14, 2002, when the last patient randomized completed 24 weeks of double-blind treatment (median follow-up time of 42 weeks), patients in the emtricitabine group had a higher probability of a persistent virological response < or =50 copies/mL vs the stavudine group (85% vs 76%, P =.005). This was associated with a higher mean CD4 cell count change from baseline for the emtricitabine group (156 cells/ microL vs 119 cells/microL, P =.01 [of note, there was no statistical difference at 48 weeks [P =.15], although a sensitivity analysis, using an intent-to-treat population with the last CD4 cell count observation carried forward to week 48 showed a difference [P =.02]]). The independent data and safety monitoring board recommended offering open-label emtricitabine based on the interim analysis. The probability of persistent virological response < or =50 copies/mL through week 60 was 76% for the emtricitabine group vs 54% for the stavudine group (P<.001). The probability of virological failure through week 60 was 4% in the emtricitabine group and 12% in the stavudine group (P<.001). Patients in the stavudine group had a greater probability of an adverse event that led to study drug discontinuation through week 60 than did those in the emtricitabine group (15% vs 7%, P =.005). CONCLUSION: Once-daily emtricitabine appeared to demonstrate greater virological efficacy, durability of response, and tolerability compared with twice-daily stavudine when used with once-daily didanosine and efavirenz.
Gallant JE, DeJesus E, Arribas JR, Pozniak AL, Gazzard B, Campo RE, Lu B, McColl D, Chuck S, Enejosa J, Toole JJ, Cheng AK; Study 934 Group.
Tenofovir DF, emtricitabine, and efavirenz vs. zidovudine, lamivudine, and efavirenz for HIV. N Engl J Med. 2006 Jan;354(3):251-60
[PubMed ID:
BACKGROUND: Durable suppression of replication of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) depends on the use of potent, well-tolerated antiretroviral regimens to which patients can easily adhere. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, noninferiority study involving 517 patients with HIV infection who had not previously received antiretroviral therapy and who were randomly assigned to receive either a regimen of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF), emtricitabine, and efavirenz once daily (tenofovir-emtricitabine group) or a regimen of fixed-dose zidovudine and lamivudine twice daily plus efavirenz once daily (zidovudine-lamivudine group). The primary end point was the proportion of patients without baseline resistance to efavirenz in whom the HIV RNA level was less than 400 copies per milliliter at week 48 of the study. RESULTS: Through week 48, significantly more patients in the tenofovir-emtricitabine group reached and maintained the primary end point of less than 400 copies of HIV RNA per milliliter than did those in the zidovudine-lamivudine group (84 percent vs. 73 percent, respectively; 95 percent confidence interval for the difference, 4 to 19 percent; P=0.002). This difference excludes the inferiority of the tenofovir DF, emtricitabine, and efavirenz regimen, indicating a significantly greater response with this regimen. Significant differences were also seen in the proportion of patients with HIV RNA levels of less than 50 copies per milliliter (80 percent in the tenofovir-emtricitabine group vs. 70 percent in the zidovudine-lamivudine group; 95 percent confidence interval for the difference, 2 to 17 percent; P=0.02) and in increases in CD4 cell counts (190 vs. 158 cells per cubic millimeter, respectively; 95 percent confidence interval for the difference, 9 to 55; P=0.002). More patients in the zidovudine-lamivudine group than in the tenofovir-emtricitabine group had adverse events resulting in discontinuation of the study drugs (9 percent vs. 4 percent, respectively; P=0.02). In none of the patients did the K65R mutation develop. CONCLUSIONS: Through week 48, the combination of tenofovir DF and emtricitabine plus efavirenz fulfilled the criteria for noninferiority to a fixed dose of zidovudine and lamivudine plus efavirenz and proved superior in terms of virologic suppression, CD4 response, and adverse events resulting in discontinuation of the study drugs. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00112047.)
Gulick RM, Ribaudo HJ, Shikuma CM, et al. Three- vs four-drug antiretroviral regimens for the initial treatment of HIV-1 infection: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2006 Aug 16;296(7):769-81.


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Posted 01/17/2018 10:05 am
Here are images of three Yemen coins I am guessing are late 1940's but can not seem to further identify them. I subscribe to Numismaster but they have about six Yemen categories and none fit a search of 1946. Any help appreciated.
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Those all look like 1/80 riyal pieces from the Mutawakkilite Kingdom (a place that was in Yemen). For the dates, going from left to right in the first picture, I can read 1381, 1368, and 1377. In the Gregorian calendar, going in the same order, those would be around 1962, 1948, and 1958.
Edited by Joseph7420
01/17/2018 5:11 pm
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Thank you!!
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|All the tales of the Valar and the Elves are so knit together that one may scarce expound any one without needing to set forth the whole of their great history.
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Hethlin of Anorien
February, 25 2006
I know CMC's a done deal, but since I intend to give it a thorough editing in the future, I'll include it in this thread, as well as make this a place for any other Heth questions not appropriate for the Silver Swan thread.
Dwim wrote: Re: Brand and Amrothos
(Isabeau):What time frame are you seeing this happening?
I'd actually pegged it as something that could happen when Brand was younger, but had become, as it were, "interesting" to Amrothos. About the time Brand expressed interest in some chemistry set Amrothos was jealously brooding over, *and* proved he could deal with the "Do as you oughta, put acid in wata (water)" rule, I figure the ground would be laid.
This is an interesting idea, but I'd be much more comfortable with it if I hadn't studiously avoided anything resembling Chemistry in my academic career!
On the other hand, you do have that Sherlock Holmes thing to write, and I think Brand could be the Watson-style muscle in this relationship.
That's an interesting idea. I'd actually tapped Lorend to do it originally-he even has the leg wound.
On the courting of Andrahar topic:
I don't see Jerulas being in the running!
Dear God, no! I was thinking some hitherto unwritten OFC would make him her mark, and he probably would, at first, think she was trying to get to Imrahil before realizing that, oh no, Imrahil is not this one's target...
Handling the attempt to escape the relationship gracefully might be fun, and I'd kind of like to see what kind of woman would go after him, and how he would respond.
This is intriguing. I'm trying to picture her myself. No luck as yet.
Of course, in my head, Imrahil is laughing all the way to the inevitable end of the non-affair, and is Of No Help At All.
LOL! That is exactly what would happen!
Hop along home, my fangy ones!
Yes, by all means, go back to Chicago!
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MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) - Tom Kite's job as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team would be so much easier if someone not already in the top 10 would only show him a game strong enough to perform in pressure situations.
What keeps making it tougher is someone is doing just that - Kite.
Earlier this year, he said picking himself for the team would be tantamount to hitting a 2-iron over water from a downhill lie.
"Well, now I stuck a tee under the ball," Kite said Thursday after shooting a 2-under-par 68 in the first round of the PGA Championship. "I haven't eliminated anybody from the selection process."
One good round on a Winged Foot course that played probably the easiest it will all week is no reason to consider a player who, despite winning a U.S. Open and playing on seven Ryder Cup teams, hasn't won since 1993.
But Kite, despite dealing with the distractions of being captain, has played well this year, especially in the majors.
He finished second behind Tiger Woods at the Masters - albeit by 12 strokes - and tied for 10th at the British Open at Royal Troon last month.
"I'm playing good right now," he said. "I feel confident with my swing. I'm putting well, I'm chipping well, I'm hitting good shots."
Kite has said he is having a tough time sleeping through the night because of the multitude of choices he has in filling out the team that he has to choose by Monday.
He had different thoughts when his sleep was interrupted Wednesday night.
"All of a sudden, I realized I was hitting the ball quite well," Kite said. "And if you're going to come into a major championship on a golf course this difficult, hitting the ball as well as I'm hitting it right now, you might as well go ahead and try to do something with it, try to win the tournament."
The last U.S. captain to play in the Ryder Cup was Arnold Palmer in 1963, a year before he won the last of his four Masters.
The obligations of being a captain are taxing - schedules, uniforms, paying attention to who's playing well and who's not.
Lanny Wadkins played in 20 events in 1995, the year he was appointed captain. He made only eight cuts, finished in the top 10 only once and was 162nd on the money list.
"I was very much aware of what Lanny was going through," Kite said. "Watching how he played while he was the captain, I had made up my mind that I was going to fight through that and try to play the best golf I could."
There was some incentive involved, too. Kite had a hunch this team would be loaded with young players. The only way to see them in tournament conditions was to play with them, and the only way to play with them was to get into contention.
The trouble for Kite has been that all the young talent is already on the team. With one tournament left - a major, at that - he needs someone to raise his game.
And his own play isn't helping.
"We call it a short list, but for this late date, my list is still long," Kite said. "And throwing my name in there makes it even longer."
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Valkyria Chronicles Review
First of all, we really must apologize for the delay in delivering this review. It's not much of an excuse to say we were completely swamped during the hectic release period between October and November last year, but that's our only defense. However, it's good to know that many people have rewarded Sega for producing a high-quality strategy/RPG title that is both original and entertaining. We all have to agree that Sega's glory days are well behind them (we're currently scheduling Sonic's funeral), but every once in a while, they really surprise us. In the case of Valkyria Chronicles, they managed to develop a game that will undoubtedly appeal to a certain core demographic, but should also intrigue those who are looking for something new. After finally spending enough time with this one, we've come to the conclusion that not only is it the most overlooked title of 2008, but it's also one of the more impressive strategy-based productions to be released in the past few years. Let's just put it this way- unless it has the traditional grid-based format (FFT, for example), I'm really not that interested in this genre. And yet, I could very easily spend a great deal of time playing Chronicles.
The graphics are an interesting artistic blend of light pastel colors and a good amount of environmental prettiness. Due to its obvious Japanese roots, there isn't much variety when it comes to the characters (really nothing unique about the designs), but it won't be much of a drawback for the target audience. You've really never seen anything like this before, and although there's some repetition in the backdrops, we never got tired of the visual presentation. The gameplay and cut-scenes look very similar so it's not like Sega gives you wonderfully polished CGI breaks sprinkled amidst unrefined, ho-hum gameplay graphics. No, the visuals here are almost entirely consistent throughout, so if you enjoy what you see in the introduction, you'll probably be satisfied with the full extent of the graphical depiction. The visual effects, in our opinion, were hit and miss, as some explosions and certain forms of attack just didn't seem to fit the situation, but again, they were most original. When's the last time you played a game that showed the words, "Rata-tat-tat" when you fire a gun?
The sound drags a little due to a merely average music selection, but almost shockingly, gets a boost thanks to solid voice acting. Typically, these Japanese-oriented niche titles have horrendous voiceovers that sound as if they would fit better into the previous generation, but there's no such shortcoming here. The voice acting really is very good (despite a few characters we could've done without), and there isn't anything necessarily wrong with the soundtrack. It takes too much of a backseat to the action and isn't brought to the forefront during especially dramatic scenes, but it's still well-orchestrated and nicely implemented. Much like the visual effects, the music fits the atmosphere perfectly, so we certainly won't complain about that. The sound effects stay steady almost regardless of the action in question – the intense "boom" of an Anti-Armor Shell from your tank is just as satisfying as the crack of a Sniper Rifle – and overall, there's really no reason to nitpick. The sound is fitting and well done, so why should we bother to get all anal?
The gameplay is by far the most appealing aspect of Valkyria Chronicles, as well it should be. At first, you don't quite understand this game's capacity for depth, customization and general freedom, but within a few hours, it will begin to dawn on you. In the early-goings, you're introduced to the basics, and although you haven't yet grasped this production's full potential, you will immediately recognize its original approach to the strategy/RPG genre. It makes perfect sense to say the graphics are quite unique, because as far as gameplay goes, this is a first. Although most any title these days takes its foundation from previous efforts, this game seems to have a base all its own, and it's most intriguing. And again, although you think you might have a firm handle on the proceedings in the first hour, you'll get a first-class education as soon as Welkin and Alicia officially sign up to be part of the Gallian militia. It's at this point where the game opens up and shines forth brightly, but before we explain further, let's talk about the storyline premise. It's important, because as you might've anticipated, it's a major focal point of Chronicles.
Two sides of the world are at war in order to control the majority of available Ragnite. Ragnite is a material that's widely used; from powering what we would call electrical devices on this plane of existence to healing humans, it's an extremely valuable substance that's in massive demand. Unfortunately for the neutral country of Gallia, they're sitting on a pile of the stuff, which means the Imperials are gonna get their hands on it, even if it means leaving a trail of fire, rubble, and death in their wake. Right off the bat, the quiet town of Bruhl – home to our two protagonists, Welkin and Alicia – is attacked, and everyone must flee in the face of definite annihilation. This is when you'll learn the basics of combat as you attempt to defend the town for a time; at least long enough to allow the citizens to safely retreat. After you're forced out of your hometown, everything ramps up to full-blown war, and there's no turning back. Prepare for an onslaught of options!
When you first enter battle, you are provided with the necessary objectives for the mission, a chance to deploy your squad in certain fixed positions on the map, and time to consider the situation from above. When you're done, the game enters its turn-based mode, where you can pick whichever unit you wish to move during the Player Phase. To do so spends CP (Command Points) and you have a certain number to use for each Phase. However, it's not quite as straightforward and predictable as the veterans may want to believe; for example, you can move any unit you wish whenever you wish, and you don't have to spend turns on units that are better off staying put. In other words, if you want to move the same unit three times in a row, feel free. You can spend your CP however you see fit, and before you pick the unit to move, you have an unlimited amount of time to think about your options. This is great, but once you've selected your unit, the camera zooms down to the ground giving you real-time action control of the chosen ally. At this time, you can move as far as the action bar will let you move (keep an eye on it), and perform one action.
The action ranges greatly depending on the type of unit (are you merely a soldier or a whole tank?), and the Class of the unit. You can attack, heal, support, or simply maneuver for a better position; you can often crouch behind sandbags, crawl in high grass, climb lookout towers (say hello, Snipers), or strategically position yourself behind a wall. When you're in range of the enemy, the enemy will fire, so it's always important to plan out your move before taking off. If your action bar runs out and you're left standing in the middle of the battlefield, you may as well kiss your ass goodbye. But at least you won't die if an ally can reach you before three turns are over. If you can get there within three turns, the fallen unit will be safely evacuated from combat, but he or she is gone for the duration of that particular battle. If you don't make it...the fallen unit is dead for good. The good news is that Ragnite can cure you, and your units will replenish health upon completion of each turn. You'll get more benefits (extra health and ammo, for instance), if you gain control of an enemy camp. The key is to launch attacks while remaining in solid defensive positions, and it's a lot of fun, because you are in complete control the entire time.
And what lies beneath this original style of strategy gameplay? A very deep character advancement mechanic, of course. There are five separate Classes – Scout, Shocktrooper, Lancer, Engineer, and Sniper – and each serve very specific purposes on the field. The Scout has great maneuverability and can be used to examine the field so you can better plan out your ground attack. The Shocktrooper is a well-outfitted offensive machine, equipped with a machine gun and great defense. They don't have any special specific skills, but in terms of offensive foot soldiers, there are non better. The Lancer is best used as an anti-Tank unit; he comes equipped with a Lance (which is actually a rocket launcher of some sort), and although he's slow and doesn't handle quick units well, he's always a necessity when enemy tanks are around. The Engineer runs around and supplies your allies with expendable items, like sniper bullets and heavy ammo; so when your Lancer runs out of shots (he gets 3), the Engineer needs to run to his side and re-supply him. So while the Sniper is uber-effective, you'll want an Engineer on hand to restock the ammo, especially if it's a long battle.
You can train each Class using experience gained in battle, and you can upgrade your weapons, battle suits, and even your tank with the money you collect. You will spend it on Research and Development, you can add Accuracy and Strength boosts to the weapons for each Class, and provided you continually train your Classes, you will rise in Level. The good news is that it doesn't matter how many of the 20 members of your Squad you take into a battle, or which ones you take; whatever they earn will be earned by the entire Squad so you never have to worry about leveling up individual characters. Your mission objectives will range greatly: sometimes you'll have to capture the enemy camp, other times you'll have to simply hold out until reinforcements arrive, and other times, you'll have to protect a valuable strategic battlefield position. Now, all of this is fantastic and easy to dive into – especially if you're familiar with this kind of depth – but there are a few issues. For the most part, this entire mechanic works beautifully, but there were some eccentricities that annoyed us.
For example, it would've been better if more of the environment was open during your battlefield movement. If you head to an alley for cover, you may not see the almost invisible wall until you're halfway there, and if there's no additional cover nearby, you could be in trouble. Secondly, the enemy AI really isn't that bright. They'll often act rashly and/or make a ridiculous decision in certain situations, which makes things easier on the player, but sometimes it's almost laughable. Their intelligence does seem to increase as time goes on, though. We also had some problems with tank combat, as firing the Anti-Armor Shells seems somewhat inaccurate: you can target different parts of a tank, but we remained confused as to why a straight shot to the body would mystically eliminate the tread. Then there was a time when a shell appeared to go directly through the tank without actually hitting anything. The machine gun mount wasn't anywhere near strong enough, either, and it sometimes felt as if only the mortar attack did exactly what it should. Lastly, there are a few balance issues concerning the Classes, but this is often difficult to avoid.
The rest is all roses. The story is good, the characters are decent, the overall gameplay mechanic is refreshing, original and even addictive, and having so much control at all times is intoxicating. You can visit Headquarters at any time in between episodes to outfit your characters, head into Training to gain Levels, visit Research & Development to upgrade your weapons and armor, and choose new soldiers for your Squad. If the plot-advancing main battles are proving too much of a challenge, just jump into a few Skirmishes to farm up the Exp and Gold. You can do this as many times as you wish, and you can even go back and view any given episode in the book any time you want. Everything from recruiting to training to outfitting to deploying to the action on the field…it's all excellent, and you can lose yourself in this enveloping game awfully quickly. There are a few inconsistencies in battle that continued to rear their ugly heads at certain times, but while a little irritating, it wasn't enough to significantly detract from the fun factor.
Valkyria Chronicles is indeed one of the best games of 2008, and certainly the best strategy/RPG of this generation. Some may argue that it can be too easy to power-level through the Skirmishes, and others will lambaste the lacking AI or get all bent out of shape concerning the hidden enemies that don't show up on your map. Then there's another group who will become very annoyed when Welkin bites the dust in an hour-long battle, causing you to replay the whole thing. That's all well and good, and there are legitimate complaints out there, but for the most part, this is one title you really shouldn't miss. At the very least, if it's not your cup of tea, give it a rent…you might be surprised at the result. Now, Sega, how's about a sequel?
2/7/2009 Ben Dutka
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The National Labor Relations Board has postponed a hearing into unfair labor charges against Momentive Performance Materials Inc. brought by IUE/CWA Local 81359. The hearing, originally scheduled for next month, now will be held at 1 p.m. July 26 at the Leo W. O'Brien Federal Building at Clinton Avenue and North Pearl Street in Albany.
The postponement will allow the two sides to seek an agreement into their contract dispute and to negotiate a new contract to replace the current one, which expires in June. Momentive management and union officials both asked for a postponement of the hearing.
The NLRB also said that no further postponements would be granted.
The dispute arose from a restructuring undertaken by Momentive management at the beginning of 2009 that effectively cut the wages of unionized workers by an average of 25 percent, although employees said in many cases the cuts were far deeper.
Momentive, which produces adhesives and sealants used in the housing, automotive and textile industries, recently has reported improving business conditions.