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More than a dozen of the city's traffic cameras in Windward Oahu have been out of service since Friday.
Hawaii Dept. of Transportation officials said they believe the cameras were knocked out after an upgrade to the software used to control cameras on the H-3 Freeway.
Officials said they are working to fix the problem.


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A Celebrity Hair Affair: Heidi Montagby Free Britney at . Comments
When it comes to her blonde hair, The Hills' Heidi Montag typically prefers a head full of waves with the volume amped up to 11 – if you know what we mean.
We mean showing as much of it as possible. You can't tame that mane!
However, sometimes she opts for a change of pace. During a recent lunch in Beverly Hills with her grandmother-in-law (Spencer Pratt's Nana), the newlywed kept her hair on the straight-and-narrow, condensing it into a sleek style.
Which hairstyle do you prefer? Tell us in the survey below:
Heidi Montag's hair looks best when it's ...

subset: commoncrawl


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Fort Lewis Wa Frequently Asked Questions
- Details
- Written by Kelly
- Hits: 6857
Fort Lewis Wa Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the most popular areas off post for home buyers moving to Ft. Lewis WA?
I have found that the top three areas to purchase a home in the Fort Lewis area are Lacey (Hawks Prairie especially), Yelm & Roy, and Spanaway/Graham. Each has it's own pro's and con's.
What is the average home price in the Ft Lewis area?
Prices are a little higher to the south and east of post. The average home price in north Thurston County is about $220, 000, which includes Lacey, Olympia and Yelm, The average in southern Pierce County is about $200,000 (Spanaway, Graham, Lakewood!.Dupont is an exception).
What is your opinion of home prices in Dupont WA?
Dupont is a great community just outside of the gate, also very convenient to the freeway. Location is important, and is what has held up property values in Dupont!but I am concerned about the large number of listings that turn into rentals!.homes that wouldn't sell.
How far is the commute to Yelm Wa?
There are a couple of routes to reach Yelm, from the north thru Roy, or from the south via the Nisqually Valley. A large percentage of recent home construction in Yelm has been on the south end of town, so the southern route is more common. Depending on time of day, the commute is 20-30 minutes.
And the commute to Lacey?
The closet part of Lacey to Ft. Lewis is called Hawks Prairie. I lived in Hawks Prairie prior to retirement, and was 15 minutes to the post headquarters. The max drive anywhere in Lacey is about 30 minutes.
How do I get started searching for homes for sale?
Stephanie is our listings coordinator. She is available full time to manually search for homes for sale in the Fort Lewis area. Stephanie knows the MLS like the back of her hand, and is familiar with every listing in the Ft Lewis area. She will work with you for up to 6 months prior to your house hunting trip to ensure that we have listings and a good plan in place before you get here.
Can you help me get qualified for a VA loan! what do I need to do?
The pre-qualification process is easy and can be done over the phone. While I am not a VA lender, I have worked with one since I PCS'd to Ft Lewis. She is very well known in the area, and is a lender..not a broker. Visit our Fort Lewis buyers page for more information.
Can you explain the entire process of buying a home at Ft Lewis!or point me to someone who can?
I wrote a document called the Home Buying Process From Start to Finish and published it on my website a couple of years ago!then I saw my work on a competitors website. If you fill out a request form above, just ask for a copy and I will send it to you.


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The mangosteen is an exotic fruit.
- Exotic is defined as a strip tease dance.
An example of exotic is the type of dancing someone would find at a strip club.
- The definition of exotic is someone or something that is foreign or unusual in an interesting way.
- An example of exotic is the fruit mangosteen.
- An example of exotic is having a pet skunk.
- Exotic means someone or something that is foreign or unusual.
An example of exotic is the kudzu plant from South Asia which grows wild along the roadway in the southeastern United States.
- foreign; not native
- strange or different in a way that is striking or fascinating; strangely beautiful, enticing, etc.
Origin of exoticClassical Latin exoticus from Classical Greek ex?tikos from ex?, outside: see ex-
- a foreign or imported thing
- a plant that is not native
- exotic dancer
- From another part of the world; foreign: exotic tropical plants in a greenhouse. See Synonyms at foreign.
- Intriguingly unusual or different; excitingly strange: "If something can be explained simply, in a familiar way, then it is best to avoid more exotic explanations" ( Chet Raymo ) See Synonyms at fantastic.
- Of or involving striptease: an exotic dancer.
- One that is exotic.
- A striptease performer.
Origin of exoticLatin exōticus from Greek exōtikos from exō outside ; see exo- .
Related Forms:
- ex·ot′i·cal·ly
- ex·ot′ic·ness
(comparative more exotic, superlative most exotic)
- Foreign, especially in an exciting way.
- exotic appearance
- Non-native to the ecosystem.
(plural exotics)
- (biology) An organism that is exotic to an environment.
- An exotic dancer; a stripteaser.
- (physics) Any exotic particle.
- Glueballs, theoretical particles composed only of gluons, are exotics.
From Middle French exotique, from Latin exoticus, from Ancient Greek ἐξωτικός (eksotikos, "foreign"), literally "from the outside", from ἐξω- (ekso, "outside"), from ἐξ (eks, "out of").


text: On Sun, 31 Aug 2003, Steve Langasek wrote: > On Sun, Aug 31, 2003 at 01:51:13PM -0700, Daniel Isacc Walker wrote: > > > I made a PHP extension for the talkfilters library. It's not a big > > achievement, it's maybe 100-200 lines of code .. I've run into a license > > problem . PHP is under the PHP license and the talkfilters library is > > under the GPL . What this means is that my software is automatically GPL'd > > even though it has no GPL'd source in it. The GPL doesn't distinguish > > between linking and directly copying and pasting source code, or at least > > not from my perspective. > > > That's fine with me, I'm not concerned about this software's > > license. The problem is that , with my understanding, because my code gets > > incorporated directly into PHP that means that PHP automatically becomes > > GPL'd. Even if I made some kind of external module for PHP, PHP would > > still need to be GPL'd. Of course, PHP isn't going to switch to the GPL, > > or it's doubtful I can convince them to. > > There are several other PHP extensions in circulation that use GPLed > libraries, some of them distributed with the PHP source itself. (The > readline extension is one example.) Binaries for these modules can't be > distributed in Debian, but that doesn't mean you can't write a PHP > extension for a GPL library and distribute it on your own. I use talkfilters data structures and API in my code. Is that a derivate work? Everything else I've read indicates that it isn't.. Daniel Walker


text: If anyone knows about the usage of wxMetafile and wxMetaFileDC in wxPython, please allow me to know that. I want to convert the drawings on a wxPanel or transfer it to other programs such as MS-word. Currently, I use Windows NT and Windows 98, Python 2.1 and wxPython 2.3.1 Young-il Sohn


text: Hi! I have a problem with exposing derived classes to python: class Base { public: virtual void f() = 0; } class Derived : public Base { public: virtual void g() = 0; } // here's how to wrap and expose Base: class BaseWrap : public Base, public wrapper<Base> { public: void f() { this->get_override("f")(); } } BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(a) { class_<BaseWrap, boost::noncopyable>("Base") .def(f, pure_virtual(&BaseWrap::f)) ; } // How should I wrap and expose Derived? // It is also pure virtual, but if I create a wrapper that // derives from Derived and wrapper<Derived> and create the method // g(), f() is still not implmented, thus it does not compile. I do not feel comfortable by deriving DerivedWrapper from BaseWrapper, Derived and wrapper<Derived>, which could even not work because of same base classes and so on. So what is the right implementation for my problem? Regards, Max


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Main Office: 01473 836 110
Headteacher: Ms M Taylor
I am very proud of our students in their attitude to learning, their behaviour around school and the positive relationships they forge with staff and other students.
As a school we work tirelessly to bring about the best possible outcomes for students as we hold the firm belief that all students wish to succeed and be the best they can be in all they do.
Our vision statement outlines all we hope to achieve:
"Our vision for the students at Claydon High School is that they all achieve or exceed their potential, develop their independence and become enquiring and resilient learners who understand their role as outstanding members of the community, within and beyond the school, and are prepared for the challenges of the world. All staff are committed to providing an inspiring, inclusive and aspirational learning culture in a supportive and stimulating environment that engages, enhances and promotes achievement."
I am proud to be the Headteacher of a good school (Ofsted 2014) and I hope you feel enthused by our school and all we have to offer.
Sarah Skinner
Executive Headteacher
If you need a paper copy of any information from this website, please contact the school.
On 5th February a group of 40 students were joined by a fantastic band from Guildford called Kissed and Crowned and a team from I.E.M. (Industry Education in Music) to take part in a Rock Band Workshop and concert. Students from across all year groups split into groups to form separate bands and spent the day composing original pop music from scratch. With a very tight deadline, this was a huge challenge but our talented students worked extremely hard, using advice and guidance from the professionals to come up with some impressive and original material that was performed at a concert on the very same evening!
Many thanks to parents/carers for their support and well done to all who took part.
Please click here to access a copy of the Internal Core Exam Timetable (Feb/March) for Year 11.
We are recruiting for an ICT Technician and Caretaker. Please click on the Vacancies page for more details.
Well done to the whole school community for creating 33 amazing hampers which were donated to the Chapman Centre in Ipswich, to be redistributed to those in need locally at Christmas. Thanks also to parents/carers and staff for the donations from home, your generosity is very much appreciated.
Many thanks to all those parents/carers and staff who supported the PTA Grand Christmas Draw. They raised a magnificent £1125 which will be distributed among departments in school to go toward resources and activities for students. Sincere thanks to all the local businesses and organisations who donated prizes.
Congratulations to the 'Throwback Festival' team whose well researched and very detailed plans for a 1980s & 90s themed festival saw them crowned overall winners of the WOW Week Challenge Cup! Our congratulations also go to the runners-up, 'Cinefest' and 'Sport5' and all the students who took part. Your dedication, teamwork, leadership and commitment was clearly demonstrated in the fantastic ideas and portfolios of work that you produced over the course of the event. Special thanks also go to our guest speakers, whose support was vital in making the event the success it was.
Many thanks to those parents and Year 10 students who attended our recent KS4 Curriculum Evening. If you were unable to attend, you can access a copy of the slideshow and workshop below.
KS4 Curriculum Evening Slideshow
KS4 Curriculum Evening Revision Skills Workshop
We have raised a fantastic £303 for Macmillan Cancer Support! Many thanks to all those who baked, purchased cakes or helped in any way.
Thanks to all our visitors for making our Open Evening such a success; we were delighted to welcome you to the school. Please see our website or call the school if you would like to visit again on one of our open mornings. We look forward to meeting you again soon.
Please click here to download the new Vive lunchtime menu provided in our Megabites canteen by Vertas Catering. Please note that there is a three week rotation; dates are at the top of each page.
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new Year 7 students and their parents/carers.
Starting high school can feel a bit daunting at first but it is also very exciting and great fun. You will be part of a warm and friendly school community offering all the support you need to help you feel at home and to achieve your personal best in school. Although Claydon High School may be a lot bigger than your primary school, rest assured that everyone will be happy to help you settle in, find your way around and make lots of new friends.
On 1st June 2017, Claydon High school, East Bergholt High School and Hadleigh High School joined together to form a multi-academy trust - The South Suffolk Learning Trust. The three strong schools will be working together to share best practice within the partnership as well as supporting other schools in Suffolk. The South Suffolk Learning Trust (led by an experienced board of local trustees) intends to grow and support the learning of Suffolk youngsters aged between 3 and 19 and add positively to improving life chances of Suffolk children through effective collaboration.
Headteachers Sarah Skinner, Colin Turner and Caroline Gibson are delighted to be formalising partnerships across schools and enabling an even wider number of children to reach their full potential.
Recycle your unwanted clothing and paper and raise vital funds for your school in the process!
The PTA have arranged for paper and textile recycling banks to be situated in the coach car park at Claydon High School and are available for both school and community use. Please click here for more details. For safety reasons, restrictions of use apply when buses are dropping off and collecting students in the mornings and afternoons.
We are delighted to share the exciting news that Claydon High School has been named in the top 100 non-selective state-funded schools in England.


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Our very own El Diablo was just named one of the top 21 coffee shops IN AMERICA by Digital City.
We are so very proud to live just down the hill from this funky establishment, which also brews a mean hot chocolate.
Queen Anne readers, do you agree with the vote or do you think there is another establishment on the hill that can top it?


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The Truths contained in this web site
and the publications herein are the most important
truths that you will ever discover in all your existence
as a mortal. The discovery of these messages is way
beyond any technical or natural discovery that you could
possibly conceive. If we discovered there was life on
Mars, or that alien beings were living among us, or
anything that you could possibly imagine, the
discoveries that await you in this web site would still
be more important. How could we make such a bold
statement? Because what awaits you can change the
physical makeup of what makes you human. These "Divine
Truths" contain information that can change you from
being a mortal human to an immortal divine human. We are
not saying that these truths can make you a God -
hardly. What we are saying is that these truths can
provide you with the tools to change the physical makeup
of your soul such that you become "At-one" with God and
Let's face it, most of us don't even
know we have a soul! We are told we have a soul and that
it is an important part of our existence. We are told,
"Don't sell your soul". Well, how would we even know if
we sold our soul? Would we miss it? Our soul is just
this invisible thing that is somehow a part of us -
right? Well, first of all, you can't sell your soul to
the devil or give it away. It is a part of you and will
always be a part of you. Second, your soul resides in
your heart region - not in your head, or stomach or
groin or outside of your body. How do we know? Because
we have felt our souls, or rather the physical
manifestation of God's Divine Love flowing into our
For the first time in your life, you can
feel where your soul resides in your body! You don't
have to "believe" anymore. You can have proof that #1 -
God exists and #2 - you have a soul! Sound too good to
be true? Well it is true. God Loves us so much that
He has provided a way for us to connect with Him and
become At-one with Him. This "way" has been with us for
more than 2000 years, but it has been hidden and not
many mortals have found the way. The "way" is through
God's Divine Love.
What is God's Divine Love? I'm glad you
It is a truth that God, our creator,
does exist.
It is a truth that God is Soul, and that He has
It is a truth that God made us in His image by
implanting within us a soul.
It is a truth that our soul is the seat (a container) of
who we really are - our individuality.
It is a truth that we can change the very substance of
our souls and become immortal spiritual beings.
Who and What is God?
God does not have a visible
body or form, but He does have a complete
Personality. He communicates to His
children Soul to soul and is recognized and
known through the soul perceptions of His
children. These soul perceptions become
clearer as God's Divine Love is soulfully
accumulated through repeated successful
prayers to Him for this immortalizing
| Divine Truth |
Divine Love |
Angels |
Publications |
Online Store


text:
What's New
Exciting Changes!
Incase you missed it on social media... Things took an unexpected but exciting turn here at Diversity Hair.
After reducing our online offering after the initial EU decision, and the currency fluctuations that followed (see previous posts on our decision), Jenna set up a small private salon studio to take on clients.
Two months into running the new salon, Jenna was asked to join Prostyles Hair Ltd, as their office and Training Manager, A company, she herself trained with back in the day and has worked with ever since.
Needless to say, this was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
So where does this leave Diversity Hair?
Well, the Diversity Hair site remains, and will showcase both Diversity Hair and Prostyles Hair Products, which are available to order as usual. Jennas salon work and info on appointments is also here on the site.
Jenna is in the process of creating some new and exciting training courses for Prostyles Hair, including Fusion, Pre-bonded, Microring, Tape wefts methods and the original Prohair method of extension installs. If you are interested in some training, then contact Jenna via the site for more information.
Born in 1998 Prostyles is one of the first single user methods of install for high quality synthetic extensions. They branched out to human hair shortly after this and the quality of their hair is extremely high. Prohair and fusion applications are the most technically skilled hair extensions application methods.
Time for a new do!
My studio is all set up and I've had a great response so far.
What makes me different?
* My studio is a small private space where you can have your hair done in peace (or listen to music), where my attention is on your hair and not on everything going on around me.
* Free Tea, Coffee, Soft Drinks and sweeties :)
* Trending services using the latest products from the UK and America, and specialising in vivid colouring and hair extensions.
* I'm not just a hairdresser, I'm a fully qualified in Hair Extensions too, and I am a certified educator for Prostyles.
* I also offer one to one training and workshops.
* My prices are reasonable and tailored per service, not by hour, so you always have control over the price you pay.
* I am 100% honest you with you. If i don't think your hair is suitable for a service i will tell you.
I offer free consultations, so if you have an idea for your hair, then get in touch! I do different offers each month, so see what I can do for you :)
2017 Changes
So, last year ending up being quite dramatic for us. Alot happened.
I set up a private salon studio to start offering hair services and training again, oh, and Diversity Hair stopped selling synthetic hair. That was a big decision, see previous blog post regarding that.
Still, onwards and upwards. We continue to sell high quality, ethically sourced human hair extensions, equipment and vivid hair dyes. We will likely be adding other products to our catalogue over the year.
The salon studio is now open in St Albans, Hertfordshire. UK and I am taking appointments for Hair extensions, Hair colouring, Olaplex treatments, Conditioning Treatments, Fashion Perms and Keratin Treatments. I will also soon be offering one to one training and workshops.
There is also something new and different in the pipeline... so as ever, keep an eye on the site :)
Where has all the Jumbo Braid gone??
As many of you are aware, the initial decision to leave the EU was a huge blow for small business, especially those who rely heavily on importing. Our business was no exception.
The only logical decision for us was to stop selling certain products, based on the falling value of the pound. This has meant that supplying synthetic hair at current prices would be unsustainable, and a price hike would be too high. It would be foolhardy to continue absorbing the costs against other products, with the value of our currency fluctuating and the continued uncertainty.
So based on this we decided to pass our stock to I Kick Shins in the USA, since this type of business is now more sustainable over the pond.
This is because she is not only a lovely person, but she has a similar business model to us and is one of very few people to be honest about her products and not miss sell. It was important to us that the person to take our stock, would continue to offer our customers a great and honest service with the high quality genuine products you've come to expect from us.
Her catalogue boasts everything you could possibly need for your synthetic hair projects.
Plus regardless of being in the USA, she offers great value for money to international customers.
Finally we would like to say a HUGE thank you to all our customers over the years... WE ARE STILL HERE if you would like other products or to have your hair done, but for synth hair and dread making supplies we leave you in Sarah's awesome hands :)
Keep up your awesome projects everyone... and remember who brought you the first ever Rainbow Jumbo Braid! ;)
Please note that we are in the process of sending the stock over, so bare with us and contact I Kick Shins for further info on when it will be online and how it will be sold.
Necessary changes...
So, we've all been watching the news and whether you agree with the EU referendum result or not, it does affect a few things.
For a import/export business such as ourselves, we have seen an immediate rise in the cost of buying in our own brand due to factory price increases, courier price hikes and of course, the exchange rate.
Due to these factors, (and it's been a long time coming anyway), we are no longer able to absorb the inflating costs of jumbo braid. As such we have had no choice but to raise our prices.
We continue to bring you the highest quality products for your hard earned cash, and will strive to continually improve and expand our product range for you.
Prices will increase gradually with each new batch of hair we receive at the new costs.
As always we are greatful for all our customers, their understanding and continued support.
If you have concerns about raising your own prices to reflect materials costs, get in touch as we have plenty of help and advise to give :)
Henlon Jumbo Braid Restock
We've had a big delivery of Henlon Jumbo Braid this week, with pretty much every colour replenished. This includes our lovely transitional jumbo braid (Black to Blue, Blond to Pink to Purple etc) that we've had lots of requests for lately. Since we received the delivery on Monday we've had quite a few orders, so if you're looking for some silky goodness to get you ready for summer we would highly recommend that you place your order sooner rather than later to avoid any potential disappointment.
A selection below ;)
Restocks are a coming :)
Fear not lovely people. Restocks are in production and begin landing this January :)
Including Super Soft, Henlon, High Heat Hair and Rainbow Hair :)
You'll see some changes this year... all for the better, we're very excited!
Custom Colour Samples
We now offer custom colour samples in the form of individual swatches and full colour rings, along with the components to make them yourself.
We have already added swatches and full colour rings for our Super Soft, High Heat, Marley and Henlon ranges, and we have Jazzy, LA Trend and our Special Effects range to come.
The perfect way to colour and texture match in advance without spending a fortune :)
Krinklepuffs are back!
It's been a while since we've been able to make our hair falls available online again.
We've been working hard over these years, but we've done it all alone... aaaww! BUT, now i welcome Dale to the Diversity Team and with his help, this has freed me up to be creative again.
This will mean the return of our well loved Cyberlox and Custom Dyed Extensions, as well as what we're adding right now, our Krinklepuff falls.
Available in various colours, styles and lengths. You can opt for the Classic Krinklepuffs, cute shoulder length with a little volume. Or, our layered style with double the volume, more layers and more length. We also have our soon to be added Luxury Krinklepuffs, with more volume that you thought was possible since the 1980s ;)
Here's a few we've added online this week, there will be more to come. If you don't see the colour combination that you want, just drop us an email and we'll be pleased to make them for you!
So, it's been a while eh? Ive been busy, so this old blog got a bit neglected. Oops.
To make it up to you, how about a massive amount of new stock? Here is what has arrived in store so far... we've got more on the way though!
Firstly some new colours and a restock of our increasingly popular Diversity Hair Super Soft Jumbo Braid and Marley Braid. Fast becoming customers favourite, outselling all other brands!
Then we have our Henlon Jumbo Braid restocks and a host of new colours...
Then we bring you something extra special... Ever wanted to dye Kanekalon. We you can't.... BUT, you CAN colour it. Using Acrylic ink and Isopropyl 70% or above rubbing alchohol, you can mix and spray this onto the kanekalon, comb through, leave to dry overnight, rinse in cool water, dry and ta-dah! You have a colour that adheres to the surface of the synthetic hair, that you can then braid into your own hair :) Endless possibilities for Ombre and transitional styles! Try it for yourself and grab some ink here http://www.diversityhair.co.uk/hair-colour-makeup/acrylic-ink.html
So that's your lot for now... but later this month/October we have Tubular Crin returning, we also welcome our new member of the team - Dale. With Dales help we can now provide a much faster and more efficient service (as i wont be running around doing everything myself anymore ;), and ill be able to offer you guys custom hair again, along with many other new products.


text:
Now there is further cause for Irish secularists to despair, with the news that the country's Science Minister, Conor Lenihan, was set to take part in the launch of a new book, the pithily-titled The Origin of Specious Nonsense: 3000 Million Coded Chemical Letters Fit On Top of This Pin Head This DNA Language Was Once You And I by John L May.
Now you may be able to guess, mostly from the fact that this epic title takes a couple of scientific terms, throws in the word 'specious', and arranges them into something utterly incomprehensible, that May's book is what you might call an "anti-science" book. Further light is shed, again largely on account of the utter incomprehensibility of it all, by the book's official website, where May introduces himself by informing us that "Charles Darwin and his modern 'disciples' Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris - Daniel C. Dennet, Christopher Hitchens et al are; The high priests of the highly improbable foisting the impossible on the impressionable."
Confused? Don't worry, he elaborates on the "Book Synopsis" page:
"These men appear to be intelligent good people who have sacrificed reason on the alter [sic] of, Chance, Mutations, Randomness which is a concoction for chaos. (I have read their excellent books) My cry to many of the worlds atheists, scientists, evolutionists plus tens of millions of their duped followers shall be "Expose organised religion and deny there is a God to your hearts desire.. only STOP pretending you have any facts whatsoever to support 'the greatest deceit in the history of science! 'Evolution is a fantasy of farraginous farcical fatuous feculent facile facetiousness and my book shall lead the charge against this UNSCIENTIFIC HOAX worldwide. This manuscript is extremely controversial and billions of human beings, young and old, black and white rich and poor are quite simply confused and would enjoy for a change some serious solid satisfying facts as opposed to the sorry sophistical nonsense we are inundated with from the media on a daily basis. Incidentally four times last year I visited the brilliant Natural History Museum in London to examine the shrine to a religiously tortured excellent taxonomist Charles Darwin. The tragedy of this pretentious fiction is that most people appear to accept it on face value without realising for a fact THERE ARE NO FACTS to support this delusion.."Well, that's evolution demolished, now what's this about the Irish Science Minister? Well, Lenihan was all set to attend the book's launch party tomorrow night in Dublin, which is billed on the book's website as a "Gorillas and Girls Party", at which "Charles Darwin and King Kong the gorilla will be present" (presumably this is the creationist equivalent of a "Tarts and Vicars" party). At 7.30pm attendees can see May (who, in what one presumes is an attempt to be the Irish Adnan Oktar, is also offering €10,000 to anyone who "can prove evolution at a biochemical level") deliver his talk "How Evolution Made Monkeys Out of Man". This was due to be followed at 8pm with a "launch" by Lenihan. Which, of course, is just where a Science Minister should be.
Unsurprisingly, this led to some secularist outrage – Atheist Ireland reported it on their website, with both Richard Dawkins and PZ Myers picking up on it, and shortly afterwards May revealed that Lenihan had pulled out. He said the minister was taking part as "a friend", and expressed his anger at the harsh reaction to news of his appearance:
"I am revolted and disgusted by the way my friend Conor Lenihan is being vilified so I have asked him not to launch my book. My book merely presents a different opinion. However, the abuse he is receiving by text and email is outrageous. I have received similar abuse but I can take it."As for Lenihan himself, he told the Irish Times he "remained to be convinced" by May's thesis, although he believes "diversity of opinion is a good thing". Ah yes, our old friend "teach the controversy" – I wrote about its intrusion into British education on the Guardian Science Blog last week, and now here it is popping up in the words of the Irish Science Minister. Of course "diversity of opinion" is a good thing, but that means diversity of valid opinions, not any opinions no matter what they are. What Lenihan is suggesting here is that diversity of opinion means placing, say, the theory of evolution by natural selection as posited by Charles Darwin and developed by thousands of scientists in the 150 years since, against the words of John L May, for example:
"There is no scientific verifiable demonstrable evidence in our past or today on a DNA/Biochemical level that evolution ever happened or might occur. So wake up and smell the coffee, see the beauty all around us, and if there is a God then hope in his goodness for our future."Thankfully for Ireland's collective sanity the Science Minister cancelled his participation in such utter ludicrousness while he still had the chance, but clearly he's one for secularists over there to keep their eyes on.
Update: Our former deputy editor Padraig Reidy informs me on Twitter that there may be a reasonable explanation for why Lenihan was appearing: "It's the nature of Irish politics. Author is constituent. TDs have to go to all this local crap. Even ministers." Although this was followed up by an Irish reader, who said "That's nonsense. He didn't HAVE to go just cos May is a constituent. He obv WANTED to go. Bad judgment call."


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6th Jagran Film Festival: Crowdfunding to the rescue
Kunal Kapoor says indie filmmakers won't have to compromise on their creativity with the advent of an alternative finance system in Bollywood
On the closing day of the 6th Jagran Film Festival, Kunal Kapoor discussed the importance and benefits of crowdfunding as a form of alternative finance. The actor spoke extensively about his company, Ketto, which was launched three years ago to help people make films or pursue an art form through crowdfunding.
Kunal Kapoor. Pic/Sameer Markande
"People are coming up with great ideas, but the affluent people select only a few concepts to make a film which they feel are good. But through crowdfunding, one will be able to make the kind of films that people want to watch. It is more or less a democratic process," he says.
The actor also believes that this funding practice will soon be the next big thing in Bollywood. "It will become a normal thing to do in the near future since you will not have to compromise on your creativity. Anyway, it creates enough buzz on digital platforms, so there is a possibility that the film will perform well at the box office," adds Kunal.
Talking about the initiatives that his company has taken recently, Kunal reveals, "We have supported a dancer as well as a documentary maker. We will also support films that are stuck midway or awaiting release."
Lessons on light and lens
Ashwini Kaul, a senior faculty member at the Whistling Woods International, attended the 6th Jagran Film Festival, which drew to a close yesterday.
Ashwini Kaul (left) at a masterclass as part of the 6th Jagran Film Festival. Pic/Sameer Markande
The enlightening session included a basic lesson on lights and how it could be used to capture the subject in an aesthetic manner. The interactive session saw a huge participation by students of cinematography, photography enthusiasts and aspiring filmmakers. Kaul also offered them a tip or two on clicking pictures through various kinds of lenses.
Films for business
On October 4, KV Sridhar, CCO of SapientNitro, made an appearance at the festival. The renowned ad filmmaker spoke at length about the detailing that goes into making an impactful commercial.
He also mentioned that those of his ilk are much more socially responsible than they were before. He says, "I came up with the 'I am a Complan boy' ad quite easily, but in today's time, I can't afford to do that because people may ask why can't it be a Complan girl." Sridhar also mentioned that ad filmmakers experiment a lot in terms of concepts as compared to feature filmmakers.
Life Time Achievement Award: Shashi Kapoor
Cinema of the Sellers — Gold: Ogilvy & Mather — Fevi kwik Parade Campaign — Sriyanta Ghosh& Shoaib Alib
Cinema of the Sellers — Silver: RK Swami BBDO — Skymet Weather's Initiative: #HelpTheFarmer — Rashmi Ambastha and Ankur Suman
Cinema of the Sellers — Bronze: DDB Mudra Group — Sony Max Pepsi IPL 2015 — India Ka Tyohaar Main Film — Sweet shop — Sonal Dubral
Best Short Film: Kathakaar by Abhimanyu Kanodia
Special Jury Award —Acting in Shortfilm: Sri Swara for Teaspoon
Best Screen Play: Juhi Chaturvedi for Piku
Best Cinematography: Pankaj Kumar for Haider
Best Set Design: Vandana Kataria for Detective Byomkesh Bakshi
Best Sound (re-recordist): Anish John for Asha Jaoar Majhe
Best Editing: Pooja Ladha Surti for Badlapur
Best Singer (Female): Jyoti Nooran for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Best Singer (Male): Sukhwinder Singh for Haider
Best Background Score: Sanjay Wandrekar and Atul Raninga for PK
Best Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj for Haider
Best Female Supporting Actor: Tabu for Haider
Best Male Supporting Actor: Sanjay Mishra for Masaan
Special Jury Award —Actor: Vicky Kaushal for Masaan
Special Jury Award — Film: Postcard by Gajendra Ahire
Best Debut Director: Neeraj Ghaywan for Masaan
Best Female Actor: Bhumi Pednekar for Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Best Male Actor: Dulal Sarkaar for Chotoder Chobi
Best Director: Shoojit Sircar for Piku
Best Feature Film: Chotoder Chobi
Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema: Pandhari Juker


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Dentagon will provide for repairs to the hail damaged panels of your vehicle thru the use of Paintless Dent Repair techniques. If a panel is too severe for Paintless Dent Repair; Dentagon will replace and repaint according to Insurance Company Allowances. Dentagon will cover all parts and repainting warranties. The following terms, conditions and limitations apply.
All previous unrelated damaged not associated with hail damage is not covered by Dentagon. This warranty applies to the panels, which are repaired by Dentagon. It covers your vehicle under your subsequent ownership during the warranty period. The Warranty period relates exactly to the warranty period provided by the Manufacturer of your vehicle for coverage of defects in paint finish and corrosion. We, at Dentagon, warrant that our work will not compromise the maintenance of the finish or corrosion resistance of the sheet metal panels on your vehicle for the length of your lease or ownership of your vehicle. In the event of a sale or lease evaporation of your vehicle, the date of said sale or lease termination is the date that your warranty period expires for your vehicle. This is the date your Dentagon warranty period expires.
To obtain warranty repairs you must first check the paint finish of the manufacturer and its limitations as to causes and defects. Specifically Dentagon's warranty is limited to defects caused by Dentagon Paintless Dent Repair. Call 1-866-DENTAGON to arrange for a review of your complaint. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING A RECORD OF YOUR REPAIR INVOICE. FAILURE TO PRESENT THIS RECORD MAY RESULT IN DENIAL OF YOUR WARRANTY CLAIM. Once the shop of your choice and Dentagon has determined that the complaint is valid and the damage was indeed caused by Dentagon then arrangements will be made to repair the damage at cost to Dentagon. Before Dentagon will issue any payment it must be given the opportunity to repair the problem itself. Then and only then; will payment be issued to any outside repair facility.
Fast & Reliable
100% Guaranteed


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Kim Kardashian's Future's So Bright, She's Gotta Wear Shades
Posted on Sun Jan 8th, 2012 10:45am PDT By X17 Staff
Kim's still goin' strong!
Despite some fairly negative media after it was announced she'd divorce Kris Humphries so soon after the couple's lavish wedding, the lead Kardashian is still plugging away.
Her fans surrounded her at a Beverly Hills spectacle shop Saturday and the reality star obliged when asked to pose for photos.
Still, not everyone's in love with Kim K ... the web site BoycottKim.com has attracted more than half a million signatures from supporters who agree to stop supporting businesses that work with Kim. Ouch!
The site's founder, who wishes to remain anonymous, has reportedly been contacted by Kim's legal counsel. In fact, the site implored users to contact Kim's attorney to voice their displeasure over reports Kardashian Klothing is made in Chinese sweatshops. The link on BoycottKim.com to the Kardashian's lead lawyer has since been removed.
The site was launched Nov 2 and the founder says he's aiming for a million signatures. He claims Kim and her family "are a stain on our culture" and "an embarrassment for our country." What do YOU think?
Are the Kardashians a "stain" on American culture?
|No. We watch 'em, we love 'em, we built this monster -- let it live!
|Yes. I dislike everything the Kardashians stand for -- their shows should be cancelled!
|Who cares! Stop paying attention to them if you don't like them!
SEE THE GALLERY Kim Kardashian Shops For Shades
Stories from around the Web


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An investigation of a death in a West Denver home is now considered a homicide.
Denver police have no suspects in custody, said police spokesman Everett Moore.
A male body was found in a home on the 4500 block of West Gill Place on Friday. Police announced Saturday afternoon the case was a homicide but offered no other details.


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With speeches, cheers and a prayer, Tacoma's first Walmart store opened Wednesday morning.
Dozens of patrons waited for the doors to open at 8 a.m. as Walmart officials and dignitaries gathered in a semicircle before a makeshift stage to bear witness to $68,000 in charitable contributions and a brief history of the company which, on Wednesday, saw the opening of 24 stores nationwide and two in state – in Tacoma and Vancouver.
"Building this store has been a journey," said Tom McReynolds, a Walmart manager who oversees nine stores in the Puget Sound.
"I love Walmart. I wanted to be among the first to christen the new Walmart and see what I can buy," said customer Islena Jones.
Although controversial at its inception, the store generated no protests at the opening.


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S01 E07 – Sharon Gaetz – Leadership from a Political Mirror
Summary of the Episode1. How to deal with people's attitude
2. How women can be inspirational
3. How do you run a successful campaign when its your first time
4. Is leadership a popularity contest?
5. How do strong leaders deal with criticism
6. Do you think great leaders go to sleep?
7. How to manage work life balance?
Advice:Play nicely while you are in the sandbox
Keep your hand off the piggy bag, that money does not belong to you
Keep your zipper up and be true to the person you love
Short Summary:
Sharon is the mayor and the CEO of the city of Chilliwack. I met Sharon 8 years ago and I was struck by her incredible personality, commitment and humbleness. She is a very powerful lady and an incredible example of a person who exercise leadership for the best of the people. She is a politician, but our talk today has nothing to do with politics but rather meaningful leadership.
She was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for community service and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions made to the community and to all of Canada
In her spare time, Sharon enjoys walking, rollerblading, swimming, hiking and listening to good music. Strong Starbucks coffee and red wine are two of her guilty pleasures. She is a retired minister and family counselor. Ladies and gentlemen, here we go with Mayor Sharon.
Detailed BioMayor Sharon Gaetz has been serving the Chilliwack community since December 2, 1996 – first as a Councillor (12 years), and then since December 2008 as Mayor. Besides being the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Chilliwack,
Mayor Gaetz also serves her community by being a member of the:
- Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO), Liaison
- Fraser Valley Regional District Board Chair
- Regional Corporate Services Committee
- Municipal Finance Authority, Director
- Former Chair of the Fraser Valley Regional Hospital District Board
- Emergency Executive Committee
- Chilliwack Hospice Society Honourary Board Member
- Honourary Member of the Rotary Club of Chilliwack
- Honourary Member of the Rotary Club of Chilliwack/Fraser
- Honourary Membership in the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #4
- Honourary President of the Chilliwack and District Agricultural Society
- Is married to her childhood sweetheart, Jim, and recently celebrated their 40th Anniversary
- Served as the President of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association (LMLGA)
- Served 8 years on the Union of BC Municipalities Executive (UBCM) as Director at Large
- Served as Vice President of Local Government Leadership Academy
- Former Chair of the Fraser Valley Regional Library Board
- Was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal for community service and the Queen's
- Received Paul Harris Fellow Award – 2013
- Resolutions Committee, served as Chair Environment Committee
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Dave Bush and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a one-year contract for $4,215,000.
With the deal Monday, the sides averted an arbitration hearing.
The right-hander went 5-9 with a 6.38 ERA in 21 starts and one relief appearance last season, when he made $4 million. He struggled after being hit with a line drive on June 4 against the Marlins, going 2-7 with a 9.27 ERA in his final 10 starts.
Bush asked for $4.45 million in arbitration, while Milwaukee offered $4,125,000.
The Brewers have two players remaining in arbitration: right-hander Carlos Villanueva and outfielder Corey Hart. General manager Doug Melvin has never gone to an arbitration hearing since taking over in Milwaukee in 2002.


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Omaha Zoo
Desert Dome at Omaha Zoo © Dual Freq
In carrying out its mission of conservation, research, education and recreation, the Omaha Zoo has created Lied Jungle, America's largest indoor rainforest. Visitors can also explore the Scott Aquarium, Desert Dome, Cat Complex and Hubbard Gorilla Valley and Orangutan Forest, or catch a film at the Lozier IMAX Theater. The zoo also offers train and tram rides, the TreeTops Restaurant overlooking the rainforest and a variety of other fun activities, attractions and refreshment options. For those who don't want to visit the restaurants, there are lovely picnic areas at the zoo, and snack kiosks selling snacks. There are ATMs at the zoo and debit and credit cards are accepted.
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is widely acknowledged as being one of the best in the USA and should delight visitors of all ages. The zoo can easily fill a whole day with family entertainment if explored thoroughly.
Website: www.omahazoo.com


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Reducing customer departures and defections has become a chief priority for most communications service providers as markets mature and competition intensifies. So why do high levels of customer churn persist?
In the past these companies thrived as customer acquisition machines, built to grow through rapid penetration of the digital television, Internet and voice products they introduced. They still invest more in advertising and marketing than they do in service technicians or set-top box capabilities that would delight or at least retain customers.
Related: Is Your Company Ready For The Internet Of Things
As a result, churn tends to hover around 2% to 2.5% per month. For a wireline company with 5 million customers, that means an estimated 1.32 million people and $2 billion in revenue walk out the door each year.
We see five common fallacies about churn that hinder breakout performance.
Fallacy 1: One or two poor episodes cause churn
Competitors' promotional offers do sometimes lure customers to switch, but it's typically after a long period of eroding trust, which results from a series of misadventures ranging from a poor installation to spotty network performance to a faulty bill.
To counteract churn journeys in progress, some companies are experimenting with event-triggered service escalation. For example, multiple trouble calls within a week trigger an outbound service call from an elite troubleshooting unit, which has the authority to schedule an immediate service visit if the problem can't be resolved quickly over the phone.
Fallacy 2: Intervention at any point can save the day
After a few negative episodes, it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to intervene successfully. It's futile to make an offer of expanded services or lower prices in an effort to "save" the customer at the moment the customer is attempting to quit. These bribes sometimes avert defection in the moment, but they're ineffective and costly over the longer term.
Fixing the problem early on, or taking time to create a great initial experience, goes a long way toward building equity with customers. Verizon, for instance, has learned that the installation of its FiOS package in the home is a moment of truth. Instead of taking the standard approach of doing the installation as fast as possible, Verizon's well-trained staff often spend four to six hours in a customer's home, running through how the system works and making sure that every application is functioning well. That makes the experience memorable for the customer and also sets up Verizon for fewer technical troubles later on.
Fallacy 3: One silver bullet will stop churn
Given that churn results from a chain of episodes, the chain is only as strong as its weak links. Fixing one link at a time merely extends the time it takes to see results. Instead, it pays to attack on multiple fronts, after teasing out the root causes of a problem. This starts by soliciting customer feedback about all of the important episodes they experience and cataloging any problems by type and frequency. The company can then take remedial actions, which help turn customers into loyal promoters.
One provider we worked with had been focusing its churn-reduction efforts on back-end saves and price concessions. After it started to solicit customer feedback and analyze the root causes of dissatisfaction, the provider uncovered issues with product performance, which it traced back to a lack of investment in the network. Using that information, the company then doubled down on investing in repair and maintenance of its physical plant.
Fallacy 4: Satisfying customers is good enough