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JAMMU, India (Reuters) - India accused old enemy Pakistan of sending troops across the heavily militarized line dividing the disputed region of Kashmir on Tuesday, and said two of its soldiers were killed and one wounded in a gunfight.
The body of one of the soldiers was found "badly mutilated" in a forested area of the Himalayan territory on the side controlled by India, said Rajesh K. Kalia, spokesman for the Indian army's Northern Command.
The army said in a separate incident later in the day both sides shot at each other for more than an hour across the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir. After that more shots were fired over the line from Pakistan, with no more casualties or injuries, the army said.
A Pakistani army spokesman denied what he said were Indian allegations of "unprovoked firing".
He branded India's allegations "propaganda" to divert attention away from a clash along the line two days earlier in which Pakistan had said one of its soldiers was killed after an Indian incursion. India denied its troops crossed over.
India considers the entire region of snow-capped mountains and fertile valleys an integral part of its territory. Pakistan contests that and demands implementation of a 1948 U.N. Security Council resolution for a plebiscite to determine the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947, two of them over Kashmir.
"The government of India considers the incident as a provocative action and we condemn it," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"The government will take up the incident with the Pakistan Government. We expect Islamabad to honor the ceasefire agreement strictly," the ministry said.
Firing and small skirmishes between the two countries are common along the LoC despite a ceasefire and slowly improving ties. The Indian army says eight of its soldiers were killed in 2012, in 75 incidents.
Away from the border, ties seem to be better. Pakistan's cricket team completed a two-week tour of India on Sunday, the first time it has visited in five years.
Kalia said Tuesday's "intrusion" about 600 meters across the LoC in Mendhar - about 220 km (140 miles) north of the Indian city of Jammu - marked "a significant escalation ... of ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts supported by the Pakistan Army".
"Pakistan army troops, having taken advantage of thick fog and mist in the forested area, were moving towards (their) own posts when an alert area domination patrol spotted and engaged the intruders," he said.
"The firefight between Pakistan and own troops continued for approximately half an hour, after which the intruders retreated back towards their side of the Line of Control."
He said India would take up the issue with Pakistan at a military flag meeting and also at a diplomatic level.
In 1999, Pakistan-backed Islamist infiltrators occupied the Kargil heights in the north of Indian Kashmir, and India lost hundreds of troops before re-occupying the mountains after bitter fighting that almost triggered a fourth war.
Indian military officials say the frequency of cross-border clashes has increased in recent weeks, with at least half a dozen ceasefire violations over the past week alone.
"I would say generally the picture has been a bit bleak," said Uday Bhaskar, an Indian military commentator and former director of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, referring to relations between India and Pakistan.
"This incident only reiterates a certain pattern as far as the bilateral relationship is concerned."
He cited an apparent slowdown in Islamabad's commitment to granting India most-favored-nation trading status and a visit in December to India by an adviser to Pakistan's prime minister whose comments infuriated the Indian government.
Writing by John Chalmers; Additional reporting by Matthias Williams; and by Katharine Houreld in Islamabad; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Alison Williams

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday, March 7, 2019 - 10:00am to 11:00am
Library Playgroup is for ages 0-5 years old and their caregivers. We meet on Mondays and Thursdays from 10-11 am in the Gertrude Scott Meeting Room. We provide books, music and toys for a social hour for parents, caregivers and their children to hang out and play, socialize with other parents, and enjoy some non structured time together. Once a month we try and bring in a special visitor to discuss current child development topics for a few minutes. Don't forget to visit one of our many storytimes you can find on our Event Calendar.
Library Gertrude Scott Room
Claudeth Castellanos
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by MICHAEL CARUSO
It was a busy musical weekend that enabled me to take in three concerts that spanned the gamut of the standard repertoire. The Buxtehude Consort came to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Chestnut Hill, Saturday night, April 14, and reached back to the beginnings of the classical canon in its program of "Passion Music of the Baroque." The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia continued the trajectory through the classical and romantic periods in its pair of performances in the Kimmel Center's intimate Perelman Theater, while the Philadelphia Orchestra propelled the continuum from the early romantics into the 20th century with its trio of concerts in the vastly improved Verizon Hall.
The Buxtehude Consort, founded and directed by baritone John Fowler, is in residence in St. Paul's Church and has given several fine performances there and in center city this season. Saturday evening's program consisted of six vocal works plus one purely instrumental selection from the late 17th and early 18th centuries in Germany. All seven works were intended by their composers to be performed during the time leading up to and throughout Holy Week between Palm Sunday and Easter. The tone of the music and its rendition was somber but not lugubrious, serious yet not pedantic. Fowler and his colleagues chose well their roster of pieces.
Alongside Fowler, the Consort included soprano Clara Rottsolk, mezzo Jenifer Smith, violinists Daniel Elyar and Marikal Holmqvist, cellist Katie Rietman, theorboist Kevin Payne and organist Parker Kitterman.
The concert opened with Georg Philipp Telemann's "Ich will den Kreuzweg gerne gehen" featuring Fowler and the period instruments complement. Fowler was especially effective projecting the mournful yet lyrical mood of the music, and the instrumental accompaniment was played sensitively.
The Telemann was followed by Dietrich Buxtehude's "Herr, wenn ich nur dich habe" with Rottsolk and the ensemble. She offered a clear yet creamy tone supported by excellent breath control and a dazzling command over historical stylistic authenticity.
Violinist Holmqvist was mightily impressive in Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's "Crucifixion" movement from the "Mystery Sonatas." The piece is something of a series of variations constructed in the form of an ever-building crescendo, and she achieved a stunning cumulative triumph at the score's climax.
There was a time when the standard repertoire barely ventured before Haydn and certainly never before Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. Ensembles such as the Buxtehude Consort have worked hard assuring audiences that there is a cornucopia of treasures in the 17th century.
The weekend programs of both the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia followed the traditional overture-concerto-symphony format. For the Philadelphians, it was Mendelssohn's "Hebrides" Overture, Bartok's "Piano Concerto No. 2" and Stravinsky's symphonic "Petrushka;" for the Chamber Orchestra, it was Sibelius' "Valse triste," Schumann's "Cello concerto" and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 7." Somewhat surprisingly, it was the Chamber Orchestra's efforts that were the more satisfying.
Of particular distinction was conductor Dirk Brosse's take on Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and how different it sounds when played by a smaller ensemble (than say, the Philadelphia Orchestra) in a smaller hall (such as Verizon Hall). Brosse and his musicians caught the tart timbres, scintillating rhythms and thematic invention of this now two-centuries-old masterpiece, making it sound as if it were newly conceived.
Curtis alumna Sara Sant'Ambrogio was the soloist in Schumann's "Cello Concerto." Her playing was compelling but not especially warming. Brosse led a lovely, lilting rendition of Sibelius' "Valse triste" to open the concert and prefaced the Beethoven with a short concert excerpt from a film score composed by Japan's Yuko Uebeyashi that was absolutely delightful.
Rounding out the weekend's survey of the standard repertoire, the Hungarian Gilbert Varga guest-conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Mendelssohn-Bartok-Stravinsky. The affair didn't look all that convincing on paper; unfortunately it was even less so in concert.
Varga took the slowest tempo for Mendelssohn's "Hebrides" Overture I've ever heard in concert. His interpretation was tepid, and the playing it elicited was flaccid.
John Romeri will conduct the debut concert of the Archdiocesan Choir at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 22, in the Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter & Paul on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The new choir combines singers from the Cathedral's resident choir with singers drawn from 40 Catholic parishes across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The program's featured work is Mozart's "Coronation" Mass, along with other pieces of sacred choral music by Handel and Beethoven. Among those accompanying the choir will be archdiocesan organist Zachary Hemenway, music director of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill.
For more information, call 215-587-3696 or visit www.CathedralPhilaConcerts.org.


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I think in some areas home prices are still going to go down. Like Phoenix and Vegas but a lot places the home prices ares staying about the same. I invest in real estate and I have been fortunate the values of my rental homes have not dropped and I don't expect them to drop much.
Will house prices keep dropping?
I don't think much of the "buy low, sell high" model for house purchases. I think a house should be purchased as a place to live, in which case the main questions are whether you want to live there and whether you can afford it, not whether prices have hit bottom. Still, it's a question of interest to a lot of people, so I've been meaning to write an article on the topic. Happily, Vladimir Klyuev, an economist with the International Monetary Fund, has written it, so I don't have to.
There are a lot of ways to look at what the "right" level is for house prices. In the IMF Working Paper What Goes Up Must Come Down? House Price Dynamics in the United States, Klyuev looks at two of them: the supply and demand fundamentals, and an asset-market perspective.
It's worth reading the paper, but I think you can get most of the story from just this one graph:
The red line is the real (i.e. inflation-adjusted) cost of rent. The blue line is the real home price. If we can expect the costs of houses and of rent to return to roughly the same relationship that they had between 1970 and 2000--and I think we can--then it looks to me like house prices still have a long way to fall.
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Fortunately, most of the prices that are dropping are those in the areas that were already the most inflated.
There are two ways that average house prices and rents could come back together. Sure, everyone seems to think it's a free-fall of housing prices; however, with general inflation on the rise it's also very possible that much of the lost ground will be made up by a rise in rents, which have been stagnant for far too long.
The paper does go into regional differences, some. It suggests that the gap in the Midwest is pretty small, but that the Northeast, South, and West are all still 20% or more overvalued.
One other topic that the paper deals with is the possibility that falling house prices will overshoot to the downside. That's entirely possible, especially if credit markets become even more seized up. We could get into a scenario where nobody can buy, except those who can pay cash. If that happens, I could see prices getting as much undervalued as they were overvalued--which is exactly the situation where buying a house because you want to live in it becomes a superb investment strategy.
Prices have room to fall further when measured by rent. This is especially true in areas that have seen rampant price inflation in housing over the last few years. It is also typical after times of irrational exuberance we not only revert to the norm, but overshoot it to the downside for awhile.
A good way to measure whether home prices are out-of-whack is to use the GMR number (GROSS MONTHLY RENT). Normally the number investors use is a multiple of about 120 times the monthly rent. So, if a house could rent for $1000 per month, the house would be worth $120,000.
All markets move in cycles, this is natural. However, government intervention distorted this last real estate cycle, contributed mightily in making a bubble and delayed the day of reckoning. I expect the downturn to be worse and more prolonged than it might have been.
I rent. Sold property early in the bubble (way too early as it turns out) and I'd really like to get a home for my family and myself. So, I view this as an opportunity.
In two or three more years.
I am in Austin, TX, and fortunately home prices have seemed to stay pretty stable. And in some cases are going up. I think it is because we have such a demand here and so many people are moving here.
...based upon data from Harvard. You can see it and the associated chart here:
According to the chart, you can infer that the hardest hit areas of So Cal were overvalued at the height by a factor of 2.5 or 3...
I'm looking forward to buying a home soon and it doesn't matter to me whether the prices will come down, since I don't plan to move or refinance anytime soon. That said, if they come down before I buy, great! If they don't, well, those are the breaks.
- I believe there is a natural limit on both house prices and rent.
- The income of a married couple, with good credit, will limit the rent/house prices in a given area. The area being defined by the driving distances to/from work.
- The sub-prime mess was an attempt by the banks and other creditors to get around this limit in order to push up real estate prices. Bankers/Creditors willingly chose to redefine the term "good credit" and hide the risk.
- I don't foresee marriages with more than 2 partners. IMHO, multiple families in one house is a niche, also.
- Rest assured, the bankers/creditors will try to find other ways to get around this limit, and probably make more messes like the sub-prime one. Furthermore, they will provide MOC campaign contributions to limit their responsibility for the consequences, again.
- Frugality is advisable.
During the housing boom, people were buying and flipping like crazy. Then it busted. The house across from me was bought and sold 3 times in 3 years. big profit but the last buyer got stuck with it and no one has live in it for over 7 years.


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Editor's note: Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist, is vice chair for voter registration and participation at the Democratic National Committee, a nationally syndicated columnist and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She was the campaign manager for the Al Gore-Joe Lieberman ticket in 2000 and wrote "Cooking With Grease."
(CNN) -- "Comprehensive health insurance is an idea whose time has come in America. There has long been a need to assure every American financial access to high quality health care. As medical costs go up, that need grows more pressing." -- Republican President Nixon's special message to Congress proposing a "Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan," February 6, 1974
Back then, it was Democrats who didn't think Nixon's proposal did enough. Today, when the need for reform is so pressing that it's literally killing people, it's Republicans and the insurance industry who think that.
The story of the battle for health reform shares some themes with the title of the seminal spaghetti western film "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" released seven years before Nixon proposed his health plan.
There's not much good to be said about the Republicans' ugly commitment to failure and obstruction during the past year. As a tactic to delay a vote on health reform, Republicans even went so far as to try to filibuster money needed to pay for American soldiers in harm's way.
Ed Rollins: Harry Reid playing Santa with your money
Republicans showed their true colors on that one. It just doesn't get badder -- or uglier. They don't care about the thousands who die every year because they lack proper health care. They don't care about the millions who live in fear every day because they lack health insurance. And they obviously don't care about giving our troops the funding they need. What they do care about is cheap political gain.
Democrats cannot let Republicans get away with such brazen and irresponsible games. Democrats must regain control of this debate, show the leadership that earned them 60 seats in the Senate and prove that they can fulfill our country's promise. To not assume this responsibility spells one thing in 2010: d-e-f-e-a-t.
Luckily defeat, for Democrats and health care reform alike, is not inevitable, as the Senate showed in passing a bill Thursday. Indeed, at this point, it's not even likely. The Democrats' health care reform bill has much good to offer:
• Your choice of doctors will be protected and insurers will be prohibited from requiring prior authorization before a woman sees her OB/GYN.
• Insurance companies can no longer drop your coverage once you get sick.
• Dependents up to the age of 26 will be able to receive coverage on their parents' policy and your children, 18 and younger, can no longer be excluded for pre-existing conditions.
• Insurance companies will cover preventive services and immunizations without co-pays.
• You will have access to emergency care, in or out of network, without additional cost sharing.
• Insurance companies will be barred from limiting lifetime benefits and will face strict restrictions on annual limits.
• Affordable insurance will be made available if you have been uninsured or have been denied coverage because you have a pre-existing condition.
• Small businesses will be eligible for tax credits to help them afford the cost of providing insurance to their employees.
Granted, the whole topic is complicated, but when you break it all down and explain to folks what health reform means, they support it. Today, 40 percent of Americans are either worried about being able to afford routine care or pay for their prescriptions. And, according to a recent report by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, despite all of the myths, scare tactics and half-truths being spread by Republicans and special-interest groups, four out of five people know that fixing health care is key to getting our economy back on track.
The time for health reform is now. Democrats -- and that means all of you in Congress and the White House -- must not squander this moment. Don't get lazy and think that the good in health reform is good enough. It's not.
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter: Senate bill isn't health reform
It's your moment to stand together as one and deliver real reform to the American people. They deserve your leadership. They deserve your best. And that means making these good bills even better.
Sen. Ted Kennedy, even while undergoing cancer treatments in Massachusetts, fought for universal health care coverage, which the 47-year Senate veteran called "the cause" of his life. We must pick up the mantle. We must fight to provide health care for all Americans.
I do not accept that history has already been written and this is what we got. Congress can do better. Congress must do better.
Congress can offer universal health care coverage by giving people an alternative to the private health insurance market. In a nutshell, give people the choice of a public health insurance option like Medicare. According to government and academic research, Medicare is less expensive and more effective than private plans. For example, only 2 percent of Medicare goes to overhead while private insurers typically spend 25 percent to 27 percent for overhead and profit.
A public health insurance option like Medicare will ensure that insurance companies no longer control patients' health care decisions. It will ensure that people can truly afford the care they need. And it will ensure that we pay for it responsibly while not adding to working people's burden.
As Kennedy, the "Lion of the Senate" once so eloquently told us, "for all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile.


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Express Yourself. Register and Vote! PSAs (20 seconds)
One of three PSAs encouraging viewers to Register, Vote and Be Heard. These PSAs are part of the Freedom of Expression through Film campaign, a public awareness effort dedicated to voter education and self expression. Featuring Oscar® nominated actress Virginia Madsen, the campaign aims to encourage women to express themselves in life, politics and beauty – specifically by voting for what they believe in and taking care of their health and skin.


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The Corman mss. consist of letters, December 14, 1949- November 22, 1955, from Robert Creeley, 1926- , poet, to Sidney Corman, 1924?- , editor of the little magazine, Origin, 1951- and author.
The letters relate to poetry in general; to Creeley's writings; to the writings of other American and European authors, with particular attention to T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams; to little magazines, especially to one which Creeley unsuccessfully attempted to start and to Origin; and to Creeley's personal affairs.
Creeley's letters were written from Littleton, New Hampshire, until Apr. 24, 1951; from Fontrousse, Bouches du Rhone, France, from Apr. 26, 1951 to Apr. 27, 1952; from Lambesc, Bouches du Rhone, France, from May 2 to Oct. 9, 1952; and from Mallorca, Spain, from Nov. 4, 1952 to Nov. 22, 1955.
Many of the letters are undated but are accompanied by covers. Dating has been based on the postmarks of these covers with a perpetual calendar being used to fix the exact date of writing of those letters which carry a day of the week.
Poems or prose essays of Paul Blackburn, Sidney Corman, Robert Creeley, Frederico Garcia Lorca (translated by Sidney Corman), Rainer Gerhardt, and Charles Olson are enclosed with some of the letters.
Collection size: 354 items
Related manuscripts: Corman mss. II, Corman mss. III, Corman mss. IV, Corman mss. V, Corman mss. VI


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Investor releases
UBS reports second quarter net profit of CHF 1,639 million
UBS reports net profit of CHF 1,639 million for second quarter 2003 and CHF 2,853 million for the first half of the year. Before goodwill amortization, net profit in second quarter was up 15% from a year earlier and 29% from first quarter. Positive market developments boosted revenues and profitability in all businesses.
Download Media Release
UBS reports net profit of CHF 1,639 million for second quarter 2003 and CHF 2,853 million for the first half of the year. This includes an after-tax gain of CHF 2 million from the sale of the US clearing business Correspondent Services Corporation (CSC)* to Fidelity. Adjusted for the gain and before goodwill amortization, second quarter net profit was CHF 1,875 million -- up 15% from a year earlier and 29% higher than first quarter.
"The gradual recovery of market activity and improved investor sentiment provided us with excellent opportunities -- and across our businesses, we clearly captured them," said Peter Wuffli, President of the Group Executive Board.
Net new money results remained strong with a total net inflow of CHF 14.4 billion. Global Asset Management reported inflows of CHF 2.4 billion, mainly into high-margin asset classes. The Wealth Management businesses had total net inflows of CHF 10.4 billion. UBS attracted a record CHF 3.3 billion in new client assets from its initiative targeting European domestic markets. In the US market, it achieved net inflows of CHF 3.9 billion, outperforming its peers in the private client market.
Revenues rose compared to first quarter in all of UBS's businesses. Individual and institutional clients transacted more as uncertainties subsided. The Investment Bank benefited from increased levels of activity in equity markets and was again able to post excellent fixed income results.
Compared to second quarter a year ago, UBS's total operating income was up 1%, although it was down 1% if the sale of CSC1 is excluded. While markets rose this quarter, they have not recovered to the levels seen a year ago, keeping asset-based fees below those recorded then. On the positive side, income benefited from record underwriting fees, thanks to increasing demand for equity issuance, as well as a further decline in private equity writedowns.
UBS continued to maintain its strong grip on costs. The cost/income ratio was 74.7%. Before goodwill and excluding the sale of CSC it was 73.4%, its lowest level since late 2000, reflecting particularly impressive efficiency improvements in the Swiss domestic and US wealth management businesses. Operating expenses fell 7% from second quarter 2002, with a 12% drop in general and administrative expenses, thanks to cost-cutting efforts across all businesses.
Headcount, at 66,973 on 30 June 2003, was 4% lower than a year earlier. While UBS has been able to avoid major job cut programs during the difficult environment of the last two years, it has gradually reduced headcount, benefiting from productivity gains while tailoring capacity to the market situation.
The international and Swiss credit portfolios remained resilient in second quarter. UBS realized an aggregate recovery of loan loss provisions of CHF 24 million this quarter, compared to a net credit loss expense of CHF 104 million in first quarter and CHF 37 million in second quarter 2002. This positive development was largely due to a high level of recoveries in the Swiss lending business, which also saw a continuing low level of new impairments. Credit loss expense in the Investment Bank, at CHF 41 million, remained almost unchanged from first quarter.
Single brand successfully introduced
On 9 June, UBS was adopted as the single brand for all major businesses around the world. The move was successfully executed and supported by a global advertising campaign as well as wide-ranging client and internal communication initiatives. In the US - the market most affected by the new brand strategy - these efforts significantly improved awareness for the UBS brand. Between February and June of this year, the proportion of US private clients who felt familiar with UBS as a firm went from less than half to 85%. Moreover, their opinion of UBS has risen significantly and is now highly favourable.
Outlook 2003
Second quarter saw the coincidence of near perfect fixed income trading conditions and a relatively rapid rise in equity markets. This degree of alignment of major markets is unusual, and as fixed income returns gradually normalize, a one-for-one hand-off to recovering equity-driven business cannot necessarily be expected. Additionally, considering the normal seasonal pattern in capital markets activity, it should be no surprise if revenues dip somewhat over the remainder of the year.
"We do believe that the downward pressure on our industry from the business and market environment is easing, and that the worst is behind us. However, as three months ago, our optimism is tinged with caution: investors remain concerned about future economic prospects and confidence in the financial markets has not yet been fully restored," Peter Wuffli said. "But disciplined cost and capital management, along with a competitive position that enables us to boost revenues whenever markets allow, give us a sense of confidence that we can continue to deliver first-class shareholder returns."
Financial ratios as reported
Annualized return on equity in first half 2003 was 15.7%, compared to 12.8% a year earlier. Basic earnings per share were CHF 1.44 in second quarter, against CHF 1.09 in the same quarter a year earlier. The cost/income ratio was 74.7% in second quarter 2003, down from 80.3% a year ago.
Performance against UBS financial targets
(pre-goodwill and adjusted for significant financial events**)
UBS sets its financial targets and evaluates performance in terms of adjusted results, excluding significant financial events ** and the amortization of goodwill and other intangibles.
On that basis, UBS's performance against financial targets shows:
Annualized return on equity in first half 2003 was 18.3%, up from 15.6% a year ago and well within the target range of 15-20%. This reflects higher returns combined with a significantly lower average level of equity due to the continued buyback of shares, either for cancellation or for use in employee compensation programs.
Basic earnings per share in second quarter 2003 were CHF 1.65, 24% higher than CHF 1.33 in the same quarter last year and at the highest level since third quarter 2000, driven by the same factors as return on equity. Without the second trading line buyback programs in place since 2000, earnings per share would have been 13% lower this quarter.
The cost/income ratio this quarter was 73.4%, a decrease from 77.0% in second quarter last year and the lowest since the merger with PaineWebber.
Further information
Full Media Release:
Quarterly results
Further information on UBS's quarterly results is available in the Investors & Analysts section.
Further information:
2Q2003 Report (pdf and interactive version)
2Q2003 Results slide presentation
Letter to shareholders (English, German, French and Italian)
Webcast: The results presentation by Peter Wuffli, President of the Group Executive Board, UBS AG, will be webcast live via www.ubs.com at the following time on 13 August 2003:
Webcast playback will be available from 1400 CET on 13 August, with a bookmarked version at 1800 CET the same day.
Zurich / Basel, 13 August 2003


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A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose.A dance studio normally includes a smooth floor covering or, if used for tap dancing, by a hardwood floor. The smooth vinyl floor covering, also known as a performance surface and commonly called "marley", is generally not affixed permanently to the underlying floor and can be rolled up and transported to performance venues if needed.
Evolve Pole Dance Studio
Millennium Dance Complex
By Your Side Dance Studio
International Dance Academy Hollywood (IDA)
Pacific Arts Center And Dance Studios
Dance Studio No 1
Studio A Dance
The Westmor Dance Studios
Gotta Dance Studio
Degas Dance Studio
LA Star Dance
Rouhi Dance Studio
Dance Forever Studio
John Cassese The Dance Doctor
Evolution Studios
Bloom School of Music and Dance
Hollywood Dance Center
DB Dance Studio
MNR Dance Factory
Karavan Dance Studio
Accent Dance Studio
Allure Dance & Fitness Studio
Your Neighborhood Studio Downtown L.A.
Crenshaw Yoga & Dance
3rd Street Dance
Dynamic Duo Dance Studio
Your Neighborhood Studio
California Dance Academy
Pointe by Pointe Dance Studio
Aly's Dance Studio
Star Dance Studio
NorthStar Ballroom Dance Studio
Balliamos Dance Studio
Garri Dance Studio
Stardance Studio
LA Dancefit Studio
Dance Dance Dance Studio
Xclusive Dance Studio
Pasadena Academy of Music and Dance
Blackbird Dance Company
Ciara Dance Studio
Releve Studios
Liv Art Dance Studio
Helen's Dance Studio
California DanceArts & California Contemporary Ballet
The Tango Room Dance Center
Fox Studio of Dance & Gymnastics
Time4Class Dance & Fitness Studio
Edge Performing Arts Center
Arthur Murray Dance Studio
West Adams Studios
Karina Smirnoff Dance Studio
Fusion Studios
Miss Melodee Studios
Unos Dance & Performing Arts
On The Edge Dance Studio
A Private Studio of Dance
Metamorphosis Mind Body & Pole
Amy Lawrence Ballroom Dance
In many cases the floor is sprung, meaning the construction of the floor provides a degree of flexibility to absorb the impact of intensive dance exercise, such as jumping. This is considered vital to promote good health and safety.


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A special 300th anniversary book will be published in honor of Dighton's Tricentennial, and the committee putting the book together is looking for the community's help.
A special 300th anniversary book will be published in honor of Dighton's Tricentennial, and the committee putting the book together is looking for the community's help.
The book will continue what was started with a 250th anniversary book published in 1962 that looked at Dighton's founding through its first 250 years of history.
"We're really going to focus on the last 50 years," said Nancy Goulart, Chair of the Tricentennial Committee's 300th Anniversary Book Subcommittee.
For now, the committee is looking for volunteers in the community to assist with putting the book together.
"What we're going to do is we're putting together a group of people who are willing to do research," Goulart said. "Even if it's only an hour or two, we need people who are willing to sit down and read town reports and take notes."
"No one is going to be burdened," she added.
Additionally, Goulart said the committee is looking for people with old photographs of memorable events in Dighton, stories to share that may not have become public record and any other information or memories that residents think should be included in the book.
"The whole point is we want this to be a town project. We want this to be interesting, but I think we're going to find that it's going to be fun," Goulart said.
During the town's 250th celebrations, a similar book was published that tried to capture both the history of Dighton and the moment that was the 250th anniversary. Goulart said she hopes this book will provide a similar picture of life in Dighton from 1962 to 2012 that residents at the 350th anniversary and beyond will be able to look back on.
"The more I thought of this, I thought we should really do this because none of us are going to be around (for the 350th) except for the young ones," Goulart said.
Some of the key issues and events that have happened in town since 1962,which the committee hopes will be covered in the book, are the new schools and renovations, the Dighton Middle School fire in 1991, the growth of sports teams and complexes, the growth of Eagle Scout projects, the Cow Chip Festival, the Arts Festival, the Vietnam War, the Veteran's Memorial Park, the first Gulf War, 9/11 and its aftermath, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the waterfront, the closing of ICI/Zeneca and Raytheon, churches that have opened and closed and Bristol County Agricultural High School's 100th anniversarym which is happening this year.
"There's a lot of events and things that have happened that we want to include in the book," Goulart said.
The committee has also had photographers at all of the town's Tricentennial events this year to capture images for the book and any resident with photographs is welcome to submit them.
Goulart said she already has volunteers as young as middle school students and has reached out to a number of local businesses and organizations for assistance. The committee is also looking for monetary donations to help offset the cost of publishing the book.
Goulart said she hopes the book will be published by the end of the year, but some Tricentennial events planned at year's end may delay publications.
"We want to get the word out," Goulart said.
Anyone interested in contributing to the book in any way — whether it be volunteering for research, sharing memories and photographs or donating — can either contact Goulart at firstname.lastname@example.com or through a mailbox for the 300th Anniversary Book Subcommittee setup at the Town Hall.


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President Barack Obama will return to Silicon Valley next month for a fundraiser to benefit the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, only two and half months after his last visit.
Tickets for the July 23 event at the Los Altos Hills home of real estate developer and Democratic benefactor George Marcus start at $10,000 per person, including a photo opportunity and lunch, or $32,400 per couple, including a VIP photo opportunity and lunch.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel, D-N.Y., and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, also are scheduled to attend.
Obama headlined two Democratic National Committee fundraisers May 8 in Los Altos and San Jose. Last year, he was in the Bay Area for Democratic fundraisers in April, June and November.
This will be the president's eighth fundraiser this year specifically on behalf of House Democrats. Past events have been in Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Maryland, Minneapolis and Dallas.
The most recent Federal Election Commission reports show the DCCC has out-raised the National Republican Congressional Committee by $20.8 million in this 2013-14 election cycle and had $11.5 million more cash on hand.
Josh Richman covers politics. Contact him at 510-208-6428. Follow him at Twitter.com/josh_richman. Read the Political Blotter at IBAbuzz.com/politics.


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Valentine's Day Treat Inspiration from Ohdeedoh
We're always inspired by the beautiful parties featured over at Ohdeedoh. They're special because of their decor, their little party-goers, and not least of all: their treats. Here, we've rounded up a few particularly inspiring party treats from Ohdeedoh that might just inspire you for Valentine's Day:
- My Party: Claire Who says love has to be red and pink? Here, it comes in all shades of yellow.
- My Party: Vinícius A table full of treats, including lots of chocolate in the form of cake, truffles, and cupcakes.
- My Party: Scarlett Apples make healthy favors instead of more sugary treats.
- My Party: Emme What's better than chocolate cake? Chocolate cake with cookies on top!
- My Party: Lilla Pretty paper wraps dress up these cupcakes.
- My Party: Ellie Pink macaroons are perfect for a little girl's party or Valentine's Day.
- My Party: Tama Trays and jars of candies show off their color for a delicious and eye-catching display.
- My Party: Chloe Pretty cupcakes get the attention they deserve when served on a stand.
(Thanks, Ohdeedoh!)
Related: Meri Meri Valentine Cupcake Set
(Images: See posts linked above for full image credits.)


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April 3rd 2012."The route to Angels Landing involves travel along a steep, narrow ridge with support chains anchored intermittently along the route. Footing can be slippery even when the rock is dry. Unevenly surfaced steps are cut into the rock with major cliff dropoffs adjacent. Keep off when it is wet, icy or thunderstorms are in the area. Plan to be off before dark. Younger children should skip this trail; older children must be closely supervised."
Many panoramas of Zion National Park's trails, views, canyons, and peaks. Zion National Park is known for it large exposure of the Navajo sandstone's steep red walled cliffs and world classic canyons and canyoneering routes.


text:
BBC News
- Measles: Half a million UK children missed vaccine
- Knife crime offences at record level in 2018, crime data shows
- 'End pensioner benefits to help the young'
- Sainsbury's-Asda merger blocked by regulator
- David McGreavy: Mum fears seeing triple child killer
- Third man arrested over Carlisle shed slave probe
- Girls in gangs 'failed by authorities'
- Extinction Rebellion: Climate activists block London Stock Exchange
- Mo Farah & Haile Gebrselassie in dispute over alleged theft
- Liverpool domestic abuser broke woman's bones
- Colchester council candidate punched while leafleting
- RSPCA rescues 4,000 exotic pets in one year
- Sri Lanka attacks: Son wants to 'bring mum home'
- Girls 'carry weapons for boyfriends'
- Manchester United v Manchester City: Fans' dilemmas
- How virtual reality may help Grenfell survivors 'let go of emotions'
- Teenagers who translate for their parents
- Teenage albino model: 'I'm thankful for my skin tone'
- Grays scrapyard fire creates huge plume of smoke
- BBC News Channel
- Prince William given Maori greeting in New Zealand
- 'Midsomer town' red plaques scheme rejected
- Newspaper headlines: Scrap 'pensioner perks' and secret talks leak
- The teachers live streaming bedtime stories
- Archibald Leitch: The man who survived disaster to build football
- How much screen time should children be allowed?
- 2019 European elections: A party-by-party UK guide
- Cyclist's appeal after thief thwarts sixth round-the-world attempt
- James Bond: What to expect from Bond 25 announcement
- Why your car might be covered in red dust
- Donald Trump state visit to UK: What can we expect?
- Will indyref2 happen before May 2021?
- The Lego bricks designed for children with sight loss
- Wanted: New Bank of England boss
- Extinction Rebellion: How might ministers win over the protesters?
- How did the qwerty keyboard become so popular?
Local Pubs in TASBURGH:
BeerInTheEvening.com search for pubs in TASBURGH
TheGoodPubGuide.co.uk search for pubs in TASBURGH


text:
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text:
My birthday's gift to you? Getting personal–one day early.
Each time I've thought of this coming birthday, I have heard Meg Ryan's immortal lines:
"And I'm gonna be forty!" "When?" asks Harry. "Some day," Sally adds weakly. "In eight years!" Harry reasons. "Yes, but it's just sitting there like this big dead end. . . ."
As with many of my favorite movies, and even ones I don't like much, I occasionally hear these movie lines from When Harry Met Sally running through my head as I go about my day. These days, this particular record is broken.
Sally wants a family and has just learned that her several months' ex-boyfriend Joe is engaged. Harry has gone to her place to comfort her. She's crying rather hysterically, having shown no signs of grief post-breakup. Finally, the bubble has burst, and Harry and Sally's friendship takes an irrevocable turn.
What's my point? Lord knows. But isn't that a great scene? More entertaining than I find everyday life, which is probably why I live in the cinematic fantasy world a significant portion of the time. (Don't need the video; it's all memorized.) Besides, the trauma is happening to someone else. I'm comforted, safe, but it also often means the joy and rapture are more likely found elsewhere. What reward without risk?
My eight years have passed, and 32 more besides. That reminds me, I've decided to state my age as "ten and thirty," as in the days of yore. That sounds much more forgiving. Go for it, 60-year-olds! Say, "I am twenty and forty" or "I am twice thirty." Sounds younger. I got this idea from my husband, who is nearly 14 months younger than I. Very thoughtful, Dear.
No, my husband is a hoot and adorable, and my parents, bless them, still vital and being parents. But I currently have no pets or children to look after (besides the backyard birds), which is the most accepted form of daily joy. No little ones to amuse me each day, which is, of course, the primary function of kids. Right, parents? Well, maybe not "primary," but it's mixed in there with all the exhaustion, stress, bewilderment, and worry.
The truth is I'm on the fence about having kids and have been for a while, but the inevitable alarm bells for presumably fertile women go up in volume a few decibels with the introduction of that dreaded digit "4." No more thirties, not that I'll miss the years themselves. No more legitimately falling into the young category. I'm entering that middle zone some refer to as "too young to be old and too old to be young." Sounds like license for a mid-life crisis, for sure.
But it's certainly not a mid-reproductive years crisis. No, if it is a crisis or anything like, it's that we're coming down to the wire. As Sally Albright says after "this big dead end," "and it's not the same for men. Charlie Chaplin had babies when he was 73." Harry replies: "Yeah, but he was too old to pick 'em up." Sally starts to laugh but it returns to sobs.
Generally, women who want children and haven't found a mate by their mid- to late-30s have more cause for mid-life crisis than men do, but science and evolution give us hope for higher numbers of fertile years and higher survival rates amidst high-risk pregnancies and complications of childbirth. Risk is always there, and danger still increases with age, but the 21st century is patient with late bloomers, whereas even as recently as 150 years ago, unmarried women past their twenties were already doomed to spinsterhood.
Risks and rewards come in many forms, and mean different things for different people. We as a society seem to believe we have no right to seek, let alone expect, healthy challenge or happiness in work or marriage itself or travel or the arts, especially not instead of in reproducing. Shouldn't we take growth and joy everywhere we can get them?
You might think it depends on whether you're passive or active in the "getting." Actively seeking seems more honorable somehow, more adult, more enlightened than waiting for manna from heaven, as if we're helpless, inert, ineffectual, and faithfully convinced of it. I.e., sheep.
Two movies intercede here. The Sound of Music and She's Having a Baby, another 80s gem. "The Reverend Mother says you have to look for your life," Maria tells Captain Von Trapp. And: "What I was looking for was not to be found but to be made," says Jefferson Edward ("Jake") Briggs of his wife and newborn son. Love that John Hughes.
Yet, even when we look for and make a life, nothing that results is absolutely great or horrible. Just as important as the issue of seeking actively or passively is to weigh the potential risks and rewards together.
For me, added risks come with carrying and birthing a child. Greatest of these besides age is that, due to inflammatory arthritis, any pregnancy would be considered by clinicians to be "high risk" from the start. I can imagine, have imagined the possible rewards as I watched my friends expand their families and now watch their eldest become teenagers. I've made my mental pros and cons lists and thought about all the right and wrong reasons and good and bad ways to have children. I've assessed our suitableness for parenthood and the question of passing on hereditary health conditions. Most important, after all that careful consideration and consultation, though, is to feel the desire rise above fear and doubt.
But whatever ends up touching us, however strangely or improbably it happens, however deliberately, desperately, or passionately we reach for it, there it is. It can either be good or bad for us, or both. We receive the good with the bad whether or not we want either of them.
The universe presents good, bad, worse, and better to us sometimes as options from an à la carte menu. The tongs grab the casual sex instead of the terrifying emotional chemistry that means risking great loss. Single woman will take slavery to meddling, co-dependent mother with side of slaw, instead of daunting freedom of looking for life, with unsweetened iced tea. But we always get a full plate. Another memorized movie brings the idea to a head:
"I have this theory of convergence that good things always happen with bad things, and I mean, I know you have to deal with them at the same time, but I don't know why . . . . I just wish I could work out some sort of schedule. Am I babbling? Do you know what I mean?"
An enamored Lloyd Dobler replies, "No."
But I got it perfectly! "Diane Court, whoa." Genius of 1988, valedictorian of the class in Say Anything . . . Weren't the 80s golden for rom-coms? She finds love just when her father's life is falling apart. She can't pick and choose. They both descend unbidden, and neither is going away any time soon. So she does the logical thing and pushes away the good out of loyalty to her lying, thieving father.
We do that sometimes—make self-sabotaging choices, afraid of happiness, scared of the sin of it, especially as others suffer, whether we play any role in their suffering or not. It feels wrong to be happy when loved ones are not. Fortunately . . . perhaps, Diane rights herself, rejecting Dad for Lloyd. The ending is open ended.
Love does not guarantee happiness; the opposite is more likely. But that doesn't mean we should shun love. Pain is a powerful teacher. Once in a while, we learn something valuable to apply to the future.
Oh so much wisdom can be found in film. Our movie and TV heroes show us how we stumble and how to recover. They demonstrate how it's done. The best stories at least hint at the fact that it's an ongoing process, until it's not.
If we're lucky, we get to choose to embrace life or embrace death. "Get busy living, or get busy dying," says Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption. Even more fortunate is the blessing of joy in this life. We may make our own happiness. We can certainly try.
Failing that, we can preserve our sense of wonder, mystery, beauty, or hope, even when rapture is out of reach. Even when disability, disease, injury, mistakes, conflict, or loss seems to mock our reaching.
In truth, fortune is fickle, and navigating it takes effort and patience, of initiative and waiting and recovery, and, for some, of praying. It really does seem to be all about the balance.
Whether equilibrium or tipped scales, the balance holds all. A 40-year-old can wobble like a toddler in heart or mind or body. A six-year-old can dispense ancient wisdom effortlessly. A 90-year-old can cut through the bullshit with razor sharpness. Nothing is completely as we might assume. Expect to have your expectations defied.
When you do, the likelihood of it may just increase. Sometimes a taste of the possibilities outside convention opens up the horizon like a star exploding. It's messy, destructive even, but creative, too. We are all more resilient than we suppose, more capable of renewal and starting fresh after a fall or fallout or the numbing effects of time. I must remember this.
I think about death a lot, particularly my own, and not just because it's my birthday. I expect to be struck down at any moment, much of the time. Especially any time I get in a car. I don't really fixate; I just let the thoughts meander through. There's little to stop them. Sometimes, I think I focus on death as a way to force myself to embrace life more vehemently. Losing grandparents, aunts, uncles, former classmates, and friends hasn't done the trick. The terror does not yield to carpe diem, and some darkness lingers.
Losing the dog last February, however, brought new emptiness, which I greedily filled with guilty pleasures and renewed ambitions. Seen another way, I dusted myself off and kept going. However, along with vigorous effort and focus comes not just hope, but expectation.
We have no right to expect positive outcomes just because we are open to them or want them or reach for them or demand them. But while we're here, we might as well try to build and enjoy something that is ours. Few will remember us for long after we're gone, and eons from now, no one will.
Nowadays, almost as much as I think about death, I wonder about having kids, and my husband and I discuss it periodically (no, not monthly). The questions arise, along with the concerns. Answers are few and indefinite. In short, neither desire nor aversion has yet won.
People like to say, "It's never too late," but frankly, for everything, one day it will be. The line cavalierly sanctions procrastination of major life decisions. It's little different from "There's always tomorrow," but that may truly never come, and one day, it just won't. Do now, be now. All we know for sure is now. Do what, you ask? What is most true to yourself. This notion has become a trend and may now be somewhat out of fashion.
I've read my share of self-help books, most before the age of 30, and some have pearls of wisdom I've tucked away. You may know one that says, "Your mission in life is where your deep joy and the world's deep hunger meet." (I won't say which one; I'm promoting movies, not books, today.) In reading these, and favoring this quote, I've trained myself to be alert to my inner truth and its expression, and it seems to be working as I work. I don't seek out those kinds of books anymore; too many better options await my attention.
If we all cop out or settle to some degree and at some point, or even if only most of us do, it's no great tragedy. On the other hand, if we ignore our soul's longing completely, it may not be a mortal sin, but it could become a terminal regret. My fear of regret keeps me asking important questions such as, How can I make the most of my life? What am I meant to do?
Like today, even tomorrow may be nothing but a dream. In that case, I choose to embrace the dream, and the dreams within it. I've made it this far. I survived. I fulfilled the dream of turning 40. It's a milestone, a benchmark, a signpost, a weigh station (I try not to stop at those). As if life is an aging contest or some sort of race to the finish, as if the finish line were not death itself.
Age is a sort of accomplishment in our culture. For people with, say, a terminal illness or violent household, this may well be true. Obviously, war-torn countries are so described because of death and maiming, where celebrating survival may become almost necessity. Still, in places and times of relative peace, we celebrate birthdays from year one forward, and in weeks and months before that. When birthdays are used to celebrate life and becoming, it makes sense to add some hoopla.
Otherwise, encountering another year really isn't much of an achievement. This time, a song borrows the old adage: "Wisdom doesn't follow just because you've aged." Experience doesn't guarantee learning. "Been there, done that" doesn't mean you're really any better off than someone who hasn't. So don't gloat so much, old fogie.
I'm certainly not done yet, not done trying to "fulfill" my "potential." At some point, you've got to deliver, Dodo-head, or find yourself going the way of the dodo. And who would mourn the loss? The inability to evolve, to persevere, maintain a foothold on earth, on behalf of your species? To represent! I always feel that pressure to achieve, to make a difference, to leave a legacy, but with long-term pressure, I risk overcooking.
One side of you is saying, "And so you should." And perhaps: "How selfish of you, how typical, to lament the inevitable passage of time, to make excuses for not using yours wisely. More selfish still, just spending (wasting) the time thinking about it because you 'have the time' to do so." That's my projected criticism from all those busy family people my age who don't have such a "luxury," the disapproval from the other voices in my head.
Why do I choose to look at it this way? Is that motivating? Even with these last quote marks, my defiance comes through. "I am what I am and that's all that I am," says Popeye. It's a defiance to convention, conformity, being ordinary. It's an insistence on forgiving myself for not being perfectly healthy, at my ideal weight, in shape, and bursting with energy while also juggling two jobs, a home, and children. Besides, I do juggle many parts of a busy life.
I defy contempt for privilege, I defy the progressive insistence that moral rightness means impoverishing oneself in the name of equality, and I defy the stigma and misconceptions about writers' and artists' lives. I could do office work, and I have done lots of it. I could do manual labor if I really, really had to, but I don't. Now I work to be an artist, I teach for some income, and, thanks to my husband, I'm not starving. There, I said it.
Of course I would consider writing about, which requires dwelling upon, turning 40. I am a writer. And what's more, a writer in a culture accustomed to celebrating and obsessing about birthdays. I've often thought that I am better suited to life as a free-wheeling scholar from the Age of Enlightenment or something than to traditional, modern-era work. Rather than snub the blessing, I embrace the chance to be just that kind of scholar and writer, while still working toward greater individual contributions to our income.
I usually try to keep my defiance in check in my writing, never wanting to seem too selfish, self-righteous, self-absorbed, too forthright, feminist, emotional, emotionalist, or otherwise stereotypically female, except in jest. But also because I claim a cherished penchant for reason and logic. True, the suppression is a bit neurotic, but, hey, awareness is the first step.
I really like that first step. I walk it all the time. It's an infinite loop, as though I have one leg much shorter than the other and am walking in circles. Selfish –> anxious about it –> neurotic about anxiety –> selfishly neurotic. It's oh so productive.
Suppressing defiance or anger, though, just comes across as being cold, rigid, emotionally distant, or, perhaps worse, dishonest. Unlikely I'm fooling anyone but me.
Defiance leaks out, anyway, eventually, in other contexts, the rest that I have—tutoring, friends, family. I'm human and American. Overall, I like to think my students and loved ones are pleased with me despite my egocentric leanings. (I would say that, wouldn't I?)
Maybe I shouldn't try so hard to defy expectation and to be different. The effort has become its own sort of tedious convention. Those who know me have come to expect it. Who, in the end, is truly 100 percent original? We are creatures of habit, pattern, and imitation. Relax a little when faced with things you really can't change. Do everything in moderation, even moderation. Let loose on occasion. Balance.
And so, I revel in the riches of imagination, in all its forms, mediums, shapes, and colors. "God is in the rain," says Evey Hammond in V for Vendetta. In nature, in reverie, in reflection. That's where God lives for me. Where I can find something of grace, of beauty, of serenity, invigoration, balance. It is my universe. I can touch it, see it, hear it, taste it, examine it, love or hate it, reject or accept it.
We all need ways to shelter ourselves from the certainty of death, at least long enough to invest in our lives and to dream new dreams. The only soul I have to live with is this living, sensing one. I mean to do right by it. Invest in the balance, and then, "wait and hope," as the Count of Monte Cristo says. And smile.
My new dream? Only one of many: the chance to see how I feel about all this at age 50. What of effort, deepest joy, money, ego, pain, employment, God, imagination, kids, limits, convention, neurosis, the world's hunger, potential, balance, or wisdom then? I hope I'll see–and hear those movie lines calling.


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Lighthouse7 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 44 designs submitted by 20 freelance designers.
Clean professional logo for a Young School Program. Using graphic elements of a school building, apple, book, etc.
I need a logo for a School system program. It is going to be for their "Educational and Facilities Plan". Does not need to be very complicated. Just good clean design. It should portray a younger school system. Maybe use an apple and a old style school building, but does not need to be limited to that. That is just a suggestion. It needs to have the letters SJBP in it with the words "Educational & Facilities Plan" underneath. Here is a link to the SJBP letters that need to be incorporated.
- Clean professional logo using elements such as school building, apple, book, etc.
- Use the letters SJBP in the logo (Here is a link to the letters)
- "Educational & Facilities Plan" needs to be under the logo
- Should be able to work in Color and Black and White
- Must be in vector format (Adobe Illustrator Preferred)
- Should be able to work on a large sign and a business card
- It should have a young education fell to it but not look like a child designed it
- Should be more graphical elements and not detailed renderings
- No detailed images, should be more graphical
- No Busy Logos
- No really thin lines
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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- Notepad++ 6.8.6 released Oct 29 2015
- Notepad++ 6.8.5 released Oct 19 2015
- Notepad++ 6.8.4 released Oct 16 2015
- Notepad++ 6.8.3 released Sep 04 2015
- Notepad++ 6.8.2 released Aug 20 2015
- Notepad++ 6.8.1 released Aug 04 2015
- Notepad++ 6.8 released Jul 21 2015
- Notepad++ Community Jun 27 2015
- Notepad++ 184.108.40.206 released Jun 23 2015
- Notepad++ 22.214.171.124 released Jun 21 2015
Notepad++ is a free (as in "free speech" and also as in "free beer") source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GPL License.
Based on the powerful editing component Scintilla, Notepad++ is written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL which ensures a higher execution speed and smaller program size. By optimizing as many routines as possible without losing user friendliness, Notepad++ is trying to reduce the world carbon dioxide emissions. When using less CPU power, the PC can throttle down and reduce power consumption, resulting in a greener environment.
You're encouraged to translate Notepad++ into your native language if there's not already a translation present in the Binary Translations page.
I hope you enjoy Notepad++ as much as I enjoy coding it.


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Kona Inspired Winners Announced
It's our pleasure to announce the seven incredible winners of the 2013 Kona Inspired program, chosen from 45 finalists selected by the triathlon community.
Dean Bullock http://bit.ly/10nHR2j
With three full IRONMAN triathlons, five Boston Marathons and longtime dreams of competing at Kona, Dean Bullock refuses to let brain cancer define him as he strives to prove anything is possible.
Naomi Cermak http://bit.ly/14EkFMN
Last year Naomi Cermak was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma, but won't allow herself to give up the battle in achieving one of her life's dreams: qualify for the IRONMAN World Championship.
Kelly Miyahara http://bit.ly/16Kz8pR
On the day of the 2012 IRONMAN World Championship, Kelly Miyahara's friend and triathlon teammate, Marisela, was killed in a tragic cycling accident while training for her first IRONMAN. Competing in Kona will give Miyahara the opportunity to fulfill Marisela's IRONMAN dream.
Win Charles http://bit.ly/19DCro7
With the help of her cousin, Win Charles dreams of being the first female team with cerebral palsy to complete the IRONMAN World Championship. Her passion for life and love of sports drives her desire to race at Kona and show the world that anyone with a disability can compete.
Lyle Anderson http://bit.ly/15b6Kvu
When diagnosed with multiple sclerosis six years ago, Lyle Anderson felt defeated. After signing up for a triathlon, his determination to conquer the race resulted in finishing the 2012 IRONMAN St. George. Anderson hopes to be an example to others suffering while proving that anything is possible.
Terry Kennedy http://bit.ly/15tY6eb
Terry Kennedy signed up for his first marathon to honor his son born with a brain disorder and father diagnosed with cancer, but days before the race, he suffered a stroke and heart attack. Dedicated to recovery, Kennedy completed an IRONMAN and continues setting big goals: Kona being his biggest.
Nicholas Tierney http://bit.ly/1aZHTRR
In 2012, Tierney and his wife's lives changed when they welcomed their four children, three boys and one girl, into the world. Born at 29 weeks, his quadruplets spent over a month in the NICU and Tierney had to drop out of IRONMAN Wisconsin, but he still dreams of competing in IRONMAN races. Tierney will be raising awareness and funds for the charity Eleonore Rocks which raises money for families of critically ill children.


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Hubble's Photo Contest Selects Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the European Space Agency's Hubble's Hidden Treasures Competition! The Hubble's Hidden Treasures contest asked amateur image processors to select and process a never-before-publicized image from Hubble's archives. Almost 3,000 submissions were received, with over a thousand of these images fully processed, revealing some stunning Hubble imagery.
Ten winners were selected from both the Basic Image Category and the Advanced Image Processing Category, along with a People's Choice winner from each.
Hubble's Photo Contest Selects Winners
Credit: ESA/Hubble (European Southern Observatory)


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How the Media Spreads Fake News | Vanity Fair
Scott Galloway, author of the new book "The Four," joins Nick Bilton, Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair, to explain the future of media and how Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon, grew into such massive companies. He lays out why Facebook is the least likely to survive, and why the other companies that do may end up in a war with the U.S. governments over regulation.
James Fallows + Deborah Fallows on Our Towns at the 2018 National Book Festival
James Fallows and Deborah Fallow discuss Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America at the 2018 National Book Festival.
A vivid, surprising portrait of the civic and economic reinvention taking place in America, town by town and generally out of view of the national media. A realistically positive and provocative view of the country between its coasts.
For the last five years, James and Deborah Fallows have been traveling across America in a single-engine prop airplane. Visiting dozens of towns, they have met hundreds of civic leaders, workers, immigrants, educators, environmentalists, artists, public servants, librarians, business people, city planners, students, and entrepreneurs to take the pulse and understand the prospects of places that usually draw notice only after a disaster or during a political campaign.
The America they saw is acutely conscious of its problems—from economic dislocation to the opioid scourge—but itis also crafting solutions, with a practical-minded determination at dramatic odds with the bitter paralysis of national politics. At times of dysfunction on a national level, reform possibilities have often arisen from the local level. The Fallowses describe America in the middle of one of these creative waves. Their view of the country is as complex and contradictory as America itself, but it also reflects the energy, the generosity and compassion, the dreams, and the determination of many who are in the midst of making things better. Our Towns is the story of their journey—and an account of a country busy remaking itself.
Keisha N. Blain: Set the World on Fire
Keisha N. Blain discusses her book, the first to examine how black nationalist women engaged in national and global politics in the mid twentieth century, with NYU professor Thomas J. Sugrue.
In 1932, Mittie Maude Lena Gordon spoke to a crowd of black Chicagoans at the old Jack Johnson boxing ring, rallying their support for emigration to West Africa. In 1937, Celia Jane Allen traveled to Jim Crow Mississippi to organize rural black workers around black nationalist causes. In the late 1940s, from her home in Kingston, Jamaica, Amy Jacques Garvey launched an extensive letter-writing campaign to defend the Greater Liberia Bill, which would relocate 13 million black Americans to West Africa. Gordon, Allen, and Jacques Garvey—as well as Maymie De Mena, Ethel Collins, Amy Ashwood, and Ethel Waddell—are part of an overlooked and understudied group of black women who take center stage in Set the World on Fire.
Historians of the era generally portray the period between the Garvey movement of the 1920s and the Black Power movement of the 1960s as an era of declining black nationalist activism, but Keisha N. Blain reframes the Great Depression, World War II, and the early Cold War as significant eras of black nationalist—and particularly, black nationalist women's—ferment. In Chicago, Harlem, and the Mississippi Delta, from Britain to Jamaica, these women built alliances with people of color around the globe, agitating for the rights and liberation of black people in the United States and across the African diaspora. As pragmatic activists, they employed multiple protest strategies and tactics, combined numerous religious and political ideologies, and forged unlikely alliances in their struggles for freedom. Drawing on a variety of previously untapped sources, including newspapers, government records, songs, and poetry, Set the World on Fire highlights the flexibility, adaptability, and experimentation of black women leaders who demanded equal recognition and participation in global civil society.
Keisha N. Blain is an award-winning historian who writes on race, politics, and gender. She obtained a PhD in History from Princeton University and currently teaches history at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the author of Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018) and co-editor of Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism and Racial Violence (University of Georgia Press, 2016). Her work has been published in several academic journals such as the Journal of Social History and Souls; and popular outlets including the Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and The Feminist Wire. She is the president of the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) and senior editor of its popular blog, Black Perspectives.
Thomas J. Sugrue is Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis and History, the founding Director of the Collaborative on Global Urbanism, and the Director of the Program in American Studies at New York University. The author of four books and editor of three others, he contributes to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the London Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Nation, and Salon. He is a frequent commentator on modern American history, politics, civil rights, and urban policy. Sugrue has given over 350 public lectures throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Bad Women: a Panel on Writing
What does it means to be a bad woman? Watch Elena Nicolaou who is an entertainment writer at Refinery 29 host a panel consisting of authors: Georgia Clark (The Bucket List), Naima Coster (Halsey Street),Carola Lovering (Tell Me Lies) and Camille Perri (When Katie Met Cassidy) who discuss their flawed fictional heroines in a no-holds-barred literary event. Are women allowed to be more "unlikeable" in fiction or in life? How does it feel to write about women who don't behave or defy expectations?
Parable of Afrofuturism (Feat. The Storyscape) | Read Awakening
From the movie Black Panther to the music of Janelle Monae, Afrofuturism is on a lot of minds this year. Join host Dominique Taylor to explore the literary offerings of Afrofuturism with Rivers Solomon whose book, An Unkindness of Ghosts, you'll want to read.
Dr. Carla Hayden interview at 2018 National Book Festival
Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, talks with host Jeffrey Brown at the 2018 National Book Festival.
Romance… It's Complicated
Sarah MacLean
Marie Force
Julia London
Elizabeth Lim
Moderating the event is Damon Suede.
Glory Edim, author of WELL-READ BLACK GIRL, at the PRH Library BookExpo
Glory Edim, author of WELL-READ BLACK GIRL, speaks at the Penguin Random House Library BookExpo Breakfast, May 2018
Vlog: Man Booker Prize Longlist
There's been lots of talk about the Man Booker longlist this year with a wide range of books, authors and genres generating plenty of debate. Will has a quick rundown of the books that have caught his eye and also mentions a couple of new graphic novels if you've been bitten by the bug after reading Nick Drnaso's Sabrina.
Professor Ian Goldin: "Development: A Very Short Introduction" | Talks at Google
Ian Goldin provides a fascinating and thoroughly accessible introduction to development. This talk answers key questions about what development means, what its impact is and how it can be used for good.
About the book:
What do we mean by development? How can citizens, governments and the international community foster development? The process by which nations escape poverty and achieve economic and social progress has been the subject of extensive examination for hundreds of years.The notion of development itself has evolved from an original preoccupation with incomes and economic growth to a much broader understanding of development. In this Very Short Introduction Ian Goldin considers the contributions that education, health, gender, equity, and other dimensions of human well-being make to development, and discusses why it is also necessary to include the role of institutions and the rule of law as well as sustainability and environmental concerns. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Writers on Music: From Miles Davis to Public Enemy
The podcast host of "Talk Music Talk with boice" partners with 33 1/3 to present a panel featuring four authors from the series who discuss the books they wrote on their favorite albums/ Featuring from left to right, moderator boice-Terrel Allen, George Grella (Miles Davis' Bitches Brew), Christopher Weingarten (Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back), Amanda Petrusich (Nick Drake's Pink Moon), and Ryan Leas (LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver).
33 1/3 is a series of books in which each volume written about a single album and is published by Bloomsbury.
boice-Terrel Allen is a podcaster, author and musician originally from Pittsburgh and currently lives in New York City. He's published three books of fiction (Screwball Comedy/Stories Going Steady, Janet Hurst and The Daughters of a Mother), edited an anthology of multicultural fiction and poetry (Coloring Book) and released two music albums (How to Be an Adult and Get Me Audio, Vol. 1). His podcast, Talk Music Talk, originated in 2015 and has released over 160 episodes. Talk Music Talk is a weekly interview podcast featuring long-form discussions with singers, songwriters, authors, producers and others who are connected to music of all genres. The show can be streamed on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, SoundCloud and is also available as an app. www.talkmusictalk.com www.333sound.com
George Grella started as a musician and then accidentally became a writer. He has played classical, jazz, improvised music, funk, show tunes, and more, from CBGB to Weill Recital Hall. His music writing career began in earnest in 2008, when he started the Big City blog, and since then has contributed to, among others, Signal to Noise, Downbeat, WQXR, the New York City Jazz Record, NewMusicBox, and Music & Literature. He currently writes for the New York Classical Review and is the music editor of the Brooklyn Rail.
Christopher R. Weingarten is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone.
Amanda Petrusich is the author of several books about music, including Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records, which was named one of the best books of 2014 by NPR, Slate, and BuzzFeed. Petrusich is a staff writer at The New Yorker, and the recipient of a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship in nonfiction. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Oxford American, Pitchfork, GQ, Esquire, Playboy, Spin, The Nation, The Atlantic, and elsewhere.
Ryan Leas is a Contributing Editor for Stereogum. He has also written for Deadspin, GQ, Noisey, and the Village Voice
Sonia Sotomayor on Turning Pages: My Life Story
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor talks with PBS Books co-host Rich Fahle about here books, My Life Story and The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor at the 2018 National Book Festival.
(My Life Story)
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells her own story for young readers for the very first time!
As the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inspired young people around the world to reach for their dreams. But what inspired her? For young Sonia, the answer was books! They were her mirrors, her maps, her friends, and her teachers. They helped her to connect with her family in New York and in Puerto Rico, to deal with her diabetes diagnosis, to cope with her father's death, to uncover the secrets of the world, and to dream of a future for herself in which anything was possible.
In Turning Pages, Justice Sotomayor shares that love of books with a new generation of readers, and inspires them to read and puzzle and dream for themselves. Accompanied by Lulu Delacre's vibrant art, this story of the Justice's life shows readers that the world is full of promise and possibility–all they need to do is turn the page.
(The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor)
Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States, was a young girl when she dared to dream big. Her dream? To become a lawyer and a judge.
As Justice Sotomayor explains, "When I was a child my family was poor and we knew no lawyers or judges and none lived in our neighborhood. I knew nothing about the Supreme Court and how much its work in reinterpreting the Constitution and the laws of the United States affected peoples' lives. You cannot dream of becoming something you don't even know about. That has been the most important lesson of my life. You have to learn to dream big dreams."
Sonia did not let the hardships of her background—which included growing up in the rough housing projects of New York City's South Bronx, dealing with juvenile diabetes, coping with parents who argued and fought personal demons, and worrying about money—stand in her way. Always, she believed in herself. Her determination, along with guidance from generous mentors and the unwavering love of her extended Puerto Rican family, propelled her ever forward.
Wayne Kramer | The Hard Stuff
Wayne Kramer of the MC5 shares his new memoir "The Hard Stuff," the story of his groundbreaking but turbulent career in rock'n'roll, with journalist Adam Davidson.
In January 1969, before the world heard a note of their music, The MC5 was on the cover of Rolling Stone. The missing link between free jazz and punk rock, they were raw, primal, and, when things were clicking, absolutely unstoppable.
Led by legendary guitarist Wayne Kramer, The MC5 was a reflection of the times: exciting, sexy, violent, chaotic, and out of control, all but assuring their time in the spotlight would be short-lived. They toured the country, played with music legends, and had a rabid following, their music acting as the soundtrack to the blue collar youth movement springing up across the nation. Kramer wanted to redefine what a rock 'n' roll group was capable of, and there was power in reaching for that, but it was also a recipe for disaster, both personally and professionally. The band recorded three major label albums but, by 1972, it was all over.
Kramer's story is a revolutionary one, but it's also the deeply personal struggle of an addict and an artist, a rebel with a great tale to tell. The '60s were not all peace and love, but Kramer shows that peace and love can be born out of turbulence and unrest. From the glory days of Detroit to the junk-sick streets of the East Village, from Key West to Nashville and sunny L.A., in and out of prison and on and off of drugs, his is the classic journeyman narrative, but with a twist: he's here to remind us that revolution is always an option.
Adam Davidson is a staff writer at The New Yorker, and a co-founder of NPR's Planet Money program.
James McBride on Five-Carat Soul at the 2018 National Book Festival
James McBride discusses Five-Carat Soul at the 2018 National Book Festival.
The stories in Five-Carat Soul—none of them ever published before—spring from the place where identity, humanity, and history converge. McBride explores the ways we learn from the world and the people around us. An antiques dealer discovers that a legendary toy commissioned by Civil War General Robert E. Lee now sits in the home of a black minister in Queens. Five strangers find themselves thrown together and face unexpected judgment. An American president draws inspiration from a conversation he overhears in a stable. And members of The Five-Carat Soul Bottom Bone Band recount stories from their own messy and hilarious lives.
Celeste Ng on Little Fires Everywhere at the 2018 National Book Festival
Celeste Ng discusses Little Fires Everywhere at the 2018 National Book Festival.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When the Richardsons' friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town and puts Mia and Mrs. Richardson on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Mrs. Richardson becomes determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs to her own family – and Mia's.
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of long-held secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood-and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak.
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Welcome to Redports
It does not matter if you are a FreeBSD ports maintainer or committer or you are just about to create your first FreeBSD port - redports helps you to test your port on various FreeBSD versions.
Getting started with Redports is simple and all you need is a GitHub account and a new repository. Don't worry you can also use Subversion. https://help.github.com/articles/support-for-subversion-clients/
Authors and Contributors
Maintaining the redports service is a time consuming task and various FreeBSD developers and contributors are helping to keep it alive. We are always searching for new people to get involved! Just get in contact with us via IRC #redports on freenode.


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Certified E-Mail with Comodo and Thunderbird
This is intended to be a theoretical/practical tutorial on how to use email certificates to encrypt and digitally sign your emails. There are approximately 2 million emails transferred every hour, out of which 80% are spam, and the email world is really creepy, so I strongly recommend you to read the rest of this post.
First of all, let's cover some theory. There are three Internet protocols involved in sending and receiving emails: SMTP, IMAP, POP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is the one responsible for sending emails. An email client - where you compose your email, set recipients, attach files, etc. - sends your email data to a mail server via SMTP. The protocol is fairly simple and the only things worth mentioning is that it can do that under SSL (encrypted connection to server to transfer mail) and use Password Authentication to separate accounts.
Pactical Scenario: GMail
Most of us have used GMail, via creating an account in gmail.com and logging in there. It is very important to know that gmail.com is GMail Client, and smtp.gmail.com is GMail Server. When you log into the GMail, you access its client application, and do your stuff there. Since both client and server applications are on the same machine (Google Servers), your work is quickly sent to the server, that's why you usually don't notice.
Everybody can setup a Mail Server on their machine. Famous mail server applications are Microsoft Outlook for Windows and Exim and Postfix for Linux machines. GMail uses neither and has a custom coded server. You don't need to provide a password to a mail server, neither you have accounts there. You can send any email from any server to any server, i.e you can send email from email@example.com with any body you want to email@example.com. It's just a packet of data with a name on it (just like ordinary mail).
Famous servers like GMail, that deal with millions of users and lots of spam, implement technologies that require you to login, have accounts and do things lawfully. Other servers don't. Mail that doesn't follow GMail and other famous mail server's rules, are usually treated as spam.
Back to the theory
POP usually used as POP3, is the old-school mail receiving protocol. Mail client uses this protocol to download all mails from the server. The protocol is very handicapped and weak, much like FTP.
IMAP on the other hand is a pretty recent and powerful mail receiving protocol, so basically POP and IMAP are replacements of each other. There were days when not many mail servers provided IMAP to their clients, now almost every web server provides full IMAP support. GMail's IMAP is accessible at imap.gmail.com (Keep in mind that this is the domain for IMAP protocol, and not HTTP, so heading your browser to it would not bring up anything)