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Our seven hens are only producing about three eggs per day now, so I guess they're getting long in the tooth … er, beak. At some point it will be time to start converting them into chicken dinners. That means we'll have to learn how to de-feather and process chickens. Too bad my great-grandparents are all gone. That's what they did in those days; go out back and choose a chicken for dinner.
Our 18 chicks are growing rapidly, but aren't yet ready for prime time. The picture below is of them all huddling together as far away from the camera as they could get. Apparently they believe a camera is some kind of chicken-killing contraption.
Once we sacrifice our current egg-layers, some of these chicks will probably live in the barn. But the plan is to raise most of them in portable chicken houses and move them around the land. Chareva has made quite a bit of progress on her first chicken house. Man, there's something about a good-looking woman using a power drill …
While she's been constructing, I've been destructing. The once-frightening pile of logs is considerably less intimidating now that I've had a couple of weekends to perform in my own version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Okay, to be honest, I don't remember the bad guy in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre driving to a Stihl dealer to find out how he managed to mess up his chainsaw. I've done that twice over the course of this project.
The first time, the chain locked up on me and wouldn't turn even when the engine was running. Turns out I was using the wrong oil to lubricate the bar. I saw these nice little bottles of oil that were (I swear) labeled as chainsaw lubricant, so that's what I poured into the oil tank. Heh-heh-heh. That's what happens when longtime city-dwellers move to the sticks and starting playing with power tools. I managed to miss the big orange container of chainsaw bar oil sitting right there next to the chainsaw in our garage. So I was using the oil that's supposed to be mixed with the gas. Fortunately, I didn't cause any actual damage.
I saved the actual damage for the screw that tightens the chain. I didn't realize that before turning that screw, I'm supposed to loosen the nuts on either side of it. I thought those nuts were there just to attach the faceplate. So while trying to tighten a loose chain that wasn't ready to be tightened, I snapped the screw. Oops.
Both repairs prompted a lesson in the proper care and feeding of chainsaws by a nice older gentlemen at the Ace Hardware/Stihl dealer. After the second repair job I asked him, "So when people like me leave the shop, do you just shake your head and wonder why there are so many idiots in the world?"
"Naaaah," he answered in his New England accent. "I wasn't born knowing everything, and I don't expect you were either."
In my defense, what I mostly wanted to know when we bought the chainsaw was how to use it without cutting off my own foot. I got that part down right away and forgot the other bothersome details, such as which oil goes in which tank.
Now I at least know enough to get through a weekend of cutting without having to go visit my buddy from New England and ask what I did wrong this time. I've also gotten pretty good at recognizing when the chain needs sharpening. (Hint: if there's no sawdust coming from the log and little puffs of smoke are rising from the cut, the chain isn't really sawing anymore.)
It was a gorgeous weekend, around 70 degrees and sunny, perfect for outdoor labors. I wasn't the only one with that opinion. As I was working on Sunday, our nearest neighbor came over, chainsaw in hand. He explained that on days like this, he feels an urge to work outdoors. He heard me sawing away and thought maybe I could use some help. Would I mind?
Mind? Are you kidding me?
I was delighted to have an extra pair of hands and extra saw working on the pile, since I'm feeling a bit of deadline pressure. Two weekends from now, my work buddy Jim Taylor and I are sharing the cost of renting a log-splitter. We'll split his wood on Saturday and mine on Sunday. I don't know how quickly those things work, and for all I know, I've already cut more logs than we can split in a day. But if it turns out to be quick work, I'd like to have as many of the logs cut up and ready to go as I can.
As I called it a day on Sunday, I thought about the Health.com advice featured in last week's post … you know, eat your waffles or cereal in the morning and then have a high-carb snack every two hours or so to keep your energy up. Processing that log pile is hard physical work. The chainsaw is heavy, and it takes some pushing and pulling and rocking up and down at my end to get through the thick trunks. After cutting chunks of logs, I have to pick them up and toss them aside to avoid stepping on them while working my way through the pile. Both days qualified as long workouts.
On Saturday, I had ham and eggs for breakfast around 10:00 AM. My next meal was at around 7:00 PM — after I played 18 holes of disc golf to unwind from the day's chainsaw labors. On Sunday, I had coffee with cream to wake up, then started on the logs. It never occurred to me to stop for lunch. I wasn't consciously fasting all day; I was just busy and determined to get a lot done and didn't think about food. So my first meal of the day was dinner (Chareva's chili). That was around 6:00 PM.
According to the carb-pushers at Health.com, I should have run out of gas by noon. But I didn't. I didn't run out of gas until I literally ran out of gas – for the chainsaw, that is. That's when I called it a day. So I'm pretty sure we ignore the advice from Health.com.
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Malmedy Transfers
Transfers from Malmedy to the following destinations can be booked online:
Dusseldorf Airport
Brussels Airport (BRU)
Brussels Charleroi Airport (CRL)
Brussels airport taxi transfers
Brussels airport taxi transfers
These are just a sample of the destinations we serve from Malmedy. If the place where you are going is not listed, please contact us to ask a customized transfer from Malmedy at no additional cost.
Welcome to Malmedy transfers and car service page. Here you can find information and prices about our Malmedy transfer service. We operate transfers from Malmedy to the destinations listed below at convenient fully inclusive flat rate. If your destination is not listed, we will anyway take you wherever you desire: just ask us for a quote at no additional cost.
Check our Malmedy taxi prices through the Instant Quote on this site: depending on your needs we have the availability of a variety of vehicles such as Mercedes E-class, regular sedan car, estate car, van, minibus and bus for up to 56 passengers for larger private groups.
Regardless of the chosen vehicle, all the transfers from Malmedy are door-to-door from and to any place you need, and are private for your full comfort and peace of mind.
Your driver will pick-up you from any Malmedy hotel, home or generic address, for a direct trip to airport, cruise terminal, ferry port, train station, or even to another city regardless of the distance, with the peace of mind of a fare agreed in advance when you booked with us.
Our Malmedy car service is designed to meet all your needs, either if you are traveling for pleasure or business. You can book your transfer from Malmedy instantly on-line or by calling us. On completing the reservation process we will issue a confirmation with a reservation code and all the information you need, including a phone number that can be called for any last-minute question.
And please don't forget that we offer also bus from Malmedy with the convenience of a private vehicle bringing you direct to the destination, an ideal solution for groups of friends or relatives, at a cost that can be lower (or much lower) than regular public transportation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Prepare to Dominate 2021 With the Perfect Planner
It's safe to say we're all entering 2021 with high hopes and what better way to harness what you want than with a calendar or planner that really speaks to you. Whether you're looking to get more organized, keep track of a sprawling to-do list or just need a little something to stay inspired I implore you to browse through this shortlist of tools that can help prepare you to have the best year yet.
Planners & Calendars for a Powerful 2021


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Perry G. Mehrling is professor of economics at Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He was professor of economics at Barnard College in New York City for 30 years. There, he taught courses on the economics of money and banking, the history of money and finance, and the financial dimensions of the U.S. retirement, health, and education systems. His most recent book is The New Lombard Street: How the Fed became the dealer of last resort (Princeton 2011). His best-known book Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance (Wiley 2005, 2012) has recently been released in a revised paperback edition. Currently, Prof. Mehrling directs the educational initiatives of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, one of which is his course Economics of Money and Banking, available on Coursera at www.coursera.org/course/money.
Perry G. Mehrling
By this expert
The Inherent Instability of Credit
What kind of "Minsky Moment"?
Brave New World
Financial Globalization and the Nation State
Paper Profits
The concept of bank capital
A Money View of Global Imbalances
Who's afraid of finance?


text: It has been estimated that most homeowners tend to spend between $700 and $1,700 with an average of $1,100 for their sump pump installation in Bozeman. Many factors can affect the cost of your Bozeman sump pump installation such as the type of pump, the kind of flooring that you have, the location of where the pump will be installed, and your geographical location. There are two major types of sump pumps available today: the pedestal sump pump and the submersible sump pump. A pedestal sump pump can last for up to 25 to 30 years and it can cost you around $60 for a conventional 1/3 horsepower pump up to $200 for a ½ horsepower pump. Submersible sump pump, on the other hand, is estimated to cost around $100 to $400 with ¾ horsepower. However, its lifespan can only reach up to 15 years maximum.


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Greetings from the Department of Natural Resources Atchafalaya Basin Program!
NEWS: Times-Picayune: Researchers find Louisiana black bear populations are intermingling RESTORE: Wax Lake Delta Tour Showcases New Land Miss. River Commission: Low Water Inspection Tour and Public Meetings Bayou Yakkin: 2015 Will Be A Good Year For Kayak Anglers Save the Date St. Mary Levee District Commission meeting, Thursday, Aug 14 at 6 pm, Morgan City Public Meeting on Black Bear Research: Aug 12-14 in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Ferriday, and Tallulah Friday Night Lecture Series at Highland Road Park Observatory featuring Brian Piazza, author of "The Atchafalaya River Basin: History and Ecology of an American Wetland" Aug 15 at 7:30 pm Louisiana Wildlife Federation Convention: August 15-16, West Monroe National Day of the Acadians, Aug 15 in St. Martinville Stand Up Paddleboarding 101, Aug 20 at 4:45 pm in Vermilionville Kayaking 101 - Basic Skills for Flatwater Kayaking, Aug 21 at Lake Martin Wetlands Youth Summit, Aug 22-23, Houma Friends of the Atchafalaya monthly meeting: Aug 26 at 6:30 pm Online Kayak Fishing Tournament, March 1 to October 15 Carving Their Niche: The Bowie Family in Louisiana, through Aug 31 at the West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen 5th Annual Promenade d'art de Franklin, Aug 23 Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival - August 28 - Sept 1 Urban Beekeeping for Beginners, Aug 30 at 10 am, Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market Atchafalaya Basin Program Technical Advisory Group meeting, Sept. 17 at 9:30 am in the LDNR Griffon Room, Baton Rouge Atchafalaya Basin Program Research and Promotion Board meeting, Sept. 24 at 9:30 am in the LDNR Griffon Room, Baton Rouge Tour du Teche IV - Oct. 3-5
Send in your Basin Pics! Let us know if you have an upcoming event to promote the Basin!
Send in your Basin Pics!
Let us know if you have an upcoming event to promote the Basin!
Checking the water:The information below is obtained from the USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has been compiled by DNR into this format to allow a quick look at information pertinent to the Atchafalaya Basin. Click here for current weather conditions and water levels.
Data is for 8/14/2014
Mississippi River at CairoLocation: Southernmost gauge on the Ohio River in Illinois Reading significance - used to forecast rises on the Mississippi. Lag time, 4 to 6 days.Flood Stage: 40'Stage: 16.3'24 hour change +0.6Forecast: expect to FALL TO 15.8' by 8/19
Mississippi River, just south of ORCS, at Red River LandingReading: Mississippi River south of ORCS, after the diversion into the Atchafalaya Flood Stage: 48'Stage: 23.7'24 hour change -0.1'Forecast: expect to RISE to 24.7' by 8/19
Mississippi River at Baton RougeFlood Stage: 35'Stage: 9.9'24 hour change -0.4'Forecast: expect to RISE to 10.8' by 8/19
Mississippi River at New OrleansFlood Stage: 17'Stage: 3.2'24 hour change 0.0'Forecast: expect to RISE to 3.8' by 8/19
Atchafalaya River at MelvilleFlood Stage: 34'Stage: 5.6'Forecast: expect to REMAIN at 5.6' through 8/18
Atchafalaya River at Krotz SpringsFlood Stage: 29'Stage: 4.9'Forecast: expect to RISE to 5.0' by 8/18
Atchafalaya River above Butte LaroseFlood Stage: 20'Stage: 3.9'Forecast: expect to FALL to 3.8' by 8/18Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrell Locks on the GIWWFlood Stage: 12'Stage: 2.8'Forecast: expect to RISE to 2.9' by 8/18
Atchafalaya at Millet (Myette) PointFlood Stage: 15'Stage: 2.9'Forecast: expect to RISE to 3.0' by 8/18
Atchafalaya River at Morgan CityFlood Stage: 6'Stage: 1.9'Forecast: expect to RISE to 2.2' by 8/18
Murphy Lake near Bayou SorrelStage: 8.81'
Lower Grand River at Bayou SorrelStage: 4.94'
Bayou CourtableauStage: 18.62'
Buffalo Cove at Round IslandStage: 3.78' Arm of Grand Lake near Crook CheneStage: 6.65'
Middle Fork, Bayou LongStage: 2.33'
Pontoon Bridge at Butte LaroseStage: 5.80'
Bayou Darby at Fausse Pt. CutStage: 9.99'
Lake Pelba at I-10, HendersonStage: 9.61'


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Tesh's latest novel is Mixed Signals.
A few weeks ago I asked the author what she was reading. Her reply:
The Graveyard Game is one of a series of Company novels by the late Kage Baker.Visit Jane Tesh's website.
The all-seeing, all-knowing Company, headed by the mysterious Dr. Zeus, has created cyborgs to go back in time to save treasures for future clients who'll pay big bucks for a lost Van Gogh or a missing Hemingway manuscript. This concept allows Baker to set her stories in any time and on any historical subject. This story involves Facilitator Joseph's search for his father, one of the first cyborgs, who is now a threat to the Company, and his search for his daughter, the Botanist Mendoza, whom Joseph "recruited" to the Company when she was a child, and who has been punished for killing mortals and sent way back in time.
But the true heart of the story involves Literature Preserver Lewis, a hopeless romantic, who loves Mendoza. However, Mendoza loves Edward, a man who keeps reappearing in her life throughout time. Lewis wants Mendoza and Edward to have a happy ending, but someone or something is trying to wipe out the cyborgs, a mysterious silence that will occur in the year 2355.
I gravitate toward authors who can mix drama and humor, which is something I strive for in my books, and Baker is one of the best. Known for her wildly inventive unpredictable plots and sardonic sense of humor, she creates characters the reader really cares about.
I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I couldn't pass up The Great Typo Hunt. Talk about wish fulfillment! As an English major and librarian, I've often dreamed of traveling the country, marker in hand, taking out all those wild unnecessary apostrophes. Here in a local sandwich shop, the sign offered, believe it or not, "grit's"and "frie's," and the one sign that needed an apostrophe—you guessed it—didn't have one: "Todays Special."
Jeff Deck and his friend, Benjamin Herson, create TEAL, the Typo Eradication Advancement League, and he chronicles their adventures across the US, where they are often met with skepticism and downright hostility as they try to correct signs, menus, and posters.
Along the way, I've learned some useful history of punctuation and grammar, and Jeff raises some interesting questions. Who decides what is correct? Why is it important? And with texting and Twitter on the rise, what's the future of orthography? (The art or study of correct spelling. I had to look it up, too.)
Also: If you love language, word play, and literature, Jasper Fforde is the most creative writer around. I had the opportunity to hear him speak, and he is just as entertaining as his books. In The Eyre Affair, investigator Thursday Next finds she is able to enter the Book World where every character from literature is real. Jane Erye has been kidnapped from her novel, and with the help of Miss Haversham from Great Expectations, Thursday solves the crime. I can't wait to read the latest in the Thursday Next saga, The Woman Who Died a Lot.
The Page 69 Test: Mixed Signals.
--Marshal Zeringue


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- Downloads - System Requirements
WeDo 2.0 System Requirements
WeDo 2.0 uses Bluetooth Low Energy
For WeDo 2.0, we have integrated the latest Bluetooth technology into our solution to let you take 'live' control of the models you create for near-instantaneous response.
- 1.5GHz Intel® Core Duo processor or compatible or faster
- 1.5GB RAM or more
- 2GB/4GB RAM or more required for Windows 10 32/64-bit
- Bluetooth 4.0 or above
- 2GB of available hard-drive space
- Windows 7 requires the BLED112 Bluetooth low power dongle
Operating System:
- Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (32/64-bit)
- Windows 10 (Version 14393 or newer)
- Available on the Downloads page.
Windows 10 'Fall Creators Update' and Bluetooth connectivity issues:
With the newly released "Fall Creators Update" for Microsoft Windows 10 we have experienced Bluetooth connectivity issues with WeDo 2.0. Microsoft have rolled out a fix for this issue on the 16th of December as part of a Windows update. Please ensure that your Microsoft Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is updated.
- 1.5GHz Intel® Core Duo processor or compatible or faster
- 1.5GB RAM or more
- 2GB available hard disk space
- Bluetooth 4.0 or above (Must have LMP version 0x6 or above to be equipped with Bluetooth 4.0)
Operating System
- Mac OSX 10.10 or newer
- Bluetooth 4.0 or above
- 2GB available storage space
- 1.40GHz Intel® Celeron® 2955U dual-core processor equivalent or better
- Internet connection*
Operating System
- Chrome OS version 50 or above (we recommend that you always keep your operating system updated)
*An Internet connection is required to access online content, such as curricula and teacher support material.
- iPad 3 and iPad Mini or newer
Operating System
- iOS 8.1 or above
Android Tablet
- 8" display or larger
- Bluetooth 4.0 or newer
- 2GB free disk space or more
- Camera
Operating System
- Android 4.4.2 KitKat or newer
Some low budget android devices will not be compatible due to various internal components even though the tablets meets the system requirements. Amazon Fire tablets are not supported. If you are buying Android Tablets for a school or are in doubt whether the tablets you already have are compatible with our app, please contact us and let us advise you about the compatibility. Please contact our team at https://www.lego.com/service. Thank you!


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The barbaric attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand by a far-right fascist terrorist – indiscriminately shooting men, women and children, killing 50 and injuring many more, live streaming his bloody actions as he carried them out – comes at a time of deepening economic crisis and heightened social and political tensions around the world. All decent human beings are rightly condemning the attack, but we have to ask ourselves: why are such acts of terrorism taking place, and what can be done to end this barbarism?
The terrorist who carried out the attack, Brenton Tarrant, is a 28-year-old Australian white supremacist fascist. Just before the attack, he uploaded a delirious 73-page manifesto on Twitter in which he claimed to be fighting for the future of white people and expressed his intention to "create an atmosphere of fear" to "incite violence" against Muslims in general. The whole attack was designed as promotion for far-right, white supremacist ideology. There is in fact a small, but growing minority fascist fringe, which is becoming more active. These are the people applauding the attack in Christchurch.
Who is influencing the thinking of these crazed fascists? In response to his own question, "Is there a particular person that radicalised you the most?", Tarrant replies, "Yes, the person that has influenced me above all was Candace Owens… [a very right-wing reactionary US 'commentator']." He added that, "Each time she spoke I was stunned by her insights and her own views helped push me further and further into the belief of violence over meekness." Owens made a name for herself recently when she said, "You know, he [Hitler] was a national socialist, but if Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, OK, fine… The problem is that he wanted — he had dreams outside of Germany." Owens has a leading position in a conservative advocacy group, Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which promotes an openly reactionary agenda.
Fanning the flames of bigotry
Tarrant had, in fact, a history of posting far-right propaganda on social media and was strongly influenced by politicians and bourgeois commentators who have been pushing the anti-immigrant, Islamophobic line. He admires Trump, referring to him as "symbol of renewed white identity." Trump has complained that some have been blaming him for the attack. It would be ridiculous, of course, to claim that Trump is directly responsible, but it is true that, with his anti-immigration rhetoric, his talk of needing a wall to protect the US, his measures to stop arrivals from a series of Muslim countries, etc., has helped to stoke Islamophobic prejudice. It is in this environment that the likes of Tarrant feel encouraged to act.
In fact, many Western politicians and the mass media have been raising a hue and cry over Islamic fundamentalism, while white supremacist terror has in fact been on the rise. In the US in 2017 for instance, out of 65 terrorist attacks, 36 were right-wing-related, 10 were left-wing-related and 7 related to Islamist terrorism. But while this in no way indicates the rise of a mass fascist movement, it does reveal a process that is taking place throughout the West, with right-wing politicians, helped by the media, increasingly blaming Muslims for the declining living conditions of the working class.
Brenton Tarrant is from Australia, where a hostile environment towards immigrants has been fomented over the recent period. As the Guardian pointed out last year, commenting on the situation in Australia:
"Publicly, the debate about migration rarely remains within the narrow confines of the number or origin of new people seeking to come to Australia to live. Rather it spills, with increasing vituperativeness, into all areas of public debate: to arguments about road congestion and house prices, to the availability of resources such as land and water, to social debates about integration, religion, and English as Australia's primary spoken language." (Guardian, 23 March 2018)
Thus, everything is blamed on immigrants in general, and Muslims in particular. Immigrants are treated with contempt by the authorities. Asylum seekers are shipped off to live on islands without access to basic necessities. At each stage, they are harassed, kept in bad living conditions and pushed into low-paying and often casualised jobs. Sanctions are imposed on them and justified by their own supposed lack of "willingness" to integrate, etc. Such behaviour is not confined to Australia, but can be seen all around the world, where there are large influxes of immigrants. The newcomers can be easily scapegoated for the shortages suffered by the longer-standing population as a result of the crisis of capitalism and the policies of austerity imposed by the ruling class. All the better, when the newcomers can be more easily identified because of the colour of their skin, by the style of clothes they wear or by the religion they profess.
An example of this is Australian senator, Fraser Anning, demanding a referendum last year "to allow the Australian people to decide whether they want a wholesale ban on non-English speaking immigrants from the third world, and particularly whether they want any Muslims". He has made many speeches saying that migrants should be sent back to their countries of origin, claiming that they live off benefits, and cost Australian taxpayers a lot of money. Anning used to be a member of the far-right One Nation party, after which he joined Katter's Australia Party, from which he was later expelled. Earlier this year, he attended a St. Kilda rally, which saw the participation of neo-Nazi sympathisers. He was clearly associating himself with extreme right-wing and openly racist views.
It is in this environment that openly fascist and Nazi groups are getting an echo. They feel encouraged and emboldened by the fact that high-ranking politicians – from Trump in the USA, to the right-wing Brexiteers in the UK, to Salvini in Italy and Le Pen in France – are expressing racist and xenophobic points of view. Thus, they carry out attacks on immigrants, feeling they have the backing of these politicians. They are like wild dogs being unleashed by their masters.
What is particularly disgusting about Fraser Anning is what he said shortly after last week's attack: "what it highlights is the growing fear within our community, both in Australia and New Zealand, of the increasing Muslim presence", then adding, "The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration programme which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place." And as if this were not enough, he also claimed that while Muslims "may have been the victims today, usually they are the perpetrators". This amounts to an apology for a barbaric crime and is an open invitation for far-right fanatics to carry out similar attacks.
At the same time, the mass media acts as a faithful amplifier of these poisonous ideas. While they carry all the racist propaganda more or less uncritically, they hypocritically censor and mute anyone speaking against on the grounds of the right wing's right to "freedom of speech".
The far right, and the bourgeois politicians who echo their thinking, shift the blame for the present crisis away from the capitalist system – which is based on profit for the few and poverty for the many – and point the finger at immigrants. In this context, Islamic fundamentalism is being used as a means of fomenting Islamophobia, with some – see Anning in Australia – going as far as even blaming Muslims for the attacks like the Christchurch massacre last week. It goes without saying that Islamic fundamentalism is reactionary, but we should not forget who sponsored and promoted it these past few decades.
Mayhem and murder keeps workers divided
We have written on this question in far more detail in other articles. Suffice it to say that the Taliban in Afghanistan emerged from the reactionary forces that the US backed in their effort to pull that country away from the Soviet sphere of influence. Groups like Hamas were promoted when the state of Israel and US imperialism saw in the PLO the main threat.
Thus, while in the countries where Islam is the dominant religion, fundamentalists are being used in the present crisis to cut across working-class militancy and offer their reactionary alternative, in the advanced capitalist countries, far-right politicians are using the fundamentalists to whip up a mood of Islamophobia. What we have here are two equally reactionary ideologies, fascism and Islamic fundamentalism, both at the service of the ruling classes.
The danger exists of tit-for-tat killings that will be used in an attempt to whip up anti-Muslim feelings. The far-right racists and fascist neo-Nazis use Islamic fundamentalist terrorism to depict all Muslims as potential terrorists. On this basis, attacks such as that on a mosque in Quebec City in January 2017, where six people were killed and 19 others injured, or this latest attack in Christchurch are presented as being part of a just war to defend "white" culture.
The way the media reports such events also contributes to whipping up Islamophobic hysteria. When an attack is carried out by Muslims it is immediately reported as terrorism, which of course it is. However, when an attack such as the one in Christchurch takes place there is a reluctance by the media to use the word "terrorism". This reveals there is an agenda to portray terrorism as always being Islamic, thus helping to foment Islamophobia.
What we have here is barbarism on both sides, and those that suffer are ordinary Muslims and non-Muslims, Christian workers, Jewish workers, Hindu workers and so on, all trying to go about their daily lives. On this road there is no solution for the workers of all countries. The working class must rise above these divisions and realise itself as a class. It must fight against any alien forces that try to foment divisions among working people. The mottos "divided we fall, united we stand" and "an injury to one is an injury to all" must be emblazoned on the banners of the labour movement.
The capitalist class has an interest in using any means necessary to keep the workers divided. If this means scenes of mayhem and bloodshed, they will not flinch from promoting, or at least tolerating, such developments. The workers of the world, of all colours and all creeds, on the other hand, desire a world where they can bring their children up in a healthy and safe environment.
How is this to be achieved? Certainly not with these barbaric methods! Such methods will only benefit the ruling class by creating divisions among workers. And when workers are divided they are weakened and rendered powerless in the face of attacks on their living standards by the bosses. The capitalist class always benefits from such divisions. What is required is a society that caters for the basic needs of all with decent housing, clothing, food, education and healthcare for all. This can only be achieved through the socialist transformation of society, where the workers who produce the wealth will have control over the resources and how they are to be used. When poverty and want are eradicated, so too will be the material basis for ethnic and religious conflicts.
Working class unity against racist division!
Only on this basis can these conflicts be brought to an end. It is not Muslim workers, Muslim peasants or Muslim youth who are to blame for declining living standards. They, like all other workers, are simply struggling to make a living, to earn enough money to feed themselves and their children. In turn, it is not the workers and youth of Britain, or the United States, or Australia or New Zealand, that are to blame for the suffering of the peoples of the Middle East. Those who must take the blame for this are the capitalists of these countries, who exploit their own workers at home, while carrying out an imperialist policy abroad.
In their quest for profits, they scour the world for markets and spheres of influence. To promote their interests, they foment divisions; they invade and bomb countries with the ultimate aim of guaranteeing trade routes and sources of raw materials. They talk about democracy, but where revolution raises its head they don't hesitate to unleash barbarism. This was evident in Syria and Libya. In Yemen they allow their friends in the Saudi regime to proceed to starve a whole people into submission, while in Somalia they have promoted utter barbarism. Meanwhile, at home in the advanced capitalist countries, they whip up racism as a useful tool to cut across the rising class struggle.
In the past, when faced with a severe economic crisis in Germany, anti-Semitism was whipped up as a useful tool to distract attention away from the real culprits, the capitalists. Today they have found in Islamophobia an equally useful tool. It is a means by which they hope to remain in power as they proceed to attack the working class, cutting back on wages, education, healthcare… Thus all workers suffer, Muslim and non-Muslim.
The only force that can really put an end to all this is the organised working class. Workers of different countries and ethnic roots discover they have a common interest in the process of fighting back against the onslaught on their living conditions. Events like last week's massacre also bring out the natural solidarity among ordinary working people. In New Zealand, we have seen an outpouring of such solidarity across all communities with the victims of the massacre, while more than NZ$6m has been raised on appeal websites. School pupils gathered in large numbers across Christchurch to perform the Haka in tribute to those killed in the attacks. These examples reveal the genuine solidarity of ordinary working people.
The fact is that resources to provide jobs, houses, decent wages, hospitals and education for all already exist. The problem is that those same resources are in the hands of a small minority of super-rich capitalists, who use their wealth for the few and not the many. To be able to use those resources requires the removal of the capitalist class, the class that is destroying the very basis of the civilisation we have and pushing us towards barbarism.
Unity of the working class means unity against the real enemy: the capitalist ruling classes of all countries who profit while those below are pitted against each other. It means unity of all workers, irrespective of their religious beliefs, of their language, of their colour of skin, against the system that is based on maximising profit for the few.


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NEW YORK -- Microsoft confirmed Sunday it is in talks with Chinese company ByteDance to acquire the U.S. arm of its popular video app TikTok and has discussed with President Donald Trump his concerns about security and censorship surrounding such an acquisition.
In a statement, Microsoft said Microsoft and ByteDance have provided notice of their intent to explore a deal resulting in Microsoft owning and operating the TikTok service in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company said it expects those talks to conclude by Sept. 15.
Trump said on Friday that he would soon ban TikTok in the United States. Trump and CEO Satya Nadella have spoken, the company said, and Microsoft was prepared to continue exploring the purchase of TikTok's U.S. operations after their conversation.
RELATED: Trump's proposed TikTok ban: What does taking action on Chinese-owned app mean?
"Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President's concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury," the Microsoft statement said.
The White House did not immediately comment on the Microsoft statement.
Previously, there were reports that Microsoft was in advanced talks to buy the U.S. operations of TikTok, which has been a source of national security and censorship concerns for the Trump administration. Earlier Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again raised the administration's warnings about social media platform.
"These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, whether it's TikTok or WeChat - there are countless more ... are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus," Pompeo said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures."
"Could be their facial recognition patterns. It could be information about their residence, their phone numbers, their friends, who they're connected to. Those - those are the issues that President Trump has made clear we're going to take care of," Pompeo said.
In its statement, Microsoft said it may invite other American investors to participate on a minority basis in the purchase of TikTok. Financial terms were undisclosed.
TikTok's U.S. user data is stored in the U.S., with strict controls on employee access, and its biggest investors come from the U.S., the company said earlier Sunday. "We are committed to protecting our users' privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform," a TikTok spokesperson said.
A federal committee has been reviewing whether Trump could ban TikTok in the U.S. Its members agree that TikTok cannot remain in the U.S. in its current form because it "risks sending back information on 100 million Americans," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.
"We all agree there has to be a change ... everybody agrees it can't exist as it does," Mnuchin said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
As speculation grew over a ban or sale of the social media platform's U.S. business, TikTok posted a video on Saturday saying, "We're not planning on going anywhere."
TikTok's catchy videos and ease of use has made it popular, and it says it has tens of millions of users in the U.S. and hundreds of millions globally. Its parent company, Bytedance Ltd., launched TikTok in 2017. It bought Musical.ly, a video service popular with teens in the U.S. and Europe, and combined the two. It has a similar service, Douyin, for users in China.
But TikTok's Chinese ownership has raised concern about the potential for sharing user data with Chinese officials as well as censorship of videos critical of the Chinese government. TikTok says it does not censor videos and it would not give the Chinese government access to U.S. user data.
"The President, when he makes his decision, will make sure that everything we have done drives us as close to zero risk for the American people," Pompeo said. "That's the mission set that he laid out for all of us when we get - we began to evaluate this now several months back. We're closing in on a solution. And I think you will see the president's announcement shortly."
The debate over TikTok parallels a broader U.S. security crackdown on Chinese companies, including telecom providers Huawei and ZTE. The Trump administration has ordered that the U.S. stop buying equipment from those providers to be used in U.S. networks. Trump has also tried to steer allies away from Huawei over concerns that the Chinese government has access to its data, which Huawei denies.


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Allow me to preface this by saying that I am not against gun ownership. But this sends a rather peculiar message, don't you think?
An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference.
Windsor Hills Baptist had planned to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle until one of the event's organizers was unable to attend.
The church's youth pastor, Bob Ross, said it's a way of trying to encourage young people to attend the event. The church expected hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada.
Wha? Gee, what about iPods or XBox360's? Or do you not want kids playing those evil violent video games or listening to that godless rock 'n roll or hip-hop? Yeah, an assault rifle is much better. It's not like a teenager is likely to misuse that.
"I don't want people thinking 'My goodness, we're putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn't respect it who are then going to go out and kill,'" said Ross. "That's not at all what we're trying to do."
Perish the thought. It never crossed my mind.
Ross said the conference isn't all about guns, but rather about teens finding faith.
Okay then, I feel better already! You know, when the Muslims give kids deadly weaponry at a religious function, I think they call it terrorism and it's the kind of thing that makes the sphincters of priviliged white Oklahoman Christian conservatives completely lose their structural integrity. Well, maybe they're just taking precautions for when Obama's elected and he throws a huge party for all his Islamofascist friends on the White House lawn. Must be it.
I suppose if this weren't all happening in the state that gave us the psychotic Sally Kern, it wouldn't have such a shudder factor. I'd say, "Could be worse, could be Texas," but I have a feeling this might be an old Texas tradition...


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The Run Compression No Show Socks by CEP do their work behind the scenes - get invisible support and maximize comfort. Thanks to their second skin-like fit, these no show running socks don't slip and their proven blend of materials prevent blisters. Targeted compression in the arch allows for additional support in the arch and plantar, while padded zones in the foot increase your running comfort and prevent hot spots. The advanced ventilation zones guarantee comfortable and dry feet. Perfect for the days when you head straight from the office to the gym!
- Moisture-wicking fabric keeps feet cool
- Anatomical design and heel tab for no-slip fit
- Innovative air channels in the footbed and ventilation zones in the toe for optimal breathability and ultimate comfort
- Treated with silver to reduce unpleasant odors and eliminate bacteria
- Blister-free guaranteed
- Shock absorption from perfectly positioned anatomical padding in the foot
Material: 84% Polyamide, 16% spandex


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SAN FRANCISCO (CNNMoney) -- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 holdouts will soon have dead phones.
T-Mobile released an update on Wednesday to prevent Note 7 users from charging devices, rendering them useless. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint will roll out similar updates the first week of January.
The move will force the hands of those who have not yet traded in the faulty device to finally get an alternative.
Samsung announced the U.S.-based battery-killing program earlier in this month. Verizon initially said it wouldn't participate due to "added risk" for users without alternate phones, but the company changed its mind and will push an update on January 5.
Carriers killing the Note 7 is the grand finale of the exploding phone debacle that began with a massive recall of Samsung's flagship devices. In September, the company recalled millions of Note 7 phones after a battery issue caused some to catch fire.
Most users already exchanged their phones. According to Samsung, about 93% of Note 7 devices have been returned in the U.S.
Samsung also limited the Note 7 battery charging in Canada earlier this month. The devices are currently unable connect to any Canadian mobile network.
™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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A lightweight hyaluronic serum that reduces brown spots from breakouts and makes pores less visible.
Reduces discolouration from breakouts
Visibly reduces enlarged pores
Fights signs of ageing
Ideal for combination to oily skin, this ultra-light hyaluronic acid serum delivers potent antioxidants and skin-restoring ingredients to help prevent the signs of ageing. Hyaluronic acid hydrates skin while niacinamide minimises pore size and fades post breakout marks. Skin is left smooth, firm and radiant.
Because skincare works best when it suits your skin type.
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and wait 15-30 minutes. Select what you see and how you feel.
Niacinamide/Vitamin B3 Very effective skin-restoring ingredient that can visibly improve the appearance of enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines and dullness.
Quercetin Bioflavonoid ingredient from plants that functions as an antioxidant, skin-soothing agent, and restorative ingredient.
Hyaluronic Acid Component of skin tissue, a superior skin-replenishing ingredient that can boost the skin's moisture content, soothe and defend against moisture loss.
Ingredients: Aqua, Cyclopentasiloxane (hydration), Butylene Glycol (hydration), Dimethicone (hydration), Glycerin (hydration/skin replenishing), Polysorbate 20 (texture-enhancing), Polysilicone-11 (texture-enhancing), Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone (polymer), Hyaluronic Acid (hydration/skin replenishing), Resveratrol (antioxidant), Niacinamide (skin-restoring), Quercetin (antioxidant), enisonedA (skin-restoring), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (vitamin C/antioxidant), Tocopherol (vitamin E/antioxidant), Phospholipids (hydration/skin replenishing), Ubiquinone (antioxidant), Epigallocatechin Gallate (antioxidant), Sea Whip Extract (skin-soothing), Bisabolol (skin-soothing), Beta-Glucan (skin-soothing), Phytic Acid (stabilizer), Xanthan Gum (texture-enhancing), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (texture-enhancing), Sodium Hydroxide (stabilizer), Disodium EDTA (stabilizer), Ethylhexylglycerin (preservative), Phenoxyethanol (preservative).
How to use a serum
Apply morning and/or nighttime as desired. After cleansing, toning, and exfoliating, smooth a few drops onto face, neck and eye area. May be applied under your moisturiser. For daytime, always follow with a moisturiser containing a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater.
Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum is our only water-based serum (our other serums are silicone-based), and it is the lightest serum in the Resist line. Its blend of potent antioxidants, skin-repairing, and cell-communicating ingredients help fight multiple signs of ageing without feeling slick, greasy, or heavy on combination to oily skin. Because oily skin tends to also have enlarged pores, this serum was formulated with ingredients that help normalise pore function. It also contains anti-irritants which reduce redness from acne and acne marks. This serum is one of two Paula offers that does not contain retinol. Some people with oily skin cannot tolerate retinol, making Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum a great alternative. Every Paula's Choice serum contains an effective blend of antioxidants, skin-repairing ingredients, and cell-communicating ingredients to restore skin and significantly reduce wrinkles, increase collagen production, and improve skin tone. You will be getting anti-ageing benefits regardless of which one you choose! Select the best serum for you based on your skin type and chief concerns, plus texture preference.
Yes Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum be used around the eyes. All Paula's Choice serums as well as our moisturisers can and should be applied around the eyes. The same statement also applies to the neck and chest, two areas prone to showing signs of sun damage and ageing.
Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum is ideal if you have rosacea-prone skin plus oily skin or oily areas. The antioxidants and anti-irritants in this serum are wonderfully soothing for rosacea-affected skin.
Clinical Plastic Surgery, July 2016, issue 3, pages 597-604 International Journal of Cosmetic Science, December 2006, issue 6, pages 447-51 Phytotherapy Research, February 2014, issue 2, pages 159-66 Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 2014, issue 2, pages 173-81 Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, September 2014, issue 9, pages 1021-5 Dermato-Endocrinology, July 2012, issue 3, pages 253-8 Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, January 2006, issue 2, pages 96-101 Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, January-March 2013, issue 1, pages 4–11 Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, April 2004, issue 2, pages 88-93 Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, March 2008, issue 1 pages 2-7 Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine, 2013, volume 2013, article 827248 Marine Drugs, 2004, volume 2, issue 2, pages 73-82 Indian Dermatology Online Journal, April-June 2013, issue 2, pages 143-146 Dermatologic Therapy, September-October 2007, issue 5, pages 314-21 Biofactors, 1999, issue 2-4, pages 371-8


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Displaying 1 - 1 of total 1 results:
Gamow's involvement with nuclear physics. His later work in astrophysics and his interest in biology. Personal anecdotes about Gamow's childhood in Odessa, student life with Lev Landau and Dmitriy Ivanenko at the University of Leningrad, his fellowship at Göttingen, work in Copenhagen with Niels Bohr, and at University of Cambridge with Ernest Rutherford. Emigration to America in 1934, subsequent work in the United States. Work on penetration barriers, saturation, the beta decay rule, and the nuclear droplet model. Also prominently mentioned are: Hans Albrecht Bethe, Hermann Bondi, Walter Bothe, Maurice de Broglie, James Chadwick, John Cockcroft, Edward Uhler Condon, Francis Crick, Critchfield, Marie Sklodowska Curie, Max Delbrück, Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac, Paul Ehrenfest, Enrico Fermi, James Franck, Alexander Friedman, Barbara Gamow, Thomas Gold, Ronald Gurney, Fred Hoyle, Petr Kapitsa, Krutkow, Ernest Orlando Lawrence, Nikolaivitch Luchnik, Chester Nimitz, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Wolfgang Pauli, Léon Rosenfeld, Dimitri Rozhdestwenski, Martin Schwarzschild, Edward Teller, Merle Antony Tuve, James Watson, John Archibald Wheeler, A. M. Wood; Associacion Venezueliana para Promocion de la Sciencia, University of Cambridge Press, Carlsbergfondet Fellowship, George Washington University, Institut de Physique Solvay, Leningradskii gosudarstvennyi universitet imeni A. A. Zhdanova, Moscow M. V. Lomonosov State University, National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), and Odessa I. I. Mechnikov State University.


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You may return the goods FREE of any handling charges to any DC.ONE store for an exchange, provided that the above conditions are satisfied.
NO refunds will be processed in store. You may leave your goods in store with your Order number and banking details and an EFT will be made to your account provided that the return conditions are satisfied. Note that an EFT may take up to 7 working days to reflect on your account.
2. Collection by CourierSend an email to email@example.com with a copy of your proof of purchase and advise as to which product you would like to return / exchangeUpon approval, a courier collection will be arranged.Please ensure the above return conditions are satisfied, and the goods are packaged in the original shipping carton for protection. It is your responsibility to ensure the goods are properly packaged to avoid damage during transport. Any damage will result in us being unable to accept the return.
Please note that we will cover the cost of all courier fees for returns.Refunds will only be processed upon receipt and inspection of the product to ensure the return conditions above are satisfied.Any refunds are processed strictly in accordance with the original sales tender type.


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Why use us?
I STOCK House Plans carries many select houseplans designed with a classic look and a modern feel. We are very fond of the true craftsman and bungalow style from the turn of the century. Many houseplans do not have garages but there are several detached garage plans to choose from.
All of our houseplans are drawn in an attempt to make them economical to build. We shun dimensions like 24'-4". Our goal is to create as little construction waste as possible. We encourage builders to consider using our alternate framing details, included with every plan. These options will create even less construction waste and better energy efficiency for the home. We also recommend tankless hot water heaters and radiant floor heat. While these items cost more to install, they will lower the homeowners' utility bills, providing savings in the long run.
We make it simple
For your convenience, house plan numbers are based on the width and depth of the plan. For instance, the Belmont series are 32' wide and 32' deep. Multi-family plans are graded in the same manner, but multiply the width by the number after the dash, if there is one. The Montavilla 3 is 75' wide. Garage sizes are based on the number of bays, denoted by the final numeral in the plan number. The Pine series of garages are 2-car and 2-car oversized.
Most houseplans are available with multiple foundation choices. Please specify which type you would like when ordering.
Have it your way!
Sometimes our plans may not be exactly what you are looking for. We are pleased to make modifications for you. Maybe you want to move a wall, add a basement or attach a garage. No problem! We have reasonable rates and quick turnaround times. For deeper revisions we might recommend going with a custom plan. It may be quicker and cheaper to draw from scratch rather than making extensive revisions to something existing. Of course you can contact us for details.
If you have any questions, check out our FAQ. We are also kid friendly!
See all Plans by Feature


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version 1.708SYNOPSIS
use Number::Tolerant;
my $range1 = tolerance(10 => to => 12);
my $range2 = tolerance(14 => to => 16);
my $union = $range1 | $range2;
if ($11 == $union) { ... } # this will happen
if ($12 == $union) { ... } # so will this
if ($13 == $union) { ... } # nothing will happen here
if ($14 == $union) { ... } # this will happen
if ($15 == $union) { ... } # so will this
Number::Tolerant::Union is used by Number::Tolerant to represent the union of multiple tolerances. A subset of the same operators that function on a tolerance will function on a union of tolerances, as listed below.METHODS
my $union = Number::Tolerant::Union->new(@list_of_tolerances);
There is a "new" method on the Number::Tolerant::Union class, but unions are meant to be created with the "|" operator on a Number::Tolerant tolerance.
The arguments to "new" are a list of numbers or tolerances to be unioned.
Intersecting ranges are not converted into a single range, but this may change in the future. (For example, the union of ``5 to 10'' and ``7 to 12'' is not ``5 to 12.'')
This method will return a list of all the acceptable options for the union.Overloading
Tolerance unions overload a few operations, mostly comparisons.- numification
- Unions numify to undef. If there's a better idea, I'd love to hear it.
- stringification
- A tolerance stringifies to a short description of itself. This is a set of the union's options, parentheses-enclosed and joined by the word ``or''
- equality
- A number is equal to a union if it is equal to any of its options.
- comparison
A number is greater than a union if it is greater than all its options.
A number is less than a union if it is less than all its options.
- union intersection
An intersection ("&") with a union is commutted across all options. In other
(a | b | c) & d ==yields==> ((a & d) | (b & d) | (c & d))
Options that have no intersection with the new element are dropped. The intersection of a constant number and a union yields that number, if the number was in the union's ranges and otherwise yields nothing.
Who knows. Collapsing overlapping options, probably.AUTHOR
Ricardo Signes <[email protected]>COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
This software is copyright (c) 2004 by Ricardo Signes.This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.


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Investing means becoming wealthier by buying and sometimes selling assets that provide income while you hold them and capital when you sell them.
There are two ways to invest and three broad types of investment. We can assist you with all of them.
The two ways to invest are directly or indirectly. Direct investment is where you buy and hold investment assets in your own name (or in the name of some entity that you control, such as a family trust or a self-managed super fund). If direct investment is what you are after, we can help you find the right investments to make and the right ways to manage those investments. A big part of this is making sure that you buy the asset in the right hands. Sometimes this is yourself, but sometimes it is not.
Indirect investment is where you employ an investment manager to buy and hold investment assets on your behalf. We can assist you to identify the managed investment option or options that best suits your circumstance and your goals, and then show you how to access the particular benefits of managed investments to minimise your risk.
The three broad things in which you can invest are shares, property and cash fixed/interest. The specific choice of investment types, and the way in which you mix these choices within your portfolio, is different for each person.
We take the time to assist you to identify which type or types of asset class makes most sense, and then assist you to make either a direct or indirect investment accordingly.


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Gaunt With The Wind
I'm 23, and my girlfriend of a couple months is 20. I'm taller than her, although I'm only 5-foot-7, and very thin (I weigh less than she does). She's mentioned several times that she's never been with somebody so thin, making me think it's a problem for her. I just have the feeling that she's not that turned on by me. I know I'm not as big as my guy friends, and I don't care. I don't need to be as big to get their respect. Could this be a childish hangup she'll outgrow? While I'd never threaten to break up if she's simply not in the mood (which she seems to not be a lot), I need the physical to go with the emotional. There must be something I can do to spice up our love life.
— Slim Jim
From the way your girlfriend's been talking, your best bet for spicing up your love life is trying new things in bed, like the Double Down. Unfortunately, that isn't some tantric maneuver, but the new KFC sandwich with bacon and melted cheese between two fried chicken patties.
Dating a really skinny guy can make even thin women feel huge ("Do I look fat in this relationship?"). Women seem to have an evolved preference for men with characteristics that suggest physical dominance. Numerous studies show that almost all women prefer men who are taller than they are. And even though the only bear you're likely to encounter these days is the little plastic one your honey comes in, many women want men who are built like they'd have some chance of slaying a real one — as opposed to taking one look, scaling the woman like a tree and whimpering, "Donnnn't hurrrrt meeee!"
Sure, your guy friends are fine with your body size — because when they hang out with you, they might wake up hung over, not naked and spooning you with their face pressed into your back hair. Skinny guys can make up for a lack of beefiness by trying to date even skinnier women or by muscling up — not to cartoon proportions; just so they're more cruel Adonis than human breadstick.
As for your recent sexual dry spell, there does come a time in a relationship when the old sex life cools down, but it's not supposed to happen anywhere near the three-week mark. Maybe your girlfriend's not that into sex; maybe she's not that into sex with a guy built like you. She may like you, respect you and want to want you, but lust doesn't work that way. You just can't train yourself to be attracted to a person like you'd train yourself to rollerblade or master the subjunctive. There are women out there who'll be really attracted to you and won't be able to keep their hands off you — at the very least, for the first few months. They'll probably drop little suggestions about stuff that bugs them, too, but it'll be stuff like "Don't snap your gum" and "Don't leave the toilet seat up," not "Don't be 5-foot-7."
Acquaintances With Benefits
I'm a successful, attractive 40-year-old man with a great job that often has me attending social functions where I meet great women who hit on me and hint at going on a date. The thing is, I have no interest in a long-term relationship, but it seems jerky and presumptuous to say upon meeting, "Hey, you're really cool, but I'm not looking for anything serious." But, what if a date leads to crunch time on a woman's sofa? Do I pause the action early on and make a public service announcement? Waiting till afterward seems unfair.
— Good-Time Charlie
People are prone to believe they've found whatever it is they've been looking for. You, apparently, look like the sort of man they write about in romance novels, but are actually the other sort: the sort they write about in bathroom stalls.
A commitment-minded woman may start visualizing you behind the wheel of a minivan, driving the adorable twin sons you had with her to soccer. It's your job to give her a more accurate picture of her future with you: a view of the back of your head as you're heading out to your car after your third and final date.
When you're first chatting, wind your way to the subject of Relationships Today, touch on general points, then get more personal: "I'm actually not dating as much because I'm not looking for a long-term relationship or anything serious." The woman may decide to ignore this, and may even take you on as a challenge, but you've done your part in making the landscape clear: You're pretty much the pool boy; you just happen to be one who has his own house and pool.
▲ Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave. Suite 280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email@example.com


text:
Have a very happy Christmas and a blessed New Year.
A Hymn on the Nativity of My Saviour
by Ben Jonson
I sing the birth was born tonight,
The Author both of life and light;
The angels so did sound it,
And like the ravished shepherds said,
Who saw the light, and were afraid,
Yet searched, and true they found it.
The Son of God, the eternal King,
That did us all salvation bring,
And freed the soul from danger;
He whom the whole world could not take,
The Word, which heaven and earth did make,
Was now laid in a manger.
The Father's wisdom willed it so,
The Son's obedience knew no "No,"
Both wills were in one stature;
And as that wisdom had decreed,
The Word was now made Flesh indeed,
And took on Him our nature.
What comfort by Him do we win?
Who made Himself the Prince of sin,
To make us heirs of glory?
To see this Babe, all innocence,
A Martyr born in our defense,
Can man forget this story?


text:
What to do about nausea?
During the first weeks of pregnancy, there are hormonal changes to which every woman reacts differently. Typical reactions to these bodily changes are nausea and vomiting. It usually happens in the morning right after getting up and sometimes even lasts until the evening.
It might help to have a little snack before getting up. The first meal of the day boosts the blood glucose level and can stop nausea. This does not necessarily have to be a full breakfast in bed though. Mostly it is sufficient to have a small snack, perhaps a banana, rusk or some dried fruit – depending on what you like.
You can continue doing so throughout the day. An empty stomach often causes nausea. Don't give it a chance. Nevertheless, if it is really bad, please consult your doctor.


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1999 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
Product Review – Note Perfect Symphony
Floorstanding Speakers – March, 1999
J.E. Johnson, Jr.
I've always been highly impressed with Australian hi-fi products, having auditioned and purchased numerous components from Down Under through the years. After auditioning the Note Perfect Symphonies, I knew that I would continue in that tradition.
The Symphonies are one of an entire line of speakers manufactured by Note Perfect. Although the Symphonies are beautifully crafted with an elegant enclosure, I was much more interested in a unique characteristic of these speakers, namely that the midrange driver has only an inductor in its signal path rather than the usual resistor, inductor, and capacitor. In other words, the midrange driver is wired directly to the amplifier with just the inductor (other than the speaker cable itself) in the circuit. This is accomplished by using a small internal sealed enclosure for the midrange driver that prevents it from having high excursion when low frequencies pass through its voice coil. The upper end rolls off via the inductor. The woofer and tweeter have crossovers, but it is the midrange signal that our ears are most sensitive to, and so, this is where the clever effects of a (nearly) crossoverless design are manifested.
The rear of the enclosure has a metal dome tweeter with a 6 step control. This allows a "presence" or "ambience" adjustment of the high frequencies, and it lightens the soundstage, which is especially useful in small listening rooms. The speaker binding posts are complex, allowing for tri-wiring, bi-amping, and also, if you are really cranking the system, there is a binding post that inserts a capacitor (gasp!) into the midrange driver circuit, and which will prevent any unauthorized excursion of the midrange driver due to high volume. The speakers are 4 Ohms nominal, which means you need an amplifier with a good power supply, but at $7,500/pair for these things, I would think that any consumer in his/her right mind would be pairing them with a terrific amplifier anyway.
We listened to the Symphonies using solid state equipment and CDs. I have to say right off the bat that they sounded like they were being driven by tube amplifiers, with the most lucious midrange I could possibly imagine. I used the rear tweeter adjustment to get a huge soundstage even though the room was relatively small. The silk dome tweeter kept the upper end smooth, and the bass was nice and tight, but oh that midrange. I'm sure that the felt pad around the tweeter and midrange driver, along with the tapered enclosure, made a difference in the mid and high driver interaction, but the lack of a capacitor in the midrange circuit has to be the most important contribution to this sound (capacitors result in smearing).
When it comes right down to the basics, just think about this for a moment. Manufacturers spend months, years, and a lot of money getting the source, the preamplifier, and power amplifier, as well as highly engineered cables, to handle the music signal very carefully with minimum degradation. They make a point of saying that there are no capacitors in this or that circuit, and then what do we do? We put capacitors, resistors, and inductors right in the path just before the signal gets to the speakers! We must . . . must . . . spend more effort in developing speakers with no crossover components in the path. The Symphonies have made headway in this, but a music system with no capacitors or inductors used as crossovers before the power amplifier or after it would be achievable with a digital crossover. Using the digital signal from a CD player, DVD player, or from analog sources converted to digital (A/D), the crossover separates the audio signal into two or three (or more) spectrum parts based on user input. For example, 20 Hz – 250 Hz, 251 Hz – 3500 Hz, and 3501 Hz – 20 kHz could be selected and sent to three power amplifiers for tri-amping a three-way speaker. Slope could be chosen for the specific drivers and enclosure. There would be no phase shift. It would be nice to have it done in 32 bit with 4 MHz clock speed to allow a flat response all the way to 100 kHz.
Of course, it is not as simple as just removing the crossover and building a small sealed enclosure for the midrange driver to make a great speaker. The sound of the Symphonies is a result of total engineering design, not just midrange. Although our ears are most sensitive in the midrange, we can hear the bass and highs too. If they are not right, a clean midrange is useless. The Symphonies have everything just right, and that is something unusual.
Now, I am not going to waste time explaining how 1:24 into track 6 of such and such a CD, the french horns had a lot of "air". We don't do that kind of thing at Secrets. Being a fan of popular singing, I thought that the Symphonies would make a big difference with music sung by the likes of Natalie Cole, which they did. But, what surprised me was how much difference they made with instrument solos such as saxophones and trumpets, particularly when the microphones were close to the horns. The old platitude about being "in the room" doesn't give justice to the sound of these speakers. The horns were in my lap. With so much midrange, I worried that it might come out nasal with some music, but it didn't. Again, this is a careful blending of the midrange driver output with the other two drivers in these speakers. The Symphonies can be ordered with a built-in 150 watt amplifier for the woofer (one in each enclosure), which allows your own amplifier just to concentrate on the midrange and tweeter. This pushes the price to $9,000 per pair.
I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. The Note Perfect Symphonies are not available in many stores in the USA, but I think that they will start showing up here and there, and maybe everywhere, soon. If you come across an audio shop that is smart enough to be carrying them in the future, please give yourself the pleasure of auditioning them.
John E. Johnson, Jr.
© Copyright 1999 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
Note Perfect Australia


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Sample solutions
item example applications are a source of inspiration and a basis for your own projects. Thanks to complete CAD data and parts lists, you can use the example solutions exactly as they are. Alternatively, you can utilise them as free templates for designing custom machine cabins and enclosures. Applications that are labelled accordingly can be opened in the item Engineeringtool, which provides an especially convenient way to design your own solutions.
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WASHINGTON ― The Internal Revenue Service [on Nov. 12] reminded eligible employees that now is the time to begin planning to take full advantage of their employer's health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) during 2016.
FSAs provide employees a way to use tax-free dollars to pay medical expenses not covered by other health plans. Because eligible employees need to decide how much to contribute through payroll deductions before the plan year begins, many employers this fall are offering their employees the option to participate during the 2016 plan year.
Interested employees wishing to contribute during the new year must make this choice again for 2016, even if they contributed in 2015. Self-employed individuals are not eligible.
An employee who chooses to participate can contribute up to $2,550 during the 2016 plan year. Amounts contributed are not subject to federal income tax, Social Security tax or Medicare tax. If the plan allows, the employer may also contribute to an employee's FSA.
Throughout the year, employees can then use funds to pay qualified medical expenses not covered by their health plan, including co-pays, deductibles and a variety of medical products and services ranging from dental and vision care to eyeglasses and hearing aids. Interested employees should check with their employer for details on eligible expenses and claim procedures.
Under the use or lose provision, participating employees often must incur eligible expenses by the end of the plan year, or forfeit any unspent amounts. But under a special rule, employers may, if they choose, offer participating employees more time through either the carryover option or the grace period option.
Under the carryover option, an employee can carry over up to $500 of unused funds to the following plan year—for example, an employee with $500 of unspent funds at the end of 2016 would still have those funds available to use in 2017. Under the grace period option, an employee has until 2½ months after the end of the plan year to incur eligible expenses—for example, March 15, 2017, for a plan year ending on Dec. 31, 2016. Employers can offer either option, but not both, or none at all.
Employers are not required to offer FSAs. Accordingly, interested employees should check with their employer to see if they offer an FSA. More information about FSAs can be found in Publication 969 , available on IRS.gov.


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Interview with Attica! Attica! – Podcast 104
Posted by rich on July 28, 2009This week we have a very special episode. It's not often that I really feel like the show reaches people but this is one of those instances. A few weeks ago Aaron Scott (Attica! Attica!, Ex-Marathon) e-mailed us and asked if we might want to have him on the show. He listened to the No Trigger interview we did a while back where we gushed over Marathon and thought he might offer (mind you Aaron was totally humble and nearly embarrassed about seeming so presumptuous to assume that we must want to talk to him). Anyhow, we were beyond stoked to have the chance to talk to Aaron and the fact that he was a fan (as we were of his work) made it even more exciting.
For those of you who don't know Aaron's new band, Attica! Attica!, is him and a collection of artists playing songs that he's written over the course of his travels across the country. It's much different than Marathon, being more theatrical and boasting instruments from pianos to cellos and everything in between. Aaron is also crazy socially conscious (like her cares about a lot of things, not like he's some zany "stab a meat eater" dickweed) and happens to support a lot of worthy causes through both his music and his daily efforts. So, basically, he's really interesting and you'll really want to hear everything he has to say…seriously.
Also, Aaron hooked us up with a crazy insane prize pack for one lucky dude. You get:
Marathon – Songs to turn the Tide on CD
Marathon – Self-titled full length on CD
Attica! Attica! – Dead Skin/Dried Blood on CD
A 10″ vinyl picture disc from Red Leade featuring Attica! Attica!, Nakatomi Plaza, Scream Hello and The new Dress.
An Attica! Attica! t-shirt (size large)
That's a ton of shit!!!! So be sure to enter and learn how to win and increase your odds of getting crazy hooked up. Be sure to write use at SoundSceneRevolution[at]Gmail[dot]com, on MySpace or in the comments section. And Remember, "This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball."


text: How to choose a business structure June 20, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA Choosing a Business Structure FS-2008-22 Of all the choices you make when starting a business, one of the most important is the type of legal organization you select for your company. This decision can affect how much you pay in taxes, the amount of paperwork your business is required to do, the personal liability you face and your ability to borrow money. Business formation is controlled by the law of the state where your business is organized. This fact sheet provides a quick look at the differences between the most common forms of business entities. The most common forms of businesses are: Sole Proprietorships Partnerships Corporations Limited Liability Companies (LLC) While state law controls the formation of your business, federal tax law controls how your business is taxed. Federal tax law recognizes an additional business form, the Subchapter S Corporation. All businesses must file an annual return. The form you use depends on how your business is organized. Sole proprietorships and corporations file an income tax return. Partnerships and S Corporations file an information return. For an LLC with at least two members, except for some businesses that are automatically classified as a corporation, it can choose to be classified for tax purposes as either a corporation or a partnership. A business with a single member can choose to be classified as either a corporation or disregarded as an entity separate from its owner, that is, a "disregarded entity." As a disregarded entity the LLC will not file a separate return instead all the income or loss is reported by the single member/owner on its annual return. The answer to the question "What structure makes the most sense?" depends on the individual circumstances of each business owner. The type of business entity you choose will depend on: Liability Taxation Recordkeeping Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship is the most common form of business organization. It's easy to form and offers complete control to the owner. It is any unincorporated business owned entirely by one individual. In general, the owner is also personally liable for all financial obligations and debts of the business. (State law may also govern this area depending on the state.) Sole proprietors can operate any kind of business. It must be a business, not an investment or hobby. It can be full-time or part-time work. This includes operating a: Shop or retail trade business Large company with employees Home based business One person consulting firm Every sole proprietor is required to keep sufficient records to comply with federal tax requirements regarding business records. Generally, sole proprietors file Schedule C or C-EZ, Profit or Loss from Business, with their Form 1040. Sole proprietor farmers file Schedule F, Profit or Loss from Farming. Your net business income or loss is combined with your other income and deductions and taxed at individual rates on your personal tax return. Sole proprietors must also pay self-employment tax on the net income reported on Schedule C or Schedule F. You may also be able to deduct one-half of SE tax on your 1040. Use Schedule SE, Self-Employment Tax, to compute this tax. Sole proprietors do not have taxes withheld from their business income so you will generally need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you expect to make a profit. These estimated payments include both income tax and self-employment taxes for Social Security and Medicare. Partnership A partnership is the relationship existing between two or more persons who join to carry on a trade or business. Each person contributes money, property, labor or skill, and expects to share in the profits and losses of the business. A partnership does not pay any income tax at the partnership level. Partnerships file Form 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income, to report income and expenses. This is an information return. The partnership passes the information to the individual partners on Schedule K-1, Partner's Share of Income, Credits, and Deductions. Partnerships are often referred to as pass-through or flow-through entities for this reason. Each partner reports his share of the partnership net profit or loss on his personal Form 1040 tax return. Partners must report their share of partnership income even if a distribution is not made. Partners are not employees of the partnership and so taxes are not withheld from any distributions. Like sole proprietors, partners generally need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if they expect to make a profit. General partners must pay self-employment tax on their net earnings from self employment assigned to them from the partnership. Net earnings from self- employment include an individual's share, distributed or not, of income or loss from any trade or business carried on by a partnership. Limited partners are subject to self-employment tax only on guaranteed payments, such as professional fees for services rendered. Corporation A corporate structure is more complex than other business structures. It requires complying with more regulations and tax requirements. It may require more tax preparation services than the sole proprietorship or the partnership. Corporations are formed under the laws of each state and are subject to corporate income tax at the federal and generally at the state level. In addition, any earnings distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends are taxed at individual tax rates on their personal tax returns. The corporation is an entity that handles the responsibilities of the business. Like a person, the corporation can be taxed and can be held legally liable for its actions. If you organize your business as a corporation, you are generally not personally liable for the debts of the corporation. (Exceptions my exist under state law.) When you form a corporation, you create a separate tax-paying entity. Unlike sole proprietors and partnerships, income earned by a corporation is taxed at the corporate level using corporate tax rates. Regular corporations are called C corporations because Subchapter C of Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code is where you find general tax rules affecting corporations and their shareholders. A corporation files Form 1120 or 1120-A, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return. If a shareholder is an employee, he pays income tax on his wages, and the corporation and the employee each pay one half of the social security and Medicare taxes and the corporation can deduct its half. A corporate shareholder pays only income tax for any dividends received, which may be subject to a dividends-received deduction. Subchapter S Corporation The Subchapter S corporation is a variation of the standard corporation. The S corporation allows income or losses to be passed through to individual tax returns, similar to a partnership. The rules for Subchapter S corporations are found in Subchapter S of Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code. An S corporation has the same corporate structure as a standard corporation. It is a legal entity, chartered under state law, and is separate from its shareholders and officers. There is generally limited liability for corporate shareholders. The difference is that the corporation files an election on Form 2553, Election by a Small Business Corporation, to be treated differently for federal tax purposes. Generally, an S corporation is exempt from federal income tax other than tax on certain capital gains and passive income. It is treated in the same way as a partnership, in that generally taxes are not paid at the corporate level. An S corporation files Form 1120S, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return for an S Corporation. The income flows through to be reported on the shareholders' individual returns. Schedule K-1, Shareholder's Share of Income, Credits and Deductions, is completed with Form 1120S for each shareholder. The Schedule K-1 tells shareholders their allocable share of corporate income and deductions. Shareholders must pay tax on their share of corporate income, regardless of whether it is actually distributed. Limited Liability Company A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a relatively new business structure allowed by state statute. LLCs are popular because, similar to a corporation, owners generally have limited personal liability for the debts and actions of the LLC. Other features of LLCs are more like a partnership, providing management flexibility and the benefit of pass-through taxation. Owners of an LLC are called members. Since most states do not restrict ownership, members may include individuals, corporations, other LLCs and foreign entities. Most states also permit "single member" LLCs, those having only one owner. A few types of businesses generally cannot be LLCs, such as banks and insurance companies. Check your state's requirements and the federal tax regulations for further information. There are special rules for foreign LLCs. For additional information on the kinds of tax returns to file, how to handle employment taxes and possible pitfalls, refer to Publication 3402, Tax Issues for Limited Liability Companies. Which structure best suits your business? One form is not necessarily better than any other. Each business owner must asses his or her own needs. It may be important to seek advice from business experts and professionals when considering the advantages and disadvantages of a business entity.


text: This false-color view was taken by the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on the 3,230th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission (Feb. 23, 2013). The rock targets known as "Esperance6," and "Lihir," are shown. Esperance6 was deeply abraded with the rover's rock abrasion tool. These rocks are part of the Matijevic formation located on "Matijevic Hill" on the rim of Endeavour Crater. The scene shown is approximately 27.6 inches (70 centimeters) across. An unlabeled image of these rocks is at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17074.