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These beautiful rosaries are made with 6mm Fire Polished glass beads. The findings, centerpiece and crucifix are all silver plated.
Available Birthstone Rosary Beads:
Here are the answers to the questions we get every single day.
If you are new to Catholicism, or wish to read a refresher, then take a look at our article "How to Pray the Rosary" where we go into depth on all the steps.
Shop with confidence. We are open. Most items are in stock and ready to ship.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sniper Rifle
14 images Created 2 Dec 2008
Lying in undergrowth, a camouflaged British infantry soldier is seen looking down the telescopic sight of the new British-made Long Range L115A3 sniper rifle on Salisbury Plain, Warminster, England. Sniping means concealment, observation and assassination, a strategy the British are using more against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Swiss Lapua .338 inch rounds (8.59mm) travel at sub-sonic speeds of 936 metres/sec, finding its target accurately up to 1,100 metres. The rifle weighs 6.8kg with telescopic image-intensified scopes to 25x life size vision, made by Schmidt & Bender. Front-mounted 'suppressor' minimises the signature normally compromising snipers' position. At £23,000 each, a £4 million contract has been awarded to Accuracy International, to provide the Army, Royal Marines and RAF. The British say this is the best sniper rifle in the world.
A blog story about this assignment pictures is at"
A blog story about this assignment pictures is at"


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New leadership has taken over at a company known for a particular brand of cute.
Shintaro Tsuji, the 92-year-old founder of Sanrio, the Japanese company that created Hello Kitty, handed over the reins to his 31-year-old grandson Tomokuni Tsuji, who officially became Sanrio's president and CEO on July 1. It's the first leadership change in the company's 60-year history.
Formerly Sanrio's senior managing director, the younger Tsuji is inheriting a multifaceted business that investors currently value at more than $1.3 billion.
Founded in 1960 as a dry goods company selling products like stationery, Sanrio has become a global empire of branded retail and theme parks. Now Tsuji will be steering a company that, even before the coronavirus pandemic ravaged retail revenues, had seen consecutive years of slumping revenue.
Between 2016 and 2020, Sanrio's overall revenue fell by nearly 16%. Overall sales fell 6.5% between fiscal years 2018 and 2019, with sales down across the world.
"The grandson will have big shoes to follow," says Christine Yano, an anthropologist at the University of Hawaii and the author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek across the Pacific. "I think that the key will be to remain true to its core fans, being primarily female — but also extending into the male market. To continue to speak to its domestic fans, but also to reach out to its ongoing presence with global fans."
Branding cuteness
Since first appearing 46 years ago, Hello Kitty quickly became Sanrio's flagship character and remains the company's brand ambassador to this day — catering to people of all ages around the world, appearing on everything from pencils and cellphone cases to rice cookers, wine bottles and cars.
The character debuted as "Kitty White" in 1974, though Shintaro Tsuji's company started catering to "cute culture," known in Japan as kawaii, years before. The strategy paid off.
The character's spare depiction and ambiguousbackground story (there is disagreement over whether Hello Kitty is an actual cat) make her historically and culturally flexible, Yano says.
"She is so unspecific that, that kind of what might be called a blankness can respond to whatever is needed at the moment — the flexibility to kind of be everywhere, be anyone, be anything," Yano says.
Over the years, Hello Kitty's personas have varied from princess to heavy metal music lover. Sometimes she wears two bows, sometimes one. She changes color. Her image has adorned accessories worn by the likes of Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera, and in the early 2000s, singer Lisa Loeb wrote an homage album called Hello Lisa.
Yano says young girls and women in the 1970s loved the new Hello Kitty products because they were not just feminine, they were also a way to express oneself.
"If you had a product, a totally utilitarian product — take a rubber sandal or something like that — and if you added a cute element, it became this huge value added," Yano says. "The value being kawaii or cuteness, something that would be, of course, visually attractive and emotionally reassuring — things like a daisy, an apple and eventually a cat."
That cuteness is not without controversy. Some scholars assert that kawaii developed as "a mechanism to avoid facing up to [Japan's] wartime history," one that has "neutralized issues too painful to deal with," as Norihiro Kato, a professor at Waseda University, wrote inthe The New York Times in 2014.
"Hello Kitty, the white cat with a pink bow on her ear, is the ultimate embodiment of Japan's cute culture: She has no background and no mouth. She represents the impulse to escape history and to stop talking about it," Kato wrote.
Still, Hello Kitty crowns the list of over 400 adorable Sanrio characters, including Keroppi (a frog), a mischievous penguin named Badtz-Maru and Gudetama, a lazy egg yolk. All are popular, even though Sanrio "spends almost no money on advertising," says New York Times journalist Ken Belson, co-author with Brian Bremner of Hello Kitty: The Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon.
"Don't count out Hello Kitty"
But in Sanrio's home market of Japan, which accounts for more than 40% of sales, demographics are changing. The population is the oldest in the world and birth rates are falling. For any company that relies on selling to children, this presents challenges, says Belson. And, he warns, "succession is always a big danger to companies."
Shintaro Tsuji realized teenagers grow up and have their own daughters, so he started upgrading Hello Kitty products to tasteful yet cute items for young women. But that doesn't mean his grandson will have the same vision.
Last month, Tomokuni Tsuji told reporters, "Rather than focus on character goods, I want to grow the company into one that takes a broad view of global entertainment and provides value to all people."
And while Sanrio has been good at rejuvenating and reinventing Hello Kitty over and over again throughout the years, there's always a chance of Hello Kitty burnout among consumers.
"That's not to say it's going away; Snoopy's been around longer, Mickey Mouse has been around even longer than that," Belson says. "It's just that the sales probably won't keep growing at the same speed or it'll take more work to keep them growing at the same speed."
While Sanrio has gone through ups and downs, Belson says, "Don't count out Hello Kitty."
"She'll rejuvenate in some other way, some other format," he says — just as she has done for more than four decades.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Rising home prices coupled with a lack of inventory in today's market may cause some homeowners to consider selling their home on their own (known in the industry as a For Sale By Owner). However, a FSBO might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.
The top 5 reasons are listed below:
1. Online Strategy for Prospective Purchasers
Recent studies have shown that 95% of buyers search online for a home. In comparison, only 13% use print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents have an Internet strategy to promote the sale of your home. Do you?
2. Results Come from the Internet
Where did buyers find the home they actually purchased?
- 50% on the Internet
- 28% from a Real Estate Agent
- 7% from a yard sign
- 1% from newspapers
The days of selling your house by putting up a sign and listing it in the paper are long gone. Having a strong Internet strategy is crucial.
3. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With
Here is a list of some of the people with whom you must be prepared to negotiate if you decide to For Sale By Owner:
- The buyer who wants the best deal possible
- The buyer's agent, who solely represents the best interest of the buyer
- The buyer's attorney (in some parts of the country)
- The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
- The appraiser, if there is a question of value
4. FSBOing Has Become Increasingly Difficult
The paperwork involved in the process has increased dramatically as industry disclosures and regulations have become mandatory. This is one of the reasons that the percentage of people FSBOing has dropped from 19% to 7% over the last 20+ years.
5. You Net More Money When Using an Agent
Many homeowners believe that they will save the real estate commission by selling on their own. Realize that the main reason buyers look at FSBOs is because they also believe they can save the real estate agent's commission. The seller and buyer can't both save the commission.
A study by Collateral Analytics revealed that FSBOs don't actually save anything by forgoing the help of an agent. In some cases, they may actually cost themselves more. One of the main reasons for the price difference at the time of sale is:
"Properties listed with a broker that is a member of the local MLS will be listed online with all other participating broker websites, marketing the home to a much larger buyer population. And those MLS properties generally offer compensation to agents who represent buyers, incentivizing them to show and sell the property and again potentially enlarging the buyer pool."
The more buyers that view a home, the greater the chance of a bidding war for the property. The study found the difference in price between comparable homes of size and location is currently at an average of 6%.
Listing on your own leaves you to manage the entire transaction yourself. Why do that when you can hire an agent without additional cost?
Bottom Line
Before you decide to take on the challenge of selling your house on your own, sit down with a real estate professional in your marketplace to discuss your needs.
The post Top 5 Reasons You Should NOT FSBO appeared first on Keeping Current Matters.


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I started Pixloo with the goal of helping people sell their homes online. I had a dream that I could help every person in the world sell their home at a price that they could afford… free.
While I was working at Obeo I would get 3-5 phone calls a day from home owners that were trying to sell their home online. We did nothing to help them. We just told them that they had to contact a real estate agent in their local area and get it listed. We basically did nothing, we weren't even allowed to help them find an agent. #lame
I left Obeo and began my online career but these people kept coming back to me. How could I help people sell their homes online? I decided to create Pixloo. I began over the next 3-4 months to find the perfect developer. This was someone that I really needed on my team.
Once I had found the perfect developer I began to mockup and build out a virtual tour company. It took us 8 long months of planning and building but we were 100% ready.
We launched on TechCrunch and it immediately started having success. Note: When I say it had success, I had planned 8 months of blog posts, promotion and trading favors to be ready for this day. I had 3 PR firms pushing this thing. I also had a commitment from TechCrunch, CNN, Fox News, Wired, Yahoo Real Estate, AOL Real Estate, InMann News, Realtor.com, Trulia and Zillow to run stories on us. I had busted my ass to make this launch the biggest thing in the world.
We launched. Servers melted 3x that day and we were down for almost 35 minutes. It seemed like a disaster but on Day 1 we had over 45,000 people that had signed up to use our service.
How Pixloo worked: We helped people sell their home online by exporting their house across the web to every place possible. Literally every site possible. We exported their virtual tour to over 500 places thanks to our amazing dev. If the home was still listed on our site after 30 days, we emailed customer and told them all the stats about their house. How many people had viewed their house online. How long they looked. If they'd saved it. Everything possible. We then said we'd hook them up with the best real estate agent in their area. We had over a 14% conversion rate on those email to a lead to a local real estate agent.
After 42 days we'd acquired over 86,000 customer and over 1200 leads to agents in their local areas. 436 Sold homes using our system and 22 sold homes by agents where we had referred leads to.
We were then acquired by a large real estate company (can't disclose) who took our technology, patent (took 36 months to get) and customers.
After the acquisition: Over the following 12 months I worked for real estate company. This was a humbling opportunity where I got to see the company I create changed, bruised and broken down and eventually closed 3 months before my golden handcuffs taken off.
It's hard to see something that you've worked hard for over the years go to waste. It's been a long year and I'm free.
June 12, 2013.


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As an investor, you know that it is important to diversify your investment portfolio. In this post, we will give you some tips on the best ways to do it.
Smart diversification is paramount to any successful real estate portfolio. Just like you don't put al lof your eggs in one basket, you don't put all of your cash into one type of investment. Below, we will discuss adding real estate, stocks, and mutual funds to your portfolio so you can diversify and build wealth in a smart and knowledgable manner.
Adding Real Estate
There are a number of great ways to build your portfolio, but real estate has been the greatest wealth builder for many people time and time again. While the market can go up and down and housing prices can rise and fall, real estate is a constant, meaning that people are always going to need a place to live. When you find the right property and the right people, you will be able to generate an income you can count on no matter what the market is doing.
Land is a real estate investment that is often overlooked. Land is boring. It just sits there, which can be the beauty of it. Land is an extremely low-maintenance asset, with the potential to appreciate quickly. If the area is up and coming, owning the right lot can prove to be very beneficial when you decide to develop or sell. Knowing when to act when it comes to land can be incredibly important. If you are able to sell for a price much higher than what you purchased it, you don't want to hesitate in selling!
Commercial Properties
When adding to their portfolios, any investors will look right past commercial property because of the costs and unique maintenance needs. However, the right commercial property can quickly help you to collect a strong paycheck each month. In most cases, commercial renters will act in a more professional manner than residential tenants. They are more likely to pay rent on time and report any problems or repairs that are needed.
Mobile Homes
Mobile homes and even mobile home parks can be an excellent addition to an investment portfolio. Affordable housing is always in demand and for a relatively low up-front cost, you will be able to quickly add multiple mobile homes to your portfolio if you so desire. Once you find the right tenants, owning a mobile home can be a quick and easy way to build your income and your equity. With less competition, it is a great way to buy!
When most people think of an investment property, they are thinking about a rental. Whether you opt for a single-family, multi-family property, or even a small apartment building, residential rentals are the way most people begin their investment careers. It's important to research properties, neighborhoods, and the current rental market. You'll want to look in up and coming neighborhoods to find rental properties at low prices which are soon to be in high demand. At Homebuyers of NC, we can help you to find the perfect rental property to add to your portfolio.
The Stock Market
Investing in the stock market is a given for any portfolio, but there are some things first-time investors should keep in mind. First of all, you don't necessarily want to buy when the market is doing great. When things simmer down, you might actually have less than when you started. You will need to be mindful of commissions and fees on each buy and sale you make. You can opt to buy stocks online or use the services of a professional broker. A broker will cost you more money, but for those just starting out, working with someone who knows the ropes can be a humongous asset.
Mutual Funds
A mutual fund is a conglomerate of multiple investors who create a fund to invest in many different securities such as stocks and bonds. Many investors like adding mutual funds to their portfolios because they can be pretty hands-off. One fund will diversify into many different investments and the cost to own is typically much lower than with individual stocks. The funds are professionally managed, making the process of owning easy and convenient. You do need to follow the market and make sure that the investments your fund is involved with are actually bringing in profits as opposed to costing you money.
At Homebuyers of NC, we help investors in Eastern diversify their portfolios in order to build steady and consistent growth. We offer incredible investment properties that have been inspected and fully researched. We can provide you with the data ant the property history so that you can make a smart decision when it's time to buy.


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What are we missing? Is there a key link we skipped, or a part of the story we got wrong?
Let us know — we're counting on you to help Encyclo get better.
Storify is an online platform owned by Livefyre that allows users to create stories using elements curated from the social web.
Storify allows users to include information from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and other publicly available sites to create embeddable narratives through a process of search, drag, and drop. The platform imports elements' metadata into stories so that, for example, tweets' authors, timestamps, and URLs become part of the stories that include them. Storify also allows for the post-publishing editing of stories.
Storify was founded by Burt Herman, a former AP journalist and the founder of the meetup group Hacks/Hackers, and the developer and entrepreneur Xavier Damman. It originated as part of Herman's Knight Fellowship at Stanford University, where he spent much of his year thinking about the real-time web and the increasing necessity of filtering it through narrative. (The project's name comes from a common internal request from AP editors to their reporters: "Can u pls storify?") The platform was launched in private beta at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in September 2010, as a contestant in the conference's "Startup Battlefield" competition.
Storify is the most prominent of a new crop of tools that attempt to curate — and archive — information and conversations contained within the social web. (Others include the services Curated.by and Keepstream, both of which focus on Twitter.) The service, with its broad goals of aggregation and contextualization, is also emblematic of the new journalistic mindset that GigaOm's Mathew Ingram has called "the curatorial instinct." During Storify's private beta period, reporters from The Washington Post, NPR, PBS, TBD, and other outlets used the Storify platform to create social-media-based narratives. Al Jazeera English's "The Stream," a social-media-focused television show that debuted in May 2011, also heavily relies on Storify's curation capabilities.
In February 2011, Storify announced that it had closed a $2 million funding round from Khosla Ventures, the prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm. In April 2011, Storify launched its platform in public beta. In November 2011, it redesigned its homepage to emphasize current major stories on social media, and in February 2012, it launched an iPad app.
Livefyre, a blog commenting platform, bought Storify in 2013.
Storify on how to use its service:


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Apple iPad 7th Gen (2019) WiFi Only Bundle with Beats Flex Headphones (Refurbished)
Superb Sound & Vision from Apple with This Like-New iPad and Beats Flex Combo Plus Accessories!
Get the best of both worlds with this bundle of refurbished Apple iPad 7 and Beats Flex Wireless Headphones.
The Apple iPad 7 is a sleek and powerful device with a stunning 10.2" Retina display, a powerful A10 Fusion chip, and up to 10 hours of battery life. It also comes with a case, charging accessories, a stylus, and a screen protector. And with the addition of the Beats Flex Wireless Headphones, you'll be able to enjoy your favorite music, movies, and podcasts with stunning sound quality and the freedom to move around without the hassle of tangled wires. These headphones feature an ergonomic design, an advanced acoustic driver, and up to 12 hours of battery life.
The iPad and headphones have been refurbished to like-new condition, ensuring you get the quality and performance you expect at a fraction of the price!
Apple iPad 7 (Refurbished: Wi-Fi Only)
- 32GB: Enough storage to download important apps, files & content
- 10.2" Retina display: Smooth, natural-looking display with higher pixel density
- A10 Fusion chip: Four-core processor that handles both demanding & normal daily tasks
- Cameras: 8MP rear camera & 1.2MP FaceTime camera for taking photos and videos on the go
- 1080p HD video recording: Supports high-definition video with image stabilization
- Dual microphones: For calls, video recording & audio recording
- Wi-Fi only: Go online by connecting to a wireless network or hotspot
- iOS 16: Installed with iOS 16's all-new features & can be updated to upcoming versions
- Long battery life: Up to 10 hours of browsing, video playback, or music play
- Model year: 2019
Beats Flex Wireless Headphones (Renewed)
- Flex-Form cable: Provides all-day comfort with durable Nitinol construction
- Magnetic earbuds: Automatically plays music when worn in your ears & pauses when attached around your neck
- Four eartip options: For a more personalized fit
- Tangle-free: Easily coils up into your pocket or purse when not in use
- Less charging: Boasts up to 12 hours of listening time; 10-minute Fast Fuel charging gives an extra 1.5 hours of playback
- Dual-chamber acoustic: Delivers outstanding stereo with rich & precise bass
- Class 1 Bluetooth®: Offers extended wireless range & fewer dropouts
- Apple W1 chip: Ready to be used with any Apple device that is synced to iCloud
- Model year: 2020
Refurbished Rating
This product is listed with a grade "A." It arrives in a near-mint condition and may have very light scuffing on the bevel/case or light scratches/dents on the body. To learn more about refurbished products, click here.
Beats Flex headphones are renewed open-box returns - they are tested, cleaned, and repackaged into their original packaging.
NOTE: The charger block/adapter is not included in the Beats Flex Headphones Bundle
Apple iPad 7
- Model number: A2197
- Color: space gray
- Dimensions: 9.8"H x 6.8"W x 0.29"D
- Weight: 1.07lbs
- Storage: 32GB
- Display: 10.2" Retina display
- Resolution: 2160x1620 (264ppi)
- OS: iOS 16 (can be updated to upcoming iOS)
- Chip: A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture
- Coprocessor: embedded M10
- Camera: 8MP (rear), 1.2MP (FaceTime)
- Video recording: 1080p HD video recording at 30fps
- Dual microphones
- Stereo speakers
- Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac; dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz); HT80 with MIMO
- Bluetooth: 4.2
- Touch ID
- Apple Pay
- Siri
- Battery: 32.4Whr
- Battery life: up to 10hrs
- Ports: Lightning, Headphone, Smart Connector
Beats Flex Wireless Headphones
- Color: may vary
- Dimensions: 0.6"H x 34"L x 4.2"W
- Weight: 0.66oz
- Form factor: in-ear
- Magnetic earbuds
- Chip: Apple W1
- Connectivity: Class 1 Bluetooth
- Audio Sharing
- Playtime: up to 12hrs
- On-device controls
- Charging: USB-C
- Aftermarket 1-year parts and labor warranty from third party
- Apple iPad 7, 32GB - Space Gray (Refurbished: Wi-Fi Only)
- Beats Flex Wireless Headphones (color may vary)
- Case (color may vary)
- Screen protector
- Stylus (color may vary)
- UL compliant non-OEM charging block (10W-12W)
- Generic compliant non-OEM charging cable
- Ships to Contiguous US
- Expected Delivery: Jul 27 - Aug 1
- Returns accepted within 30 days of shipment for orders within the Contiguous US.
- This item is excluded from coupons.


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Great Feasts
(Redirected from Great Feast)
The Great Feasts (major feasts) of the Orthodox Church are the major celebrations throughout the liturgical year. While various saints and events are celebrated with significance on the local level, the entire Church celebrates together thirteen feasts above all the rest, Pascha and the Twelve Great Feasts.
The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, called Pascha (Easter), is the greatest of the feasts of the Orthodox Church. It is not counted among the twelve major feasts of the Church since it is considered by itself as the "Feast of Feasts." It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (see Paschalion).The Twelve Great Feasts
There are other days of great importance in the life of the Church -- the Twelve Great Feasts, which commemorate and present us again to the historic presence of major events in the lives of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Mother.
Seven greats feasts in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ and five great feasts honoring the Theotokos constitute the Twelve Great Feasts.
- September 8, the Nativity of the Theotokos
- September 14, the Elevation of the Holy Cross
- November 21, the Presentation of the Theotokos
- December 25, the Nativity of Christ (Christmas)
- January 6, Theophany, the Baptism of Christ
- February 2, the Presentation of Christ
- March 25, the Annunciation
- The Sunday before Pascha, Palm Sunday
- Forty Days after Pascha, the Ascension of Christ
- Fifty Days after Pascha, Pentecost
- August 6, the Transfiguration
- August 15, the Dormition (Falling Asleep) of the Theotokos


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Green and Lilac Star Coaster
These colourful and heat resistant coasters are designed by Killy to keep you smiling and are all made in England. Mix and match to your hearts content and most importantly have fun at all times.
- Matt finish, heat resistant melamine
- 10 cm diameter and 3 mm thick
- Baize backing
- Made in England


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SAN FRANCISCO — Sporting short hair and black specs he doesn't need but chooses to complete his new look, Tim Lincecum hardly resembled the hard-throwing San Francisco pitcher the Bay Area has come to know for his shaggy 'do and strong arm.
It's 2013. It's business time. RT @annkillion: The new Tim Lincecum. #sfgiants twitter.com/annkillion/sta…
— Kate Scott (@katetscott) February 8, 2013
Lincecum drew comparisons Friday ranging from Buddy Holly to Elvis Costello and even Greg Maddux. Silicon Valley smarty, to poet and professor.
"I wanted something different. Usually I'd take like six months between each haircut just because I was lazy," Lincecum said. "And now it's kind of nice to have something to upkeep and take care of yourself."
A transformed Lincecum, indeed. One constant he is counting on: staying in the starting rotation for the reigning World Series champions in 2013.
"You know, when I first saw him, I didn't recognize him to be honest with you," manager Bruce Bochy said Friday, a day before the team's FanFest. "He looks good. I think it took a couple years off his age, too. He looks younger, a little more studious, too."
After a season of struggles and a career-high 15 losses, the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner embraced his role out of the bullpen during the playoffs but is ready for a comeback. He spent his winter in Seattle working out with a pair of trainers who pushed him to new physical limits after running his own routine during past offseasons.
Lincecum insists the work helped him gain back about 10 pounds of strength — putting him at about 170 — and regain his mechanics that were lost for much of his lost 2012 season.
He improved his diet and started eating more salads. He can't even recall his last fix from In-N-Out burger.
Lincecum hopes this is an overall change — mind, body and attire.
"Very professorial," general manager Brian Sabean observed of the former ace. "Somebody said he looks like Buddy Holly. Somebody told me the glasses aren't real. Nice prop. He reinvented his look."
Now, the Giants are hoping Lincecum can reinvent his game. Heading into the final season of a $40.5 million, two-year deal that pays him $22 million this year, Lincecum wants nothing more than to return to his dominant self in a contract year.
Lincecum went 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA in 33 starts and 186 innings last season, his sixth in the majors. Then, Bochy moved Lincecum to the bullpen for the post-season in a move that worked perfectly. Bochy made it clear when the season ended that Lincecum would have the chance to start again this year, though the manager does consider him a possible closer candidate down the road.
Lincecum, who pitched and won the Game 5 World Series clincher at Texas in 2010, allowed one earned run on three hits with 17 strikeouts in 13 innings for an 0.69 ERA as a reliever during last season's championship run.
"I took it for what it was. It wasn't a position that I was necessarily 100 per cent familiar with, but I just wanted to help the team," Lincecum said. "Right now, my perspective isn't to be in the bullpen. My perspective is, I want to be a starter and I want to get back to that elite status that I was at."
He was embarrassed last season. His confidence took a hit. He tried every which way to fix things on the fly.
"It's not just the jersey, but it's the name on my back, which is reflective of my family and their work ethic," he said.
The Giants are eager to see how he bounces back at age 28 after the first prolonged funk of an impressive career.
"I certainly know he put the time in and he's committed," Sabean said of Lincecum. "He ended his year on a high note."
Lincecum has long struggled through spring training with a relaxed mindset regarding results, knowing it was in no way indicative of how his season would go. That's no longer how he looks at it.
"I feel like as athletes, people are judging you constantly. You're judging yourself based on it," he said. "In the years past I kind of used spring as work, just to get my work in and if things go south, no big deal. But now it's like I've got to prove myself. That game is just the same as it is when we're playing during the season. Granted, it's different players but it's still the same kind of intensity. People are trying to make the team and I've got to approach it that way."
Lincecum got some laughs when it came to his look.
"I've got to get the bigger glasses to be Buddy Holly," he quipped.
Pitching coach Dave Righetti has formed his impression: "Greg Maddux."
Lincecum is just ready to get to work. Pitchers and catchers report Tuesday to spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz., with the first workout Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium.
"I feel every year transitions into its own year. I'm taking every year differently and approaching this one with a fresh slate," he said. "As an introspective person, I kind of go on any river that will take me to an answer. Last year, I had a lot of questions. I was trying to change a lot things at once. Getting my mind back to a stable point where I know what I'm doing and I know why I'm doing it, I feel like my confidence is back."
Notes: Sabean said the team is in touch with Brian Wilson weekly during his recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery last April. Re-signing the 2010 majors saves leader is doubtful at this stage. "Their stance isn't our stance and that's been longstanding," Sabean said. "Their camp holds the hope he can get a contract with more guaranteed money. We see incentive-based."… RHP reliever Ramon Ramirez, a member of the 2010 title team who re-signed on a minor league deal this week, could be a late arrival to spring training because of visa issues in the Dominican Republic. … With LHP Barry Zito entering the final year of his $126 million, seven-year contract, Sabean isn't ruling out keeping the 2002 AL Cy Young winner with an extension. Zito's deal includes an $18 million club option for 2014.
"We're open- minded with anybody who can help the organization," Sabean said.


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Triggering and the Return to Victorian Perceptions of Women
When Mathew Vassar built the original main building at Vassar college, he made the hallways of this college for women extra wide. While there is an apocryphal story that he did this so he could later convert the college to a brewery if the whole educating women thing did not work out, the actual explanation is a window on Victorian-era thinking about women.
People of the time were convinced that women were subject to hysteria, and that one way to potentially defuse such hysteria was through exercise. The extra-wide hallways were so women in their hoop skirts could walk back and forth in bad weather. (Interestingly, Vassar and other women's colleges also played a role in the early history of baseball, fielding teams for a number of years until men decided that the unseemlyness of women playing sports trumped the fight against hysteria).
Whenever this story is told, we laugh today at Victorians' condescending, even misogynist views of women as subject to hysteria or fainting or the vapors when encountering the slightest bit of stress.
Which is why I never would have believed that it would be 21st century feminists dredging up these old attitudes with fears of "triggering." Women are once again being treated as if they will get the vapors if difficult topics are discussed in class. I suppose we are now supposed to leave these to men in the smoking room after dinner?
In the future, historians will draw a line somewhere in the last decade to mark the point where feminism switched from empowering women to treating them like children.
Disclosure: My wife attended Vassar College and is still convinced the brewery explanation is the correct one.


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Please share your memories
Welcome to the memorial website for Ciannon Basher.
This is a place for Ciannon's friends and family to remember her, and to share memories and thoughts.
Leave a comment here on the Memories page to share with us.
The form to submit comments is at the end of this page.


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Strands of sound entwine in order to make bodies move and shake. It's a simple principal that extends from the atoms themselves all the way to the people on the dance floor. Jared Matos a.k.a. Digital LAB remains something of a sonic scientist in his own right. The Miami-based DJ and producer mixes house, progressive, and electro into an irresistible and intoxicating blend. Now, he might just make clubs everywhere explode…
Describe the Digital Lab style
Stylistically, its a mixture of progressive and minimal music, with a wide range of vocals laid on top.
Name three things you always need while doing a DJ set
My SD cards with my music (always have a backup as well) my headphones, and a glass of johnny walker black label
What makes you shy?
It used to be talking in front of large amounts of people, but being in this business and playing the venues that I've played has helped me overcome that fear.
If you had to pick one of your productions as your most favorite one. Which one would that be? And is there a thought behind it for it to be your favorite?
It would have to be my most recent single "Hit It" on SIZE Records, as it's one of my biggest tracks to date, reaching #2 on the Top10 Beatport Chart, and one of my favorite tracks to play live.
Your favorite label to work with?
Size records and Vicious records have been great labels to work with, and I definitely look forward to working with them again in the future.
How do you like dubstep and other forms of bass music? Do you see yourself producing such styles of music in the future?
I personally love dubstep and all forms of bass music. I have produced some of it in the past, but not sure if any of it will see the light of day, maybe as some free downloads for the fans 🙂
Who is your favorite artist outside of EDM and why?
Outside of EDM right now would have to be an acoustic artist named Ed Sheeran, the guy is just a musical genius and its amazing the things he can do with only his guitar and his voice.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Thanks a lot for having me, really appreciate it, and be on the lookout for my next single and another single collaboration with Wayne & Woods from Size records. I'll be playing both at the show :
Digital Lab will perform April 19th @ Foundation Nightclub Seattle!
www.thedjsessions.com will broadcast a one hour live performance by Digital Lab
Win 5 pairs of tickets for the show at Foundation & download a free Digital LAB remix here


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How can I delete my sites/guilds?
That was a quick turnaround .. weren't you just trying to get it back only a few days ago?!
I can't imagine that most prospective members would immediately go check out your roster page and, if it wasn't up to date, decide not to apply. If you're concerned about it, don't put the roster on the navigation, or place it on navigation that is only showing to guild members.
I'm not sure the roster actually updates itself automatically .. it should, but I've had issues in the past with it, so you can update it manually. If that doesn't work, I'd flag it up to Customer Service by clicking the little chat bubble bottom right of your site. I do know the Armories have been a bit weird recently - throwing up fairly regular errors, to me at least, so it could just be an issue Blizzard side.


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From the Field to the Museum and Back Again
By Edmund Connolly, on 1 November 2013
by guest blogger: Alice Stevenson
What are the chances? Two teams of archaeologists separated by a more than century stumbling across small fragments of the same object while working across a wide expanse of desert? Quite high as it happens.
At the turn of the 19th century Flinders Petrie's teams were trawling through the debris of the tombs of the first rulers of Egypt at a site called Abydos.


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Despite generating substantial profits from sales of online services to individuals and businesses in the UK, Google is perceived to be avoiding tax on these profits in the UK.
Press commentary has highlighted the use of off-shore tax vehicles to divert Google's profits in the UK into lower taxed countries: Ireland and Luxembourg have been mentioned.
Recently, Google agreed a multi-million pound settlement with HMRC to bring all its UK liabilities up-to-date for the last ten years. To many observers this seemed to be a fraction of the amount of tax that was due, and the so-called "sweetheart deal" has been robustly denounced.
HMRC have now published their side of the story, at least as far as they are prepared or able to disclose. They said:
"The Google enquiry
On 22 January 2016, Google announced that it had reached agreement with HMRC to pay an additional amount of £130 million in corporation tax and interest, as a result of HMRC's investigation which started in 2010. This sum is over and above the tax that they have paid for past years (or would pay for the current period were it not for HMRC's enquiry). The current tax charge that Google took in its accounts increased significantly from 2012, when the company first disclosed that it was under enquiry and made a provision for additional tax.
Some commentators have applied Google's group profit margin to its sales to UK customers and estimated that Google's UK corporation tax is equivalent to an effective tax rate of around 3% on the group's profit's arising in the UK.
This calculation does not reflect how tax law works.
Under international tax rules, Corporation Tax applies to profits created from economic activities carried on in the UK, not to profits from sales to customers in the UK. Many elements contribute to a multinational business's economic activity and thus generate the profits, including the work that staff do, the technology driving and used by the business, intellectual property and other assets as well as where those assets are developed and actively managed.
Imagine that a UK car manufacturer builds its vehicles in the UK, but half of its profits come from sales in the United States. Under Corporation Tax rules, the manufacturing profits would be taxed in the UK, the place of the economic activity, not the USA, where the consumers are.
In accordance with our published guidelines on resolving disputes, HMRC has taxed all of Google's profits chargeable to tax in the UK for the period in question, at the full statutory rate of tax.
There has been media speculation about what other European tax authorities are doing regarding Google. We can't comment on enquiries carried out in other countries, or on media speculation about them. So far, there has been no public confirmation that other countries have concluded enquiries with Google, either by agreement or by litigation. HMRC is satisfied that our enquiry has secured all the tax that is due in the UK."
The dispute seems to be over as far as HMRC and Google are concerned, but it is unlikely that the owners of UK based companies, who do pay tax on profits generated by sales in the UK, will see this as justice…


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This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which VersaCall Technologies collects, uses, maintains and discloses information collected from users (each, a "User") of the https://www.versacall.com/ website ("Site"). This privacy policy applies to the Site and all products and services offered by VersaCall Technologies.
Personal identification information
We may collect personal identification information from Users in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, when Users visit our site, register on the site, subscribe to the newsletter, fill out a form, and in connection with other activities, services, features or resources we make available on our Site. Users may be asked for, as appropriate, name, email address, mailing address, phone number. Users may, however, visit our Site anonymously. We will collect personal identification information from Users only if they voluntarily submit such information to us. Users can always refuse to supply personally identification information, except that it may prevent them from engaging in certain Site related activities.
Non-personal identification information
We may collect non-personal identification information about Users whenever they interact with our Site. Non-personal identification information may include the browser name, the type of computer and technical information about Users means of connection to our Site, such as the operating system and the Internet service providers utilized and other similar information.
Web browser cookies
Our Site may use "cookies" to enhance User experience. User's web browser places cookies on their hard drive for record-keeping purposes and sometimes to track information about them. User may choose to set their web browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If they do so, note that some parts of the Site may not function properly.
How we use collected information
VersaCall Technologies may collect and use Users personal information for the following purposes:
- To improve customer service
- Information you provide helps us respond to your customer service requests and support needs more efficiently.
- To personalize user experience we may use information in the aggregate to understand how our Users as a group use the services and resources provided on our Site.
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We adopt appropriate data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of your personal information, username, password, transaction information and data stored on our Site.
Sharing your personal information
We do not sell, trade, or rent Users personal identification information to others. We may share generic aggregated demographic information not linked to any personal identification information regarding visitors and users with our business partners, trusted affiliates and advertisers for the purposes outlined above.We may use third party service providers to help us operate our business and the Site or administer activities on our behalf, such as sending out newsletters or surveys. We may share your information with these third parties for those limited purposes provided that you have given us your permission.
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Users may find advertising or other content on our Site that link to the sites and services of our partners, suppliers, advertisers, sponsors, licensors and other third parties. We do not control the content or links that appear on these sites and are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our Site.
In addition, these sites or services, including their content and links, may be constantly changing. These sites and services may have their own privacy policies and customer service policies. Browsing and interaction on any other website, including websites which have a link to our Site, is subject to that website's own terms and policies.
As you browse https://www.versacall.com/, advertising cookies will be placed on your computer so that we can understand what you are interested in. Our display advertising partner, AdRoll, then enables us to present you with retargeting advertising on other sites based on your previous interaction with https://www.versacall.com/. The techniques our partners employ do not collect personal information such as your name, email address, postal address or telephone number. You can visit this page to opt out of AdRoll and their partners' targeted advertising.
California Online Privacy Protection Act Notice
ARS does not track its customers over time and across third party websites to provide targeted advertising and therefore does not respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals. However, some third party sites do keep track of your browsing activities when they serve you content, which enables them to tailor what they present to you. If you are visiting such sites, your website browser may allow you to set the DNT signal on your browser so that third parties (particularly advertisers) know you do not want to be tracked.
Third parties that have content embedded on ARS's websites such as a social feature or a stock ticker may set cookies on a user's browser and/or obtain information about the fact that a web browser visited a specific ARS website from a certain IP address. Third parties cannot collect any other personally identifiable information from ARS's websites unless you provide it to them directly.
Access to your personal information
Whenever you use our services, we aim to provide you with access to your personal information. When updating your personal information, we may ask you to verify your identity before we can act on your request. We may reject requests that are unreasonably repetitive, require disproportionate technical effort (for example, developing a new system or fundamentally changing an existing practice), risk the privacy of others, or would be extremely impractical (for instance, requests concerning information residing on backup systems).
Where we can provide information access and correction, we will do so for free, except where it would require a disproportionate effort. After you delete information from our services, we may not immediately delete residual copies from our active servers and may not remove information from our backup systems.
You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website: (877) 959-5046 | [email protected]
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VersaCall Technologies has the discretion to update this privacy policy at any time. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We encourage Users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this privacy policy periodically and become aware of modifications.
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By using this Site, you signify your acceptance of this policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of changes to this policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes.
Contacting us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this site, please contact us at:
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[email protected]
This document was last updated on July 20, 2017


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Extreme metal icons ARCH ENEMY will unleash their 9th studio album, War Eternal, worldwide via Century Media Records (Trooper Entertainment in Japan) on June 9th in Europe and June 10th in North America. The artwork for the album was created by Costin Chioreanu (http://twilight13media.com/), who previously worked with Michael Amott on SPIRITUAL BEGGARS\' re-issue of their self-titled debut.
Chief song-writer, guitarist and band leader Michael Amott comments: \"I was looking for a hand-drawn feel with a unique atmosphere, something that would complement the music that we\'ve been working so hard on these last couple of years. In the end my choice fell upon Romanian artist Chioreanu Costin, who\'s work I\'ve admired for some time. Costin really grasped my vision for the artwork and layout, he\'s delivered some of the coolest artwork elements we\'ve ever had with ARCH ENEMY!\"
ARCH ENEMY\'s upcoming album, War Eternal, was recorded in various studios during winter 2013/2014 and produced by the band themselves with Jens Bogren (OPETH, PARADISE LOST, KREATOR) mixing and mastering the album at Fascination Street Studio.For a preview of War Eternal, be sure to check out the official video for the album\'s title track, created by Patric Ullaeus: http://youtu.be/InRMwptcgAo
War Eternal track-listing (standard edition)
1. Tempore Nihil Sanat (Prelude in F minor)
2. Never Forgive, Never Forget
3. War Eternal
4. As The Pages Burn
5. No More Regrets
6. You Will Know My Name
7. Graveyard Of Dreams
8. Stolen Life
9. Time Is Black
10. On And On
11. Avalanche
12. Down To Nothing
13. Not Long For This World
ARCH ENEMY will start their War Eternal world tour in May with an extensive run through Europe. A US tour is planned for fall 2014.
Let the eternal war begin!
ARCH ENEMY live
23.05.2014 Turbohalle, Bucharest, Romania
24.05.2014 Metal Summer Festival, Istanbul, Turkey
25.05.2014 Mixtape 5, Sofia, Bulgaria
27.05.2014 Majestic Music Club, Bratislava, Slovakia
29.05.2014 Rock and Roll Arena, Romagnano Sesia (Novara), Italy
30.05.2014 New Age Club, Roncade, Italy
02.06.2014 L\'Etage, Rennes, France
03.06.2014 Le 106, Rouen, France
04.06.2014 La Laiterie, Strasbourg, France
05.06.2014 Rosenhof, Osnabrück, Germany
07.06.2014 Sweden Rock Festival, Sölvesborg, Sweden
09.06.2014 Studio USF, Bergen, Norway
10.06.2014 John Dee, Oslo, Norway
11.06.2014 Copenhell, Copenhagen, Denmark
13.06.2014 Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
14.06.2014 Conrad Sohm, Dornbirn, Austria
15.06.2014 Nova Rock – Nickelsdorf, Austria
27.06.2014 Rock am Härtsfeldsee, Dischingen, Germany
09.07.2014 RockMaraton, Pecs, Hungary
11.07.2014 Rock Harz Open Air, Ballenstedt, Germany
12.07.2014 Masters Of Rock, Vizovice, Czech Republic
13.07.2014 Seven Festival, Wegorzewo, Poland
19.07.2014 Dong Open Air, Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany
02.08.2014 Wacken Open Air, Wacken, Germany
07.08.2014 Getaway Rock, Gävle, Sweden
08.08.2014 Leyendas Del Rock, Alicante, Spain
09.08.2014 Alcatraz Metal Festival, Kortrijk, Belgium
14.08.2014 Summer Breeze, Dinkelsbühl, Germany
17.08.2014 Alt-Fest, Kettering, UK
22.09.2014 Re:Republic, Minsk, Belarus
23.09.2014 Yunost\', Kiev, Ukraine
25.09.2014 Arena Hall, Krasnodar, Russia
27.09.2014 Glav Club, Moscow, Russia
28.09.2014 Zal Ozhidaniya, Saint Petersburg, Russia
30.09.2014 Otdykh Club, Novosibirsk, Russia
01.10.2014 Angar Club, Omsk, Russia
03.10.2014 Tele Club, Yekaterinburg, Russia


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This week I am featuring a new sponsor of my blog, Green Fairy Quilts. Green Fairy Quilts is a family business run by Clint and Judi Madsen and it focuses on selling pre-cuts, thread and a few notions. I shop at this little store a lot because they often have the very best price, the service is excellent, their shipping costs are kept low for customers outside of the USA and shipping is free within the United States. Given how much I like them, I am so glad that they have become a sponsor here too.
Judi is an award winning long arm machine quilter who has just published a beautiful book called Quilting Wide Open Spaces. This books gives beautiful quilting ideas - which I have been pouring over this week - and also includes some lovely patterns - and yes, you can order an autographed copy like I did if you like. Clint and Judi have a long term commitment to charity work to support orphans in Romania. They also connect with the internet quilting community in all the usual ways, including facebook, Judi's blog and via their newsletter.
Green Fairy Quilts have generously donated a Bartholomeows Reef Layer Cake for one of you to win. If you want to see more detailed photographs all the cute geometrics in this new line by Tim and Beck you can see them on the Moda site here.
You can have two entries (please don't enter more than twice) into the random draw to win this layer cake by:
- Sign up for the Green Fairy Quilts Newsletter, go here to do that and then you will not miss out on their Monday's Steal or other specials. While you are there, feel free to browse about the store too. Then come back and leave me a comment saying you did.
- If you are a follower of my blog, or become a new follower, you can have a second comment, just let me know how you follow me. Make sure I can contact you, if in doubt, leave your email in your comment.


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Please download one of these free, up-to-date browsers for the best experience on our site
We have authentic parts for all your current Kubota equipment right here at our location. Our expert technicians know Kubota, which is exactly why our customers trust us to handle all their servicing needs. Whether you need a complete restoration, or a quick part replacement, you can always trust Quarles Supply Company, Inc.to have authentic Kubota parts. Contact us online or give us a call to speak directly with one of our experts and get started on the path towards the part you need.


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Dutchland Holy Moly Germania The Bratwurst Tokio Hotel | |||||
| |||||
Motto: Crapulam terribiliem habeo.[1] | |||||
Anthem: We're marching, marching, marching – until Ivan sends us home | |||||
Capital | Berliningrad, now Neo Ankara | ||||
Largest city | Destroyed by Ivan | ||||
Demonym | Berliner | ||||
Official language(s) | Shouting, Yodeling | ||||
Government | |||||
Commander | Rammstein | ||||
National Hero(es) | |||||
Currency | BMWs, gummi bears, lederhosen | ||||
Religion | Nazism, Nihilism | ||||
Major exports | Gay porn and Panzers | ||||
Major imports | Muslim refugees |
"I heard that place is full of bacteria"
Germany is a shameless nudist paradise beach. It is stuck in the centre of Europe, next to the Polish plumbers. Germany is best-known for winning wars, especially against France, and winning football penalty shootouts, especially against England. Today Germany is best buddy to everybody, even with Russia and the Taliban. The Minister of Business and Technology maintains he is not chummies with Canada, as the Canadian Government are chronic bluffers.
The average German is comprised of 12 right angles and one million trillion brain cells. They are known for their rigid appearance, which they attain each morning by ironing their shirts, pants, hats, and skin to achieve the sharpest possible creases. Germans are one of the few people in the world who communicate love and affection either with intelligent discussions or via glaring or while spanking their tight asses.
The beautiful German capital Berlingrad is frequently invaded by drunk hens and stags for cheap celebrations. Porn parties with blond Rhine maidens are a famous tourist attraction for all international visitors. Orgies (German: "Rudelbums") are usually conducted while listening to techno or Rammstein.
Contrary to a popular Western belief, Germany is actually not a peaceful republic with a government composed of sausages, and is still a Nazi Fascipublic with a government composed of Nazi sausages.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The name Germany refers to the fact that there are more germs per capita than any place on the planet. There are so many germs that the Ancient Germans worshipped them and named themselves after the germ. This is due to the fact that back in the days of the roman empire, the barbarian tribes occupying Germany tended to brutally dismember the roman health inspectors. When the Intergalactic Fleet invaded, the name of the region was changed to Germania, a portmanteau of germ and mania because their love of germs was driving them nuts. Today's Germans are so embarrassed of this fact that they refer to themselves as Dutch, the nationality of their Failed Colony of Windmills. Yet, the name Germany has stuck on and it is the term used in the rest of the world.
History[edit | edit source]
The first major incident in German history was the Great Weißwurst shortage of 1930. Due to the lack of food, the German economy was completely and utterly destroyed.
Germany doesn't like history that much. Following 1945, West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer officially encouraged National Amnesia as the new political ideology. If any German was asked if they was German they were to deny it and pretend to be Swiss. In East Germany the Russians treated their satellite/allies more severely and did not allow them to leave their country. When some ignored this and crossed into West Berlin, the East Germans called in the builders.
The Berlin Wall[edit | edit source]
Germany's capital (well it was Prussia's first) Berlin once had a wall running right through the middle. It was the dividing line between the Free World and Communism, good jeans and bad jeans, Good and Evil. This wall, however, was a sham. It was built from counterfeit Lego bricks cleverly painted by the Russians to look like concrete. Once the Berliners realised they had been fooled, they destroyed it — down to the last plastic curvy bit. It still took a while, though, because they weren't mega blocks.
Geography[edit | edit source]
Germany has huge forests, but it's advisable to avoid them or you might get savaged by a wild boar, a wolf, a Yeti, or a nudist.
You may also see the wild and very rare German chocolate moose. These wild yet very tame animals feast on corn and if approached will not attack yet have been known to smother the victim until dead. They normally appear only in winter as in summer they tend to melt.
Turkey is attempting to relocate its capital in Germany by moving all of its citizens there. Their model is the illegal aliens from Mexico.
The main German cities are:
- Berliningrad, the biggest city in Germany and third largest Turkish City in the world.
- Hamburg, the birthplace of the hamburger.
- Frankfurt, the birthplace of the hot dog.
- Munich, largest village in the world and former nudist colony, also called Munich.
- Gelsenkirchen, founded when Dortmund ran out of car parks. Famous deutsche thrash metal band Wodos (or Sodom for non-metal fans) was founded here. \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/
Government[edit | edit source]
Germany had many different types of Government throughout the ages, some of which include Monarchy, Communism, Fascism, and Calligraphy.
The current Government is a dictatorship ruled by the benevolent General Dschinghiskhan and his Cabinet who rule over the country with an iron fist. The crime for treason (or putting your plastic in with your cardboard) is punishable by deportation to France.
Dschinghiskhan's greatest achievement is the German Purity Law (Das Reinheitsgebot), which is still in use. It was created to prevent people contaminating your pint of beer with vodka or a shot or two of Tequila when you're in the toilet.
Foreign relations[edit | edit source]
The current German chancellor was able to seduce George W. Bush even though she did not intend to do so and looks like a crossbreed between an AIDS-infested pit bull and a Orang utan. He even went so far as to try and give her a back rub. She responded by using her dark powers to suck his brains out, which led to the collapse of American economy and Bush's re-election.
The Germans have also been able to repeatedly send spies into the United States. Besides the first immigrants to the new world, some famous examples include Henry Kissinger (who intentionally prolonged the War in Vietnam so he would have more souls to feed on) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (who is currently on a secret mission to make California habitable for Austrians). Note how both of these individuals had excuses of not actually being German. Also note that the only people living on American soil claiming to be German are the Amish, who are NOT emissaries of destruction sent to Americastan but merely outcasts that weren't wanted anywhere.
Due to the absence of leaders with square moustaches and influential Austrians, it is not expected that Germany will start World War III in near future. It will thus not be able to help the USA war itself out of a depression. Although they may actually help each other since they have something in common which is that they have both lost wars and two world wars (Germany only) so therefore help may be given to each other.
Immigration[edit | edit source]
In recent years, Muslims have been coming over to Germany, living off the government benefits. This has pissed off several Hitler fanatics that believe that all Germans should be pale-skinned, blue-eyed, blond, pure-blooded aryan males. Their only relief is that – in the words of their leader AdolfIsGreat88 – "... at least they aren't Jews."
Economy[edit | edit source]
Germany's chief export is the umlaut (ä, ö, ü) and the occasional ß. Germany also tops in the export of germs, and as its name suggests, they have many of them. Nudists are frequently exported from the country, however it is unsure if these are an export or merely Germany subtly trying to take over the world again.
A great deal of the German economy revolves around being unemployed. These lucky bastards spend their days doing nothing and getting paid for it, while periodically showing up at the Arbeitsamt (Jobcentre) to see if anyone has made up a job for them yet, like sorting trash, reading magazines or beer-tasting. Some Germans pretend to be unhappy with this unemployment situation, but really they're just jealous that approximately 11% of their neighbours get to enjoy it while the rest of them have to slug around in the office all day, not being able to drink beer beverages until at least lunchtime.
German cars are very reliable. Examples include the Mercedes, Audi, Trabant, Renault, Volvo and every Plumber's favourite, the Ford Transit van. BMWs are not actually made in Germany but imported from Greenland. The confusion arises from the national flower, the Rhodochiton Volubilis, which is more commonly known as the Black Man's Willy or BMW. This flower is used for everything from beer production to the substance which makes those sweets crackle on your tongue.
Science[edit | edit source]
"You utter fool! German science is the greatest in the world!"
The crazy mixed up prodigy of an accident in time travel, the Albert Einstein who shocked the world was truly the son of Giuseppe the Genius. Hoping to get some action (you know what sort of action I mean) in Germany, the young Genius discovered the secret to time travel. Upon reaching the late 1800's, he met an agnostic prostitute and converted her to Judaism. After enjoying the time old Charleston, they settled down in a bed near Berlin. Some complications in the time machine caused Einstein to be born as a sixty year old man the next day.
This was later corrected by Giuseppe through the use of hot mustard. Giuseppe trained the young Einstein in his ways, including the secret style of penguino ninjitsu, along with the Hiten Mitsurgi Ryuu which was made famous by that red chicken of Japan. Giuseppe gave him the credit for the theory of Tiger Ballz. Later a giant chicken ball came and crushed Einstein, sending him into an alternate reality, and replacing him with the 615th reincarnation of the Evil Lord Xenu. He came back to the present and wrote this article.
Shortly after writing this article, Albert Einstein decided enough was enough, and he decided to try and change the world, via sleeping with Demetri Mendeleev, in an effort to create a new sub-race of humans, known as the nerds. He entered the time machine, and entered another time period. His time machine, however, was not working properly at the time, and it transported him to 1995. After partying with prostitutes in Portugal, Albert decided he must continue with his quest. With the aid of Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, The Harlem Globetrotters, flava flav, and Pikachu, and after spending relentless hours playing in slam dunk contests, the men finally got the time machine fully operational. Unfortunately however, gay rights activists destroyed the time machine, and kidnapped and made love to Pikachu, somehow spawning an entire industry of homosexual game boy advance games, which are today referred to as Pokemon.
Inventions[edit | edit source]
Germans invented everything. In fact the woman is an invention of German scientists in the late 1870's because of a riot in a bar that involved more than one man and a donkey. It is said that because of this incident a revolution was started in Germany with the invention of a woman. They are merely ghosts of what a real human is and are most likely descendants of early primal lemurs from the south of France. When you see the walls move, it means that one is coming and they will laugh at you. Lots of things contribute to this phenomenon but Germany is the number one culprit.
Culture[edit | edit source]
People[edit | edit source]
Within every German national lies an unbelievable urge for world domination. Evidence of this can be seen in Germany's colourful past; for example, World War I and World War II.
The population comprises:
- Blue-eyed blond women lie around in parks with their tops off, perform mime and act in Indiana Jones films. The Poles say that cows are cuter.
- Humourless, athletic, tall, blue-eyed blond men who feed on beer, Sauerkraut, and smaller nations.
Although Germans are known as "Krauts" all over the world, the inhabitants call themselves Deutsche, which is German for "Not Funny". They are a super-organised and efficient race with second-to-none engineering skills. They also take holidays in other countries, which they call Blitzkrieg. During these vacations, they throw hissy fits when they encounter natives who can't speak German.
Society[edit | edit source]
Beer, getting nude in city parks, doing vocal mime, getting nude on "reserved by the British" sun-loungers, eating sausages, and somehow being outbred by the French.
The Germans also love to go on holiday. In the past, the preferred method of travel was in large tours of maybe 10,000 by tank, although a select group of "extreme sport" lovers choose to travel by aircraft, which they jumped out of at their desired location.
Popular German vacation destinations have included 999, XDESAW, Sealand, Molossia, The Republic of Tesco, Dantooine, Naboo, Yugoslavia, Coruscant, Hell, Seaworld, Russia and literally most of the countries in Europe except Britain as Germans easily get sea-sick and the food tastes like shit anyway. Being in Britain also brings up bad memories of the war and this is likely to be followed up with a Arnold Schwarzenegger-like beat down.
A German holiday invasion can be spotted by large quantities of unattended Jägermeister bottles and dirty schnitzel plates around the pool. (They often complain about other countries associating them with the schnitzel although it was originally from Austria, yet they eat approximately twelve-and-a-half schnitzels a week.) A popular destination for the holidaying German is Spain, as is Turkey. In fact, so many Germans go there that most people wanting to visit Germany will find it more beneficial to just visit Spain or Turkey instead. That way you won't have to deal with the poor weather or the totalitarian recycling laws.
Germans have also been proven to have an unnatural obsession with David Hasselhoff (der Jesus, in German). For some inexplicable reason, the Germans, much like the French, consider copious amounts of body hair to be attractive. At any rate, every August 4, Germans all around the world gather together underneath a colour uncoordinated banner in celebration of Der Umlaut von Jesusburg ("The Running of the Hasselhoff") in the hopes that David Hasselhoff will grace their street and deliver unto them a portion of his magical chest hairs (interestingly enough, used as currency in Germany from 856 BC to 1875). Families with a large number of chest hairs celebrate with rounds of fine lager. Families with few chest hair send their children to work in mines.
Arts[edit | edit source]
Germany's sole contribution to the arts is the New German Architecture (neudeutsche Architektur), synonymous with Kyle Jenkins, a narcissist better known for being a coward than an architect. Jenkins' influence on neudeutsche Architektur, marked by a blatant disregard for formalities in matter, form, frequency or time signature, can be traced to roots growing up in the Austrian hinterland, the sole member of a musically gifted dynasty with no relevant genetic inheritance. According to the German tabloid, Bild (conducted in graphic novel form in a series of exposes, published serially throughout the first half of the 1990's), points to the long-held speculation of the Jenkins' dynasty's familial ties to the Avignon Papacy, further conjecturing that Jenkins' Frankish mindset has led to an internal self-doubt. This schism, most notably expressed in his long-held antipathy for the German bourgeois and aristocracy, combined with his extreme aversion to proper rhythm, led to a particularly strong rivalry with Germany's Culture Minister, David Hasselhoff.
This brooding, and often violent, public feud culminated with the Hoff's co-option of Jenkins' primary architectural statement of the late 1980s. With the dawning of detante in the mid 1980's, Jenkins leveraged his growing architectural clout to push for a position as Cultural Liaison to the former Austrian Empire states. While the reasons for this were originally unclear, by the summer of 1989, the newly porous Hungarian border was seen by several notable art critics in Paris and Milan as being chiefly Jenkins' work. Largely viewed at the time as a performance art piece, Jenkins has suggested since that this was more correctly a subversion of Germanic structural rigidity. Regardless, the coup de grace staged several months later when Mr. Hasselhoff performed his mega hit "I've Been Looking for Freedom" atop the newly breached Berlin Wall, proved to be the decisive moment in the broader struggle between content and melody-for-melody's sake. Jenkins' retribution was big.
In the wake of the Greatculturewar, second wave deconstructivists originally laid claim to Jenkins as their own, though importantly Derrida avoided such appropriation attempts, noting that Jenkins' motivations were largely rooted in his own personal and familial experiences, and as such he had no real stance in regards to the central tenets of the belief. Jenkins himself used this hard fought victory against the Hoff to consolidate his control over the German cultural (thus the de facto architectural) scene, marking what most historians consider to be the real origins of the Neudeustcharchitecture. It is important to note, however, that while consensus exists on the origins of the movement, precise definitions are somewhat difficult to find.
Language[edit | edit source]
Originally, the German language was a scraggly little branch on the Proto Indo-European Language tree. Only to be knocked around and cursed by hundreds of generations of German students, this branch sought lebensraum and tried to divide Europe and try to conquer the world with words such as fressen, Windnachführungssystem, Krankenhaus, Schmetterling, and Darmträgheit. The German language has helped kill millions and only turned around its bad act in the last half-century after having grown up and gone to The George Catlett Marshall School of Business. Many Germans with a modicum of common sense now speak English. German is left to those with speech impediments, horrible accents, and the desire to exaggerate every utterance.
Sports[edit | edit source]
"Deutschland stopfte die Weltmeisterschaft. Das ist alles, was ich zu sagen habe."
The German National Football Team is one of the best teams in the world as it just somehow dominates the European soil, although their performance is like a BMW. Below is their recent football jersey product launch in collaboration with Apple and Microsoft. This way they get their fans to purchase the sponsors' products too.
Germany was an early adopter of football. They played their first international game on Christmas Day 1914 against a team of English Tommies. The match was eventually won by the English after the German team chased a long ball into a French minefield. In the 1930s Germany played against Austria and lost. In revenge, the team captain A.Hitler ordered an invasion of that country.
When Germany returned to football after the Second World War, the Allies tried to make it hard for Germany to win tournaments by dividing it into two separate countries. East Germany were never much good but the West Germans went on to win the 1954, 1974 and 1990 world cups. If they didn't win, they almost always made the final. After both the countries and the football squads were reunited, Germany went on to achieve somewhat better success.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Germany is the only nation that currently allows Hamsters to be airline pilots.
- The waffle was invented in Germany in 1939, and was originally known as the Luftwaffle.
- German children have been scientifically proven to be incapable of rational thought.
See also[edit | edit source]
Notes[edit | edit source]


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Cockerel Melamine Coaster
Couldn't load pickup availability
Born in the heart of the beautiful English Lake District, Countryman John placemats feature scenes from the beautiful British countryside and the animals that inhabit it, all drawn by local Lakeland artists.
The Cockerel Melamine Coaster is simple in design yet makes a delightful addition to the home for countryfolk and animal lovers. Available as a single product or in a set of 4 or 6.
95.2mm x 95.2mm


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Viva la Vegan Cupcakes with The Urban Housewife!
By bakeanddestroy on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009One simply cannot speak of vegan cupcakes without a solid reference to The Urban Housewife. Known as Melisser to her nearest and dearest, The Urban Housewife has been changing the way we think of vegan baked goods since 2007. With each post to her Veg Bloggy Award-winning site, thousands of fans tune in to see where she's been and what she ate. From Berlin to New York to Stockholm, she's been everywhere, eaten every vegan thing and lived to blog about it.
I asked Melisser to give our readers a sampling of some of her tastiest vegan cupcake adventures and she put together a list of 10 fab places to snag a vegan cupcake. The list, she stresses, is in no particular order.
Oh, and she was too humble to mention it, but one place you're sure to find a delicious vegan treat is Melisser's own commercial kitchen- Sugar Beat Sweets. If you're in the San Francisco area be sure to hit her up for some Snickerdoodle cupcakes!
Ten places you might just spot Melisser eating vegan cupcakes:
1. Vegan Treats, Bethlehem, PA & throughout the East Coast
Known throughout the vegan land for their Peanut Butter Bombs, Vegan Treats also serves up a selection of other fine pastries. After years of wholesale throughout the East Coast, owner Danielle Konya opened a retail store where you can get your cupcake on.
Cupcakes are the heart of this shop where you'll find everything from Fleur de Sel Caramel cupcakes to Bacon Maple Walnut cupcakes, all vegan of course!
3. The Bleeding Heart Bakery, Chicago, IL
While not everything in the packed pastry cases is vegan, a hearty selection of cupcakes await you at this all organic, 100% punk rock bakery!
If you find yourself in Berlin, don't forget to stop in Germany's 1st cupcake shop where you'll be transported back to the 50's in this retro shop where vegan options are available daily.
Whether you're looking for a cosy place to chill, a delicious sandwich, or a sweet treat, S'nice delivers with their cupcake, baked in house & available daily.
Not your traditional cupcake, Babycakes spelt or gluten free cupcakes caters to those with allergies or looking for a wholesome cupcake.
Sticky Fingers may be better known for their massive cinnamon rolls, but the cupcake selection won't disappoint at this bakery churning out a full selection of cruelty free confections!
8. Pattycake Bakery, Columbus, OH
Pattycake started out making cookies for a local co-op, but now has a full selection of vegan treats, including cupcakes, that you can snag from their storefront or the upcoming online ordering system!
9. Watercourse Bakery, Denver, CO
Not only Ho Ho Cupcakes should tempt you to try this all vegan bakery, as a full selection of sweets are available. For those with allergies, they specialize in gluten free options.
The food may not blow you away at this vegan eatery with a LA hippie vibe, but the desserts are no crunchy granola & their decadence will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!


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Le Mont Saint-Michel takes claim to being the birthplace of crepes. This is where our founder found his inspiration. On a warm fall morning, crepe chefs were prepping for the day at their crepery perched on the cliff of Mont St. Michelle. Using whisks and bowls as musical instruments, singing rhythmic hymns, they were not just making crepe batter, but rather they were entertaining locals with a
. It wasn't just batter, it was the "batta!" Wanting to share this experience we have taken the "batta" from Le Mont Saint-Michel and created
. Here, everyone can experience the art and theater of crepe making!


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Title: My Hot Boss
Author: Betty Shreffler
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 15, 2017
From the moment I
met Grayson Cole, I knew he was someone I wanted to let in my panties and
maybe, even in my heart. One night, one sexy-as-sin kiss, and several drinks
later, our incredible evening turns into a disaster and I'm apologizing for the
vomit spatter on his fancy, black shoes. I never thought I'd see him again
after that, no matter how many nights I spent wishing I would. Until a month
later, he waltzes into my office as—MY NEW, HOT BOSS. I'm so screwed.
She was meant to be
a fun f*ck. That's all I wanted. That's all I needed. But Emma Williams could
never be just that for me. The quirky, brunette vixen challenges me at every
opportunity. My desire to have her has me working for her affections, like I've
never done before. What is this woman doing to me? Not only am I her Boss, but
I don't do feelings. There's only one way I see this ending. I'm f*cked for
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erotic book in my hand is barely distracting me from the stunning woman lying
in my bed. Her dark, wavy hair is cascading over the pillow and the sheet
barely covers her. From my chair, I have a perfect view of the curve of her
back, narrow waist, and luscious ass. She groans as she moves and my cock
hardens from the sound. She's learned I have certain tastes in the bedroom. I'd
never belittle or hurt a woman, but I do like some kink. No doubt she's a
little sore from the vibrator I used. If the sounds of her moans and the two
orgasms meant anything, I'd say she liked it very much. My lips curve from the
memory of her face when I brought it out and then again when she reached her
first climax.
Reaching down, I adjust my semi into a more comfortable position.
Little does Emma know how often she gives me a hard on. It's like I'm a fucking
teenager again with an uncontrollable snake in my pants that becomes alert and
ready anytime it gets a whiff of her pussy.
What's even more confusing is what I'm feeling for her. I've
never been patient with sex. I've seduced, got what I wanted, and moved on.
It's been this way for years. No woman has ever mattered enough that I wanted
to be patient, careful, and even considerate of her emotions. But Emma's inside
my head, an itch I can't satisfy until I have her, all of her. With her, I want
to take the seduction slowly. I'm enjoying it. She appreciates everything I do,
and I find myself upping the ante just to win her affections.
Fear isn't something a man likes to admit to others, let
alone to himself, but I feel it. It's there. I'm afraid I'll hurt her. I want
her to trust me because if she gives me her trust, I'll have her. But, then
what? She'll be another conquest and I'll what, get bored like I always do,
lose interest? Or will it be me that burns? If I let her in, I'll have to
change. I'll have to give her the trust I know she'll want from me. Am I even
capable of giving it, of loving someone?
She stirs in her sleep and I watch her. Emma has no idea
she's the first woman to have stayed the night with me. It's probably why I'm
up at two a.m. reading because I can't sleep. Not with her lying next to me,
smelling like sex and jasmine, and breathing so peacefully it pains me to look
at her.
"Grayson," her voice is a sleepy whisper.
I continue watching her move. The sheet falls from her
breasts as she sits up and turns to face me. The question in her eyes kills me.
She's concerned why I'm not in bed with her. Stepping from the bed, she
approaches. Her dark, little patch above her pink lips annihilates my remaining
control over my cock.
"Can't sleep?" she asks, her voice so sweet it breaks me.
I extend my arm and she slides onto my lap and lies against
my chest, like we've been doing this for years. The scent of jasmine fills my
nostrils and I lean against her hair, breathing her in. The touch of my hand
caressing her back releases a pleasured moan from her lips. Lips that can
easily bring me to my knees, if I'm not careful.
"Sorry to wake you. I read when I can't sleep."
Laying her head on my shoulder, she looks at my book. "What
are you reading?"
"Undo This Night."
"Will you read it to me?"
The corner of my mouth raises. "You want me to read it out
loud to you?"
She giggles and the sound widens my smile.
This is unexpected, but I like it. She continues to surprise
me. I can never predict what Emma will do, and it's something I adore about
her. She keeps me on top of my game.
"From the beginning or where I'm at?"
"Where you're at."
My attention returns to the book. "I raise Tiffany's ass
in the air and slap it once, twice then spread her cheeks. Reaching for the
condom I tossed on the bed, I sheath it over my cock, then rub against her
pink, tiny hole. Looking over her shoulder at me tells me she wants me to fuck
her hard. It's been two weeks since I've seen her and by the needy look in her
eyes, she knows I won't be gentle."
Emma's hand reaches into my sweatpants and circles my raging
hard on. Each stroke makes it harder to focus on the words.
"I slam into her tight pussy and latch onto her hips,
using them as leverage to fuck the moans right out of her mouth."
Emma pushes the book out of her way and straddles me with
her knees tucked into the cushion of my chair. Her mouth slams down on mine and
I toss the book to who-fucking-cares where. Lifting her from the chair, I wrap
her legs around me and pull her ass up against my aching erection and move her
over it.
"Grayson, I want you. I want to feel you inside of me."
"No other men, Emma. If you're with me, you're with only me."
"I don't want anyone else."
Laying her on the bed, she watches as I remove my
sweatpants. My cock is at attention and her eyes go right to it. She moistens
her bottom lip and it jumps at the sight of it. The last time that tongue
touched my dick, she stole a chunk of my heart. Wicked little thing she is.
"Let me get a condom." I move toward the dresser and she
extends her legs, trapping me between them.
"Don't need one. I'm on the pill."
My chest tightens. Sex without a condom is something I don't do.
Fuck me, she's got me between a rock and a soft, little pussy I'm dying to
feel. I turn to her and crawl above her on the bed. "Just this once. I want to
feel you come all over my cock."
Her gray eyes are locked on mine and her mouth tilts into a
lascivious grin. I close the space between us and kiss her. Spreading her legs,
my dick slides across her slick pussy. She's already soaking wet for me. I
raise my hips and plunge into her.
Cock-melting heat surrounds me, she's so tight I barely have
to move to get the friction I need. Pushing in further, she lets out a whimper.
"Am I hurting you?"
"No, you feel incredible."
"Emma, I want to give you slow and sensual, but I don't
think I can. I want to fuck you until you're calling out my name."
"Please, fuck me," she begs.
Her needy plea puts me into action. One hand takes hold of
her neck and the other tucks under her leg, raising it as I thrust into her
hard. Every time I pull out and slam into her, I feel the blood racing to my
groin. The familiar tingle is at my back; she's spewing cuss words and calling
out my name. Another thrust and her orgasm pours over me and it feels perfect.
My jaw clenches and I release into her. It's a high I've
never had and the moment it happens, I know I'm ruined. There's no way I can go
back to a condom with her.
Lying on the bed, she's sprawled out across my body in a
deep sleep with her head tucked into my neck. My fingers are combing through
her hair and I'm watching the ceiling, replaying different scenarios in my
head. Every single one ends with the same fear—one of us getting hurt.
Author Bio
Betty Shreffler is a
bestselling author of paranormal romantic suspense and contemporary
romance. She writes sexy and suspenseful stories with hot alphas and
kickass heroines with twists you don't expect. She also writes beautiful and
sexy romances with tough women and their journeys at finding love. Betty is a
mix of country, nerdy, sassy, sweet and a whole lot of sense of humor.
She's a fan of photography, reading, watching movies, hiking, traveling,
drinking wine, and all things romantic. She lives with her amazing hubs and
five fur babies; two rescue pups and three cats. If she's not writing or doing
book events, then you can find her behind the lens of a camera, in the woods,
or sipping wine behind a deliciously steamy book.
Author Links


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Can you see it? The end is nigh! The end of this blog series, not necessarily "the end" as in AMC's the Walking Dead sort of end. Are you Zombie stumbling across this blog from a random Google search? Here is a table of contents to help you on your journey as we once again delve into the depths and address another question on our quest to answer… The VDI questions you didn't ask, but really should have.
- Introduction – VDI – The Questions you didn't ask (but really should)
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #1: Core Count vs. Core Speed
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #2: Core Speed Scaling (Burst)
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #3: Realistic Virtual Desktop Limits
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #4: How much SPECint is enough
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #5: How does 1vCPU scale compared to 2vCPU's?
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #6: What do you really gain from a 2vCPU virtual desktop?
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #7: How memory bus speed affects scale
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #8: How does memory density affect VDI scalability? (you are here)
- VDI "The Missing Questions" #9: How many storage IOPs?
Got RAM? VDI is an interesting beast both from a physical perspective as well as the care and feeding of it. One thing this beast certainly does like is RAM (and braaaiiiins). Just in case I am still being stalked by that tech writer, RAM stands for Random Access Memory. I spoke a bit about Operating Systems in our 5th question in this series, and this somewhat builds upon that in regards to the amount of memory you should use. Microsoft says Windows 7 needs:
1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit). For the purpose of our testing, we went smack in the middle with 1.5GB of RAM. Does it really matter what we used for this testing? It does a little – one, we need to have sufficient resources for the desktop to perform the functions of the workload test, and second, we need to pre-establish some boundaries to measure from.
Calculating overhead. In order to properly account for memory usage, we need to take into account the overhead of certain things in the Hypervisor. If you want to learn more about calculating overhead, click here. Here are a couple of things we are figuring in overhead for:
- ESXi = 200MB
- VM = 29MB for each 1.5GB, 1vCPU Virtual Desktop
Numbers! In our testing we found that the E5-2665 B200 M3 could support 130 x 1vCPU desktops with 1.5GB each before it ran out of CPU and not memory. If we factor in the overhead, we can confirm this by this simple calculation: 200MB (ESXi) + 130 Desktops x (1.5GB + 29MB)= 203,650MB or 198.89GB of potential consumed memory. On our test with 256GB of RAM running at 1600MHz, we were nowhere near running out of memory space – CPU bottleneck confirmed.
So what happens if we physically limit the amount of memory and run the same test? Will magical free memory from all of the VMware overcommit goodness come into play and save the day? Will we be able to get back up to 130 Desktops? I mean, we've already proven the blade configuration is capable of doing 130 Virtual Desktops, the big question: Is there enough magic in VMware memory technology to get us back there?
From our previous test and calculations we know that this system was CPU bottle necked at 130 Virtual Desktops. We decided to put 160GB of memory in the server running at the same speed as we knew we would be enforcing a RAM bottleneck at 104 Virtual Desktops. Following the same calculations we should be able to run 104 Virtual Desktops before running out of RAM. The supporting calculations are 200MB (ESXi) + 104 Desktops x (1.5GB + 29MB) = 162,960MB or 159.14GB – but again, the blade should be able to support 130 desktops (from a CPU perspective). So how did that affect scalability?
Where's my magic?! We got 106 Virtual Desktops before the system ran out of steam. This is fairly close to our calculation of 104 with overhead, etc.. But I know what you're thinking, the system ran out of steam? You mean the system tanked? YES! Slightly past the point that we ran out of physical memory, the system as a whole was done for. To be fair, the staging of this and all of our tests started with a fresh boot up of the desktops, a few minutes for utilization to level out, then the LoginVSI test run. This doesn't give the hypervisor ample time to come in reclaim additional memory and potentially fire up additional desktops. Could followup testing explore this more? It might just happen (hint). Even without the time to reclaim, you can see the 256GB configuration had a slightly lower latency across the board. In a real world boot storm sort of situation – can we tell the other 24 VDI users to wait a couple hours for VMware to reclaim memory and then we'll get right on starting up their desktops? I doubt that would go over very well .
Memory is often considered a "capacity" piece of the VDI puzzle. Overcommit can help stretch limited memory resources, but tests show better performance, improvements in overall usability and lower response times when the hypervisor has sufficient physical memory to scale as workloads increase. The bottom line is that you can severely limit your servers capability by hoping that memory saving technologies will allow for more Virtual Desktops. Trying to save money by skimping on RAM, you might actually end up with slow, stumbling, ZDI (Zombie Desktop Infrastructure).
What's next? Jason wraps up the this blog series with some storage observations when he addresses Virtual Desktop IOP requirements.


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Micromax launches 'Canvas 1' at ₹6,999
According to the company, it is the first smartphone to come with a 100-day replacement promise on any hardware issue.
Micromax on Monday extended its 'Canvas series' with the launch of a new smartphone "Canvas 1" that is priced at ₹6,999.
The 4G-VoLTE smartphone comes with 8MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie camera and sports a 2.5D HD IN-CELL display.
The device is equipped with OTG Support that has mass storage, can be connected to the serial communications, keyboards/mice, game controllers and can easily import photos from a camera, the company said in a statement.
'Canvas 1' is powered by a MediaTek MT6737, quad-core 1.3GHz processor along with 2GB RAM and 16 GB ROM that is expandable up to of 32 GB via SD card.
It is also the first smartphone to come with a 100-day replacement promise on any hardware issue (which is a part of the 1-year product warranty), the statement added.
The smartphone is currently available at retail stores.
Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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