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book by Sheldan Nidle
360 pages with illustrations, charts and glossary.
Since childhood, Sheldan Nidle (author of the bestselling, "You Are Becoming a Galactic Human") has had access to vital information regarding Earth's hidden history and amazing data on extraterrestrial science, culture and spirituality. Now, as the End Times for great changes approach, he is able to share this new knowledge with you for the first time. "Your First Contact" will take you on an amazing journey into Earth's past, present and future. It will give you a comprehensive overview of your off-world origins, your true purpose and your spiritual destiny.
How your First Contact will actually occur Why your RNA/DNA is changing from 2 strands to 12 What role Star Beings play in your evolution How Earth and the solar system will evolve * Why your ascension into a fifth-dimensional being is at hand
To order your e-book or soft-cover book, CLICK HERE
Channeled by Natalie Glasson ~~ December 29
Transitions of any form require the embodiment and acceptance of love; the purest vibration of love from the Creator. The Creator's love awakens your entire being, increasing the flow of the Creator's universe through your being, releasing illusions and allowing true remembrance of the Creator to dawn.
Love of the purest vibration and intention is a tool to assisting you in aligning your entire being to all that is the Creator. It is, therefore, valuable at this time of ascension to encourage yourself to recognize the wealth of unconditional Creator love that exists within your being, emanating from your soul through your higher heart chakra and heart chakra, in truth every aspect of your being.
Recognizing the love present within your being now will support you in realizing that throughout 2016 you have been consciously or unconsciously absorbing love and aligning yourself with your inner love and Creator love. You will then be able to honour the love within your being and use it to aid the next stage of your ascension.
It is essential to take the time to consciously share your love energetically with your body, surroundings, loved ones, career and all you wish to manifest into your reality. In truth, everything within and around you. Consciously focus upon breathing love from your heart chakra into all aspects of your being and surroundings, let this love be so nourishing, illuminating and enlightening.
Let it cleanse all illusions, pain, suffering, and anything that is no longer needed. This is a simple and yet empowering practice to achieve at least once a day as we enter 2017 as well as throughout the year. It is a method of self-recognition and alignment with your soul, encouraging your soul and new aspects of your soul to ground more fully into your being and reality.
This simple practice will assist you in three ways. Firstly, it will allow your entire being and reality to be aligned with your soul. Secondly, it will assist you in accepting the love of the Creator, and thirdly, it will support you in creating the necessary shifts and experiences to aid your ascension throughout the year.
At this stage of ascension, it is important to recognize what you are choosing to align with energetically, mentally and emotionally. Your alignment is your connection, what you choose to embody and what you believe in. Throughout 2017 it will be important to observe your thoughts, emotions, experiences and creations inviting yourself to examine what you are aligning with and how this alignment is of service to your spiritual evolution, wellbeing, and happiness.
It is valuable to ensure that your thoughts, emotions, experiences and what you choose to create in your reality are aligned with the love, wisdom, and power of the Creator which exists within your being. If your thoughts are negative, your emotions are harmful, and your experiences are limiting you, this shows there is an aspect of your being which is aligned with unhelpful energies or habits which require to be cleansed and healed.
Observing whether you choose to align yourself with the loving aspects of the Creator or the limiting aspects of your ego will allow you to embark on a deep journey of self-discovery. If your focus in 2016 was of absorbing love, then you may discover that this brings forth to you experiences of fulfilment because you have already aligned yourself with the love of the Creator and your being, so your experiences will manifest from these pure, abundant loving vibrations.
You may wish to meditate to ask your guides or your soul to share with you energies for you to consciously align with, to support and accelerate your ascension at this time.
In addition to your discoveries, we, the Celestial White Beings, wish to share with you energies we believe will be of service to you. You may wish to ask for your entire being to be aligned with:
Archangel Metatron, as he is anchoring and supporting the shifts or releasing of old energies, creations, and alignments which are no longer required within your being.
The Venus Beings, as they are bringing forth the second phase of their loving download of light and consciousness to the Earth and her humanity.
The Venus love is supporting your acceptance of the power and presence of love, especially at a mental level as well as encouraging a greater majority of your actions in your reality to be born from the love within your being.
The golden Christ Consciousness continues to awaken more fully upon the Earth and within humanity, sharing its pure original consciousness; the consciousness intended for humanity to embody and experience upon the Earth. The energy of the Christ Consciousness is important to support your remembrance of the Creator and aid the integration of your soul with your entire being at a physical level.
Higher Aspects of your Soul, wishing to synthesize with your physical being, therefore you can align with the wisdom, pure consciousness, love, peace, happiness, expansion, power and truth of your soul, enjoying the energies brought forth into your being because of your alignment.
The sacred union, integration and balance of the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine within you and within the Creator to assist this sacred balance and blend of the Creator's energies in manifesting upon the Earth. With the purpose of recognizing the sacred balance of love, wisdom and power within each person's soul, as well as realizing the presence of the Divine Masculine and Feminine within all, (the power of intention and embodiment to manifest creation.)
Your Soul Group, (even if you do not understand anything about your Soul Group.) As your soul merges with your being so the wisdom and abilities of your Soul Group become available to you. With alignment, this opportunity can be enhanced and experienced more fully.
Take time to connect with these energies individually or together with a simple intention, following your inner guidance.
Allow yourself to hold the intention of grounding in order to further assist and support the downloading of new aspects of your soul in merging with your personality. Grounding at this time of ascension can be a tool to aid your deeper connection, observation, welcoming and acceptance of your soul as well as allowing the new perspective of your soul to form fully within your being, especially your mental body. Grounding can be used to accelerate the integration and embodiment of your soul.
Imagine first your soul star chakra above your head as a beacon of your soul light, holding the perspectives, consciousness, and energy of your soul. Let the light of your soul star chakra beam down upon you. Then imagine your earth star chakra below your feet, it is like a magnet drawing the light of your soul through your being. Observe as your earth star chakra fills with the light of your soul becoming a beacon of light which equals your soul star chakra.
You are entering into a stage of transformation as you merge more fully with your soul, this will encourage transitions within your relationships and perspectives. You will be invited to question what you believe in, what is the truth of the Creator and what is an illusion. This will enhance your connection with your intuition as well as inviting you to let go of habits, limitations and illusions which hinder the expansion of your soul.
It is time to allow new perspectives, beliefs, opinions to form from the space of love and truth within you, which will mean that old perspectives, beliefs and opinions will need to fall away. Create intentions now that this will occur with ease and perfection for you and that you are able to make the transition into alignment with the perspectives of your soul joyfully.
Observe your relationships with yourself and others, recognize that each relationship allows you to enhance your relationship with the Creator. It is time to connect with those around you and yourself with greater truth, to ensure that all of your relationships are connections of unconditional Creator love. This process can begin by imagining that you send a beam of love from your heart to every person you meet or connect with.
It also requires you to feel comfortable in your truth, self and to love yourself unconditionally, realizing that your love ensures you are safe, protected and healed at all times. When you develop your connection with yourself and those around you from a space of love you instantly feel a deeper bond and embodiment of the Creator in every moment of your reality.
Recognize now and throughout 2017 that it is through your actions on the Earth that you can experience the wealth of love within you, create and anchor love into the Earth, as well as support the manifestation of the Era of Love. Create an intention to ensure that you create at least three actions daily which are born from the Creator's unconditional love within you. They can be small and simple actions that support yourself and others in connecting with the ever-growing presence of love within.
We, the Celestial White Beings, are present to be of service to you and to anchor our vibrations of bliss into your being, spiritual evolution, and reality. Please call upon us to support any healing transitions or processes you wish to take place within you. Our healing vibrations are always available to you, simply call upon our energies, and we will assist you in a deep inner transformation which will emanate into your entire being and reality.
Our wisdom is always available to you as is our assistance for your soul integration. To connect with our energies simply repeat the affirmation, "I Am Bliss," while focusing on our pure white light surrounding you and melting into your being.
It is time to create, embody and experience the love within you in creative, blissful and soul inspired ways.
With eternal bliss,
Celestial White Beings
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Every week, the Bureau of Development Services publishes lists of Early Assistance applications, Land Use Reviews and Building Permits processed in the previous week. We publish the highlights. This post covers April 9th to April 15th, 2018.
Design Advice has been requested by SERA Architects for a project at 1715 SW Salmon St:
7-story mixed use building (177 units) with 8,800 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Twenty-seven parking spaces are proposed with access from SW 17th. Two loading spaces are proposed in the structured parking area.
Early Assistance has been requested for a project at 111 NE Killingsworth St:
Current code: Proposal is for 5 unit condominiums.
Early Assistance has been requested by Habit for Humanity for a project at 8124 N Interstate Ave:
More than likely – future code -with not a lot of impact to the site/project by the changes: New construction of 30 units of multi-dwelling housing development. It will be two (2) 3-story buildings to be constructed in two phases. All units will be sold as permanently affordable condo through the City of Portland preference policy. This project is to move through the GATR fast-track process with oversight from PHB.
The PSU Four+Montgomery building at 401 SW Harrison St has been submitted for Type III Design Review and Type III Conditional Use Review by SRG Partnership:
Construction of new 7-story, 174,000 sq ft classroom/lab/office building. See concurrent DZM, AD review (case # is: LU 18-151941 DZM, AD).
Construction of new 7-story, 174,000 sq ft classroom/lab/office building. See concurrent Conditional Use Case (LU 18-151969).
A project at 5055 N Greeley Ave at the Adidas Campus has been submitted for Type II Design Review by Hacker Architects:
The project proposes a new structure (identified as the "Intersection") located between two existing buildings (Identified as Buildings B and C) on the Adidas campus. The proposal also includes a new pedestrian plaza along N Greeley Ave.
A project at 7661 SW Capitol Highway has been submitted for building permit review:
Four story 39 unit mixed use building with ground floor commercial shell.
A building permit was issued to Soderstrom Architects for an addition to St John Fisher Parish at 4567 SW Nevada St:
Addition to existing building to add new parish hall; renovation of existing rectory (R3 occupancy); new site improvements include parking, landscape and storm water facility
A building permit was issued to FFA Architecture & Interiors for the 10th & Yamhill Smart Park Renovation:
Addition to existing parking garage; stair and elevator towers to be removed in all 4 corners; stairs and elevators to be replaced at 2 corners; retail additions at 2 corners; maintain occupancy of parking garage and parking enforcement office during construction. Reconfigure first floor layout including partitions for shell tenant spaces and addition to first floor shell tenant spaces at northeast and southwest corners. Repair and maintenance throughout parking levels. Accessibility upgrades. ***mechanical permit separate***
A structural permit was issued to GBD Architects for SW 3rd & Ash:
STR 01 – Partial permit for excavation, shoring, foundation, structural shell through level 2 and all under slab and perimeter utility for the project. One level below parking with 6 stories above grade
A building permit was issued for a project at 1610 SE Tacoma St:
New 3 story, 12 unit apartment building with attached trash enclosure, includes associated sitework *** w/ 17-264915-MT ***
A shoring permit was issued for a project at 6315 SW Canyon Ct:
Partial permit for temporary shoring wall and mass grading for Buildings 1, 2 & 4
A building permit was issued to Scott Edward Architecture for a project at 5905 SE Belmont St:
New single story dental clinic and surrounding site improvements; shell only.
A building permit was issued to Mackenzie for a project at 2922 SE 82nd Ave:
Construct new 3-story self storage building; 1st floor. 3 separate future tenant spaces and storage; 2nd & 3rd floor storage only; and associated site work *** mechanical permit 17-196247mt ***

subset: commoncrawl


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- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
You don't usually see "honey bees" and "malaria" in the same sentence.
That won't be the case, though, when Joseph DeRisi, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor and vice chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, comes to the UC Davis campus to lecture on Monday, Jan. 9.
His presentation, "A Seminar in Two Acts: Honey Bees and Malaria," is from 10 to 11 a.m. in the main auditorium (Room 2005) of the Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility.
The seminar, open to all interested persons, is sponsored by the Biological Networks Focus Group of the Genome Center. Host is Oliver Fiehn, professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and the Genome Center.
DeRisi, a molecular biologist and biochemist, was named the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Grant (also known as "the genius award") in 2004. In 2008, DeRisi won the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment. Among his many accomplishments: he designed and programmed a groundbreaking tool for finding (and fighting) viruses -- the ViroChip, a DNA microarray that test for the presence of all known viruses in one step.
The DeRisi lab drew international attention last year with publications in Public Library of Science journals.
Chemical Rescue of Malaria Parasites Lacking an Apicoplast Defines Organelle Function in Blood-Stage Plasmodium falciparum (published in PLoS Biology, August 2011)
Honey Bees:
Temporal Analysis of the Honey Bee Microbiome Reveals Four Novel Viruses and Seasonal Prevalence of Known Viruses, Nosema, and Crithidia (published in PLoS One, June, 2011)
Among those working on the honey bee research and co-authoring the PLoS One paper was insect virus researcher Michelle Flenniken, a postdoctoral fellow in the Raul Andino lab at UC San Francisco and the recipient of the Häagen-Dazs Postdoctoral Fellowship in Honey Bee Biology at UC Davis.
Among DeRisi's collaborators on malaria research is UC Davis molecular biologist Shirley Luckhart, professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and an advisor in the Entomology Graduate Program.
DeRisi, who received his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1999 from Stanford University, does amazing work.
He's a genius, to be sure.
Check out these links:
Joseph DeRisi Lab, UC San Francisco
Joe DeRisi: Biochemist (featured in TED ("Technology, Entertainment, Design" is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.)
Conversation with Joe DeRisi (New York Times)
Solving Medical Mysteries (YouTube)
Hunting the Next Killer Virus (YouTube)
Joseph DeRisi: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Joseph DeRisi in Wikipedia


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A Handbook for Scientologists
On the heels of L. Ron Hubbard's discoveries of Operating Thetan came a year of intensive research, exploring the realm of a thetan exterior. Through auditing and instruction, including 450 lectures in this same twelve-month span, he codified the entire subject of Scientology. And it's all contained in this handbook, from a Summary of Scientology to its basic Axioms and Codes. Moreover, here is Intensive Procedure how the process is used, why it works, the axiomatic technology that underlies its use, and the complete explanation of how a being can break the false agreements and self-created barriers that enslave him to the physical universe. In short, this book contains the ultimate summary of thetan exterior, OT ability and its permanent accomplishment. Læs mere
Lydbogs-cd | 300 kr. |
From three feet behind your head to a Grand Tour of the Universe, revealed within are the mysteries of exteriorization and the step-by-step route to native state ability as a thetan exterior. Having already mapped the unlimited potentials of a thetan in Scientology 8-8008, here is the culmination of Mr. Hubbard's next year of intensive research and development—working with auditor after auditor, preclear after preclear and delivering no less than 500 lectures—to make those potentials a reality. What resulted were no less than the Axioms of Scientology and auditing processes drawn from the very fabric of those revelations. Here, then, is the panoramic view of Scientology complete:
- The Auditor's Code, Code of Honor and Code of a Scientologist
- A Summary of Scientology and the Axioms
- Intensive Procedure and the famed processes of Route 1 and Route 2—processes that literally make and break communication with the physical universe to undo Man's inverted belief that mechanics are superior to one's own considerations
- And finally, the means to fully rehabilitate a being's innate abilities…as a thetan exterior
And that's why no book has ever been more aptly named. For this is: The Creation of Human Ability.


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Fecha: diciembre 21, 2021Hora: 14.30
SALA DE GRAUS. PLEASE REGISTER USING THE LINK BELOW TO ATTEND THIS SEMINAR IN PERSON OR ONLINE. Due to the COVID-19 regulations, in-person attendance is only allowed upon registration and up to the room's maximum capacity based on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who will register to attend online will receive a Zoom link by e-mail.


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Novelty bow ties are like a breath of fresh air. They add some spunk, color and conversation talking point to any outfit and will definitely make it a memorable one. They make a great addition for themed parties, holidays and even work! Our Cardi novelty bow ties are a wonderful gift or wardrobe addition for the humorous or jokester in your life that is sure to gain attention and appreciation.
- Color: Brown
- Pattern: Novelty
- Material: Poly Woven
- Style: Pre-Tied
- Shape: 2.5" Butterfly
- Sizing: Adjustable band for easy sizing. Pre-tied bow ties are adjustable from 14" to 23"
Condition:Brand new with original tags & packaging
STYLING TIP: Don't forget to order a coordinating pocket square with your bow tie.
- choosing a selection results in a full page refresh


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Lululemon, the maker of yoga clothing, announced that its top product executive is out after last month's see-through yoga pants fiasco.
Vancouver-based Lululemon Athletica (LULU)said Wednesday that Sheree Waterson, its chief product officer, will step down on April 15 after five years at the company.
Waterson's exit comes quickly on the heels of the company's large recall of Lululemon's popular black yoga pants last month.
The pants were recalled because they were unintentionally see-through. The defective product represented 17% of all women's yoga pants sold in Lululemon stores, and prompted a shortage of the pants.
Last month, the retailer warned that the recall would significantly hurt its financial results. The company, expected to report first-quarter results in June, said same-store sales are projected to increase 5% to 8% in the period, down from its earlier forecast for a gain of 11%.
"We appreciate the many contributions that Sheree made during her time with Lululemon, particularly in the area of design," Lululemon's CEO Christine Day, said in a statement.


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Events this week:
Free Webinar on Tuesday 9/21 at 11AM PST:
Social Media Decision Making http://bit.ly/cdzj5N
Online Community MeetUp Wednesday night 9/22, 7PM PST in San Francisco
Hope you can join us in person, online or via Second Life inworld at the Plush Nonprofit Commons:
8:30AM PST Friday meeting at the Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheatre
Join us this FRIDAY AM for Meet Your Neighbor and other nonprofit technology leaders at http://bit.ly/nonprofitcommons
Last week at the NPC:
* Ana Farber, a PhD down at University of Texas, Austin has invited us to participate in the SLActions Conference, abstracts are due by September 30th at www.slactions.org with chapters all over the world.
* Jenelle Levenque shared the Transgender American Veterans Association: http://tavausa.org/ educates government agencies on the needs of their transgendered constituents. Scheduled office hours inworld are Fridays from 0730 to 0830 and Murray or Alana Haefnir are also inworld to take your questions.
* Penguin (Megan at TechSoup Global) shared the FORUMS and here's a full list of topics: http://forums.techsoup.org/cs/forums/default.aspx?GroupID=15 All are invited to participate online and share their knowledge! Ninlil (Layal) also made a video tutorial on how to do this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sgyD5Opxwg
TechSoup Technology Help Desk Office Hours
TechSoup has answered the community's technology questions via telephone, email, and on TechSoup's forums. This has also begun to occur on TechSoup's social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook groups. In keeping with this tradition, we have decided to experiment with TechSoup Technology Help Desk Office Hours inside Second Life to include all sorts of social media & technology questions.
Times are Tue 4-5pm, Wed 4-5pm, Thu 5-6pm, all times are Pacific.
We are also open to your recommendations, please read more information about: http://bit.ly/TSHelpDesk
Reminder: Submit your Projects to the FACT Social Justice Challenge at NetSquared
The French American Charitable Trust (FACT) and NetSquared are pleased to announce the second annual FACT Social Justice Awards. Submissions are now open for your innovative Projects that leverage web and/or mobile technologies to foster collaboration around social justice issues. Learn more about the Challenge and how to participate here: http://netsquared.org/challenges/fact-social-justice-2010
From Laura at Horsenet in MD: Our rescue is taking part in the Petfinder Shelter Challenge. Shelters with the most votes are eligible for grants. Please help us win by voting daily from today through 12/19. Go to http://bit.ly/horsenetvote and search "HorseNet Horse Rescue" in Mount Airy, MD to vote.
An Easy Inworld Tip:
There are tons of classes on building, scripting, machinima production, even working with the new meshes that Second Life is now releasing for fully sculpted objects that look more real than ever before. For more detail on Linden Lab's progress on MESH SUPPORT that will allow imports from 3D design programs, see this blog post: http://changingworldsbuildingdreams.com/the-status-of-mesh-support-in-se…
Every week inworld we share these links to our community sites:
Nonprofit Commons blog & wiki
@npsl http://www.twitter.com/npsl
Google Group:
Weekly Networking Event: Wharf Ratz, Aloft every Tues., 8PM SLT
Monthly Networking Event: The first Thurs. of every month, at Common Ground, Plush, 5 -7PM SLT
Avatars United:
Thank you for your contributions to the Nonprofit Commons! Stay in touch: firstname.lastname@example.com
Written by: InKenzo


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Bee protector
Michael and Carlos created and continue to build on their own piece of land – complete with a meadow that's dedicated to providing a protected habitat for bees.
This is Josie Tucker and Richard Ashton, founders of what we think is an amazing environmental organization called Adapt. They use design, humor and contemporary culture to communicate climate crisis issues in a solutions-based way. We recently spent time with Josie and Richard at their offices in London, and here is some of that conversation.
Josie: Adapt is an environmental organization that runs campaigns and projects and hosts art installations and events — we basically use the skills that we have to try and add something to help combat climate change in some way.
Richard: The name came from Adaptive Capacity, which in climate terms means: the capacity of a system to adapt if the environment where the system exists is changing.
Josie: Climate issues have been on my mind for a long time. But it wasn't until around the time Trump was elected, and Brexit was happening, and there was an IPPC report that had just came out, and it all suddenly really felt real. I was like okay, now we need to act. I think it took that kick up the arse really.
Richard: I have always been interested in sustainability and the planet. I grew up in South Africa around a lot of wildlife and stuff, and that gave me an understanding of the planet and how to look after it. But it was around the similar time as Josie mentioned that it really got going for me. And then Josie really pushed for us to do Adapt, and since then we have become obsessed.
Richard: We both were freelancing as graphic designers, and realized that we wanted to — and had to — do something about the climate crisis. We started by having meetings in our living room at home with people who were on a similar page, and everyone just started chatting. We formed a small group and started working together on different projects, led by us. After a few collaborative workshops we thought maybe we could try to do a campaign about renewable energy to get people to switch. It is a small and simple action, but something that has a big effect. So we started with our first campaign called 'Don't be a fossil fool' where we created a fun website that was interactive and picked our favorite energy companies for people to switch to. And it kind of snowballed from there. It's still us organizing, but the people we work with and collaborate with on every project are crucial!
The response for the Fossil Fool campaign has been really positive. It was like people were feeling really thankful that someone said it only takes two minutes and that you can just do it.
Josie: With everything we do, we always want to have an outcome, even if it is something really simple. We want people to feel like they can actually act on it instead of being overwhelmed by information.
The main difference between us and other organizations is we are a bit more carefree and we definitely use more humor than most other people. Climate change is a really serious subject but it doesn't mean that you need to be serious about it - you can still act positively and have a good time doing it. We speak to people on a peer-level. We aren't funded by a big corporation or working on behalf of a big company, and we do not have anything at stake — we are just talking to people because we want to share what we think. We are just reading things and passing on the information, and making it look a bit nicer and adding a pun to it or something.
Josie: From the time when we started, where nothing was happening and no one was talking about climate change, to now — with student protests and Extinction Rebellion and suddenly seeing a massive change in people's mindsets — there has been such a big difference. Now everyone is talking about climate issues. It is great.
Richard: We're about to launch a new campaign called 'We've got mail'. Because we had such a good response from writing pre-written emails for people to send to their MPs, we thought we'd do something big with it. So now we're doing this campaign where people can pick their topic based on their interest in relation to climate change, and they will be able to find pre-written emails to help educate themselves and also to send to their MP through the website. So that will be our next big campaign, which will be cool.
Josie: And we are doing this exhibition and the 'We've got mail' campaign will be a big bart of it as well.
Richard: It is called 'Sadness is a No-Go Zone.'
Josie: It is going to be a fun and interactive exhibition where we have asked quite a few artists and designers to translate one of our phrases or puns into a poster or piece of art or video. It is going to be educational with a lot of games and activities around three topics: Energy, Travel and Rewilding. You will see all of the artists responses and at the end there will be ways to take action right there. Yeah, loads of stuff. It's going to be big — at Copeland Gallery in Peckham.
Richard: It opens on 2nd of August. We have all of these great responses, but it will also be a lot of work.
Josie: We try to do Adapt full-time. We did have regular jobs for three days a week, but that wasn't giving us enough time for it. So we quit those at the beginning of this year and have been freelancing project-based ever since.
Richard: People have been coming to us for our style and our language. We just did an animation for C40 Cities, which is an organization based in Copenhagen that gets mayors together from all over the world to promote the fact that cities can be the solution to the climate crisis.
Josie: Working with organizations like C40, that's perfect because they're doing the research and are actually creating policy. We have learnt that the communication side of things is our main skill, and the way that people respond to it and understand it. So if we can translate a lot of policy and research and science that goes around climate change into something that is actually digestible for people, and if that can support us to do our own campaigns then that would be amazing.
Richard: If I could change one thing about the world I would change how we value growth. With climate change, that is one of the toughest things. As the western world grew very quickly, we caused a lot of issues and we got rid of all of our forest and had all of this construction and now with the rest of the world, like in China and India and Brazil, they are doing exactly what we did. You can't stop growth. Growth in terms of relations and money is one of the biggest issues. But if you could change how we value growth, or if we could have changed that a long time ago, we would probably be in a much better place.
Josie: I don't have a better answer than that. I agree.
Michael and Carlos created and continue to build on their own piece of land – complete with a meadow that's dedicated to providing a protected habitat for bees.
Olivia Spaethe felt her career was missing a connection to the issues she cared about most: social and environmental activism. The solution? For Purpose Jobs.
After these four grandmothers retired, they started new careers in climate activism. Now they're known all over Finland as the Activist Grannies.


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Please browse through our library of plants. By clicking on the thumbnails, you will be provided with detailed information such as plant size, exposure, and other characteristics and growing conditions. Keep in mind that some plants may not have much detail as we are in the process of updating our site.
You may want to try again and reduce the number of characterisitcs you selected.


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Keep an open eye in Panama and you might just see a Panamanian Golden Frog. Local legend used to promise luck to anyone who spotted the frog in the wild and that when the frog died, it would turn into a gold talisman, known as a huaca. Nowadays, you'll see the frogs on decorative cloth molas made by the Kuna Indians, on T-shirts, as inlaid design on a new overpass in Panama City and even on lottery tickets. In the market at El Valle de Antòn, you will see them by the thousands either as enamel-painted terracotta or on hand-carved tagua nuts. The one place you probably won't see a Panamanian Golden Frog, however, is in their native home—the crystal clear streams of the ancient volcanic crater of El Valle de Antòn. In the mountain forests you may spot other similar-looking extant species such as Atelopus varius, but the only local and true Panamanian Golden Frogs Atelopus zeteki are those breeding in captivity at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) at the El Nispero Zoo.
In the early 2000's conservationists warned that this day-glo yellow emblem of Panama was in grave danger of extinction. In emergency response, Project Golden Frog was established to create captive assurance colonies of this species, just in case the scientists' worst fears came to pass and the species went extinct in the wild. In 2006, just as the scientists had predicted, the chytridiomycosis disease hit El Valle. The Panamanian Golden Frog—whose populations were already under pressure due to collectors and habitat loss—was decimated. Suddenly, Panama's unique harelquin frog species joined the ranks of at least 30 other harlequin frogs that are most likely extinct in the wild. Luckily, Panama's charismatic namesake was part of an AZA Species Survival Plan. Today, the captive population is being carefully managed and bred for long-term survival by a number of zoos and aquaria in the United States and Panama. The animals in these assurance colonies have served their intended purpose and provide an insurance policy for the species, guaranteeing that this important Panamanian cultural symbol will never be lost all together.
A tragedy has thus been averted. Instead of a dire warning of the future fate of the planet, Panamanian Golden Frogs are now a symbol of hope. Exiled frogs are playing the role of a flagship species, bringing the story of global amphibian declines to world wide audiences in zoos and aquaria, magazines and films. As the logo of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, the Panamanian Golden Frog is a powerful symbol uniting 8 key institutions. Together, we have embarked on this ambitious national program to build capacity at the Summit Municipal Park in Panama and to create assurance colonies of other amphibian species from Eastern Panama before it is too late. We are also actively working with some of the world's leading researchers like Reid Harris and Louise Rollins-Smith to develop a cure that will allow us to control the further spread of chytridiomycosis. Our great hope is that one day we may re-establish wild populations of Panamanian Golden Frogs back into their rightful home in the streams of El Valle. Until then, we embrace Panama's living gold as a symbol of hope and achievement in showing us how we can preserve Panama's amphibian biodiversity.


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Matrox video wall technology and VView software combine to enhance data management and analysis at Veolia Netherlands' sustainable energy smart monitoring center.
In our world today, experts are relentlessly seeking out ways to optimize energy consumption in order to accelerate the transition to a circular economy and drive down our combined environmental footprint. Using real-time data about the urban metabolisms of cities around the world, Veolia, a global leader in water, waste, and energy services is working toward a more sustainable future. Thanks to the dynamic combination of the Matrox video wall capture and graphics cards and VView video wall management software, Veolia Netherlands' smart monitoring center, or Hubgrade, is able to centralize, analyze, and track data about energy flows and consumption via a state-of-the-art, 3x2 video wall.
When Veolia began building a new Hubgrade for its Netherlands headquarters, it planned to incorporate four workstations with access to a video wall system. The video wall system itself would be a crucial component for experts to be able to monitor the energy flows of industries, municipalities, and more for Veolia's end customers. By carefully tracking energy flows across several screens, experts would be able to provide customers with actionable plans for improvement.
To achieve this, Veolia needed a video wall controller that would provide access to four different operator workstations and have the option to add baseband inputs as well as IP sources. After consulting with AV integrator, AVEX, and seeing a live demonstration of a Matrox-powered video wall at the Eindhoven demo facility of AV distributor Sahara Benelux, Veolia decided on the combined solution of the Matrox Mura IPX video wall capture cards, Matrox graphics cards, and VView's Classic software. "This initiative was fairly complex in nature, but seeing how simple and seamless all video wall operations were first-hand, we decided that the Matrox video wall technology and VView software combination was best-suited for our project," said Ronald Remijn, district manager at Veolia Netherlands.
Going with the (energy) flow
At the Veolia Netherlands Hubgrade, the smart monitoring setup comprises a data-rich 3x2 video wall using 46-inch monitors installed above four operator desks. The Matrox Mura IPX-based video wall controller allows Veolia operators to aggregate and display data from multiple sources. These sources include VLC files, HTML web pages, custom web browser application, and a variety of baseband inputs – all scheduled using VView's software. VView also has the added convenience of having multiple users connect to the video wall controller. "The browser-based user interface was very intuitive and easy to use," said Remijn. "In addition, end-to-end encryption allows the software to communicate securely with the Matrox-based controller producing a truly remarkable video wall ecosystem."
Powering the future
By choosing a Matrox-powered video wall, Veolia Netherlands found itself being able to monitor energy flows to therefore generate sustainable energy solutions, convert more Hubgrade visitors into clients, and further distinguish itself from its competitors.
Between its contribution to providing solutions to clients and the overall effect the video wall system has on Hubgrade visitors, Matrox's video wall technology has become integral to the functioning of Veolia Netherlands' Hubgrade. "The Matrox platform allows us to utilize our energy monitoring center to its fullest potential," said Remijn. "The video wall system is a foundational part of the total operation of the Hubgrade, and our customers think it's pretty impressive as well."


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Could preventing colon cancer be as simple as developing a taste for yerba mate tea? In a recent University of Illinois study, scientists showed that human colon cancer cells die when they are exposed to the approximate number of bioactive compounds present in one cup of this brew, which has long been consumed in South America for its medicinal properties.
"The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation," said Elvira de Mejia, a U of I associate professor of food chemistry and food toxicology.
That's important because inflammation can trigger the steps of cancer progression, she said.
In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant isolated, purified, and then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died as a result of apoptosis.
"Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged," she said.
The ability to induce apoptosis, or cell death, is a promising tactic for therapeutic interventions in all types of cancer, she said.
de Mejia said they were able to identify the mechanism that led to cell death. Certain CQA derivatives dramatically decreased several markers of inflammation, including NF-kappa-B, which regulates many genes that affect the process through the production of important enzymes. Ultimately cancer cells died with the induction of two specific enzymes, caspase-3 and caspase-8, de Mejia said.
"If we can reduce the activity of NF-kappa-B, the important marker that links inflammation and cancer, we'll be better able to control the transformation of normal cells to cancer cells," she added.
The results of the study strongly suggest that the caffeine derivatives in mate tea have potential as anti-cancer agents and could also be helpful in other diseases associated with inflammation, she said.
But, because the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of mate tea may be most useful in the colon.
"We believe there's ample evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer. Mate tea bags are available in health food stores and are increasingly available in large supermarkets," she added.
The scientists have already completed and will soon publish the results of a study that compares the development of colon cancer in rats that drank mate tea as their only source of water with a control group that drank only water.
This in vitro study was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, vol. 55, pp. 1509-1522, in 2011. Co-authors include Sirima Puangpraphant, now an assistant professor at Kasetsart University in Thailand; Greg Potts, an undergraduate student of the U of I; and Mark A. Berhow and Karl Vermillion of the USDA, ARS, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. The work was funded by the U of I Research Board and Puangpraphant's Royal Thai Government Scholarship.


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Designing Your Ceremony
There are two facets of the design process. First, we ask you to consider how you wish to collectively remember and celebrate the life of your animal companion. When those important decisions are made, we'll turn to the issue of how you wish to care for the physical remains.
How to Honor and Remember Your Pet
It's about bringing those they loved together, at this time of loss. It's a natural thing to do, and we encourage our client families to do so.
You can have your service anywhere, and any way, you want. Your choices include the place of celebration, day of the week, and time of day; the musical selection, what prayers will be said or songs you'd like sung. We can arrange to have doves, butterflies, or balloons released at the close of the service. Keepsake gifts, wildflower seeds, doggie bones, or tree seedlings can be given. We're here to help you create the most memorable and meaningful service to honor your animal companion.
With an Eye to Your Future
We can help you come to the decisions that will meet your needs now, and in the future. After all, you will need to live with these decisions for a long time. We know from experience that doing the right thing now will make all the difference in your peace-of-mind through the coming years. Contact us today to discuss your intentions.
Burial or Cremation?
Your next consideration focuses on choosing between burial and cremation. Usually, people are fairly clear on this point, but it can be a hard decision for some families, especially when there are children involved. If that's the case, please know we're able to help you come to the perfect decision for your pet, and for you.
Once you decide, the finer details come into focus. If you've chosen burial, then selection of the casket and desired burial place follows. Naturally, we're here to help you.
If cremation is your choice, then you'll need to make the next decision: whether the cremated remains will be returned to you, interred in a local pet cemetery, or if you'd like us to scatter them in our memory garden.
What's Next?
Now that we've given you the basics, it's time to reflect more on exactly what is appropriate for you and your family. If possible, gather everyone together to speak of their feelings and desires.
Still looking for inspiration? Speaking with a professional funeral planner will help to clarify your thinking. Reach us at (779) 210-6963.


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3 Alternatives For Replacement Beef Heifers
July 23, 2014
We hear quite often that the high cost of developing a replacement heifer dictates that we keep as few as possible. We also hear that a cow must wean 4-6 calves before she breaks even. I don't doubt that, for many, this is true; but it doesn't have to be.
At the recent Beef Improvement Federation meeting in Lincoln, NE, Rick Funston, a University of Nebraska beef cattle reproductive physiologist, presented research results indicating that, contrary to general belief, heifers don't need to achieve 65% of expected mature cow body weight to achieve acceptable levels of pregnancy. In fact, the heifers in his study were in the 50-55% range of expected mature cow body weight, and were developed on low-cost feeds.
In Funston's research and in other places, the cows produced from "minimally" developed heifers are proving to be better cows in their rebreeding rates and calf weaning weights. "Minimal" doesn't mean they're underdeveloped or that protein supplementation is unnecessary. The timing of breeding and calving will determine when supplementation is needed to keep heifers gaining weight before breeding and between breeding and calving as a first-calf heifer.
For years, economic research has shown stocker operations to be more profitable than cow-calf operations in most comparisons. If heifers are wintered as stockers, they should be profitable if sold as open stocker heifers.
If the only added cost is to artificially inseminate (AI) them or put bulls in, it may add as much as $60 to each bred heifer. In recent times, a bred heifer would easily bring $60 more than an open feeder heifer. So, in a typical year, the heifer owes you nothing. She's paid her way and made a profit if you sell her or keep her as a replacement heifer.
The weaned calf crop percentage will be a little lower for the two-year-old heifers than for the mature cows, and the calves will weigh a little less. There will also be a few more open at preg-check time. The heifer will also weigh less as a cull, but the heiferette price will be as much as $10-15/cwt. better than for older culls.
The two-year-old year will cost you a little; but if the heifer is open and you sell her and her calf, she still should have paid her way. If she hasn't, you should probably consider buying replacement cows – not heifers – from someone who specializes in this, rather than raise your own.
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My point is that a well-run, profitable ranch should be able to cull cows at any age and make a good profit from the cow's lifetime production when you include her sale weight. The few dry cows that lost calves between pregnancy check and weaning, and didn't have a calf to sell, will be more than compensated for by the many others that weaned a calf.
Why buy replacement cows?
Why did I suggest buying replacement cows instead of bred heifers? Because two-year olds are less profitable than yearlings or adult cows. If you are buying replacements, why would you want to calve first-calf heifers, rebreed first-calf heifers, and market their smaller calves along with the bigger calves from your mature cows when you could calve and rebreed only cows that require much less attention? You can also buy smaller to moderate-sized cows and terminal cross them all with high-growth, good carcass merit bulls. I think most small ranches should consider this alternative.
When using low-cost heifer development and achieving weights less than 60% of expected mature cow body weight, I like to expose significantly more heifers than needed for replacements. I like short breeding periods – not more than 30 days. I know of a couple of ranches that expose almost all their heifers for one synchronized AI exposure with no cleanup bulls. The ones that get pregnant become their replacement heifers. With short exposure of yearling heifers, the pregnancy rate for two- and three-year olds usually increases in following years.
A larger ranch that uses this approach will usually have more pregnant heifers than needed. It can either sell a few bred heifers or sell some bred cows to make room for the heifers.
On the ranches I managed, where we developed heifers, we usually had significantly more bred heifers than needed. However, we kept the heifers and sold bred cows to ranches that routinely bought replacements and terminal-crossed those cows. By selling a good number of bred cows we were able to compensate for the additional cost of having a higher number of two year olds than normal.
When most people try to do an economic analysis of these kinds of alternatives, they try to estimate the opportunity cost of the retained heifer calf (what could it have been sold for). The problem with this approach is that you must also consider the alternative costs that will occur if you actually do sell the heifer calf.
Three alternatives
I prefer to look at three basic alternatives in which I consider my entire cattle operation to be one enterprise. That way, I don't have to place an opportunity cost on the retained heifer. I simply compare:
A cow-calf normal replacement heifer operation with
A cow-calf operation with a high number of replacement heifers and selling some bred cows and
Buying replacement cows and not raising any replacement heifers.
I'm sure that if you do this analysis correctly, many of you will be very surprised. The results will be different for different sizes of operations and for different feed costs.
You can ignore overhead costs for these comparisons; you simply need to get a gross margin (total livestock sales minus direct cost) for each alternative. The key is to do it correctly.
Sale weights and prices for those weights must be in proper relationship to each other for each situation. You also must adjust cattle numbers so that the total animal units are the same for each alternative.
When comparing alternative stocking strategies, it's always simpler, and I think more accurate, to have the year beginning and ending inventories equal to each other. After allowing for death loss, you may only project to sell what maintaining that inventory allows. It's not difficult, but it does take time and care to do it correctly.
Burke Teichert, consultant on strategic planning for ranches, is retired as vice president and general manager of Deseret. He resides in Orem, UT, and can be reached at [email protected]. His comments do not necessarily reflect those of beefmagazine.com or the Penton Farm Progress Group.
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by Kevin Smith
Something big is going on at Giza, and the internet is on fire with speculation about it.
The internet is abuzz with the news about new findings in the Great Pyramid on Egypt's Giza Plateau. It has been reported that strange markings have been found inside what many of the news reports have been calling a "secret tunnel".
True to form, the news media is either hyperbolizing, or they just plain got the facts wrong. The tunnel is has not been a secret for a number of years. The secret has been what is in the tunnel, and where it leads.
There is, however, a mystery involved here. The mystery involves some strange hieroglyphic-type markings found inside the tunnel. They are done in red paint, and are found on the floor of the tunnel and on the walls.
Not accessible to the human frame as yet, the tunnel was explored by a robot rover with a camera mounted on it. Using the remote controlled robot, the archeologists were able to determine the tunnel runs for runs for some distance and ends at what appears to be another door. It is one of four known secret tunnels that lead from the "King's Chamber" and the "Queen's Chamber". The purpose of the tunnels is not known.
The first big story in this event is that the hieroglyphic-type markings are yet to be understood. It does seem quite odd that these markings were found in a pyramid that the Egyptologists claim was built by Pharaoh Khufu (an Egyptian), and they can read the hieroglyphs found from his time. Yet, they cannot yet decode these hieroglyphs from inside the very pyramid they say he built. These are symbols that do not apparently fit with the system of writing known to Egyptologists as hieroglyphics. This would seem to raise the possibility that while these markings are a language, they are not Egyptian.
Since the tomb of Osiris was found in a "secret" underground tomb just a few yards from the Great Pyramid (the spot marked by the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation), is it possible the Great Pyramid was built by the Osiris clan and not by Khufu? If so, is it possible the myths about Osiris and his family (Ra, Isis, Thoth, Set) not being from this planet are true? Perhaps those hieroglyphic-type markings are in the language of Osiris.
The second great mystery in this event is that it comes on the heels of finding the tomb of Osiris in 2010, and the discovery by NASA satellites of a massive collection of buried pyramids on the Giza Plateau.
When the tomb of Osiris was found, several very odd measures were undertaken almost immediately. Dr. Zahi Hawass (Minister of Antiquities) ordered that a wall be constructed around the pyramid complex. This was, ostensibly, to protect the pyramids from being damaged by the public. It has been reported on various internet sites that the U.S. military was there securing the pyramid complex along with Egyptian military.
And then, there is the question of the NASA satellite imaging of the Giza Plateau. Why? It has been done before. We already had pictures from space of the Pyramids. Why now? Why a NASA satellite?
When you line up the discoveries and events, a very interesting picture begins to emerge.
- tomb of Osiris found
- sarcophagus of Osiris opened but no concurrent photos of what is inside
- Dr. Hawass says the sarcophagus was empty
- military called in to secure the site
- Order is given to build a wall around the pyramid complex
- NASA satellite called upon to do high-tech scan of the site
- 17 additional pyramids located in satellite scan
- hieroglyphic-type markings found in pyramid that hieroglyph experts can't read yet
Certainly, this line-up of events gives the appearance that something big–very big–has been discovered at the Giza Plateau. Not only is it something big, it is something of military importance. Not only is it of military importance, it is very secret.
The line-up of events listed above is not theoretical, nor speculative. Those are genuine events. Yet, the internet is filled with speculation about what has been discovered. One theory being touted is that they have found a stargate. Maybe. Maybe not. Critics of the UFO community tend to ridicule all the speculation. But, when all the facts are not on the table then all speculation is valid. In fact, it is inevitable.
Oh, by the way, the name of the robot that took the photo above is Djedi, and the team working with it is the Djedi Team. Djedi is the name of an ancient Egyptian magician in the days of Khufu. The "d" and the "j" are pronounced together making the pronunciation of the word to be JEDI. You remember the JEDI Knights of Star Wars fame, right?
One thing seems to be certain. Something very big is going on at Giza.


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In a sign her troubles have undergone a significant expansion, the Washington Free Beacon reported last week that former EPAAdministrator Lisa Jackson has hired a lawyer as new details of her use of private email accounts to conduct official government business were revealed.
The agency and its previous head have still breathed easy despite months of inquiries andFreedom of Information Act requests fromChris Horner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute and American Tradition Institute. Jackson and enviro-crats have been shielded by colleagues' efforts to block access to records, delay their delivery, or conceal damning information with redactions. Nevertheless the indefatigable Horner has continued to pepper the agency with new requests from new angles almost every time he discovers a new hint of malfeasance revealed from previous requests.
What seems to have alarmed Jackson – who is now Apple's top environmental officer – is the revelation that she communicated with an official with Siemens from her alternative "Richard Windsor" account, which was revealed previously thanks to earlier Horner FOIAs. But even that cloaked "EPA.org" account didn't provide enough secrecy for Jackson to hide missives she might not want prying eyes to see, so she made a request of Alison Taylor, a vice president for the multinational company.
"Can you use my home email rather than this one when you need to contact me directly?" Jackson asked. "Tx, Lisa."
Conducting official government business on private accounts is illegal, if used for the purpose of concealment. The crime is punishable with a fine or imprisonment of not more than three years, or both. Also, the offender "shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States." According to Horner, the message Jackson sent Taylor showed a deliberate effort to hide from the public how government business was conducted.
"There's no ambiguity here," said Horner to the Free Beacon. "This reflects a clear intention to violate law and policy."
The conservative news site reported that Jackson hired Washington-based attorney Barry Coburn, which he wouldn't confirm to them, but did a day later to Politico.
"Lisa Jackson has been a dedicated public servant who served her country honorably for over two decades," Coburn said in a statement. "She has engaged in no wrongdoing of any kind. She is committed to responding appropriately to any inquiry initiated by any forum. We have offered to assist her in doing so."
Unfortunately for the taxpayers who paid her salary, "responding appropriately" did not mean "rapid and forthcoming" under Jackson's EPA reign, which was supposed to operate under President Obama's "unprecedented level of openness in government." In addition to Horner and CEI, House and Senate members who exercise oversight of the executive branch (and specifically EPA) have sought records and demanded explanations about use of the alias email accounts.
In November Texas Rep. Ralph Hall, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, sent a request to EPA's Inspector General to review whether the agency complied with the Freedom of Information Act and Federal Records Act. The response he received was not enlightening.
"Given the large volume of emails sent to the public account — more than 1.5 million in fiscal year 2012, for instance — the secondary email account is necessary for effective management and communication between the Administrator and colleagues," Associate Administrator Arvin Ganesan said in his Dec. 12 letter. He explained that the practice is "commonly employed in both the public and the private sector."
Even so, the EPA Inspector General initiated an audit of the handling of the agency's electronic records.
Then in December Michigan Rep. Fred Upton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), wrote to Jackson "that you describe fully the nature and extent of this practice." At the time the congressmen wanted to know whether EPA's records custodians responded to FOIA requests for Jackson's correspondence by searching her (and others') alias accounts – as opposed to their email addresses for public correspondence that they didn't conduct their business on – for relevant materials. The committee leaders asked Jackson for "a detailed description of EPA's procedures that ensure that all your 'internal' email accounts…are included in any search for responsive information or materials when EPA receives Congressional committee requests for information or documents…."
EPA began producing records in January from Jackson's "Richard Windsor" email account that had a lot of text obliterated with black marker – so much that Horner called it a "defective compilation (that) boasts an impressively anemic content-to-volume ratio." Even the name "Windsor" was redacted from the messages.
"I don't know any other agency that does this," said Anne Weismann, chief counsel of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, to Politico. "Why would you pick a fictitious name of someone of different gender? To me it smacks of…trying to hide."
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., the Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and his colleagues upped the pressure on EPA at that point as well.
"EPA's supposed reliance on 'precedent' is especially misleading because they're clearly using a separate and distinct practice than previous Administrations," Vitter said. "And if 'Richard Windsor' is no more than a standard work email account, why not share the unredacted versions and prove it to the American public?"
The practice was not limited to Jackson, of course, as it was discovered in other Obama administration agencies and was also used within EPA by both Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe and Jackson's permanent replacement, former assistant administrator Gina McCarthy, who was only allowed to be confirmed last month after Vitter won concessions from EPA on transparency measures. But the revelation that Jackson evaded even beyond the "Windsor" account disturbed the senator.
"For months this Administration has brushed off transparency concerns, especially when it comes to federal record-keeping laws. Former EPA Administrator Jackson, aka 'Richard Windsor', has been the biggest culprit," Vitter said. "Even with EPA's recent promises to review and revamp its email practices and policies, the mere fact that the agency's Administrator was trying to circumvent 'sunshine' laws is a huge red flag for the effectiveness of the agency and the Administration."
Vitter, on Fox News, pledged to "go after" all of Jackson's communications while she was at EPA from all her accounts. "Generally what's being hidden is a very cozy relationship between this EPA and far-left environmental groups," he said.
Which coincides with Jackson's hiring of Coburn as her legal counsel. In June NLPC wondered why Apple, Inc., and CEO Tim Cook, would want to bring her and her baggage into a company that has enjoyed success but whose stock price has been in decline lately. In an interview with the Fuqua School of Business, at his alma mater Duke University, Cook explained how part of his management philosophy is to "look for people that are not political, people that are not bureaucrats…."
Besides the email fiasco, Jackson has other ethically questionable activities that occurred on her watch: Regional EPA administrators whose practice was to "crucify" oil and gas companies; EPA's war against coalcompanies and utilities; excessive, controversial regulations; and experiments on human beings that piped diesel exhaust into their lungs.
"Tim Cook should think twice," said Amy Ridenour, president of the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank that also owns stock in Apple. "President Obama's cabinet officers may get away with all kinds of things (or they may not, in the end), but the Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine makes CEOs potentially criminally liable for any misdeeds of subordinates, even if they don't know about them."
Wonder if the "non-political" Cook has asked Jackson why she needs a lawyer all of a sudden.
[First published at the National Center for Public Policy Research.]


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First, we'll need two English muffins. I've found that there are no English muffins like Thomas' English Muffins. The supermarket brand muffins just don't taste the same. The term English muffin is a misnomer as they are technically not muffins (and not from England). Instead they resemble crumpets (also a soft yeast dough shaped into rounds and cooked on a griddle). In any case, either make your own English muffins or buy Thomas' brand.
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Deciding how you want your hamburgers cooked is important. Sometimes you want a thick, juicy burger, and sometimes you want a multiple thin patty burger that's been cooked so the patties have a crisp shell and the inside is done but chewy. I felt the latter would work best on my English muffins.
I split my ground beef into four 1/8 lb. chuck patties and flattened them down into rounds that looked like they would fit the patty. (I did not make my patties large enough because they will shrink a bit while cooking. Flatten them down until they look like they're too big for the muffins.) Don't be too concerned with overworking the ground beef (which can be a problem with thick burger patties) since we're making thin patties.
You can grill or broil these burgers, but heating a pan was easiest for me. I heated an empty pan over medium-high heat until water sizzled and jumped when I tossed in a few drops. Then I transferred the patties over to the pan and started my timer. I was going for well done since these were thin patties, so five minutes on the first side.
The patties don't stick to the pan because some of the fat renders out. Once the first side is done, it should be quite easy to flip them over with a metal spatula. Five more minutes and the other side all also have a gorgeous and tasty crust.
About a minute before the second side is done, any toppings you desire should be placed on the patty. I put some Pepper Jack cheese (Monterey Jack cheese with Jalapeno chiles) on top of my burgers. I then realized that I had some bacon left over from the Bacon Test, Part I and broke some pieces off and placed them on the cheese.
Meanwhile, I had taken my English muffins and halved them with two forks. Using a knife produces a smoother finish on the muffin halves which doesn't toast as well or produce the famous nooks and crannies for sauce and dressing to fill. The muffins went into a toaster for a light toast and I topped one side with poor man's Russian dressing (equal parts ketchup and mayonnaise, adjust proportions to taste). Real Russian dressing should have grated onions and herbs in it. By the way, Russian dressing isn't from Russia... both English muffins and Russian dressing were invented in America by English and Russian immigrants.
I stacked two patties on top of each bottom half of an English muffin.
I slipped in a piece of romaine lettuce for a little crispy texture and plated the burgers with kosher pickles. Dinner in less than fifteen minutes.}?>
Mini Hamburgers (serves 2 or one hearty eater)
1/2 lb. (225 g) ground beef chuck | form into four patties | 5 min. on medium-high | flip, cook 4 minutes | top, cook 1 minute | assemble |
favorite toppings (cheese, bacon, etc.) | |||||
2 English muffins | split with forks | toast | spread | ||
favorite dressing |
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An HSA (health savings account) or FSA (flexible spending account) has many benefits. These accounts are used to pay out-of-pocket healthcare costs. To establish an HSA, you must have coverage with a high-deductible health insurance plan. The funds you put in the account are not taxed and will roll over into the next year if there is unused money at the end of the year. The funds in the account can pay for medical and dental care but cannot be used to pay health insurance premiums. The funds are accessible for your own medical and dental care, as well as qualified medical expenses for:
- Your spouse
- Your dependents
- A qualifying dependent relative
- Uninsured members of your family
HSA or FSA? What is the Difference?
An HSA is a savings account you establish that provides some significant tax advantages. The money you contribute to the account is on a pre-tax basis, reducing your taxable income. You can use the account to pay for your deductibles and copays on medical and dental care. These accounts have the added benefit of paying for the medical and dental costs for a qualified spouse or dependent unless they are reimbursed by another source. As the owner of the HSA, you must authorize each added individual to use your account, with a debit card issued in their names. Your HSA account belongs to you and is not tied to your employment.
An FSA account is established through your employer. You can contribute up to a maximum limit each year, reducing your taxable income. The drawback of an FSA when compared to an HSA is that any funds more than $500 in your account will not roll over if unused at year-end. These accounts are not as flexible as an HSA and do not offer any benefit in a long-term financial plan. However, an FSA does provide tax benefits and the ability to pay high deductibles for medications, hospital costs, and dental treatments – and pay these costs for your spouse and dependents.
How to Open an HSA
To open an HSA, you must first be enrolled in a high deductible health plan, whether purchased yourself or a group health insurance plan offered by your employer. A high deductible health insurance plan is any health insurance with a deductible of at least $1,400 for a single covered person or $2,800 for the family. The application process is relatively simple. Go to your bank, and they will walk you through the process. Your banker can advise you about your options for investing the funds. You can contribute up to a certain amount every year, $3,550 for an individual and $7,100 for a family. If you are 55 or older, you can add $1,000 to your investment as a "catch-up."
If you have questions about an FSA or HSA, our knowledgeable local agents are here to help. Your employer may offer the benefit of contributing to your HSA or offer an FSA. In either case, if you have dependents, you need to ensure your account is set up correctly, and we can offer you expert advice.
Article originally posted on www.insuranceneighbor.com(opens in new tab)


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Premium Style Meets Professional Performance with the Samsung NX200 Interchangeable Lens Camera
Capture memorable images in the best picture quality, with the Samsung NX200
September 01, 2011
BERLIN–Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of the NX200. The new compact system camera delivers professional image quality with ease of use that lets users unleash their creativity. The NX200 includes a 20.3 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and other premium features such as high-speed continuous shooting (7fps (max) with 100ms Advanced Auto Focus), wide range ISO (100-12,800), Full HD movie recording, and Samsung's unique i-Function lens. With exceptional performance and functionality built into a compact metallic form factor in the NX200, users no longer have to trade off camera style for image quality.
The NX200 is the perfect combination of design and professional performance, delivering DSLR image quality in a camera that is compact and easy to use. The camera incorporates a 20.3 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor developed in-house by Samsung, ensuring image quality that highlights even the smallest detail and puts performance at the fingertips of all photographers. To allow for high-speed continuous shooting, the NX200 features 100ms Advanced AF. Thanks to the fast start-up time and seven fps continuous shooting, it's the perfect way to capture that split-second action in an instant. Additionally, users will never miss a moment, with the ability to move from shot to shot in only 400ms.
The camera's wide range ISO (100-12800, covering seven stops) gives life-like color and sharp details, even in dark environments or when capturing still images of moving objects.
To capture movement on video, the NX200 also features 1920×1080/30p (H.264) HD movie recording for exciting and vivid video with stereo sound. All this is incorporated into a compact and sleek body with a premium metal design, light enough to be carried in a jacket pocket and stylish enough that anyone will be proud to be seen with this camera.
The NX200 also enables state-of-the-art usability through Samsung's i-Function 2.0 lenses, which allow users to control a range of parameters from the lens without having to take their eye off the shot. The NX200 is fully compatible with the wide range of nine different i-Function lenses which enable toggling between shutter speed, aperture, exposure value (EV), white balance (WB), and ISO quickly and easily through the button and ring on the lens. With the upgraded i-Function 2.0 on the NX200, users can also control six different Smart Filters and the intelli-Zoom function from the lens while in Lens Priority Mode. New lenses for the i-Function system include 18-200mm, 16mm, 60mm and 85mm focal lengths.
"With the NX line, we have pioneered the compact system camera to allow any user to get the results that they've always wanted from their pictures without complicated controls or the need to carry heavy, clunky equipment," said Mr. Myoung Sup Han, Senior Vice President and Head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "The NX200 is the next step in providing the ambitious photographer with first-class picture quality through the combination of professional-standard features such as a 20.3 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, high speed capture, wide-range ISO and HD movie capabilities. With technology like this built into a stylish and compact body, the NX200 is the ultimate tool for achieving professional quality in a compact camera. The NX200 represents Samsung's continued commitment to lead the way in producing cutting-edge technology that fits the needs and knowledge of the consumer, proving photography does not need to be complicated in order to deliver great results every time."
Effortless creativity
One of the key ways in which Samsung's NX200 stands out is by making it easy for users to realize their own creativity through a range of fun and easy-to-use features and settings. The camera features ten different Smart Filter effects, six of which can be easily accessed through the i-Function lens, allowing the user to capture a uniquely creative image of their subject without having to take their eye off it to change the filter. The new NX200 also includes Magic Frame technology, which enables the user to encapsulate their pictures with thirteen different stylized frames, from magazine covers to holiday themes for fun photos to share with family and friends.
Professional standards made simple
With its Smart Panel feature, the NX200 makes taking pictures simple and fuss-free, even for first-time users. The high-quality images captured can be viewed in brilliant quality on the 3.0" VGA AMOLED display. The camera's Smart Panel also offers intuitive control thanks to a Hot Key button that enables users to switch to key functions without the need to scroll through confusing menus to get to the desired shot.
Expanding horizons
The NX200 enables users to capture even more from their experiences by using exciting new features and cutting-edge Samsung technology. The new Panorama function means that users can take lengthened shots of large objects or turn the image into a 3D scene, bringing the object to life. To capture even more of the moment for posterity, Samsung has also added the Sound Picture function to the NX200, so that a snippet of sound can be recorded to accompany a still image to add even more memories to a photograph.
For more information about the Samsung NX200, visit www.samsung.com/NX.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of nine independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
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text: Writer/director Paul Feig's Spy opens with an incredibly funny gross joke involving a sneeze, closes with an incredibly funny reveal involving a one-night stand, and somehow manages to stay incredibly funny - in addition to smart and clever and sweet - for most of the two hours in between. It's an action spoof about a gifted yet timidly self-conscious CIA desk jockey (Melissa McCarthy) who finally gets to release her inner Jane Bond, but the numerous vehicular chases and shoot-outs and danglings from helicopters are practically beside the point. Here, the comedy is the action.


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Happy Fall Y'all Pumpkin Farm Truck Soft Tee
Many of our products are personalized, so therefore our shipping times can vary slightly. However on average, merchandise is produced and shipped from our facility 3-5 business days after purchase. Expedited shipping options only expedite the shipping times, not the actual production time prior to shipment. Standard shipping/transit times apply (1-7 days for domestic and 4-15 days for international).
Due to the personalized nature of many of our products, we typically do not accept returns due to user error such as incorrect selection of sizes, designs, colors, etc. If the item you are ordering hasn't been made yet, we can change the order for you. Please contact us immediately through our contact us page if you have made a mistake when ordering. Before placing an order, please always make sure to refer to the sizing charts. If you receive your order, and there is a problem with your product, please reach out to us immediately. We completely stand behind the quality of our products and guarantee our workmanship 100%. Any defects or errors on our part will result in a replacement at no charge.


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Code 7 1200mm x 6m (48inch) Roofing Lead Roll
Products - You may also need
Code 7 1200mm x 6m (48inch) Roofing Lead Roll
Code 7 lead is not often used but when it is, it is used for such jobs as box gutters or valley gutters, were the extra thickness is required. It is also often used in historic or listed buildings.
Lead is a heavy, malleable and soft metal. White when freshly cut, lead quickly turns to a dull grey once oxidised.
Lead has many uses outside the roofing industry such as being used for batteries and weights but is manly used within the construction industry as a roofing material. Some of its uses are:
- Building a gulley or valley
- Used as a step flashing against brickwork to keep a watertight seal e.g. a chimney
- Sealing gaps or forming a watertight joint
- Soldering
- Gutter lining
- Artwork and detail
Sold in the form of lead rolls, milled lead has been used on roofs for over a century and still remains a firm favourite with roofers today. Even with the introduction of numerous lead substitutes on the market.
Here at JJ Roofing Supplies we work closely with ALM (Associated Lead Mills) to provide you, our valued customer, an excellent service and product. If you do have any queries, please to not hesitate to contact one of our experienced members of staff who will be more than willing to help.
FREE DELIVERY on Duratech Pitched Roof Windows and Accessories on orders over £50 (Exclusions apply)
All other Delivery Charges are based on weight and location, please add products to your basket to calculate shipping.
A small amount of product lines from particular manufacturers listed below will incur a supplier delivery surcharge.
Next Day Delivery is available on orders of stocked items if placed before 12pm
Deliveries will be made between 8am and 6pm. Delivery times apply to weekdays only.
Delivery of Windows to the Channel Islands, Scottish Highlands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man
(postcodes IV, HS, KA27-28, KW, PA20-49, PA60-78, PH17-26, PH30-44, PH49-50, ZE, AB)
Basket Value | Price (£) |
0-£249 | £20 |
Over £250 | £50 |
It is with regret that we cannot offer a service to these areas for orders over 126kg but please call us on and we will attempt to organise a delivery to your custom if required.
Supplier Delivery Charges
Please note the following supplier delivery surcharges:
Ariel Plastics = £25.00
Britmet Tileform= £35.00
Lead Products(orders under 250kg) = £50.00
Marley Eternit roof tiles (orders under a pallet) = £75.00
Marley Eternit sheeting (exclusions apply) = £50.00
Redland = £100.00
Palram = £25.00
Please phone us on if you are unsure.


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