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MacGyver That SH** Embroidered Patch
Product Specs:
All our morale patches include the design sewn onto a stiff hook backing. Each patch is also adhered to the softer loop piece which has a peel and stick backing.
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- Peel and stick backing on the loop piece allows the morale patch to adhere to most smooth surfaces Size: 3″ x 2″


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Digital Thermostats control not only your home's heating and cooling, but your overall comfort. Few homeowners spend much time thinking about thermostats and which one is right for their home. But perhaps they should, because a properly designed thermostat can do much more than just turn your heating and cooling system on and off. And while you usually think of thermostats as just controlling your home's temperature, we view thermostats as your easy-to-use command center that lets you control and customize your entire home's comfort experience.
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Add some of today's most desired home design features, and the problem gets worse. Large glass expanses, vaulted or cathedral ceilings, finished basements, solariums, lofts — they all can cause temperatures to vary dramatically from one part of a house to the next. Expecting one thermostat in a single room to control temperature variations throughout your home is asking the impossible. A Zoned Comfort Control system increases comfort by controlling specific temperature needs in designated areas of your home — making you and your family more comfortable while saving money by using less energy for heating and cooling needs.
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Indexing (up to 500 words)
Indexing provides a quick and easy way readers can learn more about a topic in your book. During the production stage of your book design, we will use strategic keywords from your book to create an index of your selected words . We use a computer generated keyword index to alphabetically list the selected words and page numbers in the back of your book for easy reference.
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By In-Young Kim
Francisco Guerra still doesn't understand why people had to kill each other during World War II. And he says he doesn't believe in wars anymore.
Guerra remembers the harrowing days he spent on Omaha Beach during the 1944 Normandy campaign. He recalls the high casualties as United States forces took Normandy. He witnessed intense combat, as German gunfire from enemy positions on high ground ripped American units apart.
One memory vividly sticks with him to this day -- the day a fellow soldier was struck by German machine-gun fire.
"A bullet separated a finger from his hand, except for a piece of skin. His wedding ring was dangling loose from the skin," Guerra said.
Guerra was serving as part of the 74th Ordnance MM battalion, a support unit during the D-Day invasion. His unit was assigned to the 6th Engineer Special Brigade. Their duties at Normandy were to stay on the beach, supporting and supplying incoming forces.
It was Guerra's first and only battle in close combat while he was in the Army.
The Allied invasion of Europe through Normandy began June 6, 1944. Operation Overlord, as it was known, had been in the making since 1943.
Guerra's unit landed on Omaha Beach between June 6 and June 8. By early morning on June 8, the entire battalion had finally landed and regrouped, even though the beach was still not secure and gunfire from enemy snipers continued.
"It was like a little hell, all this chaos going on," Guerra said. "You see the faces of the GIs. Everybody's like, scared."
Guerra says he wasn't wounded, nor did he ever have to fire his rifle, thanks to the infantry that protected the service unit during the invasion.
"When there was a sniper, (the infantry) used to holler 'sniper, sniper,' and then the infantry would go after them," Guerra said. "The infantry was all around us."
Once the Allied forces secured the beach, Guerra's unit began carrying out its assignment -- cleaning up the beach, picking up ammunition and maintaining abandoned vehicles and small arms.
He recalls being hungry for fresh eggs and bacon while in battlefield situations. Instead, the menu consisted of K-rations -- concentrated cheese, Spam and chocolate.
Francisco Guerra was born Dec. 5, 1918, in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to Refugio and Josefina Buentello Guerra. His father died when he was 3, and the family moved across the Rio Grande to Laredo.
For a time, Guerra's mother ran a corner grocery store in Laredo. Life during the Great Depression wasn't easy for the family, he says. When he was 6, Guerra started contributing to the family and paying school expenses by shining shoes and selling newspapers. His siblings did likewise.
When Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, Guerra was at work in a Mexican forwarding office in Laredo. News of the attack coming over the radio spurred the 23-year-old's patriotism, and he volunteered for the U.S. Army.
Because Guerra was a Mexican citizen, he was unable to participate immediately in the war effort. He became a U.S. citizen in 1942 in Washington State, where he received basic training before being shipped to England.
"They wouldn't accept Mexicans as volunteers, not even for the Home Guard," he said. "When the war got tough, then they drafted anyone who was a resident in the United States."
That included his brother, Luis B. Guerra, who was killed in action on Los Negros Island in the Southwest Pacific while with the 5th Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division.
"He made the ultimate sacrifice," Guerra said.
Today, Guerra proudly holds dual United States and Mexican citizenship.
Soon after the Normandy invasion, the 74th Ordnance Battalion was awarded the French Croix de Guerre Medal with Palm by the French provisional government "for exceptional wartime services rendered during the operations in the liberation of France."
Some 50 years later, Guerra and other D-Day veterans were awarded the Jubilee Liberty Medal from the people of France's Normandy region.
Guerra also earned medals for his performance in two other European campaigns, including four bronze stars and a bronze arrowhead.
He was on duty in Kassel, Germany, when he heard an atomic bomb had been dropped on Japan. He says he and the other soldiers were surprised the bomb could be so destructive.
The 74th Ordnance Battalion was finally discharged in December of 1945. Guerra returned to Laredo.
He studied at Trinity University, then graduated from St. Mary's University in San Antonio in 1949. Guerra started a career with the Internal Revenue Service.
He says he faced some degree of discrimination in the workforce after the war, but he rose through the ranks of the IRS to become a deputy collector, and then agent in the audit division in Austin from 1950 to 1976. He also served as a senior Internal Revenue agent for 18 years in the Laredo office. Guerra retired after working for the IRS for 30 years, including credit for his military service.
Guerra met his wife, Carmen, in 1948. They married later that year. They have three sons and three daughters. Two of their sons are also veterans -- one Navy and the other Army -- of the Vietnam War.
He says he still has dreams about his experience at Normandy.
"Very often I dream that I am driving a 21/2-ton Army truck with defective brakes in deeps valleys, hills and winding dirt roads. Suddenly I wake up just as I am about to crash," he said.
Guerra says the college education he received helped him be successful with the IRS, and he's hopeful the next generation of the U.S. military takes their education seriously.
"My advice to all veterans and others is education. That's why I had a good job," Guerra said. "Work hard, go to school [and] get your degree."
Guerra says he never regretted joining the Army. "Certainly not! I became more experienced and a better person. I was granted United States citizenship by only raising my right hand at Tacoma, Wash., U.S. District Court together with 300 or so other soldiers in Army uniform who took the oath.
"Furthermore, for being in the Army, I took the opportunity at continuing my education under the GI Bill of Rights and earn a university degree, which otherwise I would not have been able to do," Guerra said.
Mr. Guerra was interviewed in Laredo, Texas, on September 28, 2002, by Raquel C. Garza.


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Eric loves mashed potatoes.
I mean, he really loves mashed potatoes.
He has been hinting on a daily basis that mashed potatoes would be a great way to 'use up' our stock pile of red potatoes courtesy of our Plan B CSA.
I said, 'Sounds good, when ya making them?' ;)
I have successfully evaded his hints for the past few weeks as I dreamed about making another batch of Homemade Salt & Vinegar Chips. Who needs mashed potatoes when you can make chips?
It's not that I don't like mashed potatoes. Really I do. I just love them when they are creamy, garlicky, smooth 'n chunky, skins and all. Buttery, salty, piled with salsa or ketchup. It is fun to dress them up.
They are total comfort food.
However, my issue is that by the time I remember to add them as a side dish, it is already too late and I don't have enough time to cook them. I tell myself, 'I will make them tomorrow' and then they get buried under veggies, forgotten about for weeks. Then I start to see snake-like sprouts trying to escape from the crisper and I run in the opposite direction like a little baby.
I also never think to use potatoes as a main dish because they lack protein and staying power.
I vowed to change that by amping up the protein.
Watch out Eric, you better be careful of what you wish for. ;)
High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes have a delicious buttery and garlicky flavour and lots of texture from the potato skins. The boast a whopping 11 grams of protein and 11 grams of fibre per serving. Use them as a main dish by adding some cooked veggies and toppings like ketchup, salsa, BBQ sauce, or buttery spread.
- 10-12 large organic red potatoes
- 3-3.5 cups cooked navy beans (two 15-oz cans)*
- 1/4 cup soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread
- 2 tbsp unsweet. almond milk
- 4-5 large cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- other herbs and seasoning, to taste
1. Wash potatoes with a potato scrubber, chop into large chunks, and toss into a large pot. I prefer to leave the skin on, but you can peel if desired.
2. Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered. Cook on medium-high heat for about 30-35 minutes until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl.
3. Drop in garlic cloves into a food processor (running) and process until finely chopped. Add drained and rinsed beans, salt, paprika, and process until mostly smooth.
3. After cooling potatoes for a few minutes, take a potato masher and mash until desired consistency is achieved. Now add your milk and Earth Balance and keep mashing.
4. Add processed bean mixture to potato mixture and mash until smooth. Sprinkle with black pepper, other herbs, and additional sea salt.
5. Serve with Earth Balance, salsa, ketchup, or BBQ sauce, and a serving of cooked veggies to round out the meal.
Note: You can also swap the beans for 1 cup of red lentils. Simply stir in cooked lentils as you mash the potatoes.
Nutritional Info: (Serves 8). Per serving, approx: 336kcal, 7 gram fat, 11 grams fibre, 11 grams protein, 2 grams sugar.
Add some elbow grease and work out those arms! ;)
Add almond milk…
and Earth Balance (or what you have on hand!)…
We are huge fans of leaving the skins in the mashed potatoes. It adds a great texture and more nutrients (although I wouldn't suggest leaving the skin on if you use non-organic as potatoes are part of the dirty dozen and are high in pesticides).
Drain beans.
Process 2 cans of navy beans (3-3.5 cups), garlic, salt, and paprika in food processor until almost smooth…
The bean mixture will taste amazing. Spoon some into mouth.
Add bean mixture to potato mixture and mash 'em up!
Sprinkle with remaining paprika, black pepper, and more salt.
I left them a bit chunky because Eric likes them that way. It's a texture thing when they are too smooth, I guess. ;)
Adding navy beans to mashed potatoes is a great way to make them protein rich and sneak in some nutrition without anyone being the wiser.
They are now high in protein and delicious.
Eric and I used these potatoes as the main dish for our meal. I added some cooked veggies and stirred them in. It was delicious and very filling! Eric thought they were awesome and he had no idea they contained beans! Success.
I will see you tomorrow morning. :) I will be talking about what activities I did post-10k race to expedite the recovery process! Enjoy your evening.


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STATESBORO, Ga. –– A road win is never easy, but Palm Beach Atlantic got it done on Saturday against a gritty and talented Georgia Southern program. The Eagles, who had already notched a win against No. 23 St. Andrews earlier in the year, came ready to play in front of a large and vocal GSU crowd.
It was the Eagles on the board first, but Palm Beach Atlantic matched the opening goal on a Dave Schultz shot from Bobby Hantske. PBA and Georgia Southern would trade goals twice more, with junior Dominic Scalzo matching the GSU effort both times. A Hantske goal put the Sailfish on top, 4-3, with 5:57 remaining in the first quarter.
Defensively, Georgia Southern slowed down the PBA pace of play and forced 26 turnovers over the course of the game. The Eagles defense held Palm Beach Atlantic scoreless for 30:23 throughout the midpoint of the game (an unassisted goal by Scalzo at 5:34 of the third quarter broke the scoreless streak).
In the fourth, PBA came alive, outscoring Georgia Southern 6-3 down the stretch to claim the victory. Scalzo led the offense with four goals, while Joe Ciringione finished with one goal and three assists.
Senior Ryan Talks made twenty saves (a season high) to go along with a 66% save percentage.
Following unexpected traffic in Jacksonville and Savannah, the Sailfish arrived on site for Saturday's game right at 1:00pm, the intended start time. Thanks to the graciousness of the GSU staff, Palm Beach Atlantic was given a quick stretch and the game was on. PBA used part of halftime for truncated warmup period.
Junior Colin Price finished with two goals against the Eagles, both on man-up opportunities. His goal at 2:00 of the fourth quarter, giving PBA an 11-9 lead, turned out to be the winner.
With 11:59 to play in the fourth, senior midfielder Dave Schultz scored on a dodge from behind to cut the GSU lead to 8-7. Schultz also drew a flag, which the Sailfish converted on 22 seconds later (Colin Price from Joe Ciringione) to tie the game.
As PBA trailed 8-5 in the fourth quarter, senior defenseman Justin Shockley executed a perfectly placed check on a stalling GSU player, sending his stick helicoptering through the air. The Sailfish picked up the loose ball, leading to a Bobby Hantske goal that swung the momentum in favor of Palm Beach Atlantic.
In the second half, a flag was thrown for excessive conduct by the GSU fans. A Georgia Southern fan was ejected from the game and possession was given over to the Sailfish.
With Saturday's 11-10 win, the No. 8-ranked Sailfish improve to 5-1 all time against Georgia Southern. PBA and GSU met on a neutral site (Jacksonville) in the early stages of their conference matchups, before switching to alternating sites. Next year's game will be back down in Palm Beach.


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- Converts HDMI signals to VGA output
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for corporate appearances call 1.888.246.7141
2009 NBA Finals
Game 1 vs Lakers
June 4th
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June 9th
Game 4 vs Lakers
June 11th
Nick Poses with Bo Outlaw, Rashard Lewis, While Dwight Howard Sports the New Magic Jerseys
As part of its continued commitment to community efforts, the Orlando Magic's first-ever draft choice and all-time leading scorer , has joined the Orlando Magic's community relations department as their Community Ambassador.
read more
Nick was the inaugural winner of the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award in 1996, an award to a player who has dedicated his efforts off the court for the purpose of enhancing others' lives and is a popular
athlete speaker in Orlando
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Nick is very proud to have founded 'Nickels for Nick', a program that raises money to support Meals on Wheels, provided financial assistance to Asia Akins and her daughter after their apartment burnt down in the fall of 2000 and attends many charity functions around the city of Orlando.
read more
Nick is very proud of his son, Joshua, who is joining the Flames as a walk-on, is a 6-foot-3, 182-pound shooting guard who averaged 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior for Simeon last year. He led the Chicago Public League in free throw shooting percentage, hitting from the charity stripe at a rate of 98 percent during his final high school season.
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The economic woes facing America are sparking new conversations about the best way to come out of a long-term downturn. Many pundits prescribe additional government bailouts. Others support strict austerity measures to curb government spending and the growth of federal debt. And some want to continue, and even expand, tax cuts to help spark economic growth.
But other proposals at the various state levels are also worth serious consideration. A proper view of the relationship between the state and federal governments leaves significant areas of freedom and sovereignty for the individual states, providing our nation with varieties of approaches that can fit particular circumstances or compete with other proposals implemented in other states. This kind of policy experimentation can be particularly instructive in the case of economic policy, where hard numbers show the winners and losers.
Michigan, for instance, has long been the canary in the nation's economic coalmine. Since the end of 2008, Michigan's unemployment rate has been in double-digits, reaching a high of 14.9 percent this past January. During this time Michigan led the nation in unemployment. (It was only in the last few months that Nevada replaced Michigan at the top of the list.) This extended period of economic trouble in Michigan has rightly caused a period of self-reflection for the state's policymakers and media analysts. The proposal to transition Michigan from a state dominated by government-supported labor unions into a right-to-work state is one of the most promising options currently being discussed.
In this context it is noteworthy that the Grand Rapids Press, the largest newspaper in western Michigan, has provided significant coverage of the debate over right-to-work in Michigan. The issue is part of its Michigan 10.0 series, focusing on 10 major topics over 10 months leading up to the election in November that have the potential to, as Press editor Paul Keep puts it, overcome "the key obstacles facing our state."
The mere fact that the hegemony of labor unions in the state of Michigan is a serious topic of critical discussion is remarkable on its own. But the fact that the majority of Michigan residents might support the move to make Michigan a right-to-work state represents a watershed moment in the state's history. This is, after all, a state known around the world for the Big Three, the Motor City, and the UAW. The Press commissioned a poll that asked voters the question, "Should Michigan pass a right-to-work law that means employees cannot be forced to join a labor union?" The results are surprising, to say the least. A slim majority of the respondents (51 percent) answered the question affirmatively, while only 27 percent opposed it. Now, this is a single poll and a small sample size, but it does indicate the shift in public opinion about whether union membership ought to be a mandatory requirement for certain kinds of jobs.
But maybe this shift shouldn't be all that surprising after all. Even the opponents of the right-to-work proposals admit that it has at least rhetorical appeal to the inherent rights and dignity of the worker. Where right-to-work is understood as a ban on "union shops," in which "union dues and membership are a condition of employment," the program resonates with basic understandings of freedom. The AP reports on the story of Peggy Mashke, who found herself one of 40,000 at-home childcare providers automatically and unknowingly enrolled as members of the UAW. Mashke and others are suing to break free from union membership, which includes mandatory contribution of union dues. As Mashke says, the fight is about the "principle" and her "constitutional rights."
The key here is to understand that where union membership is compulsory and the unions themselves are supported by government subsidy, the rightful purpose of labor unions as recognized in Christian social thought (to protect the welfare of the workers and in so doing promote the common good) is undermined. Voluntary associations, including voluntary and free labor unions, have a critical role to play in a flourishing society. But under a mandatory system, where labor unions are free from competition and loss of potential members, it becomes too easy to subsume the promotion of worker welfare under the promotion of the welfare of the union itself. And in turn, labor unions are free to promote partisan causes to an effectively captive audience and underwrite explicitly partisan political advertising. This kind of crony unionism, in which the government sanctions and promotes a compulsory union monopoly in exchange for political support, perverts both the government and the unions. Each institution has a positive role in promoting the common good, but when such economic and political interests are so intimately aligned, self-interest is substituted for the common good.
It's one thing for a newspaper on the west side of the state, which although it has a history of organized labor movements does not have the same entrenched interests as the east side, to examine seriously the question of right-to-work. It's quite another for the move to actually happen. (Neither of the leading gubernatorial candidates favor the move, and the Press editorialized in opposition to it, as well.)
But the discussion itself is an important one. As political commentator Rick Haglund observes, "Ending compulsory unionism has been whispered about for years. But it was rarely discussed in public forums until this year's gubernatorial election campaign." This discussion in Michigan signals a broader lesson about the upcoming elections across the country: the same old political and economic logic of the past is coming under increasing scrutiny. And come November it might just be time for the kind of "creative destruction" of outmoded policies and obsolete paradigms that have hampered our nation's prosperity and flourishing.


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Last Saturday night, Jordan and I decided to head out for dinner... We had a destination and a plan in mind but when we got there, we found out they were closed for a private party...
One of the problems with having a specific plan in mind is that when things dont go right, its harder to rebound... so we wandered around for a little while looking for alternatives and eventually ended up at Franny's.
The original plan was based on Jordan's desire to sit at a restaurant bar and eat a bowl of pasta (he has strange cravings, that one...) So when we got to Franny's, there was little question - we were sitting at the bar and splitting a pizza and a pasta...
It worked out so well that we're frightened for our bank account when Franny's moves even closer to our apartment...
but i digress...
The next night was our traditional pasta night, so we thought 'why not try to re-create last night's pasta???' I'm never good at this game, but I figured why not?
Turns out we hit the nail on the head... Squarely on the head. I have no idea if our ingredients or methods were the same, but i can tell you this - the similarity in taste was remarkable... Another light and easy pasta, in the books.
Don't worry Franny's - we still fear for our bank account :)
Spaghetti with Herbs and Chilis
courtesy of us, inspired by Franny's
1/2 lb good quality spaghetti
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 of a small poblano pepper, minced
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
~ 1 tbsp minced basil
~ 1.5 tbsp minced mint
~ 2 tbsp minced flat leaf parsley
generous 1/2 c fresh ricotta
salt & pepper (optional)
Cook spaghetti in accordance with directions on package for al dente spaghetti
While spaghetti is cooking, melt butter & heat olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat.
When butter is fully melted, stir in poblanos and garlic.
Saute for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add ~ 1/4 c pasta water to the pan and stir
Allow to saute another couple of minutes, again stirring once or twice.
Add another ~ 1/4 of pasta water if desired.
Drain pasta and add to frying pan.
Toss together until spaghetti is well-coated with the oil/butter mixture.
Remove from heat.
Stir in herbs. Toss again to combine.
Separate onto two plates and top each with half of the ricotta.
Stir ricotta into pasta.
Salt & pepper to taste.
Serve with a baguette and a couple glasses of wine.


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Sunday, January 8, 2012
7 Food Resolutions for the New Year!
Happy New Year! We loved experimenting with a few new things over the holidays. After all of the cooking and eating, here are 7 food resolutions we are taking into the new year.
1. Make More Soup- especially French Onion
We hosted Christmas Eve dinner this year and made delicious bowls of French Onion soup with gruyere and toasted baguette. It's one of our favorites and who knows why it took us all year to remember this!
2. Start Some New Food Traditions- even if they use shortcuts
Thanksgiving weekend was the perfect time to make this gingerbread house and enjoy it all December long. Thanks to Costco, this house was already pre-built and came with frosting in a bag and candy. I used a bit of my own pearls and sprinkles as well but after other years of making my own gingerbread - I loved that I could go straight to decorating. This house became the centerpiece on my dining room table all month long. Can't wait to do this again next year and with our little guy in the future. (This is our second year of pre-fab gingerbread- click to see last year's A-frame)
3. Reuse Recipes That You Love- and look for new ones year round
This chocolate peppermint cake has never let me down. And I've made it for Christmas several times- why? because not only does it taste good, it's easy and it looks great. After baking this in a pinch this year, I wondered why I don't have a few other tried and true recipes that can come through in the clutch. So, resolution number three is about finding some new recipes to rely on rather than always experimenting every time ( even though we love to experiment!)
4. Try Something You Have Never Made Before
After seeing this recipe for a cranberry pomegranate gelatin shaped like a turkey, I channeled my inner 1950s housewife, and went for it. A few quick clicks on Amazon and I had the pan, and about four hours of boiling cranberries and creating layers and we had this turkey gelatin creation. Frankly, this recipe was ridiculous- took way to long and the final layer created more liquid that the recipe suggested so the gelatin to liquid ratio wasn't quite right and it was a little soft. Despite that, it was my first foray into shaped gelatin and I can't wait to try again. You'll notice our fresh cranberry relish in the upper left as a nice backup.
5. Recreate Restaurant Inspirations at Home
A few before Thanksgiving, we had a butternut squash soup shot at a restaurant for my birthday. We could do this at home- and so as the starter for Thanksgiving dinner, we served this butternut squash and apple soup with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of thyme. Not only was it a great dinner starter but a conversation starter as well.
6. Read the Reviews on New Recipes
This pear-cranberry faux lattice pie was a new recipe for me and this time I actually read the reviews before I baked it. Thank goodness. The recipe suggested reducing the amount of cranberry and increasing the amount of pear to avoid being too tart- good advice that really paid off. It was a big success but I'm sure those reviews saved the day.
7. Celebrate Your Cooking Successes- and chalk the rest up to learning
Let's face it- not every recipe I make works out. And sometimes it happens on holiday dinners which is even worse. But sometimes I make things that are a big hit- like this pie this year and in the spirit of experimentation and creativity, I'm going to celebrate the wins just a little more and just chalk the losses up to learning.
So, we'll see how we do on these resolutions in 2012. Do you have any food resolutions?
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Intact imitation of emotional facial actions in autism spectrum conditions
Press, Clare and Richardson, D.C. and Bird, Geoffrey (2010) Intact imitation of emotional facial actions in autism spectrum conditions. Neuropsychologia 48 (11), pp. 3291-3297. ISSN 0028-3932.
It has been proposed that there is a core impairment in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) to the mirror neuron system (MNS): If observed actions cannot be mapped onto the motor commands required for performance, higher order sociocognitive functions that involve understanding another person's perspective, such as theory of mind, may be impaired. However, evidence of MNS impairment in ASC is mixed. The present study used an 'automatic imitation' paradigm to assess MNS functioning in adults with ASC and matched controls, when observing emotional facial actions. Participants performed a pre-specified angry or surprised facial action in response to observed angry or surprised facial actions, and the speed of their action was measured with motion tracking equipment. Both the ASC and control groups demonstrated automatic imitation of the facial actions, such that responding was faster when they acted with the same emotional expression that they had observed. There was no difference between the two groups in the magnitude of the effect. These findings suggest that previous apparent demonstrations of impairments to the MNS in ASC may be driven by a lack of visual attention to the stimuli or motor sequencing impairments, and therefore that there is, in fact, no MNS impairment in ASC. We discuss these findings with reference to the literature on MNS functioning and imitation in ASC, as well as theories of the role of the MNS in sociocognitive functioning in typical development.
Item Type: | Article |
Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | Imitation, autism spectrum conditions, mirror system, mirror neuron |
School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences |
Research Centres and Institutes: | Brain and Cognitive Development, Centre for (CBCD) |
Depositing User: | Administrator |
Date Deposited: | 04 Feb 2011 10:34 |
Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 16:54 |
URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/3028 |
Additional statistics are available via IRStats2.


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As shameful as this is to admit, Wendy Lee's Across a Green Ocean is the first published novel I've read this year. Yes, it is almost the end June. Yes, I am supposedly a writer of fiction. So half of the year has come and gone and I've read a total of ONE book!
Well, better one than none, right? At least that's what I'm telling myself. And I'm so glad the one book I have read is Wendy's. Wendy and I are NYU MFA compatriots, though I never actually knew her while she was attending the program. But we've become friends since, and I'm happy to let readers know there's a fine novel waiting for them.
Susan Choi wrote in her blurb for Across a Green Ocean that "the past is always present, and the present is never quite what it seems," and this is really quite the apt descriptor for this novel. The primary power of Across a Green Ocean is derived from remembrance, as the three main characters, mother (Ling), daughter (Emily), and son (Michael), delve deeply into their past through flashbacks to come to decisions and realizations about their intertwining lives after the passing of Han, the patriarch of the family. The novel spans both time (decades in memory) and space (USA and China), and Wendy does a marvelous job of keeping this complicated narrative machine running smoothly. There's a lot of moving parts here plotwise, and varying POV techniques, too, as the Michael section is written in the present tense while the Ling and Emily sections are in the more traditional past tense.
I think this was a very ingenious move by Wendy, to put Michael's sections in the present, because he is the one who has to carry the toughest load. He spends the bulk of the novel in a remote part of China, so we as readers have the most difficult time being in his shoes. By employing the present tense, we feel so much closer to the action. Everything Michael is encountering is happening now, and the immediacy is very much felt. Bravo!
I'm not going to spend much time discussing the plot, as a quick click to Amazon will give you all you need (and will also give you the great opportunity to buy the book!). One thing I found very funny is that Across a Green Ocean and my forthcoming novel, Love Love, share some odd plot similarities:
- a family story starring brother and sister
- the brother goes somewhere else to find himself
- a letter from the past is the driving factor for this search
Weird, right? Not quite Twilight-Zone level weirdness, but weird nonetheless. Oh, and these are both our second novels. Must be something in the water.
Wendy Lee
Across a Green Ocean
February 2015/Kensington


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D. Brady Drummond-Ryan
VP of Mortgage Lending
About D. Brady Drummond-Ryan
Thank you for considering me to guide you through your home buying journey! At Certainty, we pride ourselves on providing the best customer service and exceeding your expectations of the mortgage process at every turn. From a complimentary pre-qualification through an on-time closing, I will be here to ensure confidence every step of the way.
Helping people realize the dream of homeownership is my passion. My experience and knowledge of the industry allows me to tailor each loan to meet the specific needs of each individual. Everyone's story is different, so no one loan will meet everyone's needs. My job is to find that perfect fit.
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Remix Bible data.
Every identifiable place in the Bible.
A web 2.0 topical Bible mashup. Interested in what the Bible says about a topic? Try it out and make it better.
Data experiments.
Infrequently updated, but worth subscribing to if you want to keep up with what's new here.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.


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Title: Intransigent (The After Light Saga #3)
Author: Cameo Renae
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian
Publisher: CHBB
Expected Release Date: June 19, 2013
Cover Design: Regina Wamba at Mae I Design Photography
Arriving at the new government bunker, things quickly go from bad to worse. I am separated from Finn and my family because of my ability to connect with Arvies through telepathy. Housed with three other Readers—and kept away from the general population—we are given serum injections in effort to enhance our thought transference. The end goal? Thought manipulation.
We are considered humanity's only hope in the war against the Arvy race.With the ever growing threat of an invasion, the government demands results from the Reader program by doling out ultimatums, and using our loved ones against us.
But they will not break me.
My name is Abigail Park. I am intransigent.
Voted 2013 Break Out Author by Young Adult & Teen Readers, and 2013 Book of the Year (Hidden Wings).
Cameo Renae was born in San Francisco, raised in Maui, Hawaii, and recently moved with her husband and children to Alaska.
She's a daydreamer, a caffeine and peppermint addict, loves to laugh, loves to read, and loves to escape reality. One of her greatest joys is creating fantasy worlds filled with adventure and romance, and sharing it with others.
One day she hopes to find her own magic wardrobe, and ride away on her magical unicorn. Until then...she'll keep writing!
Buy Links:


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Why the Earth's magnetic poles could be about to swap places – and how it would affect us
The Earth's magnetic field surrounds our planet like an invisible force field – protecting life from harmful solar radiation by deflecting charged particles away. Far from being constant, this field is continuously changing. Indeed, our planet's history includes at least several hundred global magnetic reversals, where north and south magnetic poles swap places. So when's the next one happening and how will it affect life on Earth?
During a reversal the magnetic field won't be zero, but will assume a weaker and more complex form. It may fall to 10% of the present-day strength and have magnetic poles at the equator or even the simultaneous existence of multiple "north" and "south" magnetic poles.
Geomagnetic reversals occur a few times every million years on average. However, the interval between reversals is very irregular and can range up to tens of millions of years.
There can also be temporary and incomplete reversals, known as events and excursions, in which the magnetic poles move away from the geographic poles – perhaps even crossing the equator – before returning back to their original locations. The last full reversal, the Brunhes-Matuyama, occurred around 780,000 years ago. A temporary reversal, the Laschamp event, occurred around 41,000 years ago. It lasted less than 1,000 years with the actual change of polarity lasting around 250 years.
Power cut or mass extinction?
The alteration in the magnetic field during a reversal will weaken its shielding effect, allowing heightened levels of radiation on and above the Earth's surface. Were this to happen today, the increase in charged particles reaching the Earth would result in increased risks for satellites, aviation, and ground-based electrical infrastructure. Geomagnetic storms, driven by the interaction of anomalously large eruptions of solar energy with our magnetic field, give us a foretaste of what we can expect with a weakened magnetic shield.
In 2003, the so-called Halloween storm caused local electricity-grid blackouts in Sweden, required the rerouting of flights to avoid communication blackout and radiation risk, and disrupted satellites and communication systems. But this storm was minor in comparison with other storms of the recent past, such as the 1859 Carrington event, which caused aurorae as far south as the Caribbean.
The impact of a major storm on today's electronic infrastructure is not fully known. Of course any time spent without electricity, heating, air conditioning, GPS or internet would have a major impact; widespread blackouts could result in economic disruption measuring in tens of billions of dollars a day.
In terms of life on Earth and the direct impact of a reversal on our species we cannot definitively predict what will happen as modern humans did not exist at the time of the last full reversal. Several studies have tried to link past reversals with mass extinctions – suggesting some reversals and episodes of extended volcanism could be driven by a common cause. However, there is no evidence of any impending cataclysmic volcanism and so we would only likely have to contend with the electromagnetic impact if the field does reverse relatively soon.
We do know that many animal species have some form of magnetoreception that enables them to sense the Earth's magnetic field. They may use this to assist in long-distance navigation during migration. But it is unclear what impact a reversal might have on such species. What is clear is that early humans did manage to live through the Laschamp event and life itself has survived the hundreds of full reversals evidenced in the geologic record.
Can we predict geomagnetic reversals?
The simple fact that we are "overdue" for a full reversal and the fact that the Earth's field is currently decreasing at a rate of 5% per century, has led to suggestions that the field may reverse within the next 2,000 years. But pinning down an exact date – at least for now – will be difficult.
The Earth's magnetic field is generated within the liquid core of our planet, by the slow churning of molten iron. Like the atmosphere and oceans, the way in which it moves is governed by the laws of physics. We should therefore be able to predict the "weather of the core" by tracking this movement, just like we can predict real weather by looking at the atmosphere and ocean. A reversal can then be likened to a particular type of storm in the core, where the dynamics – and magnetic field – go haywire (at least for a short while), before settling down again.
The difficulties of predicting the weather beyond a few days are widely known, despite us living within and directly observing the atmosphere. Yet predicting the Earth's core is a far more difficult prospect, principally because it is buried beneath 3,000km of rock such that our observations are scant and indirect. However, we are not completely blind: we know the major composition of the material inside the core and that it is liquid. A global network of ground-based observatories and orbiting satellites also measure how the magnetic field is changing, which gives us insight into how the liquid core is moving.
The recent discovery of a jet-stream within the core highlights our evolving ingenuity and increasing ability to measure and infer the dynamics of the core. Coupled with numerical simulations and laboratory experiments to study the fluid dynamics of the planet's interior, our understanding is developing at a rapid rate. The prospect of being able to forecast the Earth's core is perhaps not too far out of reach.
Provided by The Conversation
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.


text: SEAC is the premier motor sports club in the SE of SA. Located in Mount Gambier, we regularly conduct Trials, Motorkhana, Khanacross, Autocross and other events up to Australian Championship level. The club has a strong membership, and owns its own private Autocross track which is regularly used for competition and training days. SEAC welcomes new members from any discipline of motor sport or simply those interested in becoming involved in the club in any capacity.


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By COLLIN BINKLEY, AP Education Writer
The Trump administration is barring most international students and all students who entered the U.S. illegally from receiving emergency college grants approved by Congress as part of nearly $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued the restriction in new guidelines released Tuesday telling colleges how to distribute more than $6 billion in grants meant to help students cover unexpected costs triggered by the pandemic. Earlier guidance from the Education Department suggested universities would have wide flexibility in distributing the grants, but the new guidelines said that only students who qualify for other federal student aid can receive the aid.
More than 400,000 students are estimated to have entered the U.S. illegally. More than 1 million international students are enrolled at U.S. colleges.
University leaders and immigration groups blasted the change, saying DeVos is imposing new limits that were not included in Congress' legislation. The rescue package did not specify which students are eligible for grants, and many colleges had planned to distribute emergency grants to needy students regardless of their citizenship status.
Some prestigious universities cited the new policy in decisions to reject the funding. Princeton University announced Wednesday that it would refuse its $2.4 million share of coronavirus relief over the policy. Harvard University also cited the change in its decision to reject $8.7 million in aid.
The Education Department said its guidance is aligned with other federal laws. The agency cited the Higher Education Act, a sweeping law that says only U.S. citizens and a narrow set of "eligible noncitizens" are eligible for federal student aid. Angela Morabito, a department spokeswoman, said the rescue package legislation "makes clear that this taxpayer funded relief fund should be targeted to U.S. citizens, which is consistently echoed throughout the law."
But some higher education advocates challenged that claim. The American Council on Education, an association of college presidents, said the rescue package placed no limits on student eligibility.
"The statute says almost nothing about who is eligible to receive a grant. The Department of Education owns this decision. Period," said Terry Hartle, the group's senior vice president. He added that the group is disappointed by DeVos' policy. "We strongly believed many of these students needed help."
The guidelines have created confusion about exactly which students can receive the grants, Hartle said. It's clear that the department is excluding immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally and international students, he said, but it's unclear how schools should determine eligibility. Most colleges don't ask students if they're U.S. citizens, he said, and officials have no easy way to check.
"A college could give an emergency grant to a Dreamer without realizing the person is a Dreamer," he said, referring to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally but allowed to stay under the under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.
At the University of California, Riverside, officials had been planning to award grants to some of the campus' estimated 600 DACA recipients. Now, officials will turn to fundraising or other revenue sources to help students excluded by the Education Department.
Chancellor Kim Wilcox said he's grateful for the federal relief but was disheartened by DeVos' policy.
"I was disappointed for students here at UCR, for students across California, and I was disappointed for the nation," Wilcox said. "This is a huge economic hit and there are pressing needs everywhere."
Student advocates see DeVos' update as a reversal from her previous guidance. When DeVos made the funding available in early April, she said colleges would be given flexibility in deciding how to award grants. She told colleges to focus on helping the neediest students. And in paperwork that colleges sign to receive the funding, the agency says the relief isn't considered federal financial aid.
That earlier guidance led some schools to believe the grants were exempt from citizenship requirements.
Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor of higher education policy and sociology at Temple University, said the new requirements are cruel to students who were counting on the grants to cover food, housing and other costs, and to colleges that now have to scramble to revise plans for distributing the funding. Losing access to the grants will likely force some students to drop out, she said, especially those whose families are dealing with unemployment amid the pandemic.
"They're not going to have the money that they need to stay connected to their college. And people who drop out of college often do not come back," said Goldrick-Rab, who founded the nonprofit Hope Center for College, Community and Justice.
Critics say the policy is particularly unjust because the same students now barred from receiving grants were counted in the formula used to allocate money for schools. The rescue package provided $14 billion for the nation's colleges, offering them varying sums based on their student enrollment and the percentage of students they teach from poorer backgrounds.
The United We Dream Network, which advocates for DACA recipients, said it was "callous" of DeVos to block so many students from access to funding. Sanaa Abrar, the group's advocacy director, urged Congress and colleges to find other ways to help students excluded by DeVos' directive.
"Every single relief package being discussed in Congress must include both the health care and financial assistance immigrant communities need," Abrar said, "especially as the Trump administration continues to attack and scapegoat our communities amidst a pandemic."


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Fiber-optic cables might have to be spliced together for a number of reasonsfor example, to realize a link of a particular length. Another reason might involve backhoe fade, in which case a fiber-optic cable might have been ripped apart due to trenching work. The network installer might have in his inventory several fiber-optic cables, but none long enough to satisfy the required link length. Situations such as this often arise because cable manufacturers offer cables in limited lengthsusually 1 to 6 km. A link of 10 km can be installed by splicing several fiber-optic cables together. The installer can then satisfy the distance requirement and avoid buying a new fiber-optic cable. Splices might be required at building entrances, wiring closets, couplers, and literally any intermediate point between a transmitter and receiver.
Connecting two fiber-optic cables requires precise alignment of the mated fiber cores or spots in a single-mode fiber-optic cable. This is required so that nearly all the light is coupled from one fiber-optic cable across a junction to the other fiber-optic cable. Actual contact between the fiber-optic cables is not even mandatory.
There are two principal types of splices: fusion and mechanical. Fusion splices use an electric arc to weld two fiber-optic cables together. The process of fusion splicing involves using localized heat to melt or fuse the ends of two optical fibers together. The splicing process begins by preparing each fiber end for fusion. Fusion splicing requires that all protective coatings be removed from the ends of each fiber. The fiber is then cleaved using the score-and-break method. The quality of each fiber end is inspected using a microscope. In fusion splicing, splice loss is a direct function of the angles and quality of the two fiber-end faces.
The basic fusion-splicing apparatus consists of two fixtures on which the fibers are mounted with two electrodes. An inspection microscope assists in the placement of the prepared fiber ends into a fusion-splicing apparatus. The fibers are placed into the apparatus, aligned, and then fused together. Initially, fusion splicing used nichrome wire as the heating element to melt or fuse fibers together. New fusion-splicing techniques have replaced the nichrome wire with carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers, electric arcs, or gas flames to heat the fiber ends, causing them to fuse together. Arc fusion splicers can splice single fibers or 12- and 24-fiber-count ribbon fibers at the same time. The small size of the fusion splice and the development of automated fusion-splicing machines have made electric arc fusion one of the most popular splicing techniques in commercial applications. The splices offer sophisticated, computer-controlled alignment of fiber-optic cables to achieve losses as low as 0.02 dB.
Splices can also be used as optical attenuators if there is a need to attenuate a high-powered signal. Splice losses of up to 10.0 dB can be programmed and inserted into the cable if desired. This way, the splice can act as an in-line attenuator with the characteristic nonreflectance of a fusion splice. Typical fusion-splice losses can be estimated at 0.02 dB for loss-budget calculation purposes. Mechanical splices are easily implemented in the field, require little or no tooling, and offer losses of about 0.5 to 0.75 dB.


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Real Home Value Calculator: Assessed Value vs Market Value
Understanding a home's true market value is about more than pictures, software assessments and price-per-square-foot. Whether you're a current homeowner thinking of selling or are house-hunting, it's crucial you understand what factors affect home valuation. By partnering with a local market expert, sellers will avoid pricing their house out of the market (the kiss of death in real estate) and buyers will ensure they get a good deal on their next home.
So, how do you accurately calculate a home's value? After all, the value a home is assigned by its town or county and the one it's given when it's listed are often dramatically different from one another. Which one is accurate and what does it all mean? Read on to learn more.
Assessed Value vs Market Value: What's the difference?
When it comes to home value, you'll often hear two terms, assessed value and market value.
A home's assessed value is often the lower number of the two, and is the value given by your municipality or county. Investopedia defines assessed value as "the dollar value assigned to a property to measure applicable taxes."1 Although property tax laws vary, assessors commonly arrive at this number by taking into account the following:
- What comparable/similar homes are selling for in your area.
- The value of recent improvements.
- Income from renting out a room or space on the property.
- How much it would cost to rebuild on the property.
A home's market value, or Fair Market Value, is the price a buyer is willing to pay or a seller is willing to accept for a property. A skilled real estate professional will arrive at the value using a variety of metrics, including:
- External characteristics, such as lot size, home style, the condition of the home and curb appeal
- Internal characteristics, such as the number of rooms and their size, the type and condition of the heating or HVAC system, the quality and condition of construction, the flow of the home, etc.
- The sales price of comparable homes that have sold in your area.
- Supply and demand; that is, how many buyers and sellers are in the area.
- Location; that is, the quality and desirability of your neighborhood and other community amenities.
Why are these values often so different? An assessor usually estimates your property's market value during a reassessment or if you make a physical change or improvement to it.2 As a result, a property may not be reassessed for many years. While your home's market value may fluctuate with the market, your home's assessed value is more likely to remain steady.3
What Determines a Home's Value?
You've likely heard the motto of real estate: "Location, location, location." This means a home's value relies on its location. While the home and structures on the property will likely depreciate over time, the land beneath it tends to appreciate. Why? Land is in limited supply and a growing population puts increased demand on the housing supply. As a result, values increase.4
Other factors that affect your home's value include the function and appearance of the property, how well the home and other structures are maintained and whether the home is a lifestyle property, such as a ranch style with mountain views or beach bungalow.
Ultimately, the best indication of a home's value is the overall supply and demand of the market. This is why we recommend you partner with a real estate professional who takes all of these factors—the assessed value, local market conditions, home features and has physically walked through and experienced your home— into consideration to determine the most accurate market value.
How to determine if a property is comparable to yours.
Both assessed value and market value are partially determined by the sales price of similar, or comparable, homes in the area. To determine if a home is comparable to yours, look for the following characteristics:
- Lot size
- Square footage
- Home style or similar architecture
- Age
- Location
While you may not find a home with the same exact characteristics as yours, you'll likely find a few that are close. To account for any disparity, adjust the sales prices of the comparable properties. Look at the differences between your property and the one in question and determine if the differences increased or decreased the sales price and by how much. For example, if your home has two bathrooms and a similar home only has three, estimate how much that extra bathroom increased the sale price of the similar home. The adjusted sale price is the estimation of what the property would sell for if the properties were exactly the same.2
Where can you find comparable sales?
Fortunately, you can find comparable home sales in a variety of places.
- Your local assessor's office is able to provide a list of recent sales you can browse and compare or a sales history of a particular house, home style or neighborhood.
- Your municipality. Many cities keep local sales information in their offices or post it online.
- Online databases, such as a real estate database
- Your local newspapers may offer some real estate information in the form of quarterly sales reports in the business or real estate sections of the newspaper.
- My office. I regularly do Comparable Market Analysis of homes in our local area.
How to calculate your home's value.
By answering a few questions about your home, property and the local market, you can begin to estimate your property's value. We've also included a worksheet for you below…
Home Value Questions:
When was your home last assessed?
What was its CMA assessment value?
What is your area's average sales price?
What is your area's average price/square foot?
- Is the architecture and exterior structure of the home consistent, superior or inferior to other homes in the area?
- Does the era or genre (Modern, Victorian, Ranch, Cottage, etc.) add a premium based on current design trends?
- How does the floor plan and room size proportions of the home compare to other homes on the market?
Interior Structure:
- How does the kitchen compare to others on the market?
○ Updated or outdated
○ Floor plan
○ Appliance packages
- How does the Master Suite compare to others on the market?
○ Size
○ First/second floor
○ Updated or outdated
○ Access to Master Bath
- How does the Master Bath compare to others on the market?
○ Updated or outdated
○ Shower and bath
○ Flooring
Outside Areas:
- Are there views, outdoor living areas or recreational areas?
○ Pools
○ Ponds
○ Patios
- How does the landscaping and hard-scaping compare to the market? (e.g., built elements such as walkways, patios, decks, etc.)
Overall Condition of Home
- What is the level of repair needed to compete with other homes?
- Does the home need to be staged? How does it show?
- What curb appeal projects are necessary to be consistent with others on the market?
Home Assessment Worksheet
If you want to accurately assess a home's value, it's crucial to know about the market activity of our local area.
I can help! Give me a call to get the scoop on the local market.
Sources: 1. Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/assessedvalue.asp
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance https://www.tax.ny.gov/pubs_and_bulls/orpts/mv_estimates.htm
- Realtor.com http://www.realtor.com/advice/sell/assessed-value-vs-market-value-difference/
- Investopedia, http://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortgages-real-estate/08/housing-appreciation.asp?lgl=myfinance-layout


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Pursuant to California law, we are providing the following warning for products linked to this page:
WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm – www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Proposition 65, officially the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, is a law that requires warnings be provided to California consumers when they might be exposed to chemicals identified by California as causing cancer or reproductive toxicity. The warnings are intended to help California consumers make informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals from the products they use. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) administers the Proposition 65 program and publishes the listed chemicals, which includes more than 850 chemicals. In August 2016, OEHHA adopted new regulations- effective on August 30, 2018, which change the information required in Proposition 65 warnings.
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It's late on a Saturday night and Metalhead is at some kid's basement party. The kid got the new Slayer album that afternoon and has it blaring because his parents are not home. Rockgod holds both hands up in the air like he is prey for bandits, but the rest of his body convulses, his head shaking back and forth, up and down and windmilling along with the drum beat. Metalhead laughs and then there is a body careening into him, pushing him into another kid who is jumping and shimmying against the wall because heavy metal is the stuff that binds kids together, the fray that keeps their blood inside them. When Metalhead's sister has her friends over, they dance in the living room to Madonna or Culture Club while his father complains that the music is too loud. Metalhead can feel the guitar in his teeth, can feel the speakers' rumble deep in his chest. He tries to ram his shoulder into Rockgod, but his friend sidesteps him and Metalhead knocks into a couple of girls stomping their feet and bashing each other with their elbows. Metalhead will graduate high school one day, never having gone to a school dance, and that's fine because heavy metal is the opposite of a punch bowl, the difference between being tired and being tired of living. Metalhead staggers backwards and whirls around into a flurry of bodies drawn to one another by that furious need to crash against something that won't kill anyone. One day, he will be at a wedding and his girlfriend will ask him why he won't dance with her. He will say that music doesn't make him want to move his body. He doesn't dance because it's safer for them both if he doesn't.
Metalhead died when he was seven: pneumonia and that rattle in his chest like a Yahtzee cup—the doctors thought his fever might result in brain damage, but then he became a ghost, a gasp and wheeze during gym class and in the dead of winter. Metalhead died when he was fifteen: a pair of crossed skis sent him tumbling ass over heels off a cliff and into a snowbank where he skidded down the hill on his face while Rockgod's terrified laughter echoed after him—then he was a phantom nursing a thermos of hot chocolate in the lodge until it was time for the bus to take the kids home. Metalhead died when he was seventeen: most likely a dose of bad mushrooms in the back seat of Rockgod's car. He was a shade, the world fading to a whispery fog for about thirty minutes, the Rolling Stones blaring from the cassette deck. He thinks about dying often, Metalhead after Rockgod joins the army and ships out to Iraq. He thinks about the time Rockgod got drunk and crashed his car into the 7-Eleven near the high school. They were both specters after that, thumbs out roadside and haggard like January wind. The time Rockgod goaded him into a fistfight at a baseball game and then bought him a six pack of beer afterwards to soothe his vanished pride. One day, Metalhead's sister will be freshly buried, his parents long since turned over to the crematorium. He will be a ghost holding an electric guitar and making sounds like mangled baby birds. When the orderly asks him if he is okay, Metalhead will drawl, time is on my side and then bash that guitar into the floor.
Metalhead sits in Rockgod's truck listening to Def Leppard singing an immense song about heartache and fading flame. He looks out at Lake Erie and tries not to think about Rockgod and Valkyrie together in the truckbed. He has crushed on Valkyrie since seventh grade when they listened to his father's records, beating on sofa cushions and playing broomsticks like they were Flying V's. He thinks about how if the lake was the ocean, the waves would eat at the shoreline until one day all of Detroit would be underwater. He listens to the radio's staticky signal and tries not to think about Rockgod's hands under her shirt. Instead, he imagines the starfishes' homesickness when they look up at the night sky, the seagull's envious cries fading to hungry wind the farther they drift from shore. Outside: hushed laughter and a gasp, and Metalhead turns the radio up until the windows rattle. One day, he will lose track of his friends, but will learn that Rockgod sleeps in homeless shelters and under bridges after his service in Iraq. He will learn that Valkyrie has three kids, two ex-husbands and a degree in communications from East Michigan University. One day, Metalhead will have an ex-wife who refuses to say his name, and as they sit together at Denny's on their daughter's birthday, he will think about how Lake Erie won't ever become the ocean no matter how hard it tries. He will think about how all he wants is for Rockgod to be seventeen again, both of them whole and listening to tiny songs together. He will think about how we are who we are until we can learn to move the Earth, until we can evaporate and vanish into the wind.


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While you may have seen recent stories about the volume of foreclosures today, context is important. During the pandemic, many homeowners were able to pause their mortgage payments using the forbearance program. The goal was to help homeowners financially during the uncertainty created by the health crisis.
When the forbearance program began, many experts were concerned it would result in a wave of foreclosures coming to the market, as there was after the housing crash in 2008. Here's a look at why the number of foreclosures we're seeing today is nothing like the last time.
1. There Are Fewer Homeowners in Trouble
Today's data shows that most homeowners are exiting their forbearance plan either fully caught up on payments or with a plan from the bank that restructured their loan in a way that allowed them to start making payments again. The graph below depicts those findings from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA):
The same MBA report mentioned above estimates there are approximately 525,000 homeowners who remain in forbearance today. Thankfully, those people still have the chance to work out a suitable repayment plan with the servicing company that represents their lender.
2. Most Homeowners Have Enough Equity To Sell Their Homes
For those who are exiting the forbearance program without a plan in place, many will have enough equity to sell their homes instead of facing foreclosures. Due to rapidly rising home prices over the last two years, the average homeowner has gained record amounts of equity in their home.
Marina Walsh, CMB, Vice President of Industry Analysis at MBA, says:
"Given the nation's limited housing inventory and the variety of home retention and foreclosure alternatives on the table across various loan types, . . . Borrowers have more choices today to either stay in their homes or sell without resorting to a foreclosure."
3. There Have Been Fewer Foreclosures over the Last Two Years
One of the seldom-reported benefits of the forbearance program was it gave homeowners facing difficulties an extra two years to get their finances in order and work out a plan with their lender. That helped prevent the foreclosures that normally would have come to the market had the new forbearance program not been available.
Even as people leave the forbearance program, there are still fewer foreclosures happening today than before the pandemic. That means, while there are more foreclosures now compared to last year (when foreclosures were paused), the number is still well below what the housing market has seen in a more typical year, like 2017-2019 (see graph below):
4. The Current Market Can Easily Absorb New Listings
When the foreclosures in 2008 hit the market, they added to the oversupply of houses that were already for sale. It's exactly the opposite today. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reveals:
"Total housing inventory at the end of March totaled 950,000 units, up 11.8% from February and down 9.5% from one year ago (1.05 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 2.0-month supply at the present sales pace, up from 1.7 months in February and down from 2.1 months in March 2021."
A balanced market would have approximately a six-month supply of inventory. At 2.0 months, today's housing market is severely understocked. Even if one million homes enter the market, there still won't be enough inventory to meet the current demand.
Bottom Line
If you see headlines about the increasing number of foreclosures today, remember context is important. While it's true the number of foreclosures is higher now than it was last year, foreclosures are still well below pre-pandemic years.
If you have questions, reach out to a real estate professional who can help explain the latest market conditions and what they mean for you.


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The latest Yahoo hack is a doozy you shouldn't ignore.
The company said on Thursday at least 500 million user accounts were affected by a massive data breach. The hack happened in 2014, when "state-sponsored actor" stole account information, including names, emails, passwords, telephone numbers and answers to some security questions.
So what should you do if you have a Yahoo account?
First and foremost, you'll want to change your password immediately. All Yahoo account holders should also change their security questions and answers.
Related: Yahoo says 500 million accounts stolen
If your account is one Yahoo suspects was compromised, you'll be prompted to enter a new password as soon as you log on. If you used the same password on other accounts, change those, too.
Here are other steps to take to secure your online accounts.
Change passwords often
Yahoo is asking anyone who hasn't changed their password since 2014 to update it. This is good advice for everyone: Passwords should be changed often. You won't always get a timely notice from a company that an account was compromised -- and sometimes it might not even know about a hack until much later. In this case, it took two years for the company to confirm the breach.
Never use the same password twice
Repeat after us: Never use the same password twice. If hackers get the password for one of your online accounts, they can try to use it to access your other accounts that take the same credentials.
Pick better passwords
Consider using a phrase instead of single words that are more easily guessed. Don't go for common phrases like cliches: Pick a combination of words that don't go together -- i.e. rather than "herecomesthesun," go for something like "wombatbootsparade".
Avoid using common passwords like 1-2-3-4-5-6 or p-a-s-s-w-o-r-d (see more here), and include a mixture of numbers, letters and characters.
Use a password manager
Since strong unique passwords are a huge pain to memorize, try a password manager like 1Password or LastPass. These platforms generate and store passwords and security answers for every account you have, so you only have to remember a single master password.
Update those security questions
If you forget a password, using security questions is an easy way to gain access back into your own account -- its not like you'll ever forget your mom's maiden name. But some Yahoo security answers and questions were a part of the breach. The company has already disabled any unencrypted security answers on its accounts.
If you frequently use the same security questions and answers for other online accounts, you'll want to change those, as well. Attackers could use the information taken from Yahoo to obtain access to other online accounts that contain even more sensitive information.
Avoid choosing the obvious questions and don't provide answers that are easy to find online through Google searches, social media sites or old Live Journal entries.
Be alert
The company is urging users to look through their Yahoo accounts (email, calendar, groups, etc.) for any signs of suspicious activity. Although it doesn't say what to look for, start by checking outgoing emails.
Related: 7 safety tips from hackers
Be extra careful about clicking on links or opening downloads from unknown email addresses. If anyone emails asking for your password, it's a red flag -- even if it looks like it's coming from a legitimate place like Yahoo or a bank. Never share any account information or passwords over email.
Turn on two-factor authentication
On its own, a password isn't a strong line of defense. Adding a second type of authentication, like a one-time code sent over text message or generated by an app, can greatly secure your online accounts.
Yahoo is recommending people turn on its two-factor authentication tool: Yahoo Account Key. It even eliminates the need to memorize a Yahoo password.
If you use the Yahoo Android or iOS app, log in to your account, go to your profile and select Account Key. You can also set it up in a web browser. Each time you try to access your account, Yahoo will send a confirmation to your phone.
While it's certainly an extra step, make it a part of your daily routine. Next time there's a story about a massive data breach, you'll be glad you did.


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Health and fitness. We all need it and it's big business. But are you fully prepared to work with a fitness business?
In this guide, I'll present some of the common needs of online fitness businesses, offer some tips for implementing the features they're looking for, and share some ideas for attracting new business.
The Industry at a Glance
The fitness industry is predominantly comprised of fitness facilities, fitness instructors, personal trainers, group exercise instructors, and sports coaches. Though the needs of these professionals can vary, one thing is constant – the need to attract customers is paramount. I'll be focusing on fitness facilities, personal trainers, and sports coaches in this article, as they are typically the groups that have the greatest need for an online presence.
Fitness facilities: This covers everything from the small fitness club to the large commercial fitness facility such as 24hr Fitness (with over 400 locations throughout the US). The small fitness club sector has exploded in the past decade, principally through the emergence of CrossFit, which now has over 5,500 locations worldwide.
Personal trainers: Typically self-employed, personal trainers may work out of a fitness facility or independently. According to the IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report, there are 6.4 million people who use personal trainers in the US, with a total of 51.4 million health club users. It's estimated that there are over 250,000 personal trainers in the US alone. It is a fast growing industry too – the UK Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS) states that there are over 19,000 personal trainers in the UK, and that figure has grown 50% since 2005.
Sports coaches: The sports coach may or may not focus on fitness, but their core business is normally centred around the coaching of specific techniques to help an
individual improve their performance. Common examples include tennis, golf and football coaches.
According to the US Fitness Industry Revenue Report 2012, online sports equipment sales account for the smallest revenue share:
- Online Sports Equipment sales: $4.89 billion per annum
- Pilates and Yoga studios: $6.85 billion per annum
- Personal Training: $7.31 billion per annum
- Gym, Health and Fitness clubs: $25.27 billion per annum
While stores selling sports and fitness equipment are more commonplace, there is a huge market of fitness professionals whose core business is based around providing services in the form of training sessions, memberships and exercise classes.
Top 5 Features of a Successful Fitness Site
1. Allow Customers to Book Appointments
Whether it's a fitness facility that wants to allow people to book into a group exercise class, or a personal trainer who is selling blocks of sessions, the ability to offer this via the site is vital for many businesses. The Shopify platform can of course be used to sell services as well as products, but there are a few ways to make it easier. On a very basic level, you can of course treat the service as a product and set it up to limit inventory and offer specific options.
Berkhamsted Fitness sells access to its outdoor fitness sessions based on school term times (these are typically 6-8 weeks long). Customers choose to attend either one, two or three times per week and are offered the appropriate package as a product variant. Personal trainers also work in a similar fashion and will normally sell blocks of five, 10 or 20 sessions at any one time, with a discount if you book more sessions.
For a more advanced booking system, you could try something like Book That app.
2. Sell Digital Products
The health and fitness industry is driven by information and education, so it makes sense for trainers and facilities to leverage their knowledge – digital guides and instructional videos are both excellent ways for health and fitness professionals to add value to their store. The vast majority of businesses, especially small to medium-sized ones, will also have a limited geographic range within which they can work, so it makes sense to optimize the store for this.
Shopify is an excellent platform for selling digital products, and you can use third-party apps like Fetch App or Send Owl to make the process easier.
3. Build Trust
Choosing a fitness coach or facility can be a difficult process, so it's important to offer a variety of trust-building methods to help make the decision easier for the prospective customer. Implementing a review module, such as Product Reviews, makes it easier for the customer to read about others' experiences with that business or individual.
Fitness is also a very social media-friendly topic, especially when using images and video. Consider implementing something like an Instagram feed onto the homepage, such as this Snap Widget integration on the Beyond Genetics site:
4. Offer Additional Products and Services
If you've ever been into a gym and spotted the rows of sports supplements or clothing, then you've seen an example of secondary spend, or cross-selling. Some fitness facilities even have juice bars, beauty salons, and chiropractors onsite because they recognize the power of being able to up-sell to their customers.
Health and fitness businesses can generate additional revenue by cross-selling a variety of products that meet the needs of their customers. Things like t-shirts suit the market well, so consider adding something like Merchify, which allows for print-on-demand t-shirts.
You can also take advantage of the built-in custom fulfilment functionality in the Shopify dashboard to allow merchants to add a variety of third-party products to their stores.
5. Add Features That Free Up Time
This is important for all business owners, but for the health and fitness professional (who will almost certainly be more focused on their day-to-day appointments), the ability to automate certain areas of the business is vitally important to enable them to grow.
Building a subscriber list gives them prospective clients to market to, be that for face-to-face services or products, and is a simple but powerful feature. Apps such as Pop-Up Window, Email Pirate, or SumoMe offer a quick and effective way to encourage more sign-ups.
The majority of health and fitness businesses (individuals and facilities) will also offer a free initial consultation. You should make this a key feature of the site with prominence on the homepage if possible. A simple option using a contact form works well, and you could also include some additional fields to further segment the lead generation process.
Common fields include:
- What are your goals? (e.g. weight-loss, building muscle and strength, sports performance)
- What are your reasons for contacting us today? (e.g. face-to-face training, online training, tips and advice)
- If you are interested in face-to-face training, how many sessions per week can you commit to? (e.g. 1, 2 or 3)
Another key task that can often be automated is that of the pre-exercise questionnaire. (This is normally filled out by the prospective client before attending their first session and is generally a mandatory requirement). By adding this form to the site as a pdf file, fitness businesses can improve their efficiency.
There are undoubtedly a huge number of fitness professionals, whose core business is based around services, that could benefit from a Shopify store. This guide has covered some of the key features that will help fitness professionals build their online businesses.
Let us know what challenges and successes you've had while working with fitness businesses in the comments below.


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Project Management
At Clancy‐Cullen we know that no two projects are alike. We are committed to handling the unique challenges.
Office Moving
Today's Office and Business Relocation shares some of the same methods of 1934: the Movers, the Trucks…
Library Services
Since 1951, Clancy-Cullen has been the Benchmark Authority for the Planning and Delivery of Library Relocation
Specialty Services
Fifty Years ago, the first Super-Computers were as heavy as Cadillacs and as sensitive as a Faberge' Egg.


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Scandal Strappy Lace Body Suit
Scandal Strappy Lace Body Suit
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Watch as your lover melts at the sight of you in the Scandal® Strappy Lace Bodysuit, a lace full body lingerie piece created with a sexy lace pattern and strappy neckline to sensually accentuate your curves. The soft stretchy lace and bold crotch-less design are perfect for hours of passion pleasure play. Surrender yourself to your partner's every whim and indulge in unrestricted pleasure with the sinfully crotchless design. Give into primal desire, inspire new passions and indulge in scandalous pleasure with this seductive full-body ensemble
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