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Take Two
Now that the election is over, and President Obama has returned to Washington to try to turn all the rhetoric about working together into something real, Republicans and talking heads (especially the conservative ones whose predictions seemed to be based entirely on wishful thinking and perhaps the desire for some last-minute fundraising) are obsessing about how Mitt Romney managed to lose this election.
They are criticizing everything from his campaign to his pedigree. If only the campaign had been better (How exactly was it supposed to have been better?) or the candidate a little poorer (Most presidents are rich. Who else could afford the luxury of putting their lives and incomes on hold, as so many do?), then the result might have been different. If only the media hadn't sat on stories about the mistakes made in Libya (Was anyone in this election voting based on Libya?), if only Super-Storm Sandy had come a week earlier or 10 days later (Is God really a Democrat?), things might have been different.
Maybe the problem is the Republican Party, and not Romney or the media or Mother Nature. Maybe the problem is that a party that demonizes immigrants as if this were still 1980, that turns off women and gays and lesbians and their families because of its positions on social issues (choice, gays, even contraception, even rape) cannot put together a solid majority in a changing America, a problem that will get worse over time, not better. Maybe the problem is that the nominating process forces electable candidates (the Massachusetts Romney) into unelectable flip-floppers. Maybe the problem, certainly at the Senate level, is a stunning lack of pragmatism that leads to the nomination of candidates who can be beaten instead of those who can't lose (hello, Richard Lugar).
And maybe it's not just that Romney lost, but that Obama managed to win.
He won despite the highest unemployment figures for a re-elected incumbent since FDR. He won despite the fact that Obamacare remains a source of grave concern for the majority of Americans. He won despite the fact that we are facing a fiscal cliff. He won despite a terrible first debate and despite the horrifying murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. He won despite the fact that after the initial flush of bipartisan responsiveness in the wake of Sandy, my friends in the hard-hit areas are now (with great frustration) waiting for the locust to hit next.
Three reasons I think.
The obvious one: Things are getting better. Slowly, painfully slowly, the economy is coming back. Unemployment finally fell below 8 percent; in Ohio, it is 7 percent. If Obama was responsible for the recession (a mostly questionable proposition, but one that Republicans insisted on), then he must also be responsible for the recovery.
The almost forgotten one: Obama, when he turns it on, is a great candidate. For all the differences between 2008 and 2012, watching his speech Tuesday night, watching the reaction of the crowd, I could not help but believe that "yes, we can." Friends who saw him at rallies across the country say they left believing we should not give up hope. This is, after all, the man who beat Hillary Clinton when he was a first-term senator, with a checkered past, running in a country that has only rarely elected black senators, much less presidents.
And the reason that has nothing to do with the economy or even with Barack Obama himself: Democrats have grown up.
I lived through the '80s. I lived through them in the suites where the bad returns came in and the concession calls had to be made. Losing stinks all around.
After 1988, Democrats made changes. They nominated a candidate who could win, not only because of his personal charisma, but also because he didn't have to flip-flop in the primaries to do it. They matched the Republicans in money and negativity and out-and-out hardball. These changes might not have been good for politics, but they were good for winning.
Ultimately, Democrats united behind an imperfect president who had disappointed many of them, and we decided to go out and vote for him and work for him anyway.
Republicans, when they stop blaming each other and the media, might actually learn from that. After all, it's something many of us learned from them not so long ago.


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Viacom to Unload Rock Band Unit
Viacom Inc. is telling the band to pack up and go.
The New York-based entertainment company is preparing to unload its Harmonix videogame division, maker of the popular "Rock Band" line of games.
Viacom on Thursday reported profit for the latest quarter fell 59 percent after it took $260 million in write-downs related to Harmonix, which has long been a drag on the bottom line.
Harmonix has been on the block since September, and Viacom is now in deal talks with both videogame companies and private-equity firms, according to people familiar with the matter. Viacom is expected to hold an auction, and as many as four companies might participate, one of those people said.
Viacom bought Harmonix in 2006 for $175 million, and made an additional $150 million payment in 2008 as part of the deal. But for much of that time the unit has been locked in brutal competition with rival game "Guitar Hero," from Activision Blizzard Inc., which is roughly 60 percent-owned by Vivendi SA.

subset: commoncrawl


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Decoding frog sounds to understand why the populations are dropping
In a remote northern Minnesota forest, biologist Lowell Deede makes his way to a small wetland to check an electronic recorder.
It looks like a wildlife camera that people strap on trees. But instead of a lens, it has microphones sticking out each side like ears. The recorder captures the sounds of frogs, birds and other wildlife in the marshy spot for five minutes every hour, seven days a week.
Other devices monitor water and air temperature to help biologists look for signs of seasonal changes.
"How that changes behaviors or the life cycles of the insects, and how frogs respond to that, how wetlands respond to that," he said. "Without gathering the data, you're not going to be able to really tell."
The wetland is one of 10 on the refuge where scientists started collecting data seven years ago. Now that mating season is over, all of its wood frogs, spring peepers and chorus frogs are quiet.
But two months ago, it emitted a cacaphony of sound. From March to the fall freeze, Deede visits the site every 45 days to replace the recorder's batteries and memory cards.
Analyzing the memory cards can tell scientists when frogs are first active in the spring, and when mating season peaks. They can also gauge frog populations.
Data collected from 34 sites across North America allowed researchers to quantify the decline in frog populations for the first time. They found that between 2002 and 2011 all frog populations were down nearly four percent. Populations of species considered at risk fell nearly 12 percent.
U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist Michael Adams, the study's lead author, was surprised to find even frog species considered healthy lost population.
"This measure of an overall decline in those species for the places that we're monitoring is the thing that was the most alarming in the study and that adds to our concern for what's going on with amphibians," Adams said. "There's still something else going on beyond what we knew was going on with the more critically endangered species."
Adams said disease, contaminants like pesticides and habitat loss are primary reasons frog populations are shrinking.
But scientists still don't understand why it's happening, said Adams, who notes that there might be different explanations for declining frog populations in Minnesota, Colorado or California.
That's why long-term monitoring at sites across North America is so important, he said.
"It's unusual to have ecological research projects that run for a long time," Adams said. "It allows us to ask types of questions you can't normally ask over shorter time frames."
The information collected at more than 30 sites will help scientists see a big picture of frog populations and climate change. But it will also help better identify changes happening at each location so managers can try to reduce the effect on wildlife.
Besides the on-the-ground information, scientists monitor satellite images to track snowmelt and when the landscape turns from brown to green each spring.
Over the past 10 years, Deede has noticed fewer spring peepers calling at the refuge. But he's not ready to blame that on climate change. He said it will likely take many more years of data for scientists to begin understanding the complex changes happening on the landscape.
"This data here is one element to a much larger data collection process that's ongoing," he said.


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HARC's Jim Lester weighs in on critical view of Tx water plan.
HARC's research is conducted by a team of dedicated research professionals with diverse backgrounds in energy, air and water disciplines. HARC researchers have broad experience in basic and applied science, technology development and adoption, policy analysis, stakeholder communication, geospatial technologies, and public outreach. This diversity allows the organization to respond to the needs of varied sponsors, stakeholders and organizations.


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - What does 'I'm gon' show your ass today.' mean? Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in What does 'I'm gon' show your ass today.' mean? Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Help Center View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message karikaririkaJoined: 16 Mar 2007Posts: 46 Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 11:55 pm Post subject: What does 'I'm gon' show your ass today.' mean? What does 'I'm gon' show your ass today.' mean? Sorry to ask about such a rude line. I met this line in a gang movel, but couldn't understand the meaning well. Does this speaker threaten someone with physical violence? Could you tell me the meaning? The man who was told this line was frightened and shot the speaker with a gun. So I thought it was very scary words like "I will kill you". Am I right? Thank you for your cooperation. Back to top LorikeetJoined: 08 Oct 2005Posts: 1877Location: San Francisco Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 8:37 am Post subject: I'm not even sure exactly what it means, but I think you got the meaning right. "gon'" is "going to". I don't speak fluent gang English Maybe someone else will know exactly. I looked it up in the Urban Dictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=show%20your%20ass Not sure if it hits the meaning there, but it's a good place to look for those kind of things you don't understand. Back to top karikaririkaJoined: 16 Mar 2007Posts: 46 Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 5:57 am Post subject: Thank you for your answer. It seems to be a useful dictionary. Thank you for sharing that with me! I'll check it out. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Help Center All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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You can have success in infinite abundance by unlocking the diverse opportunities that present themselves everyday to us all. There are many different opportunities out there that most of us don't recognize due to us not being knowledgeable enough to see the opportunities. Cognizance and understanding would have to be two of the major elements to being successful.
The success methods mentioned in this article require no formal education, no unusual talent, no exceptional ability, and no personal influence. This article is available to everyone that would like to better themselves and open up the possibilities of being successful. This is why I wrote this article. I want to put the secrets of success in the hands of everyone, not a select few.
Know, that success is a treasure vault full of opportunity. Once you have obtained the combination to the lock, it will open and all that is inside will be at your access to do with it as you wish.
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get everything they go after? They seem to attract positivity wherever they go. Just like a magnet! What I am about to share with you is something that Johnny Depp studied and mastered and so can you with a little practice. This success method is based upon three things.
1. Maintain a positive outer attitude.
2. Maintain a positive inner attitude.
3. Learn to smile with your eyes.
If you can do these three things with the right people, in the right places, at the right times; you have the keys to unlock any treasure vault you may uncover. Many men and women have used this method to achieve great success. Just know, that you do not have to be a movie star to master this method. Many people that took the time to learn and practice this method have gone on to live very rewarding successful lives.
Another method that has been used time and time again would be the power of influence. I can personally vouch for this method. I have used it since 1998 and it has never let me down. I have made many friends and have used their power of influence to broaden my horizons as they have used my power of influence to broaden theirs. There is nothing like someone putting in a good word for you. You never know what a person knows and what they can do for you.
The method of awe-inspiring service is a method I have always lived by. I truly believe that your rewards in life are in direct proportion to the awe-inspiring service you provide. I was once told "He profits most, who serves best." That is one of the best axioms I have ever heard. It is also one of the most sensible methods to being successful. It works best if you understand that the words "serves best" means awe-inspiring service, not just expected service or regular service or good service.
Most American companies have no clue when it comes to giving awe-inspiring service. Their service is non-existent, poor, or mediocre at best and that's exactly why it doesn't produce extraordinary results. There just isn't anything extraordinary about conducting poor or mediocre service. It may make you a living, but it won't make you wealthy.
I would like to share a true story with you that changed many waitresses lives that I worked with over the years. I would visit busy restaurants and ask the owners of those restaurants who were their number one producing waitresses. I then asked the owners of those restaurants to introduce me to the worst producing waitresses they had working for them and allow me to work with them.
When working with the worst producing waitresses I asked them what the reason was why their tips were non-existent. They stated that the top producing waitresses had the best tables to wait on in the restaurant. I made those waitresses write down their excuses on a piece of paper and had them sign them. I wanted to make sure that they could not change their stories later. I then asked the owners to swap the areas that the waitresses worked at and they did. I wanted to conduct an experiment in plain view of all waitresses involved.
I then had the worst producing waitresses observe the top producing waitresses at work. I stressed that the worst producing waitresses take notes on how the top producing waitresses conducted themselves while working with their customers. The first thing that the worst producing waitresses noticed was the attitude of the top producing waitresses. Their attitudes were positive and uplifting. They were smiling and very pleasant. They also went out of their way to give awe-inspiring service to their customers. The worst producing waitresses noticed that the top producing waitresses were still receiving the most tips in the so called worst areas of the restaurant. They now knew that the areas of the restaurant had nothing to do with receiving tips whatsoever.
The actual reason why the top producing waitresses were receiving the most tips was solely due to the top waitresses understanding one of the number one laws ever introduced to mankind. "A person's rewards in life is in direct proportion to the service they provide." If you want more you must be willing to give more and know that what you put out, you usually get back in return.
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After I gave that lesson to the worst producing waitresses and they truly understood and believed that they could become top producing waitresses, their tips quadrupled, and the owners praised my name for helping them out.
Now, the secret is to do much more for those you want to influence than anyone else is willing or capable of doing. If you are not willing to or capable of doing this, you may want to move over and find another occupation. What I'm trying to convey here is producing awe-inspiring personal service congruently (day and night) thinking of new and more ways to help those whose help you want or can use in return. Once again, you must be congruent when doing these things without thought or immediate benefit to yourself. The less you directly benefit, the more impressed those you want to influence will be that you sincerely want to help them, and the more obligated they will feel that they should help you in return.
Always remember, producing poor and mediocre service will get you nowhere. Don't be afraid to be over the top with the service you provide. Always put yourself in the customer's shoes and ask yourself what services would blow you away if you were the customer, then perform those services for them. You should have a good sense not to make a nuisance of yourself. Know that it is very hard to be a nuisance when you are consistently going out of your way performing awe-inspiring service to everyone you meet.
Many years ago, I heard some inspirational words articulated from one of my many mentors on the subject of "giving extra." What extra are you putting into your cooperation with others? What extra are you willing to do that other people are not willing to do? It's the extra things you do that attract attention, makes you stand far above the crowd, and gets you what you want. So, there you have it, another success method to add to your success arsenal.
If you have been following any of my self-improvement articles, you already know how passionate I am regarding procrastination. I am not a conformist is any way, shape, or form. I believe procrastination is a form of laziness that no one wants to admit to. It is a bad habit that millions upon millions suffer from daily.
You must learn the method of simply overcoming all obstacles by your unlimited capacity to get things done. The "haves" and "have nots" can be traced back to the "dids'" and "did nots." One of the great labor-saving inventions of today would be "tomorrow! Putting off action until tomorrow not only will save you labor today, but it will save you the future effort of making deposits in your bank account. Don't ever think that the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. (The world was here first and will be here long after you're gone)!
If you want to overcome procrastination you will want to act like you want to get things done. I was once told that feelings follow actions. Learn to do the things you ought to do, even when you don't feel like it and you will find you have more time for yourself when everything is said and done.
This success method has everything to do with the power of the mind. Your mind has the unlimited power to turn bad thoughts into good ones. There is no doubt that certain deliberate uses of your subconscious mind can amazingly influence your life and perhaps even the circumstances surrounding it. There is growing evidence that your own mind power may even influence the lives and circumstances of others.
Essentially, the method of using mind power is to mentally intensify a specific desire to such a focus of white heat in your conscious mind that it burns its image deeply into your subconscious mind. There it maintains such a continuous influence on your own thoughts and actions that materializes your desire into reality. Your mind power produces such amazing results that it can change your entire outlook on life in a positive way.
The last method I will share with you that completes this (diverse opportunities of success article) will be Willpower. This is yet another method that is linked to success that is continuously overlooked by many. This method can open doors like no other. In many cases, Willpower is associated with mind power. Keep in mind that the methods to success are as old as success itself. Willpower is the relentless, driving, irresistible determination to obtain what you want, to reach a desired goal regardless of what obstacle may obstruct your path. Know that nothing will ever take the place of persistence. Not even talent can take the place of persistence. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with loads of talent. Education cannot take the place of persistence. We all know that the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are invincible elements that should not be taken lightly. The saying, "Press on," has solved and always will solve the problems of the world.
Here is some food for thought, many surveys have been conducted regarding how much money most millionaires started off with. Here is what was uncovered; most millionaires started off with little or no money. In fact, all they had was the Willpower and determination to keep trying. Those same surveys showed that only one out of seventeen people who had inherited large amounts of money from their parents or guardians retained their wealth throughout their own lifetime. The other sixteen people had everything but the need to get out into the world and go to work. Thus, they not only failed to improve, but they lost what they had inherited. They did not have the incentive or Willpower to keep things going.
Please, don't feel discouraged when you have fallen so low that you have to reach up to touch the bottom. Many men and women have succeeded without formal education. Many have succeeded despite occasional poor judgement. But none have succeeded without Willpower. Sometimes Willpower is handed down to us in our darkest hour. But whenever and however we get it, Willpower will surely open one of the doors to the treasure vault of success!


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PJ here. I was watching an old movie the other day with a great premise, snappy dialogue, and excellent performances from Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow. The movie was BOUNCE, cir. 2000. It's essentially a romance, but the premise is that a young mother of two becomes a widow when her husband dies in a plane crash after exchanging tickets with an ad exec. The playboy ad exec—played by Affleck—then goes off the deep end with guilt, and in an effort to redeem himself, sets out to help the widow, never imagining he'd fall in love with her.
The movie didn't do well at the box office, and I won't try to convince you there were Oscar worthy performances involved, but I appreciated the nuances. The evolution of the romance was sweet and entertaining, the individual character arcs were well executed, and the black moment was satisfying—if not predictable. But my favorite line of the movie was, "It's not brave if you're not scared."
Again, this isn't a new concept or an original line, per se, but it sums up so much of what we look for in our heroes and heroines. Heroism is in admitting your fear and acting anyway. Doing the right thing and not always the easy thing. Choosing to become the person you're meant to be, rather than a shadow of your true potential. Growth is hard. Most days, it's downright scary.
Sometimes fear paralyzes us, but it can also be a prime motivator. It pushes us to change, to step out of our comfort zone, or maybe even forces us to face a part of ourselves we've been hiding from for whatever reasons. The result–when we can manage to face our fears head on–is that we become stronger…better. It is in those moments of overcoming our fear through action that we become heroes. Examples of this can be seen in almost any romance novel or movie. We lovers of the genre live for that transformation and can't wait to see our protagonist find the courage to change from scaredy-cat to hero by the end of the story.
Have you read any books lately or seen any movies that showcase this transformation particularly well?
Speaking of heroines facing their fears, if you haven't read WANING MOON, book one in the Chronicles of Lily Carmichael Trilogy, it's now available for free download on all major e-retailers. Here is the blurb and links.
In the year 2057, in a post-apocalyptic world where a polar shift threatens the survivors of a widespread pandemic with extinction, sixteen-year-old genetically enhanced Lily Carmichael has more immediate problems. Her uncle is dying of cancer and her healing abilities are ineffective against the blood ties that bind them. In order to find a cure, Lily must leave the protection of her quiet town and journey to the trading city of Albany, all while avoiding the Industry, an agency that would like nothing better than to study and exploit her abilities.
Seventeen-year-old Will Callahan has been searching for his father since severe storms blasted through the Midwest, killing his mother and sister. When he learns that his father may be in the city, he catches a ride with Lily, a girl who has come to his rescue more than once. As the two embark on a dangerous journey, the tension between them grows. But the secrets Will's keeping could put Lily in far more danger than traveling to the city with him, and if he was any kind of man, he would have told her to run the minute she found him.
Amazon Amazon UK BN I-Book Store Kobo Smashwords
Peace and blessings,


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I just got off the phone with the event site… and it's confirmed! We will add wireless internet access in the meeting room, along with extended labs hours – so you can stay connected as well as keep up with the interesting content! On Monday we will distribute CDs with the course demo database, all lab scripts and all lab materials. Official lecture will run from 9-5 but we will stay in the class with open lab until 7pm.
General details are on www.SQLskills.com under Services, SQL Immersion Events! I'll be posting these changes shortly.
NOTE: If three or more employees are attending from the same company – special corporate discounts will apply. Additionally, if you're a Microsoft Regional Director, Microsoft MVP or MCS Consultant who would like to attend (possibly with customers), please email me for special Microsoft-related and group-related discounts.


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You overslept, burnt your breakfast, spilt coffee down your shirt, and stumbled into work looking a wreck—a bit like every other Monday morning, just ten times worse. But that's OK, because you have an excuse: last night, you were watching history being made.
You were up all night waiting for Curiosity to land, then you were busy hunting down its first pictures. Hopefully you work somewhere that understands; somewhere everyone else was doing just the same.
If not, though, just tell anyone who questions your abilities today this: last night, NASA successfully started humanity's most advanced robot exploration of another planet by remotely landing a car-sized robot on the surface of Mars.
At the very least, that should have them questioning their contribution to the world—and why they didn't watch it themsevles. [XKCD]


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One of our favourite golf balls is the Chrome Soft model from Callaway, which is used to be some of the world's best players such as Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.
The reason we like it so much is not just down to its Tour-proven performance, but because it is available in Truvis.
Essentially, the Truvis pattern not only adds a bit of colour to your ball, but it is said to improve a golfer's focus and visibility.
If you haven't given them a go yet then we'd highly recommend you at least try them, so we're running the following offer in-store whilst stocks last:
Buy 2 dozen Chrome Soft Truvis balls
Get a third dozen FREE
So, whether you want to try Truvis or Chrome Soft for the first time or simply want to top up your ball pocket with a dozen free, this is one fantastic offer to take advantage of!
Click here to learn more about Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls.
Terms and conditions
- Offer available on Callaway Chrome Soft TRUVIS golf balls only
- Available from Thursday 1st August until 31st October 2019 or while stocks last
- Professional staff reserve the right to end the offer at any time without prior notice


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In a recent blog entry Mike Borozdin takes a look at a version of a data query language implemented in PHP, LINQ, as PHPLinq.
I read about the PHP Implementation of LINQ called PHPLinq. Frankly, I was skeptical about it. Finally, I gave it a try. I still remain skeptical...Let me explain why
He includes an example of a query on an array and how it's "less correct" than a more true to form LINQ implementation. Despite reservations though, he still feels that this implementation of LINQ for PHP has some "cool features" in its own right and it worth checking out.


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Beautiful Montana Wedding [PICS]
Bozeman Jewelry From The Jewelry Studio
Why Hire A Wedding Coordinator
Larry Stanley Wedding Photo Gallery
The Gift Worth Giving
Entry Deadline 2/6/11
It's LOVE, of course.
Love is self-perpetuating. When you give love in all of its forms, it goes out and does its perfect work. Then at some point it's returned back to you. This cycle encourages everyone to give love; we give it because we love.
Through marriage vows, two people start a new life together—perhaps the ultimate expression of love between two individuals. So, in order for us to help perpetuate the love, we've decided to gift it in the form of an unforgettable wedding day to a deserving, loving Montana couple.
The three founders of this gift—Larry Stanley, Megan Jacks, and Jena Silverness —work in the wedding industry. In different ways, they each help couples create their dream weddings, watching true love evolve. And now they want to give a dream wedding to a couple that may not be able to afford their own. These three, along with a team of talented, generous professionals, are giving of themselves and their love to create this gift.
The Wedding Date: Sunday, July 10th, 2011 @ Springhill Pavilion • Bozeman, Montana
Click Here To Apply
Entry Deadline is the end of January.


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48. MUHAMMAD ALI: A true champion
Muhammad Ali series: PART 1, PART 2
By 1974, Ali had been back boxing for 3 years and had become 'the people's champion' as popular opinion had turned against the Vietnam War and Ali was seen as a hero for standing up for his beliefs against the government. Although he had returned to boxing, he wasn't the same fighter as before. He had lost his biggest advantage, his speed. However, he had proved he could take a punch. In his loss against Joe Frazier in the 'Fight of the Century', Ali was knocked down by an epic left hook that would kill you or me, but he got back up before the ref could even start counting. Ali was now winning his fights through smarts, endurance and sheer determination.
In 1974, Ali signed to fight the then Heavyweight Champ, George Foreman, and just like 10 years earlier against Sonny Liston, no one gave Ali a chance. Foreman had just annihilated two fighters that had beaten Ali, (Frazier and Ken Norton) – and was younger, bigger, stronger and meaner than the 32-year-old Ali. The fight was held in Zaire, Africa, was billed as 'The Rumble in the Jungle' and is now one of sports most iconic events. Leading up to the fight, Ali had told everyone he was going to 'dance' around Foreman, but during the bout he used a plan that was either the bravest or stupidest strategy in boxing history. In what was later named the 'rope-a-dope', Ali leaned on the ropes and let Foreman use him as a human punching bag. I repeat: Ali let the world's strongest and most fearsome puncher go to town on him for 8 rounds. Do you know how crazy/stupid/brave/dangerous that was?? By the eighth round, Foreman had tired himself out. Ali took advantage and delivered a combination of punches to produce the knockout victory. Ali had finally regained the title that had been taken away from him seven years earlier. The fight was broadcast around the world and by winning, Ali had become the most beloved and popular person on Earth.
In a perfect world, Ali would have retired after that fight, but instead kept on boxing for another seven years. During these later fights, Ali took many brutal beatings (including the Thrilla in Manilla in 1975, where Ali and Frazier pretty much killed each other in the ring), and thousands of punches to the head. He now suffers from Parkinsons Syndrome, but even though his motor skills have deteriorated, his mental state is unaffected. He remains deeply devoted to Islam (he converted to the more orthodox Sunni Islam in 1975), and lives a peaceful life with his fourth wife, Lonnie Ali.
– The story of 'The Rumble in the Jungle' is told in the brilliant, Oscar-winning documentary When We Were Kings. I highly highly highly recommend it – it's free on YouTube so go watch it right now. Seriously, even if you don't like boxing, it's just a brilliant film.
– Hunter S. Thompson was in Zaire to cover the fight for Rolling Stone. Instead of going to the stadium to see the bout, he stayed at his hotel and got drunk in the swimming pool. He didn't file any story.


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from my camera roll
I found these in my camera roll over the weekend and had meant to post them a while ago.
Hope you are all having a nice Monday, it's going to be a busy one for me, as Mondays often are!
Other Stories
11 comments:
Looks so beautiful, love these kind of flowers.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous. Have a great week!ReplyDelete
so delicate and beautiful-ReplyDelete
you take really beautiful photos.. what camera do you use?ReplyDelete
Pretty flowers, romantic :--) Have a nice week!ReplyDelete
Beautiful :)ReplyDelete
I never would have imagined that baby's breath in a black vase would look this good!ReplyDelete
I love baby's breath! I usually keep them even after they dried. So lovely!ReplyDelete
Just lovely ! the color tone of the vase is so good. where did you get this from?ReplyDelete
have a great week ahead !
Vad använder du för kamera och objektiv? :) Jättefina bilder!ReplyDelete
Awesome picturesReplyDelete
Please come and check out my latest post if you have a few minutes spare :)
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


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Screen is proud to present our fifth annual awards, which are now open for entries as of today.
To better reflect the scope of the Awards, we've simplified the name to the Screen Awards. This year's ceremony will be held at The Brewery in London on October 23.
For 2014, we're growing the exhibition categories with a special achievement prize, and adding an event cinema category as this sector of the business continues to grow.
We have also listened to industry feedback and split the agency category into two sections again, audiovisual and print. Also, to level the playing field and champion all sizes of distributors, we will present two distributor of the year awards in 2014, one to a studio and one to an independent.
Entering the Screen Awards is straightforward thanks to our streamlined entry forms, and free of charge, so get started on your submissions now. The deadline is July 25. Full details and entry forms are here.
Screen International Editor Wendy Mitchell said: "We look forward to celebrating a lot of great work done by inspiring people… From our jury's time to entrants' thoughtful applications, to those who join us to celebrate on the night, industry involvement is key to these Awards' success. Every year the Screen Awards shows growth and that's thanks to such valuable industry support."
This year's categories are:
- 3D Film Campaign of the Year sponsored by RealD
- Brand Partnership of the Year sponsored by DCM
- Creative Agency of the Year - Audiovisual
- Creative Agency of the Year - Print
- Distributor of the Year - Independent NEW
- Distributor of the Year - Studio NEW
- Documentary Campaign of the Year
- Exhibitor of the Year - 25 screens or more
- Exhibitor of the Year - 25 screens or fewer
- Exhibition Achievement Award - NEW
- Event Cinema Campaign of the Year - NEW
- IMAX Film Campaign of the Year
- Marketing Team of the Year
- Media Planning Agency of the Year
- Online Campaign of the Year
- Poster Design of the Year
- PR Campaign of the Year
- PR Team of the Year
- Premiere of the Year
- Rising Star
- Theatrical Campaign of the Year
- Trailer of the Year
- Lifetime achievement
- Home Entertainment Campaign of the Year - NEW


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| 5.7°C Belfast
Eden Hazard will miss Chelsea's Barclays Premier League clash with Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The Belgium playmaker also remains a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg trip to Atletico Madrid.
Jose Mourinho has a clean bill of health for the rest of his squad for the visit of the Black Cats.
"Eden Hazard won't be fit for tomorrow, but everyone else trained today, so we're not in bad shape," said assistant Steve Holland.
Mourinho's vast experience of launching successful trophy bids on multiple fronts could prove crucial as Chelsea chase both Premier League and Champions League crowns.
"Experience is always vital in any competition and we have a good blend in our squad," said Holland.
"We have many players that haven't been in this situation before, but also a good group that have.
"We also have a very experienced manager who has been in this situation before, and it's good to have that experience at this stage.
"We've got the circumstances we have: this is a club used to playing a lot of matches at this stage of the season.
"Last season we got to the final of the Europa League which was 15 extra matches, the year before we had 13 for the Champions League.
"We're in a situation we've been in before.
"It's a really challenging period emotionally; you've got to have experienced it to appreciate what it takes out of the players.
"That makes the challenge more difficult, but it's the way it is, it's something we've done before, we've got a good squad and we've got to do it again."
Gus Poyet has challenged Sunderland striker Connor Wickham to prove he is a Premier League striker and give his side renewed hope of survival.
The 21-year-old fired the Black Cats to within minutes of a remarkable victory at title-chasing Manchester City on Wednesday evening until keeper Vito Mannone's late error robbed them of two points and the England Under-21 international of the headlines.
However, he will run out at Chelsea for an equally difficult mission as the man in possession with Steven Fletcher injured and Fabio Borini, Jozy Altidore and Ignacio Scocco having slipped behind him in the pecking order.
Wickham, an £8.1million signing from Ipswich in June 2011, has had to remain patient and has been sent out on loan twice earlier this season, and head coach Poyet has urged him to make the most of his chance now that it has arrived.
He said: "For a player to come together at a very early age with that price tag on his shoulders, everything needs to be good, and the most important part is that the team is performing well and has got the time to play and get used to him.
"It's a process, so who knows? Maybe the best thing for Connor is that the team is playing in the relegation battle and he is part of it.
"Maybe if we were playing for something else or Fletch was fit and scoring goals, maybe he wouldn't be playing. Sometimes, you have to take advantage of any situation."
The point with which Sunderland returned from the Etihad was welcome, but it still left them six shy of safety with just five games to play.
The chances of them reducing that gap further this weekend look remote with Chelsea unbeaten in the league at Stamford Bridge under manager Jose Mourinho in 77 attempts.
But having come so close to upsetting the odds in Manchester this week, Poyet will travel south looking for a similarly Herculean effort which would make he and his players hugely popular on Merseyside as leaders Liverpool hope for a Chelsea slip.
The Uruguayan said: "Who would have thought Sunderland are maybe going to decide the title one way or another? No-one, eh?
"We don't play for anyone apart from ourselves. It's going to be more of a shock if we beat Chelsea because they have never lost at home under Mourinho in the Barclays Premier League.
"If you think why Sunderland, people would ask why? We will see.
"The idea is to go and be brave, but not brave in terms of taking risks and being silly. The idea is to be brave playing the way we play, defending how we need to defend and trying to play our football and staying in the game all the time, any result for or against, staying in the game and being part of the game.
"It doesn't just depend on what Chelsea are going to do."


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|Live Your Life as a Message of Peace Everyday
Interactive presentations and workshops, classes, articles
and resources covering:
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|Until he extends
the circle of his
compassion to all
living things, man
will not himself
find peace.
~ Albert
|A Life Connected


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Ever wonder what it is like to join a food delivery service? Our friend Cat did, and she loves it! She says:
Today we got our Dominion Harvest delivery or, as we call it, our "red box." Dominion Harvest is a local produce delivery system. That sounds so boring, but it is not. Basically, they have relationships with local farmers and they gather together an assortment of the best produce (meat, cheese, and egg options are available too) and deliver it to your house. We get ours every other week. Unlike other Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) options, Dominion Harvest charges by the week (instead of an upfront charge for the season), allows you to pause or cancel service anytime, and just brings what's available (instead of you choosing what you get at the market). I've been doing it for a few years now and it works perfectly for us.I HEART getting red box. Every other Friday, I pull up to my house to find this on the front porch:
It's closed up and protected with ice packs when delivered, but that picture was less enticing! Plus, there is always a sheet on the outside of the box telling you what you have and what farm it came from.
To be clear, I love farmer's markets. I love going to them, buying food from them and being part of the whole affair. But, for us, it's just hard to get there every week. And with a new-ish baby, it's really important to us to eat as healthfully as we can. Not to mention that I love not choosing the food I get in my box (although you can tell them if you have allergies or just don't like certain things). Not choosing it all myself means I learn about a lot of different foods (hello, garlic scapes!) that I never knew about and wouldn't have tried otherwise.
So, what'd we get? Today's delivery brought this:
My phone didn't do the best job of capturing the beauty here, but I was staving off a one year old who wanted to get her hands on everything. It was the best I could do!
We got green beans, zucchini, honey, flowers, onion, mushrooms, lettuce, cherries, turnips, melon, and cherry tomatoes. The flowers are such a nice touch. They just make me feel fancy.
What'll we do?We get so much out of this box because we are determined not to waste anything. Once we have it, we use it no matter what. Hence, the stir-fried lettuce experiment of 2009. (Note: if your lettuce is a little too bitter, a quick stir-fry makes it delicious).Some of the green beans, zucchini, and melon get flagged "baby" right away. My kid craves zucchini and, since we make her baby food, I always try to scope out some good options to make and freeze for the week so we don't have to think about it again. We'll throw some turnips in there for good measure too.Everything else, we will just integrate into our weekly meals. We've been cooking with cherries lately, so they will probably be added to a stir-fry. Looking at the rest of the box, I see some grilling (beans, turnips, and zucchini), salad, and pasta sauce in our future.For some folks, nothing replaces the thrill of going to the farmer's market yourself. But if you can't, look at ways to bring the market to you. In addition to Dominion Harvest, there are other CSAs that deliver or offer pick-up options, check them out and choose one you like. Whatever gets you eating delicious, seasonal, and local food works for me. Enjoy!


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Discovery founder John Hendricks' book covers start to Honey Boo Boo
A new distribution platform is emerging and no one knows what to make of it. The established players are wary of it and see it as more foe than friend. Others are afraid of losing their shirt by investing in it.
Sound familiar?
But this isn't the Internet. This was cable television in the early 1980s. Back then there were only a handful of networks and few were talking about 500 channels full of original content.
"It was an unproven business, investors were not convinced that cable programming was a good investment," said John Hendricks, founder of Discovery Communications.
In his soon-to-be-released autobiography "A Curious Discovery," Hendricks tells the story of how he built Discovery from one channel into a global media empire with shows ranging from explorations of the planet and universe to reality fare starring a precocious kid nicknamed Honey Boo Boo.
Intrigued with science and space travel ever since he was a kid, Hendricks had been keeping an eye on the cable industry as it started to gain traction. He was working in academia at the University of Maryland when he decided to try to create a channel that would carry educational fare.
Hendricks pitched his wife Maureen the idea first. She was on board but did have one crucial question.
"If this is such a good idea, why didn't Ted Turner do it?"
Hendricks had wondered the same thing but moved forward anyway. He took out a second mortgage on his home for $100,000 and threw in another $30,000. Now all he needed was another $25 million to try to get Discovery off the ground.
Hendricks knew how to get grants from the government and foundations for research, but this was different.
"I had to get introduced to individuals who could write $50,000 investment checks and to companies that could invest $1 million or more," he writes in "A Curious Discovery." Through a mutual friend, Hendricks met Harry Hagerty, a D.C. businessman who had developed digital switches for phone companies. Hagerty liked the idea and connected Hendricks to Allen & Co., the boutique investment bank.
Hendricks also figured having a big name on board wouldn't hurt either. He cold-called CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, who like Hendricks shared an interest in space travel and serious documentary programming. Cronkite loved the idea and wrote Hendricks a letter offering an endorsement that he could show to prospective backers.
Finding content wasn't the problem. Hendricks discovered plenty of documentaries from the BBC and elsewhere he could get rights to on the cheap.
The next step for Hendricks was to persuade cable operators. He gambled and rented time on a satellite and put on a sample of Discovery for free for a week. After that, 900 cable operators representing almost 5 million homes (a lot back then) said they wanted to carry the channel.
Allen & Co. was then able to raise $5 million for Discovery, and it launched in 1985. The only problem was that the channel was burning through that cash. Hendricks looked to find a partner and was willing to sell 40% for $6 million. He said Disney and Universal turned him down and a deal with Chronicle Publishing fell through.
Hendricks then had Allen & Co. reach out to John Malone, whose Tele-Communications Inc. was the biggest cable operator in the country at the time. TCI took a stake, and three other major operators did as well, saving Discovery from crashing and burning before it could ever get far off the ground.
Over the years, Discovery has grown from one channel to severalm including TLC (formerly the Learning Channel) and Animal Planet. At the same time, it has also broadened its programming beyond nature, space travel and science to reality. Some critics think the company has gone too far away from its original mission to educate and enlighten with shows such as "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and "Amish Mafia."
"I could not disagree more," Hendricks wrote. "Nor will I ever apologize for having built Discovery on good business principles."
In an interview, Hendricks said for the company to be a global force it needed to expand beyond the 25% of TV viewers who come to television for information and get to the 75% who "primarily look to television for amusement."
And as for Turner, he ended up trying to buy Discovery but struck out.
Fox tells FCC that its time to stop policing the airwaves
Fox shapes legal team; Janet Nova upped to deputy counsel
Tribune hires Berns as CFO; promotes Bigelow to strategic role
Follow Joe Flint on Twitter @JBFlint.
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PHOTOS: Hollywood back lot moments
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In their eyes, the students at Jerusalem's Hebron Yeshiva are engaged in the most worthy task possible in this life: connecting with the will of the Almighty through study of holy texts.
While their secular peers wear the olive uniforms of the Israel Defense Forces, the students at this religious academy wear black felt skullcaps and white shirts with white strings, or tzitzit, hanging out as a reminder of 613 divine commandments. And while the society around them prides itself on being a high-tech bastion, the students of the yeshiva live without e-mails, iPhones, or TV – delving instead into the five books of Moses and subsequent interpretive and sacred texts.
''As a human being, I need to know what the Holy One Blessed Be He wants from me and that is why the Torah was given to us, that is why I study it,'' says Binyamin Gold, an affable student who comes from a family of 11 children. ''In every portion I see the approach of God, what he demands from me, how to behave morally, how to love him.''
Mr. Gold and his classmates are among an estimated 62,000 religious Israeli young men who are exempted from the country's mandatory military service. But that status is now in question, as Israel's ultra-Orthodox population expands rapidly, making secularists more restive. A landmark decision by the Israeli supreme court decision last week could significantly curb draft exemptions, which began relatively modestly shortly after Israel's founding in 1948.
The decision last week does away with a framework that in practice allowed for extensive draft exemptions. But some are skeptical that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be willing to go against the wishes of his religious partners, preventing any drastic changes.
'People see them as parasites'
Originally intended as a means to cultivate successors to the European luminaries of Jewish learning who were killed during the Holocaust, the exemptions today have become a contentious issue. Secular Israelis across the political spectrum are increasingly bitter about ultra-Orthodox who do not share in the burden of the country's defense: three years of army service for men and then reserve duty until well into one's 40s.
''People go every year to the reserves and risk their lives, undermine their businesses and are away from their families while others are not working, have a lot of kids, and are a burden on social services,'' says Uri Dromi, former spokesman for Yitzhak Rabin, the slain prime minister. ''Of course people see them as parasites.''
The regimen of learning and prayer at the Hebron Yeshiva is not for the lazy, however. It begins at 7:15 for morning prayers and lasts at least until 11:00 pm. On Sunday, even during the afternoon break, the spacious study hall resounded with students reading texts to themselves in a sing-song voice from the Talmud, a compendium of rabbinic discussions including rigorous legalistic argumentation dating back more than 1,500 years. Others animatedly discuss and debate interpretations of religious law with their havruta, or study partner.
''Sometimes we can spend a week on a line of text in the Talmud, in order to understand it to the end,'' says Gold. The head of the yeshiva lectures on the Talmud at noon each day, followed by afternoon prayers and lunch. Then there is a break before more study with one's havruta. Time before evening prayers is devoted to study of the Path of the Just, an 18th-century work on overcoming the inclination to sin and working to perfect one's character.
Only 400 exemptions originally
Draft waivers for the ultra-Orthodox began modestly. They go back nearly to the founding of Israel, when Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion agreed to 400 exemptions.
The ceiling was gradually raised until 1977, when then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin under pressure from religious coalition partners, agreed that anyone who studies in a religious seminary can be exempt.
Students counter the accusation that they are draft-dodgers, asserting that by learning the Torah they help induce divine intervention on Israel's behalf. ''We say there is another part of the war effort that is built on our studying and that in every military campaign there are those who fight and those who study,'' said a student who identified himself only as Arye.
But this view is incompatible with democracy, says Moshe Arens, a former defense minister.
''The idea of equal rights and obligations of all citizens is the basic tenet of every democratic society,'' he says. In Mr. Arens's view, the Israeli army now needs to expand an existing ultra-Orthodox unit, where prayer time is allowed and troops have no female instructors in accordance with religious strictures on modesty between the sexes. But Zahava Galon, head of the liberal Meretz party, proposes that the yeshiva students not be forced to serve in the army but rather be required to perform national service jobs in rescue services and hospitals.
The number of exemptions should be brought down to only 2,000, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said in recent public statements. But that result is seen as highly unlikely in the near term because of the opposition of Shas and Torah Judaism, two religious parties in the country's ruling coalition, and because such a swift, drastic change would not be accepted by the ultra-Orthodox.
''If there is any chance of an arrangement to be obeyed it must be gradual,'' says Avraham Diskin, a political scientist at the Hebrew University.
At the yeshiva, Gold says he is not worried. ''The rabbis have declared that it won't happen and it doesn't bother me at all. It is political demagoguery. We are immersed in our studies and don't have time to think about such nonsense.''


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Rams Suffer First Home Loss of the Season
Related Story
ST. LOUIS -- The Green Bay Packers were on their way to the team hotel the day before the game when the cheesehead factor popped up again.
Coach Mike McCarthy joked it felt like walking down a street close to Lambeau Field. During warmups on Sunday, fans began roaring "Go, Pack, Go!" And Green Bay's traveling wall of sound never let up during a 30-20 victory over St. Louis that was the Rams' first home loss of the year.
"This is one of the shorter trips for some of our fans, which is still a jaunt," said Aaron Rodgers, who passed for three touchdowns. "I think it's probably eight hours if you're busting the speed limit a little bit. The chants are incredible and the boos that we had on one of those calls from our fans was incredible. It was louder than the cheers for the Rams."
The Rams definitely noticed. They've had this type of atmosphere several times the last several years with the franchise near the bottom of the NFL.
"I kind of expected that they'd be well-represented here," defensive end Chris Long said. "We just never got a chance to quiet them down."
Rodgers threw for 342 yards in Green Bay's second consecutive turnover-free game, and the Packers' depleted defense clamped down on Sam Bradford and the Rams. Rodgers was sacked three times in the first half, but got the ball out a lot quicker the rest of the way.
Rodgers has 150 career TD passes and 42 interceptions, breaking Dan Marino's NFL record for fewest interceptions at that milestone. Marino had 69 interceptions when he threw his 150th TD pass.
"I think their plan was to dink and dunk and catch us off guard," Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan said. "They made the plays when they needed to."
Randall Cobb caught two touchdown passes and Jordy Nelson had eight receptions for a season-best 122 yards and a TD for the Packers (4-3). Rookie Casey Hayward made his first start in place of injured Sam Shields and intercepted his fourth pass in three games.
Green Bay ended the Texans' unbeaten start at Houston last week, but had alternated losses and wins the first six weeks. Rodgers was 30 for 37 in his fourth 300-yard game this season and trotted off the field to a huge ovation.
The Packers, a 15-1 team last season, are finally above .500 for the first time.
"Winning is fun," Nelson said. "That's why we play games. It's great to win back-to-back games, it sounds great to say that for the first time this year, but we've got to stack success."
Steven Jackson ran for his first touchdown of the year, and just the Rams' 10th overall, to trim the deficit to a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. But Rodgers made a terrific throw to Cobb for a 39-yard pass that put the Packers up by two scores with 3:06 remaining.
The Rams (3-4) will surrender home-field advantage next week when they travel to London to play the Patriots. The team flies out Monday night.
Chris Givens had a 56-yard reception for St. Louis on a screen pass in the fourth quarter, his fourth straight game with a 50-yard plus reception. Fellow rookie Greg Zuerlein kicked a 50-yard field goal.
Rodgers' numbers were not nearly as flashy as last week, when he tied the franchise record with six touchdowns and no interceptions. But he was very efficient while leading an offense heavily tilted to the pass game that went 9 for 15 on third down.
The Rams were undefeated in the Edward Jones Dome. They opened the home schedule with victories against the Redskins, Seahawks and Cardinals, limiting opponents to 14.7 points per game.
Green Bay played without four defensive starters. Shields (shin, ankle), linebacker Nick Perry (knee) and tackle B.J. Raji (ankle) were inactive. Linebacker D.J. Smith was recently placed on injured reserve.
Bradford was 21 for 34 for 255 yards and an interception, and was sacked three times behind a patchwork line with just two starters left from the opener. Bradford threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Austin Pettis with 3 seconds to go.
After dominating in time of possession in the first half, holding the ball for more than 18 minutes, the Rams ran just seven plays in the third quarter and were held to minus-7 yards while the Packers had 129 yards and 11:39 in time of possession.
Nelson wrapped up his second straight 100-yard game early in the third quarter, often picking on rookie cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Cobb threw a nice fake on Jenkins in the end zone on a 5-yard catch that put the Packers up 17-6 midway through the third, capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive to open the half that lasted nearly seven minutes.
"We had one of our best drives of the season, for sure," Rodgers said. "It wasn't the prettiest drive, but we converted a lot of third downs. That was a very key drive for us and a good one to look back on as we watch the film tomorrow."
Rodgers completed his first nine passes for 115 yards, including a 52-yarder to Nelson that set up a 3-yarder for Nelson's fourth score in two games. The first incompletion came with just more than six minutes left in the half when Rodgers slightly overthrew James Jones on a sideline pattern, with Jones able to get just his fingertips on the ball.
Nelson's long catch came on a free play, with Long whistled for an offsides penalty.
"It's an explosive gain and it really gets the energy heating up and going," Nelson said. "Whenever you get a free opportunity to take a shot you've got to make the most of it."
The Packers' Jamari Lattimore recovered an onside kick at the Rams 49 after St. Louis' Trumaine Johnson was flipped on his head when he was just about to haul in the ball, setting up a 47-yard field goal by Mason Crosby for a 10-3 lead late in the first.
Zuerlein ended a string of three misses, the last a 66-yarder that had the distance but was wide left at the end of last week's 17-14 loss at Miami, with a 50-yarder that gave the Rams the early lead. Zuerlein is 5 for 7 from 50-plus yards.
Crosby was wide right and short on a line-drive 58-yard attempt, which would have matched his career best, on the final play of the half.


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by Marko | May 25, 2015
sargent interchangeable core
4.9 out of 5 stars
1 out of 5 stars
Called several times after tech came out but they must not have wanted our business since all of my calls ended up without any action. Weird... The woman taking the calls was super nice though but again, no follow through in 3 days. Went with another company with same day results.
5 out of 5 stars
Fabulous service. Went above and beyond to take care pressing needs in an expedited fashion. Attentive to details, sensitive to our time frame and above all so kind and considerate. Elisa , Marco and the entire team is a class A act. Highly recommend.
All Locks and Doors has provided our company with affordable, quality, and professional service. Will definitely be using their services for all of our future needs.


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U.S. voters head to the polls today to pick the next President, but many Americans will be faced with a host of other weighty choices, from the legality of gay marriage and recreational marijuana to the future of the death penalty and immigration reform. Here's a roundup of the top ballot initiatives around the nation:
- California could end its death penalty.
- Voters in Maine, Washington and Maryland could side with gay marriage for the first time.
- Minnesota, on the other hand, could define marriage as being solely between one woman and one man.
- Massachusetts might allow physician-assisted suicide.
- Abortion restriction is on the table in Florida.
- New Hampshire could ban a personal income tax it doesn't have.
- Recreational pot will likely get the thumbs-up in Colorado, Washington and maybe even Oregon.
- Maryland could veto its own Dream Act.
- Kentucky, Nebraska, Wyoming and Idaho may make hunting a constitutional right.
- Louisiana could strengthen the right to keep and bear arms.
- Affirmative action could end in Oklahoma.
- Wyoming could sidestep Obamacare's insurance mandate or at least try to do so.
Other items to watch:
- California's Prop 37 would make it the first state to require genetically modified food to have labels identifying it as such.
- Maryland is considering a gambling expansion.
- Idaho may repeal a law on teachers' collective-bargaining agreements.
- Arkansas, Massachusetts and Montana could legalize medical marijuana.
- Minnesota may pass an amendment requiring voters to present photo identification.
- And Montana decides on a policy declaring that corporations are not people.
PHOTOS: America Votes: Election 2012


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Word Count Widgets
What's a Widget?
The Word Count Widgets are a set of dynamic images that you can embed in or link to from any web page. There are Widgets to display personal, regional, and head-to-head word-count progress. PLEASE DO NOT USE WIDGETS IN YOUR SIGNATURE. Widgets are designed for use off-site. On-site they will load every time anyone views a thread containing them. This creates undue strain on our servers. Please only use the widgets off the NaNoWriMo website.
The Widgets require you to know a user's system name. You can find your user system name by looking at the URL of your Profile page. You can find a region system name by looking at the URL of one of the regional forums pages.
Participant Widget
The Participant Widget is called with your user system name. Example:

This one rotates to a different image (coffee mug, pens, computer, manuscript) throughout the course of the day. When you win, the "participant" changes to "winner."
Participant Widget With Username
The Participant Widget with Username features the NaNoWriMo username attached to the user system name. Example:

This one also rotates to a different image (coffee mug, pens, computer, manuscript) throughout the course of the day. When you win, the "participant" changes to "winner."
My Month
My Month is a simple display showing overall progress and how you did on any given day. Light green and red show where you were above or below the goal for the day, bold green and red are reserved for days where you did exceptionally well or monumentally badly. Example:

The Graph is called with your user system name. Example:

Word War
The Word War Widget requires from two to five user system names, separated by commas. Example:

Region Status
A very simple graph showing a single region's name and wordcount. Example:

Region War
The Region War Widget takes from two to five region system names, separated by commas. Example:

Many reports can now be modified with options. You can mix and match the options, turning the wordcount off and other options on. Play with it and see what you like! Each option in the URL is separated with commas (,) and can be given in any order.
- wc
- Turn word count off
- days
- Turn "days left in nano" on
- pc
- Turn "percent complete" on
- goal=12345
- Where 12,235 is the new goal, superceding the default 50K
- people
- Display number of people in a region
Word War - Custom Goal

Will display a 2-person word war with everyone's graph scaled against a common goal of 75,000 words.
Mini Graph - Percent Complete & Days

Will display my mini-graph showing just the percent complete and days left because the "wc" option turned off the normal wordcount.


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Cheerleading is a challenging and dynamic sport which takes an extreme amount of physical work as well as practice. Cheerleaders must be as graceful as dancers, and as athletic as any gymnast.
Experience Cheerleading and see your spirit and pride come to life. Once you've found a club and learnt the basics, you can keep developing your skills for fun and fitness or challenge yourself in competitions from local to national and even international level.
Cheerleading has a range of competition categories, all performing routines on a sprung floor:
Dance – incorporating Pom, Hip-Hop and Jazz
Cheerleading - incorporating Cheer, Group Stunt and Partner Stunt.
If you want to take your Cheerleading career further, find out more about specific judging and coaching courses.
Cheerleading is governed internationally by the International Cheer Union (ICU).


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£4.80 – £12.00
1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 10m
Single Mode 9/125G657A, OM3, OM4
VideoBits is an e-commerce selling reputable off-the-shelf parts for the broadcast and proAV environment.
Leading Light Technologies Ltd is a company registered in England & Wales – Reg No. 06496207 – Reg Office: Tower House, Lucy Tower Street, Lincoln, LN1 1XW
We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.


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The Land Use Act, 1979
- Go to your Legalpedia App
- Click on Subscribers Update at the bottom of the screen
- Put in your username and password
- Click on the book "Latest Supreme Court Cases"
- Click on the link "December 2013"
- It will download the Latest Cases into your ipad.
- Click on the Legalpedia updater icon on your desktop
- Click on update now
- It will download the Latest Cases into your software.
Phone no: 08023390982, 07061989769.


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Politico Playbook: Liz Cheney hit three-term Sen. Mike Enzi on Sunday, saying he wasn't firm enough on opposing Obamacare. Cheney also began something of a feud with her sister - Mary, who is openly gay and married - in stating she was opposed to same-sex marriage.
Former vice president Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne said Monday that they are "pained" by the public dispute over gay marriage between their daughters but that Liz Cheney's "many kindnesses shouldn't be used to distort her position" on the issue.
"This is an issue we have dealt with privately for many years, and we are pained to see it become public," the couple said in a joint statement after daughter Mary Cheney and her wife slammed GOP Senate candidate Liz Cheney for her opposition to same sex marriage. "Since it has, one thing should be clear. Liz has always believed in the traditional definition of marriage. She has also always treated her sister and her sister's family with love and respect, exactly as she should have done."
The statement comes after the simmering feud between Liz and Mary Cheney, who married longtime partner Heather Poe in 2012, reignited on social media Sunday.
Mary Cheney and her wife both took to Facebook to express their disappointment after Liz Cheney - a GOP candidate for Senate in Wyoming - repeated her opposition to same sex marriage during a television interview.
"Liz - this isn't just an issue on which we disagree - you're just wrong - and on the wrong side of history," Mary Cheney wrote.
In a separate Facebook post, Heather Poe called her sister-in-law's comments "offensive."
"Liz has been a guest in our home, has spent time and shared holidays with our children, and when Mary and I got married in 2012 - she didn't hesitate to tell us how happy she was for us," Poe wrote on the social media site. "To have her now say she doesn't support our right to marry is offensive to say the least."
During an interview on Fox News Sunday, the elder Cheney sister said she believes in the "traditional definition of marriage," adding that she loves her sister and her family.
"This is just an issue on which we disagree," she added.
The issue of same sex marriage has dogged Liz Cheney in her Senate bid, which pits her against incumbent Republican Mike Enzi. The conservative group American Principles Fund has been airing ads painting her as soft on gay rights issues.
One such commercial shows a 2009 interview on MSNBC during which Cheney voiced opposition to a constitutional amendment that would have banned same sex marriage and praised the State Department for offering benefits to same sex partners.
On Sunday, Cheney called on Enzi to "renounce" that ad.
"Senator Enzi's friends and supporters are running a really scurrilous ad in Wyoming," she said on FOX News. "And the senator said many times that he doesn't believe in gutter politics."
The latest war of words comes just over two months after Mary Cheney said her sister was "dead wrong on the issue of marriage."
In a Facebook post in August, Mary Cheney added that "freedom means freedom for everyone ... That means that all families — regardless of how they look or how they are made — all families are entitled to the same rights, privileges and protections as every other."
The former vice president, the father of both women, said in 2009 that he supports legalizing same sex marriage if the states - rather than the federal government - codify it.
Mary Cheney and Heather Poe married in Washington DC, where same sex marriage has been legal since 2010. They have two children.
NBC's Jamie Gangel contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:32 AM EST


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In 2009 Taryn Simon documented over 1,000 examples of seized contraband during a 5-day stint at JFK International Airport. The resulting body of work, currently on display at Gagosian, Beverly Hills, presents an array of items – unidentified meats, animal parts, cow dung toothpaste – uniformly documented in objective, forensic-style photographs. Stripped of context by a neutral grey background, these items of trade are effectively re-presented as global artifacts.
Closer to home, photographs from Taryn Simon's 2007 series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar are about to go on display at the Centre for Contemporary Photography as part of the Melbourne Festival. Exhibition dates: 15 October – 12 December 2010.


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Not logged in
Our Information
Update: 1 Gallon Size comes 1 set to a case. Quart size and smaller are shrink wrapped together.
Root zone problems show up as: slow growth, yellow leaf, dry leaf, leaf spot, leaf drop, leaf curl, tip burn, purple or red stem, Interveinal chlorosis, Interveinal necrosis, leaf and fruit deformation, low sugar Brix readings or low oil content in the finished product. These root zone problem need to be solved now! You will never get rid of the deficiency problems listed above unless you deal with your root zone first!
Z7 replaces H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide), chlorine, chloramines, colloidal silver and other products designed to clean, sterilize or oxygenate the soil, growing medium or nutrient solution. Using sterilizing or sanitizing products in the water is a lost cause and will only generate a vicious cycle of treating the symptoms over and over again. Enzyme products are not needed when using Z7.
Enzyme users: Do a side by side test with Z7 added to your watering and fertilizer feeding program next to plants growing with enzymes added to your watering and fertilizer feeding program. Z7 will outperform enzyme products. See for yourself! Did you know that Enzyme products cost up to 30 times more money to use than Z7?
Enzyme products are so expensive most growers can't afford to use them. Z7 cost only 2.5 cents to treat a gallon of water. How can you beat that!
When using Z7, discontinue the use of H2O2, chlorine, chloramines, colloidal silver and other products designed to clean, sanitize or sterilize the soil, growing medium or nutrient solution. These products disrupt the ability of Z7 to work its magic. Those products are the very worst for growing plants. By pure definition the word sterilize or sanitize means "will not support life". Now honestly, would you really pour some "will not support life" into your plants soil or hydro system? We think not. Killing pathogens like Pythium with chemicals and Silver doesn't work! Z7 is not an insecticide, fungicide or sterilizing agent but a tool to protect the roots by forming a barrier to lock pathogens out and allow roots to thrive.
Enzyme products are not needed when using Z7.
You can use Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), Chlorine, Chloramines and Colloidal Silver to clean plastic and other materials between grows but never while the plants are growing. Discontinue the use of enzyme products when using Z7.
Side by side tests when the plants have just been transplanted from seedling or clone is the very best time to test Z7. This is the time when the plant is evaluating how big to make its vascular system. The better the initial osmotic transfer in the young plant the bigger the plants vascular system will be. A few weeks of using Z7 will tell the tale and make believers of the most skeptical grower. Use Z7 with all water usage except for field growers who use Z7 at first planting and whenever possible after that. Z7 will help the plant to repair rot damaged roots within 72 hours.
Z7 is super concentrated and extremely economical for indoor-outdoor hobby and commercial growers utilizing Soil or Hydroponic growing systems; Z7 costs only 2.5 cents per gallon of nutrient treated. The one gallon set treats 7,570 gallons of nutrient. Set sizes available: 8 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz, 1 gallon, 2.5 gallon and 5 gallon. Z7 uses no oils, detergents, soaps, surfactants, chlorine, hydrogen peroxide or any harmful chemicals.
Z7 is not a plant food; it simply allows plant foods to work better - see the real performance of your plants nutrients and additives by allowing Mother Nature to protect you – unreal root growth and health! Z7 increases the chances that the plant will grow to its genetic potential. Is to be used in every watering or feeding, field growers apply at first planting and whenever possible.


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Guide To Better Abs
Feb 11, 2013
Here is a preview of a way to dramatically get the Abs you want
Capsicum Extract Benefits
Feb 04, 2013
Capsicum Extract Benefits For Weight Loss Capsicum Extract was recently seen on...
Burn Your Legs in 4 Weeks- Workout Program
Jan 08, 2013
Try this leg Workout for the next 4 weeks.
Behind The Back Curl- A Guide To Great Biceps
Jan 02, 2013
Why doesn't everyone you see train arms, actually have big arms?
Short On Time Workout Program
Dec 28, 2012
When you are short on time there is no excuse NOT to get a good workout in.
The Results Workout- 4 Weeks to a Better YOU
Dec 16, 2012
In as little as 4 weeks you can be well on your way to a great Physique with this workout


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Ant Man Costume Photo 6 of 7
Rate this costume:
4 votes
|add a comment
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Boys
This homemade costume for boys entered our 2015 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Shannon, the 'Ant Man' costume creator:
Hunter, age 8, is wearing an Ant Man Costume that he made by himself. He created it approximately 75% entirely on his own, using recycled cardboard, plastic, and other pieces he found around the house.... Read more »


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Former senior Communists such as one-time party general secretary Milouš Jakeš and prime minister Lubomír Štrougal should face justice for the deaths of people killed trying to cross the Iron Curtain from Czechoslovakia to the West, says deputy prime minister Pavel Bělobrádek. The chairman of the Christian Democrats said they had committed crimes against humanity that were not bound by a statute of limitations. Mr. Bělobrádek made the comments in the lower house, where he was supporting the Platform of European Memory and Conscience, a group that pushes for the punishment of perpetrators of communist-era crimes.
Russia could occupy the Baltic States within just two days, according to Czech Army general Petr Pavel. General Pavel, who is due to become chairman of the NATO Military Committee next month, made the comment at a security conference in Prague on Wednesday. He said NATO's political leaders were not capable of reacting with sufficient speed to altered situations, adding that measures adopted by Europe in connection with the threats of Russia and Islamic State were glaringly ineffective.
The European Commission has asked the Czech Republic to take in over 1,300 asylum seekers from Syria and Eritrea who are already in Italy and Greece. Under the plan unveiled on Wednesday, EU states would take in a total of 40,000 such refugees in the next two years. EU officials also repeated a recently announced call for members to take in 20,000 refugees, of which over 500 would go to the Czech Republic. Prague is opposed to such quotas and argues that asylum seekers should only be accepted on a voluntary basis. However, the Czech government cannot block the plan alone as it will be voted on using the qualified majority system.
The police's anti-corruption unit raided three branches of the Energy Regulation Office on Wednesday morning. A spokesperson said officers were searching for the letter of appointment of its deputy chairwoman Renata Vesecká on suspicion that the document contravenes the law on energy. For its part the Energy Regulation Office said the raids involving around 40 police were heavy-handed and violated its independence. Ms. Vesecká was supreme state attorney from 2005 to 2010. At the time of her appointment in November, the Energy Regulation Office said she fulfilled all legal requirements for the post, including a minimum of seven years' experience in the energy field.
A Czech court has rescinded a fine on a company that posted on the internet a photo of a man who stole a bicycle from its shop. The Office for the Protection of Personal Data had fined the firm Ekolo.cz CZK 5,000 after it put a picture of the alleged thief on its Facebook page. A judge at the Prague Municipal Court said there was no reason that protection should be provided to the perpetrator of a crime, adding that the company had merely been attempting to recover its property. After Ekolo.cz posted the image on Facebook in November 2011 the bike was recovered the next day at a second-hand shop.
The world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, ran his quickest 200 metres of the year at Ostrava's Golden Spike athletics meeting on Tuesday. The Jamaican won the race in 20:13 seconds, shaving seven tenths of a second of his previous best of 2015. World champion Zuzana Hejnová came first in the 400 metres hurdles, the first time she had taken part in the event in almost a year due to injury problems. Hejnová finished just ahead of Czech compatriot Denisa Roslová in a time of 55:13 seconds.
The number of spots designated as ghettos in the Czech Republic has doubled since 2006, according to a report prepared for the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs by the company GAC. There are now 606 poverty-stricken buildings, streets and districts in the country, the study said. An estimated 115,000 people, many from the Roma minority, live in places designated as socially excluded, compared to 80,000 nine years ago. The authors of the report said the change had come about in part because people were moving from urban centres to outlying areas, leading to more but smaller ghettos.
The Czech trauma team which has been helping to deal with the consequences of the devastating earthquake in Nepal has concluded its mission and is due to return home on Friday, the ctk news agency reports. The 30-member team was made up of twenty doctors and nurses and ten firefighters who helped bring the injured down from hard-to-reach villages in the mountains. Since it started work on May 1, the trauma team provided medical assistance to over 1,100 people. It is leaving much of its equipment and medical supplies in Nepal for the use of the local health authorities.
The problem with contaminated tap water in Prague 6 has not yet been resolved. A spokesman for the Prague Waterworks said on Wednesday it could be several more days before the water, contaminated with coliform bacteria, is once again safe for consumption. Waterworks employees are still searching for the dead-end pipe which is believed to have caused the problem. The water in neigbouring districts is reported to be safe. Meanwhile Prague Waterworks announced on Tuesday they would compensate all those who suffered health problems as a result of the contamination. The fall-out has affected 32,000 residents.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka's government on Tuesday survived a
no-confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament. Out of 184 lawmakers
present only 47 supported the no-confidence motion,105 voted against and 32
Opposition parties tabled the motion in protest against a bill approved last week which would extend state support for bio-fuel, which they claim serves the business interests of Finance Minister Andrej Babis. Mr. Babis said that he had not at any point abused his position in the government .During the debate in Parliament Prime Minister Sobotka accused the opposition of being hypocritical, saying that what offended them was not a conflict of interests as they claimed but the changes that were being affected by the centre-left administration.


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Youth Community Leadership Awards
Markland Wood Youth Community Leadership Award
If you are pursuing post secondary studies next autumn please consider applying for the 2020 Youth Leadership Award. These awards are generously funded by the MWHA and presented annually to:
A Markland Wood resident
An Individual who makes a difference in our community through volunteer/ community involvement and leadership
To apply, please visit the Markland Wood website at www.marklandwood.org.
Click on the tab marked "Who we are" and then click on "Youth Awards". Complete all parts of the application. The deadline for applications is midnight, July 2nd.


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Pastor Louie Giglio, who was set to deliver the benediction at President Obama's inauguration, has been removed from the ceremony. The Washington Post's Jonathan Capehart joins Thomas Roberts to discuss.
A pastor chosen by President Obama to deliver the inaugural benediction later this month has withdrawn amid controversy over anti-gay remarks he made more than a decade ago.
In a mid-1990s sermon, Rev. Louie Giglio, an Atlanta minister and founder of the Passion Conferences, a group dedicated to uniting students in worship and prayer, advocated for "ex-gay" therapy and urged listeners to prevent the "homosexual lifestyle" from becoming accepted.
He also invoked a biblical passage often interpreted to require gay people to be executed and argued that homosexuals choose to be gay.
"People aren't born gay – but even if they are, it's still a choice like giving into alcoholism, addiction and overeating," Giglio said in a 54-minute sermon called "In Search of a Standard – Christian Response to Homosexuality."
The Presidential Inaugural Committee issued a statement in response to Giglio's withdrawal.
"We were not aware of Pastor Giglio's past comments at the time of his selection and they don't reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this Inaugural," Addie Whisenant, a spokesperson for the committee, said. "As we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction, we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration's vision of inclusion and acceptance for all Americans."
In a statement, Giglio said he was withdrawing from the inaugural because staying in would not best serve his core message.
"Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation and the prayer I would offer will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration," Giglio said. "Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ."
Whisenant said that even though the committee vets a number of people to deliver the benediction, they were only recently made aware of his comments when they surfaced on ThinkProgress, a left-leaning political blog. He stressed that it was Giglio's decision to withdraw his name.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, lauded Giglio's removal.
"It was the right decision," Griffen wrote in an email Thursday. "Participants in the Inaugural festivities should unite rather than divide. Choosing an affirming and fair-minded voice as his replacement would be in keeping with the tone the president wants to set for his Inaugural."


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Listings in Early Amer. Coppers, World Coins, Auction Services, Collector Services, Retail Sales and Coin Holders in Georgia
Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers
Business Contact: Tony Davis
in World Coins, U.S. Coins, Silver Coins, Silver Bullion, Platinum Bullion, Platinum, Grading Companies, Gold Coins, Gold Bullion, Commemoratives, Certified U.S. Coins, Brick & Mortar, Appraisals, Buy & Sell, Appraisals
We are a family-owned gold, silver, and rare coin dealer in the metro Atlanta area specializing in old and rare coins, including certified or slabbed coins from PCGS & NGC, as well as gold, silver, and platinum coins and bullion.
1201 Peachtree St
Atlanta, Georgia 30361
United States
Gold and Coin Exchange
Business Contact: Robert Oberth
in World Coins, U.S. Coins, Silver Coins, Silver Bullion, Platinum Bullion, Paper Money, Gold Coins, Gold Bullion, Gold, Bullion, Asia, Appraisals, Buy & Sell, Appraisals, American Eagles
Our family began trading in rarities in 1853. Robert Oberth is a GIA Certified Diamond Graduate and a Lifetime Member of the ANA. We are a family owned company specializing in buying and selling rare coins and currency. Located in Marietta, Georgia.
1185 N Cobb Parkway NW
Marietta, Georgia 30062
United States


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Above all else, the primary thing you need to ride in temperatures that you perceive as "cold" is a willingness to expand your horizons.
This is not to say that someone who hung their bike up in September should just go on a sub-zero all-day epic in the midst of January. It is to say that "acclimating" to the temperature is mostly in your head. Jill and Doug aren't any more resilient than any other human being. They've just got experience, and they know what works for them because they bothered to give it a try. If you are Jill or Doug and are reading this, I'm sorry I gave away your dirty little secret.
Through experience alone, you figure out what works for you in the cold, so it's best to start venturing out for short periods of time or in "somewhat" cold climates, then expand your horizons as the weather gets colder, or start going out longer to determine where your weaknesses are.
Weaknesses can be in clothing:
- too hot
- too cold
- a drafty seam in your favorite winter jersey
- Drivetrain lubrication may be either too thick or doesn't protect from salt
- The ratchet in an old freehub might fail to grab in cold temps
- Your light's batteries might not last as long in the cold