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"I think the general public often loses sight of the fact that the homeless are people, too," said Julian Rothschild, a second-year Einstein medical student who is co-president of the Homeless Outreach Project at Einstein (HOPE). "When you're with them and talk to them, you see them for who they are and it really grounds you."
HOPE's current leadership includes (from left): Julian Rothschild, Rebecca Wilson, Junaid Chaudhry and Don YoonHOPE grew out of Einstein Cares for the Community (ECC), a program that was supported by a grant received by family and social medicine, through which medical students Iman Hassan and Mariya Masyukova—currently in their fourth year—established several initiatives designed to serve the homeless community in the Bronx.
Members of the student group, led by Ms. Hassan and Ms. Masyukova, offered one-on-one counseling at a women's shelter where Dr. Andrea Littleton and residents from Montefiore volunteered. The students also shadowed the residents, and developed a website that provided useful information and resources for shelter clients.
When the doctors shifted their work to the Living Room—the borough's only 24-hour drop-in center for homeless adults, affiliated with the organization BronxWorks—the ECC-supported group followed. "The staff and clients there expressed the need for educational workshops," explained Ms. Masyukova. "So, Iman and I designed and facilitated the initial curriculum about health."
When the grant ended in 2012, Samim Atmar and Danielle Chung, Einstein medical students now in their third year, established the project as a student club under its new name. They expanded HOPE's offerings to provide services that would be helpful to homeless individuals in the Bronx.
In the wake of this transition, a handful of regular volunteers organized workshops at the Living Room. The club also became part of the Einstein Community Action Network, which is supported by Einstein's Community Based Service Learning Program.
HOPE now has more than 40 active members who volunteer at the Living Room, or do medical outreach on the streets of the Bronx, two to three times per semester. Members are required to volunteer in one of the project's three divisions—adult continuing education (ACE), health education or harm reduction.
ACE evolved from a General Education Development (GED) program that Einstein volunteers led at the Living Room. "We noticed that many of the attendees weren't benefitting from GED prep or already had their GED," said Don Yoon, a second-year medical student who developed a more practical program with classmate Liz Liu. Mr. Yoon's English class offers clients a chance to open up about their lives through writing and discussing stories, while Ms. Liu's math class focuses on everyday mathematics.
Since the switch, ACE classes have grown from just three or so occasional attendees to more than 10 regulars at the two-hour Saturday class.
Through its health education initiatives, HOPE volunteers provide weekly informational workshops at the shelter, offering useful tips on topics including nutrition, protecting against colds or the flu, and preventing HIV and hepatitis C.
"The students focus on areas that are of grave concern to our clients," said Alfred Charles, the Living Room's activity specialist. "It's been extremely effective."
HOPE members also offer medical assistance on the streets of the Bronx while shadowing Dr. Littleton, who serves as the group's faculty advisor. Dr. Littleton provides basic medical treatment out of a backpack filled with supplies useful in meeting a variety of needs, from bandages to blood pressure medicine, and instruments for administering care.
"A lot of what Dr. Littleton does involves engaging with the person and encouraging them to go into temporary housing," noted Mr. Rothschild. "That's something that we students can assist with."
"I really value their energy and enthusiasm," said Dr. Littleton. "They've added tremendously to the work I do with the homeless."
The newest HOPE activity is its harm reduction program, started this past year by second-year student Rebecca Wilson. "I was inspired, in part, when I attended some Narcotics Anonymous meetings, which is something we encourage our members to do," said Ms. Wilson. "The idea behind the initiative is to help those individuals who are least likely to seek assistance."
Students volunteering in this HOPE division work with New York Harm Reduction, an organization that helps to connect drug users and sex workers to resources such as needle exchanges and basic health services.
"Among the things we're taught is how to instruct individuals concerning the safe injection of Narcan, a drug that helps reverse the effects of an opiate overdose," explained Ms. Wilson. "Our main goal, though, is to be a friendly face in the medical community and be out their consistently."
In addition to its three key missions, each year HOPE members hold a fundraiser through which members of the Einstein community donate money, new socks and gently used shoes. The funds support the purchase of additional socks and a holiday party at the Living Room. This past December, the students raised enough money to provide 120 shelter clients with socks and other articles of winter clothing, and a $200 donation to BronxWorks.
The impact of their experiences, particularly getting out of the classroom to help some of New York's neediest citizens, is powerful to many of HOPE's members. "It gives us an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and away from the medical school bubble to truly engage with members of the Bronx community," said Mr. Yoon.
Posted on: Wednesday, March 26, 2014


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Campbell Trophy winner Urschel to be honored at BCS National Championship
Campbell Trophy winner Urschel to be honored at BCS National Championship
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The National Football Foundation (NFF) and the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) announced that Penn State standout John Urschel (Williamsville, N.Y.), the 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy recipient, will be honored on the field during the first quarter of the VIZIO BCS National Championship between No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Auburn.
The BCS title game is 8:30 p.m. tonight (Jan. 6) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on ESPN. National Football Foundation President & CEO Steve Hatchell will make the presentation to Urschel in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 93,000 fans.
The William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, is presented to the nation's premier college football scholar-athlete. A two-time first-team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American, Urschel will receive a total of $25,000 for post-graduate work.
A two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree and a 2013 Associated Press third-team All-American, Urschel is the first Penn State student-athlete to win the Campbell Trophy, which was first presented in 1990. Urschel claimed the 25-pound bronze trophy Dec. 10 in front of a sold-out crowd during the 56th NFF Annual Award Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
"The national championship game provides the ultimate platform for showcasing the educational opportunities created by college football for the student-athletes who play our game," said BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock. "The Campbell Trophy and 2013 recipient John Urschel represent the fulfillment of that promise at the highest level. By featuring the Campbell Trophy, we hope to inspire future young people to build a foundation that will benefit them long after they leave the playing field."
"College football is not just about wins and losses," said Hatchell. "It's about preparation for life, and the Campbell Trophy stands as the ultimate symbol of that sentiment. Tens of thousands of young people annually benefit from football's unique ability to prepare them for the future. We are extremely pleased to partner with the BCS conference commissioners and Bill Hancock to highlight the amazing accomplishments of John Urschel during the championship game as a powerful example of the positive impact of our sport."
A 6-3, 301-pound guard, Urschel established himself as one of the nation's exceptional football student-athletes in recent years. A starter in all 24 games the past two seasons and the anchor of the offensive line, he earned a 4.0 grade-point average throughout his Penn State career. Urschel earned his degree in math in three years, graduated with a master's degree in math in one year, and is working on a second master's, in math education, while maintaining his 4.0 grade-point average.
Elected a co-captain, Urschel also was the 2013 Senior CLASS Award winner among college football student-athletes nationwide. He was among the eight Nittany Lions who had earned their degrees prior to the 2013 season, with five more seniors graduating last month.
Urschel was the 17th Nittany Lion to be selected a NFF Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete. Penn State is tied for third in the nation (with Notre Dame) with its 17 Scholar-Athlete recipients. The Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Awards are awarded on an annual basis to a select group of college football players in their senior year of eligibility who have demonstrated outstanding academic success, strong leadership, citizenship and superior football performance.
Urschel taught a section of Math 232 – Integral Vector Calculus – during the 2013 fall semester on the University Park campus, in addition to his academic and football responsibilities. He taught a section of Math 041 – Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry – during the 2013 spring semester. Urschel participated in the Penn State Lift for Life, THON events, the Relay for Life and the Special Olympics Pennsylvania State Summer Games during his collegiate career.
A paper written by Urschel titled, "Instabilities of the Sun-Jupiter-Asteroid Three Body Problem" was published in 2012 in the journal Celestial Mechanics and Dynamic Astronomy. He has a second paper accepted for publication, "A Space-Time Multigrid Method for the Numerical Valuation of Barrier Options," in the journal Communications in Mathematical Finance, and has written two additional papers that will be submitted soon for consideration to be published.
Penn State returns 15 starters for the 2014 season (seven offense, seven defense, one specialist), which begins Aug. 30 vs. 2014 Fiesta Bowl champion UCF in the Croke Park Classic in Dublin. The Nittany Lions are one of only four teams nationally playing three BCS teams during the 2014 campaign. Penn State will host Rose Bowl champion Michigan State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Maryland during its 2014 Big Ten home schedule.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing 2014 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, visit www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets or call 800-NITTANY from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
Penn State Athletics is on Twitter (http://www.gopsusports.com/ot/twitter.html) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pennstatenittanylions).

subset: commoncrawl


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Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Andrew Davis' The Fugitive (1993) is still a massively entertaining crowd-pleaser. Long considered one of the benchmark action films of the 1990s, the film's twisting plot, non-stop thrills and consistent momentum have aged quite gracefully...and except for the background technology, it looks much younger than it really is. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones give two of the best performances of their respective careers, absolutely losing themselves in a cat-and-mouse chase that encompasses 90% oft the film's 130-minute lifespan. Scoring big with audiences and critics alike, The Fugitive stuck around in theaters for four straight months and, at the time, stood as Warner Bros.' second-highest grossing production of all time. So yeah, it's still a pretty good time at the movies.
More often than not, The Fugitive works because it doesn't hand-hold the audience every step of the way. Most of the characters feel like real, three-dimensional people...and even when they don't (like Jones' U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard, an almost cartoonishly effective government employee), they're likable and charismatic enough to make up for it. The plot, though a little over-the-top for its time, doesn't feel all that far-fetched in certain respects. We understand the motives of both the hunter (Jones) and the hunted (Ford)...which is great, since they're collectively on-screen for at least 80% of the film. During The Fugitive, you're either smack-dab in the middle of a great scene or there's another one just around the corner. I've seen it at least a half-dozen times since its initial DVD release and, though thrillers often feel diluted after several viewings, this one still remains as fresh as it needs to.
Other elements work together to make The Fugitive feel like more than the sum of its parts, from the understated but impressive cinematography by Michael Chapman to James Newton Howard's dynamic, memorable score. It probably stands as director Andrew Davis' best work, while the lean, kinetic story by David Twohy doesn't bog itself down with too many unnecessary details. The Fugitive features just about the perfect amount of exposition, humor, mystery, clever twists and straight-up action to succeed as both a genuine crowd-pleaser and the rare "action thriller" that doesn't feel like a guilty pleasure.
The Fugitive last appeared on Blu-ray (and HD DVD) back in 2006, when lossy Dolby Digital tracks and below-average encodes were considered passable for a high definition release. That doesn't fly anymore, so it's good to know that Warner Bros. hasn't just "http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/53274/unforgiven/" target="blank">recycled the old disc for the film's 20th anniversary. We get a terrific new transfer, a new DTS-HD Master Audio track and even a few brand new bonus features to go along with the old ones. It's a well-rounded improvement in all the right areas, which makes this a very easy recommendation for new and old fans alike.
Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer appears to have been taken from a different source than the 2006 Blu-ray; without a doubt, it's a marked improvement all across the board. Image detail is pleasing, the film's slightly cold color palette looks accurate and a natural layer of film grain has been preserved. Though it doesn't look like director Andrew Davis or cinematographer Michael Chapman were involved in the production of this Blu-ray, I can't imagine that they'd be able to find much wrong with it. Catalog releases don't always look this terrific, so fans should be pleased with the results.
Like most early Warner Bros. Blu-rays, The Fugitive's 2006 release was saddled with a plain-wrap Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Thankfully, it's been given a nice boost to DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, which obviously gives the film's dynamic soundtrack plenty of room to breathe. From the infamous "train wreck" to gunshots and James Newton Howard's excellent score, the surrounds are given plenty to do and your subwoofer might even get a bit of a workout. Though not quite as bombastic as modern blockbusters, The Fugitive sounds terrific and this Blu-ray offers plenty of support along the way. Optional dubs and subtitles are presented in English SDH, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, Thai, Polish and more.
Also new to this release is the Pilot Episode of The Fugitive's brief TV revival (46 minutes), which ran from 2000-01 for a total of 22 episodes. This series has yet to be released to home video in any format, so only those who were lucky enough to record if off TV will have anything more than vague memories. Either way, it's a thoughtful inclusion and ties in nicely to this release, especially since it not only was produced by Arnold Kopelson and Warner Bros., but shares more than a few similarities to the 1993 film (and obviously the original TV series). It's presented in 1080i widescreen and looks pretty good overall.
Everything else has been ported over from the 2006 Blu-ray and earlier releases. These recycled extras include an Audio Commentary with director Andrew Davis and Tommy Lee Jones; an Introduction to the film with Davis, Jones and Harrison Ford (2 minutes); a vintage Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (23 minutes); a second Featurette about the train sequence (9 minutes); and the film's terrific Theatrical Trailer (2 minutes). Overall, a nice assortment that helps make this disc the current "definitive edition".
The Fugitive is, hands down, one of the best thrillers of the 1990s. Featuring terrific performances, a breakneck pace and plenty of classic moments, it's aged quite well during the last 20 years. Warner Bros.' second Blu-ray release is a solid effort in every department, featuring a well-rounded A/V upgrade and even a pair of new supplements mixed in with the old ones. Though not lavished with the detail of a top-tier edition, this is still respectful treatment of a catalog title. It's a no-brainer for fans of The Fugitive, especially those who held off buying the original Blu-ray release. Very Highly Recommended.
Randy Miller III is an affable office monkey by day and film reviewer by night. He also does freelance design work, teaches art classes and runs a website or two. In his limited free time, Randy also enjoys slacking off, juggling HD DVDs and writing in third person.


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JavascriptValidator Plugin
compile "org.grails.plugins:javascript-validator:0.9"
InstallationInstallation is very simple as is all grails plugin installations;
grails install-plugin javascript-validator
Javascript Validation Plugin
OverviewThis plugin provides client side javascript validation for domain and command objects. The javascript validation is generated from the constraints closure. The client side javascript is all based on the apache commons validator javascript libs.
Author: Peter Delahunty
blog: http://blog.peterdelahunty.com
twitter: http://twitter.com/peterdelahunty
email: [email protected]
CompatibilityThe plugin is currently compatible with version 1.1.x of grails. I will look into making it backward compatible with 1.0x versions.
InstallationInstallation is very simple as is all grails plugin installations;
grails install-plugin javascript-validator
DocumentationUsage of the javascript validator plugin is very simple. All you need to do is add the following gsp tag within the html head element of your page.
Example tag:
<jv:generateValidation domain="book" form="bookForm"/>
Form tag
<form id="bookForm" name="bookForm" onsubmit="return validateForm(this);" action="">
Important! onsubmit attributeYou must also supply the onsubmit attribute on the form. This must call the validateForm function. Just copy the example above. If you don't do this then nothing will work :)
Supported constraintsThe following constraints are currently supported.
Important! If the blank constraint and the nullable constraint are both used for a String attribute then the blank constraint wins.
AttributesThe jv:generate tag has the following attributes:
form:(required)This is the name of the form you want to validate against.
domain:(required for domain object validation)This is the name of the domain object you want to generate validation against. This attribute is required if you want to generate validation for a domain object.
command: (required for command object validation)This is the full name of the command object. Eg if it is called SearchQueryCommand. Then the command attribute name is searchQueryCommand.
controller: (required for command object validation)Command objects are associated with controllers to you must supply the controller name that uses this command object.
display:(optional)Currently the plugin supports two options for displaying the validation error messages to the. These are alert and list.
display=alert:This is the default display type and will show a popup alert box with the error messages.
display=list:This will write the errors as ul (list) to the dom of the html page. To use this option you MUST also supply the container attribute.
display=custom:This will write the errors as ul (list) to the dom of the html page. To use this option you MUST also supply the container attribute.
container(required for display type list)This is the name of the container element (i recommend a div) where you want the html list of error written to.
handler(required for display type custom)This is the name of the function to call when validation errors are found. The function should take a single parameter.
order:(optional)This is a list of field names in the order you would like them displayed. This only works with the list and alert display options.
ignore:(optional)This is a list of field to ignore. Grails automatically creates nullable constraints for all attributes of a domain class. However you may not be setting them using the form so you can list the ones that you do not want to include in validation generation.
disableSubmitButton:(optional)This is the id of the form submit button. Once the form is validated it is and just before it will be submitted the submit button will be disabled. You MUST call the validateFormAndDisableSubmit method from the onsubmit action of your form for this to work.
<g:form action="save" name="signUpForm" onsubmit="return validateFormAndDisableSubmit(this);">
useEmbeddedJquery:(optional)This is used to turn off the embedded jquery lib. If you use the disableSubmitButton option above then the jquery lib is included automatically unless you supply this parameter and set it to false. If you do set it to false then you MUST supply your own copy of jquery on the page.
examplesSo here are some examples:
1) Domain object Book with alert display
<jv:generateValidation domain="book" form="bookForm"/>
2) Domain object Book with list display
<jv:generateValidation domain="book" form="bookForm" display="list" container="errors"/>
3) Command object DemoCommand on demo controller with alert display
<jv:generateValidation command="demoCommand" controller="demo" form="demoForm" display="alert"/>
4) Command object DemoCommand on demo controller with list display
<jv:generateValidation command="demoCommand" controller="demo" form="demoForm" display="list" container="errors" ignore="['user','account']"/>
5) Command object DemoCommand on demo controller with list displayand ordering
<jv:generateValidation command="demoCommand" controller="demo" form="demoForm" display="list" container="errors" order="['name','email']"/>
6) Command object DemoCommand on demo controller with custom display
<jv:generateValidation command="demoCommand" controller="demo" form="demoForm" display="custom" handler="myHandler" ignore="['user','account']"/><script type="text/javascript"> function myHandler(messagesMap) { for (fieldName in messagesMap) { alert( messagesMap[fieldName] ); } }; </script>
Important! Errors container recommendationsI recommend that you use a div for your error container element and that you auto hide it by default. The plugin will make it visible when displaying errors.
<div id="errors" class="errors" style="display:none;"> </div>


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I had a better 2015 than so many people I know, and, the country in general. I spent time with family and friends, traveled more than once to New York City, met a dear friend for the very first time. I have a job I enjoy, cats I treasure. I love my family. And, I enjoy my books. And, I know how lucky I am.
But, 2015 hasn't been kind to everyone. Our country is still torn apart, and there are so many angry people. There's a reason I read the newspaper, read a journalist online who I respect, and don't turn on the news on TV. I don't care to see angry people yelling at me.
Friends lost people they loved this year - parents, spouses. And, other friends have either suffered from health issues, or their family members have. I think it's because I'm growing older, and our parents and loved ones are aging as well.
So, no. 2015 hasn't been an easy year for many of us. But, it's not my role to complain about life. My role is to share joy - the joy of books, and, sometimes the joy of family or travel or theater. I see my role as to share the small moments of laughter with cats or moments of charm with Pygmy goats. Most of all, this blog has always been about books - the entertainment of books, their connection to our lives, just the joy of discovery of a good book.
My resolution for 2016 is to continue to share my passion and love for stories, for books, with all of you. Sometimes family or travel will pop up in the conversation. That's part of the story of my life.
My wish for you for 2016? Contentment, love and friendship, a healthier year. And, quiet moments to appreciate good books and conversation about books.
Happy New Year!


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2 (Pro-Life) Christmas Classics
A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life Carry a Message for All Seasons
"Culture of life" is a term Blessed John Paul II made prominent in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae. The Pope wanted to highlight the civilizational struggle afoot between the "culture of life" and the "culture of death," the latter understood as a quality-of-life ethic that eventually kills those deemed to have a "poor quality" of life. In contrast to a sanctity-of-life ethic, which regards every human life as sacred, a quality-of-life ethic decides that some lives (usually other people's) just are not worth living.
Although John Paul showcased the "culture of life" 16 years ago, another writer was talking about it 160 years ago, and a film director was depicting it 65 years ago. The book and the film are favorite American Christmas classics. John Paul, meet Charles Dickens and Frank Capra.
Dickens' Christmas Carol is popular today with children, but when he wrote it in 1843, Dickens addressed it to adults, too. Carol is a polemical work: Dickens was sparring with the laissez-faire capitalists whose influence in industrializing Britain sought to limit concern for the poor to running poor houses and treadmills. But Dickens was not only taking on Adam Smith. His other target was Thomas Malthus.
Malthus, the intellectual granddaddy of zero population growth, had argued that population increase would inevitably lead to disaster. Of course, it's only a short step from "there was concern about population growth" to there was concern about "growth in populations we don't want to have too many of."
Scrooge gives voice to the elite opinion of his day when, dismissing the businessmen who come to his office seeking charitable contributions, he opines that those who would rather die than go to a poorhouse "had better do it and decrease the surplus population." Scrooge exhibits at least some degree of humanity when faced with the crippled Tiny Tim: He pleads for the boy's life. (In today's world, some bioethicist would solemnly pontificate that Tiny Tim's "quality of life" justifies euthanasia.) Despite that glimmer of tenderness, the Ghost of Christmas Present throws Scrooge's words back at him: "What then, if he be like to die, he had better do it and decrease the surplus population." Dickens writes that Scrooge "hung his head with penitence and grief." Today that ghost would be dismissed as "judgmental" and "extremist."
The Ghost comments: "If man you be in heart, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered what the surplus is and where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be that in the sight of heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child. Oh God! To hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust." Just consider the spiritual message they embody. Aware of our own limits and sinfulness, God's gift of life should elicit in us a sense of wonder, awe and solidarity, especially with the least of our brothers. How often today those least — unborn babies, handicapped newborns, incapacitated elderly, the terminally ill — elicit not our solidarity but our spleen? Can't they just go away and stop burdening us? Stop driving up health-care costs? Stop futilely consuming limited medical resources?
In Carol, a child is the catalyst of conversion. And Scrooge's conversion is incomplete until he embraces that child, discovering his own spiritual paternity ("to Tiny Tim he was a second father"). The 20th-century psychologist Erik Erikson recognized this when he spoke of "generativity" — taking responsibility for the next generation — as one of the highest stages of human maturity.
The same message appears in another holiday classic, Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. What makes George Bailey so special is really mundane: He's a good husband and father. (How many young women today ask, "Where are all the good guys?") Bailey's salvation also comes through them: It's the vision of his beloved Mary as an old maid and the return of Zuzu's petals that disabuses George of his self-indulgent despair ("I wish I'd never been born" ) and finds him praying on the bridge, "Please God, let me live again."
The film's pro-life message is present from the very start. When a heavenly voice summons Clarence, the childlike guardian angel, to save George, the message is clear: "At exactly 10:45pm, earth time, that man will be thinking seriously of throwing away God's greatest gift." Notice he doesn't say George Bailey's life — something that's his — is at risk. It's "God's greatest gift" — something that's His — which is at stake. Clarence makes the same point humorously when everybody is drying out in the bridge keeper's hut after George fished Clarence out of the river. When Clarence chides George for wanting to kill himself for an insurance policy, the bridge keeper cuts in: "It's against the law to commit suicide around here." "It's against the law where I come from, too," adds Clarence. "Where do you come from?" he asks. "Heaven."
Capra shows George Bailey's foolishness is thinking he could so fathom the true meaning of so great a gift of God's as his life as to dare pronounce "I suppose it would be better if I was never born at all." It's a sad commentary on our "progress" when, last year, The New York Times feted a book of the contemporary South African philosopher David Benatar. His Better Never to Have Been argues that anytime anybody becomes a parent, he does his child an incalculable harm by bringing him into a world of suffering. Benatar even argues that the progressive extermination of mankind would benefit not just the earth and environment, but even man himself. One really hopes Clarence wings his way to Cape Town.
So, the next time you read the book or sit down to watch George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart, Jimmy Stewart or even Mr. Magoo play some of your most memorable Christmas figures, think about the pro-life messages. And use them to spread the gospel of life.
John M. Grondelski, a moral theologian, writes from Perth Amboy, New Jersey.


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LPL Financial's Mark Casady spoke to a conference of investors in London of the value the broker-dealer has to shareholders and its advisor-customers, not least the ability to raise fees amounting to $1,000 per advisor.
Speaking at the Nasdaq OMX Investor Program held jointly with Morgan Stanley, Casady delved deeply into the broker-dealer's business strategy, emphasizing the firm's ability to grow, develop new markets and avoid blowing up. In lengthy remarks the transcripts of which are posted on financial blog Seeking Alpha, Casady said LPL is now the fourth-largest broker-dealer in America by advisor count. While an M&A binge in 2007 ratcheted up the number of advisors, Casady said 80% of the firm's 13,000-advisor head count has come through organic growth.
LPL, which has long been the No. 1 firm by advisor count among independent broker-dealers, has also branched out into the RIA space, quickly amassing $20 billion in assets under custody in the three years since it has entered that market. Casady says LPL now ranks No. 5 in that space, right after Pershing, and has diversified its earnings through its custodial services.
Responding to a conference participant's question about profitability, Casady also touted the firm's ability to raise its advisors' fees, attributing that pricing power to "the great relationship with our advisors," who "understand we have to make sure the company is profitable."
The fee hike would raise about $13 million. Said Casady: "We're able to raise fees on our advisers about $1,000 per adviser for the entire system. So, roughly 13,000 people have seen essentially an inflationary increase that's come as a result of our examination of our costs and the need to charge a bit more in a number of areas, like affiliation fees, E&O insurance, in areas where we see costs going up." LPL is simultaneously reducing equity transaction ticket charges from $15 to $9.
Despite the fee hikes, Casady argues the firm's value proposition is financially compelling. Addressing the lack of a consumer brand, the CEO said the firm does not need it because 80% to 85% of its advisors do business under their own name, calling their business something like "Casady Wealth Management." But when new advisor recruits leave their expensively branded wirehouses, "they're going to make twice as much money as they did when they were an employee of that firm," Casady said.
And the LPL CEO emphasized that their firm enjoys a high degree of protection against compliance risks, thanks to LPL's careful oversight. "If you've measured us by complaints per thousand brokers, we can show you that we would finish last among the top 10 broker-dealers in America," he said.
But Casady (left) was clear that it is not just the firm's advisor-customers that are happy, but shareholders who benefit from the firm's unique business model. "If you think about it, we're outsourcing agents. We get paid a fee for the services that we offer. And the dynamic of paying for their office rents and the staff are really done by the advisors themselves, so we don't have to worry about what real estate looks like, what the right location is for an office in Des Moines, Iowa, that's really done by the local adviser, it's their risk in doing so
Casady also touted the firm's ability to produce support and services to advisors in the 401(k) market–to the tune of $60 billion in assets, and he noted the launch of a new ETF program that has raised over $1.5 billion of assets in just over a year–"our most successful launch in the history of the advisory program"–in which the firm earns revenue off a custody fee (since ETF products aren't designed for revenue sharing).


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This is not an offer for credit and should be used for estimation purposes only based on the information you provided. You should not base your decision on this estimate alone. Title, registration, tax and other fees, and personal circumstances such as employment status and personal credit history, were not considered in the calculations.
Quiet and portable, this inverter has powerful features.
Maximum AC Output - 3,000W
Rated AC Output - 2,800W
DC Output - 12V
Rated / Maximum AC Current - 120V
DC Output - 12A
Rated / Maximum AC Current - 23.3 / 25A


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Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity.
Team Sticks is a group that appears in the Sonic Boom franchise. It is more or less a subdivision of Team Sonic, led personally by Sticks the Badger. Its others members are somewhat inconsistent though, due to Sticks' penchant for randomly choosing teammates.
TV series
When Sonic challenged Sticks to see who could teach their friends better survival skills, Sticks formed Team Sticks with Amy, while Sonic chose Knuckles. Under Sticks' tutorage, she taught Amy the essentials of wilderness survival, and Team Sticks faced Sonic and Knuckles in a race each other to Hidden Meadows. While Team Sticks did well, Sonic and Knuckles struggled so much that the girls tried helping them, but got stuck in an underground missile silo while Sonic and Knuckles headed for the goal. However, by riding a missile to the goal, Team Sticks secured their victory.[1]
Archie Comics
Team Sticks was formed after Sticks met the Maverick Hunters during their search for Sigma. Deciding to help them, Sticks grabbed Comedy Chimp and Fastidious Beaver, who were passing by, and convinced them to come along. Traveling to Dr. Eggman's lair, they convinced Orbot and Cubot to open a Genesis Portal, through which they departed in search of Sigma.[2] The search eventually brought them to Sonic's World, which was being fused with Mega Man's World in the year 20XX, and saw Team Sticks joining forces with the New Freedom Fighters and Robot Masters of those worlds.[3]
The group proved a disconcerting addition, and during the battle with Sigma's Mechaniloid army only Sticks participated as a combatant while her "teammates" ran and hid. However, an unexpected trip through a Genesis Portal led her to make some new friends from another Zone to join Team Sticks: Chun-Li, Ryu, Ken Masters and Guile.[4][5] Together they returned just in time to save Sticks' allies from some of Sigma's Mavericks. The team would then be dispatched by Sally Acorn to other worlds across the multiverse to prevent Sigma's forces from deploying Unity Engines meant to harvest the worlds' energies.[6][7][8] The team soon after joined the bolstered Unified Army in a final attack on Sigma. Though the heroes ultimately won, their reality was threatening to collapse from Sigma's overuse of Genesis Portals. Fortunately, Xander Payne managed to erase Sigma's actions from history, so everyone on Team Sticks were returned home with no memories of the events (except from the original members).[9][10]
- The original members of Team Sticks are the only Sonic Boom characters to be featured in Worlds Unite outside of Sonic Boom #8.
- ↑ Harrison, Reid (9 May 2015). "Into the Wilderness". Sonic Boom. Season 1. Episode 25. Cartoon Network.
- ↑ Sonic Boom #8, "Worlds Unite Part Two: Broken Heroes"
- ↑ Mega Man #50, "Worlds Unite Part Four: Death and Destruction"
- ↑ Sonic Boom #9, "Worlds Unite! Part Six: Fire in the Sky"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #274, "Worlds Unite! Part Seven: Gears and Wills"
- ↑ Mega Man #51, "Worlds Unite! Part Eight: Holes in Reality"
- ↑ Sonic Universe #78, "Worlds Unite Part Nine: Infinite Possibilities"
- ↑ Sonic Boom #10, "Worlds Unite Part Ten: Justice Across Worlds"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #275, "Worlds Unite Part Eleven: Killing the Giant"
- ↑ Mega Man #52, "Worlds Unite Part Twelve: Last Rights"


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Material: Stainless steel 1.4305, screws stainless steel A2-70.
Typ B1: With two axial mounting bores.Typ B2: With two
axial mounting bores, with sunk holes for cylindrical cap screws DIN 912.The
thread of the screw DIN 912 is covered with a layer of nylon.Tolerance
b: +0.08mm / -0.25mm. Temperature range: -40ºC to +175ºC.*
Fitting screw size for B1.** Fitting screw size for B2.
Features: does not damage the shaft, stronger clamping force than
with set collars, even distribution of clamping forces,easy
readjustment, precision honed bores.
The supplied 3D models, pictures and technical drawings are made with reasonable care.Nevertheless liability is excluded for the accuracy and correctness of this data.
Article ID: 62399122B1
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the real die-hard readers of this site will remember a time, quite long ago, when I was helping a friend with her book launch. well that friend has since had her novel snapped up by Angry Robot publishers, who have bought the first novel and are paying her to write a sequel, and have also insisted on a new cover to go with an international launch (Moxyland will be launching in the UK and Australia – read about all the details here). i'm very sentimental about the old cover because it took up a very real part of my life, but i like the new cover too. here are both:
The new cover definitely takes the book into teen territory, which may or may not make Lauren a billionaire (achoo-Twilight). Anyway I look most forward to watching Lauren take over the world, one Moxyland at a time. And now for a picture of the author in repose with her beautiful daughter:


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By Chris Wright
Bienvenue! This is how Newcastle decked out their club canteen to welcome their 14-strong French-speaking legion to dinner on deadline day…
You can almost hear 'La Marseillaise' playing in the background.
As for the menu, it too was suitably Gallic…
Nicely done.
Much as the club laid on a platter of curried goat for Senegalese duo Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse upon their arrival, it seems that Newcastle will happily go out of their way to help their newbies settle in – it's lovely to see.
(Image: @Sammy_Ameobi)


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Reel Asian is proud to co-present Asian film series at The Royal on Wednesdays!
Miss seeing Asian films on the big screen? Not to worry! Wednesday nights are now extra special for film fans thanks to the new Asian film series at The Royal!
Ranging from kung fu classics to cult favourites, The Royal is bringing back Asian films on regular rotation. Reel Asian is proud to co-present this new film series. Check the schedule to receive most regularly updated programming or follow the #RAPresents hashtag on Twitter. Click here for more information.
Adults: $10 (matinees/late nights $8)
Students/Seniors: $8 (matinees/late nights $6)
Children (under 14): $5
Wed Jan 8, 6:45pm – The Royal, 608 College St.
The cycle of life and death and scheming at its highest level are on full display in On The Job, a gritty crime thriller that delves deep into the inner-workings of the ingenious hitmen, honest cops, ambitious federal agents, and shady government officials. The film is based on the true scandal that rocked the Philippines where prison inmates were contracted by high-level politicians to temporarily leave jail and conduct a series of assassinations before returning to incarceration. "On the Job is a sturdy and sophisticated crime drama from the Philippines that takes a pretty gruesome situation and enriches its presentation with lots of human detail." – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Read More
Wed Jan 8, 9:15pm – The Royal, 608 College St.
Winner of the coveted Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook's violent and offbeat story of punishment and vengeance quickly became a cult sensation. Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a husband and father, wakes up to find himself locked up in a prison cell, with no idea of what his crime was or whom his jailers may be. After 15 years he is released, with as no explanation as to why he was locked up and he struggles to unravel the secret of who is responsible for his captivity, what happened to his wife and daughter, and how to get revenge against his jailers
Read More
Wed Jan 15, 7:00pm – The Royal, 608 College St.
Kung Fu Action Returns To The Royal! In postwar Hong Kong, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man (Anthony Wong) is reluctantly called into action once more. What begin as simple challenges from rival kung fu styles soon turn deadly, drawing him into the dark and dangerous underworld of the Triads. Now, to defend life and honour, he has no choice but to fight one last time…
Read More


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Winter officially begins on December 21, but weather-wise, it's already here. Now that we've sorted out which boots are the best, we're moving on to coats.
The ideal winter coat is very warm, easy to layer under, easy to move in, not too bulky and, ideally, something attractive enough that you don't feel like a troll while wearing it. Oh, and it should be for sale right now, for those of us who require immediate gratification.
To keep things organized, please format your entries thusly:
Description of item, price, link to/name of retailer.
Additional notes.
Don't forget the image!


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|Members List
|Airsoft Teams
|Today's Posts
|Mark Forums Read
|Airsoft Ohio Forums Rules
1. Treat others as you would like to be treated - If you don't have anything constructive to say about a question someone asks, then stay out of it.
2. No "Yes Man" posting is allowed - If it has already been said, then it doesn't need said again, the exception to this rule being one concerning with votes or polls.
3. Search before posting - A LOT of stuff has been covered previously in these forums(or elsewhere), and most of that more than once. Please at least attempt to search before posting a question. People here have no beef with helping you, but if you ask repetitive questions and ignore this rule, chances are you will start being ignored, or simply treated hostily.
4. Please at least attempt to use correct spelling in your posts - There is a spell checker supplied at the the bottom of a "new post" screen that is directly next to "Preview Post button". A picture of those can be located below. *The following people are exempt from this rule (IF they can prove it): Foreign nationals or citizens, anyone whose primary language isn't english, or anyone with a condition that doesn't afford them the ability to spell correctly.
5. From now on, only airsofters in Ohio (or a bordering state) that have shown up to AO games are permitted to vote on AO field rules. Forum rules can be voted on by any longstanding member of the community, or any person that has made major contributions to the forum in the past.
6. No more "is this gun good" threads - If you have to ask, it probably sucks. There are at least 3-4 dozen of these threads scattered around the boards, look for them.
7. No opinion request posts - This goes hand-in-hand with rule 6. These types of posts are notnconstructive, solve nothing, and are quite frankly annoying to those who are tired of answering the same questions 20,000 times.
8. Stay on-topic and BE PATIENT - We aren't on the boards 24 hours a day, and we won't necessarily be able to anwer your question immediately upon you asking it. Bottom line is: if you don't have the time and patience to await an answer, don't post the question.
9. Signature Lines - Due to the excessive amount of banners/userbars/quotes in signature lines we have now reinstituted an old policy, along with a new twist. You may have: A. A large banner with dimensions no greater than 470x70 pixels. -or- B. A total of no more than 4 (four) userbars, regardless of the size. However, these userbars cannot exceed 470x70 pixels. -or- C. No more than 2 (two) quotes in your signature. -or- D. No more than 1 (one) quote, and 2 (two) userbars.
10. Political Discussion - This is now forbidden. Every time a political thread is posted, it turns into a giant flame war, and I quite frankly am tired of looking at it. This world is filled with ignorance, we don't need to bring it here.
11. Multiple Accounts - Due to widespread abuse by people doing this, this is now forbidden.


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If you find a lower price simply email Pricematch Bottingswell at firstname.lastname@example.com with a link to the product website and he will email you back if the price match is approved. Price match requests are typically responded to within 24 business hours. Products listed on Amazon and ebay are not eligible for price matching.
If you find a lower price on our website within 21 days of your purchase we will be happy to refund the difference in the form of a store credit.


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Yahoo CEO: After Falsified Resume, Should He Be Fired? [POLL]
The latest reason it sucks to be Yahoo: New CEO Scott Thompson appears to have fudged his resume by claiming to hold a computer science degree he does not actually have.
The allegations were first made by activist Yahoo investor Dan Loeb, who questioned Thompson's credentials in a biting letter to the company's board. Thompson's official company biography and Yahoo filings with Securities and Exchange Commission both claimed Thompson held degrees in accounting and computer science. But Loeb said a "rudimentary Google search" showed the computer science degree to be fiction, although Thompson does have a degree in accounting.
Yahoo announced late Thursday that it had launched a probe and would report back to shareholders. There are a number of questions that must be answered, among them: Did Thompson himself insert the false claim? If so, when? How did Yahoo's hiring committee not discover the discrepancy? Did anyone else know Thompson does not in fact hold a computer science degree? Loeb sent another letter to the Yahoo board on Friday, calling the company's response to the discovery about Thompson's resume "height of arrogance." Loeb also made an ominous point in the Friday letter.
"Mr. Thompson and the Board should make no mistake: this is a big deal," Loeb wrote. "CEO's have been terminated for less at other companies."
One argument could be made that Thompson's decades of corporate success outweigh a false resume claim. But others might see it as raising larger ethical concerns about how fit he is to run a major, publicly traded company.
What do you think Yahoo's board should do about Scott Thompson? Vote in the poll below, and check back often for updates on the Mashable community's verdict.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons


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Powerball News
The biggest jackpot in U.S. lottery history just grew to $1.4 billion.
Strong sales for Wednesday night's drawing boosted the Powerball jackpot from the previous total of about $1.3 billion, the Texas lottery said Monday. The lump sum cash payout would be $867.9 million, it said. The winner could also opt to receive the entire jackpot in annuities over 30 years. It will be the first U.S. lottery jackpot to reach $1 billion.
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SEAN Morris could now help Oxford Rugby League build on their debut season after missing out on a London Broncos contract.
The triple Oxford rugby union Blue was on trial with First Utility Super League side Broncos less than a year after switching codes.
But despite impressing and scoring a try against Leeds Rhinos at Headingley, Morris, who can play at wing or centre, did not land a deal.
"There was no contract unfortunately, but I did get good feedback from Tony Rea (Broncos' head coach)," said Morris.
"It was matter of them needing a player with more top-level experience rather than me not being a good enough rugby player.
"I suppose it is the both the best and worst kind of rejection!"
Broncos' squad does, however, include George Griffin, younger brother of fellow professionals Darrell and Josh, who all hail from Witney.
Morris is now considering a second season with Oxford, who have been boosted by the signing of London Broncos academy winger Chima Oduma (below).
The 19-year-old, who can also play at centre, joins as Oxford prepare for the new Kingstone Press Championship One season.
Oduma has also played for South London Storm and London and Southeast Colleges.
He said: "I am very excited to have been given the opportunity to play for Oxford Rugby League.
"The season will be a physical test and it is one I look forward to.
"I also look forward to developing as a player here under the experience of Tony Benson and his coaching staff."
Benson added: "Chima is a really athletic lad.
"He's very quick with some experience behind him and I'm looking forward to seeing how he comes on this year with us."
Oxford open their Kingstone Press Championship One campaign with a home game against London Skolars at Iffley Road on Sunday, March 2.
The following Sunday, they will be away to Gateshead Thunder.


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Hi there,
For those of you who dont know me, My name is Andy {ESG}*El_Nino* Team leader of European Sniper Gathering.
We are one of the oldest teams still going in UT99.
We have a new forum http://esgtestboard.site40.net/forum/ and would love it if you could register and get involved in our community.
We are going through a bit of transition and hope you can be apart of it.
Coming soon: Our very own Sniper Server with Old School maps along with 10+ new original maps.
Looking to set up some Matches in near future if you guys fancy it?
Get in touch with me on either the forum or my private email: email@example.com
Strength and Honour
{ESG}*El_Nino* (Team Leader)
Hello from {ESG} again
Introduce yourself or post your clan links here!
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Journal Article
© Mar 2007 Volume 5 Issue 1, ECKM 2006, Editor: Charles Despres, pp1 - 130
Look inside Download PDF (free)
Virtual communities of practice (COPs) are fast becoming a basic work unit in a networked world. The relationship between COPs, Knowledge Management, and the Learning Organisation is a question of priority for social sector leaders, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners as they seek to establish ways to maintain relevance and effectiveness in the volatile environments in which they work (Thomas et al, 2005). When well executed, virtual COPs produce results because the knowledge is stewarded: organised for learning, poised for action, and planned for sustainability. In this paper, we document and analyse the actors and factors that, in our experience, contribute to success: Enlightened Leadership, Compelling Work, Appropriate Technology and Knowledge Sustainability. Over the last two years we have worked with new virtual COPs in both the public and non‑profit sectors. The outsized successes prove the power of this approach to work. The under‑performers help define the parameters for more effective implementations. Perhaps surprisingly, the critical success factors for a high‑performing virtual COP have absolutely nothing to do with technological aptitude. The two key determinants of community success harken back to Business Management 101: the strategic clarity and capacity for collaborative leadership in the organisation, and the specificity and practicality of the community mission.
Keywords: Communities of Practice, Innovation, Knowledge Management, Virtual Communities, Non-profit Management, Public Administration
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