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Miami Mayor: 'If This Isn't Climate Change, I Don't Know What Is'
Hurricane Irma churned over southwest Florida Sunday, leaving over half the state without power, causing at least five deaths and creating widespread flooding and destruction. While the storm has weakened since making landfall and avoided directly hitting Miami and Tampa, the National Hurricane Center still advises "life threatening" conditions along the Florida coastline.
Despite Florida Gov. Rick Scott's vociferous involvement in preparing the state for Irma and publicly urging evacuations, his past climate change denial and avoidance of climate-related preparations before Irma has drawn criticism. Other officials, including Miami mayor Tomás Pedro Regalado and French president Emmanuel Macron, have directly linked the storm to climate change.
"This is the time to talk about climate change," Regaldo told the Miami Herald. "This is the time that the president and the EPA and whoever makes decisions needs to talk about climate change."
For a deeper dive:
Storm: ABC, Washington Post $, New York Times $, NPR, BBC, Bloomberg
Tampa: Washington Post $, Bloomberg
Scott: Washington Post $, New York Times $
Macron: Reuters
Regaldo: Miami Herald
Commentary: Palm Beach Post editorial.
Background: Climate Signals
Climate Crisis Gets Just 10 Minutes at End of Presidential Debate
The first presidential debate seemed like it would end without a mention of the climate crisis when moderator Chris Wallace brought it up at the end of the night for a segment that lasted roughly 10 minutes.
- Green Groups Blast Debate Moderators for Asking Zero Climate ... ›
- 11 Times Trump Said 'Climate Change Is a Hoax' - EcoWatch ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Fast-Moving Fires Killed Nearly Half of These Endangered Washington Rabbits
The wildfires that roared through Eastern Washington in September had a devastating impact on an extremely endangered species of rabbit.
A pygmy rabbit rescued from a breeding site in Beezley Hills, Washington eats owl clover in its new enclosure. Kourtney Stonehouse, WDFW
- 7 Devastating Photos of Wildfires in California, Oregon and ... ›
- California Wildfires Destroy Condor Sanctuary, at Least 4 Birds Still ... ›
These Races Will Shape What the U.S. Elections Mean for Climate Progress
By Mark Hertsgaard
What follows are not candidate endorsements. Rather, this nonpartisan guide aims to inform voters' choices, help journalists decide what races to follow, and explore what the 2020 elections could portend for climate action in the United States in 2021 and beyond.
Will the White House Turn Green?
Whether the White House changes hands is the most important climate question of the 2020 elections. President Donald Trump rejects climate science, is withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement, and has accelerated fossil fuel development. His climate policy seems to be, as he tweeted in January when rejecting a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal to protect New York City from storm surges, "Get your mops and buckets ready."

Joe Biden, who started the 2020 campaign with a climate position so weak that activists gave it an "F," called Trump a "climate arsonist" during California's recent wildfires. Biden backs a $2 trillion plan to create millions of jobs while slashing emissions—a Green New Deal in all but name. Equally striking, his running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, has endorsed phasing out fossil fuel production—a politically explosive scientific imperative.

The race will be decided in a handful of battleground states, five of which already face grave climate dangers: Florida (hurricanes and sea-level rise), North Carolina (ditto), Texas (storms and drought), Michigan (floods), and Arizona (heat waves and drought). Public concern is rising in these states, but will that concern translate into votes?

Will Democrats Flip the Senate, and by Enough to Pass a Green New Deal?
With Democrats all but certain to maintain their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate will determine whether a potential Biden administration can actually deliver climate progress. Democrats need to pick up three seats to flip the Senate if Biden wins, four if he doesn't. But since aggressive climate policy is shunned by some Democrats, notably Joe Manchin of coal-dependent West Virginia, Democrats probably need to gain five or six Senate seats to pass a Green New Deal.

Environmentalists, including the League of Conservation Voters, are targeting six Republicans who polls suggest are vulnerable.

Steve Daines of Montana, who denies climate science

Martha McSally of Arizona

Thom Tillis of North Carolina

Susan Collins of Maine

Joni Ernst of Iowa (bankrolled by Charles Koch)

John James of Michigan (also a Koch beneficiary)

Republican Senators are even at risk in conservative Kansas and Alaska. In both states, the Democratic candidates are physicians—not a bad credential amid a pandemic—who support climate action. In Kansas, Barbara Bollier faces an incumbent funded by Charles Koch. In Alaska, Al Gross urges a transition away from oil, though his openness to limited drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve dims his appeal to green groups. He faces incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan, who receives an 8 percent lifetime voting record from the League of Conservation Voters.

Will Local and State Races Advance Climate Progress?
THE CLIMATE HAWKS

Under Democratic and Republican leadership alike, Washington has long been a graveyard for strong climate action. But governors can boost or block renewable energy; the Vermont and New Hampshire races are worth watching. Attorneys general can sue fossil fuel companies for lying about climate change; climate hawks are running for the top law enforcement seats in Montana and North Carolina. State legislatures can accelerate or delay climate progress, as the new Democratic majorities in Virginia have shown. Here, races to watch include Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Colorado.

THE CLIMATE POLICY MAKERS

Perhaps the most powerful, and most overlooked, climate policy makers are public utility commissions. They control whether pipelines and other energy infrastructure gets built; they regulate whether electric utilities expand solar and energy efficiency or stick with the carbon-heavy status quo. Regulatory capture and outright corruption are not uncommon.

A prime example is Arizona, where a former two-term commissioner known as the godfather of solar in the state is seeking a comeback. Bill Mundell argues that since Arizona law permits utilities to contribute to commissioners' electoral campaigns, the companies can buy their own regulators. Which may explain why super-sunny Arizona has so little installed solar capacity.

In South Dakota, Remi Bald Eagle, a Native American U.S. Army veteran, seeks a seat on the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, which rules on the Standing Rock oil pipeline. And in what HuffPost called "the most important environmental race in the country," Democrat Chrysta Castaneda, who favors phasing out oil production, is running for the Texas Railroad Commission, which despite its name decides what oil, gas, and electric companies in America's leading petro-state can build.

Will the Influencers Usher in a Green New Era?
THE UNCOUNTED

The story that goes largely under-reported in every U.S. election is how few Americans vote. In 2016, some 90 million, roughly four out of every 10 eligible voters, did not cast a ballot. Attorney Nathaniel Stinnett claims that 10 million of these nonvoters nevertheless identify as environmentalists: They support green policies, even donate to activist groups; they just don't vote. Stinnett's Environmental Voter Project works to awaken this sleeping giant.

THE SUNRISE MOVEMENT

Meanwhile, the young climate activists of the Sunrise Movement are already winning elections with an unabashedly Green New Deal message. More than any other group, Sunrise pushed the Green New Deal into the national political conversation, helping Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey draft the eponymous congressional resolution. In 2020, Sunrise has helped Green New Deal champions defeat centrists in Democratic primaries, with Markey dealing Representative Joe Kennedy Jr. the first defeat a Kennedy has ever suffered in a Massachusetts election. But can Sunrise also be successful against Republicans in the general elections this fall?

THE STARPOWER

And an intriguing wild card: celebrity firepower, grassroots activism, and big-bucks marketing have converged behind a campaign to get Latina mothers to vote climate in 2020. Latinos have long been the U.S. demographic most concerned about climate change. Now, Vote Like A Madre aims to get 5 million Latina mothers in Florida, Texas, and Arizona to the polls. Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayak, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are urging mothers to make a "pinky promise" to vote for their kids' climate future in November. Turning out even a quarter of those 5 million voters, though no easy task, could swing the results in three states Trump must win to remain president, which brings us back to the first category, "Will the White House Turn Green?"

- Climate Activists Prepare for November Election - EcoWatch ›
- The Next Election Is About the Next 10,000 Years - EcoWatch ›
- Latino Voters Worried About Climate Change Could Swing 2020 ... ›
Arctic Wildfires Are Changing, With Big Implications for the Global Climate
The wildfires that ignited in the Arctic this year started earlier and emitted more carbon dioxide than ever before.
- Climate Crisis Could Change Permafrost Soil Microbes, With ... ›
- Zombie Fires Could Be Awakening in the Arctic - EcoWatch ›
- The Arctic Is on Fire and Warming Twice as Fast as the Rest of the ... ›
By Tony Carnie
South Africa is home to around 1,300 of the world's roughly 7,100 remaining cheetahs. It's also the only country in the world with significant cheetah population growth, thanks largely to a nongovernmental conservation project that depends on careful and intensive human management of small, fenced-in cheetah populations. Because most of the reserves are privately funded and properly fenced, the animals benefit from higher levels of security than in the increasingly thinly funded state reserves.
Vincent van der Merwe at a cheetah translocation. Endangered Wildlife Trust
Under Pressure
Cheetah populations elsewhere in Southern Africa have not prospered over the past 50 years. In Zimbabwe, cheetah numbers have crashed from 1,500 in 1975, to just 170 today. Botswana's cheetah population has held steady at around 1,500 over the same period, but illegal capture for captive breeding and conflicts with farmers and the growing human population are increasing. In Namibia, there were an estimated 3,000 cheetah in in 1975; roughly 1,400 remain today.

In contrast, South Africa's cheetah numbers have grown from about 500 in 1975 to nearly 1,300 today. Van der Merwe, who is also a Ph.D. student at the University of Cape Town's Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), says he's confident that South Africa will soon overtake Namibia and Botswana, largely because the majority of South African cheetahs are protected and managed behind fences, whereas most of the animals in the neighboring countries remain more vulnerable on mainly unfenced lands.

Wildlife researchers Florian Weise and colleagues have reported that private stock owners in Namibia still trap cheetahs mainly for translocation, but there are few public or private reserves large enough to contain them. Weise says that conservation efforts need to focus on improving tolerance toward cheetahs in commercial livestock and game farming areas to reduce indiscriminate trapping.

Van der Merwe says fences can be both a blessing and a curse. While these barriers prevent cheetahs and other wild animals from migrating naturally to breed and feed, they also protect cheetahs from the growing tide of threats from humanity and agriculture.

To simulate natural dispersion patterns that guard against inbreeding, the trust helps landowners swap their animals with other cheetah reserves elsewhere in the country. The South African metapopulation project has been so successful in boosting numbers that the trust is having to look beyond national boundaries to secure new translocation areas in Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.

Cheetah translocations have been going on in South Africa since the mid-1960s, when the first unsuccessful attempts were made to move scores of these animals from Namibia. These relocations were mostly unsuccessful.

Charli de Vos uses a VHF antenna to locate cheetahs in Phinda Game Reserve. Tony Carnie for Mongabay


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Trash Bags & Trash Liners | Industrial Poly Liners
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Cost less than low density liners. Reduce gauge weight without sacrificing strength. Holds heavy loads without splitting or tearing. Stretchable and puncture-resistant liners are an economical choice for most trash disposal needs. Liner color and opacity may vary depending on recycled content. Use with 33 gallon cans; liner circumference measures 66".

subset: commoncrawl


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Select the items you wish to add to your cart
10(product tekst/content)
The buckle and belt end of this belt are decorated with the enameled depiction of a griffin. They are based on several originals from the 14th and 15th century.
The belt has a length of 165 cm, its width is 2,6 cm and it is made of brown leather.
Product details:
Length: 165 cm;
Belt width: 2.6 cm;
Material: Pigskin leather;
Leather thickness: 1.6 mm;
Based on a historic original: Yes;
Transport weight (grams): 500 *
Maintenance & care
Just as with weaponry, you can care for your shoes and leatherware by applying a little Ballistol after cleaning. This prevents the leather from drying out.
This item is produced in limited quantities only. This means that every piece is unique. Sizes & finish may vary lightly from piece to piece.


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Scottish Tea at the Hutchison House Museum
Sunday Sep 1 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Beginning Tuesday, July 2nd 2019 and continuing daily (except Monday) until labour day, Scottish Teas will be available from 1-4 pm at Hutchison House Museum, 270 Brock Street, Peterborough.
Scottish Tea, served on the terrace in the period garden, includes fresh baked scones, preserves, whipped cream, oatcakes, and tea, lemonade, or ice tea. Complimentary tours of the 1840s restored stone house are included with the teas. The cost for tea is $10.00 for adults and youth, $5.00 for children under 10 years of age.
Information: www.HutchisonHouse.ca or phone 705-743-9710


text:
Oral B 3D White Vivid Toothbrushes, Med-M, Value Pack, 2 toothbrushes
Browse all deals at Rite Aid
See more in Oral Hygiene
See more from Oral B
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Rite Aid to confirm actual price & availability.
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Rite Aid
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Zanesville, OH 43701


text:
Hoya 55mm NX-10 UV Filter
This product is in good stock and is available for dispatch in our normal delivery timescales.
Protect the front glass element of your lens with the Hoya NX-10 UV Filter. By placing a filter on the front of your lens it offers a barrier between your lens and anything that may come in contact with it when in use, while also absorbing UV rays, improving clarity. The NX-10 UV has 10 layers of anti-reflective coating, a thin profile, and 98% light transmission. More
1x Hoya 55mm NX-10 UV Filter Sorry, there are no more available.
Hoya 55mm NX-10 UV Filter
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The 105th World Series begins tonight with the New York Yankees hosting the reigning champion from last year, the Philadelphia Phillies. We haven't watched much baseball after losing interest earlier in the season after the Milwaukee Brewers started performing poorly. But we'll watch some of the World Series play, especially tonight's game because former Brewer CC Sabathia starts on the mound for the Yankees.
A while back Kaskey Kids sent us a set of baseball sports action figures called Baseball Guys. Today we took the Baseball Guys out of their box and set them up in preparation for a pretend play World Series game. The red and blue uniformed players work perfectly for the 2009 World Series. Plus, the set has made it easier to explain some baseball basics to our preschooler and has increased her interest in baseball. Who knows, she might even watch an inning or two tonight!
The Baseball Guys set encourages imaginative play. Just like those classic army men or the cowboy sets, the "Sports Guys" action figures are made of hard plastic. Each figure has a wide enough base so it stands up without falling over. The players are amazingly realistic and detailed with painted uniforms. Each player even has it's own separate number on the back of it's uniform. The figures are approximately 2-3/4" tall. The Baseball Guys set has won an iParenting Media Award and Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award.
The Baseball Guys set comes with 2 baseball teams (red and blue) and includes 30 pieces total:
• 2 Batters
• 6 Base Runners
• 14 Fielders
• 2 Pitchers
• 2 Catchers
• A scoreboard
• An umpire
• Green felt playing field (28" x 28")
• Instructions and Playbook
There aren't any actual rules that accompany the set. The instructions and playbook only provides a simplified explanation of the game of baseball. Instead, kids are encouraged to make up their own games and play freely with the figures without rules or guidelines. However, if kids need a few suggestions, the Kaskey Kids Website Kid's Corner includes a Ways to Play section. I think the baseball dice game sounds like fun. The website also shows images of the figures used as cake or party decorations. My favorite picture though is the Halloween costume of the little boy dressed as a football field.
My daughter likes to set up her own games on the felt field. She also likes to count all the figures and line them up in a straight line. She especially enjoys playing with the set if Daddy joins in and pretends along with her. Unfortunately sometimes her toddler brother wants in on the action as well. His way of playing involves destruction by scattering all the players over the floor and running off with the field.
The Kaskey Kids line of toys includes other sports besides baseball:
Football Guys, College Football, Hockey Guys, Soccer Guys and Girls, and Mini Packs.
My husband is a huge football fan and has his eye on the Football Guys: Green vs. Black so that he can set up his own Packer game. There's no Wisconsin team yet in the College line, but maybe in a few years the company will offer more teams. Sports directors and coaches have used the sports figures as training tools for their teams. Although girls can play with any of the sets, the Soccer Girls is marketed specifically towards girls and features ethnically diverse female players in pink and blue uniforms.
The sets make great gifts for both adults and children. Consider one for your sport's enthusiast this upcoming holiday season! Use the promo code "GoGuys" for a 10% discount at the Kaskey Kids web site. (From 11/1/09 until 1/1/10, use the code "Holiday" for 20% discount.)
Kaskey Kids has kindly offered to give away one Sports Guys Action Figure set to a Brimful Curiosities Reader. (The winner chooses which sports action figure set they would prefer to receive.)
To enter, leave a comment letting me know which "Sports Guys" set you'd choose if you won.
• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.Four ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4 - leave a separate comment for each entry):
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random
1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader
2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.
Thanks to Kaskey Kids for this review opportunity and for providing a free Baseball Guys set for my family to review. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)


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I'm a beginner and have only little knowledge in programming.
Would it be good if I directly learn C++ from books which cover new C++11 or should I study through the old best C++ books?
Should I have little knowledge about C++ before learning C++11? or I can start directly from there?
Would it cause problem if I directly start from C++11? If no, then suggest some books on C++11.


text:
Timothy Koehler is the Mount Pulaski Senior-of-the-Month
Send a link to a friend
[February 22, 2013]
MOUNT PULASKI -- Timothy Michael Koehler has been named February
Senior-of-the-Month at Mount Pulaski High School. Tim is the son of
Mike and Donna Koehler of Mount Pulaski.
In high school Tim has been active in band, Spirit
Squad, Drama Club and Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering.
He is an honor roll student and a member of National Honor Society.
Tim plans to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to
study mechanical engineering.
The Senior-of-the-Month program is sponsored by
Mount Pulaski Pharmacy
and Johnson's Food Center of Mount Pulaski. Monthly winners receive
$50 toward educational expenses and are eligible to compete for the
$500 Senior-of-the-Year award.
[Text from file received from
Mount Pulaski High
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The Wooden Fun Pool is a new and affordable addition to the above ground pool market.
The Fun Pool range bridges the gap between the metal frame above ground pools and the traditional wooden above ground pools, which can range from £3000 upwards. Not only are these pools available at an affordable rate, they are strong,well made and built to last. Aesthetically pleasing to compliment your garden, these pools can be used above ground or submerged in ground.
The pool shell walls are manufactured using 44mm Scandinavian Redwood which has been pressure treated with an ecologically safe preservative and carries a ten year manufacturer's warranty. It is protected against fungal rot and insect attack to ensure a long service life and also has built-in water repellency. The 2-piece top shelf is made from high quality timber including a hidden fixings kit which hides the screws by fixing to the underside of each plank rather than through the top.
Fun pools come with the same great 10 year warranty and quality of manufacture as our Premium Wooden pools
Included with this pool:
- 27mm thick redwood wooden pool walls
- Single piece softwood top rail
- Mid blue liner with felt underlay
- Pipework & fittings
- Inlet and low level suction cut-out
- Supplied with Intex 1000 gallon filter pump
- Can be positioned on a flat level lawn
- Installation guide
Made in the UK
Additional Information
|10ft Octagonal
|Pool Height
|48" (122cm)
|Pool Capacity
|8000 litres
|Filter Pump
|Intex 1000gal Krystal Clear Filter Pump (28638)
|Ladder Included
|Debris Cover Included
|Ground Cloth
|Maintenance Kit
|Pump Warranty
|Motor and wet end have a 2 year warranty, bearings and seals have a 1 year
|Frame Warranty
|10 years
|Liner Warranty
|5 years pro rata
Plastica are the UK's leading independent swimming pool manufacturer and distributor. In 2017 they are celebrating their 45th anniversary of manufacturing in the UK. They have a 13,000 square metre factory in East Sussex where they employ over 70 staff. They manufacture and produce an impressive combination of products using a combination of state of the art factory equipment and highly skilled staff. The manufacturing facililty produces wooden pools of all shapes and sizes as well as solar covers, reels and plasic parts such as ladders and pipework.
FREE DELIVERY - This item is despatched free of charge* on a 2 - 3 working day service to parts of England and Wales. Other areas will have a delivery surcharge (dependent on the postcode) added automatically during checkout.
We're sorry we can't ship directly to the rest of the world but we are happy to liaise with a UK freight forwarder to arrange delivery overseas. To do this simply enter your freight forwarder's details in the delivery address at checkout. If you have any queries please contact us.
If you are exporting this product, we can provide you with documentation to enable you to reclaim the VAT. Please contact us for more information.
* Free delivery applies to non-surcharge areas only.


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JBL Playlist RefurbishedDetails https://uk.jbl.com/speakers/JBL+PLAYLIST+150.html?dwvar_JBL%20PLAYLIST%20150_color=Blue-EMEA-Refurbished
Wireless speaker with Chromecast built-in
Refurbished guarantees:
- Meets the high standards of JBL
- 2 years warranty
- 30 day money back policy
More informationLove a bargain? You've chosen an item from our recertified range. This means it's been returned and quality checked. We're so sure it's perfect, you get the same two-year warranty.
Of course you will always receive new, unused earbuds when buying a headphones.
Wireless speaker with Chromecast built-in
Easily cast music to your speakers
With Chromecast built-in, just tap the Cast button from your favorite mobile music apps to instantly start playing on the speakers. Then control the speakers right from your phone -- search, play, pause, and turn up the volume -- anywhere in the house.
Listen to your favorites, anytime
Choose from millions of songs from popular music services like Spotify, Pandora, Google Play™ Music, TuneIn and iHeartRadio or catch up on current events with NPR podcasts. New apps are constantly being added so there's no end to the music, online radio stations, and podcasts you can enjoy. Discover more at https://www.google.com/cast/apps/.
Spotify Connect, a better way to listen at home
Play Spotify through your speakers, laptop and TV, using the Spotify app as a remote. Use the "One Touch" Play feature on the Playlist speaker to play your favorite playlist instantly.
24bit/96kHz High quality sound, powered by the cloud
Chromecast streams directly from the cloud, so you get the highest sound quality. Enjoy crystal clear sound exactly the way the artists intended.
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With Chromecast built-in, you can keep using your phone while you cast your music. Answer a phone call, play a game, send a text, and even leave the room, all without interrupting what's playing on the speakers or draining your battery.
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Easily set up your system and control multi-room playback with the Google Home app. A step by step guide allows you to quickly start streaming your music.
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Supports the latest wireless home networking technology and dual band (both 2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi connection, resulting in a faster, robust and more stable wireless connection
Music playback via Bluetooth or 3.5mm input
Connect any device via Bluetooth or 3.5mm input
Easily cast millions of songs to an extraordinary sounding speaker
JBL Playlist speakers have Chromecast built-in, so you can instantly cast music from your favorite music app, radio, or podcast to your speaker using your smart device. You can control the speakers from anywhere in the house on your iOS or Android device(s) in the house on your device(s) -- iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or tablet, Mac® or Windows® laptop, or Chromebook.
General Specifications
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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'dissolving' tag.
Paul Scott, the British writer I admire most of those active in the second half of the last century, was adept at exploring how people let each other down. In one of his novels, he refers to the various betrayals his protagonist engaged in.
I was reminded of that in thinking, as we reach the half way point of Maithripala Sirisena's presidency, of the various betrayals he has been forced into. I do not say he has perpetrated these, for I still see him as a passive onlooker, but that does not absolve him of responsibility. After all he was elected President, and he should have worked towards fulfilling as many as possible of the promises he made in his manifesto. Instead he has allowed the country to sink into more corrosive corruption than ever before.
Last week I wrote about perhaps the most expensive mistake he made, namely allowing an exception to the pledged constitutional change to limit the size of the Cabinet. He, or rather those who make decisions in his government, have now exploited that provision with the utmost cynicism, so that we have 45 Cabinet Ministers apart from the President, and another 45 State / Deputy Ministers.
Each of them is entitled to private staff, many of whom have little to do, and little understanding of what should be done beyond expanding the influence of the Minister. They have innumerable vehicles and personal security, and they all have offices, many of which have been redecorated at vast expense. Read the rest of this entry »


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"Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know…"
—Acts 2:22 (NIV)
In late 1992, "Wally" Magdangal, a Filipino Christian who for years had pastored a clandestine house church in Saudi Arabia, was arrested. His secret house church was unexpectedly penetrated by the "mutawwa", the Saudi Arabian religious police.
Wally remembers reading in an Open Doors magazine about a small group in China that gathered weekly in the back room of a small store to worship together. It was the era of the infamous Cultural Revolution. Since the believers could easily be overheard by anyone entering the store, they "sang" hymns together without words or music. Someone whispered the name of the song and they would silently move their lips and simply think of the words and music.
He said, "We are an underground Church like the believers behind the Bamboo Curtain, but the difference is that we can praise in full voice because our facilities are sound-proofed. Not even our closest neighbor can hear us." But they were betrayed and now Wally was en route to prison.
For three-and-a-half hours he was physically and mentally tortured. They slapped, boxed and kicked him on the face. Then using a long stick, they lashed his back and the palms of his hands. Then the soles of his feet. He could not stand without wincing and he describes his bruised body as looking like an eggplant.
Upon returning to his cell, Wally prayed for five hours thanking God for allowing him to participate in the sufferings of Jesus. Here are his own words; "Suddenly there was light. The cell was filled with the Lord's Shekinah glory. His presence was there. He knelt and started to touch my face. He told me, 'My son, I have seen all of it. That's why I'm here. I am assuring you that I will never leave you or forsake you.'"
Wally woke up two hours later feeling like a new man. He was amazed when he saw his body had been restored to perfect wholeness. No bruises, no cuts, no bleeding or blood stains. He adds, "God had completely restored me." This was a significant source of strength as he later repeatedly witnessed to his interrogators who were dumbfounded by his healing. Once after sharing his faith, Wally noticed the guard's countenance change. He was smiling. Wally said, "I could feel the Holy Spirit working already."
Wally (and his fellow-pastor) was spared scheduled execution on Christmas Day. Miraculously, at the last moment, they were released and deported home to the Philippines. Today he shares God's goodness and blessing around the world never forgetting that Christmas miracle.
RESPONSE: Today I will thank the Lord that He still works miracles today, here and around the world.
PRAYER: Pray for persecuted Christians who may be in prison today awaiting their miraculous release. Pray they will also be encouraged by the intimate presence of Jesus, Himself.
Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.


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For his book Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots, author Gareth Branwyn recruited Boing Boing co-founder Mark Frauenfelder to illustrate these famous roboticist trading cards. Be the first kid on your block to pull a Rodney Brooks of MIT!
These nifty cards accompanied an article Branwyn recently wrote on rules for roboticists. Collect all your favorite pioneering AI technicians or just trade with your friends!
Frauenfelder currently serves as the editor-in-chief of MAKE. Branwyn's Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots is on shelves now.
[via MAKE]
G/O Media may get a commission


text:
CLEVELAND (AP) The Browns figured they could close a deal with Chip Kelly over dinner.
That was before the Eagles took Oregon's coach to a lengthy lunch.
Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner spent much of Saturday waiting for a second meeting with Kelly, the Ducks' offensive mastermind, to hopefully finalize an agreement to make him the Browns' sixth full-time coach since 1999.
However, Kelly decided to keep a scheduled interview with Philadelphia that lasted longer than expected and carried into the night, delaying the Browns' second chance at signing college football's hottest coach.
Kelly and his representatives had met Haslam and Banner for a reported seven hours in Arizona on Friday. They came close to reaching a deal, but the sides parted company without a financial agreement with signs pointing toward Kelly leaning toward joining the Browns.
Kelly also met with the Buffalo Bills on Friday, and he decided to keep his appointment with the Eagles, who had briefly pulled their interest in pursuing the 49-year-old after they learned a deal between Kelly and Cleveland was near. It's possible Kelly and his agent, David Dunn, are meeting with the other teams to gain leverage with the Browns and sweeten the coach's contract.
But there's also a chance Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman are making a hard push at Kelly to steal him away from the Browns.
Banner spent 19 seasons with Philadelphia, the past 12 as president, but left the club last year and has had a falling out with Lurie, a longtime friend.
Kelly nearly jumped to the pros last year with Tampa Bay but decided at the last minute to return to Oregon, where he has been coach since 2009.
As of 1 a.m. on Sunday, it was still unclear where Kelly wound wind up - Cleveland, Philadelphia or back at Oregon.
NFL.com reported that the Browns met with Syracuse's Doug Marrone for a second time on Saturday as the Eagles talked to Kelly. The report said the Browns are trying to decide if they prefer Kelly or Marrone.
It's still possible the Browns will get Kelly, but it may have been harder than they thought it would be 24 hours ago.
Haslam and Banner plan to hire a coach before they seek a general manager to pair with him. The Browns have also promised that their next coach will have final say and control over the club's 53-man roster, perks that will likely limit their talent pool when looking for a GM or pro personnel director.
Kelly went 46-7 in four years at Oregon, where his high-tempo, warp-speed offense averaged nearly 50 points per game this season. He has no pro coaching experience, but some of his offensive principles are being used by New England and Washington.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick met with Kelly in the offseason and has adopted a few of the Ducks' offensive wrinkles into his schemes this season.
Following Oregon's win over Kansas State in Thursday night's Fiesta Bowl, Kelly said he hoped to have the interview process ``wrapped up quickly and figure out where I'm going to be.''
All indications are that he's headed to Cleveland, where he'll inherit a young roster that showed some promise this season.
Haslam and Banner have been in Arizona all week. They camped out there early to get first crack at Kelly and conducted at least four other known interviews before meeting with him.
Cleveland has also spoken with former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, Marrone and Penn State's Bill O'Brien, who removed himself from consideration Thursday and said he would return for his second season with the Nittany Lions.
Marrone could be a solid fall-back candidate for the Browns if Kelly rejects them.
The 48-year-old restored Syracuse's program in his four seasons at the school, leading the Orange to a 25-25 record. After a slow start this season, Syracuse won six of its last seven games and defeated West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Before he was at Syracuse, Marrone spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator at New Orleans, where he helped Saints quarterback Drew Brees throw for more than 4,000 yards in three straight seasons.
The Browns are not commenting on any candidates or interviews until they hire a successor for Pat Shurmur, who was fired after going 9-23 in two seasons.
Haslam and Banner believe Kelly can fix Cleveland's franchise, which has made just one playoff appearance in 14 years. Saturday was the 10th anniversary of the Browns' last postseason game, a 36-33 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the decade since, the Browns have had nine double-digit loss seasons and changed coaches four times.
Cleveland's current run of at least 11 losses in five straight seasons is the second-longest streak of futility in NFL history. Only the Oakland Raiders (2003-2009) have had one longer.
Online:http://pro32.ap.org/poll andhttp://twitter.com/AP-NFL


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The search found 160 results in 0.012 seconds.
A new study reveals that while homicide victimization rates declined for whites, blacks, and Hispanics in the United States from 1990-2010, the drop was much more precipitous for the two minority groups.
African women in polygamous marriages or with alcoholic husbands have a significantly higher risk of being physically abused by their husbands than women in monogamous marriages or women whose husbands don't abuse alcohol, new research shows.
Skin color is a significant factor in the probability of employment for male immigrants to the United States, according to a new study by two University of Kansas (KU) researchers.
A new study of young people finds that, with one exception, whites are more optimistic — sometimes drastically so — than their minority peers about their likelihood of living to 35.
Racial attachments are understood to be socially constructed and endogenous to gender, socioeconomic, and religious identities. Yet we know surprisingly little about the effect of such identities on the particular racial labels that individuals self-select. In this article, I investigate how social identities shape the racial labels chosen by biracial individuals in the United States, a rapidly growing population who have multiple labeling options.
This study examines whether working with a broker increases or reduces the payment received for the last client among female sex workers. Building on research on the informal economy and sex work, we formulate a positive embeddedness hypothesis, expecting a positive association, and an exploitation hypothesis, expecting a negative association. We analyze a large survey combined with intensive interview data on female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India. These data uniquely distinguish between the amount the sex worker actually received and the amount the client paid.
Scholars examining kin and community care have often sought to identify the relative importance of structural and cultural factors on the use and availability of these networks, but research has yielded unclear results in the case of child care. Cultural theories focus on how values, beliefs, and practices lead to differences in kin and community care; structural theories focus on how educational attainment, income, inherited power or inequality, and family structure lead to such differences.
This article uses archival research to explore important differences in the discursive and institutional positioning of Mexican American and African American men during World War II. Through the focal point of the riots that erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities in the summer of 1943, I examine the ways in which black and Mexican "rioters" were imagined in official and popular discourses. Though both groups of youth were often constructed as deviant and subversive, there were also divergences in the ways in which their supposed racial difference was discursively configured.
The concept of colorblind racism has been developed in recent years to explain racial attitudes held by white Americans in the post–civil rights era. The authors use data from a new nationally representative survey with an oversample of black Americans to investigate the prevalence of core elements of colorblind ideology and to see the extent to which both black and white Americans adhere to three core dimensions of colorblindness theory: (1) abstract liberalism, (2) minimization of racism, and (3) cultural racism.
This article describes a class project designed to develop students' abilities to use their sociological imagination to better understand the structural sources of racial inequality. The event consisted of a memorial reading of the names of more than 4,000 documented lynch victims in the United States. Authors conducted a pretest and posttest on racial attitudes in large Introduction to Sociology courses. Posttest responses evidenced less support for "colorblind" ideologies and greater support for structural sources of inequality.


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Pink Kitty Thursdays
Pink Kitty Los Cabos
Thursday, April 16, 2020 8:00 PMOpen Format, Rap / Hip-Hop
Bottle Service
Table Reservations are closed for this event.
Pink Table6 GUESTS | MX$5,000.00 MIN
Table in main room on dance floor.
Rose Table12 GUESTS | MX$10,000.00 MIN
Corner booth in main room on dance floor near stage / DJ.
VIP Nightlife Tour10 GUESTS | MX$15,700.00 MIN
Van transportation from/to hotel; complimentary bottled water; pre-party table at Nowhere Bar w/ MX$950 ($50 USD) food/drink credit; VIP entry + table at Pink Kitty w/ MX$7500 ($400 USD) food/drink credit.
Event DetailsLife in pink is always better and if you don't believe it visit Pink Kitty; this nightclub has great style and it's a real tribute to the boudoir decor in Los Cabos.
Chandeliers, parties, friendly staff and especially the atmosphere will quickly make Pink Kitty one of your favorite places in the world.
Its unique and glamorous concept is the key to an unforgettable night with nice drinks and the best party of all times.


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Microbe Magazine
Cover Image
Cover: Phase contrast micrograph of a Clostridium difficile mutant that cannot efficiently import oligopeptides and sporulates at a higher frequency in response. C. difficile, a gastrointestinal pathogen of humans and other animals, is a strict anaerobe and forms a dormant spore allowing survival outside of the host (see p. 153). Spore formation in many bacteria is triggered by nutritional starvation. (Image courtesy of Adrianne N. Edwards, Christopher E. O'Brien, and Shonna M. McBride.)
Microbe Magazine, Cover Image
Cover ImageVaccines are crucial for controlling the spread of influenza, but currently are only effective against a limited mix of strains. A universal vaccine remains elusive, but progress is being made (see p. 433). (Image © James King-Holmes/ Science Source.)
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text: Established by entrepreneurs Michelle Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, Bottega Veneta specialises in luxury goods, primarily leather and ready-to-wear fashion for men and women. With its home city being Vicenza in Italy, the brand's headquarters went on to be transferred to Switzerland after being purchased by the French international group Kering. Tomas Maier has revitalised the fortunes of this prestigious brand; becoming creative director and putting emphasis of artisan design onto their collection, reinstating Bottega Veneta as one of the revered names in luxury fashion. Celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2016, Bottega Veneta's prestige is now flowing into the field of eyewear. Utilising Italian flair and craftsmanship, the brand has created a stunning range of eyewear to reflect the company's motto; 'when your own initials aren't enough.' This ensures every pair of spectacle showcases individuality and confidence. Designs are ornate – with some possessing Bottega's iconic weave pattern and embellished diamantes to highlight audacity and style. Frames are available in a plethora of styles; whether rounded or squared. At Glasses Station we have a variety of men's and women's Bottega Veneta Prescription Glasses to fall for; whether looking for yourself or a loved one. See for yourself; we have a selection of options for you to choose from – such as the unisex Bottega Veneta BV0174O Glasses, featuring a metal alloy frame crafted form gold and dark havana.All Bottega Veneta Glasses


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Cheesy Onion Burger Buns
These buns regularly get packed as part of my husband's lunch! I've copied this recipe for many people—one of the nice things about it is that it also makes very good breadsticks to take to covered-dish suppers or take to picnics. I like to cook...and taste, too! In addition, I enjoy sewing and all kinds of crafts, and I've been fortunate to win several blue ribbons at Country Fair.
Total TimePrep: 25 min. + rising Bake: 15 min.
Makes20 hamburger buns
- 5-3/4 to 6-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 cups warm water (120° to 130°)
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup dried minced onion
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast and butter. Gradually add hot water. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add 1 cup flour and beat on high speed 2 minutes.
- Stir in cheese, onion and enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down and turn out onto a slightly floured surface. Divide dough into 20 pieces; shape into smooth balls and place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool on wire racks.
Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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Rock Bridge Tops St. Joseph's Academy For Title
COLUMBIA (AP) - Sophie Cunningham scored 16 points and Cierra Porter grabbed 11 rebounds to help Rock Bridge defeat St. Joseph's Academy 45-38 for its second consecutive Class 5 girls championship.
Rock Bridge (25-5) trailed 36-30 with 6:13 remaining but scored the next 12 points, including Audrey Holt's short jumper with 3:08 left that gave the Bruins their first lead since late in the first quarter.
Erin Nelson led St. Joseph's Academy (23-6) with 22 points, and her 15 first-half points gave the Angels a 25-15 lead at the break. Sydney Stipanovich grabbed 10 rebounds, but the school fell short of tying the state record for titles (7). Its last championship came in 2004.
Rock Bridge made six of its nine shots in the final quarter after starting 10-for-35.


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Users Group Workshop and Annual Meeting
"2018 JLab Users Group Meeting"
June 18-20, 2018
Jefferson Lab, Newport News, VA
Visa and Lodging
Visa Information
Non-US visitors are urged to apply for all necessary passports, visas and visitor approvals s soon as possible, to allow sufficient time for your application to be processed. We also encourage you to register for the workshop early, even before obtaining a visa. Your registration fee will be reimbursed if you are unable to attend due to visa delays.
SURA Residence Facility
Private guest rooms are located in a secluded corner of the Jefferson Lab site and are comfortably furnished like any modern hotel room. Each one is equipped with both wired and wireless computer connections along with two computers in our Great Room. Rate: $65.00 plus tax. Reservations may be made by sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling (757) 269-7460. If you have previously been our guest at the Residence Facility, you may also make a reservation by completing the online form.
In addition to the SURA residence facility, there are several moderately priced hotels in the Jefferson Lab area; most have negotiated lower lodging rates with Jefferson Lab.


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Former Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro and the official agent from his 2008 election campaign have pleaded not guilty to Canada Elections Act charges.
Del Mastro, who now sits in the House of Commons as an Independent, entered the plea today in provincial court in Peterborough, Ont.
Richard McCarthy, Del Mastro's official agent for the campaign, was not present during the arraignment hearing, but his lawyer, David McFadden, entered the plea on his behalf.
A trial that could last two weeks or more is scheduled to begin June 23.
The commissioner of Canada elections has accused Del Mastro of overspending during the 2008 federal election campaign.
He is also charged with failing to report a personal contribution of $21,000 to his own campaign, far in excess of the personal contributions limit of $2,100. Del Mastro, meanwhile, has insisted he did nothing wrong.
Elections Canada also alleges that Del Mastro tried to cover up his overspending by knowingly submitting a falsified document.
McCarthy also faces three charges, including "incurring election expenses in an amount more than the election expenses limit."
Outside the courthouse, Del Mastro said he is looking forward to clearing his name and representing the constituents of his Peterborough riding.
His lawyer, Jeffrey Ayotte, said he, McFadden and the Crown have agreed to a statement of facts and a book of documents to be filed with the court to expedite the proceedings next month.
A nearly two-year investigation into Del Mastro's 2008 election campaign focused on the $21,000 payment he made to a consulting firm from his personal account, which did not appear on his official campaign return and which would have put him over the campaign spending limit.


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Courtesy of Ashley Metcalf
Ashley Metcalf, who served in Iraq then enrolled in college, is leading a push to compel the VA to pay back wages owed to dozens of student veterans like himself.
Student veterans hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to help fellow ex-service members transition into college have routinely waited four to six weeks — and, in one case, four months — for unpaid wages, prompting eviction worries and mounting debt, according to a survey of program members obtained by NBC News.
Ashley Metcalf, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan — and the student veteran who organized the survey of other VA "work-study" employees at 18 campuses — said he's been living on credit cards since June and was forced to obtain an emergency loan because the VA has failed to compensate him for about 100 hours he's logged in the VA program.
"How can this happen? If I was working for McDonald's and they said they're not going to pay me for 10 weeks, I'd have a lawsuit," said Metcalf, an Air Force veteran now enrolled at the University of Colorado Denver.
"We're not asking for a raise or for extra benefits. We're just asking the VA to do what it said it would do: pay us on time," Metcalf said. "Coming back home, trying to figure out mentally how to transition into college life and then not getting paid? It's way too much of a stress for people who are possibly already on edge."
According to the VA website, the "work-study allowance" is available through the post-9/11 GI Bill. Student veterans employed by the program earn the minimum wage from the VA for devoting hours to specified, on-campus jobs such as "providing assistance to veteran students with general inquiries about veteran benefits," the site says, adding: "VA will pay you each time you complete 50 hours of service."
A voicemail left Monday by NBC News with the VA media relations office prompted an emailed response Wednesday from a VA spokesperson: "VA will review any issues with the work-study to ensure payments are delivered in a timely manner. To allow more timely payments to work-study students, our regional processing offices recommend that employers submit time records to the work-study coordinator once 50 work hours have been accrued. In some cases, time records are submitted after a student has accrued 100 or more hours."
But Metcalf's survey found VA work-study employees at five campuses who reported waiting one month to two months for payments — and a student in North Dakota who was not compensated for four months. (Among the 18 schools represented in the survey were Texas A&M, Florida State and the University of Kentucky). Survey participants also revealed that a number of student veterans have quit their work-study jobs due to the chronic payment delays, hamstringing veteran-services departments at some campuses.
Related: New 'military friendly' colleges list aims to weed out 'the noise,' 'bad actors'
Related: US colleges doing more for homecoming veterans, but gaps remain
Related: Thousands of veterans failing in latest battleground: college
Related: Company accused of deception turns GIBill.com over to Veterans Affairs
"I usually have 100 hours logged before I get paid for 50. For any other job I would find this to be a reason to quit," one student veteran replied to the survey. "It is mind boggling to think that I work 50 hours, submit my form and have to wait almost a month to get paid for it. I'm married with a kid on the way. Please just pay me already!!!" wrote another.
A second dominant survey theme: rising anger over the VA's lack communications — and its failure to provide basic answers as to why faxed time sheets take weeks or months to process and pay. Many survey respondents described numerous unreturned voice mails and unanswered e-mails from VA officials. "God answers my prayers faster than the VA answers my phone calls," complained one student veteran.
Tomorrow, Neal Boyd would have marked his one-year anniversary with the VA work-study program. Instead, he resigned the post one month ago. An Iraq War veteran, Boyd was named to the Danville Area Community College Board of Trustees in April as the panel's student representative. (The school, in Danville, Ill, has about 120 students enrolled via military benefits). On Aug. 1, Boyd applied with the VA to renew his work-study contract for the fall semester. He then invested about 70 hours in his assigned job — helping veterans find employment.
Two months later, Boyd has not received a reply from the VA about his contract renewal — or any money. In September, his college learned of the problem and hired Boyd, adding him to the school's payroll and allowing him to retain his job while letting him simultaneously step away from the VA's work-study program.
"I'd be in the same boat (as the other unpaid student veterans) if I didn't have such a great school," Boyd said. "When I would call the VA (for an answer), I wouldn't get anybody, just a recording saying they were busy processing time sheets. At this point, I'm no longer interested in the VA work-study contract."
While the GI Bill covers veterans' tuition fees, many other living expenses remain. That's where the work-study money is supposed to help students like Ashley Metcalf stay financially safe while attending a full load of college classes and devoting 20 hours a week to guiding other enrolled veterans from the battlefield to the classroom.
"People are relying on this money. This is ridiculous," Metcalf said of the results gathered by his survey. "I knew that somebody had to step up and do something."
For a personal view of the financial strain caused by the payment delays, Metcalf opened his personal books. In addition to his full tuition coverage, he receives $1,464 in monthly GI benefits. From that check, he pays $600 for rent. The remaining $864 must cover a month's worth of groceries, household items, clothing, school supplies, bills, gas for his car, and parking fees in downtown Denver where his college is located. While the GI Bill also allots $500 for college books, that doesn't cover the true cost each semester — just one of Metcalf's fall classes required $300 in book purchases.
Courtesy of Ashley Metcalf
Ashley Metcalf served in the Air Force for 12 years, spending time in Iraq. He's being forced to return to service in January because the VA has been months late in compensating him for college work the agency hired Metcalf to perform.
"I'm running short every month (due to unpaid wages; he's supposed to receive $600 every 30 days). I know the VA has numerous veterans issues that are being handled now — mental health and people being homeless. But I have to pay rent. We had another guy (in the work-study program) who almost got evicted," Metcalf said.
At the University of Colorado Denver, about 900 student veterans are enrolled — 13 of those are employed by VA's work-study program, aiding fellow veterans in tracking their GI benefits and merging into college life, Metcalf said. Amid the VA compensation snags, the bursar's office at UCD created emergency loans — $1,500 per semester — for student veterans, he added.
"I had to take one of those loans because I don't know when I'm going to get paid," said Metcalf, who also serves as president of the UCD student veteran organization. "I just can't wait any longer for the money."
And with the draw down in Afghanistan causing more service members to leave the military and enroll directly in college — in part due to the weak job market — Metcalf expects the work-study payment holdups to worsen. That means, he predicts, additional students will quit their work-study posts in college veteran-services departments, which will, in turn, reduce on-campus help for former troops who are trying to carve out success in college.
Metcalf, who spent six years on active duty in the Air Force and another six as reservist, also has reached a career crossroads.
"I'm going back into the (Air Force) Reserves in January," he said. "I can't afford to not work. And even though it's a requirement that I be a full-time student to stay on the GI Bill, I can't afford to live like this."
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Sale shop
Organisation details
- Address:
78a School Road
United Kingdom
- Telephone:
- 0161 969 7496
- Opening Times:
- Monday: 10am - 4pm Tuesday: 10am - 4pm Wednesday: 10am - 4pm Thursday: 10am - 4pm Friday: 10am - 4pm Saturday: 10am - 4pm Sunday: Closed
Further informationHeadway charity shops sell a vast array of unwanted clothing, bric-a-brac, books and toys.
Our shops depend 100% on stock donations from members of the public. Your surplus items are always welcome, please let your friends and family know. We accept clothing , bric-a-brac such as ornaments and crockery, books, CDs, DVDs and toys. We also accept furniture.
Please contact us if you have stock to donate.
Thank you for your support!


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When it was launched, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was the closest thing to a luxurious grand-touring coupe that the Italian automaker had ever offered. Yet it still boasted world-class performance and handling worthy of the Ferrari name thanks to its front-mounted V12, placed rearward in the engine bay for optimum weight balance.
Thanks to luscious leather upholstery and upscale trim pieces galore, the 612 was a lovely place to spend time. And even if rear-seat access wasn't a cinch, there was actually room for two adults back there -- as long as their excitement about riding in a Ferrari was sufficient to forestall a mild case of claustrophobia. In total, this mix of performance and practicality inspired Ferrari to go one step further for the Scaglietti's successor -- the all-wheel-drive FF hatchback.
Most Recent Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was produced from 2005-'11. Its 5.7-liter V12 sent 532 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. Ferrari claimed the 612 blasted to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds and didn't run out of steam until nearly 200 mph.
Until 2008, the standard transmission was a traditional six-speed transmission, though most Scagliettis came equipped with the six-speed "F1" single-clutch automated manual that was required on later cars. Buyers should note that this transmission was upgraded for 2007 for quicker reactions. Another noteworthy performance upgrade occurred for 2009 when the 612 gained Ferrari's "manettino," a small dial on the steering wheel that permits the driver to select one of five different driving modes.
Available in only one trim level, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 2+2 coupe came standard with xenon headlights, an adaptive suspension system, a power-closing trunk, automatic dual-zone climate control, power front seats and a navigation system. Also standard was a Bose audio system with Bluetooth wireless connectivity and a 15GB music server. Parking sensors were added for '07 along with an upgraded navigation system and optional carbon-ceramic disc brakes. Other options included heated front seats, run-flat tires and customization options like a specially fitted leather luggage set.
On the road, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti quickly showed that it deserved to wear the prancing horse badge. The 612's communicative steering was in a class of its own among luxurious GTs, and handling pleased all but the most demanding drivers (who probably already had a two-seat Ferrari in their garage anyway). The sweet V12 was as melodious as it was capable. The 612's F1 transmission produced truly impressive shift response. but it was jerky at slow speeds and prone to smoking its clutch when starting on hills.


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So the long awaited race report. This is long winded and just plain words play by play of the day before and day of (which is still today). Throughout the week as I upload and get some pictures I'll be posting some of those too. Don't worry I won't leave much out in here, though Mr. R said I should stop posting about the bathrooms. :)
It began Friday night with me packing up my stuff and getting ready to go down to San Diego. This was the day where I was the most excited by far. Everything still feels like a dream as I type this. I went to bed at 9:30, and had a great sleep. Woke up at 6:00, showered, curled my hair (much to my dismay it was raining in SD and my hair became a lion's mane) and went down to meet up with Alisa, and Kristen and their husbands, who were gracious enough to let me get a roll away in their hotel room. I met up with Alisa and we were instantly friends, she is so incredibly sweet and so fun! So is her husband!
We started out with a quick trip around the expo. I'm not made of money so I didn't buy anything and wasn't too interested in anything there. It's a lot of stuff you can find online for cheaper. I swear I saw a jacket that was made out of the gear check bags for $100. Are you crazy? We then went to breakfast at a wonderful place called something along the lines of the 'pancake house' but I forget the whole name. It was amazing, and worth the wait, annnnd I taught Alisa and Justin my trick about using sour cream on pancakes instead of butter. Sounds gross but it's BOMB. We got some race morning snacks at Ralphs after.
We then went back to the hotel room, relaxed and got ready for the blogging/tweeter meet up at the expo at one. We walked over there and the expo was packed, but I met up with ALL my favorite girls and boys! It was incredible, and I felt like we were all long lost friends. I then changed my corral number to be with the some of the girls at the start. I will include all the links to every one's blogs in my picture post.
Then it was time to go back to the hotel, relax and get ready for dinner. I met up with a huge group at Spagettini's in Little Italy right down the street and it was great to hang out with everyone and meet even more people. Super fun and I gabbed away with a bunch of amazing, super fast runners.
I got back to the hotel at 7:30 and got ready for bed and watched Will Ferrel in Kicking and Screaming. I was laughing hysterically, and was super relaxed. The only thing about the whole entire day Saturday was I felt like I wasn't running a marathon the next day. I guess part of me couldn't believe that it was actually, really here. Alisa came home shortly after and french braided my hair for me, which was amazing for the race.
We went to bed and I was out by 10. I slept great, except for some drunkards wandering the halls that i heard for maybe 5 minute at our hotel. We stayed right across from the "Gaslamp District", where a lot of partiers go, but I fell back asleep shortly thereafter.
Funny thing happened though, right before I went to bed, Josh Cox, tweeted that he was in SD for the marathon tomorrow and asked if anyone else was around for it. I tweeted that I was and was going to be running my first the next morning. I also was watching one of my favorite female track stars, Allyson Felix, race on TV earlier in the afternoon. I have watched her race in high school and actually went to high school that she raced against. She blows my mind. I tweeted her too that I loved watching her race and would be channeling "her speed" during my marathon. Both are incredibly talented professional, Olympic athletes.
I wake up in the morning, realizing that today is the day, and lay in my bed letting it all sink in. I was warm and didn't want to get up yet so I checked my tweets, and BOTH JOSH and ALLYSON tweeted me back good luck in my marathon. Talk about amazing motivation. I couldn't even believe it. I was beyond excited and it made my entire day.
I got ready with my blue tank, spandex and got my gear bag ready. I was still semi-stunned and not nervous at all. I think I felt like whatever was going to happen would happen. I was just ready to get it started. We took a cab to the starting line and I had already gone to the bathroom twice and got in the portapotty line to go once more. I gear checked my bag and went over to the starting line to find corral 6. I still never felt like it was really going to happen.
Saw a few more people I knew, wished them luck and got in my corral. Though I couldn't find the girls I wanted to start with, I was just ready to get going. The gun finally went off and we slowly started moving forward, FINALLY! I still felt fine but I just wanted to go forward.
There were some rolling hills on the first few miles, and within mile 1 I saw the girls I wanted to meet up with and ran with them. I remember just wanting to get to mile 6 because then it would be 20 more miles which was what I had run before. I ran the first 16ish miles with Aron, who was amazing because she put up with my whining about my bathroom issues.
At mile 6 the balls of my feet were on fire already and I knew I wasn't going to break 4 hours. I have the issue sometimes that where my toe connects to my feet it just goes numb and burns with every step. I remembered to tell myself that it was okay, and that any pace, a finish was possible. It was somewhat discouraging to be only at mile 6 though. I had considered also already going to the bathroom which I DIDN'T want to have to do. At mile 8, I unfortunately had to stop to go to the bathroom. I thought this was going to be super helpful to me to make me feel better. Wrong. WAY wrong.
Yup, that's right. I got something that only girls get and it just happened to come at mile 8. WONDERFUL. I wasn't expecting this for a few more days and in the past 10 years of running this has NEVER happened to me. I came out and was just in disbelief. This and my somewhat upset stomach lead to four more bathroom stops for me! I sure experienced a lot of portapotties at this marathon that's for sure. Looking back, and even at the time, I laughed and just thought, no way is this happening. Really?! Out of all things that was the least expected! Oh well, it was just one of those things I guess. Nothing I could do about it.
Around mile 10, we ran up a hill that I didn't know was a hill. This sounds weird but it was a long, gradual hill that lasted a mile. That was incredibly tough for me. I think it was hard for me because some reason I didn't realize we were running up hill. Aron and I talked about some random stuff and it was seriously so amazing to run with her. I was so glad that she was there, and after the hill, she said something along the lines, "Wow that hill was rough!" and I said, "Ohhhhh that's why I was feeling like crap! okay, so I can do this!" We got to mile 13 and I realized it was going to be a long day. I'd already had two bathroom stops and knew I would have to stop more. That was the most disappointing thing.
Aron and I parted ways when she met up with Tara and I still needed to make more bathroom breaks. I saw them another time right before a hill and then they passed me again. Around mile 2o my legs were shot. This was when things got a little weird. I saw two people who were racing get engaged at the top of the hill at mile 20, I was going up the hill and started to cry when I saw them. Then for the rest of the race, I was on somewhat of the verge of tears at any given point for no reason at all. At this point, I was tired but I knew I could get it done. I just kept chugging along and tried my hardest not to think of my legs who were screaming at me to stop. Then around mile 22, I began to walk through a water station and drank some Cytomax and that stuff is pretty amazing! After the water station I would run again and then if I wanted to drink water, I would go through the station walking again and actually enjoy the water or Cytomax. I ended up walking through two water stations. I stopped three more times after my two stops with Aron for the bathroom. Awful, my stomach was not happy.
I got to mile 23 and told myself it was only a 5k to go. I knew I could run three miles. I just kept going and watched the ground. Then I saw the 24 mile marker. I kept just counting down the steps in my head and telling myself that I felt good and that I could do this and it was only another 20 minute of running. It was really messing with my mind though, and my legs were very sore. Then, I saw a friend named Emil and he ran with me from mile 24 to mile 25 and it was amazing to run with him too. He told me to keep going and he is a marathon MANIAC. He's already done 7 this year and 25 overall. I told him he was a crazy person for doing these so often, but he did keep my mind off my legs and told me how much farther to go. At mile 25, I pretty much took off and gave it everything I had left in me.
I am interested to know my last mile time, but I will not have that until I upload Claude, my garmin, but I think it was the fastest mile I ran all day. I was in so much pain but I was so over the race and I just wanted to see the finish line and to stop running. I saw so many cheerers and I was hopeful that Mr. R would be at the finish line. I felt like we were going around the 'bend' in the marine base to the finish forever. FOREVER. I was thinking to myself, I can only go this fast for so long!!!! Then finally, it was over. I did some weird movement thinking that it might look good in a picture across the finish line and started walking after I crossed the mat. My legs were killing me but I wasn't tired at all. My official finish time was 4:28. I made my A goal and finished a full marathon!
I got my medal, which is hideous and disappointing, ha ha, and some water and some of my new favorite Cytomax. Then I found chocolate milk and ditched the water and took a picture at the 'photostation' with my medal and the photographer told me it was "cute." Which I think in my somewhat dazed state I said, "Good." I continued to wander and finally saw the girls I was running with for a while. We chatted and then I got a foil blanket. Finally I went to find Mr. R who texted me he was waiting and I saw him right when I walked out of the crowd. I was so surprised to see my roommate and her mom there too! It was an amazing surprise!!
I stood around and told them what 'happened' at mile 8, which grossed everyone out, and then I think I proceeded to talk about poop, I am full of class, but honestly, my mind wasn't working at all. I feel like I was just talking nonsense. My roommate and her mom walked back to their car and I met Ryan Hall and told him that Josh Cox twittered me. I follow both of them. I got a picture (will post soon) and then Mr. R asked me how we were getting back to the hotel. Doy, didn't even think of that, so we met back up with my roommate who was kind enough to wait for us and then drive us back to our hotel. Walking was slow and steady.
We got back and Mr. R, being the best ATC that he is, got ice for an ice bath and stretched me out a little bit. I was a little nauseous but showered up, and got ready to go. We went to a nearby mall and walked around for a little bit, and he even took me to a wonderful mecca called the Tory Burch Store and in my bewildered state I just took it all in, and it was amazing. We walked around for a bit until I got too tired and then we drove home.
Honestly, I'm not really tired at all, but my legs are very sore. Mostly my ankles hurt to go straight and my quads are very tight. I chafed in a sweet spot on my thighs too so that hurt a lot when I hopped in the ice bath. My hips are sore from my fuel belt and constantly pulling it down but the part of my body that hurts the most by far is my lower back. I am going to stretch a lot and hope for the best but I know I'll be sore for a little bit. I am going to try to run again on either Wednesday or Thursday.
Well if you read that whole thing, you as well deserve a medal as well because I think I may still be in somewhat of a delusional state. I will give out cute medals though, just wait until you see the blue, yellow and red glittery WINDSURFER on my medal…. yes, I'm serious. I think I still can't believe that it's over, and I did do it, and all that crazy/funny/random stuff happened to me, but hey, it happens!
I will be posting the pictures and links and anything else exciting from the weekend soon and I am so thankful to everyone who was tweeting me, and send me such nice messages and commenting. You guys really pulled me through some tough times today, and each and every one of you are so inspiring to me! Seriously it means so much to me. I had a great time this weekend and a great race and I'm proud to say that I ran a marathon. I am going to let it marinade for a while and see how I feel about it before I post my 'feelings' and possible new endeavors. I will also be posting a review of the course for any of those interested in running it anytime soon. :) I hope you all enjoyed this long drawn out report. Everything is such, and still is a blur.
Thank you, thank you, thank you though, from the bottom of my sore little heart.


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Sharp-Dressed Man Goes on Vehicle-Damaging Rampage at Mazda Dealer, CA, USA
26 Novembre 2011 - Autoblog
Have you ever gotten so mad that you wanted to break something?
For the vast majority of us, the urge passes without any property damage, but the same can't be said of Edward Roth. Fox 5 San Diego reports that the 22-year-old did his best Michael Douglas impression from the movie "Falling Down." The victim? Hines Mazda of Mission Valley, and Roth even managed to do the deed in a snazzy dress clothes. Surprisingly, the vandalism appears to be totally random – dealer officials say Roth has never done business with them.
Beyond the jump is some truly bizarre surveillance video. The footage shows an angry Roth after what appears to be an upsetting phone call beating on a Mazda CX-7. Roth then reportedly threw a bench through the dealership window, then took a pole of some sort to at least a dozen Mazdas along with one customer car for good measure. The Hines Mazda incident went on for about 25 minutes before police put a stop to the madness.
Click on the link below to watch Hines Mazda get thrashed. All told, initial cost estimate for the rampage come out to around $50,000 (we're surprised it's not more) plus one discharged police Taser.


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The second day of the Kiteboard World Cup Panama started out early to take advantage of the strong morning winds. Stacked with young guns, tour rookies, and seasoned veterans alike, the first elimination round of the trials got underway at 8am in 11-13 m kite conditions. As each competitor knew that they had to put it all together in their 7-minute heat to make it into the main event, the level of riding from the competitors was high and left many close heats, as riders pushed their hardest with hopes of making it into one of the remaining ten spots.
The biggest surprise of the qualifiers came from the young Carlos Mario who was not riding in top form. Although Mario landed some very technical tricks, his execution lacked power and amplitude and he did not move on into the main event. In the end, it was some of the more seasoned tour veterans who advanced, as well as many of the strong Brazilian and Dominican riders including, Alesandre Neto, Evandro Da Silva, Felix Martinez, Robinson Hillario, and Nico Suriel.
With the anticipated mid-day lull in the wind, the opening ceremony took place in the early afternoon at Nitro City Actions Sports Resort restaurant, where the government officials and organizers christened the event and offered well wishes for the competitors for the upcoming week of competition.
After a nice break, competition began with big tricks, close heats, and impressive riding. Close heats between Mario Rodwald and Antoine Fermon left Rodwald advancing by .28 of a point in the second round, and Reno Romeu inching ahead of Stephan Speissberger by .32.
Impressive riding from the first round had Robinson Hilario scoring big points first against fellow country-man Nico Suriel. In the second round, against Marc Jacobs, he beat the 2013 vice world champion with his powerful style exemplified in his S-Mobe, Front Blind Mobe and Blind Judge 5.
Big tricks were unleashed from Christophe Tack who scored the highest heat total of the day with some impressive toeside action, including a Crow Mobe 5 and Pete Rose 5, in addition to an exceptionally massive Blind Judge 7, which earned himself a total score of 38.74. Also noteworthy from today's heats was Felix Martinez who impressed riders and judges with a very powered 313 and an eye-catching and creative one handed Front Blind Mobe.
Only one round of the women's heats were completed, with a noteworthy performance from Annelous Lammerts. In the end, the day was full of exciting action, spectacular crashes and thrilling riding.
Keep current on daily results by visiting the PKRA website at www.prokitetour.com
Browse Photo Galleries here.


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Is it possible to get an 'S' rank in Resident Evil 6? If so, what are the general requirements? I know some will probably be subjective to the level (time and enemies) but what about accuracy and deaths? is there a set rule for an 'S' rank? (assuming it is even possible)
This was the case in most of previous games. So far my best is an A rank, and I suppose the closest I have to knowing if an 'S' rank is possible is that my number of deaths was at 1 (which gave me an 'A' rank) and I wonder if 0 deaths would be an 'S' rank.
Anybody got anything better than an A?


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About RAM Central Stara Planina
Regional Association of Municipalities Central Stara Planina (RAM Central Stara Planina) is a membership based organisation gathering 15 municipalities – Antonovo, Apriltsi, Gabrovo, Dryanovo, Elena, Letnitsa, Lovech, Lukovit, Omurtag, Sevlievo, Teteven, Troyan, Tryavna, Ugarchin and Yablanitsa – with a total population of 350000.
Since the establishment in 1997 RAM Centra lStara Planina has been active in supporting the local authorities, it advocates their interests and promotes the good governance at the local level.
Before Bulgaria entering the European Union the activities of RAM Central Stara Planina has been funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the PHARE Programme and the members.
Recently RAM Central Stara Planina has gained considerable experience in planning and implementation of European partnership projects funded by the EU structural funds and other donor programmes i.e. INTERREG ІVC, Europe for Citizens, Youth in Action, Non-state actors and local authorities in development", Operational Programme Human Resources Development, etc. Under these projects different topics are discussed, solutions found, and good practices exchanged in the fields of environmental protection, gender equality, tourism, migration, public-private partnership, intermunicipal and interregional partnership, town-twinning, European integration, economic development, good local governance, citizens participation, volunteering, sustainable development, creative industries, social entrepreneurship, decentralized cooperation, etc.
RAM Central Stara Planina is a reliable and trustworthy partner on a national and international level.


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Listings in U.S. Coins in Florida
U.S. Coin Dealers
Find numismatic dealers specializing in U.S. coins in the business listings below.
MA-Shops GmbH
Business Contact: Joachim Schwiening
in World Paper Money, World Coins, Web e-Commerce, U.S. Coins, Paper Money, Numismatic Literature, Medals & Tokens, Gold Coins, Errors, Collector Supplies, Bullion, Auction Services, Ancient Coins
Welcome to MA-Shops, the world's most trusted online coin and paper money marketplace. MA-Shops offers collectors and enthusiasts access to nearly 1 million rare and important ancient and modern coins, medals, banknotes, militaria and collectibles.
6547 Midnight Pass Road, PMB 46
Sarasota, Florida 34242
United States
Antiquity Coin & Company
Business Contact: Garrett Frisina
in U.S. Coins, Silver Coins, Silver Bullion, Retail Sales, Paper Money, Key Date Coins, Grading Companies, Gold Coins, Gold Bullion, Errors, Commemoratives, Certified Paper Money, Appraisals, Buy & Sell, Appraisals
Buying & Selling Quality Numismatics, Currency & Coin Bullion the only way we know how with honesty, integrity & knowledge. @ firstname.lastname@example.com to see how we can help you. Authorized NGC, PMG, CDHCD/RT Dealers. ANA, FUN, ICTA, EAC, FMCC.
Fort Myers
Fort Myers, Florida 33907
United States
Noble Capital Corp
Business Contact: Thomas Smearman
in World Coins, U.S. Coins, Silver Bullion, Platinum Bullion, Platinum, Gold Coins, Gold Bullion, Bullion, Ancient Coins
Noble Capital is a full service Bullion and Coin dealer. Noble Capital ships anywhere worldwide with free shipping to all US destinations.
1199 S Federal Hwy
Ste 179
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
United States
Fisher Precious Metals
Business Contact: John Fisher
in Silver Coins, Silver Bullion, Proof/Mint Sets, Platinum Bullion, Platinum, Peace Dollar, Morgan Dollar, Gold Dollar, Gold Coins, Gold Bullion, Gold, Bullion
At Fisher Precious Metals, our goal is to meet and exceed your expectations by providing you uncompromising quality and integrity in all of your precious metals purchases and sales.
2151 West Hillsboro Blvd Ste 210
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442-1275
United States
Premier Rare Coins
Business Contact: Jeffrey Behan
in U.S. Coins, Type Coins, Quarters, Key Date Coins, Half Dollars, Half Cents, Gold Coins, Dollars, Dimes, Commemoratives, Certified U.S. Coins, Cents, Bullion, Appraisals, Buy & Sell
South Florida's premier rare coin dealers located in North Palm Beach, FL. We strive to give the best customer experience in the numismatic industry. Our reviews speak for themselves, look us up on social media or google.
860 US Hwy 1
Ste 202
North Palm Beach, Florida 33408
United States
Numismatic Classics Inc.
Business Contact: Rick DeSanctis
in U.S. Coins
12331 Towne Lake Drive Ste 8
Fort Myers, Florida 33913-8016
United States
A Village Coin and Stamp Inc.
Business Contact: Ed Howard
in U.S. Coins
1747 W Fletcher Ave
Tampa, Florida 33612
United States
Coin and Jewelry Gallery-Millhopper
Business Contact: Vince Santostefano
in U.S. Coins
2007 NW 43 St
Gainesville, Florida 32605
United States
Fax: 3523784322
Paul's Coins LLC
Business Contact: Paul Knudsen
in U.S. Coins
1808 A Ridgewood Ave
Daytona Beach, Florida 32117-1738
United States
Boca Raton Coin Co.
Business Contact: Boca Raton Coin Co.
in Dollars
P.O.Box 272129
Boca Raton, Florida 33427
United States


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Steele Butterfly Sling Chair (Black)
27"L x 32.25"W x 34"H
$ 315.95
This product is currently sold out.
Product #:1960-LG
Steele Canvas Basket is proud to bring back their iconic Butterfly Sling Chair. First introduced in our 1960 catalog "10 Canvas Gift Ideas for the Homeowner", our sling chair is made with 1/2" U.S. cold rolled steel with a powder coated frame and an industrial grade #8 duck canvas sling.
- This solid steel framed sling chair does not collapse...ever
- Not only is this product made in America, but it's also made to order - please allow up to 2 - 4 weeks for production


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The following letter was written by a young gentleman to his lover under the direction and eye of his father. The understanding, however, between the lovers, was, that she should read every other line, beginning with the first. Every party was satisfied:
Madam, —
The great love I have hitherto expressed for you
is false, and I find that my indifference, toward you
increases daily; the more I see of you, the more
you appear in my eyes an object of contempt. —
I feel myself every way disposed and determined to
hate you. Believe me, I never had an intention to
offer you my hand. Our last conversation has
left a tedious insipidity, which has by no means
given me the most exalted idea of your character;
your temper would make me extremely unhappy,
and if we are united, I shall experience nothing but
the hatred of my parents, added to their everlasting dis-
pleasure in living with you. I have, indeed, a heart
to bestow, but I do not wish you to imagine it is
at your service; I could not give it to any one more
inconsistent and capricious than yourself, and less
capable to do honor to my choice and to my family. —
Yes, Madam, I trust you will be persuaded that
I speak sincerely; and you will do me a favor
to avoid me. I shall excuse your taking the trouble
to answer this. Your letters are always full of
impertinence, and you have not the least shadow of
wit or good sense. Adieu! Adieu! believe me, I am
so averse to you that it is impossible for me ever to be
your affectionate friend and ardent lover.
The Rural Repository, Vol. 25, May 26, 1849


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Julian Assange may seem like an unlikely babe magnet, but the pasty, weak-chinned Wikileaks founder apparently has a number of women in a hormonal twist, despite being accused of committing sexual crimes against two Swedish women. Assange, who was released on bail Thursday, addressed reporters and supporters at London's High Court before being whisked away to a British estate. As the cameras flashed and the noisy audience cried out for him, it wouldn't have seemed too bizarre if Assange had been pelted with panties and bras.
Story: Assange freed pending extradition hearing
A Facebook group calling itself Feminists for Free Speech has launched a defense of Assange. Glamorous babes (Jemima Khan, Bianca Jagger), political babes (Naomi Wolf and Arianna Huffington), and a host of enthralled female followers (the woman protesting outside the English court with a sign saying "Julian, I want your babies") all seem to be hot for Julian. The popular women's blog Jezebel acknowledged the fascination over his looks with a video showing the mighty morphing of his hair. Other bloggers have also gotten caught up in Julian fever —"Julianassnageisgorgeous" expressed elation at how well he held up while incarcerated and the the "Julian Fanciers Guild" declared that the elevation of Assange to "Justin Bieber status is complete."
It's hardly a surprise why. First, Assange has assiduously cultivated his own mythos. Just take a look at that intense stare from the WikiLeaks banner atop its homepage. Then there's his vaguely French-sounding name, his international-man-of-mystery persona and his self-created persecuted crusader status. He's even got the skinny frame, multi-hued hair and doe eyes certain female English lit majors and fans of Morrissey always love.
As Keith Richards' autobiography and old Bogart movies testify, some women do go for the bad boys, and you don't have to be a male model to become a crush object.
Those closest to Assange, like his ex-wife and mother of his child with whom he and his own mother fought a years-long custody battle, sometimes have a different view, as Raffi Khatchadurian reported last June in The New Yorker. Khatchadurian's portrait of Assange is of a manchild taken care of by women, a manchild who says that he's ready to inflict "collateral damage" on bystanders, and that Wikileakers "might get blood on their hands."
But no amount of debunking, nor any testimony by the women Assange is accused of harming, is going to change the minds of Julian fans any more than 13-year-old girls are going to be dissuaded by evidence Justin Bieber can't sing.
Brian Alexander is the author of the book "America Unzipped: In Search of Sex and Satisfaction," now in paperback.
© 2013 msnbc.com. Reprints


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And best yet - another career moment has been achieved in the life CV - because oh yes and wait for it...I am now a page 3 girl!!
Yes indeed my picture graces page 3 of todays Lincoln Echo, along with an article on how time is no longer standing still in Lincoln Central Market but is merrily marching forward with the rest of us.
So anyway here for all to read is the article in question.
I would like to say thank you to the News Editor for responding to my notification on Saturday and sending down the nice reported - Michael Brown - who was a great guy, and sending the nice photographer -John Jenkins - who was also very nice and even managed, true to his word and skills, to make me not look too much like a rabid chipmunk on a seriosu caffeine high! Thanks guys.
Ok so there we go, a clock that works and let's me know when it really is caffeine time, generally about 8:45am - 4:00pm Monday - Saturday! so if your passing call in and remember I take mine with a shot of caramel syrup in it too!
See you in the shop tomorrow - or online, or on twitter and remember if you have to buy a book online do me a favour and use our affiliate shop to help support us at least a little - though we do take orders bytwitter @unicorntreebks now too!


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My friend Margaret Perry over at Ten Thousand Places sent me an article last evening about a rather bizarre form of protest taking place in Italy at the moment. The director of the Casoria Contemporary Art Museum in Naples has begun burning works of art from that collection, to complain about government funding cuts due to financial austerity measures. This is being done with the support of the artists involved, and took place again today.
This kind of excessive, histrionic behavior is not the exclusive purview of the left, as students of art history are well aware. The reader may have heard the term "bonfire of the vanities", which refers to a practice that was particularly popular during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Preachers would invite their listeners to bring sinful objects, or objects which might lead one into sin, to a public place. These objects would be burned, as a sign of contrition and repentance.
The most infamous exponent of this practice, though he himself did not invent it, was the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498). For a brief period at the end of the 15th century, Savonarola established what was effectively a right-wing theocracy in Florence, at the very height of the Italian Renaissance. It was perfect timing for him, given that the ruling Medici had been banished for their excesses and heavy-handedness in ruling the Florentine people. Of course, what replaced them arguably turned out to be even worse, in what came to be almost a trial run of the Reign of Terror in France three centuries later.
Savonarola sponsored numerous bonfires of the vanities during his period of influence over Florence, but perhaps the most famous was the one which took place on Mardi Gras in 1497, when hundreds of works of art, books, and other objects were burned in the Piazza della Signoria, the large square in front of the city hall. During this conflagration, and in the ones which preceded it, we can assume that many bad things were destroyed, which were indeed occasions of sin for some people: objects associated with gambling, pornography, drunkenness, and so on. Yet many beautiful things which were not evil in themselves were also destroyed, including secular works by some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, as well as Greek and Roman antiquities, musical instruments and compositions, and works of poetry, drama, and literature.
True, not everything was destroyed that could have been; some objects remained out of the hands of the contrite artists who created them, or the mobs which Savonarola sent about the city finding this sort of kindling were not able to locate as many of these things as they might have liked. Imagine the loss to Western Civilization for example, if Botticelli's iconic "Birth of Venus", or his glorious procession of Greek gods in "La Primavera" had been destroyed, as they surely would have been if Savonarola had gotten his hands on them. Yet we do know that the great painter Fra Bartolomeo burned just about everything he had painted that was not of a sacred subject, and the loss to our culture of secular work from the hand of this brilliant draftsman is an incalculable one.
I have always loathed Savonarola, not because he was actually wrong about many of the excesses of the church and society in his day, but because of his arrogance and his methods, particularly with regard to encouraging the destruction of art. It strikes me that something similar is going on in Naples at the present time. The thinking behind Savonarola's actions, and that behind the actions of the Casoria gallery, appear to be quite different, superficially. The former is ostensibly about conversion from sin, while the latter is about government funding of the arts. Yet ironically enough, both are expressions of personal vanity on the part of those advocating these extreme measures.
Rather than being what he ought to have been, an inspiring, fiery preacher, with a sense of his own personal humility as a created being and remembering his vow of religious obedience made before God, Savonarola set himself up as the ultimate arbiter of Christian orthodoxy, which he must emphatically was not. In the process of consolidating his temporal power and encouraging his followers to adhere more closely to his personal cult, he fostered a kind of reverse iconoclasm, where the only acceptable art was Christian in nature. And as devout a Christian as I am, I cannot imagine a world without portraits by Sargent, landscapes by Corot, still lifes by Zurbarán, and so on. The result was a cultural disaster, more designed to show the personal power of Savonarola over his subjects – who later rebelled and executed him – than to encourage a universal good.
In the case of the Casoria gallery, a museum director who genuinely cared about the art under his care would not be setting that work on fire, were he in fact acting selflessly in this matter. I suspect that this sort of stunt does nothing to tug on either the heart- or purse strings of the average, rational Italian citizen. The man in the street probably finds most of the type of art shown at the Casoria rubbish anyway, and is more concerned about not being able to pay his rising utility bills, or that his children cannot find a job, given the poor state of the economy at present.
These actions on the part of the Casoria are a perfect embodiment of the maxim against cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. Chances are a pencil-pushing, number-crunching government bureaucrat in Rome, who has to make decisions about budgetary matters for a living, is not someone who is going to care very much if some ugly works of art are burned in the street by a publicity hound in Naples. If the goal is somehow to hold the Italian government hostage until it finds more money which it does not have, then I suspect a great deal more art will be burned at the Casoria before something is done.
At the end of the day, this bizarre publicity stunt is a new, fully secular incarnation of the age-old bonfire of the vanities as practiced by Savonarola and his regime. The stated intent of the old practice was to encourage the sinner to reform his life; the stated intent of the new is to encourage funding of the arts: both are good ends in and of themselves. Yet the means by which these ends are being sought say more about the egos and desire for personal fame of those coordinating these efforts, than about the causes which they claim to be advocating.
"The Execution of Savonarola" by Unknown Artist (1498)
Museum of San Marco, Florence.