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Being a successful small business is not easy. The five core challenges most small business face are time management, pricing, cash flow, managing growth and marketing / client acquisition. In order to succeed, you must arm yourself against these challenges. The good news is that there are a number of fabulous resources to help you with these issues.
Actively seek out the right small business information.
Many small business owners are so over-extended that they neglect staying informed about business trends. This is a fatal error. In today's modern marketplace, you simply cannot succeed if you run your business on intuition alone. You may stay afloat in the short run, but you will eventually lose out to better informed competitors.
There are a number of incredible online resources that are both free and invaluable. Sites like Inc.com and Entrepreneur.com provide tips on just about everything from starting your business to navigating advanced legal issues. They feature in depth information on running your business, leadership / management techniques, sales & marketing tips, small business technology and finances.
Helpful Tip: Set aside at least 1 hour each week to review these sites. If you find that you prefer to read in bed, consider subscribing to a few of these magazines. This information will make you and your business stronger.
Know your industry and target market in real time.
In our modern age, trends shift at break-neck speed. It is important to stay abreast of developments in both your industry and your target market's microcosm. After all, more often than not, what concerned your target market 3 months ago is now ancient history.
Subscribe to industry related publications and consume the same media as your target market. If you sell jewelry for eco-friendly women in their thirties and forties, spend an hour each week reading news and publications that are relevant to that market. Likewise, be sure to check industry news every week. For example, using the same eco-friendly jewelry analogy, you might read up on green product developments, new fashion trends or even ecological political issues.
Helpful Tip: Set two separate Google Alerts – one on your industry and one for your target market – to send you period updates on relevant news. Google will send these news stories to you automatically, making it easy to skim over the headlines and read through the meaningful stories.
Find the right on-line partnerships.
The proliferation of online office supply stores makes economically and efficiently stocking your office a lot easier than it was 10 years ago. Buying office supplies online takes less time and makes price comparison easy. Because of online competition, online suppliers are eager to earn your business. The good ones will provide a wealth of free information on their site and happily take your calls to field questions and offer advice. For example, if you are looking for discounted printer ink cartridges but are a little confused about toner versus regular stores like compandsave not only provide free yet invaluable printer cartridge information resource center but they also eagerly accept calls and offer advice on how to save on office supplies.
Helpful Tip: When you find a supplier with great prices and customer service, hold onto them for the long-haul. A good supplier relationship can save you thousands, streamline your operations and free up your time so you can focus on growing your business.


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• Sept. 4, 2005 | 8:45 a.m. EDT
Tonight on Nightly News (Rob Merrill, Daily Nightly editor)
The broadcast will have the very latest on the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist as well as the ongoing rescue and recovery operations in the southeastern U.S. Throughout the day, check Katrina.MSNBC.com and High Court at a Crossroads for developments in both of these stories. The next posting to this blog will be on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
• Sept. 2, 2005 | 7:08 p.m. EDT
DHS defends its response to Katrina
First, they say they believe their search-and-rescue performance has been extraordinary, with more than 7,000 people rescued from rooftops, trees, and rivers, some hanging on for life.
As for why it took so long for the members of the National Guard to get into New Orleans in large numbers, Maj. Gen. Ron Young of the National Guard said no forces could be moved Monday because the storm was hitting. Besides, he said, the huge size of the guard force ultimately needed couldn't all be ready to deploy, because they were coming from 35 states. And each state would have to pay to mobilize guard members. The numbers ready to go in just Louisiana and Mississippi, he said, weren't enough.
Asked why the public should have confidence in Homeland's ability to respond to a terror attack, when the reaction to this hurricane seems so insufficient, Homeland officials say this was a catastrophe spread over 90,000 square miles.
"It would take a lot of very large firepower to inflict that type of destruction over that swath of territory," one official said.
On the overall response, FEMA's Acting Deputy Director Patrick Rhode sounded a theme that's been coming from Homeland the past few days — that responders were thrown off stride by the failure of the levees and the resulting flooding. Despite planning, he said, "all of a sudden, you're looking at a flooding situation."
Asked how anyone could be surprised by a flood, when the levees were not built to withstand a Category Five hurricane, Rhode said FEMA mobilized as never before in its history to get supplies and manpower ready to bring in. If it hadn't, he said, none of what we see today would be happening and things would be much worse. What was hard to anticipate, he said, was exactly how widespread the flooding was, spread over two states.
• Sept. 2, 2005 | 6:00 p.m. EDT
Look for the bright spots
Today, we landed at Stennis Field in Mississippi. It's a mess. The general aviation area was swamped by the winds and rain. Like so many spots here there is no electricity. The problem with that: There's no way to pump the fuel from the holding tanks to the delivery truck.
A generator delivered by a military chopper solved that problem. But who would man the delivery truck?
Well, his name is Billy and he's 13-years-old. This was his second day on the job. In a fuel truck, windows shattered by Katrina, the skinny teenager drives from chopper to chopper fueling them up.
His father usually runs the fuel farm here, but he had to leave. Their house was destroyed. They have little food. Billy has slept in a partially destroyed hangar since Katrina wrecked his home.
I gave Billy some cold drinks from our cooler and $20. He was thrilled. Not by the drink but by the tip. He held the cash up in front of the "rat jack" dog perched on the fuel truck's front seat. He held it in front of his pet's face for a few moments.
When we left, I saw a teenager's smile like one I have not seen since the hurricane hit.
Here amid this disaster, for just one moment, a young boy, who's taken on the job of a man, reminded us all: Look for the bright spots. It will help us all get through this.
• Sept. 2, 2005 | 3:57 p.m. EDT
Sympathy and sensitivity
Let me offer some disparate images to our readers today: We are now outside FEMA headquarters in Baton Rouge, after an incredible moonscape ride here in places. In the backseat of the rental car (with water and frame damage) is a case of Vienna sausages we had to give away in case we were stopped on the streets at night — emergency collateral. We all just used a bathroom for the first time in about a week, and yet I don't think it had any impact on us. We've become used to seeing our fellow Americans living in a state less than human — there is a certain sympathy to be able to look back at a pair of desperate eyes — knowing in your heart that rough living conditions are part of covering this massive human sadness.
A local radio station this morning refused to air the President's remarks apparently because they didn't think they would learn anything applicable to their immediate crisis. People were still dying in downtown New Orleans today... the living are urinating and moving their bowels where they stand or sit. A New Orleans cop called into the radio show to say he resented President Bush for the shower he took this morning at the White House. Reverend Jesse Jackson just told me he was stunned at the answer of the FEMA director on Nightly News last night to my question about the convention center. ( Watch Brian's interview with FEMA Director Michael Brown here. )
The anger here is palpable.
The issue of race, which we always like to tell ourselves is "behind us" as a country, is in our face now, because of the images of people who seem to have been assigned a lesser value in society after a storm left them with nothing.
People are moving all around us and on the radio now a man is weeping. He's been trapped at Mercy Hospital all week and the sound of a fan boat (and the possible rescue it may mean) made him burst into tears. He's been separated from his family. The radio hosts are praying with him live on the air. It's remarkable.
It is ever more apparent — and remember, we've been seeing only limited media coverage of this — that before this is over (perhaps when my own children become parents themselves), this hurricane and the response will involve issues as wide-ranging as Iraq, the environment, politics, race, infrastructure, fossil fuels, the global economy, class and our social connectedness.
The media coverage is being watched closely. We're told by the people back in our home offices that viewership is at very high levels on the broadcast platforms and on cable. Americans are united in their grief and are sharing a sense of exasperation at what's happening here. There is also, of course, great scrutiny of WHAT we decide to broadcast — the words we choose, the images we present. One particular e-mail has made the rounds and arrived in our offices yesterday — and it raises questions about editorial decisions and possible racism. The e-mail contained the two photographs below and the accompanying captions.
I will let you draw your own conclusions.
Tonight again we are doing a special hour-long edition. Again tonight I cannot promise technical or editorial perfection (any rough running last night was attributable to my own empty tank and not the military-quality NBC staff we have here), but we do hope you will join us. It's one way (trust me on this) of joining with these good people down here.
Editor's note: Use the mailbag below to communicate with NBC Nightly News or click here to send an e-mail.
• Sept. 2, 2005 | 10:42 a.m. EDT
A story that keeps getting bigger (Rob Merrill, Daily Nightly editor)
In many markets around the country, the broadcast will once again be a full hour tonight, as NBC News devotes its reporting resources to a story that worsens by the day. Four days after Katrina made landfall, survivors are still stranded, food and water are scarce and tensions are at the breaking point. This, as President Bush tours the disaster area and victims ask why the federal government isn't acting faster to provide relief. We'll have complete coverage tonight on Nightly News.
• Sept. 1, 2005 | 5:33 p.m. EDT
Congress cuts short its R&R
In reality, most members of Congress won't be coming back early — they'll stick to their original plans, returning to D.C. after Labor Day. Only a handful of members from each party will need to be present. They'll use a procedure called "unanimous consent," which can be invoked only when no one objects (and who in their right mind would object to this?). In a matter of minutes (barring speeches, we hope) they'll approve $10 billion in emergency funding, which will surely be only the first installment.
Hill aides say say FEMA has only about $2.5 billion available for immediate assistance — for shelter, food, medical care, etc. — and they're spending about half a billion a day, which means it's essential to get this $10 billion moving to the disaster zone as quickly as possible.
The fast action by Congress will avoid what could have turned into some ugly politics. Some Democrats were already questioning the Republican leadership for its original plan to wait until next week to take action. Maybe Republicans were wrong for being a little slow out of the starting blocks; and maybe some Democrats were wrong for, arguably, using Katrina as a political issue. But thankfully, for now at least, everyone appears to have taken a deep breath and decided that at a time like this the last thing we need is partisanship.
• Sept. 1, 2005 | 3:25 p.m. EDT
Houston is not home
The Astrodome has been an unemployed laborer the past few years, replaced by state-of-the-art baseball and football stadiums. What was once called "the eighth wonder of the world" is on overtime now, expected to house as many as 24,000 people. Some could call the dome their home for the rest of the year. But it's not really home and you can see that on the faces of these refugees.
The children will start attending Houston schools, as early as next week. One thousand phones are being set up in an effort to allow these temporary Texans to reach family. And televisions will be set up to monitor news coverage of New Orleans. For some, it's the lack of information from "home" that is most frightening.
• Sept. 1, 2005 | 1:58 p.m. EDT
Expanding the newscast (Rob Merrill, Daily Nightly editor)
The broadcast will expand to one hour tonight with Brian continuing to anchor coverage from New Orleans. NBC correspondents remain at locations throughout the Gulf, covering what is now one of the biggest natural disasters in U.S. history. Among the stories you'll see in the show: Where will the homeless go? Half a million people were displaced by Katrina. Can they ever return? Plus, the battle to save New Orleans as the levees continue to let in water from Lake Ponchatrain.
• Sept. 1, 2005 | 1:24 p.m. EDT
Who pays?
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) tells me more than 360,000 mortgaged homes are in the affected areas. The MBA estimates $48 billion in mortgages could be affected — either because the property is under water, destroyed, or the homeowner has lost his or her income.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the agencies that insure mortgages, are both offering Mortgage Relief Provisions to the banks that carry the loans. Those provisions include allowing homeowners to suspend their payments for up to three months, reduced payments for up to 18 months, or in more severe cases, longer loan payback plans. Homeowners must work out the details with their own lender.
And the lenders are also now required to temporarily discontinue reporting delinquencies to credit bureaus, if the lenders are aware that the borrower's delinquency is attributed to the hardships of the hurricane.
For those who had insurance, thousands of claims adjustors are preparing to move in and write checks on the spot, once it's safe.
Nearly every homeowner should have hurricane coverage.
And most of the victims in New Orleans and across much of the Gulf Coast were required to hold flood insurance by their mortgage lenders. But if the mortgage was paid off, the flood insurance was optional. And many people usually decide to go without.
The insurers say there is a very big distinction between the damage from a hurricane, and the flood damage from a broken levee.
"It's like playing Russian roulette with your home if you decided not to buy the flood insurance," says Bob Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute.
Those who don't have flood insurance will likely lose everything.
As for the renters, many of whom lived near the poverty line, it's likely many opted to go without renter's insurance. Without it, they too probably lost everything.
• Sept. 1, 2005 | 9:27 a.m. EDT
Thankful amid the tragedy
• August 31, 2005 | 10:35 p.m. EDT
View from the air
As you watch at home, the video shots from the helicopter may begin to blur....but what you can't take in from the small screen is what I see from up here in the chopper: it is the vastness of the destruction.
This is not an isolated area. As I look 360 degrees around at 700 feet above, all I see is loss.
It is a heartbreak.
I landed today on the beach in Biloxi. I hiked through the debris about five blocks. Yes, in this debris field, it is a hike.
If you wondered how we get you the pictures, it requires some creativity. We would like to give you live coverage, but the microwave signal from the chopper needs to go to a receiver on the ground. Typically we use the receive dish on a local TV station's transmitter. But WDSU's transmitter is under water. There is no power. So we record the videotape and when I see an NBC uplink truck we land and I run over to feed it in. It is not organized. The trucks are constantly moving and there is difficult coordination with our news desk in New Jersey because the satellite phones are not always working.
Our biggest problem up here is fuel. We have fueled in Houston, Lafayette, Houma, Gulfport and Trent Lott airports. Some have no power so the only fuel we can get is what's in the truck and that's running out quickly. I am amazed that fuel truck operators who have lost their homes and their cars are still able to slog into the messed up airports to provide the vital juice that makes this all happen.
We are at the back of the growing "filler up" line'; emergency choppers are rightly the first to get fuel.
We were able to go live Tuesday morning for about 15 minutes from New Orleans on the Today show thanks to a very creative and fearless engineering team from NBC down below.
Engineers "JK" and Bob Lapp took a dish on the ground and aimed it to our chopper overhead. They literally caught the signal and then wired it to a satellite truck and sent it to NBC headquarters in New York.
Hooray for ingenuity.
• August 31, 2005 | 6:40 p.m. EDT
An impromptu rescue mission
NEW ORLEANS — Napoleon Avenue... a neighborhood of stately homes flooded to the front door. As choppers fly overhead, our crew drives until we have to walk or canoe. The water gets deeper and deeper. We're told Memorial Medical Center is six blocks away and we're trying to get there.
Each encounter we have is more and more profound. An airboat offers to take us to the hospital, but the boat sinks in the maze of tight corners. We dig the boat out, and continue on with driver Stanley Bordelon, a volunteer who's brought four of his airboats to New Orleans.
But just as we reach the front door, we meet Terrance and Victoria Tunson, a young married couple who are literally swimming to find their father, who they think is stranded at home. Slowly, we reach their street and it's suddenly clear this neighborhood is packed with people who never left.
Finally, we see him. He has built a raft out of the back door and uses it to get to our boat. So does the dog, Scoops.
As we head back, we learn the hospital has no patients. They've all been airlifted. But there are 1,000 employees and family members inside, waving down at us in the street. Across Orleans parish, 2,500 patients have been evacuated from hospitals.
Finally on dry ground, Victoria and her father are lucky. They'll try to get to family in Houston.
But the hard part is all too clear. Missions like this are going to have to happen again and again and again.
Editor's note: You can view video of Carl's trip here .
• August 31, 2005 | 4:49 p.m. EDT
What about the levee?
The 17th Street Canal breach is 300 feet wide, allowing water to pour out of Lake Pontchartrain and into the city. The water flow has slowed, but that's only because so much of it has flowed out of the lake and into the city. Water levels in the city and the lake are almost equal.
The plan tonight is to use a helicopter to drop 15,000 pound bags of gravel and sand into the breach. It's never been done before. They're not sure it will work. But they have no other options.
If they get the breach closed, they can eventually start to pump water out of New Orleans. But at the moment, none of New Orleans' massive water pumps is working.
Once the pumping effort does begin, it will take weeks to pump all the water out and back into the lake.
The demands on the Army Corps of Engineers have never been greater for a domestic emergency. An entire city is underwater. One senior engineer said they're not panicked, but "this will probably be the highest priority emergency we will ever face in our lifetimes."
• August 31, 2005 | 1:09 p.m. EDT
'Neither snow nor rain nor heat...' but what about a hurricane?
The USPS is working with FEMA to identify the best locations for mobile units or mail distribution centers. So far, those locations have not been identified or set up. They do not yet have an estimate on how much mail may have been lost or damaged in the storm.
The government checks that retirees and low-income residents rely on getting the first of the month will be held at the nearest distribution point until USPS/FEMA determine how to get it to the correct neighborhoods.
• August 31, 2005 | 11:32 a.m. EDT
Editor's note: NBC Correspondent Kerry Sanders flew over New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Miss. in a helicopter on Tuesday. You can watch video of his trip here . He typed this blog entry during the flight but because of communication difficulties, we are just now able to post it.
Heartbreak from 500 feet
In some cases all I can see is the roof peaking through the water. That's deep.
I saw an amazing Coast Guard rescue... the survivors had punched through the roof of a flooded home. The rescue diver was on the roof, loading the survivors one by one into a basket. I gasped as they made the terrifying trip from the roof to the chopper. Terrifying, but also thrilling, as each person could celebrate survival.
I am struck by the difference between Katrina and the biggest storm in the last two decades: Hurricane Andrew. The problem in Homestead, Fla. was sheer wind destruction. Here it is flooding.
This morning, just before the sun appeared, a lone man who survived the storm heard our chopper blades and began to flash his flashlight on and off — a sort of Morse code that said, "I am alive. Help me."
• August 31, 2005 | 9:45 a.m. EDT
It sends shivers (Jeff Gralnick, NBC News special consultant)
Editor's note: From 1963 through 1965 Jeff Gralnick was a CBS News reporter covering the South and New Orleans Bureau Manager.
I lived there. Sure it was four decades ago, but many memories of a great city never die. It's damned hard, putting your head around the fact that what you knew and where you experienced it are just gone. "Gone" is such a tough concept to grasp.
I lived in the Garden District out toward Tulane for a year. Wonderful apartment complex. Probably condos now. Ground floor. That area is totally under water now. Think about what it must be like for the people who live there, in that unit now. It sends shivers.
Up St. Charles on the trolley line was Tulane and the stadium. Watched some Green Wave football back then. A glorious campus. What happens to all those students? What happens to all those lives? Interrupted. To be resumed when? That sends shivers too.
Further up St. Charles is — now I guess it really has to be thought of as was — the zoo. In those days a lovely little zoo. Kids rides. A great place to just go chill and catch a breeze on a kind of August day this has to be in New Orleans. Hot and steamy but you always knew you were a trolley ride away from air conditioning and a cold beer. Air conditioning and a cold beer. When will anyone in New Orleans have those again? And the animals. What ever happened to the animals? To think about what they experienced as the water rose is chilling.
Lived in Metairie out toward the airport for two years. That part of the area was reported to be 10 feet under water before the levees went. Think about what it must be like for the people who live there, in that townhouse complex now. It sends shivers.
Weathered Hurricane Betsy in that town house in 1965. Scariest night I can remember short of some long ones in Vietnam several years later. Came out the next morning — it wasn't "woke up" because no one slept — to see the capricious nature of the storm. My unit had a roof. The one adjacent had none.The one at right angles had no second floor but at least the ground we stood on was dry and the power was back within days.
Spent so many hours in The Quarter. So many great meals and great times. All those wonderful restaurants like Brennan's and Galatoires underwater. Will anything ever be the same again? Will they ever play jazz again in Preservation Hall?
And all of this, as hard as it is to grasp, is the small stuff. That was then and this is now and such an awful now. There was a lady as the storm approached who became THE sound bite and THE headline grab. "Pray for Us" she said, and we should. We really should.
• August 30, 2005| 8:15 p.m. EDT
A brief posting from New Orleans (Brian Williams)
• August 30, 2005 | 6:33 p.m. EDT
Martial law in Louisiana? (Pete Williams)
Under Louisiana law, parish presidents, the ranking county officials, have broad powers to declare local emergencies, and many have now done so. They can, for example, take control of private property if needed to cope with local disaster conditions. They can also direct evacuations.
But they cannot, on their own, summon the National Guard. They must, instead, request the guard through the governor — the only state official with the power to mobilize the Guard in its state role. Once the governor does that, as she has in Louisiana, then Guard members have the same arrest powers as police. But under this emergency system, the guard members supplement normal law enforcement. They don't replace it, as would be the case under martial law. And anyone arrested by a Guardsman goes through the normal civilian court system.
State officials concede that there's some confusion and some overlap between this system and what martial law might afford. But they emphasize that martial law has not been declared.
• August 30, 2005 | 4:33 p.m. EDT
Gulfport from the air (Rob Merrill, Daily Nightly editor)
NBC Correspondent Janet Shamlian is on the scene in Gulfport, Miss., where the world is getting an aerial look at the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. You can watch a nearly 27-minute video shot and narrated by WLBT-TV helicopter pilot Coyt Bailey here . Janet also answered questions about what she's seeing in this Q&A. Tonight on the broadcast, we'll share with you a remarkable tale of survival amid all the devastation.
• August 30, 2005 | 1:43 p.m. EDT
FEMA mobilizes
This morning, search & rescue teams from Virginia, Maryland and Nebraska were deployed. They are driving, not flying. That way they can carry more equipment. They are not driving with emergency lights or sirens on, but I'm told they are moving quickly.
The Va. and Md. teams will likely rendezvous with FEMA contacts in the early morning hours Wednesday in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Editor's note: NBC Correspondent Jim Cummins is traveling from Texas to Louisiana with one of the FEMA teams and will report tonight or later in the week on the broadcast.
• August 30, 2005 | 1:05 p.m. EDT
Search & rescue in the Big Easy
Along the highway there's a convoy of 50 or so ambulances. EMS have been brought in from various nearby states. They're looking for any survivors. They'll take them to Baton Rouge, which is the closest place with electricity.
Big issue is flooding... there's water coming in from several sides . New Orleans is shaped like a bowl and it's going to be very hard to get out.
• August 30, 2005| 12:49 p.m. EDT
More bad news for NASA
Shuttle flights were already on hold until at least March 2006 while NASA tries to figure out why potentially dangerous chunks of foam insulation keep falling off the fuel tanks during launch. It was a chunk of this foam that doomed Columbia, killing its crew of seven on Feb. 1, 2003.
If the New Orleans plant is indeed down for weeks, and the tanks cannot be repaired elsewhere, the space shuttle fleet could be grounded for more than a year.
• August 30, 2005| 9:54 a.m. EDT
Coming up tonight on Nightly News (Rob Merrill, Daily Nightly editor)
Hurricane Katrina: The Day After... the broadcast will feature practically wall-to-wall coverage again tonight with Brian Williams live in flooded New Orleans and correspondents throughout the Gulf states answering these questions: Who got hit the hardest? When can people return home? And what will they find when they get there? A reminder that you can find the latest Katrina coverage on this site at www.Katrina.MSNBC.com.
• August 29, 2005 | 9:33 p.m. EDT
Editor's note: These are Brian's closing words from Monday's broadcast, reprinted here because so many of you asked for it.
Before we go, an update on a story we brought you Sunday night. It was about Donna Lowry, her 3-year-old daughter Demee and her boyfriend. They live in Houma, Louisiana, southwest of New Orleans in the bayou. They decided to ride out the storm on a 78-foot shrimp boat, having lost a house in Hurricane Lilly a few years ago. ( Click to watch the video report from NBC's Don Teague .)
After the story aired we were flooded with calls from viewers expressing concern, mostly over the little girl's well being.
We checked in today and they're fine. They said the boat rocked about ten times and they "didn't feel a thing." Their main concern today: they fear they might have lost their house again, but because the water's high and the roads are out, they can't get home to be sure.
• August 29, 2005 | 3:30 p.m. EDT
A broadcast worth watching
• August 29, 2005 | 2:05 p.m. EDT
Katrina coverage on MSNBC.com (Rob Merrill, Daily Nightly editor)
We are compiling brief dispatches from the NBC correspondents and producers covering the hurricane. While not all of their stories will be featured in the broadcast tonight, some will and you can read them here . Katrina is also the most-heavily blogged hurricane in history. MSNBC.com blogger Will Femia is watching the Web. Read his blog here . And if you haven't had it drummed into your head yet while watching MSNBC-TV, complete coverage of the hurricane, including a storm tracker, slide show and eyewitess accounts, can be found at Katrina.MSNBC.com.
• August 29, 2005 | 12:30 p.m. EDT
Wet but safe inside the dome
State officials have been making a point to say the structural integrity of this dome was never in doubt. While that is true, the general manager of the Superdome told me they are testing it right now. This is the greatest test this structure has had since it was erected in 1976. We found out today we have some roof issues.
What happened? The GM indicated it was the metal sheeting. It was just an incredible noise at first, like a subway train. The first aerial pictures will be something to see... problem is, it's still so windy, making it impossible to raise a mast and beam video back to New York. The minute we can safely do that, you can watch it on MSNBC. All we've been allowed to do so far is go out the back door a couple of feet. It's simply still too dangerous outside. The Superdome is surrounded by a moat and it's impossibly windy. We're still getting whipped by this storm and wish its forward progress would speed up a bit.
But the important thing is that 8-9,000 people found emergency shelter here. They have food and drink. The National Guard commander is taking his orders from the county managers and civil affairs folks. People won't be released from here until power and flooding issues are resolved in their neighborhoods. Everyone who came here as a last resort signed an invisible contract, signing their safety over to the city.
People can tell by looking up at the roof that the worst is over, but they're still going on yesterday's dire predictions for this city. There is no PA system, no effort to disseminate information, and very few radios and televisions. Although people can sense that the storm is dying out, they don't know that New Orleans dodged a major bullet.
• August 29, 2005 | 11:54 a.m. EDT
Big Easy damage report
• August 29, 2005 | 9:08 a.m. EDT
Waiting in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS — Since we're not able to predict the state of our communications, this posting, written at Midnight Sunday, will have to do until I'm able to file a more substantial update. We're about to attempt to get a few hours sleep from our 10th floor hotel rooms. Our wake-up calls will come insanely early, and the few "down" hours we'll have can't really be called sleep. New Orleans is ready and worried. Bourbon Street is desolate — the first time in my memory. This great, different world of a city is transformed by this approaching monster with a 32-mile-wide eye. We'll technically have to violate the curfew and take temporary leave of our senses to make the two-mile drive to our satellite truck. Weather permitting, we'll report for the Today show every hour on the hour. But for now we're in a rain band, the wind is starting, there's brilliant lightning and we're under both a hurricane warning and a tornado warning. I will, like everyone else, have a flashlight at my side all night. The power will go out... it always does. We'll see what Katrina does to this sunken city, and we'll do it safely. See you on the air.

subset: commoncrawl


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This is to share the results of an intervention of sorts that involved my daughter and I assisting and supporting her son / my 11 year old grandson with stuttering and how it affected his lifestyle, his life. At the time he was struggling terribly with the fear of having to stand in front of his entire class and speak as part of a graded assignment because he was afraid he'd start stuttering in front of everyone.
My daughter and I spoke frequently about solutions that might assist him, like speech therapy for instance – which he did get. Speech therapy is designed to teach specific skills or behaviors that will lead to improved oral communication.
But, there was still a problem because when he experienced what he perceived within his mind to be a stressful situation, he didn't have the tools to handle himself and so instead of saying what he wanted to say, stuttering would overcome him and disable him from being able to continue. And, when that happened, he would kind of shut down inside himself, and so practicing his communication skills was greatly limited.
So it was a little over a year ago when my oldest daughter and I were looking together for a solution for when such moments would overcome him when I realized that with what I'm learning through the Desteni I Process Pro Course or even in DIP Lite – that if he applied even just one of the many tools that the courses offer, that maybe he'd be able to assist himself when the stress or anxiety and fear come up and stop stuttering all together.
And so my daughter assisted him daily to apply himself, and it's important to understand that we kept it simple in how we suggested to him that when he see himself become anxious, or when the stutter begins, that he take that moment to first breathe, and pay close attention to what his thoughts are when the anxiety / ot stuttering begins. In the beginning the process was like taking baby steps, but then we saw how over time and as he got better at looking at and identifying his thoughts, that's when we began to hear him peak without stress or stuttering and within that he began to develop self-trust.
It's fascinating how becoming aware of one's thoughts and stopping them, that one can control and even Change who they are, and in this case, bring an end to stuttering, because here it is a year later, and I haven't heard him stutter in months. And when and if he finds himself in a moment of stress and / or stuttering begins, it's nice to know that he has a tool that he recognizes will assist him to be able to stop and then speak clearly.
Can you imagine what it would have been like or would be like if as a child you're given these wonderful tools that help you to understand all the thoughts and the feelings and All the emotional stresses that exist within and as our mind?
It would of made quite a difference for me because if I could have understood how and why I was having all kinds of emotional turmoil within and as my mind, I would of been more receptive with regards to my education process for one thing and more considerate of others, because if we're spending less time participating in our fears within and as our mind then we're able to make time to nurture our relationships with others, our reality and what's going on within and as our world.
So we've got to make it a priority to blog, to write out what's going on within us, and to get to a point where we are able to assist our children in stopping who and what we've accepted and allowed ourselves to be as our mind, and doing so will make all the difference in the world for All of US.
And, let's be honest, most of us have no clue what to do with all the chatter / backchat and fears that exist within us as our mind. Until one day we realize how stuck we are in our very own secret mind world, and within that comes all sorts of unwanted patterns / behaviors.
So there is no doubt about it, if we can understand why and how thoughts and feelings and emotions come up within us that cause all sorts of reactions and conflict, then we can forgive them, release / stop them, and re-design who we are free from fear and self-limitation. And I mean, as we change our relationship with ourself to one where we take responsibility for who we are as our mind and begin to direct ourself in self-honesty, then we can begin to change our relationships with others and then maybe we can change Life on Earth to a place where living is about giving – instead of life being the struggle that it is to survive.
FYI: Please understand that the results shared here will vary from person to person, and that there are many tools that are offered through Desteni I Process courses that will further assist one in the process of stopping a habit / pattern / construct that exists within and as our mind – like for example, stuttering.
Also understand that there is much to consider with regards to understanding what goes on within and as the mind consciousness system and stuttering. Please direct your questions about stuttering to the Desteni Forum. Thanks!
Oh and my grandson is now applying a similar process to help himself to stop biting his nails. I will share the results as they're available.
"When you're setting out to change something about yourself it's not going to happen magically on it's own – you have to be the driving force behind it. Changing a pattern of behaviour or a thought pattern requires that you actually do the new behaviour that you want to live and stop the old behaviour. This concept of fake it till you become it is exactly it – you have to practice and push yourself to do things and behave in ways that are outside your comfort zone and that may seem scary.
The first important thing you must make sure of is that that fear of "what if (I do it badly, it ends up being the wrong choice, I can't do it…)" doesn't stop you. Obviously changing yourself is going to need practice, so you won't get it perfect the first (or second, or third, or even hundredth) time – but you have to keep practicing until you become the new pattern that you feel will benefit, the pattern that you actually want to live in your life." Cerise Poolman
Check out the FREE online course and Learn Essential Life skills:
Desteni I Process Lite
A Must Hear Series: Parenting – Perfecting the Human Race
Blogs to Read that go Great with the topic of this Blog:
Day 26 – Me as a Weakling Polar B(F)ear – Part 1
Day 27 – Me as a Weakling Polar B(F)ear – Part 2
Day 256 – SF/SCS on Day 237 – On Taking Security Measures All The Time
Day 245 The great Gifts ( And Downfalls) Of Being an Introvert – Is Change possible?
Part 2: The Great Gifts ( and Downfalls) Of being an Introvert – Sinking Relationships


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The Great Gold Crash of 2013 has arrived. And contrary to what you've read or been told, the worst is not yet over.
During the course of its 12-year bull market, gold prices have fallen more than 10% in value seven times and by more than 20% on three occasions. Between March and October 2008, gold slid by 30%. Yet, today, gold's current correction is much larger. Since its peak in mid-August 2011, gold has declined 37%.
Meanwhile, gold's permabulls continue to get the direction of bullion prices completely wrong.
Here's just a tiny sample of the toxic investment advice that's been dished out over the past six months or so:
- Dennis Gartman: Gold Is Good but Gold Stocks Are Even Better – Money News (Nov.28, 2012)
- Gold's Uptrend is Still Intact: Peter Schiff – Yahoo! Daily Ticker (Dec.6, 2012)
- James Turk ups his $8,000 an ounce peak gold price forecast to $11,000 – Arabian Money (Jan. 6, 2013)
- Gold at $5,000 and beyond: Peter Schiff sticks to his call – MarketWatch (Feb.13, 2013)
- Gold Bets: John Paulson Loses $1 Billion – Hedge Co. (May 6, 2013)
- Two Gold Bulls Explain the Bottom Is Near, Heading to $7,000 – CNBC.com (June 27, 2013)
Should it really surprise us the gold experts have been so badly wrong about the direction of bullion prices? The fact is they ignore every important technical and fundamental data point that contradicts their bullish views.
Plus they have a heavily vested interest in being bullish on gold and silver because it's good for their businesses. Schiff and Turk both have large marketing enterprises that sell physical bullion to the public. Paulson rakes in hefty fees for making quarterly appearances about why he's still bullish on gold.
Have gold's permabulls lost their credibility?
Not enough so to prevent awe-struck media establishments from re-inviting the same long and wrong guests back to the studio. Apparently, the deep thinking thesis behind $10,000-per-ounce gold takes more than one sitting.
Profiting From a Gold Shock
Contrary to what the very wrong gold experts have said all along, the ETF Profit Strategy Newsletter alerted its readers that the real money in gold and silver would be on the short side.
In our time-stamped Weekly ETF Pick from Feb. 14 we wrote:
"Despite a modestly rising stock market, the Market Vectors Gold Miners (GDX) has lagged both the broader U.S. stock market along with the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) by a very significant margin. At present, GDX trades around $41.50 and is well below both its 50 and 200 day moving average. Buy the Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3x Shares (DUST) at these levels. A double digit slide for gold would likely translate into a 20%+ loss in mining stocks. This scenario offers some big upside potential for bears."
Since then, GDX has slid a vicious 40% and DUST has surged a ridiculous 251%.
In that same report, we told readers to buy JUN 40 GDX put options at $190. In early June, we exited the GDX put contracts at $1,200 per contract for a 525% gain. Our latest positions in metals related ETFs are already up more than 50%.
Unlike gold experts, we let real life price action – not hunches or biases – be our leading indicator.
The cute idea that frenzied buying of physical bullion by Chinese and Indian consumers is a bullish event is laughable. Consumer sentiment is always a contrarian indicator, as the gold experts, once again failed to mention. The sign of any market bottom – gold included – isn't panic buying, but panic selling. (See Ezekiel 7:19, if you're not into charts.)
Our examination of the precious metals market points a very high profit opportunity for investors and traders who are 1) on the right side of the market, and 2) who are correctly positioned in the right investments.
Could $1,000 per oz. gold be the next stop?
Remember this: Gold's melting point is 1,064°C.
For direct insights on the role of ETFs in client portfolios from multiple experts—including Rick Ferri, Ron Delegge, Skip Schweiss and more—we invite you to register for AdvisorOne's premiere advisorcentric Virtual ETF Summit, which starts July 23 (and get multiple hours of CFP Board CE).


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Not Without My Facebook…or The Next-Gen Workplace
November 7, 2011
According to a recent report by Cisco, one in three college students and young professionals ranked the Internet as important as food, air and water. These under-30 folks don't have a working memory of Life Before. Like television, it's just always been there.
But it goes deeper than that. Two-thirds of colleges students admitted they'd ask about a company's social media policies during a job interview. The sticky question "What will this position pay?" has been replaced with "What are your thoughts on Facebook during work hours?" Fifty-six percent wouldn't even consider a job offer that banned social media. Wow.
And it appears the next generation is willing to forgo a higher salary for more flexibility. One in three prefer mobility, social media freedom and device flexibility over more pay.
Give me Facebook. Or give me death.
Forty-one percent of those companies surveyed claimed they used attractive social media policies and device flexibility to attract new talent. Four in five college students want the freedom to choose the device they get to use.
As a freelancer, I work with several computers, an iPhone and even a GPS. I'm just as saddled with devices as the next person. And I've never considered the restrictions others may have who work in an office setting. It appears the next generation prefers a work-at-home solution. Three in five believe they have the right to work remotely.
Corporate learning and development professionals could benefit from this intelligence as they devise training programs for the next generation. These are exciting times full of possibility.
If given a choice, how would you prefer to work? Remotely? In an office setting? A combination of both?
Filed in Community, management, multitasking, productivity, technology, Work, workplace
Tags: christine hohlbaum, connectivity, facebook, internet, iPhone, mobile devices, power of slow, samsung, Slow Living, social media


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Industrial & Domestic Fuses
You have selected Fuses.
Browse through our product range using the red coloured links on the left hand navigation bar or in the table below.
Bussmann & Lawson Fuses
The Bussmann standard range of high breaking capacity fuse links for low voltage industrial and general-purpose applications meet the requirements of BS88 and IEC269 and are offered by Shop4 All Electrical ex-stock for next day delivery.
Our range also includes Lawson quick-blow fuses for instruments, electronic circuits and small appliances.
Domestic Fuses
Our Lawson branded range includes fuses designed for domestic plugs, manufactured to the highest standards.
Fuses for Street Lighting
We also stock street lighting fuses, designed for use in single-phase street lighting cut-outs or similar installations.
Current Ratings Up to 400 Amps
Compact designs are available in current ratings up to 400 Amps, offering you the advantage in space saving, whilst maintaining the thermal and electrical performance.
Shop4 Electrical Industrial & Compact Dimension fuse-links are for use in industrial installations and can be fitted into BS88 bolted fuse-holders and distribution fusegear. The range includes all BS88: Part2 reference fuse-links up to 800 Amps and has gG classification.
House Service fuse-links from Shop4 Electrical are for use in single or three-phase house service cut-outs or similar installations. The standardized BS1361 breaking capacity of these fuse-links is 33kA at 0.3p.f.
Shop4 Street Lighting fuse-links are for use in single-phase street lighting cut-outs or similar installations. These fuse-links comply with UK Electricity Supply Industry Standards and BS7654.
These Lawson fuse-links are for use in household consumer units or other single-phase installations with fault levels up to 16kA. These fuse-links comply with BS1361 for Type 1 fuse-links and are covered by ASTA Certificates of Short Circuit Rating.
Quick Blow glass fuse-links from Shop4 Electrical are available to meet a wide variety of applications. Shop4 Electrical stock 2 different sizes with current ratings from 1 Amp to 30 Amps.
Lawson PL fuse-links are intended primarily for use in domestic plugs but may also be installed in appropriate single-phase installations with fault levels up to 6kA and have nominal dimensions of 6.3 x 25.4mm.


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Galaxies are the groups of billions of stars that are held together by the force of gravity. The galaxies either the shape of spiral or elliptical, while the others are irregular in shape.
The Milky Way:
The best galaxy is the Milky Way. The word galaxy is derived form the Greek word for milk. This is because, when we view the galaxy through a telescope, they prove that they are made of individual stars, they looked like milky or cloudy areas in the sky. Our relatively small Solar system is only one of 100-200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, which is 100,000 light years in diameter. The Sun and all the planets nearly takes about 200,000,000 years to complete one rotation around its center.
Largest Galaxy:
The largest galaxy is the Central galaxy of the Abell 2029 galaxy cluster, discovered in 1990. It is 1,070 million light years distant and it has a diameter of about 5.6 million light years. It is nearly 80 times the diameter of our own galaxy. It has a total light output equivalent to two trillion times that of the sun.
Brightest Galaxy:
The brightest of all the galaxies is the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is seen only in the southern hemisphere. It is 170,000 lights years from the Earth and 39,000 light years in diameter.
The Sagttarius Dwarf, which was discovered in 1994, is more than 70,000 light years from Earth, and is being torn apart.
Most Distant Galaxy:
In 2004, astronomers at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, announced the discovery of Galaxy Abell 135 IR 1916. Its is nearly 13.2 billion light years from Earth.
Farthest visible Galaxy:
The most distant galaxy that could be viewed with a naked eye is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2,309,000 light years form the Earth. This galaxy has 300 billion stars and a diameter of 180,000 light years.


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Today, during Apple's media event, the company announced that iOS 6, which was announced in June at the company's WWDC keynote event, will be available on September 19th.
iOS 6 will offer 200 new features. Siri will be enhanced to offer movie information, sport scores, and the option to easily post to Facebook and Twitter. In addition, the Passbook app will hold tickets, passes, and payment cards for participating businesses. Also, Safari will offer full-screen mode for better browsing and iCloud tabs to save your open tabs and offer immediate access to them on your other iOS devices and your computer.
Another great new feature in iOS 6 is the new maps app. The new maps app will offer turn-by-turn directions and a new 3D flyover feature to show a more realistic view of buildings and land features. Facebook has also been integrated into iOS 6, with the option to post Photo Stream pictures straight to Facebook and status updates via Siri.
iOS 6 will be available as a free download for the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and 4th generation iPod touch. The iPhone 5 will ship with iOS 6.


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- "You're gonna learn that there ain't much in this life that you got control of. Whether you're putting yourself in harm's way because that's the way The Skipper wants it done, or you're staying away from your kids because of a stupid court order and a malicious bitch of an ex-wife. There ain't that much control in anything."
- ―Phil Bell
Phil Bell is a character in Grand Theft Auto series who appears as a main character in Grand Theft Auto IV. Phil was a close associate or enforcer of Alderney's Pegorino Mafia Family. Phil was seen as a consigliere figure to Don Jimmy Pegorino. He was a friend of Pegorino crime family captain, Ray Boccino, even though they both constantly argued and disagreed. Bell wasn't a made-man as he is only 10% Italian, and most of his family originated from Ireland.
Phil Bell was born in 1968 in Alderney City, and is of 90% Irish with some Italian heritage. He acts as if he were a full Italian, probably to fit in with his fellow mafioso. In Catch the Wave, Phil says a lot of Italian phrases, and calls the Irish Mob " Irish idiots", suggesting he is a bit ashamed to be Irish. At age 16 in 1984, he was arrested for trying to steal a car.
Between 1988 and 1990, during his early 20s, he was arrested for promoting gambling and manslaughter. Phil had probably joined the Pegorino Family by then; Jimmy Pegorino says in Pegorino's Pride that Phil is a long-time trusted business partner of his. He also says that he wishes to promote Phil, but worries whether it will offend the Commission who are somewhat racist against non-Italians. He was married and has two or more children, born after 1990 (fighting for custody strongly suggests the kids are under 18).
Phil maintains that he is a legitimate businessman, managing construction yards and the Pegorino-owned Honker's Gentlemen's Club based in Tudor. The authorities have his places of business bugged, so he speaks in generalities which will not implicate him in anything, and is especially cautious with his planning. He and fellow Pegorino capo Ray Boccino secretly hate each other, because Phil believes "every move he makes is so obvious, it's disgusting to see him trying to sleaze his way up the ladder". Ray is also much more ambitious and even selfish, while Phil believes that "there ain't much in this life you got control of", which is why he follows Jimmy's orders to the letter, even when he believes it won't work perfectly (as seen in Catch the Wave). Phil and Jimmy Pegorino's wife Angie are very good friends, causing some to believe they're having an affair. Jimmy doesn't believe the rumors, and has trust in Phil.
Events of GTA IV
Meeting Niko BellicPhil first meets Niko Bellic after the failed diamonds deal with the Jewish Mob, as the money were stolen by [[The Lost Brotherhood|The Lost MC]] member Johnny Klebitz. Phil tells to both Niko and Ray that Pegorino is angry because of that the deal goes wrong. The two then sent Niko to find and kill Johnny's associate Jim Fitzgerald.
Employing Niko
After some work with Ray, Niko was sent to work for Phil, who planned to attack both the Ancelottis and the Russians, and robbing them out. The two steal a truck load with drugs, and attack a dock full with Russians, steal two drugs boats.
Towards the end of the game, the Pegorino Family gets too much police attention, leading Jimmy to believe the family has several rats. He contemplates which one of his capos he should kill - Phil and Ray each secretly suggest to Pegorino that he kill the other. Jimmy eventually decides to kill Ray. At the very end, whether Deal or Revenge is chosen, Phil chooses to leave organized crime for good in favor of a simple life in a small town. He calls Niko to wish him all the best and they leave on good terms.
Mission appearances
- Meltdown (Mentioned)
- No Way on the Subway
- Truck Hustle (Boss)
- Catch the Wave (Boss)
- Trespass (Boss)
- To Live and Die in Alderney (Boss)
- Pest Control
- If the Price is Right (Deal)
- A Dish Served Cold (Post-mission phone call/Revenge)
- Credits (GTA IV)
- The Fixer's Assassinations (voice)
- GTA IV originally called for the player to choose whether to kill Phil or Ray, however it was changed before the game was officially released. Instead the player has to kill Ray Boccino.
- Phil Bell may be based off of Henry Hill from the Goodfellas. They are both Irish-Italians who can't become high ranking members due to their Irish ancestry.
- Phil has similarities with JD O'Toole from Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories: JD also can't get to a high rank in his family because of his Irish ancestry.
- Phil likes Jazz, as he will respond positively if the player puts on Jazz Nation Radio or Fusion FM while traveling in a car with him.
- Phil, along with Jacob, has one of the shortest voicemails in the game. (This is Phil B, leave a message)
- The radio station that plays in his office at the docks is Liberty Rock Radio.
- During the missions with Phil accompanying Niko, if the player drives slowly for a while, Phil will say something like "Inconspicuous...I like it." or "The Feds'll be looking for a fast car. Good work. That's why you gotta drive slow." Furthermore, if you steal an unoccupied vehicle with Phil, he'll get paranoid, ask if Niko scanned the car for bugs and then give a speech about bugs and other spying devices.
- Like most characters in the game, Phil Bell will wear a unique helmet when riding alongside the player on a motorbike. His helmet is color black with gold/yellow stripes.
- There is a glitch in the mission "Trespass" where just as Bell opens the door to the car to go in, you can shoot him and for the rest of the mission you can drive Phil Bell around while he is dead without failing the mission. He will not talk for the rest of the duration you drive to the sprunk factory. You will fail the mission if you drive too fast and take turns too tightly as he will fall out and will then register as dead.
- Phil is possibly bisexual because he is divorced and during I Luv LC in TBoGT, a man in a brownish suit walks out of Hercules with Tony. This man looks like Phil, although, it could be also Bernie Crane or Eduard Borodin.
LCPD Database record
Surname: Bell
First Name: Phil
Age: 41
Place of Birth: Alderney City, Alderney
Affiliations: Pegorino Crime Syndicate
Criminal Record:
- 1984 - Grand Theft Auto
- 1988 - Promoting Gambling
- 1989 - Pooping In Public Park
- 1990 - Manslaughter
- 2005 - Racketeering
- Chief Lieutenant in the Alderney based Pegorino Crime Syndicate.
- Not believed to be a "made" member of the Mafia because of he is of mixed Irish / Italian ancestry.
- Careful about wiretaps and other forms of surveillance.
- Maintains that he is a legitimate businessman, managing construction yards and the Pegorino-owned Honker's Gentleman's Club in Tudor.


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– The UK's Most Disturbing Number: Total Unfunded Pension Obligations = 321% Of GDP (ZeroHedge, Nov 12, 2012):
For all our UK readers, who hope some day to collect pension benefits, we have two messages: i) our condolences, and ii) you won't. Why? The answer comes straight from the ONS:
The new supplementary table published by ONS in Levy (2012)10 includes the following headline figures for Government pension obligations as at end December 2010:
- Social security pension schemes (i.e. unfunded state pension scheme obligations): £3.843 trillion, being 263 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) (£3.497 trillion at end of December 2009)
- Centrally – administered unfunded pension schemes for public sector employees (i.e. unfunded public service pension scheme obligations): £852 billion, being 58 per cent of GDP (£915 billion at end of December 2009)
- Funded DB pension schemes for which government is responsible: £313 billion, being 21 per cent of GDP (£332 billion at end of December 2009).
In summary, the estimates in the new supplementary table indicate a total Government pension obligation, at the end of December 2010, of £5.01 trillion, or 342 per cent of GDP, of which around £4.7 trillion relates to unfunded obligations.
Or visually:
Of course, US-based readers should not get their hopes up too much either. With total underfunded liabilities – including SSN and healthcare, in the US well over $100 trillion (on under $16 trillion of GDP) it is only a matter of time before the entire welfare state ponzi scheme blows up.
Source: ONS


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Course Spotlight
Linear Algebra Department of Mathematical Sciences
Linear Algebra covers the topics of matrix algebra, systems of linear equations, vector spaces, linear transformations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors and applications. Historical notes are included throughout the course. Calculus II or its equivalent is a prerequisite, and the course fulfills the Core Curriculum requirement in mathematics.
Read more about this program:


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As mentioned earlier, what distinguishes hypocrites from other disbelievers
is that they present themselves as being believers. For the sake of achieving
some gain, they wish to be among the believers, thinking it "profitable"
to be amongst them.
Through every situation, a hypocrite pretends to live by the principles
of Islam, in order to prove himself to believers. He performs his acts
of worship for show. Yet, such worship will not be acceptable in Allah's
sight, for in order for an act to be considered worship, it must be performed
for Allah's good pleasure alone. Hypocrites, on the other hand, seek other
people's approval rather than Allah's good pleasure. In their prayers,
charity, oaths or speech, they aim to win other people's esteem, to reap
some benefit and to prove themselves to others. However, sincere Muslims
do not harbor such concerns, but live only to earn His good pleasure.
For, they are aware that there is nothing hidden from Allah's sight, and
that one will be faced with every deed he had engaged in, in His sight,
even if he had forgotten it.
We can consider the characteristics of hypocrites under the following
They Make Their Oaths A Cloak
Lying is one of the most frequently used methods hypocrites employ to
conceal themselves within the community of believers, and to cover their
dishonesty. It is such that, for hypocrites, lying almost becomes a habit,
and in order to bring credibility to themselves, they resort to swearing
false oaths. They swear oaths in Allah's name knowing what high regard
these have in the eyes of believers. Allah reveals the true intent of
the hypocrites as follows:
They made their oaths into a cloak and barred the Way
of Allah, so they will have a humiliating punishment. (Surat al-Mujadala,
Another verse in the Qur'an, stating that hypocrites swear falsely, is:
... And they swear to falsehood and do so knowingly.
(Surat al-Mujadala, 14)
Being wrapped up in their own deceit, hypocrites are greatly deluded,
assuming that their lies will not be exposed or that they will be called
to account. But, according to the Qur'an: "
knows that they are lying." (Surat at-Tawba, 42) and "There
is a sickness in their hearts and Allah has increased their sickness.
They will have a painful punishment on account of their denial..." (Surat
al-Baqara, 10)
They Perform Their Prayers For Show
In the Qur'an, Allah mentions those who perform their prayers to earn
people's esteem as follows:
So woe to those who do prayer, and are forgetful of their
prayer, those who show off and deny help to others. (Surat al-Maun, 4-6)
With these verses, Allah introduces us the character of the hypocrite.
Believers, on the other hand, as the following verse maintains, "It
is the believers who are successful: those who are humble in their prayer"
(Surat al-Muminun, 1-2), are those who sincerely turn to Allah in their
prayers and feel "humility" towards Him.
Other related verses are the following:
... When they get up to pray, they get up lazily, showing
off to people, and only remembering Allah a very little. (Surat an-Nisa',
and are forgetful of their prayer, those who show off
and deny help to others. (Surat al-Maun, 6-7)
They Seek Esteem From Others And Not Allah's Good Pleasure
Generally, hypocrites tend to seek out other people's high regard rather
than Allah's good pleasure. They are often over-exaggerated in their tempers,
to present themselves as believers with fear of Allah. They perform which
they do so as to make it known to everybody, and to earn the admiration
of other believers. The Qur'an makes reference to the hypocrites' insincerity
as follows:
They swear to you by Allah in order to please you, but
it would be more fitting for them to please Allah and His Messenger if
they are believers. (Surat at-Tawba, 62)
Hypocrites are concerned of their good deeds not being publicized, for
they lack sincere faith. They want to bring attention to what they do
to as many people as possible, in order to-in their own minds-earn the
esteem of the believers. Their sole purpose is to gain prestige among
others. However, all ought to remember that, because hypocrites lack sincerity,
and fail to observe Allah's good pleasure, their repayment in the Hereafter
may not be as expected. In many verses of the Qur'an, Allah states those
who expend much effort to the point of exhaustion, yet whose efforts,
or in other words, acts of worship, are of no avail. For this reason,
those so reprehensible in morality should avoid such a pitiful end.
They Spend in Charity For Show
Another act of worship hypocrites perform for show is the giving of charity.
Spending wealth (in the way of Allah) refers to all kinds of spending
and types of donations made for Allah's cause, and to earn His good pleasure.
While believers spend their wealth for Allah's good pleasure, hypocrites
perform the act of worship for people's esteem. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals
the hypocrites' intentions as follows:
and also for those who spend their wealth to show off
to people, not having faith in Allah and the Last Day. Anyone who has
made Satan his comrade, what an evil comrade he is! What harm would it
have done them to have had faith in Allah and the Last Day and to have
given of what Allah has provided for them? Allah knows everything about
them. (Surat an-Nisa', 38-39)
Yet, the Qur'an relates that the charity spent by hypocrites to win the
esteem of others is unacceptable in Allah's sight:
Say: "Whether you give readily or reluctantly, it will
not be accepted from you. You are people who are deviators." Nothing prevents
what they give from being accepted from them but the fact that they have
rejected Allah and His Messenger, and that they only come to prayer lethargically,
and that they only give reluctantly. (Surat at-Tawba, 53-54)
From these verses, we learn that hypocrites perform their acts of worship
"reluctantly." This is another reason for the persistent distress hypocrites
feel. All the acts in which they engage are of no avail, for they perform
them simply to impress others. Furthermore, when Allah wills, He exposes
the true character of these insincere people, to invalidate their actions
in this world. Therefore, hypocrites also ultimately fail to attain their
desired goal: other people's approval.
In another verse, Allah provides the following example, to explain the
invalidity of the acts of worship performed by those who spend for show,
and His blessings upon those who spend for His good pleasure:
You who believe! Do not nullify your charity by demands
for gratitude or insulting words, like him who spends his wealth, showing
off to people and not believing in Allah and the Last Day. His likeness
is that of a smooth rock coated with soil, which, when heavy rain falls
on it, is left stripped bare. They have no power over anything they have
earned. Allah does not guide disbelieving people. The metaphor of those
who spend their wealth, desiring the pleasure of Allah and firmness for
themselves, is that of a garden on a hillside. When heavy rain falls on
it, it doubles its produce; and if heavy rain does not fall, there is
dew. Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara, 264-265)
They Do Not Make A Concerted Effort In Allah's Way
Though hypocrites spend their wealth to impress others,
what they spend is a pittance. What they spend is only of a small amount;
they never adopt the habit peculiar to believers, as described in the
verse, "Allah has bought from the believers their selves and their wealth
in return for the Garden." (Surat at-Tawba, 111).
Believers do not hesitate to spend all their resources to earn Allah's
good pleasure. Hypocrites, on the other hand, remain in the company of
believers merely for personal gain. Therefore, rather than seeking Allah's
good pleasure, they consider self-sacrifices as investments made for the
future; they think a small gift of charity made in the name of pretence
will entitle them to benefit from the bounty of blessings conferred upon
the believers.
In the Qur'an, Allah draws attention to the stinginess of hypocrites:
Among them there were some who made an agreement with
Allah: "If He gives us of His bounty we will definitely give alms and
be among the righteous." But when He does give them of His bounty they
are tight-fisted with it and turn away. So He has punished them by putting
hypocrisy in their hearts until the day they meet Him because they failed
Allah in what they promised Him and because they lied. (Surat at-Tawba,
The miserliness and selfishness of a hypocrite is quite contrary to the
self-sacrifice typical of a believer, for a believer seeks rewards for
his deeds in Allah's sight, aiming only for the Hereafter. He has fully
grasped the transitory and ephemeral nature of this world, and that the
purpose of his existence here is solely to earn Allah's favor.
They Are Greedy And Selfish
As well as avoiding all types of self-sacrifice, hypocrites struggle
to reap as much as they can personally from other believers. Trivialities
occupy their lives, for they do not designate seeking Allah's favor its
purpose. For that reason, contrary to the nobility and self-sacrifice
of believers, hypocrites are greedy and selfish. According to the Qur'an,
the hypocrites' profiteering from believers is mentioned as follows:
Among them there are some who find fault with you concerning
the alms. If they are given some of it, they are pleased but if they are
not given any, they are angry. If only they had been pleased with what
Allah and His Messenger had given them and had said, "Allah is enough
for us. Allah will give us of His bounty as will His Messenger. It is
to Allah that we make our plea." (Surat at-Tawba, 58-59)
The phrase, "Allah is enough for us", provides a full disclosure of the
believers' disposition. A believer hopes that Allah will generously reward
him for his deeds in the Hereafter with His Paradise, mercy and favor.
In one of his sayings, our Prophet (saas) said that the same is true for
believers in the life of this world:
If you put your faith completely in Allah, He will arrange for your
sustenance in the same way as He provides for the birds. They go out in
the morning with their stomachs empty and return filled in the evening.
On account of the triviality of this world, it would not befit believers
to be greedy or to oppose the prophets and the believers.
A believer studiously avoids being among those described in the verse
But if anyone opposes the Messenger after the guidance
has become clear to him, and follows other than the path of the believers,
We will hand him over to whatever he has turned to, and We will roast
him in Hell. What an evil destination! (Surat an-Nisa', 115)
A believer knows that Allah may grant him bounteous blessings also in
this world. A hypocrite, on the other hand, being unaware of Allah and
His blessings, seeks frivolous and worthless objectives, and thus degrades
They Conspire Against Believers
If the hypocrites in the community of believers are more than one, they
meet in private and, as the Qur'an informs us, hold "secret meetings".
A hypocrite, who strives to remain in the company of believers, will
ultimately locate others who are similar to himself, who are also selfish
and arrogant. They form groups, try to distance themselves from believers,
and remain in each other's company. They are not comfortable to be among
believers, for they remind them of their corruption, and remind them to
be self-sacrificing.
Allah tells us in the Qur'an about the factions formed by the hypocrites,
and the secret meetings they hold. A "secret meeting" is the congregation
of hypocrites, without believers' knowledge, during which they discuss
possibilities for "rebellion" or "fitnah". In the Qur'an, this comportment
of hypocrites is described as follows:
Do you not see those who were forbidden to confer together
secretly returning to the very thing they were forbidden to do, and conferring
together secretly in wrongdoing and enmity and disobedience to the Messenger?
And when they come to you they greet you with words Allah has never used
in greeting you, and say to themselves "Why does Allah not punish us for
what we say?" Hell will be enough for them! They will roast in it. What
an evil destination! (Surat al-Mujadala, 8)
In another verse which informs believers about these "secret meetings",
Allah says that they are held the "night."
They try to conceal themselves from people, but they
cannot conceal themselves from Allah. He is with them when they spend
the night saying things which are not pleasing to Him. Allah encompasses
everything they do. (Surat an-Nisa', 108)
In another verse, Allah reveals that these actions of the hypocrites
are inspired by Satan:
Conferring in secret is from Satan, to cause grief to
those who have faith; but it cannot harm them at all, unless by Allah's
permission. So let the believers put their trust in Allah... (Surat al-Mujadala,
By pretending to be believers, some hypocrites strive to remain in the
company of believers, only to spy and convey the information to disbelievers.
Because, disbelievers consider believers their enemies, but cannot cause
them harm due to the solidarity of believers. Therefore, they approach
hypocrites from the community of believers, offer them certain benefits
and, in return, ask for information.
This treachery of those hypocrites who lived in the time of our Prophet
(saas), is revealed the verse, "and among you there
are those who hearken for their sake; and Allah knows the unjust."
(Surat at-Tawba, 47). In the Qur'an, hypocrites are described as "listeners
(who collect information) on behalf of others". The related verse reads:
O Messenger! Do not be grieved by those who rush headlong
into disbelief among those who say "We have faith" with their tongues
when their hearts contain no faith. And among them are those who listen
to lies, listeners on behalf of other folk who come not onto you... (Surat
al-Ma'ida, 41)
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Made by Texavina
Custom-handmade low profile dual passenger cafe racer seat for Honda CB750 Four CB750K K2-K6 1972-1976
This seat model is also called: CB750K2 1972, CB750K3 1973, CB750K4 1974, CB750K5 1975, and CB750K6 1976
(It doesn't fit with CB750F Super Sport 1975-1978 model)
This is a complete seat and it's ready to install on your bike. The strap is removable.
Fitment: Directly fits onto the bike without any modification. The seat pan will fitting with all of the original mounting hardware
Seat Cover: Black cover with diamond pattern (Also available with Brown, Light Brown, and other colors)
Seat Pan: Solid metal seat pan. The seat pan has the same dimension as original seat pan - Approx. Dim.: 11.5 inches x 25.5 inches. It's powder coated throughout with black paint for weather proof
Notes: We can make any style or design to suit your needs. The picture of the bike is just for your reference
We are shipping worldwide
Shipping only to: USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Asia, and Europe (Please, contact us if you are from other areas). It'll shipping out from Hue city, Vietnam. We manage everything in California, USA.
Item Location:
The package will shipping out from our warehouse in Vietnam. We're managing everything in Bay Area, California, 95035 USA.
Shipping Time: Normally about 2-3 weeks
Tracking Information:
All packages can be tracking with your local post, vnpost.vn, or Trackitonline.org
USA can also track with usps.com
Canada can also track with canadapost.ca
Denmark can also track with postnord.dk
Germany can also track with dhl.de/en.html
UK can be track with parcelforce.com
Norway can be track with posten.no/en/
Australia can be track with trackingmore.com/australia-post-tracking.html
All tracking # will sending to your email on the second week of purchase
Return Policy: Buyer must email to us prior returning your item. Buyer must contact us within 15 days after receiving the product. The item must be unused and in a new condition. You can return to California, 95035, USA
Contact Us: email@example.com
Facebook: facebook.com/texavina.dallastexas
Tex Bui (aka Truong Bui)


text:
Premature babies need to receive good nutrition so they reach a weight close what they would have gained if they were still inside the womb.
Newborn nutrition; Nutritional needs - premature infants
Babies born less than 37 weeks in the womb (premature) have different nutritional needs than babies born at full term (38 to 42 weeks).
Premature babies will often stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. There they are watched closely to make sure they are getting the right balance of fluids and nutrition.
Incubators or special warmers help babies maintain their body temperature. This reduces the energy the babies have to use to stay warm. Moist air is also used to help them maintain body temperature and avoid fluid loss.
Babies born before 34 weeks often have problems feeding from a bottle or a breast. This is because they have a hard time coordinating sucking, breathing, and swallowing.
Other illness can also interfere with a newborn's ability to feed through a nipple. Some of these include:
Newborn babies that are very small or sick may need to get nutrition and fluids through a vein (IV).
As they get stronger, they can start to get milk or formula through a tube that goes into the stomach through the nose or mouth. This is called gavage feeding. The amount of milk or formula is increased very slowly. This reduces the risk of an intestinal infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Babies who are fed human milk are less likely to get NEC.
Babies who are less premature (born at or after 34 weeks gestation) often can be fed from a bottle or the mother's breast. Premature babies may have an easier time with breastfeeding than bottle feeding at first. This is because the flow from a bottle is harder for them to control and they can choke or stop breathing.
Preterm babies have a harder time maintaining the proper water balance in their bodies. These babies can become dehydrated or overhydrated.
Human milk from the baby's own mother is the best for babies born early and at very low birth weight.
Premature babies have not been in the womb long enough to store up the nutrients they need and must usually take supplements.
Weight gain is monitored closely for all babies.
The desired weight gain depends on the baby's size, gestational age, and health.
Premature babies do not leave the hospital until they are gaining weight steadily and in an open crib rather than an incubator. Some hospitals have a rule how much the baby must weigh before going home. In general, babies are at least 4 pounds before they are ready to come out of the incubator.
Poindexter B, Denne S. Nutrition and metabolism in the high-risk neonate. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 9th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby Elsevier; 2010:chap 35.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Nutritional needs of the preterm infant. Pediatric Nutrition Handbook. Elk Grove Village, Il; AAP; 2009, pages 79-104.
This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM


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Turkey Vultures 656 Web Download
Web Download typically 477 x 318 ish
Zip files come with respective license
Turkey Vultures 656 Web Download. I do photography full time and have thousands of images I am getting up on this computer as time permits. Contact me with any questions you may have at my website. Thank you for looking!
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The world depends on mariners. Mariners depend on SCI. And we depend on you.
Photos from the 2013 River Bell Awards Luncheon, held Thursday, December 12 at the Paducah-McCracken County Convention Center in Paducah, KY, honoring Rick Calhoun, President of Cargo Carriers, a business of Cargill Inc. and Senior Vice President of Grain & Oilseed Supply Chain North America (River Bell Award); Captain Clarke C. "Doc" Hawley (River Legend Award); and The Captain and Crew of Inland Marine Service's M/V Richard A. Baker (Lifesaving Award).
Photos by Brad Rankin Photography
Special Events are an important source of funding for the Seamen's Church Institute's programs. If you would like to receive information or invitations to our events, please email SCI's Special Events Team or telephone 212-349-9090.


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Buy Las Vegas Real Estate
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Three Up, Three Down
Just like Ryan Franklin in the 9th, this is going to be quick, disgustingly ugly and will probably include an ERA over 9:
First he tried to score from third when no one was lookin'… then he slid head first and broke his arm… then he was… out. THEN he blamed third base coach Dave Anderson for the boneheadedly aggressive move (not my fault, duh)… and THEN he later apologized to Dave Anderson for blaming him for the boneheadedly aggressive move.
Considering the overwhelming, undeniable, empirical evidence in this case… I am glad to report that Jesus of Nazareth was soley responsible for Joshy's change of heart, just as he was responsible for Joshy gettin' some buttery nipple action at da club a while back.
The 2011 season is well under way and… SURPRISE!!!… that's Lance Berkman posing at the Cardinals best player!
Hey folks, he may be weird lookin' in a Redbird uni, but he's the only one in the lineup who's been solid from the get-go. Go ahead, Albert… just go ahead and think about finding a deal somewhere else… we got number 12!
Ozzie Guillen sure is giving Timothy Geithner a run for his money (wink, wink) in the sour face department. Heck, I'd be angry too if my son's name was Oney (good grief is that really his name???)… I'd also be angry if my team scored runs like crazy, only to see them erased in the latter innings of an otherwise locked-down ballgame when the bullpen wheels start fallin' off (see Chris Sale, Matt Thornton, etc.).
Can't believe I'm sayin' this, but, I sorta miss big boy Bobby Jenks. At least with Jenks you'd at least see some emotion when he blew the game.
Hangin' the head and walkin' off is a bit too pedestrian for my liking.


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So you reckon you can be a Villeneuve, then?
Can't be that hard to go as fast as the proverbial excrement off a stick, what with traction control, automatic clutch, paddle gear shift and constant radio contact with the pits (et cetera, et cetera). Oh, and 400 brake horse-power throbbing between your legs. Well here's your chance to find out exactly how mind-bogglingly difficult winning the indy championship really is! Or even getting around anything other than an oval without leaving yourself and your car making a rather good impression of the same proverbial substance, somewhere around turn two!
Andretti Racing for the Sega Playstation allows you to sample the entire racing experience, from rookie to champion (the latter will require a little more dedication and practice than making an oddly named mammal do flips and spins along yet another run-of-the-mill platform). If you are looking for something different, and if you want to satiate that irresistible urge to go fast – really fast – (and if you own one of said PlayStations), here is your best opportunity to experience the impressive realism that is beginning to emerge in only the most recent racing games.
This title includes the thrills of both indy and nascar, on a selection of tracks from both disciplines. You'll soon find that a nascar can take a few more bumps than the fragile thoroughbred that is an indy car, but those nascar drivers you are racing against seem to have that bit more of a vicious streak than their indy cousins. Or maybe it's my imagination.
Don't be put off by my implying that you will find it difficult to get started in this game. You wont. You can be a wimp and turn off the damage and put the gearshift onto automatic (for which you will not be penalized in terms of either speed or agility). I heartily advise being a wimp under these circumstances. Damage also is fun (I especially like the way the MacDonalds logo on the spoiler of my nascar slowly crumples in response to my wayward control), but damage can wait. Turn it off. The game, however, is not limited to brakes, accelerator and gears. Far from it! Everything from tyre hardnes (durability versus grip tradeoff) to spoiler angle (speed versus maneuverability tradeoff) can be adjusted. Adjust, adjust, I say unto you! Every track has its own quirks and a badly adjusted car will severely put the kibosh on your chances of that long dreamed '15th place.'
You can practice every track, of course, and get the hang of things a bit before you embark on a career. Being a rookie, you will be driving for one of the weaker teams. You are all they can afford, God help them, but they (and hopefully you) will do their best. If you have a good season, one of the bigger teams may well put in a bid for you. Stranger things have happened. If you want a break from building your million-dollar career, you can always take on your buddy on a one-on-one to see who is king of the ring (or at least king of your living-room). Another good thing about this game is that it gives you a split-screen race. No Playstation linking required.
As far as the playability is concerned, this game is definitely as smooth as they come. You have three choices of view as you scream down the back straight, white-knuckled and red-eyed. You can immerse yourself in the true driving experience by choosing the in-cockpit view, or you can distance yourself somewhat from that fast-approaching concrete barrier by selecting an out-of-car, above-and-behind outlook on life. Either way, you can choose also to display a dynamic map of the track and your position on it, or a rear view. Herein lies one of my few criticisms of the game – the lack of rear-view mirrors. That is the way it is in a car and that is the way it should be in a game that is serious about its realism. A rear-view video camera (that also takes up a chunk of your screen area) is just not the same!
The control is just as smooth, however I do have a confession to make. I was able to play this game with an analog steering wheel. To be specific, the Per4mer wheel from Platinum Sound, complete with accelerator and brake pedals. Andretti Racing, like most racing games, is really designed for this kind of control. Trying to steer a car with the digital sony joypad is like trying to play the piano with a baseball bat. Its still fun to play that way, but if you're serious about racing, save your pennies and buy a steering wheel.
The graphics and animation are top-notch, from the paint-streaked concrete barriers to the aforesaid crumpled Maccie-D. The attention to detail is admirable. The last 30 seconds or so of action can be replayed from a variety of angles, so you can indeed examine the unforeseen and bizarre set of circumstances that led to you being eye-to-eye with a beetle in a gravel pit in a downside-up position. The makers of this game saw fit also to embellish it with the trappings of TV, with various video clips that, in my opinion, are superfluous to the game itself. But some people like the frills. Hey – you get to hear from Mario Andretti himself that its good to slow down coming up to corners!
If you have not played a racing game in the last year or two, then get off your butt and strap yourself into this one. You will not have seen anything like it. It does find itself under comparison with the newly released Grand Prix II (for the PC), which if anything shows an even finer attention to detail. However, for the Playstation you will find none finer… yet.


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|Rinha Clan
|(Rinha Ichizoku)
|Naruto Shippūden 3D: The New Era
|Appears in
|Clan Data
|Kekkei Genkai
The Rinha Clan (Rinha Ichizoku) was a clan with specialists in medical ninjutsu. They have performed admirably in the past wars. A survivor named Malice was the best of the clan.
The Rinha clan specialised in medical ninjutsu and were so proficient that they, during past wars, were targeted by shinobi from other countries, seeking to obtain their techniques.
Kekkei Genkai
The clan also possessed a Kekkei Genkai which enabled them to absorb chakra from people and create perfect copies of them. They were capable of absorbing the chakra both by direct physical contact or from a distance. Malice showed capable of even doing this through a puppet.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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As a man on a screen started to pull out a gun in a classroom full of students, Becker College Police Officer Timothy Harris crisply shouted out orders.
"Keep your hands where I can see them!" the new officer for the college barked.
Within seconds, the gunman pointed his gun at the officers. Students scrambled.
The Becker officer fired several rounds at the man.
The scenario was played out last week inside Blue Line Corp.'s 48-foot mobile firearms training range. On the screen in front of the Becker College officers were a number of scenarios, some including incidents at college campuses.
After the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999 and Virginia Tech in 2007, law enforcement and college police departments well know the importance of training for such events — even though the frequency is low.
The trailer used by the Sudbury-based company allows officers to learn verbal commands and decide when use of force might be needed.
"It's probably the most realistic critical type of decision-making and shooting you can get," Becker College Police Chief David J. Bousquet said last week as he worked with his officers inside the range.
The Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings brought nationwide attention to those types of situations. Parents and students should know that their college or university police and public safety departments are continually training, in case these types of situations ever arise, the chief said.
As Officer Harris went through a couple of the scenarios, Chief Bousquet patted him on the shoulder, reminding him of certain commands or actions. The scenarios force officers to make quick yet important decisions.
Holden police offered to have the trailer — which is soundproof, bulletproof and built by a Department of Defense contractor — at the station, so colleges and universities in the Worcester area could train.
Because a large contingent of the colleges and universities were involved in the training, the cost to have an officer use the range was $75 per officer, Holden Police Chief George R. Sherrill said. The Holden Police Department had its officers take the training, something it has done over the past five years.
In the chief's 37 years on the department, he can't recall a case where an officer had to shoot his firearm at a person. The trailer gives officers a chance to sharpen their skills, he said.
"It is so true to life. It's as lifelike as possible," Chief Sherrill said. "You have to prepare yourself for these low-frequency, high-risk situations."
Not every scenario forces the officers undergoing training to fire their weapon. In some cases the officer can warn of the use of pepper spray, or some other type of less-lethal measure.
Holden police are a state-certified department — one of about 18 in the state — and have to investigate any time force is used. The department has pepper spray and is about to issue Tasers to some officers.
Inside the trailer, different conditions can be recreated, said Jerry Tilbor, operations manager for Blue Line.
With a flick of a few switches, Mr. Tilbor pushed back a paper target and the lights inside the trailer dimmed. Sirens and strobe lights mimicking a police cruiser filled the inside of the trailer.
Studies showed over 70 percent of police officer shootings occur in diminished lighting, Mr. Tilbor said.